Women’s Day Special: Are Women Charged More for Car Repairs?

Most women drivers are treated differently when it comes to taking their vehicle at a mechanic. This Women’s day, let’s break the stereotype. A study suggests that this is a global problem and not just in India.

The basic jobs or repairs on a car

• The work on a car depends on the part which is faulty.
• Whether the part can be repaired or replaced.
• General service of the vehicle which included an engine oil change, a brake oil change, and overall vehicle check-up.
• The labor of the job depends upon the part which is being either replaced or repaired.

Why women are charged more for car repairs? 

An organization conducted a study and gave a conclusion. That it depends upon the knowledge of the person taking the vehicle for repairs. Be it a man or a woman, is either of the two have less knowledge they are highly likely to be charged more.

On the other hand, they are more women than men having less knowledge about repairs. So a well-informed person, be it men or women, will be having no trouble getting their cars repaired.

At a car repair shop, women are offered a price a tad higher but are also given huge discounts. According to a survey they are offered about 35% discount over the quoted price. On the other hand, men are offered only about 25% discount over the quoted price for the repair.

Read more: Top 10 Reasons that your Car AC isn’t Cooling Enough

Tips for women after buying a car

Buying a car is very exciting to be it a first car or an upgrade over an exiting car. That is the easy part, the main task comes after buying. That is correctly maintaining the vehicle for optimum performance, efficiency, and mileage.

• Reading the manual
  

  A vehicle comes with the owner’s manual to know more about cars. Reading that will give basic knowledge and idea about the car or the vehicle. It gives information about the engine oil and brake oil grade and oil change cycle.

• Paying attention to dashboard lights
  

  The dashboard lights tell a lot about the car problem. Knowing the significance of those lights will help a ton in diagnosing the problems. It’ll be a lot more difficult if the significance of the dash lights is known.

• Keep a minimum of a quarter tank of fuel
  

  One shouldn’t empty the tank before a refill, instead re-fill the tank as soon as it shows a quarter tank of fuel. This could ruin the fuel pump as it’ll run dry.

• Find a mechanic you trust
  

  Appointing a mechanic for going all the tasks like a general serving replacement or a repair. Doing so the mechanic will know what all is going on with the vehicle and will correctly diagnose if something goes wrong with the car.

• Checking the maintenance schedule

  The maintenance schedule should be carried out on a regular base and should be done at proper intervals. This is to ensure that the car runs properly and gives the perfect performance and economy.

Tips for women to avoid being scammed this Women’s Day

1. Women can take someone like (brother, friend or a father) along when taking the vehicle for a repair. This will give the mechanic less leverage and more chance to be quoted at a cheaper price for the repair.
2. There are many online smartphone application which can give a clear and fairly accurate estimate for the repair. The cost varies from part to part replacement or repair and the labor involved in the job.
3. They should be prepared before going to the mechanic. The driver should know the answers to the questions like how it feels to drive? how it smells? what the problem sounds like?
4. You should ask about the problem of what is exactly wrong with the vehicle. If a part is repaired how was the faulty part repaired? One should also ask for the parts which were replaced.
5. Check the car tire pressure and the fluid and fuel levels before going to the mechanic. As it may help women in not getting scammed.

Nostalgia Alert! 10 Forgotten Luxury Cars In India | From Contessa To Impala

Conclusion

Women going to the mechanic for repair or general service should at least know about the vehicle of what they are driving. They should also consult their closest friend to know about the problems and their general price. This is how a woman can avoid being scammed when going to a mechanic. We wish you a Happy Women’s Day.

Read to know more: A Comprehensive Guide To Dashboard Warning Lights

We at GoMechanic don’t differentiate on the basis of gender. Book a hassle-free service and a wonderful car service experience from GoMechanic here.