Picture this fictional scenario.

It is Saturday night and you just got the call you've been waiting for all week. Your (insert gender here) friends are going out for a night on the town and you are the lucky one who gets to taxi them around in your super cool car from the 90's. Your elation turns to panic when your key fails to turn over the engine. (In other words "start it" for those of you who are really behind.)

In the morning, you find the mechanic with the groovyest webpage in your area and make an appointment as soon as possible. Joe Shmo, whom you don't know from Adam, informs you that your car is a death trap and you need $5000 worth of work done on everything from the wiper blades to the muffler. You call in favors from relatives all over the country to get it paid for because after all, your car would have started if there weren't so many things wrong with it, right?

Not necessarily. The first mistake anyone can make is to either tow their car into the nearest shop or use the shop with the prettiest ad. Ask around, preferably before your car breaks down. You wouldn't just go to a random gynecologist or take pills recomended by a washed up child star would you? (Just say, "Of course not") Go to a mechanic that someone else trusts. There is the possibility that you won't be a good fit, but it is safer to ask someone than to play eenie meenie miney moe on the internet.

If you have no choice and you are already in this situation, a good sign that you can't trust him is if he says, you HAVE to get everything done. A good mechanic will prioretize the work that needs to be done. He will tell you what you need to do to get the car running, what to do to get it running smoothly and what to do to get it in ideal condition. A really good mechanic will tell you when it isn't worth it to get the work done. If you need $5000 worth of work done on a 2008 BMW, it would be reasonable to assume he isn't taking you for a ride. If you drive a 1995 Corolla, there is the very real possibility that the car isn't worth the money you put into it, so it would be better to just get a newer car. My husband has done that before and even though they loose the sale, the customer knows he is trustworthy.