You can do your best to avoid taking your car to a mechanic for as long as possible, but you know that it is inevitable, and the day will eventually come. Just think of it as a visit to the dentist. Even if you have been taking excellent care of your teeth, at some point, at least, one of them will cause you a headache and pain that will refuse to go away, until you do something about it.
When you take your car in for maintenance or repairs, you would want to make sure the mechanic you trust with your vehicle will not only charge you a fair price but will also do the job right so that you don’t have to deal with consequences of a faulty repair. Especially if you have paid a hefty sum of money to have your vehicle serviced.
If you are a “car guy” or “gal”, you probably prefer to keep your four-wheeler on the road with your two hands, as not all car mechanics are trustworthy and professional. In fact, most of them are going to do a shoddy repair job that will only last a short time, or just leave your car in a worse condition. Only a small number of mechanics do an excellent job and take care of your car as if it were their own. That is why finding that kind of car repair professional with whom you and your auto can build a trusting relationship is difficult. There is only a small number of good mechanic shops, and they are spread around unevenly.
The best and worst states for working on a car
Depending on where you live, you may have had more positive than negative auto repair experiences or vice versa. The part of the country where you decide to fix your car is a key factor that can make a huge difference. And unfortunately for you and your vehicle, you don’t always get to choose where to have your car fixed – unexpected mechanical failures happen, far from home sometimes.
According to CarMD, here are the top 5 states with the highest car repair costs:
And here are the least expensive states:
As you can see, costs to repair a car vary a lot throughout the country and often you will be “forced” to have your car fixed in one of the most expensive states if there is no way you can handle the repair yourself. “In 2012, we saw a dramatic shift in the top five most expensive states for average car repairs, as many drivers along the East Coast incurred rising auto repair costs, while they simultaneously contended with Hurricane Sandy’s aftermath,” according to CarMD CEO Leon Chen. “Car owners in many states also continued to put off small repairs, contributing to cumulative failures with increased repair costs.”
As a “car gal” or “guy”, you might be looking forward to the idea of just grabbing your tools to work on your car, and not have anyone disturb you or ask you to be quiet. Some states are a lot more accommodating toward DIY car repairs. You would most likely want to stay away from overly populated states, big metropolitan areas and areas with a lot of tourist activity.
Doing your own car repairs is not the easiest of jobs.
And if you ever need help, do you really think there will be someone there to give you a hand, and also randomly know a lot about cars? I doubt it. Some parts of the US such as Boston, New York, or Chicago where people are always in a rush, and rent is expensive, are the least friendly places for working on your ride. Not only a chance of finding someone that can help you with your car is slim, but your non-mechanic neighbors are most likely going to complain about the noise and mess.
States like Texas and Arizona are what you should look for when it gets to your car repair needs. There are plenty of areas within these states where you can get your work done and the setting is more laid back. You can ask random people for help and in most cases, they will be happy to give you a hand. Sometimes you might even be offered help without having to ask for it. You might be surprised by the number of gearheads living in rural states. It is quite common for people there to fix their own cars. It’s like a small paradise for anyone who likes to get on with a parking lot or roadside wrenching.
Working on a car
I am sure there are many ladies out there that love to take care of and fix their cars. Although it seems a lot more common to run into a male gear head versus female. Whenever I think of a car repair, I imagine a scene from a movie: A guy is working on his heap. His fellows come by, offer help, or stick around just to watch the car getting fixed. This scene seems to be quite common in movies. Remember “Drive” or “Gone in 60 seconds”? Or even “Grease”! Whenever a movie character is working on a car, the scene is either set in a distant and secluded spot, far away from urban areas, or in a quiet neighborhood where most people know each other and are willing to help and not get in the way.
U.S. cities like Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Chicago, where the rent is quite expensive, making it difficult for people to afford extra square footage to work on their cars. Strict regulations against roadside repairs do not help either.
For this exact reason – abundant space and moderate regulations for roadside repairs. States like Utah, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, among others, stand out as heaven for auto repairs.
Need to work on your car? Don’t happen to live in one of the car-repair-friendly-states? See if you can use a friend’s garage. Or try to find a remote area close to the city where you could do some wrenching. Besides, fixing your own car is a great way to connect with and understand your four-wheeler. It will make you appreciate your ride better.
Do you fix your own car? If so, where? Which states, in your opinion, are the best for working on your ride? Let us know in the comments below!
Thank you!
