Car repair estimate check before you say yes

Paste the shop's estimate; get plain questions about parts, labor and warranty, based on the FTC's Auto Repair Basics.

What it does

No bot required. The FTC's Auto Repair Basics says to ask how a shop prices its work (some charge a flat rate from a published time estimate, others by the actual time worked), whether there's a diagnostic charge if you have the work done elsewhere, and to consider a second opinion for expensive or complicated repairs. A written estimate should identify the condition to be repaired, the parts needed and the expected labor charge, and say the shop will contact you for approval before going over a set amount of time or money; get a signed copy. Parts may be new, remanufactured or rebuilt, or salvage, and there's no standard warranty on repairs, so get yours in writing. When the work is done, you should get a repair order listing each repair, the parts and their costs, labor, and odometer readings, and you can ask for your replaced parts. If a shop recommends service more often than your owner's manual, ask why. Paste the estimate into any chat AI (no VIN or account numbers needed) and it explains each line in plain words, flags anything vague, and writes your questions. It works for the family car and the work truck. You make the call; it can't see your car or tell you what it actually needs.

Copy-paste prompt

No bot needed: paste this into Grok, ChatGPT, or Claude.

Help me understand a car repair estimate before I approve it, using the FTC's "Auto Repair Basics."

Vehicle: [year, make, model, mileage]. What I brought it in for: [e.g. grinding noise when braking / check engine light / AC blows warm].
The estimate: [paste or type each line: parts, labor, fees, totals].

1. Explain each line in plain words: what the part or service does and why it might be on the list. Don't claim my car does or doesn't need it; you can't see it.
2. Check the estimate against the FTC's list of what a written estimate should include: the condition being repaired, the parts needed, the expected labor charge, and a promise to contact me for approval before going over a set amount of time or money. Tell me what's missing or vague (like "misc. parts" or "shop labor" with no hours).
3. Write my questions for the shop, including:
- Is labor charged at a flat rate from a published time guide, or by actual hours worked?
- Are these parts new, remanufactured/rebuilt, or salvage? What's the warranty on parts and labor (time, mileage, what's covered), and can I get it in writing?
- Is there a diagnostic charge if I have the work done somewhere else?
- Which items fix what I came in for, and which are extra recommendations? How soon does each extra one really need doing? If any are sooner than my owner's manual schedule, why?
- Can I have my replaced parts back?
4. If the total is high or the repair is complicated, remind me the FTC suggests considering a second opinion.
5. Remind me that when the job is done I should get a repair order listing each repair, the parts and their costs, labor, and odometer readings, and to keep it with my records.

Keep it short and calm. Don't contact the shop for me. End with: this is a plain-language checklist; my state attorney general or local consumer protection office can explain my state's rules.