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Cole Garage
Category: Automotive Auto Repair Auto Repair [Edit]
930 Cole St(between Carl St & Parnassus Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94117
Neighborhood: Cole Valley
(415) 753-2280
About This Business:
Transmission rebuilding Transmission Sales and Repair Transmission Diagnostics Wholesale Transmission Sales and Sublet Major Mechanical and General… read more »
85 reviews for Cole Garage
85 reviews in English
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Review from Mateo L.
San Francisco, CA
1/19/2012
Trustworthy. Fast. Reasonably priced.
Don't need many more reasons to go to Dirk and his merry band at Cole Garage. I can't count the number of times I've gone in, thinking something was expensively wrong; Dirk calls me later and says "Nah, it's nothing, we fixed [some small/cheap part] and that'll be $50 and it's ready."
Some garages might be cheaper, and some might even be faster. But Cole Garage will give it to you straight, and that's worth whatever it costs. -
Review from Doyle M.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012
I used to take my 2000 Audi to a garage that specializes in only Audi's. I decided to give Cole Garage a shot after they were highly recommended... & I'm glad I did.
The owner is personable, stands behind his work , takes the time to explain in detail what the issue/s are and will even propose several repair options if they are available. I highly recommend Cole Garage. -
Review from Antonio C.
Millbrae, CA
1/29/2012
I called Cole Garage because my car had the "check engine" light on. Bill told me that the car will be ready the same day. I left my car at 11:00 AM. He told me to call at 3 PM. I did. He told me to call at 3:45 PM. I showed up at 3:50 and they hadn't done anything on my car, it was parked on the street.
Last Saturday i took my car to another garage.They connected the computer and gave me a diagnostic in 3 minutes.
Thanks for nothing, Cole Garage !!! -
Review from Dj s.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2012
Semi new to the area, i noticed my car had a slow leak. turns out a small nail was lodged in the tread area, pulled it out and needed it to get patched. I have always noticed Cole Garage as I'm in Cole Valley frequently. I pull in early monday morning not sure if they could even get to my car today. the guy at the front was incredibly nice and got me in and out in 30 mins! Yep, 30 mins! The damage, only $25.
This is the second time i've been here and the staff is always nice, i'll be coming here as long as i'm still in SF. Plus the garage looks like its pulled straight out of the 50's and is always clean, what's not to love about that?! -
Review from goolie g.
San Francisco, CA
4/7/2011
Pulling up to park, I got the dreaded finger. No, not the bird flip, but the "hey dude, you got a flat tire!". Damn. My car doesn't have a spare kit either, so it's a AAA call and I gotta figgure out where to take it. My regular mechanic is Action Auto who are totally awesome but I'm not going to waste their time with this. Call AAA and wait.
Inspecting the tire, I see it's going to be a simple job: screw though the tread. Excellent candidate for a plug. But where? I whip out my droid and yelp for garages in the area and ding, Cole Garage comes up with a great rating, and they are literally 6 blocks away from my stricken vehicle. AAA guy shows up in 10 minutes (!!), puts in some air, tells me it's a slow leak and I'll be fine driving it over there and that's just what I do. I call them first and the lady is like, yah sure bring it over we can take care of it today.
The garage is very clean and everyone seems friendly. I drop 'er off and they tell me they'll have to inspect it, but it looks like it'll plug fine. It'll be about an hour, so I wander off with my friend and we kill some time. Good lord this is why I don't spend so much time on Height street.
30 minutes into it, I get the call. Wow that was quick! We hoof it back and she's all fixed but the huge shock is yet to come. The bill. The piper must be paid. guess how much. No really. Guess. $100? Ha. $50? Nope. $25? No not even!
They charged me Twenty bucks! Hell you pay more for a couple hours parking!
That was over a month ago and it's still going strong. I really liked these guys and would try them for more significant work if Action Auto was ever not an option. -
Review from Virat R.
San Francisco, CA
6/17/2011
Great work and very quick! Dirk was very helpful in explaining what happened to the car, what could have (or not) been done to cause it.
I really enjoyed the experience. Going back there for sure! -
Review from Cora L.
12/5/2010
The brake light switch on my brother's car went out when I was borrowing it, and I needed the job done quickly.
