MADINAH, 3 February 2005 — Most people rely on their cars for transportation, but some angry Madinah motorists believe unscrupulous auto repair shops are relying on their cars as a source for easy money, Al-Madinah newspaper reported.
From replacing working parts with used parts or cheap knockoffs to ongoing problems that require multiple visits — and multiple charges — motorists are becoming increasingly wary of auto repairs.
“The moment you enter their place, they greet you with a great big smile,” said Salim Al-Rashidi, a Madinah resident and car owner. “They try to convince the owner that the problem with the car is minor, and they can fix it in no time.”
One common ploy is to base parts prices on the auto manufacturer’s suggested retail price, when the part used is a cheap imitation.
“Once an auto shop cheated me by charging me high prices on spare parts in addition to the labor costs,” Al-Rashidi said. “I discovered later that the spare parts were not original, and he installed fake spare parts in my car instead and charged as if it was original.”
The knockoff parts can be avoided by using the garages at auto dealerships, but even they have some disadvantages.
“The dealerships perform normal services and normal repairs for abnormally high prices,” said Imran Ahmad. “This doesn’t count the long time that it takes them to fix one car.”
Newer cars can be fairly high-tech, with computer diagnostic features built into them. Although dealership mechanics often receive training on the use of these features, it can be hit or miss at the neighborhood auto shop.
“I try to avoid car repair shops that have computer inspections because they detect some defects that do not exist in the car,” Ahmad said. “I do not trust the results that come from the computer inspection because they design them to create mistakes even if there are no problems.”
When there is a problem, it’s nice when a mechanic offers a solution. But when you are offered several solutions it can become problematic.
“First-time customers can have a difficult time dealing with a new car mechanic,” said Obaidullah Al-Harbi. “The first time I visited them they turned my vehicle into an experimental car. Everybody inside that shop gave me a different opinion on the problem. I spent four times what should have been the actual cost of the car repair.”
There was another slight problem, however.
“Actually my car was not repaired but was more damaged than when it came to the shop the first time,” Al-Harbi said. “They actually took perfect parts from my car and installed used ones.”
Don’t forget labor costs.
“The problem is not finding the spare part but the price these repair shops charge for installing it — which can exceed the price of the spare part by six times,” said Muhammad Al-Shamrani.
He said if you happen to go to an unscrupulous shop, they’ll get you. “There is no way that someone can escape from their cheating ways,” Al-Shamrani said. “They will find a way to get extra money out of your pocket one way or another.”
Of course, not all mechanics are unscrupulous, and dealers will tell you that today’s automobiles usually are designed to require less servicing at longer intervals than older models, but perhaps the best advice is to know with whom you are doing business.
“I got over this problem by dealing with one repair shop that I trust,” Al-Harbi said.
