Maybe you’re just looking for an oil change or other basic repair and you expect everything to go as planned. You should know how to avoid car repair scams.

Unfortunately, there are unethical and dishonest mechanics out there who might charge you for overpriced parts, unnecessary repairs, and possibly repairs that they don’t even do. Let’s take a look at how to spot common car repair scams.

How Unscrupulous Shops Take Advantage

It’s not an unrealistic scenario for someone to take their vehicle to a shop, not knowing much about it, and having an expensive repair done, only to find out later that the repair was never done. The main way these shops take advantage of customers is when the customers don’t know much about their vehicles. They also hone in on repairs that you might not notice right away.

Of course, most repair shops are honest, and the ones that aren’t don’t typically stay in business long after their upset customers out them for dishonest practices. The Automotive Service Association is one industry group that represents repair shops that aren’t part of a chain. The purpose of ASA is to have repair shops agree to a code of ethics so customers can feel assured that the shop is honest.

Statistics On Car Repair Scams

The stats on these types of scams aren’t easy to track. Still, a recent survey of 1,000 car owners from a Pennsylvania parts reseller said roughly half of the participants were scammed or almost scammed by a shop trying to sell unnecessary repairs. About 35% said that a shop overcharged them for parts or labor, and about 15% said a shop had claimed to fix something but didn’t. For example, an oil change that was never done.

In the same survey, 13% said that a shop gave them a price for the repair, but then charged them more after the work was done. About 11% said that the shop charged for new parts and then installed used or low-quality parts.

Most Americans spend quite a bit of money on their cars. An average repair price is around $500 to $600, so as you can imagine, these types of car repair scams can be expensive. They can also be expensive if a repair isn’t done which leads to more problems with the car.

Unneeded Repairs

A very common scam, as indicated by the above survey, is for a shop to attempt to upsell unneeded repairs during a basic service. For example, you might go in for an oil change and have them tell you that you need new brakes or new tires. Over-maintenance is another common scam.

For example, they might tell you that you need an oil change every 3,000 miles when most modern cars and oils are designed to last much longer. They might also talk you into replacing other fluids or changing spark plugs and air filters with plenty of life left.

The final thing to be concerned about in avoiding car repair scams is whether you’re getting OEM parts or not. There are many counterfeit auto parts on the market and they’re not always easy to spot.

That’s one big reason to visit an ASA-certified shop or a dealership for your next oil change or basic repair.