Which is better/cheaper: repairing you car in Mexico or the US?
Asked by
Cartman (
3054)
July 21st, 2010
Does anyone have experience having your car repaired in Mexico? I’m thinking about a road trip to Mexico and considering having various issues fixed on the car at the same time.
Pro and con having your car fixed in Mexico vs. the US?
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7 Answers
I am mexican and i would not recomend you to fix your car over there, it might be cheap, but it could also result in cheap quality repair, even here in the USA whenever I need to take mycar to the mechanics it is got to be backed up by a name like Car-x, Meineke, that could give me some warranty on the job, then i have peace of mind
here’s a general rule of thumb- you get what you pay for. For some reason, Mexico just seems like a bad place to have a car break down. what are you gonna do if the work is less than satisfactory, complain? Better yet make sure the car is tip top before leaving, unless you are the type who appreciates life on the edge.
Fixing your car in Mexico can be a nightmare. Go on Craigslist and just look for a mobile mechanic. Same prices, and better odds of getting it fixed without hassle.
You can get cheap parts on the American side of the border at the Ecology Auto Wrecker service, and the other 10 services or so along that same road.
Ok, it seems that the general idea is that the US is better. But why?
Is the labor in Mexico inferior? Are the parts more expensive?
no, but is just that mexicans know you’ve got dollars and they might try to rip you off, and if they do, what can you do about it, sad to say but it’s not like you can go to the police or sue them hahahahaha, there is so much corruption
@Cartman , some auto parts in Mexico are illegal in California. You’d have to lie about what you were doing in Mexico when you cross the border. If you say you got your car fixed, they’ll wanna look at your car. You could buy the parts in the U.S. first, then bring them over, but what if you need more parts?
Plus, if you go to a repair service run by a bad person, there’s nothing you can do once he starts ripping you off. In Mexico, you have zero recourse, zero power.
If you know of a good garage there run by good people, that use parts that are California-legal, then go for it. But if you have to just guess, then don’t do it.
It is unfortunate that there exists this general idea of what can e done legally in Mexico and what can’t. I have family down there and they tell me that also have to shop around for someone that is honest and guarantees their work. Just like here, you have to do your own research. That also te mechanic will have accounts set up with a major parts dealer to offer the job to be completed faster than at auto mechanic that does not have that business connection.
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