Sunday, April 8, 2012

Car Repair for the Female Consumer - Part 1: Documenting the Defect

Are you a female consumer sick and tired of how you are being treated when you take your car into the shop for repairs?  Then follow my 8 part blog!  I'll give you some helpful hints for getting your car repaired and getting the respect that you deserve at the dealership.

Step 1: Documenting the Defect
The keys to identifying the cause of a motor vehicle defect are to be able to describe the defect to the mechanic in a way that he will understand, and to be able to identify under what circumstances the defect most often occurs. The best way to do this is to keep a notepad and pen in the vehicle. When you experience the defect, note the time, the mileage, the temperature, how long the engine has been running, what speed you are going, whether you are accelerating, at idle, or turning, and how long the defect occurs.


Additionally, if the defect is something that can be seen visually, then you may also want to take a video or photograph of the defect which you can present to the service adviser when you take the vehicle into the shop for repairs.


Your defect diary, photograph, and/or video should arm you with the information that you need for a successful repair, and make it much more likely that you will be taken seriously when you take your vehicle into the shop for repairs.







Beth Wells
Helping Consumers Get Rid of Lemons, 9 Years Running