Where to get your car fixed in Toronto

Where to get your car fixed in Toronto isn't as straightforward as it might seem on the surface — that is, if you're hoping to get the best service and bang for your buck. Most people who've owned car for a modest amount of time can tell a story about an instance in which they've had a less than satisfying experience at the repair shop, be it on account of price or a general lack of transparency when dealing with the mechanic.

Most of us lack the technical expertise to question seriously the diagnosis we're provided at our garage of choice, and would thus like nothing better than to be able to trust the person tasked with repairing our ride. Yes, trust is the key — but how does one go about finding a mechanic he or she can trust with so many to choose from and so little to go on?

Crazy as it may sound to the Google-addicted, when it comes to finding a solid mechanic, it pays to do the Joe Cocker thing and get a little help from your friends. So that's precisely what we've done here. Along with soliciting the advice of our staff, we asked our Twitter followers to reveal the mechanics that they trust to work on their car(s). It's far from scientific, but the resulting map should serve as a beacon in the vast wilderness that is Toronto auto repair shops.

Of the many suggestions we received, we've highlighted those that contain useful information about the repair shops in question. Spadina Auto, for instance, does 24 hour towing — something that could prove useful when you're stuck at the side of the road in the middle of the night. Autotrend on Broadview, meanwhile, is known for its BMW expertise. Along with a given garage's area of expertise, many people also chose to highlight particular mechanics known for their honesty.

As such, the map below features not just the address and contact information for each garage, but also the short suggestion that led us to put it on the list in the first place. While these recommendations are far from gospel, they should point those on the hunt for improved repair service in the right direction. And as the recommendations continue to come in — whether it be via comments on this post, social media or via other staff members — we'll continue to update the map. So, by all means, share your knowledge a suggest a good mechanic for us to add to the list.

View Auto Mechanics in Toronto in a larger map

A big thanks to the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic for sponsoring the blood, sweat, tears and elbow grease that went into writing this post.

Photo by PLTam in the blogTO Flickr pool