7 Things Pennsylvania Law Makes a Repair Shop Tell You Before They Charge

A rebuilt part and a new one can do the same job, but they’re not the same purchase.

Pennsylvania law says a repair shop has to tell you whether a part it supplies is new, used, reconditioned or rebuilt.

Ask which one you’re getting.

Here are the things Pennsylvania makes a repair shop tell you before they charge.

Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Auto repair rules and procedures are subject to change, so confirm the current requirements with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

1. Charges for an Estimate or Diagnosis

Before you authorize any repairs, an auto repair shop has to tell you what it charges for an estimate or diagnosis.

If your car comes in with a noise nobody has traced yet, the diagnosis fee is one of the first numbers you should hear.

The same part of the regulation tells the shop to display these notices clearly on its premises, where possible, so check the counter when you drop off the car.

2. Repairs With an Unknown Cost

When an auto repair shop can’t know the repairs or costs in advance, it has to tell you so and let you pick one of three options.

Say your car stalls at red lights and the shop hasn’t found the cause.

Under the first, the shop does nothing until it tells you the exact repairs and the total price, parts and labor included.

Then you approve, orally or in writing.

Under the second, the shop can start, but it needs your approval to go past a price you set in advance.

Under the third, you can authorize repair of the problem you described with no price limit.

The shop then has to tell you its hourly labor rate before the work begins.

3. New, Used, Reconditioned, or Rebuilt Parts

An auto repair shop has to tell you whether a part it supplies is new, used, reconditioned, or rebuilt, and it has to do so before you authorize the work.

A rebuilt part and a new one can do the same job and still be different purchases.

4. Your Replaced Parts

Before you authorize a repair, an auto repair shop has to tell you about your right to your replaced parts.

On request, you can have them returned to you at the completion of the service, or inspect them where possible.

The inspection option applies if the parts are going back to a manufacturer or another party under a warranty or rebuilding arrangement.

5. Storage Charges

If an auto repair shop charges for storage by the day or the hour, it has to tell you the conditions and the amount before you authorize the work.

Drop-off is the time to ask what happens if your car sits after the repair is finished.

6. Other Charges

An auto repair shop can’t add charges beyond what its invoice rule covers unless it clearly and conspicuously disclosed them to you before repairs began.

So an unfamiliar line on your final bill is worth asking about. Was it explained before the work started?

Psst! Does your auto repair shop pass this checklist? Run through it and see where you stand.

Your Written Okay

In general, an auto repair shop can’t charge you for repairs you haven’t authorized in writing.

The same goes for a price on maintenance or repair that wasn’t authorized in writing or clearly displayed on its premises.

The regulation also covers oral approval for certain repairs, and the shop has to keep a written record when it takes one.

What the Shop Writes Down When You Approve Out Loud

When a shop takes your approval out loud, the record has to show the date and time, the employee who received it, and the person who gave it.

It also has to include the exact authorization.

If the shop placed the call, the record lists the number it called.

Your Drop-Off Record

Before it starts work, the shop also has to write down your name and address, a phone number if you have one, and the repairs you asked for.

If you didn’t name a repair, it records a brief description of the problem.

Where possible, you also get a copy before repairs begin.

Your Final Invoice

Once the work is done, an auto repair shop owes you a dated, written invoice.

It lists the services, the parts by name or number with the price of each, and the labor hours and hourly rate.

It also has to say if any part wasn’t new.

A service billed as a single charge, listed on a schedule posted conspicuously on the premises or otherwise disclosed to you at drop-off, can leave out that price information.

Misleading Statements

An auto repair shop also can’t make statements it knows or should know are untrue or misleading.

The regulation names whether a repair is needed, whether your car is dangerous, and whether the work was done.

That covers what the shop tells you outright and what it only implies.

Hints count too.

When a Shop Skips a Rule

You can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection online if a shop skips one of these rules.

Separately, the Attorney General’s office announced a $215,000 settlement in September 2026 with Mavis Tire Supply, which has more than 130 branch locations in Pennsylvania.

The office alleged the company recommended and charged for services customers didn’t need.

Affected customers who haven’t contacted the office are asked to file a complaint before January 26, 2027.

Mark that date.

If an unfair or deceptive practice cost you money on a repair you bought mainly for personal, family or household purposes, state law allows a lawsuit.

You can seek actual damages or $100, whichever is greater.

A court can also award up to three times actual damages, plus costs and reasonable attorney fees, at its discretion.