Buying a car is not enough; maintaining it is also essential. For low-income families, it isn’t easy to regularly service their vehicles. For such families who can not afford the regular maintenance of their vehicles, government assistance for car repairs is provided. The government leads programs for its citizens that help with car repairs for low-income families.
Free auto repair is provided to those low-income families who need emergency car repair assistance. However, these Americans need car repair financial assistance as not all of them can afford the charges charged for a single visit by the repairers or the mechanic. Thus, here are some programs that provide government assistance for car repairs.
What is Government Assistance for Car Repairs?
Government assistance for car repairs consists of various government-run programs where needy and low-income families are assisted with problems they are facing with their vehicles. In addition, multiple programs that provide government assistance for car repairs have been introduced for the welfare of laymen.
- JARC:
JARC, or Job Access and Reverse Commute, is a government-administered service that funds low-income families that need free car repairs. It works in collaboration with various local and central non-profit organizations to offer help with car repairs for low income families. The funding collected by these agencies is used to help low-income families, especially those with a kid or a medical condition in their family.
Due to the lack of resources, they often fall short and cannot always help everyone that reaches out to them for help. Free auto repairs are provided by this service to those who apply to the program and are deemed eligible for the same. It has helped many low income citizens under government assistance for car repairs, but it has one con to it that it only serves in a few states and counties.
It aims to serve people whose jobs are jeopardized due to problems with their means of commutation. It focuses on providing emergency car repair assistance to those whose car or truck has broken down in the middle of nowhere. It strives to help those whose jobs could be retained by car repair financial assistance.
- How does JARC Free Auto Repair Program work?
JARC provides car repair financial assistance to those applicants who exhibit a dire need for this government assistance for car repairs program. It not only provides financial aid but sometimes awards applicants with microcredits as well. These micro credits are provided in the place of financial assistance and can also be used to repair your cars.
To apply for this service, one must fill out a form and check if their services are available in your city, county, or town. You can check that by contacting hotline number 211 or by checking on the government site dedicated to the service provided by JARC.
Where to Get Help with Car Repairs For Low-income Families?
Getting help with car repairs for low income families has been made relatively easier now. You can pick up your phone and contact any of the given organizations for help there! You have got your car repaired in minutes, and that too for free!! Below is a list of organizations that help with car repairs for low income families
- NHTSA:
In some instances, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA provides help with car repairs for low-income families. If your car has a defect or a recall observed in your car, then you can go to their website and enter your vehicle’s VIN to check if you are eligible for free auto repair or not. If you see your car enlisted on the site, you can take it to a dealer and get it serviced for free.
- The Lift Garage:
Apart from government assistance for car repair programs, non-profit organizations like these help with car repairs for low-income families. The Lift Garage is an NPO that helps citizens who live below the poverty line and can not afford to pay for the maintenance of their cars on their own.
Before getting the benefits of a Free car repairs garage, you must submit proof of your income. If they are satisfied that you are below the poverty line, you could get your car repaired there for free under the car repair financial assistance Program.
- Look for such ads in the classifieds:
One looks up jobs for themselves in classifieds generally, but you can look for free auto repair programs. Often some ads help with car repairs for low income families. You can check for such ads and contact potential dealers or auto shop owners who have given those ads. If you find it satisfactory and are sure it is not a scam, you can take your car to the respective auto repair shops and get your vehicle repaired for free.
- Vehicles for Change:
Vehicles for change is an NPO that offers help with car repairs for low income families. Their services are area limited but can assure you of quality work. You need not worry about bad service or poor handling regarding Vehicle for Change. They provide free auto repair but also help people find a suitable car for themselves.
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How Can I Get Car Repair Financial Assistance?
During a breakdown, one always prays it doesn’t become a big problem. Because the more significant the problem higher the cost of removing it. If the glitch turns out to be something you were not prepared for, you surely wouldn’t have money to pay for its removal. At this time, car repair financial assistance is what comes to our mind first. You can get car repair financial assistance from various sources. Some of them are listed below:
- Get a personal loan from a friend or relative:
With the sudden breakdown and your forgetting to get extra cash on you, you have been put in a grave situation. At this moment, the best option is to call up a friend or relative you know would surely come to your rescue. You can ask them to send you a couple of thousand bucks which you promise to return as soon as possible. This way, you can get car repair financial assistance easily without getting embarrassed in front of the handyperson.
