Engineering junior Brent Roberts had his car fixed four times - all for the same problem.
Roberts said the auto repair shop he went to charged him for the three extra parts its auto mechanics wrongly put into his car. However, he said that after he took action to negotiate with the shop, he received a refund for his unnecessary expenses.
Roberts is just one of the many students who experience frustrations with car repair service, paying a much higher price than they should to fix their cars.
"If you are willing to spend time and efforts to check every single charge appeared on the bill, you'll find yourself being overcharged sometimes," said Rackham first-year student Jimmy Huang.
Cedric Ricks, a 1995 University alum, said the auto repair service he received often did not match with a reasonable price. Ricks said he spent more than $500 to fix the brakes on his Volvo.
"I spent a lot of money on the brakes and there's still a problem," Ricks said. "The brakes were squeaking."
A recent report by the National Association of Attorney Generals' Auto Repair Task Force indicates that good mechanics will sometimes push unnecessary car repair work because of their temptation to make additional money.
Autosistance, a new company based in Novi, offers an automotive information service in an attempt to stop repair shops from "ripping people off." The service aims to reduce customers' expenses on auto service by offering technical automotive information.
Offering membership to the public, Autosistance answers questions about warranties, histories of certain car models and prices of different auto parts.
Ed Walicki, one of the owners of Autosistance, said the company relies mainly on computer software that contains equipment repair manuals, electronic parts cataloging, and the latest technical service bulletins and recall notices.
Walicki said customers can ask for a list of certain car models, auto mechanics and auto repair shops with bad records.
Through the company's Web page, people can obtain online technical assistance, and technicians reply to members' queries via e-mail, fax and telephone.
As a certified auto mechanic, Walicki discovered that many auto mechanics lack training and that customers usually pay extra money for "guesswork." He said technology advances too quickly for auto technicians to catch up and learn new skills to fit customers' needs.
"Mechanics don't have time to do a lot of homework for the customers because they don't get paid to do homework. They get paid to fix cars," Walicki said.
Walicki also discovered that many students battle with low-quality car repair service because they lack information about a decent local garage. He said students often risk going to different shops and end up being victims of either dishonest or inexperienced auto mechanics.
Some students expressed their interest in a company that would provide valid information regarding car repair.
"As a woman, I don't know much about cars. I have to take whatever the mechanics said," said Jacki Treml, a Social Work second-year student. "So I would like to take an unbiased opinion on what should be done on my car."
However, not all students believe they need assistance before having repairs done on their cars.
Engineering junior Bill Chappell said he always repairs his car at the original dealership. He said he has been pleased with the service and does not believe he has been overcharged.
"I find that the dealer is not going to screw me over because they'll want me to buy another new car," Chappell said.