Hidden Mistakes Mechanics Make That Cost Kenyan Motorists

Heavy traffic along Mombasa Road on Saturday, July 3, 2021.
Heavy traffic along Mombasa Road on Saturday, July 3, 2021.
Photo
Ma3Route

Owning a car comes with a lot of responsibilities including maintenance and repair. However, the kind of mechanics you engage when your car has a problem determines how many times you will have to put up with the challenges as some mechanics make mistakes that are likely to put you at risk.

Charles Mbuya, a mechanic along Ngong Road in Nairobi spoke to Kenyans.co.ke and explained some of those mistakes.

The mistakes include:

Car Misdiagnosis

According to Mbuya, customers bring their vehicles into the garage and expect the mechanic to identify the problem and fix it. Unfortunately, not all mechanics have sufficient experience and exposure to do the job and sometimes end up misdiagnosing the vehicle, leaving the customer frustrated.

Makupa
Traffic snarl up along Makupa causeway in Mombasa County
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“I have seen it happening many times, especially with new generation cars like BMWs, Range Rovers, and Mercedes-Benz. These cars are built differently and give mechanics hard time when it comes to dismantling and assembling engines. The engines are complicated and some mechanics end up damaging them leaving the client with a huge cost for another engine.

“This is because most mechanics don’t bother researching about these new cars online to keep up with the trends,” Mbuya explained.

Mbuya argued that people should start background checks on mechanics immediately they develop the interest of owning a car or a few months before the purchase to ensure they have adequate information about best mechanics to engage.

Inflating Prices

Mbuya stated that some mechanics increase prices of spare parts leading to customers spending more money without knowing.

“When you are planning to have a car, at least know the cost of various spare parts so that once you are told they are needed, you can buy and bring. That way, you will not have to incur any unnecessary cost,” He asserted.  

Mbuya noted buying your own spare parts is safer than sending someone.

“Don’t forget that this industry also has brokers hungry for money. They will go and buy cheap and non-compatible spare parts that will never last for long. Not just that, even your life is in danger because they can fail to work while driving and cause accident,” Mbuya cautioned.

Rushing Services

Mbuya argued that when a mechanic is rushing to service a car either because the client is about to arrive or there are many cars in line, they are likely to miss something that can put clients' lives at risk.

“Sometimes you find a mechanic is in a hurry replacing brakes but forgets to tighten them properly. This is very dangerous. As a customer, discuss availability with your mechanic to ensure he has sufficient time to do your work perfectly,” Mbuya advised.

Photo of Nairobi City County.
An aerial view photo of Nairobi City County.
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