- Use a credit card:
If you have not carried extra cash with you and there is no ATM nearby, there is nothing to worry about. You can still get car repair financial assistance from the bank. Your credit card can save you from getting vehicle less. You can pay the mechanic with your credit card if it is low interest. You can pay the repair bill through your card only if you remember to repay it to the bank on time, or else the interest will keep piling up due to one single account.
- Reliable Rides:
Reliable Ride is a unique program of the Financial Assitance program of Britepath. It helps people by providing car repair financial assistance, especially in Fairfax County. It doesn’t pay the entire repair bill but would pay up to $400 of the car repair bill that you incur. The organization pays directly to the service provider and hopes the owner will spend the rest. It doesn’t help people without a referral. You need to fill out a form, after which your eligibility will be checked. Based on that and the referral suggested, you would receive car repair financial assistance from this organization.
Who Provides Emergency Car Repair Assistance?
Various non-profit organizations help people with emergency car repair assistance. Some government assistance car repairs programs also provide emergency car repair assistance. In addition, a few non-governmental organizations help with emergency car repair assistance. They provide free car repairs to those not fortunate enough to get it done independently.
- Modest Needs:
Modest Needs is a non-profit organization that helps people with emergency car repair assistance. It offers financial support to those low income families who can not afford to get their cars fixed. It is a short-term assistance plan that can be used during a crisis. You can apply to their car grants programs to get your car fixed for free.
- Road Ready Repairs:
Road Ready Repairs is a location-oriented non-profit organization that provides emergency car repair assistance. It helped the people of Michigan by providing them with free car repairs. Not always has it been that they have offered free auto repair. Most of the time, they provide grants as a part of their emergency car repair assistance program. They also help people get good cars to commute to work and study.
- Goodwill Industries:
Just like the government assistance for car repairs program, there are goodwill industries that help people with free car repair. You may not get financial assistance from these industries, but they can direct you to how to get emergency car repair assistance. They have a list of dealers and auto repair shops that provide free auto repair. You can contact them and get your government assistance for car repairs for free.
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Conclusion
Getting help with car repairs for low income families can save up a lot of money for these needy families. The government assistance for car repairs program provides a sense of security of jobs to those whose careers have been in trouble due to vehicle problems. One can get all the details about car repair financial assistance and emergency car repair assistance from the websites of the organizations they opt to take help from.
FAQs
There’s been a lot of confusion around whether or not one can get assistance for car repairs and many such car-related issues. All these questions have been answered here:
Q: Can I get my car fixed without paying money?
A: Yes, getting your car serviced without paying a single penny is possible. There is government assistance for car repairs programs that help with car repairs for low income families. You can apply for car repair financial assistance through this program and get yourself a free auto repair.
Q: What is the eligibility to apply for government assistance for car repairs?
Government assistance for car repairs generally doesn’t require any eligibility as such. One needs to be a citizen of the United States of America and should hold a valid driver’s license. These two are the basic and probably the only criteria one needs to fulfill to get government assistance for car repairs.
Q: Who is eligible to get help with car repairs for low income families?
A: As the title suggests low, income families can get help with car repairs for low income families. Not only them but families with kids, families having a patient, veterans, elderly and single moms are eligible to get help with car repairs for low income families and other services like emergency car repair assistance and free auto repair.
Q: Can I get repair assistance besides government assistance for the car repairs program?
A: There are various other ways to get a free car repair apart from government assistance for car repair programs. You can apply to various NPOs for help or seek help from your close ones. You can get car repair financial assistance from these organizations if you fit into their eligibility criteria. Different organizations have different eligibility criteria that one needs to fulfill. You can check if you fit these criteria by visiting the website of the organization you want help from.
Q: Does the Salvation Army help with car repairs?
The Salvation Army, like all the other NPOs, helps with various things like food, shelter, clothing, education, job opportunities, etc. It provides grants for almost everything. It aspires to promote skill. But unfortunately, there is no mention of helping with car repairs in this organization. One can get car repair financial assistance for buying cars and paying for the bills related to the vehicle. Still, no specific mention of the Salvation Army helping with the car repairs has been made.
Q: Which NPOs assist with car repairs?
Apart from government assistance for car repairs, one can also get assistance from various NPOs. NPOs like St. Vincent de Paul. Modest Needs, Christian Charities, Road Ready Repairs, and others assist. They would provide you with car repair financial assistance, and in some cases where there is a lack of resources, they might suggest some dealers or auto repair shops that can help you with your repair Problem.