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Average Car Repair
Did you know that the average car repair cost between $500 – $600? According to AAA travel services people even go into debt because they are unable to pay upfront for any unexpected car repair.
Following recommendation from money gorus like Dave Ramsey, you should have a car emergency fund. Saving just $50 per week can save you headaches or even getting into deeper debt. So that when your car breaks down, you have some money set aside to get the repairs done.
Car part prices.
Car Part prices have skyrocketed in the past decade, now a simple repair or even replacing one tire from your vehicle can cost you between $65 and $500 depending on diameter, brand and location.
According to an article from forbes it's cheaper for auto insurance companies to total your car before doing any repairs. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for motor vehicle repairs were 61.07% higher in 2017 than they were in 2000. The problem mainly has to do with markup, where you the consumer gets basically screwed by everyone who ever handled the shipping or distribute the part. Some parts can cost just a few cents to make, even pennies but you at the end will be paying over 20x or even 87x more the original price.
Mechanic per hour cost
One of the most untrusted and sometimes overpaid labour is one of a mechanic, unless you know them personally or if they really are professionals that will only look into your interest, they will be trying to take advantage of you, offering services or repairs that may not be necessary at that time. Beside the high part prices you will be paying a freelance mechanic between $70 – $90 per hour and if you take your vehicle to the dealership spect to pay between $110 – $130 per hour.
Back in 2015 you were expected to pay $20 less per hour than in 2019, according to Channel 10 News in Miami the prices are set by several national labor guides that are published annually, most mechanics get paid either salary or per hour, but they will not receive even a half of what you are paying the shop, the whole thing is not fare for either you or the mechanic doing the labor.
Cost of doing business
Most small mechanic shops have to pay rent, cover insurance, pay employee benefits, vacations, salaries, unemployment, licenses ETC. So you are paying them for having a building to do the repairs and having their phone lines, security cameras and everything that involves the business being there waiting for anyone to drop in with a car problem. Wouldn't it be better to have a mechanic come to you instead?
Having car repaired at your house.
This sounds really good, but it could be a very bad idea if something were to happen to someone getting hurt while in your driveway, other than that yes, it makes sense to have a car mechanic come to your house and do the repairs there.
You wouldn't have to pay for towing your vehicle to a shop (if it doesn't drive) or having to pay marked up auto part prices, the mechanic will be a lot more relaxed not having a boss breathing over their neck asking them to upsale or to finish fast to get them to another car quickly. I found that almost every junkyard has mechanics that work there pulling parts for customers and even installing them for a fraction of what they would pay at a mechanic shop.
THE SECRET SAUCE
Large junkyards have programs that allow mechanics to come in and buy parts at a discounted price, this mechanics usually linger in the yard, waiting for customers to approach them asking if they can pull some heavy of hard to reach part.
They will charge you for the job regardless of how long it takes them to get the part, also they know more or less what parts look good and which ones are just junk, it's good to have some help at the junk yard if you are not sure what parts in a car could work. Also this guys know what vehicles in the yard may have the part you need and how long they've been in the yard.
Once they pull a part for you, then you can ask them if they can install it and how much they will charge you. You can even bundle a deal if they pull the part and install it for you. Installing an alternator could cost you over $300 at a local mechanic shop, but the person at the salvage yard could charge you under $100 to pull it and install it for you.
