For some background, I hired a mobile mechanic a year ago to replace the radiator, hoses and fan assembly in my VW Jetta. They charged me $1050 (parts and labor), which I believe was fairly significantly less than a traditional repair shop or dealership would have charged, and the car continues to run problem-free. I paid them through Venmo when the job was finished.

I recently invited the same mechanic back for a quote to replace the rack and pinion, power steering pump, belt and hose in my 2011 Honda CR-V after the dealership quoted me over $4100. They will do it for just $1750.

However, they are requesting a deposit of nearly 80% of the estimate to cover the cost of parts. While they did do good work for me last year and I don’t want to come across as untrusting, I’m still uneasy about paying such a large deposit, especially when no deposit was requested last time and the only proof I would have of why I had sent them all this money are text messages. I’m also noticing that they are no longer promoting themselves or being recommended in local Facebook groups. To be fair, I didn’t find any negative feedback about them either and it’s possible they could just be getting enough business through repeat business and referrals that they no longer need to solicit work on social media.

Any advice would be appreciated. I would hate to miss out on this good price from a mechanic I’ve had before, but I also don’t want to put $1350 at unnecessary risk.