How to talk to a mechanic

This can be intimidating for a lot of people that are not familiar with vehicle repair or design. However, if you have a good mechanic that you trust, you shouldn’t be worried. You can help him/her greatly if you provide as much information as possible when explaining the issue. Use this check list to guide you through the information that will be helpful to your mechanic.

Please note, there are a lot of articles on the internet that offer advise for how to talk to a mechanic “so you don’t get ripped off.” If you feel uncomfortable or unheard, you are in the wrong place. You should be free to ask all the questions you wish to fully understand the issue with your vehicle. If you can’t trust the person not to use that information against you, find someone you can trust.

It’s best to give your mechanic a good understanding of what, where, and when the issue is happening. “I have a vibration in the brake pedal when I’m braking on the highway.” “The car is slow to start in the morning, but okay once it’s warmed up.” Follow the check list and you will be able to provide this information. If you can’t, don’t worry about it. We know what questions to ask to get your car diagnosed. Also, don’t be afraid to ask the mechanic to go for a ride with you to demonstrate the problem.

Oh, and don’t worry when the car won’t act up in front of the mechanic. It happens all the time. The mechanic DOESN’T think your crazy, but he/she does need to reproduce the issue to properly diagnose it.