If you owned or leased a car, you know how costly repairs can be.
It used to be you could fix most items yourself by tinkering around with the engine.
But there are so many parts today that are computerized that it's next to impossible to fix it yourself without expensive diagnostic equipment.
So you have to depend on your mechanic and as I've stated already, most fixes on your car are going to cost you several hundreds dollars.
Those are just for standard repairs.
If it's more complicated you could be talking in the thousands.
One way to reduce your car repair costs is to consider an extended warranty.
Often, your car dealer will offer you an extended warranty but they do not give you the best deals.
Further, they will require you to take it to them for the repairs instead of your mechanic that you trust.
The dealer typically charges more for repairs so even with an extended warranty you could end up paying.
It may be worth it to explore other companies whose business it is to extend the warranties on your vehicles.
These companies know best ways to reduce your car repair costs.
They are specialists in this area and they know the business inside and out.
And they will offer competitive pricing so you will save as compared to the dealer.
You can think of an extended warranty as an insurance policy.
In fact, the reputable companies will insure the warranty as a means to pay for it.
There is a deductible although several companies will offer a zero deductible if you wish to go that way.
When it comes to the cost of the warranty make sure you don't base your decision solely on price.
Not all policies are the same so you really want to see what it is you are getting.
Make sure you ask questions so you understand what you are paying vs.
what you are covered for.
If you have a new car you should still consider an extended warranty.
Although the manufacturer or dealer may give you a warranty with the sale of your car, that doesn't always cover all repairs.
An extended warranty is much more extended on what it covers.
Besides, the earlier you pick up an extended warranty typically the cheaper it is.
One last item is to make sure that the warranty is transferable should you decide to sell your car.
This gives the new buyer some comfort in knowing that if something goes wrong they can get it fixed free of charge.
This makes it much easier to sell the car and you can often charge a bit more for the car because it is covered.