Driving is a major expense.
From insurance to gas to repairs, AAA estimates it costs around $12,000 a year to own a car.
Worse, auto repair is getting more and more expensive, up almost 20% in the past year according to the Consumer Price Index.
Here at the Samaritan Car Care Clinic, the repair techs are feeling the impact of inflation.
They are a non-profit repair facility, that helps low income families get auto repair at a deep discount.
But even here, "the costs just continue to go up," shop director Bruce Kintner said.
But he says no matter where you live, a good independent shop can save you big bucks.
"This is nothing against dealerships," Kintner said. "The reason why you are able to be in a nice tile floored lobby and have coffee is they have to charge for it."
AAA says one-in-three drivers have to go into debt to pay for unexpected repairs.
That’s why it’s so important to be strategic.
Kevin Brasler, the executive editor at Consumers’ Checkbook, says that "Some shops charge more than double what others do."
His undercover shoppers, checking more than a dozen repair shops, reported massive price differences for the same repairs.
Unfortunately, it's often difficult to know whether you're being overcharged.
5 steps to saving money on auto repair
So, what can you do? Brasler has a 5-step solution to saving money.
Step one, Brasler says, is to "Get a written estimate from any repair shop."
Step two, he says, is to "Ask a few other shops to quote their prices to do the exact same work."
Step three: once you pick your repair shop, be firm about any surprise add-ons.
"Tell them, if it's going to cost more than this estimate, I need to authorize that in advance," he said.
Step four: make sure you get a warranty on both the parts and labor, in case a mistake was made.
And step five: don't put off small repairs, because that will cost you more down the road.
Bruce Kitner, back at Samaritan Car Care Clinic, showed a car that now needs hundreds of dollars in extra repairs due to negligence.
"It needed brake pads 9-12 months ago," he said. "But the person did not have the money and kept driving. But then you destroy the brake rotors, and this will cost much more to repair."
Samaritan is seeing a surge in applications for their discount and subsidized auto repair, with repair costs so high these days.
Their hope is that more people are able to donate to shops like theirs, to help families who otherwise can't afford repairs.
That way you don’t waste your money.
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