Mia Bevacqua is the Chief Mechanic of CarParts.com. She has over 14 years of experience in the auto industry and holds a bachelor’s degree in automotive technology. Her knowledge has been applied to automotive software engineering, mechanical failure analysis inspections and, of course, writing. Instead of high-end cars, Mia prefers fixer-upper oddballs, like her 1987 Cavalier Z-24 and 1998 Astro Van AWD. Her dream car is a Citation X11.
In the past, all someone needed was a set of wrenches and a little aptitude to become a mechanic. With zero formal education, backyard tinkerers were able to turn their...