I took the car to Cole Garage, and they knew what the problem was immediately. With more than reasonable prices, superb accommodation and turn around time, and fantastic customer service, I could not complain at all. Sterling helped me, and he definitely knows what he's doing.
I will bring any future automotive repair work to this place, and I wish them all the best. It's difficult to find a shop you can trust, and who will really do everything they can to help you. This is the place. -
Review from Dan F.
San Francisco, CA
6/1/2010
I have taken my car to Cole Garage for various things over the past 4-5 years. After my first time going to Cole Garage I thought to myself "ahhh, i have Finally found a great mechanic I can trust".
During that early era, the famous Dirk was always the person that I dealt with. Dirk is the real deal. As many other reviews here will attest to.
BUT... The last several times I have taken my car in, no sign of Dirk (maybe he works more in the office now or something?). The people that have helped recently me are wayyy less knowledgeable, less friendly, and just dont give me that warm fuzzy feeling that my car is in good hands.
To add insult to injury, their standard labor rate recently increased from $100/hour to $120/hour. Service has declined, price has gone up. I'd happily pay pretty much anything if Dirk was the only person working here. The rest of the crew, nope! -
Review from Erdmann R.
San Francisco, CA
7/24/2011
Everybody working their is very friendly. They really know their stuff and are quick it repairing your car. I've been going back since the first time they fixed a problem with the clutch of my car that other mechanics weren't able to repair.
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Review from Blake W.
San Francisco, CA
12/19/2008
Sometimes you don't notice when something great is right in front of you.
Every day I walk through Cole Valley, and every day I walk by Cole Garage. Yet, when it comes time to service our trusty 2004 Corolla, for some reason I insisted on taking it across town to another garage. Now, the other business did a great job, and I am not in any way saying they are a bad shop. However, Cole Garage is 4 blocks from my apartment--why not take advantage of this?
I checked their Yelp reviews and they were fantastic. So this morning I took the Corolla into the shop for a tune up/service. Just three hours later and they are finished. And they were fantastic. They are affordable, fast, and friendly. They seem to be incredibly busy, which is a good sign. Did I mention they were friendly?
Great business. I shant be taking the Corolla anywhere else. Cole Valley businesses continue to be a bright light in my life. Cole Valley Fitness, Cole Hardware, EOS, Finnegan's Wake, etc. It's a tiny neighborhood, but I really do love living here. -
Review from Gretchen T.
San Francisco, CA
6/18/2008
The best customer service I have found in a shop. I don't always know if I am getting the best price, but for the convenience of staying in the city and not having to go to the dealership (don't get me started on Honda) and getting my car back quickly, I will stick with Mike and Dirk for so long as we both shall live. They are straight shooters that take the time to explain what it is they are going to do, and will call you with a quote before they start repairs.
If my House-music Honda could add to this review, she would say, "Arigato!" Or, "That tickles!" Na, she'd say, "Thanks for the love all these years, guys!" -
Review from Tahd F.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2006
I declare this place... my only mechanic from here on out
Quality-- exceptional
Dependability-- outstanding
Honesty-- complete
Ambiance-- for a garage, it's pretty nice. Great neighborhood
Price-- fair
These guys are honest, hardworking and great.
I stupidly went somewhere else when I needed some brakework done because Cole is closed on Saturday, and regret it immensley. I was overcharged. That's not to say Cole Garage is cheap-- they're just fair.
Also, they are innovative. After watching one in action, the owner installed a restaurant style sink for the mechanics to use to wash up. He said it made a huge difference.
The only negative thing I have to say about them is that they are closed on Saturdays when I need them to be open. -
Review from Brandon B.
El Cerrito, CA
11/26/2006
I went in last week to inquire about prices for 60,000 miles service and to diagnose some problems and I was met with a pretty unfriendly attitude. I asked what they would do and what the price would be and he just said with considerable attitude that it would probably take about a day and cost about $600.
Wow, thanks. I'll go somewhere that knows how to interact with the human race. -
Review from Kicker ..
San Francisco, CA
2/18/2010
I normally don't give bad reviews, but I have to for this one.
My check engine light was on, so I took my car to Cole Garage. After charging me $80 for a routine diagnosis, they told me there were 8-10 things that needed to be fixed and that with parts and labor it was going to run me more than $1400 to fix.
