One the Great Websites Listed to the Right of the Page - AutoMD.com™ Ranks Best and Worst Cities for Auto Repair

Car Owner Fears About Unfair Repair Shop Quotes Confirmed

Advocacy Report Measures Affordability, Price Disparity Range and Shop Integrity

Carson, CA – February 24, 2010 – AutoMD.com (http://www.automd.com/), the most comprehensive and unbiased free online auto repair resource, today released its Advocacy for Repair Shop Fairness Report, the first to analyze how the top-50 most populated U.S. cities stack up when it comes to providing consumers with fair auto repair cost estimates. In the report, Memphis ranked as the best city for fairness and consistency of prices quoted in auto repair, while Chicago ranked as the worst.



For the report, AutoMD.com mystery shoppers conducted a fairness check of over 600 shops in the top-50 DMAs* (including a range of dealers, independent shops, and franchises like Pep Boys) by requesting quotes on a typical auto repair job: a front brake replacement job for a Ford Focus. To measure pricing integrity, the mystery shoppers called back two weeks later with an industry standard price estimate. The best and worst list was then calculated based on each city‘s rankings for three critical factors, weighted equally:

1. Repair Affordability: The average cost-per-job for that city based on prices quoted by repair shops


2. Price Disparity Range: The percentage variance between the lowest price quoted and the highest price quoted in each market


3. Shop Integrity Factor: The percentage of shops that shifted their original quoted price by more than 5% when presented with an industry standard price estimate

"If you are one of the 88% of car owners who feel that they are not getting a fair shake at the repair shop** ... this report shows that you are probably right," said AutoMD.com President Shane Evangelist. "Repair shop quotes in more than half of the cities for the same job had a variance from lowest to highest of over 150% - with over two-thirds of the shops overall changing their price quote when presented with an industry standard price."



Underscoring that few car owners are immune to the challenges of repair shop pricing, Evangelist noted that even in Memphis, the report‘s top ranked city, there was a 135% price quote disparity - with one in four of the city‘s repair shops tested changing its quote when presented with an industry standard price.



"With such drastic quote fluctuations within each city -- and a chronic lack of integrity in the actual prices quoted -- consumers clearly need to arm themselves with research before setting foot in the repair shop," continued Evangelist. "The bottom line is that information is power; and, fortunately, car owners now have access to online tools so they can compare local repair shops, establish a local market repair invoice price and make sure that they get a fair deal at the repair shop."



To see if your city is best, worst or somewhere in-between, see AutoMD.com‘s complete Advocacy for Repair Shop Fairness Report rankings click here.



About AutoMD.com

AutoMD.com ™ a wholly-owned subsidiary of US Auto Parts Network, Inc., (Nasdaq:PRTS), is the most comprehensive and unbiased free online automotive repair resource designed to empower car owners with the best way to repair their vehicles. Backed by a team of automotive data specialists and certified auto mechanics who are advocates for the car owner, AutoMD.com allows both car owners and DIYers to 1. Diagnose car problems, 2. Know how much auto repairs should cost, 3. Understand the steps needed and the time it should take with How-to Auto Repair guides, and 4. Find the right local auto repair shop at the right price for their issue.



Unlike other repair sites, AutoMD.com does not rely on revenue from repair shops or dealerships, so car owners can rest assured that AutoMD.com repair shop listings are completely unbiased and designed to help car owners choose the best, most affordable shop for their vehicle issue.



Source: http://www.automd.com/



Check this video from a large repair shop chain.  Supposedly a joke.



Video on YouTube





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Finding a Great Auto Repair Shop

Trying to find a great auto repair shop can be quite a challenge, yet finding a great shop can be quite rewarding. The question is, how to get from the looking stage to the found stage. Unfortunately, most people don’t have the "inside information" they might need. Just as unfortunate, in my opinion, is the lack of really helpful information on the topic.



My hope in writing this article is to be of help and dispel some of the misinformation that is so prevalent. To start, some of the common myths:



Myth: Dealerships employ factory trained experts



Truth: Dealerships hire from the exact same employee pool as all shops. Choosing a dealership for service is no assurance of anything. Training is widely available to shops willing to invest in it. Some do and others don’t and the same goes for dealerships.



Myth: Look for ASE certification



Truth: While there is nothing wrong with ASE certification, a sign hanging out front means very little. A shop could have [or have had] one technician that was certified and nine that are not. No one polices the use of signs that proclaim, "We employ certified technicians.



Myth: Look for industry affiliations



Truth: Generally, trade associations are prohibited from denying membership to anyone in the trade. There are seldom any type of background checks and paying dues is often all that is required to be a member.



