The Global Mechanics Trust Index: Cities With The Most (And Least) Trusted Mechanics Revealed

The Global Cities With The Most And Least Trusted Mechanics

Our research shows that the Ecuadorian capital, Quito, is the world’s top location for trustworthy mechanics, with a total score of 81. With the city perched at 2,850 metres above sea level among the Andes mountains, and many roads around the city featuring steep inclines and variable road services, the level of wear and tear accumulated by vehicles is likely to be much higher than we experience in the UK. With many roads heading through rural areas, having a well-maintained and reliable vehicle is of high importance, so having a trustworthy mechanic to keep it in good working order is likely essential.

Mumbai in India follows in second place with a score of 66 out of a possible 100. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, the city’s high traffic density and intense road usage, paired with seasonal monsoon flooding, mean that vehicles are likely to take a bit of a battering. Many of the city’s automotive maintenance businesses are likely to be independent or smaller-scale workshops which rely on word of mouth; however, when paired with rapid modernisation and adoption of online reviews, this may result in high usage of online review platforms to champion these trusted providers.

Lucerne in Switzerland completes the top three, with an overall score of 64.5, just 1.5 points behind Mumbai. In a country with a reputation for precision and detail, clearly, there’s no exception when it comes to the car repair industry. Though it’s one of the largest cities in Switzerland, it’s small when compared to the likes of Quito and Mumbai, so good (and bad!) word-of-mouth is likely to travel fast, leaving little room for businesses that aren’t trusted by their customers.

Interlaken follows close behind with a score of 64.2, while Bern places seventh with a score of 62.1, resulting in Switzerland being home to three of the cities in the top 10. The only UK city to make an appearance on the list is Sunderland, ranking as the world’s 22^nd most trustworthy city for garages.

The World’s Top 25 Cities For Trusted Mechanics:

Rank	City	Country	Trustworthiness Score (/100)
1	Quito	Ecuador	81.0
2	Mumbai	India	66.0
3	Lucerne	Switzerland	64.5
4	Interlaken	Switzerland	64.2
5	Rotterdam	Netherlands	62.5
6	Abu Dhabi	United Arab Emirates	62.3
7	Bern	Switzerland	62.1
8	Marrakesh	Morocco	62.1
9	Mexico City	Mexico	61.4
10	Venice	Italy	59.6
11	Lima	Peru	58.1
12	Munich	Germany	57.9
13	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	57.8
14	Düsseldorf	Germany	57.0
15	Geneva	Switzerland	57.0
16	Dortmund	Germany	56.5
17	Cairo	Egypt	56.2
18	Dubrovnik	Croatia	56.2
19	Basel	Switzerland	56.0
20	Cologne	Germany	55.9
21	Stuttgart	Germany	55.4
22	Sunderland	United Kingdom	54.6
23	New Delhi	India	54.4
24	Bogotá	Colombia	54.0
25	Lisbon	Portugal	53.8

At the other end of the scale, Chicago ranks as the city with the least trusted mechanics, scoring just 10 points overall. With the lowest average score of any continent, North American cities make up more than half of the 10 least trusted cities, with Atlanta, New Orleans, Kansas City, Seattle and Las Vegas also featuring in the list.

Outside of North America, the Japanese cities of Kyoto and Osaka also rank in the bottom three globally, with 16.2 and 16.9 points apiece.

The World’s Bottom 25 Cities For Trusted Mechanics:

Rank	City	Country	Trustworthiness Score (/100)
1	Chicago	United States	10.0
2	Kyoto	Japan	16.2
3	Osaka	Japan	16.9
4	Prague	Czech Republic	19.0
5	Atlanta	United States	19.7
6	New Orleans	United States	19.9
7	Kansas City	United States	21.7
8	Seattle	United States	21.8
9	Oslo	Norway	22.0
10	Las Vegas	United States	22.1
11	Austin	United States	23
12	Philadelphia	United States	23.7
13	Luxembourg	Luxembourg	24
14	Houston	United States	25.1
15	Paris	France	27.8
16	Madrid	Spain	27.8
17	Montreal	Canada	30.2
18	Los Angeles	United States	30.3
19	Cleveland	United States	31.5
20	Boston	United States	31.5
21	Washington D.C.	United States	31.5
22	Phoenix	United States	32.2
23	Copenhagen	Denmark	32.3
24	São Paulo	Brazil	32.4
25	San Diego	United States	33.6

The UK’s Most Trustworthy City For Mechanics

Looking at the UK specifically, Sunderland is revealed as the city with the most trustworthy mechanics and car repair businesses, scoring 54.6 out of a possible 100. Walsall follows in second place, scoring 53.7, while Dundee completes the top three with a score of 52.3.

Larger cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool rank in the middle positions, from fifth to seventh, likely due to a higher number of businesses in the areas creating higher levels of variability in service quality than in some more tight-knit locations.

