Parenting Pointers: 5 Ways to Get Your Car Back-to-School Ready

Millions of busy parents are getting on the road this month 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 overbilling).

>> 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 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.