“5 Ways to Get Your Car Back-to-School Ready” by Jill Trotta

These are great suggestions. As someone who always feel that automotive repair shops tend to look down on females unless you do your homework and know your car; I believe these are important tips to make sure you don't get taken advantage of and pay more than you need to or get unnecessary work done.

Millions of busy moms are getting on the road this week for back-to-school season.

What can you do to make sure that your family's rides are as safe as possible?  How can you avoid ending up on the side of the road — instead of the sidelines of your kids' soccer game?

Jill Trotta, a car repair expert at RepairPal  a nationwide network of certified, pre-screened repair shops on a mission to help you find a fair price for quality work — has come up with “The RepairPal Guide to Carpool Season”:

1.  DO A ROAD TRIP CHECK-UP

Because unexpected breakdowns are usually much more costly than preventative work, get your vehicle inspected by a shop you trust before you hit the carpool lane.

2.  DON'T GAMBLE

Because walking into the first shop that you find on Google is like rolling the dice, do your homework by searching for a shop with certified technicians.

3.  KNOW THE 'MAGIC NUMBER'

Research average repair prices before visiting the shop and note any prices much higher or lower than the average (which may signal low quality parts or potential over billing).

4.  THINK AHEAD

Because a poorly-executed repair could leave you coming back weeks later, always choose a shop that offers an excellent warranty in case anything goes wrong.

5.  DON'T TRUST ALL REVIEWS

While review sites like Yelp and Foursquare are great for finding a good burger, fake reviews and unknowledgeable customers make these types of sites unsuitable to select an auto shop.

As a free resource, RepairPal [www.repairpal.com] independently certifies auto repair shops nationwide, provides data on the average cost of each repair, and offers trusted customer reviews — eliminating the need to shop around.