Auto Mechanics/Shops (Fountain: sales, coupon, purchase)

[pt1171]

I'll probably be moving to CO Springs (for the 2nd time) in the coming weeks, and I sure would appreciate your auto repair shop/auto mechanic recommendations.

Thanks

[ryanek9freak]

Well, I know of a very good shop, they owner is really nice, and honest. The name of the shop is Springs Auto And Truck repair. IT's a really nice facility, and they work on everything from cars to Class 8 big rigs. Try googling it

[drywallit]

ammco in widefield is good ,just dont do business with springs automotive .they charge for replaced parts and dont replace them

[ShelleyJ]

Bear Automotive. I highly recommend this shop. The owner is courteous and thorough. Excellent mechanic.

[Sixgunner]

Master Tech is my choice. Great service and honest.

[proveick]

Jackson Automotive in Fountain, very happy with their service. RP

[georgekds]

At any cost avoid D&H auto repair shop in Austin Bluffs. I dropped my car last month for repairs and I regret it. You will be better off without your car rather than leaving it to them. I am not sure how the owner Jared & Ashley are still in this competitive business.

[esanjays]

You can go to this website and find a mechanic for your specific model car. There are just recommendations from other folks who listen to Car Talk on NPR. I've found two auto mechanics in two cities this way and they turned out to be good. Cheaper than the dealer and the independent mechanics own their own shop and know what they are doing.

Car Talk. Car tips, advice, and troubleshooting. | Mechanics Files

[otowi]

How can a layperson tell when a dealer or whatever is being legit when they try to sell you a service? Am I off base with thinking my experience at my car dealer isn't good (albeit perhaps typical)?

Just some things that have happened that annoy/bother me:

1. I go in for the regular 3 month service and always have to the same place, done my 30,000 mile there and so on, and yet every single time they act like they've got no record or partial records only of what they've done on my car, and/or they don't check to see what has been done and instead just try to sell me stuff without being sure if it has even already been done or not, even when I tell them everything but some tire purchase has been done there.

2. One visit they will recommend that something needs to be done "soon", probably the next time I come. I'll come back the next three times - so for a whole year, and that item never is mentioned again. So what is it - either they lied the first time, or they lied/were negligent the next three times when I didn't need it after I supposedly did?

3. I come in for 3000 and a specific concern. The agent comes out and starts talking about $1000 of stuff they want me to do and how important it is and doesn't say one word about what I brought it in for originally until I ask. Then finally, only because I asked, "oh, it was nothing we just adjusted something and it is no charge for that" - makes me doubt - did you really do something or are you just saying that because I asked and you forgot why I even came in?

4. Half of the stuff they want me to do is because something 'failed' an inspection. Okay, I don't really have a problem with that. But the other half, the really expensive stuff, is just because the computer spit it out because my car is a certain number of years old. They act like it is urgent I do these things, but they don't even actually inspect my car in relation to those things to see if those are truly needed in my case.

5. They really want me to do those expensive things RIGHT NOW. Why, are you slow or have a sales quota to meet or something? When I send them away to do only the things that actually failed inspection, the agent comes back a few minutes later and says the manager will give you a free coupon book (something I had asked about earlier if I had to replace now or could wait until the next time I come in - gives a cheaper price on oil changes for a year) if you do it tonight and leave your car with us overnight. Maybe they think that sounds nice, but to me it sounds like they need to make more money. If they were trying to be legitimately nice maybe they would offer that deal if I did those things on my car with them sometime in the next month or something, but why RIGHT NOW.

6. When the agent is talking to me about what they want to do, the most expensive thing on the list (timing belt) says it is due at 60,000 miles. I tell her my car has less than 45,000 miles on it. She says, 'Oh that is supposed to be done every 30,000." That's not what your own report says, so either your report is wrong or you're lying. I then tell her, because they apparently don't know, that I had my 30,000 done there so maybe it was done already - she said, Oh I don't think I saw it.... hem/haw.

7. Every time I come in you supposedly check my tires. About half the time you make a show of doing this (and checking the lights and so on), but sometimes I guess I'm supposed to just take your word for it. Yet, my 50,000 mile rated tires had to be replaced after less than 15,000 because they were slightly misaligned. I don't think I trust any of your supposed inspections because things that are legitimate you don't catch and instead the things you do point out (like air filter) you mention being close one time and then say everything is great for a year.

8. When you come out to tell me what my car needs, you bring a lot of visual aids like pretty colored liquids and dirty air filters. You never refer to them at all so apparently they serve no purpose except window dressing. Oh wait you finally refer to the air filter and say it is from my car, but at this point I don't even know if I believe that. Maybe you just have some dirty filters sitting back there. By okay I'll take that. Pretty colored liquids? Still no idea.

9. Every single agent, no matter who it is, always tells me on check out that I'll be getting a service evaluation e-mail in a few days and that if I do not give all A's on this evaluation that agent will personally fail and be in trouble. That agent who only had a fraction of the role in my car's service. Clearly they do not want an honest evaluation, they are obviously not truly interested in improving their service and getting good feedback - they just want to keep corporate happy so they can keep their jobs - not the right kind of business culture if you ask me.

10. On the receipt, there is mention that I asked that they check on my original complaint, but no record that they did anything to address it. Apparently this is because it is no charge. But I want it mentioned, I want the record. And, on the receipt it says you gave me a car wash or a coupon for one, but you didn't. And the inspection report (the one that you used to try to apparently upsell me) would've been left sitting on the counter if I hadn't asked you to give it to me. 'Oh, you want that?'

I guess the point of all this is feedback - what should one really be able to expect and where can good regular maintenance/service actually be found without unneeded upsells etc.? Car in this case is 2008 Hyundai Elantra.

[beezle1]

This is why I prefer to take my cars to independent mechanics rather than dealers. I have 3 Subarus and a great mechanic that specializes in them. I trust him, and never come away feeling that he tried to push a bunch of stuff I don't need. He tells me what he finds, what needs to be taken care of, what can wait, what will happen if I don't do something, etc. (I also have a Hyundai and have not found an independent mechanic for it, and I have had many of the same experiences you mention at the dealership).