Xcaret López, aka Mamá Mecanic, Proves Mechanics Isn’t Just a Boys’ Club
In less than a year, Xcaret López has built a motley community of auto mechanics enthusiasts online. With the name of Mamá Mecanic, Xcaret has garnered an audience that surpasses a million followers on TikTok alone. On Instagram, she has exceeded the 500k mark.
Dressed in a Mexican pink overall and equipped with a rhinestone-encrusted combination wrench, the mechanic is introducing women (and men) into the field, one video at a time. This is her story.
Mechanics is a boys’ club, but Xcaret is flipping the script
Xcaret López describes her relationship with mechanics as love at first sight. The Mexican content creator can point out the exact moment when she fell in love with the craft. She was 15 and had joined a school workshop. “When I arrived and saw the workshop, I was struck, I mean, exactly there, I felt that this was my thing and it was calling me,” Xcaret tells FIERCE. “That’s when I decided to study mechanics. Since then, 15 years ago, this has always been my place in this industry.”
While studying, Xcaret witnessed firsthand that mechanics was a male-dominated area. Among 80-ish students, only three were women. Instead of feeling discouraged, she made it a mission to share her knowledge with other women on the internet. And though the idea of teaching girls about mechanics lingered for nearly 11 years, she finally got her start in 2024.
Her goal was not to teach them so they could become auto technicians, though many in her comment section claim she has inspired them to. Xcaret’s real intention was to teach them so they could use practical knowledge in everyday life.
“Eleven years ago, social networks weren’t even a thing. TikTok wasn’t even a thing,” says Xcaret. “Last year, I was in a personal process of reconnecting with myself and my life mission. I remembered that I had this dream [and] already knew what I wanted to do. I simply saw a means to achieve it on social media.”
How Mamá Mecanics is navigating social media every day and inspiring other women
Now Xcaret shares thorough tutorials, tackling common automobile issues such as jump-starting a car, changing wheels, and checking the car’s coolant. She also offers tips for drivers and provides in-depth insights into car models’ features. Her content guides her audience step-by-step through the basics of automotive.
Although millions of people have connected with Xcaret’s mission, putting herself in front of the camera hasn’t been any less challenging. Despite the support of her community, she initially found it hard to ignore the negative comments. “The truth is, I didn’t expect such a nice response. Obviously, there are very nice things, and the vast majority of comments come from women who thank me or cheer me on,” she says. “But there are also not-so-good comments. I’m going to be honest, the first few months it was very difficult not to get caught up.”
As Xcaret navigates social media on a trial-and-error basis, experience has taught her to regard malicious comments as a getaway for deeper conversations. She is also driven by the knit-tight community she has nurtured. Reading her followers’ stories, for example, inspires her to continue using her platform to fill the gap in automotive content geared at women.
“One of the most beautiful things is when I receive messages or see comments from girls who tell me I already bought my first car or I already lost my fear of driving because I saw your videos,” shares Xcaret. She finds similar joy when she reads stories from women who have identified issues with their vehicles and fixed them readily.
Breaking stereotypes and challenging gender norms
As Xcaret puts it, he most rewarding part of her content creation journey has been breaking stereotypes and inspiring others to do it too. On one hand, she has demonstrated that content creation can serve the community and transcend entertainment purposes. On the other hand, she has elevated the discourse about women in the automotive industry. Not to mention that her work is proving that women belong in any field and can excel in any profession.
“I saw a girl who also wanted to post content on social media. She’s a carpenter, and in her video, she said that she saw me and now she wants to teach people,” Xcaret shares. “For me, it’s about people realizing that social networks are not only there to make recreational content; being a content creator doesn’t mean you’re not serving the community.”
From the internet to real-life teaching
Expanding beyond social media confines, Xcaret has leveraged her newfound status as one of the internet’s favorite Latinas to teach in-person workshops. Held in Guadalajara, where she is based, these meet-ups are designed for women. They offer a safe space for them to learn, away from potential judgment. But Xcaret also teaches courses to men.
As she continues to grow her business, one of Xcaret’s short-term goals is to maintain in-person teaching. “I think traveling and teaching courses in another city would also be something I’d like to do in the remainder of this year. I don’t know in which city, but I think it would be like that first small step to show that I can teach courses in other places.”
Why mechanics are for everyone
Dismantling myths about mechanics and helping people unlearn stereotypes is the core of Xcaret’s social media presence. Her message is clear. Automotive is not a strength-based field for men only. “There will always be someone who will tell you, no, that’s not for you. You’re too thin, you’re too skinny, you won’t have the strength to do things,” she says. “The vast majority of things require intelligence, not strength. With levers, physics, and applied strength, we can do many things.”
But most importantly, Xcaret hopes people will stop gender-assigning activities and knowledge that all functional adults should acquire. “[Learning] is not a gender issue. It’s all about being functional adults who are capable of solving problems and feeling secure in any situation,” she states. “I think if we saw society without assigning gender roles—that is, because you’re a woman, you’re in charge of cooking, because you’re a man, you’re in charge of mechanics—I think our mentality would change a lot. You’re simply an adult who can cook and can check and repair your car.”
