I would like to say not all mechanics are like that.
Statistically I'd say there is some good ones out there... just not in my locale. Tried all four within a 2 mile radius in the space of 6 months and every one of them were useless.
I started driving in 2014 (my mums Corsa C at the time). When she needed work done there was two mechanics she had used (bearing in mind she hadn't changed the oil from getting that car in 2009 til it's eventual death in 2015 - it wasn't too often). First guy wasn't answering the phone, that was Local Mechanic
A. This guy barely ever answered his phone, but drove about in a lime green van advertising his car repair business.. Looking at his parents yard where he operated from, it was all old 90s Fords and molested VAG cars with things like missing headlights and no wheels sitting around, I suspect he was only interested in work like that. Other guy Local Mechanic
B had it post head-gasket failure and declared it not worth fixing. Sat in his yard for a couple of months, developed some really bizarre and disugsting mold all over the interior and then he coincidentally found a buyer who would take it for £100, and had the cheek to ask me for further discount as he was loading it onto their trailer! Never went back to him for my cars.
Then in September 2015 bought a very old, basically done Corsa C for £450. I must have had about £1500 in the bank at that point, didn't start uni as planned, had a year of likely unemployment so I bought that, thought it'd soon pay for itself. Being naive, I thought taking it to Local Mechanic
C (one my mum used pre-MOT) would get it fixed up and good as any other used old Corsa C. They diagnosed a few things: sub frame, oil pressure sensor, MAF sensor, and I think something else. £450 for that work. Paid it. Got it back, a week late it broke down again when I was signing up for JSA at the time. Miserable old experience it was! Started dying out.. managed to make it to a Tesco car park. It was dripping a trail of petrol behind it. Had it towed home. Then towed to the same mechanic, they let it sit for about 4 weeks straight (of me ringing up each Monday, asking if they know what's wrong and what it'd cost to fix). This was before I understood that basically meant they weren't interested. Luckily for me, my sister was buying a new car at the time and the 05 Panda handed down to her, was handed down to me. Ended up getting £150 for the Corsa.. big loss as a time when I could have done with the money. Mostly my fault for being naive and buying it in the first place.. Never went back to Local Mechanic
C.
Then with the Panda, took it to Local Mechanic
D (one discussed above) as another friend / his family all used that guy. Still within 2 miles of where I live. Said he's great, never rips them off, always does a great job... (don't they all say that? All the non-car people!). First took it to him to get the lights aligned pre-MOT, not issues as such. Then when it broke down that November he lied to me about the fuel pump thing so I decided never to go back to him.
That was the final straw really for mechanics in general for me, none since. Bar tyres and bodywork, and of course, warranty work at dealer where necessary. My experience with dealerships wasn't too bad, I took the Panda in 2016 to Fiat and got a 'major service'. They did the work, quite friendly, shame that dealership is closed now. Gave me a long list of things wrong with it like an exhaust issue, a seeping leak, shocks basically done, broken spring, handbrake adjustment issue... Things we all checked and were legitimate issues. Around that point I had asked my uncle for help changing the oil on the Panda and was starting to learn everything I could from him about repairing cars. He had all the tools / experience / garage and that and was keen to get some projects going through my Panda. We'd do things on his VW Bora too and other cars in the family. Really fun and ultimately, the shitty experiences with local mechanics definitely worked out in the end to a decent knowledge of cars and now I do most things myself - even silly mods like the lights / heated seats and that brake bleed the other day. I suppose if I had to choose, the hassle was worth the result.
Another local mechanic in the area who one of our relatives that always has a fairly new Audi A4 over the last two decades, recently paid £700+ for a clutch change.... for a bog standard, run-of-the-mill diesel non performance car. I thought that was shocking. Again, when asked "
He always looks after us. Great mechanic. Fair prices. Perfect work".... ....
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