ORLANDO, Fla. – Click on a website or app, schedule a time for your vehicle's car repair and a professional mechanic will show up to your home or office to do the job.
It’s true, no more waiting at the local garage for repairs.
Companies like Your Mechanic and Wrench.com have introduced scheduled convenience to the car repair circuit in the Orlando area, with positive reviews and competitive prices for everything from an oil change to a brake pad installation.
"We actually do better in Florida than other parts of the country," Your Mechanic CEO Anthony Rodio told News 6. "We’re growing rapidly and very happy helping people keep their cars on the road."
The company has certified mechanics in more than 2,000 cities offering a long list of repair options performed in your driveway or your office parking lot.
"We instant-quote the job upfront," Rodio said. "So we tell you how much it’s going to cost, and we stick to the price."
Rodio said the average vehicle in the "platform" is about 11 1/2 years old and many of the vehicles have a need beyond motor oil, transmission fluid or brakes, which has prompted a partnership with Goodyear.
"A lot of customers are confused about what kind of tire (to purchase)," Rodio said. "We want to make that experience better over time as well, and Goodyear is a good partner for that."
Established auto repair shops like Russell Automotive in Apopka concede the convenience factor but other than that, established shops offer better equipment on location than a mechanic on wheels.
"If you don’t mind bringing the vehicle to us, the job is better when it’s over with," Russell's general manager Steve Alfieri said. "It’s cleaner, more accurate and the price is going to be about the same."
Veteran mechanic Keith Sterling has been with Your Mechanic for nearly two years, starting in Orange County and now serving a customer base in Polk County.
"I’ve worked on every car from a 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme all the way up to a 2016 Porsche Cayenne," he said.
Sterling says short of a rebuilt engine or transmission, he can do the job at a competitive price and with original equipment manufacturer parts.
A side-by-side price comparison for an oil change on a 1990 Mustang gave Russel Automotive the edge.
While Russell’s oil filter change and a 50-point inspection comes in at $60, the Your Mechanic price was nearly double at $118.
Both prices include OEM parts and 50W synthetic oil.
Estimates for additional work on the 1990 Mustang show a new serpentine belt used to power devices under the hood, including an alternator, power steering pump and air-conditioning compressor.
Your Mechanic: $609.21 (2 serpentine belts)
Final price: $557.21
Russell Auto: $422.89
Note: Your Mechanic brings two different belts to the job, so the cost after installation will be about $52 less.