Do you know a trustworthy auto repair shop?
It is still a shot in the dark for me to pick a place to take my car in for service that I can trust. I used to take my Hondas to this Honda dealer that was surprisingly good and totally reasonable until the ownership changed at one point.
The Goodyear place I go to always treats me well (as contrasted with their neighbors 2 doors down, Jiffylube, who almost porked my vehicle when they failed to refill something-forget if it was the oil or something else, all I remember is that they fucked up)-just last week they took a look at my AC, but when they didn’t find anything (and it mysteriously started cooling again), they didn’t charge me a cent (it was under warrantly yes, but still many unscrupulous shops would have screwed me to the wall).
There are two independents I can trust if I need outside help. One works quick and has plenty of experience with my Sierra as the city uses him for overflow work on similar vehicles. He is very expert. Everything is done first class. And his price is on the high end.
The other shop is more grunge level. They are busy and it may take days to get something finished. They will cut corners to save you money. They are 100% honest, but I have to check their work. For example, they did a clutch job on the kid’s Chevette years ago. I found a wire pinched between the adapter housing and the block. It never caused a problem so I never even spliced the wires. If the mechanic is honest, I can tolerate some mistakes.
Me too. Simple stuff, I go to a garage a couple of towns over. More complex stuff I bring to the garage my parents have gone to for ~20 years, even though it’s a 45 minute drive.
We have a guy we’ve been going to for 6 years now, with no complaints except that the shop isn’t very conveniently located to our current house. But that’s a minor issue.
I originally found the shop via Car Talk’s Mechanics Files, which has user recommendations of mechanics.
Thanks for the link.
There’s a place a couple of blocks from my house. The first time I went there, the problem was a loose hose; they tightened it. When I went to pay, they said “no charge.” You can bet I went back.
A couple of years ago, I was having a problem with an exhaust pipe. Took it in and he told me that in order to fix the pipe, I’d have to replace the catalytic converter (which was still OK) for over $1000. He told me to go to a place I never heard of to replace just the bad pipe. $100. You can bet I trust him after that.
About 6 or 7 years ago, I was taking my Aerostar to the Ford dealer about 7 miles away. I needed to have my spark plug wires replaced, and they told me it’d take them a week to get the parts. Seriously??
So I called a local garage about 5 miles in the other direction, based solely on their really bad self-made commercials. They told me they’d have the wires the next day, and the price they quoted was a little less than the dealer. They got the job. And they’ve been our mechanics ever since.
They won major points when they talked to me as if I had a brain, explaining things to me if I didn’t understand. And they won my undying loyalty when I brought a vehicle in, saying “We’re driving to Florida next week - please give it a once-over and tell me what it needs.” and they came back and said “It’s all fine.” No attempt to find problems, no BS. After dealing with far too many sleezy shops, I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot with this place.
I should probably bake them some brownies or something.
I know a guy who has his own shop. He is always 20%-25% under the dealer, and he does the work right.
My question: how do bad shops stay in business? I read once that if a person has a good experience with an auto repair shop, he will tell 5 people. If he has a bad experience, he will tell 12 people.
I do know a shop that is pretty good with basic stuff (brakes, parts replacement). But they are helpless with anything complex (like an emissions system problem or transmission issue). This kind of shop is one to avoid, unless 9as I say) it is something simple.
I recommend you check the reviews on Yelp! to find a trustworthy one in your area.
I believe my chosen shop is pretty exceptional. They actually charge more than most, but it pays off (imo) in the quality of work, and how well they stand behind it.
Case in point. I had them replace a transmission in an older car, and it began to leak badly soon after. They replaced it with yet another, all at their expense including the tow truck. When I told them it was leaking, there was no resistance or arguing. They simply asked where to send the tow truck, and if I needed something to drive while they fixed it (I declined, as we had an extra car I could use).
Good mechanics are worth what they charge, even if it’s sometimes more than the other shops.
Aside: Is anyone else surprised by the poll numbers? I doubt if even doctors get this level of approval. >90% currently.
I’m happy to see that getting reliable and trustworthy auto repair service without getting raped in this country isn’t as murky as it used to be. Now I need to check the reviews and go find one myself.