That's not how that works. The shop has to provide you with an estimated bill that you have to approve before they'll even start working on it.
this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2025
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Depends on the laws in your state
It's also not uncommon for them to tell you that your car needs all this work because mechanics generally get paid on flatrate, so they're always trying to get more work. A lot of mechanics double dip on labor hours. Replace a brake caliper and get a brake flush. Well, they already had to bleed the brakes when they did the caliper and they're not going to bother bleeding all four, they'll just put clean fluid in the reservoir and you'll never know.
Yep, inspect is normally £20-£40, they give you the cost of repair and it stays at that cost. If they discover yet another problem, they don't force you to undergo the repair.
It is permitted for non-certified (MOT) cars to go to and from a mechanic so you can space out repairs over a month or more if needed.
Source: my friend bought a decades old Volvo so he tends to have LOTS of trouble keeping it in a reasonable state on his general wages.
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The actual solution is to reduce dependence on cars.
Well, the actual solution is to abolish Capitalism...
That's a lot more difficult than investing in alternatives to cars.
Well it's get easier the more guillotines are set up in the town squares...
Exactly. Your car can't break if you never had one.
The moment every car owner dreads.
laughs in DIY
"why do I have all these parts left over?"
Weight reduction
eh, you can save money that way, but there are still repairs that the expense is majority parts.
$4k gets a couple more beaters off marketplace. But you gotta know what to look for and live in a state lax intersection rules.
Yes, that's a good point.
Bill in dollars and you're going Far far away? Lol not without your car
People have been known to cross the Florida Straight on makeshift rafts, I hear Cuba is very nice this time of year.
Unfortunately new cars are more difficult to repair than older cars. Community mechanic shops and education need to be more common.
Community mechanic shops and education need to be more common.
Nah, what you need is fewer cars and to not depend on them to stay alive.
Don't let perfection be the enemy of progress. Those mechanic shops can transition to working on trains, bikes, EVs, etc. We can do both.
IMO, I can't see how making progress on car maintainability would be easier than on car dependency.
One depends on local politics, the other on national (or maybe even national to a foreign nation) politics or somehow convincing a global oligopolist to lose a bit of money to help your cause.
But if you want to work on it, good luck and all the power to you. Don't stop just because another problem exists.
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Cars will never and should never go away completely, even if they become nothing more than a niche hobbyist thing.
In any case, we very much need and want and should have community mechanic shops and education. A friendly repair cafe is always a good idea.
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right to repair needs to come faster, my fucking malibu needs to have the front bumper be partially removed in order to change the headlight. Yea let's risk cracking the bumper to change a headlight. Really nice.
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And people ask me why I have no interest in learning to drive...
Also, learn to repair your own car or at least do basic maintenance if you absolutely have to rely on a car. It can save you a lot of money and much of it is surprisingly easy (sometimes this depends on what car you have though). Oil changes on my car cost $70-80 in a shop but if I did it myself it was closer to $40 and the whole thing maybe took 30 minutes.
(Please don't do this. Pour the old oil into the empty container and return it to the store for responsible disposal, or municipal hazardous waste facility, or whatever scheme exists in your location)
A lot of times you can just give the used oil to any mechanic shop. They almost all run waste oil burners for heat in the winter so any free oil is just free heat for them.
Ahh, 1963. Classic PopSci...
This is why I only drive 90s and 2000s Asian cars. Cheap to own, cheap to repair, parts are abundant and easy to work on without needing specialized equipment.
Plus if you enjoy driving like me, you have a huge selection of fun, reliable JDM sports cars to choose from, all under $10K.
Same, I have an old 5 speed Subaru right now and I love it.
Manual 350Z for me
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How would you like to pay?
... I don't 🙃
How would you like to pay?
I'd like to use all that spare money I have in my bank account, but instead, I guess I'll use my credit card because my livelihood requires that I have a working car. I'm sure I can pay it off in the next few years before I need another crippling repair or other expense.
Average Genius Bar experience
Me in two weeks time from now
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