Think the mechanic overcharged you? Check the bill before you argue.

1. Gather the paperwork

• The written estimate, if you got one, and the final itemized invoice with parts and labor hours listed separately.
• Any texts, emails or voicemails where the shop asked to do extra work, and what you said back.
• Your payment receipt. If you can, ask for the replaced parts back; many shops will hand them over if you ask before the work is done.

2. Compare the bill with the estimate

Many states require a written estimate and your approval before a shop goes meaningfully over it. The rules and the dollar limits differ by state, so look up yours on your attorney general or consumer office site. Work you never approved is a different complaint from work that was approved but priced high, so note which lines are which.

3. Score the repair bill

Upload a photo or PDF of the invoice or estimate. QuoteScore scores it 0 to 100 against real quotes and regional pricing benchmarks, flags labor hours and parts prices that look high, and names the lines worth questioning. Save the result page so you can quote its numbers in writing.

• Auto: 56% of 807 repair quotes we have scored came in overpriced.
• Collision: 42% of 38 repair quotes we have scored came in overpriced.

Live figures from our public dataset. These are quotes drivers checked, mostly before the work was done.

If the bill comes back fair, that is worth knowing too, before you spend time on a dispute.

4. Dispute in writing

1. Write to the shop owner or service manager: name each line you dispute, the amount, and why (not approved, or priced above a fair range). Ask for a specific refund by a reasonable date and keep a copy.
2. If you paid by card, ask your card issuer how to dispute the charge, and do it soon, since issuers set time limits.
3. If the shop does not answer, your state or local consumer office handles auto repair complaints, and some states have a dedicated auto repair bureau. Find your consumer office on USA.gov. Small claims court handles repair bill disputes in many places, usually without a lawyer.

Score my repair bill

QuoteScore is a pricing check, not a lawyer, a mechanic who inspected your car, or expert testimony. A score is an estimate from real quotes and benchmarks; a court or an agency decides what it is worth in your case. See also what to do if a contractor overcharged you and the auto repair quote checker.