How The 'Pink Tax' May Be Costing You Even More Money At The Mechanic

It's a reality every car owner faces: when you drive a car regularly, you've got to maintain it regularly as well. And the option most people opt for when it's time for a service is to take it to the mechanic or a service center. There are many options out there, everything from your basic Jiffy Lube with fixed rates to specialized facilities for fixing certain components, like transmission and engine shops. Nowadays, many resources exist online that rate these shops based on various factors, such as service reviews, pricing, and so on. SlashGear has an article detailing realistic repair costs as well. This level of accountability likely vastly improved the general service expectations from these places, but it didn't solve every problem overnight — that includes, to a point, sexism.

While it's not exactly a novel concept that some service centers might treat women differently than men, there's a surprising lack of relevant documentation supporting this beyond hearsay and the odd survey. That said, anyone with first-hand experience of the pink tax will attest that it's a real phenomenon. So how do we empirically measure exactly how much the 'Pink Tax' costs at the mechanic, and what can we do to prevent it aside from the usual "bring a man to the shop?" And yes, that goes beyond simply bringing a man to the mechanic. Are there reasons or misconceptions that cause certain mechanics to favor one gender over others? And what do the mechanics themselves say? Let's answer each of these questions in detail.

For the uninformed, the pink tax refers to the phenomenon of women paying more than men for otherwise identical services and goods. A typical example is a pack of disposable razors, with men's and women's packs offered at different prices despite effectively being the same item. It's a well-documented and historically-prevalent social issue, facing widespread criticism following the Equal Pay and Civil Rights Acts and their associated movements. However, it remains a commonly-faced issue today and extends not just to women, but to generationally, ethnically, and socially-diverse groups in general when it comes to cars. So how does this affect the per-gender buying power at the service center?

There are various resources discussing how car purchases differ between genders, but less resources exist concerning the pink tax in automotive maintenance. As such, much of this is through inference and connecting the dots, but some resources do exist. For example, one 2013 survey by Northwestern University found that people were charged fairly if they were knowledgeable about their car's issues, regardless of gender. However, men were charged fairly regardless of knowledge level, whereas women were given markups. But women were better at haggling than men, with 35% able to get their requested price.

The mechanics themselves hold differing opinions. For instance, one Reddit post discusses the common issue that knowledge plays, allowing dealerships or shady mechanics to do unnecessary service, for example. However, according to their experience, gender plays less of a role as apparent naivety does. There are various warning signs that a mechanic is overcharging you.

The problem mainly revolves around a perceived lack of information. It's a common stereotype that women generally know less about automotive maintenance, and that some basis in reality in both the customer base and the workforce itself. For instance, as of 2022, less than 3% of service technicians nationwide identified as women. This produces an industry with an inherent gender disparity, which may contribute to common stereotypes, the usual "man's job" mentality at work.

There's obviously no way to change the mind of someone set in their ways, so like automotive service itself, much of this involves "preventative maintenance." That is, not giving a shady mechanic any reason to overcharge you. Since the majority of overcharging occurs because of a perceived lack of knowledge, the simplest counter is educating oneself about the fundamentals of automotive maintenance procedures. And, more specifically, about their car's particular quirks and what needs doing, and how much that generally costs. Some major car brands have high maintenance costs no matter what, but keeping prices fair revolves around knowing what you're paying for.

Aside from knowledge, it's important to pick the shop that's right for you. This involves finding an honest facility with specialized knowledge in your particular issue, and making sure the price is right for the quality you expect. Unfortunately there is no failsafe solution, and there are always outliers in any situation. But in general, if you want to avoid being ripped off by a service center, it's best to go prepared and find somewhere professional and reputable.