I decided to get a second opinion.
I took my car to ACTION AUTO CARE, THE BEST MECHANICS IN THE CITY and they were able to pinpoint ONE problem that would solve all the problems on the list that Cole Garage had given me. They even told me that even if they had fixed all those problems, I'd still have the same problems with my car and it wouldn't have fixed the problem at all!
At Action, they fixed the problem and my car had never run better. It's like a brand new car now! And they saved me a TON of money.
I'm sorry Cole Garage, I don't want to give you a bad review, but you ripped me off and didn't seem to know what you were talking about. -
Review from C J.
San Francisco, CA
11/20/2009
Solid shop, good service. After multiple repairs to my Jeep (and always being on a budget) I've learned to trust this place. They tell us what we need to fix right away (brakes! lol) and what we can wait a month or two on (air filter) to save money.
It's nice they are able to work with clients on a budget. Their prices are probably on the high side, however we haven't found them jacking up the bill with unnecessary add-ons, either. In fact- quite the opposite. Would much rather pay more for a mechanic we can trust. -
Review from Jordan K.
San Francisco, CA
12/22/2009
It's 5pm on Friday. My kid is coming home from the hospital tomorrow. I've got an old Honda and it doesn't have a tether for the car seat. I roll into Cole Garage and talk to Dirk. This is what happens.
Dirk takes me next door to the hardware store and picks out the parts he'll need to create a tether. He makes sure the parts are made out of ultra-strong tempered steel so my kid will be extra safe. He spends the next half hour installing the tether, turning away everyone else who comes into the shop. And at the end of the day, he doesn't even charge me for it.
This is why we've been loyal to Cole Garage for six years. We don't even live in the neighborhood any more but we still take our cars there for everything. -
Review from Amanda L.
San Francisco, CA
6/1/2007
Honest mechanics? Ill swan. I truly had not met one before. I am sure they exist like faeries and unicorns, but an entire garage?
Its true. This place rocks. They keep Lucia running and are honest. They even tell me when not to proceed with a repair due to cost or age of car.
And yes I named my car. -
Review from Jean C.
Philadelphia, PA
10/9/2007
My car is very sick, so I took it in to Cole Garage for a diagnosis and an estimate. They were very helpful and honest about the repairs... how do I know they were honest? I had previously taken it in to the dealership for a diagnosis.
If I decide to fix the car, I'm going back to them.
Edited to add: I did take the car there to be fixed. I was treated well and my was fixed without any issues. Cole Garage is officially "my guy" when it comes to my car. -
Review from Kaveh A.
San Francisco, CA
10/2/2007
I waited after going here a couple times to writing a review, but now that I have, let me tell you a story of love lost and love found:
Love Lost: My mechanic in Santa Clara, who was cheap, quick, and funny, proved to be just too far a drive and inconvenient. I then entered several years of being ripped off time and time again by several other mechanics.
Love Found: These guys are quick, friendly, and from all I can tell, honest. Everything they do is cheaper than anywhere else I've been, and the car runs better than it has in a while. In fact, an oil leak that one place estimated to be a $2,000 fix, they did for, parts and labor. Boom. -
Review from Heather P.
Berkeley, CA
8/7/2008
Indie baby LOVES visiting these guys. After a visit, she feels lean and mean, sleek and sassy, and ready to shake her little GTI tail feather with the big boys.
I love them because:
1. They're straight-up good guys who are mechanics first and customer service agents second. If the phone is ringing somebody will answer it; if you need to pay somebody will come over and take your money. That's all I really need.
2. They have great availability. "Now" is perfect, thanks.
3. They're fast, and they do it right the first time.
4. They aren't shady about money.
5. They don't make you feel like a fool.
6. They're located smack-dab in the middle of "I heart SF" Cole Valley, and if I sprint I could be there to rescue Indie in 2 minutes flat. Would I? No need! But I could. -
Review from Sam T.
10/22/2007
My 94' Infinity's headlight was out so my friend, who is also a mechanic, recommended me to Cole Garage. The experience was good and I would definitely come back if I have future car problems.
Here's the skinny:
Cole's service was quick. They were good at keeping me updated on the situation. And they were proactive in finding the problem. Also, Cole's diagnostic, treatment and PRICING of my car problem was consistent with my mechanic friend's analysis.
