I've been a mechanic for a short bit now. (Maybe 15 years or so) I post and ask questions to find the shortest way to fix a problem. By asking 100 people you've never met, and getting 75 same answers, your pretty dang sure thats the way to go. My trade is heavy equipment/fabrication, but as a guy that can turn a wrench the right way, I get asked to fix a lot of vehicles. I worked (shortly) for some "repair shops" like the ones everyone needs to beware of. Unethical, liars, and sometimes condencending. I quit shortly after.
When I was 16 I built a 351 Cleveland with the help of a 'good ole guy', He got me interested, tought me the fundamentals. Stuck the engine in a '72 Mustang, and ran the heck out of it. It started running rough, so I took it to a "reputable" shop. I was told that it needed the valves adjusted, carb re-built, and a smaller cam. 500$ later for the "diagnosis" when I was making minimum wage and starting a family. I took the car home, took off the fancy Edlebrock air cleaner I had put on (because it looked cool) and noticed the choke butterfly shut close. (holley 750 choke linkageand those old 'triangle' Edlebrock foam air cleaners dont mix)
New air cleaner housing, and tightening up the mechanical fuel pump. - $45. Car ran great.
I cant talk for other "mechanics".
I only take my cars in for tires to bemounted/balanced, and transmission work. One of those 'ole guys owns the tranny shop
Not everyone is as fortunate to have people like those 'ole guys around, so my advice is to ask questions. If you know 20 people in town, odds are they would have herd about a bad mechanic. Do someone wrong- they will tell 50 people, do someone right- they might tell 3. Hit the internet, and get more than one diagnosis.
Nope, I'm not a mechanc. I'm a parts replacement specialist! lol. I just have lots of tools!

 

I'd rather not talk about transmission repairs if possible. I'm still pissed off at the shop that worked on my '94 Shadow ES.

Once I let guy work on one of my '57s. He noticed something wrong with the engine and offered to fix it "His" costs. His costs just happened to be close to what I had in my saving account. And he pushed my car with his truck and crushed the back bumper.
[sm=shootshoot.gif]

A couple years later (and not driving the car much at all during this time) I pulled the engine apart only to discover some of the parts he charged me for sure looked like my old parts.

[sm=icon_beat.gif]

I wanted to sue him. But I let it pass.




Also Beware of alignment shops. They usually suggest an alignment when you buy new tires. They always conclude you do need one, and sometimes make a list of parts you need replaced as well. If your car drives straight, doesn't wear the tires funny and the steering wheel doesn't shake at speed you don't need an alignment. But, those are the same people that don't know how to check oil, air pressure, etc.

Strangely enough the shop that changed the oil in my '06 Monte offered a life-time alignment plan for a mere $130. Nice of them. But I don't think the car needs it at this point.