Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Not sure what you mean.
AAA rates machanics and recommends them or not accordingly.
If you have a bad experience, you have recourse.
You'll also get a discount at "authorized" places.
AAA has actual auto repair centers now - there's a few in the area. I don't think they are necessarily cheaper, but I think they try to provide good service and not rip off customers. I'm friends with a manager at one, and they seem to run a pretty honest shop (i.e. no padding the bill with unecessary repairs). I go there, but mostly because I expect him to tell me the real deal.
I go to the Morrisville/Cary one on Chapel Hill Road...good service with a 10% labor discount for AAA members. I was a bit disappointed with the number of times they tried to push their yearly maintenance package the last time I was there for just an oil change...the service rep gave me three pieces of literature on it, all at separate times during my visit, and must have asked me at least four times if I wanted to take advantage of it. "No, sir...just the $16.95 oil change, please."
Also keep in mind that they're an auto mechanic and not a quicky oil change place if that's what you're after at any point. It's cheap, but you generally have to make an appointment and they'll take 60-90 minutes to do it.
My wife worked in the AAA corporate offices in another club and the AAA shop tried to rip her off to the tune of over $1000. They said it needed many additional repairs in order to pass inspection when in fact it was simply not the case. It's probably more about who works there than it being affiliated with AAA.
Oh, and the manager there was our neighbor...
I've found that pretty much any chain place is suspicious. Find a good independent shop.
I can't speak for all of the AAA centers, but I know that the one on Avent Ferry and Gorman St. has not been very reputable. We have used them repeatedly for oil changes (I think someone else mentioned the great price - 16.95).
However, every time that we have taken our vehicles there for state inspections they have been failed. The employees/sales reps have told us that we need unnecessary work in order for the vehicles to pass inspection. We then took them to another mechanic who said that both were fine and were passed.
The discount on the oil change is just to get you in the door so that they can tell you that you need other work that is unnecessary and very expensive.
We contacted the corporate office in Charlotte at the time of the inspections, and they did not respond.
I second the previous poster, and suggest an independent shop instead!
Thank you for all your great response. I used to go to one of them as their location is pretty convenient to me even though I'm not a member. I had many similar experiences as mentioned... the most humiliating one I had was the estimate of >$1000 for better performance but not necessary items...
I'm debating if I should go back there again to have my ac system fixed, well thanks again to all of you!
A/C system? What is wrong? What kind of car? Find an independent shop that specializes in those cars. I wouldn't go to a chain to have my a/c system worked on. In fact I just did it myself last time (replaced the compressor).
Passat, water leaking out from some plastic parts and soak the entire carpet I think I'll just go back to Leith for a peace of mind.
The condensate drain tube might be clogged causing the water to back up and leak out inside the car. If you see very little or no water under the car when the AC is on, then it's not draining properly and is easy to fix by cleaning the drain tube.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.