What Consumer Affairs Victoria expects on a repair
Get the estimate in writing first. Consumer Affairs Victoria says it should cover the work, the parts, when the car will be ready, how you'll pay, and estimated parts and labour. It also says the mechanic is legally required to give a notice outlining the repairs to be done on each vehicle.
Say clearly that you want a call before any work you haven't authorised. When it's finished, ask for an itemised account that shows the work and how the total was worked out, and keep the receipt somewhere safe.
Sort out payment at the start. If you can't pay and nothing's been arranged, the mechanic can keep the car until you do, which is the mechanic's lien, and in some cases charge for storing it. Consumer Affairs Victoria suggests agreeing on instalments before the work if money's tight, and being wary of anyone who wants paying up front.
Getting a repair done in a city this size
Near the car, not near you
Greater Melbourne covers 9,993 square kilometres, and a car with a fault is the last thing you want to drive across it. Use the postcode where it's sitting. If it can't be driven safely, a mobile mechanic can find the cause there first.
Clearing a defect notice
In Victoria, some defect notices can only be cleared with a roadworthy certificate. If that's why the car's going in, tell the mechanic up front, so the repair covers what the tester will look at. Roadworthy certificates in Victoria.
A notice from EPA Victoria
A smoky or noisy car can be sent a vehicle testing notice, which means repairs and then a pass with an EPA-approved tester by the due date. Exhaust and DPF repairs in Melbourne goes through it.
Picking a workshop without a licence register
Consumer Affairs Victoria's suggestions are plain: ask friends for names, check the staff are qualified and the workshop has the equipment for your job, and have a look around before you hand over the keys.
If the repair doesn't fix it
Go back to the same mechanic first and give them the chance to explain or put it right. Consumer Affairs Victoria advises against taking the car straight to another repairer, and suggests raising the warranty on the parts and the work when you do.
If you still can't agree, get an independent report on the car from a qualified motor mechanic. It comes from a neutral third party, which can change minds, and Consumer Affairs Victoria says it can be used as evidence in conciliation or at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). Our complaints page lists who to contact.
What to ask for when you drop the car off
- The estimate in writing, with parts and labour shown separately.
- A phone call before anything you haven't approved.
- The old parts kept for you, if you want them. Ask now, not at pick-up.
- The warranty on parts and on the work, written on the invoice.
- An itemised account before you pay.
Our take
We'd spend the first call on the symptoms, not the fix: when it happens, hot or cold, at what speed. Then we'd want the cause found and the estimate written down before the spanners come out, with a call before any extras. In Victoria that paper trail is most of your protection, so we'd keep every page of it until the car's been fine for a while.