At first the mechanic said I had to replace the two connectors to my headlights because they were worn out. After replacing the parts, he still did not fix the problem but he was proactive and said he took out the engine to take a better look at the problem. He found that the headlight fuse box burnt, so he told me that he can order a replacement part, which would come in next week (since it was Friday). In the meantime, he offered to put the car back together and hook up a wire to my headlight, so I can use the car for the weekend. Since, I didn't need the car I told him that wasn't necessary.
Cole Garage may have a busy schedule, so call ahead to set up an appointment. I had to wait a couple days to get my car scheduled. -
Review from Nina W.
San Francisco, CA
11/19/2009
So we drive diesels. And we're kind of finicky about taking care of them. We usually drive all the way out to San Mateo to our great mechanic out there. But I was in a bind, we needed the oil changed and I didn't have the time to drive it out to our regular garage. I thought "what's the harm in taking the car out to someone new-- it's just an oil change...". They changed the oil just fine. And everything was okay with the car. But they used a different oil than we normally use, and they noticed that, but didn't call me and ask if I wanted them to stay with that type. They just used a different oil, and told me after the fact. I just wish they would have called me and asked, that's all. But they did change the oil, which I what was supposed to be done.
I just wish there was better communication. That's all. But the guys were nice and honest which was much appreciated. -
Review from Sam T.
San Francisco, CA
5/3/2007
I like these guys; they seem to run a pretty solid shop with a few minor glitches. I was once a professional mechanic myself and know BS from actual good service.
I had them perform a clutch replacement on my truck about 4 months ago and they actually charged me less (by about $50) than they quoted over the phone AND they replaced a plastic shifting gate free of charge, pretty cool.
The glitches I mentioned revolve around the last time I visited the shop about two months ago for an oil change. During the oil change, they evaluated my car and found the following:
-Clutch in fair condition, not "good" condition
-Front brake pads with moderate wear
The two problems I have with this evaluation are:
- 2 months after their garage replaced my clutch it's only in "fair" condition?? I don't drive my truck hard and the clutch should at least be in "Good" condition.
-The day before I took my car in for the oil change I personally replaced the front brake pads with brand new ones therefore no wear, let alone moderate wear, was even possible.
I'm not sure what gives with the clutch and brake evaluations but I'm going to ask about them the next time I visit. What I suspect is that someone was rushed and didn't have time for a true evaluation so they wrote down a default fair/moderate evaluation to be safe .... stay tuned. -
Review from Kylie L.
11/4/2010
Right around the corner which made for an easy stop when I needed tires. The guy quoted fair prices and was not trying to push the most expensive tire he sells. He gave me 5 different quotes and explained each tires different qualities. I did have to call him a couple times to see if the tires had come in but when all was said in done I was really happy. I will definitely be heading back there when I need more work done on my Mercedes.
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Review from Margo G.
San Francisco, CA
3/1/2008
Very disappointed. They had done my brakes and seemed to do a good job, though they squeaked very loudly for about 30,000 miles afterwards. Then they totally dropped the ball. After dropping my car off on a Thursday at closing and at least 4 calls to check on it on Fri, after hearing nothing from them I returned at closing on Fri to see that they had not investigated anything I had asked for. I'm glad I showed up then, otherwise my car would have been locked up in the garage until Monday with none of the work done. Too bad, I liked this place.
Now I go to Carlos Exclusive Auto Services and they have never let me down! -
Review from oliver b.
Oakland, CA
2/3/2011
DEAR GOD DON'T GO HERE. I got a quote for a fuel pump for $1250! My shit ain't no Benz! I called another shop, they said, $900. I called a third shop, they said $650. I called the dealership, they said $1100. THIS PLACE IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE DEALERSHIP??? NO THANKS GUYS I'D RATHER SPEND THE EXTRA MONEY ON LAP DANCES. Don't go here. If you want to waste money just give it to me instead. Thanks.
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Review from Vince D.
San Francisco, CA
4/14/2010
Cole has worked on my cars for years and I've been happy, but I'm going to have to down check them this year. In fact they've lost me as a customer. I've been plagued by uneven tire wear. They sold me new tires and said "we'll keep an eye on it" but didn't think I needed alignment. A few months and two regular service appointments later I see the tires are wearing unevenly again. Not only did they forget to rotate the tires at my last service, but they didn't notice the uneven tire wear and tell me about it.
