Mobile mechanic or local garage? The complete guide

For most of us, owning a vehicle is vital to day-to-day life. However, we've all experienced faults and breakdowns over the years, which have led to needing repairs or car maintenance. 

In this guide, we'll explain the difference between a local garage and a mobile mechanic so you can make the most informed decision when it comes to your next car repair or service. 

What is a mobile mechanic?

Essentially, a mobile mechanic brings the garage to you. They drive their van to your house or place of work – to then carry out any repairs or service your vehicle.

With around 32 million cars on UK roads – and the motor repair and service industry having an estimated value of over £28 billion – many Brits are in need of help with their vehicle in order to remain road safe and legal.

And with the customer service industry evolving in recent years, the importance of a mobile mechanic may become more prominent in the near future.

What does a mobile mechanic do?

A mobile mechanic can do most of the repairs and servicing you'll need on your vehicle – all with the benefit of driving to a place of your choosing.

Operating out of a van, rather than a garage, they can transport most of the necessary tools to carry out work on a vehicle to get it back in good working condition.

In many cases, they can do all the work you'd expect at a garage, including common fixes, interior maintenance, coolant checks, oil changes, air filter modifications, battery replacements, and brake pad/disc work.

Just like a normal garage, all the mechanic will need are your vehicle keys and a time slot to work with. And with no other cars to work on – there's no waiting around to see what the problem is and what's needed to get it back on the road.

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How much does a mobile mechanic cost?

Our mobile mechanics can provide a full service; interim service; oil and filter change; and so much more.

Usually the cost is comparable to a conventional garage, but some factors can skew costs up or down.

Garages will have a set fee for the relevant repair and a service – however, many mobile mechanics work with an hourly rate, a call-out fee (for urgent request), and then for the parts that they have to acquire.

Due to the convenience offered by a mobile mechanic, and the distance they travel to get to you, they may charge slightly more for your car repairs or servicing.

However, some mobile mechanics could be cheaper due to lower overheads, and often many jobs are quick fixes for those who understand how a car works. There is often no need to tow a vehicle anywhere either – which can often be expensive if it's not a part of your car insurance and breakdown cover.

Arguably, they're more dependent on customer service, word of mouth and reviews in order to get repeat business – so offering competitive rates is important to them.

How to find a mobile mechanic

Aside from the standard Google search, mobile mechanics are often advertised on online directories, where they'll provide details on what they can offer, as well as their rates.

They will provide their work history, relevant certifications, specialisms, and the area that they cover.

There are also several aggregators that collate all the local mobile mechanics in your area, so look out for those when doing a web search.

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RAC Mobile Mechanic

The RAC have recently launched a new service to its customers – RAC Mobile Mechanic.

Find an RAC Mobile Mechanic near you today – book now. Pricing below*:

• Full service = £220
• Interim service = £182
• Oil change = £148

^{*Pricing is subject to change and varies depending on vehicle make and model. Example prices are based on a Fiat Punto on 11/09/24.}

They can also provide an oil and filter change, and so much more.

Once you've booked a time for one of our mechanics to come and visit you at your home or place of work, there are three things that need to happen.

1. Your mechanic will call you when they're on the way to meet you. It's also important to give them any other information that can help them carry out the job.
2. Make sure that you're parked on a flat surface, away from the road, where the mechanic can have access to all sides of the vehicle.
3. Following their arrival, hand over the keys and they can get on with what's needed.

Booking is quick and simple.

Step 1: Enter your details and information on the type of repairs or service you will need

Step 2: Select when and where you want to meet the RAC Mobile Mechanic

Step 3: You’ll receive an email with all the details after you confirm the booking

Learn more about RAC Mobile Mechanics today.

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Advantages of using a mobile mechanic

One of the major advantages of using a mobile mechanic is convenience. They're able to carry out the majority of maintenance and repair jobs when and where you need them.

This also means that they're flexible to your schedule – and can solely focus on your vehicle rather than a garage with several other cars having work done on them.

They can travel to your home or place work whenever suits you – and can carry out the job while you get on with the rest of your day.

If you have a fault that means you need to be towed – you would traditionally need to be towed to a garage. With mobile mechanics, they can help you save money by avoiding a large bill before any work has been carried out.

An added benefit is that due to you being the sole focus of a single mechanic this adds a higher level of accountability and customer service to the job, too.

Following the coronavirus pandemic, the UK saw a mass adoption of remote and home working – something that still continues today. A mobile mechanic service suits these modern working practices well.

Although mobile mechanics can't carry out large scale replacement jobs or MOTs, they can help solve smaller tasks before they develop into something larger. This is because they're less effort to book in and take care of – rather than taking an extended period without the use of your vehicle for a less critical job.

When should you visit a garage instead?

Mobile mechanics offer an amazing, convenient, and affordable service for almost any job – but there are times when a traditional garage still has the edge.

Garages have a wider selection of available parts, tools, and number of employees – should a larger body of work need to be carried out.

They can also carry out MOTs and, for those garages that are a part of a wider group, they'll have access to more parts and expertise.

Vehicle maintenance and repairs can be messy jobs, so not having the remnants on your driveway is also a plus. Although when a mobile mechanic visits you, they will make sure the area will be completely cleared before they leave. Many homes and places of work may not have suitable cover to carry out any work due to the weather – garages will not have this same challenge.

Conclusion

Overall, both mobile mechanics and traditional garages present great options to fix any issues you have or to have your vehicle serviced.

Mobile mechanics are a great option for everyone with a smaller issue, or you're unsure on what the problem may be. The convenience, flexibility, and more personal approach to you as a customer is appealing as well.

However, traditional garages are still vitally important to all road users, due to their ability to fix any issue – especially larger ones – as well as performing the annual MOT.

Would you consider using a mobile mechanic in the future? Do you have any questions about RAC's Mobile Mechanics? Leave your comments below.

Full and interim service

^{†Pricing is subject to change and varies depending on vehicle make and model. Example prices are based on a Fiat Punto on 04/04/2024.}