What is the lowest price you paid to get your car repaired?

The guy in my local Renault garage fixed my windscreen wiper for nothing. I was just getting some fuel and he saw the problem and fixed it for me.

As I recall, Link, it was $2. But I think they must somehow have slipped the decimal

I once had two bulbs changed in my Mini Cooper, and one of the carburettors tweaked to stop it from chugging, for a packet of five Hamlet (slim cigars) and a bacon sandwich.

I have had a mechanic fix me up for nothing more than once. I always go to him for repairs. The first time I used him, my transmission was leaking. I knew if I paid him to service it, he would see the leak and tell me what needed to be done. He called later and told me he would be cheating me if he serviced the transmission. Everything was clean and in good shape. He incidentally tightened a bolt on the bottom pan, because there was a small leak. He wouldn't take anything for his trouble.

I have been seeing this other mechanic for bigger repairs - he is very good and gives a reasonable price - been in the area forever and is well known and respected thus he is always busy.

I went to get my car inspected - the guy told me my water squirters (he used the real name) one of them is not working - the other he was able to fix, but I would need new ones. He said he isn't supposed to give me inspection as it is a safety thing, but he would go ahead and pass me. I asked if he could fix them and how much it would be - he said he would need to get the parts from the dealer as they don't have them and no charge as he just needs to pop them in and out.

I brought it back and he was true to his word - I just paid for the parts a few dollars. So when this happened and knowing how busy my normal mechanic is and on a Saturday to boot. He hooked me up again.

I feel like I am cheating - but I will definately bring my car back to him for normal things like oil changes - not sure on the bigger items as I am unsure of his expertise and experience.

But he has shown he is an honest person - if I brought it to the dealer it would have ended up being thousands of dollars with new parts being needed.

<raises hand>

the guys at my local Honda dealership do stuff for free every now and then

and when they don't, there's usually some kind of goodie instead - i.e. day passes to a provincial park or to a show or something

I love that dealership. They've been very good to me over the years.

Lucky - usually dealers charge for every little thing. I have never heard (until now) of a dealership providing free service for anything - usually there is at least one hours worth of labor even for them just to look at your car.

My dad (hamburgboy) gets free service and/or advice leading to no service requirement from his local Honda dealer as well.

He also got one of those $2 charges someone mentioned. I think it was the cost of a fuse the dealer replaced.

I have a Honda and never around here do they provide free service - if you want an estimate on how much something will cost for repair - the Honda dealer will charge you for the time it takes to look at the car.

Most non-dealer mechanics will give estimates and not charge you for their time/advice to determine appropriate repairs.

Our cars usually don't need repairs, but the regular oil change and tire rotation. We always use the same mechanic where we bought our tires, because with the oil change, the tire rotation is 'free.' They also inspect our brakes and such to see if they need servicing. Most other times, it's about a smog check that costs about $40. The shop automatically sends the smog results to DMV; of coarse they charge for that.

wow! I've had Hondas since mmmmmm 1986 - I've never paid for an estimate.

Being old and all, and having owned thirteen cars of varied descriptions, and having never learned by taking an auto class at our good local city college, I remain a car dummy to some extent, though even I understand some of it. I've had three golden places to take my autos.

1) our neighbor Mike, who had his own mechanics shop, charged me and ex mildly, fair to him and us. Knowing him, I think those were his regular prices - he was just reasonable. I took my cars to him as long as I lived in the area.

2) a tire service place in northern California which was very reasonable and exceedingly helpful, including driving my scary car for me to the dealer for that specific computer involved situation, me driving the guy's truck right behind him and my freaking out car (tended to die at intersections). I don't think there was a charge for that (they knew me by then); I still have the paperwork but don't want to thresh through it.

3) the guy here in Albuquerque who tended to have a tissue in his nose (a mechanic who owns a shop on a main north south street here). The tissue business is that this area can bring on a lot of allergens to some folks. I remember him not charging me for several things but not now the details.

But the guy who really fixed something for free was the cop who zoomed up behind me in Marina del Rey, the time my piece of zing MGB GT convertible had its front hood fly when I was going 50 and wrap itself up and somewhat over the windscreen. I had managed to pull over, blind to seeing ahead, aware there hadn't been traffic near, that I knew of but....
and managed that and boom, there he was (probably had been hiding as people speed there). Maybe there was a siren snort as that happened.

Anyway, he managed to unbend the hood and engage it somehow approaching its original location and then, since I lived about ten blocks away, told me to drive home and he would follow me. We did that. Bless his heart, and a zoom back to the Marina.

I can't imagine that happening now. That was probably in the late seventies.

I sold the car for what I paid for it, $1000.. as is.


Oh, lest I sound pollyanna-ish, I've have had all sorts of flubbity dub mechanics and actual scoundrels in action, two of them, probably a combo of flubbity and scoundrel, were volvo dealers. That list were the good ones.

I once had a pickup have a brake job and a shave and a new head gasket . It was done for just the cot of the parts (It was done at a trade school garage).
I was teaching a surveying class and introducing the kids to new laser surveying and gps surveying . I was doing it as a favor to a buddy who was on the faculty. The pay was zero but I got my expenses meals an some bennies like the free repairs.

I was there for about a month nd had to get back to my own stuff

Actually quite often. But I'm going to this garage for all my life.
And paid huge sums for other repairs, new cars ...

The world weary, always moaning Victor Meldrew has picked up his Honda from the local garage and is now stuck in an endless traffic jam with wife and friend.......




And the hilarious slightly longer version.....