For many motorists, handing over car keys to a mechanic requires a leap of faith. A new global study now attempts to measure that trust, showing big differences between cities where drivers feel comfortable with repairs and those where they remain doubtful.
A new study released by the Global Mechanics Trust Index, conducted by Scrap Car Comparison, looked at customer feedback from car repair shops in 155 cities around the world.
At the top of the rankings sits Quito, Ecuador’s high-altitude capital, emerging as the city with the world’s most trusted mechanics.
The study assigns each city a ‘Trustworthiness Score’ based on language used in customer reviews, tracking mentions linked to reliability, fair pricing and transparency. Quito achieved a score of 81 out of 100, significantly ahead of the global average of 43.6.
Positioned 2,850 metres above sea level and surrounded by demanding road conditions in the Andes, vehicles in Quito often require consistent maintenance, potentially strengthening long-term relationships between drivers and repair shops.
Mumbai in India secured second place with a score of 66, while Switzerland featured prominently, with Lucerne and Interlaken ranking third and fourth respectively. Rotterdam in the Netherlands completed the top five.
Other high-performing cities included Abu Dhabi, Bern, Marrakesh, Mexico City and Venice, indicating that strong customer trust spans diverse economic and cultural environments.
While several regions performed strongly, the index also highlighted cities where repair businesses face greater perception challenges.
Chicago recorded the lowest Trustworthiness Score globally at just 10, followed by Kyoto and Osaka in Japan. Prague, Atlanta and New Orleans also appeared among the lowest-ranked locations.
North America registered the weakest continental average at 33.4, more than ten points below the global benchmark and roughly twenty points behind South America, which recorded the strongest regional performance overall.
Researchers caution that lower rankings do not imply poor service universally. Instead, review sentiment suggests fewer mentions of positive trust indicators such as ‘honest pricing’ or ‘reliable service,’ alongside a higher proportion of negative feedback.
Matt Clamp, a car scrappage expert at Scrap Car Comparison, pointed out that vehicle owners usually depend a lot on professional guidance because they don’t have much technical knowledge.
‘Regular maintenance and timely repairs are essential for keeping vehicles in good working order, and can also help to maintain their long-term value,’ Clamp explained, adding that small mechanical issues can escalate into costly failures if ignored.
He mentioned that uncertainty about pricing and technical explanations often influences how customers see a product.
‘Many car owners don’t have a lot of technical vehicle knowledge beyond the basics… so have to place a lot of trust in their mechanic.’
Clamp then added that transparency remains a key signal of reliability: clear explanations, written quotes and consistent recent reviews often reassure customers that work is legitimate and fairly priced.
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