Owning a car means dealing with sudden clunks and rough rides. A worn strut assembly ruins your tires and hurts handling, and fixing it usually costs about $900. Auto repair shops are often slower in late winter and mid-summer, which is when you might find softer rates or cheaper labor.
Separate your negotiation from how you finance the work. Get the total bill down first before talking about payment methods, then use a zero-interest window to break up the balance without taking a hit on interest.
An intro window is a strict deadline, not free money. If you still have a balance after 18 months, regular interest kicks in on whatever is left, so set up auto-pay for $50.00 every month to hit zero on time.