Automotive Repair Shops to Avoid

[Infinitiguy19]

There have many instances where people have been ripped off by Automotive Repair Shops. I want to put together a topic of shops that should be avoided, and hopefully it will be pinned.


I will start:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monro Muffler Brake and Service

Monro Muffler Brake and Service

National Tire & Battery

[asoomal]

Kal Tire.

They know nothing about suspensions.

[Dire91]

Wouldn't putting the location of these places help?

[Infinitiguy19]

Kal Tire.

They know nothing about suspensions.

A little better description would be nice.

Wouldn't putting the location of these places help?

Well if don't want to post the location because they fear repercussions far be it from me to force them. Post location or not the stories have to be real.

[asoomal]

A little better description would be nice.

Let's see.....last time I went there to get my tires changed, they saw my CS inner and outer tie rods and told me they had to change them because they weren't stock. They thought the boot had come off and was exposing everything and all the grease came out...seriously...I guess they don't know s*** about heim joints. Also, when I got my tires changed, they set all my tires to 28 psi, or 29, what ever it says on the sticker on the body panel. I had told them not to touch the pressure, I like to keep them at 40 on all four corners.

A buddy of mine also went there for an alignment after he whacked a curb. They kept telling him he needed a new spindle since the caster was off. They didn't notice the f***ing leaking tension control arm. It was leaking SOO BAD.

[driverdriver]

Any Active Green&Ross in Canada. The only reason they sell tires cheap is because they try to sell you questionable service for your car related to the suspension or wheel alignment. The services isn't needed and its expensive (I suppose that's how they make $$$).

[Klits562]

Middas in norwalk california

they charged a friend of mine 650 dollars to change the spark plugs, remove the fuel in the car and replace it with higher octane fuel, and "clean the motor" idk what they did to it but it only took them half a day so it couldnt of been to extensive i imagen just a engine flush or addative. The service was done because she was detonating but no serious damage to the car was done.

[Pieceofsand]

Bellflower Radiator - Bellflower California

Took my 91 300zx TT there, originally wanted to get my motor pull by them and drop a new one in. Turns out they said they could fix it for a cheaper price. Not only did they took 3 weeks to try to figure out how to take out the turbo, i paid 600 for them to rebuild one turbo(for 650 i can get both of them rebuild). long story short i ended up paying $1600 for them to rebuild one turbo and the car was still smoking like it did before, nothing was fixed. 2 weeks later the timing belt went out on me and my car died.

If you drive a simply car like a civic or a camery maybe they'll know what they're doing, but they certainly did f*ck my car up and i'm pretty pissed at them.

[dre1507]

AAMCO Transmissions on the corner of 183st and 47th ave. Miami, Florida.

Beware. They fixed my car and made it run for three days good. The problem returned, and that is when they decided to tell me/want to fix the real problem. I did not let them touch my car a second time.
Modified by dre1507 at 11:29 PM 4/9/2010

[Infinitiguy19]

What did they do to your car exactly, I am sure many people want to know.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New rules:

Put the repair shops name in BOLD.

Be as descriptive as possible. People want to know why they shouldn't go there. A simple "this place sucks" doesn't cut it.

I am sorry if I ask a lot but I want this to be a success.

[dre1507]

Aww man, it's really embarassing, but i did learn my lesson about being naive so i guess it's all good in my book. Here is the story. They lured me in with "FREE" diagnostic testinng. They then tell me i don't have a transmission problem, which i thought it was in the first place. They instead tell me my calipers are locked up so bad that they need replacing. So i pay for "caliper replacements and rotors that were eaten into" and labor. I will not say the total. So i get my car back and it runs fine.....for three days. I call them up and take the car back. i get a call the next day. "You have an electrical problem affecting transmission which is causing your car to take off in the wrong gear." Mr. Marc kindly has the balls to tell me: "Your warranty only covers all the work done to the braking system of your car." I did not let Mr.Marc let his mechanics put their filthy hands on my car again. Lesson learned: Trust your guts from the beginning.

Edit: let me clarify just in case it doesn't seem that clear. After being "fixed" the first time, the same groggy-acceleration feel returns, but this time the "transmission specialists" decide to tell me the real problem which i'm 100% sure they knew it was from the beginning.
Modified by dre1507 at 11:28 PM 4/9/2010

[Bubba1]

Tires Plus - I picked up a nail in one of the Altima tires last year, noticed it in a supermarket across the street from them, and drove it across the street before it went flat. Tire had about 5/32nds. After repeatedly saying no to extended pitch about replacing "worn out" tires (they were fine), They were not busy so I thought I'd wait for them to patch it. I walked outside and watched them do it. They dismounted the tire and patched it okay, and remounted it. But I was surprised they didn't balance it. I asked the manager when he rung me up if they balance tires when they remount them. He said yes, it was part of the job. I said he has problem, because my tire was never balanced. He insisted I was wrong despite my telling him I watched the entire job, so he called in the technician. the kid technician knew I watched him so he confessed. He was then ordered to spin balance it. No apology. The kid then quickly announced my wheel was defective. I said that was nonsense, it was perfect when I drove it in. I told the manager I want someone who knows what they're doing to balance it. The annoyed manager went out and redid it himself. Surprise, nothing wrong with the wheel. The kid put it on the balancer machine crooked. It's as if he never used it before. No apology. I told him when I paid it was rather disturbing that I had to point out not one but two glaring mistakes on same job and it took over 2 hours to fix a simple flat tire. I won't be going there ever again.

[Dattebayo]

2 weeks later the timing belt went out on me and my car died.

Unrelated info is unrelated - please keep it relevant.

[ProudNissanFreak]

Tire Choice & Total Care

My mom's car broke down in North Port as a result of overheating. AAA left the car at this shop, and the guys there inspected it for $20. They said that the radiator had a major leak (which it didn't, it was a very small leak which I sealed that day), upper and lower rad. hoses were bad, along with the intake manifold hose leaking. They were asking $613 for this. We took the car out of the shop the next day, and they charged us $30 for the diagnostic instead of $20, like they originally stated. These guys sent a quote and I received it a few days later, and the prices are unbelievable. $60 for a lower radiator hose?! Yeah, right. I bought it online for $15. They were charging an extra $100 for labor because, and I quote directly from the paper "A/C interfere's, add LABOR". Truth is, the A/C did in no way, shape or form interfere with the removal of the radiator. I replaced the radiator and all necessary hoses for exactly $142.34. Compare that to $613. Not only that, but neither of the radiator hoses were bad, nor was the hose from the intake manifold. These guys will charge you out the rear end and lie to you. Expect no professionalism from the as I didn't. They threw a hissy fit when we wanted to take the car from them and said we wouldn't get far, which we did as I had the leak sealed right then and there. Do not go to this store for anything.

[ZOMG.SR20]

[Infinitiguy19]

Do you have any stories to share?

[greencar]

His own...

[ZOMG.SR20]

Im going to make a Topic On EVERYTHING that happened while i was there after I quit....

one thing i can say is the skid plates on the Q45s are a PITA but thats because ive only done 1 or 2 in 6 months

and as for oil we always upgrade people to a higher grade of oil but we don't charge them extra its usually free
Modified by ZOMG.SR20 at 8:00 PM 4/13/2010