Free repairs are available to consumers under a number of circumstances, the first being that the car is still under warranty. If you have the need for repairs and the car is still under warranty make sure to take the car to a dealership or factory-authorized service facility for those repairs. In that case, most of the repairs you'll need to make with the exception of routine maintenance will be covered fully. On some of the newest car warranties even some of the routine maintenance is covered. If you don't know where to call visit http://www.newcarbuyingguide.com select the Reviews button and scroll to the bottom of that menu for a complete list of automakers and their contact information. They will gladly tell you where the nearest authorized repair facility is located.
If you are just off of warranty (within about a year or two or just over mileage) or over miles slightly, try to get the dealership to bring in the region's factory service representative to look at the problem. Occasionally these people authorize free repairs if the problem is one that would have been covered only a short time before. Only these people can authorize free repairs off-warranty.
Should you have the situation where a mechanic has to repair the same thing twice (or more), it is critical to take the vehicle to another shop for a second opinion. This will tell you if the original repairs were done incorrectly or insufficiently. Then you can go back to the original shop and request they do the second repair for free. If they won't and you have all your documentation in order, you can take them to small claims court.
Regardless of the needed repair and the age of the vehicle, all consumers should check with the appropriate federal agencies to see if there are recalls, technical service bulletins or registered complaints for problems with their vehicles.
First check the recalls database of the National Highway
Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recmmy1.cfm
This page will tell you if there are any recalls for your specific car.
Next visit NHTSA's technical service bulletin (TSB) database at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/servicemmy1.cfm. This site will tell you if there is a reoccurring problem for your car -- perhaps the one you are experiencing. We call this the "recall wannbe" page because some problems for which a TSB has been issued become recalls.
Lastly visit the NHTSA defects site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/defect/investmmy1.cfm. This contains information and assessments for active defect investigations, defect petitions, recall petitions and civil penalties.
