Do you ever feel like you’re being nickle-and-dimed by your car’s service center? More than likely, you are. While it’s important to have a go-to service center for your car, it’s equally as important to be hyper aware of things you might be getting scammed on. Check out these three common myths your service center might be telling you.
You Need a New Air Filter
Perhaps the most frequently-told service center myth is that your car needs a new air filter. Service center specialists will likely tell you your car’s air filter is dirty and clogged, even if you only brought your car in for regular maintenance or other common repair needs. In order to avoid falling victim to this myth, make sure the mechanic is shows you the actual air filter from your car and not one that they might be keeping to trick unsuspecting car owners. Additionally, remember that your cabin air filter only needs to be replaced every 15,000 to 20,000 miles, so be sure to keep a note of when these filters are replaced and refer back to it when need be.
Cheating The Oil Change
Second to the air filter scam, oil changes are also often subject to scams and myths. You can identify if you’re being cheated on your oil change if you take your car in for a simple change and the mechanic calls to tell you your car actually needs oil upgrades like synthetic or premium oil or that they need your approval in order to use a lower-grade oil. You might also be told about other “issues” that were found during your oil change. In all of these cases, the mechanic is likely trying to get more money out of you.
Flushes and Top-Off Myths
Lastly, it’s not uncommon for mechanics to claim some of your car’s important fluids need to be flushed or topped off. While this myth may not cost you hundreds of dollars like the previous two possibly could, these small, often unnecessary “fixes” will run anywhere from $20-$40, numbers that eventually do add up.
At Cascade Collision deeply value honesty and integrity and always have our customer’s best interests in mind. If you’re looking for a reliable, scam-free company to help repair your car after a collision, give us a call today.
