Aha…well I should have been more specific. Don’t use the corporate chain and quickie shops. Not only do they make their living selling a lot of unneeded things, but they often do really poor work.
What you want to find is a locally owned business. Something like “Ted’s Car Repair” - you need to ask around to people you know until you find a place that is trustworthy and honest. They do exist (although they can be a bit like needles in haystacks).
I also wouldn’t necessarily worry too much about the effects of the economy. I’m not in the auto business, so I’m partly guessing - but right now people are probably doing less maintenance, but more major repairs - b/c they’re not buying new cars.