So how is a person to choose a good shop? There are two situations under which a shop may be needed, and a procedure for finding a shop in each. The first is the emergency repair. Clearly the best approach is to avoid emergencies with a good maintenance program. Still emergencies do arise. For instance a vehicle may break down while traveling.



With emergency repair there is seldom time for a thorough search as outlined below, quick advice is needed. Seek advice from someone who does NOT stand to gain from your choice. Make a call to a parts store or a shop that does not do the type work you need. Ask, "If your Mother’s vehicle was broken which shop would you recommend?" Call several and see if one shop is referred more than others.



When possible, finding a regular shop, before service is needed is a much better approach. Time invested ahead of need can pay huge dividends down the road. The first step is to do a bit of homework. Ask friends, coworkers and others that drive the type vehicle that you own, who they use. As important is to ask, "Why do you recommend them?" Be certain the reason given is what you are looking for in a shop.



Look for a name(s) that comes up more than once in referrals. Several folks recommending the same facility is a very good sign. If the shop has a website, pay a visit. Read carefully the things that are written and how they are written. Does the expressed information match your aims in auto service?



Next call the competition and ask what they think of the shop you’re considering. This may seem odd, but can offer quite a bit of information. Don’t expect a glowing recommendation from a competitor, but ask, "Do you think they are trustworthy," and "Do you think they know what they are doing?"



Lastly make a call or visit to the shop. A few observations can reveal a great deal. There are two very broad categories of folks in the auto repair trade, in my opinion. Those who are there to fix your vehicle and those that are there to sell you something.



One easy way to tell which you are speaking with is to see how they market their services. I find, a shop interested in quality repair will ask for symptoms and will not quote prices without knowing what is wrong with a vehicle. If you ask for a "tune-up," they will ask, "What kind of problem are you having?" Knowing the exact symptoms, they can recommend the correct course of action.



Selling a "tune-up" or "a brake job" for $XX.XX is known as menu pricing. It might surprise many to know the words tune-up and brake job have no standardized meaning. Instead, they mean whatever the shop wants them to mean.



Menu pricing attempts to make a complex task appear simple. Instead it relegates the duty of diagnosing the problem to the client. Ask for a tune-up, pay the price and the car is still hard to start. "We did a tune-up, that’s what you asked for." It illustrates to me the intentions of the company offering it.



Many of the things that make a shop excellent at auto service may also make them inconvenient for small repair. For instance, most will work by appointment and stay very busy. In such a case you may consider two shops. One for oil changes, flat repair, etc. and one for actual repair and diagnostic work. Many of our clients come in once a year for a general inspection or more often if they need an honest opinion.



A true craftsman’s primary interest is fixing the vehicle properly. By offering great service they earn an honest living. There are also those who’s primary interest is to make money. They simply do so by repairing vehicles. A little work up front can help direct you to the type individual with whom you would rather deal.



Source www.agcoauto.com





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This is Not Tire or Wheel Related But Still Very Important!

Consumer Reports advises how to cope with sudden unintended vehicle acceleration



In the wake of Toyota Motor Corp.’s massive recall of 2.3 million vehicles for problems with sticking accelerator pedals, consumer watchdog group Consumers Union has issued a directive instructing drivers on how to deal with sudden unintended acceleration—the problem some Toyota vehicle owners have experienced.



Yonkers-based Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports (CR) magazine, called the problem of a car racing ahead even though the driver is not pressing on the accelerator pedal “a rare but potentially fatal event.” Toyota reported that there have in fact been several fatalities linked to the problem.



Sometimes there are warning signs beforehand—such as the accelerator pedal being harder to depress, slower to return to its upper position or simply not operating smoothly, CR said. “Other times, the problem strikes without warning.”



If a car suffers sudden unintended acceleration, the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center recommends a driver take the following five steps that can help bring a runaway vehicle safely to a halt:



1. Brake firmly. Do not pump the brakes. Do not turn off the engine yet—because doing so would disable the power assist for your steering and brakes.



2. Shift the transmission into Neutral. Don’t worry if the engine revs up alarmingly; most cars have rev-limiters to protect against damage.



3. Steer to a safe location and come to a full stop.



4. Shut off the engine with the transmission still in Neutral.



5. Finally, shift the transmission into Park or, with a manual transmission, set the emergency brake. Then breathe deep and call for help. Do not drive the car.



An illustrated free, downloadable pdf document on “How to cope with sudden unintended acceleration—Five steps that could save your life” is available at Consumer Reports’ Web site.

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