What is a Mobile Mechanic?
A mobile mechanic -- also known as a traveling mechanic -- is an automotive repair technician who fixes cars at customers' homes, office parking lots or fleet lots. Mobile mechanic repairs are very similar to mechanics, with a few key differences:
Independent: Mobile mechanics are independent mechanics-- in other words, they do not work for a repair shop. Their ranks include individual traveling mechanics as well as companies like YourMechanic that represent thousands of such professionals & handle services such as skill testing, background checks, booking, marketing, parts, warranty, and payment processing
Skilled: Mobile mechanics are on average more skilled than mechanics who work in garages because they typically have several years of shop experience before striking it on their own. Furthermore, YourMechanic only works with mobile mechanics with at least 5 years of automotive repair experience.
Less sales-focused: Unlike mechanics who work for a shop, mobile mechanics work for themselves without service advisors or sales people who often work on commission, so when you get a mobile repair, you’ll deal directly with the expert fixing your vehicle. Therefore, you are more likely to get an honest, expert opinion, instead of one motivated by money.
Can handle ~96% of car repairs: Mobile mechanics have the skills and tools to fix 96% of the same automotive repairs and maintenance services as a mechanic’s garage, directly in a customers’ home driveway, without having to put the car on a lift. And in the unlikely event that a shop repair is required, your mechanic will let you know.
What is the benefit of using a mobile mechanic?
There are numerous benefits to using a mobile mechanic instead of a repair shop, including saving time, selecting a location that is convenient to the customer, no need to tow the car, and avoiding crowded waiting rooms.
Save time: The primary benefit of ordering a mobile mechanic to fix your car at home, versus dropping off a car at an auto repair shop is that you can save a lot of time by avoiding the hassle of driving to and from the repair shop, as well as the wait in between. By scheduling mobile mechanics via YourMechanic.com, customers save even more time since they get an instant quote & can schedule an appointment in seconds.
Convenient service location: Many customers enjoy the added benefit of seeing all of their repairs being performed on their cars directly in their driveways. Others like the convenience of being able to have their car troubles fixed while they work or rest, with their car conveniently parked outside their home or office. Additionally, YourMechanic offers a contactless service, where you can just leave your car keys in a mutually agreed location, and not have to worry about anything else until the car is fixed.
No need to tow: By getting repairs from a mobile mechanic in their driveways, customers can avoid having to tow inoperable vehicles to repair shops. This is invaluable if you have a dead battery, a starter issue or an ignition problem that would make the car inoperable and require a tow.
Avoid crowds: Mobile mechanics enable customers to avoid crowded repair rooms during shelter in place because they perform services directly in the privacy of customers’ driveways or garages. And, frankly, who likes to wait in a crowded waiting room in the summer heat or the cold winter?
About YourMechanic.com, the #1 site for Mobile Mechanics at your door
YourMechanic launched in 2011 to help car owners connect to professional, background-verified mobile mechanics. The goal of the company is to provide reliable, local car repair when and where a customer needs it, at a price that’s transparent and reasonable. YourMechanic’s team built the company with a focus on giving customers full control of their repair experience, so customers have a full visibility into their car’s repair journey and the assurance of an extensive repair warranty, as well as live customer service. Today, YourMechanic serves millions of customers in North America, and provides thousands of professional mobile mechanics with the infrastructure to do what they’re best at – working on cars. All repairs come with a 12 month / 12,000 months warranty.
The difference between a shop and mobile car repair
YourMechanic’s mobile mechanics take the uncertainty out of car repair, in addition to providing the convenience of not having to drive your car to a shop. The customer gets an instant price quote, can select their mobile mechanic based on past consumer reviews, schedule a convenient appointment online, all without having to hand off their car for a long time.
Instant service price quote: With YourMechanic, the price quote is upfront before the appointment is booked. The instant quote includes all expected parts and labor costs – unlike with a shop or an independent mobile mechanic who’ll likely need to examine before providing an estimate.