Overall, the top 10 spans just over five points in total, indicating that though Sunderland may be standing proud, the quality of work delivered to customers across the UK is likely to be of a similar level. As a result, drivers can rest assured that they’ll receive a high level of service even if they break down and require assistance from a mechanic outside their hometown. Interestingly, Portsmouth is the only city from the South to rank within the top 10 – suggesting overall higher levels of trust in mechanics in the North.

The UK’s Top 10 Cities For Trustworthy Mechanics:

Rank	Location	Trustworthiness Score (/100)
1	Sunderland	54.6
2	Walsall	53.7
3	Dundee	52.3
4	Blackpool	52.1
5	Manchester	51.4
6	Birmingham	51.2
7	Liverpool	50.6
8	Bradford	50.2
9	Stoke-on-Trent	49.8
10	Portsmouth	49.4

However, there are also several cities that have scores below the UK’s average of 45.4, indicating that trust in mechanics may be lower in these areas. Aberdeen ranks lowest for the UK overall, with a score of 33.6, followed by Oxford with a score of 34.7. Several other central cities also rank in the lower flight, with Leicester (37.2), Milton Keynes (37.4) and Nottingham (40.3) all featuring in the bottom 10.

The UK Cities With The Least Trustworthy Mechanics:

Rank	Location	Trustworthiness Score (/100)
1	Aberdeen	33.6
2	Oxford	34.7
3	Leicester	37.2
4	Milton Keynes	37.4
5	Edinburgh	39.0
6	York	39.7
7	Glasgow	40.0
8	Nottingham	40.3
9	Cambridge	40.4
10	Southampton	41.2

The UK’s Most Trustworthy Mechanics And Car Repair Businesses

Before diving into our city-level analysis, we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of the most trusted individual car repair businesses in the UK based on the proportion of reviews indicating honesty, transparency and fair pricing, as well as their overall star rating.

OJ MOT in Coventry emerges as the most trustworthy auto maintenance business in the UK, scoring a whopping 95.2 out of 100. Based at 32-40 Cromwell St, the business describes itself as an MOT testing, car servicing and vehicle repair garage, and boasts a pristine 5-star review score on Google Maps.

Doncaster’s Snapfix Auto Centre follows closely in second, with the Roberts Road-based business scoring 95.0 overall. Irv’s Motor Services in Sunderland completes the top three, with Top Gear Mechanic in Portsmouth and Bedir Motors / Car Mechanic / MOT & Service Station in London rounding off the top five.

The UK’s Top 10 Most Trusted Mechanics:

Rank	Business	Location	Trustworthiness Score (/100)
1	OJ MOT	Coventry	95.2
2	Snapfix Auto Centre	Doncaster	95.0
3	Irv’s Motor Services	Sunderland	95.0
4	Top Gear Mechanic	Portsmouth	91.3
5	Bedir Motors / Car Mechanic / MOT & Service Station	London	90.9
6	Speed Factory Cars	Sunderland	90.5
7	R & A Mobile Mechanics	Walsall	90.0
8	M CARS Service	Manchester	89.5
9	PS Automobile Mechanic LTD	Wolverhampton	88.0
10	Yasin Auto Centre LTD	Birmingham	87.5

The Most Trusted European Cities For Mechanics

With Swiss cities Lucerne and Interlaken placing third and fourth globally, it’s no surprise to see them ranking in the top spots for trustworthy car repairs in the European table, too. In addition to Bern, which also placed in the global top 10, Geneva also features in the top flight for Europe, with a score of 57.0, putting four out of the top 10 European cities for trustworthy mechanics in Switzerland. With an average continental score of 45.9, all of these locations also score significantly above the regional norm.

However, neighbouring Germany also fares well, with three cities from the country placing in the top 10 on a continental level. Munich ranks as the German city with the most trustworthy car repair businesses, with a score of 57.9, though Düsseldorf follows very closely behind with a score of 57.0 out of a possible 100. Dortmund sits in ninth overall for the continent, with a respectable score of 56.5.

With global car brands such as Volkswagen, BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz all based in Germany, the nation has a reputation for quality in the automotive industry and engineering as a whole. With such a high concentration of automotive expertise, professionals within the industry are likely to be held to very high standards, raising the bar in both small and large businesses nationwide. Anyone needing assistance with their car in one of these, or any German city, can rest easy knowing that they’re in good hands.

Rotterdam (3rd), Venice (5th) and Dubrovnik (10th) also place within the European top 10, with the three waterside cities also offering high levels of customer satisfaction.

Europe’s Top 10 Most Trusted Mechanics:

Rank	City	Location	Trustworthiness Score (/100)
1	Lucerne	Switzerland	64.5
2	Interlaken	Switzerland	64.2
3	Rotterdam	Netherlands	62.5
4	Bern	Switzerland	62.1
5	Venice	Italy	59.6
6	Munich	Germany	57.9
7	Düsseldorf	Germany	57.0
8	Geneva	Switzerland	57.0
9	Dortmund	Germany	56.5
10	Dubrovnik	Croatia	56.2

The North American Cities With The Most Trusted Mechanics

In North America, Mexico City ranks as the home of the continent’s most trusted automotive repair businesses, scoring 61.4 out of 100. More than 10 points ahead of second-place Miami, and the only North American city to score more than 60 points, the city stands head and shoulders above other cities in the region.

