Usually the answer is yes. This service - RepairPal - was launched this morning and it is very useful when you need work done on your car: it tells you how much the service should cost and gives you a list with the best mechanics in your area.

RepairPal can't tell you what is wrong with your car. But if you tell it which repair the shop says you need, plus what car you have and where you live, it will tell you the real price range for the repair. The data that goes into the generation of the this range is gathered from a number of sources, including one of the super-secret labor cost estimator tables that's been available exclusively to mechanics up until now.

RepairPal has a host of supporting features for its repair cost estimator, such as expert advice that you get when you look up a repair. For example, if your mechanic tells you that you should replace your spark plug wires when replacing a failing ignition coil, and you can see that RepairPal recommends that for your car, you can feel less suspicious of your mechanic.

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