If there is a car repair in your future, wouldn’t it be great to get free expert advice before taking it to a shop?
Now you can with Auto Correct – a new MPB Think Radio program debuting at 10 a.m. Thursday, September 13.
Allison Walker – known as “The Lady Auto Mechanic” will be “on duty” to answer questions about vehicle repairs, car history, preventive maintenance and more. Walker has been a guest on MPB Think Radio’s Fix It 101 several times.
“She was great, and lots of people called each time we put her on the show. I thought – this topic is so good it should have its own show,” said Jason Klein, MPB Director of Radio. “Allison’s personality was such a homerun. She’s genuine, she’s real and she wants to make an impact.”
Walker has been a car fanatic since she was a girl. At age 19, she got her first sports car that was hers to work on. It was then she bought her own tools and began wrenching under the hood. Eventually, she became the go-to person for family members in need of repairs.
While working as a service advisor for a car manufacturer, Walker couldn’t resist fiddling with the tools and realized how knowledgeable she actually was. She decided to make a career out of it and has been a mechanic for five years. She is Automotive Service Excellence certified and recently earned a certificate in automotive technology from Hinds Community College.
“I’ll always turn wrenches, but my goal was to help as many people as possible navigate the car world and to talk to people and help them mostly with their everyday problems. It’s my favorite thing in the world to do,” Walker said.
MPB’s Liz Gill is the producer and co-host of Auto Correct. She has no concerns about two women leading the discussions about vehicle repairs. “It’s not about discouraging a man from calling in as much as it is making it comfortable for women to call in,” Gill said. “MPB’s Everyday Tech started with two women and has been very successful. As with other MPB programs, Auto Correct is about education; whether it’s learning who would be the best technician for a particular project or learning how hard it would be to take something on yourself, MPB is an expert resource that Mississippi listeners can count on.”
A 2017 AAA survey revealed that 64 million American drivers cannot pay for unexpected vehicle repairs without going into debt, and the average repair bill is between $500 and $600.
“Auto Correct gives Mississippians a chance to ask a certified expert a question about their situation at no cost to them in order to save people money,” Klein said. “And by calling in to Auto Correct you’ll at least know whether you need to take your vehicle in immediately or wait until after work.”
