never believe what you hear and only half you see

[Hmar]

There are 2 shops I use when in over my head (or just lazy) on my cars. One is the Meineke near where I work. Those guys seem a bit more competent than most chain stores, but more importantly have never tried to tell me they knew something they didn't. They even found an antifreeze leak for me on my pontiac, at no charge, and than showed me which part needed to be replaced, and even got me a part number and price from Autozone.
The other is a local mom and pop type place, that I go to when i need real diagnostic work done. They are also willing to give me an honest answer about what they think I can handle, and what I should let them take care of. Other places have raped me in the past, or tried to, which is why I stick to these 2 now.

[cywelchjr]

It's shops like that that give the rest of us a bad name.

Unfortunatly business is so slow EVERYWHERE, and in all fields, that this sort of thing will be happening more frequently.

A good friend was having problems with the front end of her minivan. Was not handling right and didn't sit right. Went to several places who did work to the tune of several hundred $$. Finally Les Schwab looked at it and told her it couldn't be fixed and that she should not be driving it and that someone had tried to fix it previously by welding something that should NOT have been welded and it had failed. I looked at it after and Yes, someone had tried to weld back the seam on the strut tower on her dodge minivan where the factory weld had failed. This work had failed, and the other shops were trying to throw other stuff at it and never even looked at the top of the suspension. It was almost pushing through the hood. Now we are trying to get the best price we can from the junkyard for it, as everything else (the body, engine and tranny and interior) is in good shape.

But rather than tell her "sorry, it can't be fixed, you need to junk it" hoping she wouldn't notice it didn't fix the problem.

[jetmechmarty]

I travel full time, so I have to trust somebody to take care of the cars for my women while I'm gone. I found a local shop and I've shown my face enough that they know who I am. I've promised the shop owner that he gets ALL of my car maintenance, so long as he keeps me happy. So far, we've both kept that promise.

I picked this "mom & pop" shop because they gave me the "warm fuzzies". That's not to say I couldn't do the same at a chain service center. It isn't even an option in my town.

Marty (in Bangor, ME)

[BA80]

Sorry to hear of your isolated bad experience Don and Garth. It's unfortunate that some narrow minded people judge all because of one. But, that seems to be the way.

It has most definitly happend to myself before. You?

[DGXSER]

Generally speaking, and yes I know there are eceptions, I find that the guys at the tire stores and Midas, and quick oil change places know just enough to change a tire or some oil. They all say they do alignments, and they charge you and get you somthing like aligned, but most have no clue really. They know how to put the devices on the wheel, and look at what the computer spits out, then turn knob and bolts they were told to turn.

Some I have met have no idea what a control arm really is, could not show it to me, but knew mine was in need of replacement. Same thing for the idler arm. I walked toward the back of the car and asked where it was, I could not see it, they told me it was tucked up under the gas tank. thats why it takes so long to change. And yes, that was at a "Tire and alignment" shop that rhymes with lidas.

So I would never let them touch anything like my engine or the brakes or ...well....anything but changing a tire.

[BA80]

I work for Midas here in Tulsa. Unfortunately our tires ar supplied by Firestone.

If I was you I would go back and talk to the manager there and show him what's up. In most shops the service reps aren't mechanically inclined enough to change a flat tire and just try to sell whatever the tech tells them to. If I was the manager there I wouldn't want a dishonest tech in my shop. Chances are this one won't either.

I've seen a lot of techs sent down the road kicking rocks for just that reason in my 30+ year tenure.

[GARTHXS]

Yeah these guys are crooks all I wanted was a quick tire change and alignment and I was there for 4 hours and two hours before the told me my tires weren't in stock plus on the "alignment " they failed to even notice that I need a tie rod end . Do your self a favor and never go to a tire store in mission valley san Diego who's name rhymes with firestone

[BA80]

It's shops like that that give the rest of us a bad name.

Unfortunatly business is so slow EVERYWHERE, and in all fields, that this sort of thing will be happening more frequently.

[GARTHXS]

So when I got new tires his year they said I had a major valve cover leak And HQ they could fix it for around 300 bucks. Me the skeptik decided to take a look for myself this week. Cleaned off the motor with some gunk and then drove it for a while and low and behold I was leaking from the oil cap. Went to he store and paid 7. Bucks and the problem is solved.