We’ve talked a lot about the quality of various cars on the blog and what you can expect from different models. But once you’ve made the investment on a car, use it, and expose it to the regular wear and tear of vehicles for the first few years, the quality of your car’s performance may soon depend on the type of maintenance and service you get. 

As much as possible, you should have your car serviced by its manufacturer’s service center technicians or any center authorized or vouched for by the manufacturer. But for some people (maybe the nearest service center is too far away to be the practical choice), this isn’t an option, and you may have to turn to one of the many auto repair services in your area. 

When it comes to auto glass repair and replacement, for example, you don’t want to just go anywhere for the service. Your windshield protects you from external debris when on the road, so you want it to be stable and durable, but as much as possible, you want it at an affordable price. When it comes down to choosing your auto repair center, here’s what you should look out for. 

Initial Diagnosis

An auto shop you can trust provides you with a diagnosis that provides just the right amount of service, not insisting on services that you don’t really need but makes them more money. For example, having your windshield repaired is a lot cheaper than having it replaced, especially if you only have a few minor cracks and chips less than an inch long. Bigger cracks, bullseye, and star damage will require replacing the entire windshield though. 

Just by observing the damage, you can already expect what the technician will recommend. If you go there for two minor cracks less than an inch long and they recommend you replace the entire windshield, it’s much more practical to go elsewhere and find a business that will repair your windshield. It may be that the business is trying to upsell a service you don’t really need or they just don’t have the skills to repair your windshield. Either way, you don’t want to leave your car in the hands of a business that cares more about the money they make from you or a business that can’t perform a much simpler service. 

Price

Plenty of people believe that the cheaper the cost, the lower the quality. It is time to put that aside: it might be true in some cases, but just because Product A costs less than Product B does not necessarily mean Product B is automatically the better choice. The same applies to when you’re looking for auto products and services. Just because a service center costs more than another one in the area does not mean it is the best in that area. At the same time, an auto center with prices lower than all its similar shops can still provide some of the best quality services in the area. 

Don’t look at price as a gauge for quality. Instead, look at the price as a gauge of affordability. As soon as you get your car, you’ll want to scout your nearby area for auto centers in case of emergencies; it’s much better to search for potential shops when your car is in good condition rather than when it’s falling apart and you’re looking for the quickest shop to get to. When repair shops see that you’re in a hurry to have your car fixed, some shop owners may be tempted to raise the price knowing you have no time to compare prices. If you drop by and ask for their prices even before you need it, you have the time to compare prices and the may be likely to give you a good deal for the future. 

Warranty

Some repair shops will service your car or replace a faulty part and then wipe their hands clean the moment your car drives out of their shop. Unless you can prove that it was their service or replacement part that causes damage in the near future, whatever happens to your car after leaving their shop is on you (and on your wallet). 

When scouting for auto shops, be sure to look at their warranties for both services and parts. Some shops may just provide the bare minimum warranty most commercial centers need to provide in accordance with the law (i.e. if you can prove damage was the manufacturer’s fault, you can get a refund for it), but some shops take pride in the service they provide and provide better warranty deals. Some may even provide lifetime warranties for some services just to attest that they provide top quality service and use only the best products in the market. 

Ignore the marketing tactics and other ways businesses use to attract customers and focus on the parts that matter. By focusing on what auto stores have to offer that other shops cannot offer, you can easily narrow down your options and find which auto shop can best service your vehicle.