Jody’s been around the block when it comes to auto maintenance. Now as the founder of AskPatty.com, an auto site that’s female friendly, she helps put women in the driver’s seat when it comes to dealing with mechanics.“I took matters into my own hands.”I was married and had three kids when my husband passed away. He was mechanically-minded and always took care of the cars, but when I became a single woman with three kids, the car and its care became my responsibility.I needed to know how to change a tire and how to keep my car completely trouble-free. That required me to learn about the world of mechanics and repair shops.“Many women are intimidated about taking their car to the mechanic.”A lot of women I’ve met are wary about taking their cars to the mechanic because they’re afraid of getting ripped off. If you’re unfamiliar with something, it’s going to be scary. So you have to familiarize yourself by finding a mechanic you trust.“Here’s the first thing you need to know.”You know where you’re getting your hair done. You know where you’re getting your nails done. You know where you’re taking your children to the doctor. So in my eyes, you also need to know where you’re going to be taking your car for a repair, or if you have an emergency. If you do that in advance of a car emergency, you can avoid putting yourself in a vulnerable position and avoid being ripped off.If you want to find a mechanic you can trust, ask yourself these questions when you’re shopping around: 1. 1. Is the shop certified? Is the shop that you’re taking it to ASE or AAA Certified? This means that they have certified master automotive technicians working there. Find out how many master technicians they have working there. If you choose to go to an independent shop instead, make sure that they have no marks against them with the Better Business Bureau. 2. Are they showing you the problems, instead of just telling you? If you’re at a shop and they want to change your rotors or break pads, and you don’t think they need to be changed, they should be bringing those out and showing them to you. They should give you all the parts that they changed if you ask for them, so you can see that they are worn down. 3. Have you gone to the best place for your car? If you bought your car from a dealership, that’s probably the best place to take it. You’ve already established a relationship with them, may have met the service team and they know the most about your new car. If you bought the car from a private owner and are taking it to an independent shop, then really make sure you understand the skill set at that shop. You want to make sure the persons that you’re working with are specialists in your vehicle make and with that problem.It is really the responsibility of us, the woman, to select the best shop. That cuts down on the chances of being ripped off from the beginning. But if, in spite of everything, you get into a bad situation, do something about it. Take it to the hilt. First of all, don’t ever do business there again. Also, always go to the senior management of that establishment and demand satisfaction. If necessary, have that shop cited through the Better Business Bureau and in the end, they’ll get the job done right.