Buyer beware!!

[airnos]

Quick change places never touch my car. Ever.

This happened after, in an emergency, I stopped at a Jiffy Lube on my way out of town. Half a mile down the road afterward my oil light came on. So I lost an hour because I had to go back and tell them that this time, the manager himself was going to redo it.

Since I don't have the equipment or a location to do my own I found myself a good, trustworthy mechanic (believe it or not, a woman). It's a little more expensive but the peace of mind is worth it.

[jeep_bluetj]

Yup... The auto service industry does indeed have rampant fraud. Makes me think that an honest shop would make $$$.. But I doubt it. I DO think massive $$$ could be made with a honest shop that employed only female mechanics though. (Marketing gold, that is)


The earnest and breathless reporters don't report on the honest shops. But man-o-man do they like to stick hidden cameras in cars and send em out. We'll get this story 4-5 times a year from the local TV news. That and "the skies over LA are dangerous" is another slow news day staple. And don't get me going on the reporter and camera crew at LAX on holiday weekends telling me it's crowded. Wow. A crowded airport on a holiday, who woulda thunkit?

[pete.wilson]

Hey

Thats why; when I find a mechanic I trust, I am a loyal customer to him and so far none have ever let me down. Only the big chains and dealers do I feel taken advantage of, like a Goodyear service center in Hermitage, TN. I'll take a small time mechanic any day.

Pete Wilson

[madprinter]

I had a motor rebuilt under warranty at a Ford dealership. When I pulled it out of the shop, it sounded like a Voltswaggon. I pulled back in the shop , pulled the hood and checked the dipstick, no oil. I asked the service manager why I did'nt have oil in the motor. He told one of the guys to show me how to read a dipstick. At that point I was boiling mad. The other guy stated he put the oil in. Like I pulled it out of the door and drained the oil real fast and pulled back in. The manager then told me "I" was being a horsesass. Needless to say, by the time I left there the owner knew I was pissed. Ford motors got a call also. Two days later the timing chain broke. I called them and had them come and pick it up. And instructed them to fix it right or Talk to my Attorney. They replaced the motor at that point. I never dealed with them again.

[senior ninja99]

My Saturn L200 has the oil filter built into the front of the block! I just remove the cap, pull the filter element out and drop in a new one. I have also used Mobil 1 since the 12,000 mile change. When the car says, "Change Oil Soon" I change the filter, I only change the oil every other time. Probably could go longer. It's something to think about, the less often you get the oil changed, the less opportunity there is for some screwup.
Steve