Select your mechanic based on reviews: YourMechanic allows customers to pick their mechanics based on each mobile mechanics’ rating, so customers don’t need to search Yelp, Craigslist, or Google. This is game changing, since with YourMechanic customers select the exact mechanic - with the optimal skillset - to fix their cars. By contrast, a car repair shop that may have great reviews, could assign your car to a mechanic with less experience or poor customer service skills.
Schedule repairs conveniently online: With instant scheduling online, YourMechanic removes the draining step of calling mechanics and asking them for their availability.
Repair when you want it: Mobile mechanics offer scheduling flexibility, and many work even evenings and weekends, so customers can avoid interrupting their work weeks for routine maintenance and schedule their service at home at a time that works for them because YourMechanic has appointments open from 7 AM - 9 PM, 7 days a week.
Don’t lose your car for a week: Instead of holding on your car for an inordinate amount of time, YourMechanic provides you with car repair right at your home so that you’re out of a vehicle for the shortest period of time possible, using the same tools you’d find in a shop, as well as fluid disposal and haul away compliant with state law.
How does a mobile car repair work?
Most customers learn about YourMechanic while browsing for a free, upfront price quote for a repair, and that’s the first step in our customer experience.
Before the appointment: Transparency in price & reviews. Customers simply visit YourMechanic, enter their car’s details, then access hundreds of price quotes for any number of services. Customers can view all of the times and dates a local mobile mechanic is available, as well as that mechanic’s bio. Customers can easily access an intensive online background report on their mechanic before they book - everything from the number of ASE certifications the mechanic possesses, to their years of experience, and car make expertise.
After the appointment: More transparency, and customer feedback. After completing an appointment, customers receive an extensive report card of their mechanic’s work and instantly quoted recommendations with timelines, including pictures and details about the parts used during the appointment. Many of the mechanics who choose to work with YourMechanic are former auto repair shop owners who grew tired of dealing with increasing commercial rent costs and found that our platform removes a lot of the headache associated with renting a physical space while allowing them to simply work on cars instead of dealing with administrative tasks.
Warranty: We stand by our work and the quality parts we use. Repairs are covered by a 12 month / 12,000 mile warranty.
What repairs do mobile mechanics do?
Professional mobile mechanics can do everything from routine oil changes and diagnostics to complex parts repairs – including axles, brakes, batteries, alternators, water pumps, starters and hundreds of additional repairs for every vehicle make and model. The only service YourMechanic doesn’t perform is tire replacements, however, we do perform tire rotations and air pressure checks. See a list of supported services here: YourMechanic.com/services.
Are mobile mechanics as skilled as mechanics at repair garages?
On average, mobile mechanics tend to be more skilled than mechanics working in repair shops. Mobile mechanics who work with YourMechanic are subject to additional skills and background check requirements to ensure a great customer experience. Mobile mechanics have more experience than the average shop mechanics: Mobile mechs tend to have more experience than mechanics who work in shops. They have varying auto expertise, like shop mechanics. However, on average mobile mechs tend to be more experienced because they typically start out in shops and use mobile businesses to branch out to start their own businesses on the road.
YourMechanic works with some of the best, most experienced mobile mechanics: YourMechanic is the number one platform for mobile mechanics and we take pains to work with mechanics who have an average of 15 years of experience, so they’re well equipped to perform a free 50-point inspection with every service to ensure that a customers’ vehicle doesn’t have any mechanical issues. A mechanic must have a valid driver's license, clean background and driving record, and reliable transportation, as well as a complete set of automotive tools and the ability to provide an extraordinary customer experience.
All mechanics who work with YourMechanic are screened for their skills and knowledge by expert master technicians who have over 30 years of experience running repair shops and mobile mechanic businesses.
