While many drivers take their cars to mechanics or to the dealership for car repairs, others like to do repairs themselves. There are many reasons why these skilled do-it-yourself mechanics like to work on their cars at home. Some do it to save money on labor rates and learn something new in the process, while others just flat-out don’t trust auto shops. Whatever the case may be, there are some car repairs that you really shouldn’t try at home – here are six of them.

1. Automatic or manual transmission issues

Have you ever seen the inside of a car’s transmission? Those gears, sprockets, and shafts look like something out of a science fiction movie. However, each part plays an important role, so if you don’t know what you’re doing, you could easily mess up the entire transmission, which will cost you a lot of money in the end. Instead, leave the transmission issues to the pros.

2. Electrical wiring

Sure, you might be able to wire up an aftermarket radio into your car without any issues, however, deeper electrical issues can end up being massive headaches. Reader’s Digest suggests that attempting to fix your car’s wiring yourself could result in a fire hazard if you don’t know what you’re doing. So it could be better to take the car to a shop for a proper diagnosis.

3. A clutch job is harder than you think

If you drive a car with a manual transmission, you’re eventually going to have to change out the clutch. And while you may have a good set of tools and a jack at home, it takes a lot more than that to do an adequate clutch job, which can easily take up a lot of time and effort. However, a mechanic at a proper shop should be able to get it done faster and even do a better job than you would by crawling around on your garage floor.

4. Windshield replacement

We haven’t heard of too many do-it-yourself mechanics changing out their own windshields, but we’re sure there are some that do. If you’re not one of those people, then you may want to get your car’s windshield replaced by a professional as the process is rather tough and the windshield is a very important part of the car.

5. Air conditioning repairs

While you may be able to recharge your car’s air conditioning system yourself at home, it’s usually not a good idea to tackle anything harder than that. A car’s A/C system has a lot of different components that can get damaged if you don’t know what you’re doing. By damaging these parts, you may end up with a much larger problem than what you started with – not to mention a hot car on warmer days.

6. Airbag repairs

If your car’s airbag light is on for any reason, then you may need to have it changed or repaired. Keep in mind that the airbag is powered by a pack of explosives that can lead to injury, and even death if the airbag is mishandled. Instead, let a mechanic deal with it.

Do-it-yourself car repairs

Whether you’re a do-it-yourself mechanic that likes to tinker with cars in your spare time or you just want to save money, there are some repairs that aren’t worth doing at home. In these specific cases, take your car to a mechanic instead, you could actually end up saving more time and money than you would expect.