What are Auto mechanic hourly rates?

This will vary from area to area. However it is most common for dealerships to be higher than an independent/chain. Most prices will vary from 30-110/hour. Even higher in bigger cities (L.A., NYC) Check with the place doing the repairs before giving them the OK to do any repairs or even looking at the vehicle.

It is becoming more common for dealers prices to be very similar to independent shop prices with the decline of automobile sales in recent years. There was a time where the dealership looked at a customer as a sale, but now the dealer's are trying to aggressively get the customer in for service to make extra money from where they lost due to a lower number of sales and lower margin of profit (to stay competitive).

In smaller areas, a one man shop may charge significantly less especially if they own their lot and only have one master mechanic. Should you trust these guys to get your repair right? That really depends on the mechanic.