YourMechanic provides full transparency on repairs and estimates: All issues identified and work done by YourMechanic mobile mechanics are documented for the customer. If a mechanic finds any issues with a vehicle, they're required to document the issue with images, service due dates, and a full report which the customer can easily access online and then choose if and when they want to schedule an appointment to fix the issue. YourMechanic and its mobile mechanics are committed to full transparency, so that the customer, assisted by our professionals, can make the best decisions for their car.
YourMechanic features only highly rated mobile mechanics: Skills matter, and customer service matters. Each customer experience is rated, allowing YourMechanic to collect feedback on each mechanic and ensure a quality service experience. Any mobile mechanic rated below 4 out of 5 stars gets removed from YourMechanic’s platform.
All YourMechanic mobile mechanics are background checked: Safety is essential. We are committed to it.
Do mobile mechanics have the tools needed to repair my car in my driveway?
All mobile mechanics featured by YourMechanic are required to own all of the tools necessary to perform all of the 500 services that we offer. There may be just a few jobs that require specialized tools that will need extra attention and preparation before the booked appointment.
Are mobile mechanics more expensive than auto shops?
In a word, no. Mobile mechanics allow customers to save on overhead costs, and with YourMechanic’s help-- to also get discounts on quality auto parts. Overhead savings: Mobile mechanics don’t have overhead costs like shops and dealers. Rent is expensive, utilities are expensive-- and a car shop needs to pass on these costs to the customer.
Parts savings: YourMechanic takes this a step further: they have negotiated lower pricing from parts vendors, something that independent mechanics or even repair shops cannot do. This results in up to 30% lower pricing on services.
What car parts do mobile mechanics use?
Mobile mechanics who work with YourMechanic only use warranted new/remanufactured auto parts and supplies purchased directly from trusted vendors like Advanced Auto Parts, O'Reilly Auto Parts, AutoZone, or WorldPac just to name a few. If the part is dealer specific, YourMechanic Parts department will source required parts to complete the job on the platform. If requested, a customer is welcome to provide their own parts (however, we won’t be able to back the service with our standard 12-month/12,000 mile warranty if we haven’t provided the parts).
Do mobile mechanics provide a warranty on repairs?
Extended Warranty: While independent shops services warranties vary and independent mobile mechanics don’t always provide a warranty on services, YourMechanic sticks by our 12-month/12,000 mile warranty for every service we complete, and we make it easy for customers to track the repairs we’ve completed in the rare case that a warranty claim is made. There’s no hassle or stress ensuring our customers are happy.
Customer-provided parts exception: If a customer wishes to provide their own parts - whether they’re OEM or refurbished - your mechanic’s warranty is negated.
Customer choice: Customers can request that we use specific parts from a particular vendor and we can certainly acquire those parts on the customers’ behalf. In that case, the warranty will remain intact.
Will a mobile mechanic take longer to fix my car compared to a repair shop?
For most services, mobile mechanics will take less time than shop mechanics. YourMechanic can handle routine maintenance like oil changes, brakes and batteries on the spot within a matter of one to three hours. With complex repairs, we may need to order parts, just like a shop, and come back within two to three days after the parts have arrived. The benefit is that your car will remain in your own garage rather than a parking lot, and you won’t need to get to and from the shop before and after repairs are complete. Because mobile mechanics focus on one car at a time, services take the minimal amount of time. Most services can be performed in under two to three hours - from diagnostic inspections to battery replacements to mobile oil changes..
How can I find a mobile mechanic near me?
Many independent mobile mechanics advertise on yelp, craigslist, or google-- but you’ll need to call and verify their reviews, pricing and availability before booking. YourMechanic’s review platform allows customers to head to one source for all of their mobile mechanic needs – solving the issues of research, instant quotes, mechanic skills assessment, scheduling, parts sourcing, and payment. With YourMechanic, all of our mechanics’ schedules and reviews are transparent right on our site. You can determine the exact price, time, and cost of your appointment in under a minute before committing to an appointment.
