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Finding a good mechanic that you can trust is like finding a good doctor for your family. The first thing to do is to make sure the mechanic is state certified and insured. It's the most basic credentials all mechanics have to have in order to do business. One certification thats highly regarded is the ASE (Automotive Service Excellence).
The independent, nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence is dedicated to improving automotive service and repair by testing and certifying the competence of individual mechanics, or "technicians," to use today's terminology. ASE is the only automotive certification group that is both national in scope and industry-wide. It is self-supporting, with a forty-member, volunteer board of directors drawn from all segments of the automotive service industry, as well as representatives from education, government and consumer groups.
ASE-certified technicians have proven their competency to you, to their employers, and to themselves by passing national, standardized exams.
Because ASE's program is voluntary, technicians who have paid in time and money to earn ASE certification can be counted on to have a strong sense of pride in their profession. Moreover, prior to taking ASE exams, many mechanics attend training classes or study after work to increase their knowledge, another plus for consumers.
ASE certifies only the individual technician, not the repair shop itself, but it stands to reason that employers and managers who encourage their technicians to earn ASE's national credentials will be concerned about all aspects of their business.
If your mechanic doesn't have any of these certifications, there's probably something more than meets the eye. Another sign of a good quality mechanic, is offering free estimates for repai. If there are any conditions attached to the estimate, be wary. You shouldn't have to commit to something that wasn't performed on your car yet. When having your car serviced, the mechanic should give you a reasonable estimate of how long the job will take and will follow up and call you when it's ready. There have been countless times when I've had my car serviced and the car was left for hours after it was done with no phone call. You shouldn't have to keep calling the mechanic asking when something will be done when promised within a certain time frame.
Personality is another good factor in judging the mechanics character. Although mechanics can be very busy, they should take a minute or two and listen to your concerns with the car. If they brush you off or ignore you, leave immediately.
Probably the best way of finding a quality mechanic is word of mouth or recommendations. There is no better proof to ones work than a happy customer boasting about the job done on their car.
ASE-certified technicians can be found at every type of repair facility: new car dealerships, independent garages, service stations, tire dealers, special shops, and major franchises. There are about 375,000 ASE technicians at work across the nation. Repair facilities with one or more ASE-certified technicians are entitled to display the blue and white ASE sign and post their certified technicians' credentials in the customer service area.