I brought my car to this shop after hours and dropped it off with a note explaining that I needed a new starter. I followed up with a call the next morning asking for a quote, but instead of a clear answer, I was told it would cost $200 just for a diagnostic—on top of whatever the repair ended up being. That seemed steep, so I went to the shop in person to pick up my vehicle and take it elsewhere that would have been much cheaper. Unfortunately, because the starter was dead, I couldn’t get the car to another shop. I was stuck and had no choice but to go forward with the repair here. Most auto shops waive the diagnostic fee if you choose to have the repair done with them—not this one. I was quoted $950 total out of pocket (diagnostic fee and repair) for the higher-quality starter or $680 for a lower-quality one. I went with the $680 option, which still felt expensive considering it was just for a lower quality starter. After I paid, I asked Bryan, the office manager, whether I’d have to pay the diagnostic fee again if I came back in the future for more work. His answer? "It depends on the situation." Not exactly reassuring. It seems like if you are in a situation where you have no other options to take your vehicle because it won't start then they are going to rip you off and make you pay for both. The bottom line: I felt taken advantage of because I had no way to move my vehicle elsewhere. If your car is still drivable (and not after hours), I highly recommend calling around before committing to this shop. The pricing is high, and their policy of making you pay a $200 diagnostic fee on top of the repair doesn't favor the customer- especially when it is common practice for most auto shops to waive or include the diagnostic fee with the repair cost if you choose to have the work done at their shop.
Hi Jacob, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We're truly sorry to hear that you feel this way. We understand how frustrating it must have been to be stuck without feeling like you had options. Our testing fee covers the subscription and testing equipment, technician's time, and the training and expertise needed to thoroughly assess a modern-day vehicle, so we cannot put it towards the repair as we must cover these expenses. We found early in our 15 years in business that if you replace the part the customer states is broken and it doesn't fix the vehicle then what - everybody loses then. Our policy is if the same light or condition persists within 30 days, then we do an additional test free. In addition, we use only premium parts which have a part and labor warranty for 3 years or 36,000-mile warranty. We pay our technicians top notch, and they have great benefits that support their families. We charge appropriately to ensure you get the best value and quality to be here another 15 years and beyond to serve you. Also, other great news that now that you are a customer you are eligible for up to $150 of towing reimbursement this year in case anything were to happen such as flat tire, run out of gas, for any reason we will reimburse you as a service to being our customer. We appreciate your honest feedback, and we’re committed to earning back your trust. If you’re open to it, we’d love to discuss this further and see how we can make things right. Please feel free to reach out to us directly.
- The Auto Shop