Your best bet to find someone to fix your car is to find an ASE Certified technician. In order to become certified a mechanic must be able to prove his work history and pass a very thorough and comprehensive test for the area of car repair the mechanic desires to be certified in. A passing score has to be 85% or above.
There are six different areas of certification: brakes, engine performance, engine repair, automotive electronics, etc.
Unfortunately, the ASE patch on the sleeve of a mechanic does not necessarily mean that he (or she) is capable of fixing your vehicle. If you pass the test for brakes, for instance, the patch you are then entitled to wear is the same as if you had passed the much more difficult testing that would prove your proficiency in engine diagnostics and repair.
So make sure that the ASE sign out front isn't there simply because one employee passed the test on brakes. Ask to see the credentials (they should be posted) of the mechanic performing the work on your car, and make sure that the certification is current.
It isn't a fail safe 100% guarantee that this mechanic will be the best possible, but you stand a much better chance of
having the work done quickly and correctly.
As far as price, pretty much any well qualified mechanic in your area will be charging roughly the same amount, although you may find one that is lower. Here is where the Certification becomes important; a mechanic that is good enough to become certified is much more likely to diagnose your problem faster and correctly the first time, thereby reducing your labor times and the possibility of installing several parts while trying to find what is actually wrong.
So although it may seem to be more expensive than the guy down the street, you will probably save in the long run.
I'm speaking primarily of diagnostic problems, not basics such as a bad alternator or starter or a tune up. For these types of repairs I would still recommend finding an ASE Certified, but it's not quite so important as in the more difficult diagnostics and electronics.
Look in the yellow pages. Service stations that are able to will usually advertise that their mechanics are ASE Certified.
Remember, though, to find out in which areas of repair the certification is for.