The online mechanic shop
Mobile mechanic
at your door.
Just send a text.
Skip the repair shop. Tell us what's wrong and nearby mechanics bid on your job. The best price wins, and the mechanic drives to you.
Opens your messages with “Mechanic” ready to send. Odo, our AI assistant, takes it from there.
Text us anytime, day or night. Mechanics are usually available around the clock, depending on schedules.
Free to ask
No obligation
Charged only after the work is done
Rather start online? Tell us the car and the job.
Get estimate
The problem
Car repair hasn't changed in 100 years.
A building. A line. A stranger under your hood. And you never find out who. We got tired of it, so we rebuilt it.
1
Hunt for a shop
Scroll reviews and hope you picked the right one.
2
Stand in line
Walk-ins get taken if you're lucky. Then 45 minutes of intake: your VIN, your symptoms, your story.
3
Pay to be told
Shops can bill hundreds an hour just to inspect, then tell you what's wrong. You can't check it.
4
Pray at the register
You came for brake pads and left with a bill for things you can't tell you needed.
The new way
We run the online shop. Mechanics bring the van.
TravelMechanic handles everything a shop does behind the counter, with AI and without the building. The work happens at your door.
No rent. No lobby. No overhead.
A physical shop pays for a building, and you pay for the shop. We don't have one, so what we save on rent and brick-and-mortar goes straight to your price.
Getting started
Research shops, call around, drive over
One text from wherever you are
Waiting
Line, intake desk, drop-off, lost day
None. The mechanic comes to your car
Overhead
Rent, lobby and front desk, all built into your bill
No brick and mortar, so no rent. We pass the savings to you
Price
Unknown until after the inspection
Mechanics bid. Lowest price wins
Your mechanic
Whoever is free. You never find out
You see who it is and read their reviews first
Paying
Pay when you pick it up, no matter what
Charged only after the work is done
Where the savings come from.
Squealing brakes on a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. Is it pads, rotors, or both? At a shop, you pay to find out, then pay for the repair. Here is the same job both ways, with every assumption shown.
| Item | Typical shop | TravelMechanic |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection (1 hr at $160) | $160.00 | Part of the bid |
| Brake pads, both axles (1.5 hr) | $240.00 | $150.00 at $100/hr |
| Parts (front and rear pads) | $99.42 | $76.48 |
| Travel to you | You drive and wait | $21.00 |
| Total, before sales tax | $499.42 | $247.48 |
About 50% off. If a shop waives its inspection fee when you go ahead with the repair, the gap is about 27% ($91.94). Your savings depend on the shop and the job.
- A shop's rate pays for the building. Rent or a mortgage, the front desk, the lobby and the equipment are built into the hourly labor rate and the markup on parts. We have no shop, so we have none of that to pass on.
- Finding the problem is part of the job. Our mechanics bid the whole job. If you are not sure what is wrong and book an assessment first, its fee is credited toward the repair, so you do not pay for the inspection twice.
- Mechanics compete. Each mechanic prices parts and labor at their own rate, and the lowest bid is offered to you. Labor rates vary by mechanic, and a bid can be higher or lower than this example.
Assumptions and sources
- Shop: $160 an hour, one hour of inspection billed separately, a 30% markup on parts. Shop rates vary widely. AAA cites an Illinois average of $238 an hour, which would widen the gap.
- TravelMechanic: $100 an hour (mechanics bid $80 to $120 depending on location and availability), parts at the listed price, and a distance-based travel fee. A bid can differ.
- Aftermarket ceramic pads for the 2020 Wrangler JL, $76.48 for both axles. Prices before sales tax. This is an illustration, not a quote.
- Pad prices: PowerStop Z16 front and rear pads, Wrangler JL, Quadratec (front $37.79, rear $38.69, Oct 2026)
- Shop labor rates: AAA, average mechanic labor rates by state (2025 PartsTech report: almost half of shops charge $120 to $159 an hour)
- Labor time: Go-Parts, 2020-2024 Wrangler brake pad set (about 1.5 hours)
Your mechanic
Know who's working on your car. Before they show up.
Shops never tell you who's under the hood. On TravelMechanic it's the first thing you see.
ASE-certified
Certified on all kinds of makes and models.
Background-checked
Mechanics only get on our platform if they are reliable and background-checked, after a rigorous vetting process.
