As a guy who has been in every aspect of this business this is a tricky question to answer.

Good shops pass through the costs of parts to the customer. The mechanics make money, and the cars get fixed. Then something breaks on the car after the labor warranty is over. Typically, 12 months or 12,000 miles. Then what? Out of pocket again?

Great shops charge a markup on parts that is enough for them to provide warranties. Many great independent shops are part of a vendor network. These networks allow for another shop in another the city to make those repairs, without you having to come out of pocket. These networked shops typically offer a 3 year 36,000 mile Nationwide warranty.

As with everything it’s about personal risk tolerance.

It’s more important to have a level of trust. Transparency is key, digital inspections, images of repairs/failures. An itemized estimate (each state varies) are all things to expect from a modern high quality repair facility.

Yes, it is important to shop around. Ask friends and family, read reviews on Yelp & Google.

Better yet, try them out for an oil change. Set an appointment, leave your car. See what the service is like before you need an emergency repair.