How Auto Repair Estimates Work
If you’re like most car owners, your car is your main mode of transportation. You rely on it to get to work, take the kids to school, run errands and more! So when car owners are hit with an unexpected, expensive car repair, it’s easy to see why many get overwhelmed by the repair process.
Minimize the Stress by Knowing What to Expect
At Virginia Tire & Auto, we strive to make the process of diagnosing and repairing your car as painless as possible so you can get back on the road and back to your life. And a big part of that is translating a mechanic’s technical assessment and estimate for repair to you, our valued customer.
Customers sometimes worry that a car repair shop will take advantage of them by overcharging for parts or services or suggesting repairs that aren’t needed. But at Virginia Tire & Auto, we’re committed to providing you the best service at the best prices, and we’ll go the extra mile to make sure you feel comfortable with your vehicle’s diagnosis and repair estimate.
What If You Have Been in an Accident?
If you are in an accident and your car needs cosmetic repairs, you should get those taken care of first. Virginia Tire & Auto will complete repairs for the internal functions of your car. But for any work on the body of the car, you should go to an auto body shop.
How Do Auto Repair Estimates Work?
Step One: Diagnosis
Once your car comes into our shop, we’ll assign it to one of our ASE Certified Technicians for a diagnosis. Our technicians take the time to thoroughly test and re-test your vehicle to determine the true cause of the problem.
If the problem is something simple, diagnosing it may be as easy as pulling the car in, racking it up in the air and doing a quick check.
If it’s something less straightforward, like an odd sound that only occurs sporadically while driving, we might have you drive the car with the technician so that they can hear what’s going on.
Step Two: Written Estimate
Once the mechanic figures out what needs to be fixed, we’ll write up a typed and printed estimate. This written estimate includes the expected cost of the repair, including labor, parts and supplies.
It’s important to keep in mind that it’s called an estimate. Occasionally, once the mechanic gets into doing the repair, another problem reveals itself that must be fixed. If this happens, a good repair shop will call you before completing the repair to explain what’s going on and how it will affect the total repair cost.
Step Three: Repairs
After receiving a written estimate, you don’t have to get the work done immediately. We’ll give you an estimate for how long the repair will take, which depends on the labor hours and whether parts need to be ordered and shipped.
How Long Does It Take for Parts to Arrive?
If a part needs to be ordered, it can take up to five days for it to arrive. If a part is coming from a nearby warehouse, it might just be a day. If it needs to be shipped from across the country, it could take 3–5 days.
We do our best to get the repairs done right the first time. But if you get your vehicle back and something still seems off (or you notice a new problem), don’t hesitate to bring your vehicle back in! We’ll re-examine it and make sure the problem gets fixed—no matter what.
Keep in mind that most repairs come with a parts and labor warranty. At Virginia Tire & Auto, our repairs are backed by a 2-year/24,000-mile warranty!
Regular Maintenance Is the Best Prevention
You can decrease your chances of an unexpected repair by consistently bringing your car in for routine maintenance.
Ignoring routine maintenance services —like oil changes, fluid fill-ups and component replacement—can lead to poor vehicle performance and costly breakdowns.
If something unexpected does come up, you can bring your car to any Virginia Tire & Auto location and know exactly what to expect.