Insured by us
Every job on the platform is covered.
Their own full van
Independent pros arrive with everything the car might need.
You decide who stays
See your mechanic and read their reviews before they arrive. Customer reviews decide who remains on the platform.
Fair by design
Mechanics compete. You save.
No gouging, because nobody gets the job without earning it.
Example. Bids arrive as mechanics compete; you choose when to accept.
01
You say what you need
A text. That's the whole intake.
02
Nearby mechanics bid
Each one has to win your job, so each one sharpens their price.
03
The best price wins
Odo, our AI assistant, gets mechanics every detail they need, so the number is grounded, not guessed.
Every quote is our best estimate. Cars differ by year, make and model, and sometimes a part is out of stock. If anything changes, you hear the new price before you pay anything more. Not OK with it? Cancel for a full refund.
Your AI assistant
Meet Odo. The front desk, in your messages.
Odo is TravelMechanic's AI assistant. It handles everything between you and your mechanic, by text.
Coordinates your quotes
Gets your request to mechanics and brings their bids back to you.
Keeps you and your mechanic talking
Passes messages both ways, so nothing gets lost.
Walks you through every step
From your first text to the finished job.
Why “Odo”? Odo comes from the Greek hodós, "road", the root of the word odometer: the assistant that brings the shop down the road to you.
Not sure what's wrong?
Send a mechanic first.
The inspection counts toward the fix.
“I think it's the starter, but it won't start.” Don't guess, and don't pay twice. Book an inspection and let a pro look.
They inspect
A mechanic comes to your car and finds the real problem.
Fix it with us
What you paid for the inspection is credited toward the total.
Or walk away
The fee covers the mechanic's time and travel. If they can't diagnose exactly what's wrong, you get a full refund.
Popular services
Most repairs are done in your driveway.
Over 500 services. Typical starting prices below. Your exact bid depends on your car.
Brake pads & rotors
Squealing, grinding or soft pedal? Replaced in your driveway.
From $210 · ~90 min
Oil change & fluids
Oil, filter and a fluid check without leaving the house.
From $79 · ~30 min
Battery test & replacement
Dead battery? Tested and swapped where the car sits.
From $159 · ~30 min
Alternator & starter
Won't start or the battery keeps dying? We find out why.
From $299 · ~90 min
Tire repair & replacement
Flat fixes to full swaps, no tow needed.
From $79 · ~45 min
Diagnostics & inspections
A computer scan and a written report of your car's health.
From $89 · ~45 min
Our promise
You pay when you're happy.
Charged when the work is done
Your payment method is held up front only so the visit is a sure thing, like a ride or a food delivery. You're charged when the job is finished.
100% back if it falls short
If the service isn't delivered or you aren't happy, you get a full refund.
Warranty built in
We buy parts with warranties and stand behind the service with them. If a warranty claim needs labor, we charge only the travel fee and the labor.
Google reviews
What drivers say after the visit.
Five-star reviews on Google
★★★★★
“My experience was great. My mechanic came out and replaced my starter and got the job done within a hour. I highly recommend them!”
Google reviewer
★★★★★
“Five stars for the mechanic, he was awesome! The mechanic was professional, very knowledgeable and helpful.”
Google reviewer
Mobile auto repair near you.
Pick your city for local coverage and pricing.
Questions, answered.
TravelMechanic is an online mechanic shop. There is no storefront and no front desk, so repairs cost less. You text us what's wrong with your car, nearby mobile mechanics bid on the job, and the winner comes to your home, office or curb.
About TravelMechanic
TravelMechanic is an online mechanic shop for mobile auto repair. We handle the front desk, the quoting and the scheduling with Odo, our AI assistant, so there is no building and no overhead to pay for. Independent, ASE-certified mobile mechanics bring the van and do the work at your home, office or roadside.
You can book oil and filter changes, brake pads and rotors, batteries, alternators, starters, tire repair, fluid services, electrical issues, sensor replacements, diagnostics and pre-purchase inspections. If a job needs a lift or shop-only equipment, the mechanic tells you up front.
We also serve fleets with per-vehicle service histories. Learn about fleets.
Your car is waiting.
Your phone is already in your hand.
Text us what's going on. No forms, no waiting room, no pressure.
Text (219) 533-8844