Have you ever realized you need something on your car fixed (brake pads, an oil change you’ve put off) but you’re too busy to get your shop to a mechanic and wait for hours? Companies like RepairSmith are trying to alleviate that hassle. RSG contributor Chonce Maddox-Rhea shares her RepairSmith review below, including how to get started, service costs, and more.
Getting regular maintenance done on your vehicle is a must if you want to keep it around long-term. Finding out you need to get something fixed is never fun, but having to shop around at different repair auto shops and wait for hours for the repairs to be made is just an added inconvenience.
What if you could actually drop your car off and get it delivered to your home when the repairs are finished? RepairSmith is a new company that seeks to help drivers save time and money when it comes to crucial vehicle repairs and maintenance.
Listen to our interview with RepairSmith founder Joel Milne here.
Quick summary:
- Car repair and maintenance services that come to your house to fix your car
- Available in California, Arizona and Nevada but growing rapidly
- Competitors include: YourMechanic and RepairPal, but offer different services
- Check out RepairSmith here
What is RepairSmith?: RepairSmith Review 2020
RepairSmith is a company that provides convenient car repair and maintenance services in most cities in California, Arizona, and Nevada. The company was founded in 2018 and is steadily growing, so I’m sure they’ll be able to add more cities to their list in the coming months.
What makes this company different from others is the fact that their mechanics can come and fix your car right in your own driveway or in one of their certified shops. That way, you don’t have to wait around for repairs and other services. Some of their common services include:
- Replacing the front brake pads
- Oil changes
- Replacing spark plugs
- Replacing your battery
- Replacing the alternator
RepairSmith also offers an upfront price for the work, online booking, after-hours support, and a full warranty. Their warranty is a 12-month or 12,000 mile warranty (whatever comes sooner).
How RepairSmith Works
To start using RepairSmith, you’ll need to create an account on the website.
Enter in your contact info as well as any specific information about your vehicle. Next select the type of repair you need or request a diagnostic test if you’re not sure what the issue is.
Be thorough because you’ll either get an instant quote online or RepairSmith will email you a quote shortly afterward. If you submit your request online during business hours, you should receive a quote on the service that same day.
My car needs rear brake pads so I put in a request for this and specified what type of vehicle I have to get this quote.
After you accept the quote RepairSmith will prompt you to schedule the service by entering your address. Keep in mind, you won’t be charged for anything at this point.
An experienced and certified mechanic can come to your home or office in a company vehicle stocked with all the tools and equipment to complete the job. You won’t pay until the service is finished.
The other option is to drop your vehicle off at a local RepairSmith-certified shop. Then your car can be delivered back to you when the work is finished. Either way, you’ll get the 12-month | 12,000 mile warranty.
RepairSmith Cost and Prices
Just like any mechanic shop, RepairSmith offers a variety of prices based on the service. You saw my quote above for rear brakes ($128). This is just a quote but gives me a good idea of what I could expect to pay for the service given the type of vehicle I have.
I also know that if a mechanic looks at my car and sees that I’d need new rotors as well as brake pads, the cost could go up.
RepairSmith has an online quote form you can utilize to estimate costs for your vehicle. They provide many more services outside of the general repair and maintenance services I mentioned above.
Quotes will often show the price for parts, but you may have to wait a few minutes for the cost of labor to show up. RepairSmith will contact their partner mechanics in your local area to get labor costs and deliver a more accurate quote.
One quote that I was able to receive instantly was for an oil change:
A quote of $66 is a little more than what I normally pay for an oil change, but as you can see the labor cost is $105 per hour. Also, a synthetic oil change is much better performance-wise for vehicles than a basic oil change. To top it off, someone can actually come to your home and perform this service right in your driveway, so I’m sure that cost is factored in as well.
RepairSmith Referral Code
As of right now, there are no discounts or promo codes offered by RepairSmith, but you can get started using our referral code here.
Getting quotes is free, and you can start gathering quotes on services you know your vehicle will need in the upcoming weeks.
Companies like RepairSmith
RepairSmith is not the only service of its kind. Here are a few alternatives you may want to consider as well.
Your Mechanic
Your Mechanic is very similar to RepairSmith in that they can send a mechanic to your home or business to work on your vehicle. Prices are lower than they would be in a shop since there is less overhead. Plus mechanics tend to make 2X to 3X more.
Your Mechanic has been around a little longer, since 2012, but they provide a similar warranty to RepairSmith. This company also serves a few more states like Florida, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana and New Jersey just to name a few.
Check out our full review of your Mechanic and Harry’s personal experience with them here.
RepairPal
RepairPal is a little different in that they focus on helping you find honest and capable auto repair shops in your area. Their partner shops offer guaranteed fair pricing, high levels of customer service, and a 12-month | 12,000 mile warranty of each service.
Sometimes it can be hard to find a mechanic that you trust but RepairPal does all the vetting for you by carefully assessing all their mechanics so you can find a quality service quickly. You can get free estimates on their site and even troubleshoot common issues just like with RepairSmith.
The main difference between RepairSmith and RepairPal is that RepairPal is not a mobile car repair and maintenance company, so you’d need to bring your vehicle to the shop in person.
RepairSmith vs. Your Mechanic
When you compare RepairSmith with Your Mechanic, you’ll see that they are very similar but they also have some key differences as well.
Your Mechanic
- Available in more cities
- Completely mobile service (mechanics come to you)
- Mechanics operate more independently and drive their own vehicles
RepairSmith
- Available in select states for now
- Wider variety of services including engine and transmission work
- Option to bring your car into a certified shop for more complex services
- Concierge service for your vehicle should you need to send it to the shop
- Mobile mechanics drive a company Mercedes Benz van stocked full with quality tools and equipment
Repair Smith vs. RepairPal
There are some stark differences between Repair Smith and RepairPal as well. Below is a summary of the comparisons:
RepairPal
- Connects you with local and carefully-vetted mechanics in your area
- Allows you to determine a preferred drop-off time for your vehicle
- You have to bring your vehicle to the shop once you find a mechanic
- Available in more cities
RepairSmith
- Provides a full-service mobile car repair solution
- Offers available repair timeslots upfront for easy booking
- Mechanics come to you or you can use the concierge service to get your vehicle to and from the shop
RepairSmith Alternatives
Servicing your vehicle is much easier with companies like RepairSmith if you want to keep it in mint condition. While RepairSmith is a newer company, they are the first to offer a full-service auto repair and maintenance solution.
While RepairPal can help match you with a credible local mechanic, and Your Mechanic serves as a mobile repair shop, RepairSmith does both of these things and more.
With RepairSmith, you have access to mobile mechanics but also a wider range of services as well as the option to bring your car in the service requires shop-level tools.
Is RepairSmith Worth It?: RepairSmith Review Recap
RepairSmith is definitely worth it if you’re looking to save time and money when scheduling services for your vehicle. Having to call around to different shops and being your car in for a quote is luckily getting phased out thanks to these services so it’s becoming a much more efficient process.
The only thing I’d be mindful with when using RepairSmith is your budget (you may save money but you may spend a little more for the convenience of a mobile mechanic) and making sure you’re able to get services provided in your area.
Readers, have you ever used a mobile repair company to fix your car? What was your experience like?
-Chonce @ RSG
