Garage vs Mobile Mechanic

Vanquish-Storm

Vanquish-Storm

Vanquish-Storm

Soldato
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What are peoples thoughts on garages vs a mobile mechanic? What pros and cons are there against each for a customer?

I am just looking at a service for the car and there seems to be a lot more mobile mechanics around than I used to see.
 
Some vehicles require specific tools for proprietary parts like oil filters, so unless your mobile guy is aware of exactly which make/model/variant/special edition he's dealing with, and has the proprietary kit (including VAGcom/Rosstech or other equivalent software for resetting service interval and so on) it could end up with an abortive visit.
Also, for more complex jobs, like pressing out wheel bearings, mobile mechanics are unlikely to have heavy duty hydraulic kit

Garages are more likely to have the full selection of kit available.
For just a basic service either should be fine. Some garages also have mobile units now, as they can then add a call-out and out-of-hours fees to your bill.
 
For basic servicing probably not much in it, if you need more complicated stuff doing often it is better as a 2 man job and/or better done inside with the right equipment and/or a lift. Things like bleeding brakes for example sure there are tools to make it a one man job but probably more than not are just doing a slap dash job of it and generally chances are a garage will do a better job.
 
I know they’re becoming more and more popular but I’d personally feel uneasy about the cars being worked on outdoors with a mechanic rolling around in the rain.

Garages have cover, lifts, auto factors on their routes and time to think/troubleshoot properly without prying eyes.

Edit: Hope that wasn’t overly negative about mobile mechanics; I think it’s a good thing fundamentally, especially for people who are short of cash or have hectic family schedules that can’t easily navigate drop off/collection times.
 
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I used a mobile mechanic when my alternator fell off and my car ended up stranded at my parents home in West Wales. He was very good value, but the trouble was he covered quite a large area and had to clump together jobs that were close together. So from booking in to having a repaired car took the best part of 3 weeks (it needed two visits due to requiring parts). This might not be such an issue is you live somewhere with a normal population density. I also may have got better service if I'd been one of his regulars. My experience of trying to deal with rural welsh garages is they're all busy and random blokes ringing up from England end up bottom of the pile.
 
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