Don't overpay for car service

(November 11, 2010) Have you been paying more than is necessary to have your car serviced? Today, Edmunds.com has revealed the Top 10 Ways You're Overcharged for Service.

Here are some of the tips the article gives car owners for saving money on vehicle service:

    • Beware of such offers as a free "complete inspection" or "check engine light" diagnosis. It's a common way for service advisors to sell a bunch of services you don't really need.
   

    • Make sure your brake pads are worn down at least 80 percent before replacing them, and don't bother having the rotors turned — it's costly and unnecessary.
   

     • Beware of a common scam where mechanics spray oil on the shock absorbers to make it appear they are leaking hydraulic fluid.

    • Rely on your owner's manual for recommendations about oil changes, transmission flushes and other service schedules. Ignore extraneous service suggestions and avoid succumbing to the 3,000-mile oil-change myth, which typically just waste money, resources and time.

    • Buy auto parts from an aftermarket supplier to avoid dealership mark-up.

"The best way a car owner can save money is to go to the service department already aware of what their car needs and does not need based on previous service and the owner's manual," said Edmunds.com Senior Consumer Advice Editor Philip Reed. "It's also good to find — and stick with — a trustworthy mechanic."

Edmunds.com republishes owners' manual service schedules as well as estimated parts and labor costs.