You really can’t: A truly skilled — and dishonest — technician can sell you just about anything, and you won’t have any way to verify their recommendations or repairs.

Dealing With The Repair Shop

But there are a few things you can do to minimize your risk:

Develop a relationship with a repair shop — Shops depend on their regular customers, so you’re more likely to receive exceptional treatment.

Ask for your old parts — No one wants to be caught with their hand in the cookie jar, and asking for the old parts tells them that someone may be checking their work.

Finally, bring your car to your local Cottman center — Every Cottman center is required to operate under Cottman’s rigid standards for honesty and integrity. Any Cottman center that doesn’t live up to those standards won’t be operating under the Cottman name for long.

Quality Customer Service

And if you aren’t sure you were treated fairly by any Cottman center, contact the Cottman home office. We’ll evaluate their recommendations and repairs, to make sure you received honest, quality service.