Do you have a vehicle that's no longer working as it should? Do you want to get it fixed, but the high cost of the repair bill is holding you back? Fixing a vehicle can be expensive and can seem even more costly when it's an unplanned expense. Fortunately, there are ways to get the price down to something that you may be able to afford more easily. If you want to get the most for your money, here are some tips:

Use different mechanics: The field of automotive repair is a varied one. One mechanic might charge a lot for an oil change but will replace belts for next to nothing, while another mechanic might charge a lot for belts but will do an oil change free when you have other work done in the shop. Instead of taking your vehicle to the shop with the lowest estimate for everything, get itemized estimates from at least three shops. You may just find that a different shop can do part of the repair for a lower cost. Make sure to clarify how much this repair will be on its own since they may have given a low price on part of the repair job, assuming that you'd be repairing the rest of the vehicle with them.

Have used parts installed: Used doesn't mean "worn out" when talking about auto parts. Sometimes, a part is considered used if a customer purchased it and returned it after finding out that the part was the wrong one. Some parts, such as spark plugs, belts, or fuel pumps, should be bought new whenever possible. If you have something like a used fuel pump installed, it could stop functioning without warning. But other parts, such as window motors, windows, and bumpers can be bought used. But before you go looking for used parts, make sure that your automotive repair shop of choice is willing to install non-new parts. Some mechanics only want to deal with new parts that they can guarantee will work.

Do extra repairs: It may seem counter-intuitive to save money on your auto repair by having more repairs done, but this is one area that's easily overlooked. Some engines need to be almost completely dismantled in order to replace a relatively minor part. This can add hundreds of dollars in labor charges to the price of a part that's a mere fraction of that. But while your engine is apart, you can ask your mechanic to repair or replace any other minor parts that are in the area or that need to be removed anyway to get to the part in question. By raising your repair bill slightly now, you'll avoid another several hundred dollars in labor charges for the parts that would need to be replaced in the near future. So instead of something like paying $600 now and another $600 next month, you may only have to pay $800 now for the whole thing.