Unlike Europe’s top 10, the scores of North America’s top cities span almost 30 points, highlighting greater variation in the trustworthiness of automotive repair businesses across the country, while the region also has the lowest average score of any continent at 33.4 out of 100. In the US and Canada, unlike in Europe, there may be greater variation in business activity across the nation, with maintenance requirements and pricing structures for any work completed differing significantly between states.

With North America also one of the most car-dependent continents, and many journeys running into higher mileage, this is also likely to mean a higher number of repair and maintenance jobs required to keep the nation moving, offering opportunities for a wider range of customer experiences.

The Top 10 North American Cities With The Most Trustworthy Mechanics:

Rank	City	Location	Trustworthiness Score (/100)
1	Mexico City	Mexico	61.4
2	Miami	United States	50.2
3	Quebec	Canada	50.0
4	Winnipeg	Canada	46.7
5	Ottawa	Canada	46.4
6	Toronto	Canada	44.7
7	Calgary	Canada	40.8
8	Vancouver	Canada	38.4
9	Orlando	United States	36.5
10	Dallas	United States	36.0

The South American Cities With The Most Trusted Mechanics

As it’s ranked as home to the most trustworthy mechanics overall, Quito also ranks top in South America thanks to its score of 81 out of 100. However, scoring more than 20 points ahead of second-place Lima, and the remainder of the region’s top five spanning only 10 points in total, it’s clear that Quito is also a continental outlier for service quality in the automotive sector.

Lima (58.1 points), Bogotá (54 points), Santiago (50.1 points) and Rio de Janeiro (49.2 points) all rank within a mid-level trust score, but also outperform many North American cities, where only three cities score 50 or above.

The Cities In Asia With The Most Trusted Mechanics

Ranking second on a global level, Mumbai leads the way for Asia, with a trustworthiness score of 66 out of 100 for its car repair businesses. New Delhi also joins in fourth place in Asia, scoring 54.4 and making it the second Indian city within the top flight.

Two cities from the UAE also rank in the top five for the continent, with Abu Dhabi placing second, and Dubai following closely in third. With rapidly growing levels of vehicle ownership, the automotive maintenance and repair industry is also increasing in size in the UAE, thanks to increased demand for these services. The region also carries a reputation for luxury vehicles, so customers will no doubt be keen to ensure that their vehicles receive work of a high standard when it is time for any maintenance and repairs, which in turn will continue to maintain quality levels across businesses as they compete for business.

The African Cities With The Most Trusted Mechanics

Marrakech scores the highest of any African city, with 62.1 out of 100 for the trustworthiness of car repair businesses in the city. Cairo follows closely in second with a score of 56.2, while the South African cities of Cape Town (44.5) and Johannesburg (40.1) rank in third and fourth, respectively.

Though the difference in scores isn’t as dramatic as seen in other regions, such as South America, the cities in the continent do fall into two tiers of scoring, with the two North African cities ranking more highly.

The Most Trustworthy Cities For Mechanics In Oceania

Looking at cities in Oceania, Auckland scores the highest on our trustworthiness ranking for its local automotive repair and maintenance businesses, with a score of 50.8. However, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane all follow within three points, indicating little variation in the service quality seen by customers across both Australia and New Zealand.

With seemingly a very uniform level of quality in businesses around the region, anyone requiring assistance in an unfamiliar location, such as backpackers on the tourist trails, need not worry about heading to the nearest garage available.

The Top Five Cities In Oceania With The Most Trusted Mechanics:

Rank	City	Location	Trustworthiness Score (/100)
1	Auckland	New Zealand	50.8
2	Perth	Australia	50.1
3	Sydney	Australia	49.1
4	Melbourne	Australia	48.3
5	Brisbane	Australia	47.9

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Methodology 

Using a list of 155 cities, we searched Google Maps for “mechanic” and “car repair” businesses in each, ensuring that all establishments were located within 100km of the city centre. We then scraped the reviews of these businesses, before analysing the content of each review to determine the level of trustworthiness indicated. A multilingual language model was used to enable consistent analysis across reviews written in different languages. A trust score was then calculated by comparing the similarity of the reviews to positive trust signals (e.g., “honest garage”, “transparent pricing”, “never overcharged”) and negative trust signals (e.g., “scam”, “overcharged”, “cannot be trusted”, “misleading pricing”), incorporating the review’s star rating (1–5) to account for overall sentiment.

For each business, the proportion of trust and mistrust segments was used to generate a trustworthiness score. City-level scores were calculated as the average of qualifying businesses within each city, which were those with at least 20 Google reviews.

All data correct as of February 2026.