While car repairs are necessary to maintain a functioning vehicle, getting them done can be incredibly costly and time-consuming. Even with a fair amount of knowledge and know-how, car owners are typically at the mercy of mechanics — and unfortunately, defective and fraudulent repairs are all too common.
According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), researchers estimated that total consumer losses from defective, unnecessary, fraudulent, or misdiagnosed repairs could be as high as 17.4 billion dollars annually. This NHTSA study based its model on 15 different problem areas:
- Failure to perform needed preventive maintenance
- Unnecessary replacement of a component when it is more economical to wait until it fails
- Failure to detect faults before they become critical
- Too much time between maintenance work
- Superfluous maintenance
- Inadequate diagnosis of the problem
- Attempts to sell unneeded repairs with possible fraudulent intent
- Failure to detect potential intended fraud before repairs
- Failure to detect possible fraud after repairs
- Work charged for and never performed
- Failure to resolve possible fraud
- Package deals that are not in the consumers’ interest
- Instances of faulty repair
- Failure to detect defective repair
- Failure to address faulty repair
The best way to mitigate these potential costs is to educate yourself as much as possible on your vehicle and any common issues it may face. This way, you can be more informed when taking your car in for repairs at any shop. If your car needs repairs, it may be beneficial to get quotes from several mechanics, dealerships, and independent shops before completing your repairs.
Hurt by a Defective Repair? Contact Us
Did a defective repair or fraudulent maintenance cause a crash that resulted in severe injuries? If so, turn to the experienced New York car accident lawyers of Hach & Rose, LLP to discuss the specifics of your case. If it can be proven that negligent maintenance or repairs caused your crash, you could be owed significant compensation. Call us at (212) 779-0057 or online to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation today.