Would You Consider Using A Mechanic That Does House Calls?

YourMechanic, which sends someone to work on your car in your own driveway, has expanded to the metro Detroit area.

The Web site at yourmechanic.com and mobile app gives online repair quotes and matches up with pre-screened local mechanics based on when you want the person to travel to you and what kind of work you need done. Reviews of area mechanics are also listed.

"Detroit is one of markets where there's plenty of demand," co-founder and CEO Art Agrawal told the Free Press. "Maybe it's because you have more older cars in that market."

The other markets YourMechanic recently added are Boston-Manchester, N.H., Chicago, Pittsburgh and Seattle-Tacoma.

Agrawal explained that ease and lower prices are among YourMechanic's advantages.

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MDarringer - 7/20/2015 3:47:20 PM

-1 Boost

The downside I see is potential lack of competence. While working on modern cars is substantially similar brand to brand, the mechanics at the dealership that sells your brand are better informed about that brand.

So if it's something like you air conditioner needs recharging, this would be fine. But it's that lumpy idle in your 2009 Flex V6, the person may not know that it's a symptom of a potentially catastrophic failure to the valve train.

TomM - 7/20/2015 5:13:24 PM

+1 Boost

I am a mechanic - and I have training in more than most dealership mechanics do - AND I have a lift in my barn where I work on my cars (I am an automatic transmission rebuilder). For a truly new car - the mechanics at the dealership have access to information from their dealership that works on more of that brands cars than others - as well as knowledge from the dealer and service network. So - unusual or new problems are more likely to have a history. Once a car is a few years old - good mechanics generally have an idea of what normally goes wrong with an engine - a trans - or a vehicle - the history is out there.
However - It is likely that the really competent mechanics do not actually work for a dealership =- plus their pay structure rewards repairs that are done FAST =- not well.

MDarringer - 7/20/2015 6:56:15 PM

0 Boost

Wanna try your hand on my TVRs?

TomM - 7/20/2015 8:08:35 PM

+2 Boost

While there was a time when I had the patience to work on vehicles like that - when I had the patience - the owners rarely did. While it probably is not easy - you really need to find someone who has worked on them before and has a history with them. Otherwise - finding or making parts gets to be the problem more often. Good Luck though!

MDarringer - 7/21/2015 10:00:52 AM

0 Boost

I enjoy working on them and they aren't as unreliable as the horror stories suggest. Chase down the electrical gremlins and most of your reliability issues vanish. I learned at an early age how to work on my mom's car...a ratty old Chevy Kingswood Estate, because if it ran, she'd get the hell out of the house and leave us kids alone..and that was good for us. For me, these days, working on cars is a form of therapy.

TauronB2G - 7/20/2015 6:12:06 PM

+1 Boost

I already use a mobile mechanic, he does good work and is reasonably priced.
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