Some consumers make the mistake of choosing a shop based solely on a price quote, then find the shop can't live up to its promises at the price they promised. Automotive technology requires constant training to keep up with all the changes. It also requires the shop to have the latest diagnostic equipment available. The repair shop with the best trained and certified mechanics and most up to date equipment will usually do the best repair for you. While cost is certainly one consideration it should not be the only factor.

Here are suggestions that will help you choose a good, reputable repair shop.

• Ask around. Has anyone you know had a good or a bad experience with a particular repair shop?

• Try to find a shop that has a lot of repeat customers. Customers are more likely to stay with a repair shop that they trust and one that does a good job for them.

• Make sure they guarantee all their work with a 12 month 12,000 mile warranty that covers both the parts and the labor. There are some facilities who offer what appears to be a lifetime warranty when in fact it is only lifetime for one specific part. The rest of the repair and parts used may have a much shorter warranty some as little as three months. Make sure the warranty covers the part and the labor sometimes the labor to replace the failed part is many times the price of the part and who wants the hassle of paying for that again.

• Ask the shop if they have a specific quality assurance program in place. While no policy can guarantee that you will never have another problem with your vehicle a shop that has a commitment to excellence should have a program in place to verify that your receive the very best service possible. If they stumble with this question or are vague the facility doesn’t likely have a policy that is consistently followed.

• Look for a shop that is certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence as a blue seal shop. This guarantees you that at least 75% of technicians performing diagnosis and repairs are ASE certified. And that at least one technician must be ASE certified in each area of service offered. Only 4% of the repair shops in the nation have this distinction. You can hang up the ASE sign if one person passes one test but the Blue Seal Sign means they have a real commitment to the certification program.

• Check to see if they are an AAA approved facility. AAA has very stringent requirements including surveys to insure that the customers of the facility are satisfied with the level of service they are receiving.