A good mechanic does much more than repair broken cars. You should also expect this person to charge fair prices, have your car ready when promised, stay up-to-date on automotive technology, and discuss your vehicle’s problems in terms you can understand. Any mechanic who can’t meet these standards doesn’t deserve your business. The suggestions on this checklist will help you find a mechanic who does.

1. Start now. Look for a mechanic you can trust before you need one. Not only will you have the time to do a thorough search, you’ll also have an opportunity to build at least name and face recognition at the repair shop. This can be reassuring if you need major repairs in an emergency.

2. Talk to friends about repair shops they’ve used. But don’t accept a recommendation uncritically. Quiz your friends about how well their mechanic demonstrates the qualities of competence, good communication, reliability, and honesty.

3. Look for ASE-certified mechanics. Certification by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence doesn’t guarantee honesty or even competence in all areas of auto mechanics. But ASE certification tests are difficult enough to weed out the mediocre or marginally competent. Because this certification is strictly voluntary, it’s fair to assume that the shops who have it are concerned about the level of service they offer.

4. Look on the walls of the office or waiting room for other training certificates. A top-notch mechanic will take at least a couple of classes every year just to keep up with the latest technology. Ask what schools or classes the shop owner or his employees regularly attend.

5. Check both competence and honesty by asking what the shop does when a vehicle that isn’t working properly tests okay on all their equipment. The right answer to this question, according to automotive expert Mark Eskeldson, is for the mechanic to acknowledge that he’s run into that situation. He should say that he researches the answer by consulting the several hundred pages of technical service bulletins published every year by the various automobile manufacturers. Consulting these bulletins (which can be kept at the station, accessed on-line, or on CD-ROM) is the only way to figure out some of the riddles posed by today’s sophisticated automobile technology. Eskeldson advises you to be wary of a mechanic who claims he’s never had such a problem. Your best bet: walk right out of the shop.

6. Ask what brands of replacement parts the shop uses. If you don’t recognize any of the names, call an auto parts store and ask if those manufacturers make high-quality parts.

7. Never choose a repair shop because it promises low prices. The owner may dishonestly underestimate the cost of repairs, or may honestly be able to do the repairs cheaply because he hires untrained workers and uses cheap parts. Not much of a bargain in the long run.

8. Beware of shops that offer both diagnosis and repair. The shop that does both has a vested interest in finding something to repair. Take your car to an Automobile Association of America (or any other independent) diagnostic shop for an annual checkup. That list of needed (or soon to be needed) repairs will make you a much smarter shopper when you look for a good mechanic.

9. If your car breaks down on the road don’t let a tow truck driver talk you into towing your car to his “favorite” mechanic instead of your own. Even if you know that your mechanic doesn’t handle the exact repair you’ll need, you’ll be better off getting a garage recommendation from someone you know and trust