do you know the name/address of that shop?

i don't live anywhere near you (and don't really ever have shops work on my truck), but i think it would be good to publish the name of that shop so anyone in that area would know of a shop they could trust...

also, i think, as consumers, we should do all we can to drive business toward those types of shops...they've earned it...and, in the long run, if this happens enough, maybe there will be more trustworthy shops around...

 

Someone should start a thread if Corey and those guys will allow it...maybe one for GOOD and bad mechanics.

 

I had a similar situation at my dealership. Took it in for a quick oil change and mentioned the brakes were pulsing (warped rotors). They came back and told me the brakes were shot and I needed new rotors and pads $350 just the front. I asked if it was under warranty b/c I only had 33K miles at the time, they said no and I left. I took the wheels off and checked the pads myself I had over 1/2 inch remaining on them. I wrote the service manager but got no reponse. I then wrote Toyota HQ and sent a copy to the dealer. Well I ended up with new pads and rotors covered under warranty. How does one find a good "HONEST" mechanic? I would complain and see what happens.

 

im lucky. i have a guy thats been doing work for all my family for at least the last 10 yrs. hes a family friend now and i trust him 100% and send everyone to him.

 

I'm home for the summer but I still have my books and notes from the class and I'll be going back in a week or two to pay bills, son I'll look for them. If I can't find the stuff I'll swing by the professors office and use his.

 

The local dealership did something like that to me a few years ago, Then again recently. I took my 97 Taco in for a timing belt change (they had a special for $215 parts and labor). I dropped the truck off in the morning, and at about 1:30 they called me and said that they "Found" that my water pump was leaking. I asked how much to replace it and was told $275. I was broke at the time and told them just to slap it back together and i'd worry about it when it finally went out totally... That was 7 years ago and almost 60K ago...

Then recently i took my 84 Tercel Wagon in for an oil change (Stupid damn cheap coupons) and when i went to pick it up they told me that i needed a timing belt, front and rear brakes, an alignment, and some new suspension bushings... I know it needs bushings, but am lazy and don't want to replace them. I asked the service manager to show me the brakes (because I just changed them about 2 months earlier) he started acting kinda funny. After he backed out of the brake job, I told him that I had just done the brakes 2 mos earlier, just did the timing belt 6 months earlier, had an alignment done, ect. He appoligized and said that he would have to talk to the tech that worked on the car... I almost went to the GM of the dealership, but was short on time. But from now on I will be the only one doing service on any of my cars...

 

Well I can tell you, if you work or live in Richardson, Garland, or anywhere near there in Dallas, I can tell you about a guy I personally know and have worked with at City Garage. His name is Rob Sennhauser, and he is a L1 certified Master Tech, and a damn good one. If you are looking for repair, and you are in the Dallas area, give him a call at (972)530-2886, that's to City Garage, and ask to talk to him, or a service writer named Kenneth (Although Kenneth is a pretty hardcore "salesman", as he puts it).

Most shops, and probably dealerships, have an inspection they put all the cars that come through the shop through. City Garage's is 30 Point. I know because as I mentioned before, I worked there. On a 30 Point, you make notes about the outlined areas of a car. It is up to the up front people to make a judgment call, that is whether the customer should be warned and advised. But in extreme cases, the tech makes a recommendation, like pads on a car that has 2mm front and rear. That is where I would see Rob step in and pull the customer out and mic drums/rotors, measure pads, gauge tires, and show the customer what they need, and explain exactly WHY they need it. If I HAD to take my truck anywhere, I would take it there.

But that's just my experience. And I fully support what littleredtoyota said. We need to openly praise people in our area who do good work, so the ÅÅÅÅty places see less buisness, and maybe that will cure a bit of the disease affecting the most of the auto repair industry.

City Garage
6246 N Jupiter Rd.
Garland, TX 75044
For those in the North Dallas area.

Donny

 

I, too, agree with LittleRedToyota in that we should publicly advertise the "good shops" that we are aware of to let us, the public, know who to "trust", or at least have more faith in than the time proven untrustworthy "stealerships".

I also see everyone basically shying away from my suggestion of bringing such dealership faux maintenance and charging atrocities to the public attention and cannot understand why, while we're apparently willing to advertise the "trusted shops," no one is willing to advertise the stealership overcharging/phoney maintenance practices...

Afterall it's we, the public, that they're in the practice of screwing, so why don't we, the public, make these practices well, for the lack of a better term, public, so that we will all know this too?

 

Five Points Toyota, (229) 241-8992, 4506 N Valdosta Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602


I would rather buy a horse and save money.

 

Oxmoor Toyota, (502) 426-1200, 8107 Shelbyville Rd., Louisville, KY

Price gouging, faux maintenance bastards.

 

nice to know im not the only one with a lousy toyota dealership. my experiences have been way less than good. took it in a few months ago for an oil change...and like clockwork they found lots of things wrong. i knew a couple were very true, so we said fix it. they stated the main problem they found was with a leak near the transfer case, i had noticed it on the driveway, so i said, sure go ahead. well a couple weeks later, i notice some more leaking on the driveway. have a look see and looks to be coming out near the transfer case. take it in...their response: "well you are leaking, badly, but its not the same leak we fixed last time, so its gona be another $300; we also found another problem..." had to wait a week for them just to get in some parts. lousy if you ask me. did the survey they gave me and plan on not going back there. not much action, but better than nothing.
-town and country toyota, charlotte NC->dont go