Ok so I needed a car to get around and.....?

[rudet79]

I bought a used 99 mazda Protege for a really good price. The car is really nice on the outside and in. It's got about 93,500 miles on it. I want to take it to a mechanic to do a tune up, what other things should he look for? I know the alignment isn't so great, the breaks need to be replaced and I do hear some rattling sound off and on. I don't have a specific mechanic to go to but I would like some suggestions as to what to ask, what to have him look for. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Firebird]

There's no good way to do what you are trying to do.  Basically you're going to ask the guy to charge you as much money as he wants to.  You don't have a relationship with a mechanic that is based on trust.  So there's really no good way to navigate this.

[bakfanlin]

Asking an unfamiliar mechanic to check for problems on a car you are unfamilar with is like signing a blank check. They'll pretty much add bills for things that may or may not need to be done. And ignore things that are potentially serious... and costly.

Did you buy the car from an individual? If so, you're at their mercy. If it came from a used car dealer, take it back to them....

[sidecar0]

Look around and find a Good Shop that works on Mazda's. You want a Complete Preventative Maintenance check because you just got the car. From what you were "Told" it needs Alignment, Brakes, has some rattling then I would Like you to see what else needs to be fixed "Right Now!"