MILWAUKEE - You're driving your car and you hear a weird noise. What is it? The only one who can tell you: A mechanic. But can you trust the advice you get?

One mechanic says you need new brakes. Another says it's time for a new battery. That's a lot of advice. We found it's hard to tell the difference between a repair, and a possible ripoff.

We have a 2002 Toyota Echo that's in pretty good shape...but it's time for a check-up. We asked the mechanics at Milwaukee's Riverside Automotive to take a look.

"Our mechanics, they're all trained and certified, they look for preventative maintenance," says co-owner Peter Bilgo.

Here's what they recommended:
-new front brakes
-a new fan belt
-new wipers
-a new battery

Chris Bilgo is the certified mechanic that looked at the car. He says, "these are things that should be noticed, obvious repairs to be done."

We wanted to find out what other repair shops would recommend. So we took our car, and our hidden camera for some free inspections!

Car-X on Capitol Drive in Brookfield found the same stuff Riverside did, but added a few additional repairs to the total: A tune-up, and a new air filter. They also mentioned Toyota's 60,000 mile recommendations. The grand total for the recommended repairs: $857.67.

Jim Christian at Car-X says, "We're educating the customer about exactly what their manufacturer suggests...if we see a required repair...for lack of better terms, something that's hanging off the car or a hole in the muffler...something that obviously is broken, needs to be fixed today, we'll point that out."

Next up: Midas on 27th Street. Mechanics noticed the wipers and the belt, but didn't say anything about the brakes.

A worker there told us the reason: "To check the brakes, there's a charge for that."

With no brake check, the total estimated cost of repairs was only $126.

Meinecke on Bluemound Road in Brookfield also offers free inspections, but it only covers the four wheels, and doesn't include the engine.

Mechanics there recommended new front brakes, and new hardware for the back brakes. They did say it's not an immediate risk: "You could probably delay the back for 2 months, maybe 3, it's up to you."

Total cost of repairs at Meinecke: $712.11.

Three different places, three different lists of repairs! So what's the real story?

"There's a lot of things on a vehicle that are subjective to the individual working on the car," Bilgo explains.

The best way to avoid confusion...

"I think it makes it easier if you get to know someone you go to all the time, they get to know the vehicle," Bilgo says.

Ran Hoth with the Better Business Bureau says it's also a good idea to find that mechanic before you need one.

"Don't wait until you're in an emergency situation, and then you're put under pressure to take a mechanic's view, regardless of the circumstances," Hoth warns.

If you're confused about something, ask.

"The best thing is to go in and ask a lot of questions, and deal with a mechanic that'll give you the answers," Hoth suggests.

Finding the right mechanic for you...will help you drive off with confidence!

Another tip: Make sure you know what's included in a 'free' inspection. Like we found, it doesn't always include things like brakes, and the engine.

And it may seem obvious, but it's also a good idea to make sure the mechanic has current ASE Certification. You can find a complete list of local ASE certified mechanics through The Better Business Bureau.

You can also check out the site www.motorist.org. It has various tips for car owners.