No matter what type of vehicle you have or what make and model, you’ll be faced with the need to get your vehicle repaired at some point. Unfortunately, not everyone has an emergency fund to tap into to pay for these often exorbitant costs. Emergency vehicle repair can range from $500 to $2,000 depending on the problem. Surveys show that only 39 percent of Americans have accumulated enough savings to cover this type of emergency
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to get your car repaired without putting yourself in debt. Here are some tips to do so:
- Check Your Insurance Policy
For one, you want to check your mandatory insurance policy. If the car has been damaged or wrecked as the result of an accident, you can expect to get the vehicle’s expenses taken care of by your insurance provider. Unfortunately, that’s not something you can expect when your car needs repair due to normal wear and tear. While some insurance policies will cover mechanical failures, that’s not always true. Therefore, you should be aware of what your insurance covers and what it doesn’t.
- Paying With a Credit Card
A lot of people would benefit from using a credit card to cover these repairs. After all, a lot of mechanics and repair businesses will willingly accept credit card payments. This can give you a buffer from which you can make your final payment because you only need to pay by the time your payment is due. As long as you do that, you should be able to avoid paying any heavy interest. Typically, you will have 21 days to pay your bill before owing interest. This should give you a buffer that can help in the long run.
- Alternative Funding
You have other options that can include getting a cash advance or taking out a personal loan, apply online for a quick approval. Some companies lend money that specializes in offering cash for auto repairs for those that don’t have the best credit. However, you do want to do your due diligence when choosing to ensure you aren’t choosing someone with sky-high interest rates. You will find a lot of companies offering different levels of interests that range from 200 percent to as much as 2,290 percent.
- Find The Most Affordable Mechanics
Unfortunately, not every company that offers vehicle repair is the same. Because of this, you need to do your due diligence when shopping. Some companies strive to offer the highest quality service at the most competitive prices. Whereas, some other companies try to do the least to maximize profits within their business. Therefore, you don’t want to end up choosing a company that is going to spend all of their time trying to upsell your services and repairs that you don’t need. You will find AAA which has a Car Care Center where you will be able to find recommended auto repair shops located nearby. You also want to check to ensure that the company you end up choosing is ASE certified which shows they have gone through the necessary checks to give consumers peace of mind when choosing them.
- Do It On Your Own
A lot of auto repair problems must be done by a professional. However, there are smaller problems that you may deal with that you could potentially handle on your own with the right experience. You should be able to find the needed products online to handle some of the smaller auto repairs. These repairs can include:
– Changing the brake pad on your vehicle. Instead of paying the average of $250 for it to be done by a professional, you can buy the parts on your own and do it yourself.
– Changing the battery. Changing the battery isn’t difficult. With some elbow grease, you should be able to save yourself upwards of $120.
– Changing the spark plugs. This is one of the repairs that every car owner should be able to do on their own. It can cost upwards of $300 to have it done professionally. By doing it on your own, all you will need to do is spend the money on the new spark plugs and do the replacement with basic car tools.
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