Finally I took the car to a real tire shop, which is what I should have done in the first place. All four wheels were badly out of alignment, which cost me $80 to fix.
So , yes, I should keep an eye on my own tires. My gripes are:
a) when I asked them what I should do about uneven tire wear, they sold me new tires and said I didn't need an alignment.
b) they did not rotate the tires when I asked them to, validating the warranty on the new tires.
c) they didn't notice the uneven wear on the new tires during regular service. -
Review from Alan W.
San Francisco, CA
10/21/2008
I've moved over from Citysearch so am copying some of my reviews over to Yelp...
I've brought car's here a few times. They are slow as molasses but if you can wait they do a good job at a very reasonable cost. Good, nice people too. The only garage that I've been to in SF that I've liked so far... -
Review from Zman S.
San Francisco, CA
6/19/2010
WARNING! WARNING! SCAM ARTISTS! RED ALERT! WARNING! DANGER!!
I knew what was wrong with my car. Took it in to Cole Garage. They confirmed what I knew, then proceeded to tell me it would cost $600. Huh!?! They then proceeded to tell me they found other things wrong that would cost an additional $600! $1200!?! Total!?! That's more than we paid for the car! I smelled something fishy going on here.
So I called several other mechanics and told them what was wrong with my car. The first two BOTH quoted me $600 - parts and labor, out the door - for everything!!!!! Huh!?! HALF THE PRICE OF COLE? Problem was, these mechanics were all booked up.
Third mechanic I called quoted me $480! And he was available! I rushed in, had the work done, and the price came in even LOWER when done. ONE THIRD THE PRICE OF COLE! And my car is great, which means the work was great.
DO NOT GO HERE. WARNING WARING WARNING RED ALERT. SCAM ARTISTS!!!!! -
Review from Kira Z.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 9/9/2008
Cole garage came through again!
I was having some transmission issues - brought the car in, and again taken at my word.
I called about 1 - 2 days ahead - and they were able to slot me in at my 1st requested time - no problem.
They had my car for the day - and when I got a call at 3 pm the same day as My drop-off I was ready to be crestfallen. (my old clunker is just that, she's old, and although she's not so clunky - she's a bit wheezy...) Anyhow - they gave me the details... it was the transmission, and due to the fact that they don't update transmissions - they refered me.
They went the extra step though, Mike - my main guy there, apologized and explained why they don't do transmissions, then provided me the phone number of Bryant Transmission center.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/4/2007
A few years ago I had a "Check Engine" light on for a few weeks. I also noticed that my gas mileage… Read more »
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Review from Mike T.
Seattle, WA
6/22/2008 1 photo
This place takes good care of the Sube. Dirk and Mike are always helpful and go above and beyond the call of duty. When you talk to them, they will remind you of the Tappet Brothers from the NPR radio show Cartalk!
Whenever I come in to get some work done, they explain in detail what the problem is. If I need a part, Mike or Dirk will actually explain to me what it does and show me a picture of it on their inventory website. Be careful though...Dirk although very helpful can talk your ear of for hours about your car, what's wrong, his wife's vacation habits, dogs, or the weather.
The prices are on average with other places I've heard of, but if you're loyal, they will often cut you a break on the parts and give them to you at cost or a little below even. They've replaced brake pads and cv joints for me and I've never had a problem with the work they have done.
Although you can never predict when you're going to need a mechanic, the best time to drop off your car is early in the week before 9am. They open at 7am! -
Review from Patrick M.
San Francisco, CA
7/17/2011
You will not fine a better and more honest place to bring your car then Cole Garage. Dirk who runs the place explains everything that you car needs in a way that anyone can understand. I have taken every car I own to Cole for 20 years.
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Review from Tim R.
Belvedere Tiburon, CA
7/30/2010
Just moved to the neighborhood and was excited to have a garage walking distance from home. Seemed very friendly and helpful so i took my car in for a simple check engine light diagnostic and didn't hear back all day. Had to call them myself and they mentioned I needed new fan belt and front breaks. Asked them to price it out and get back to me the following morning. 3pm the next day I had to call them again to find out the status of the estimate.
"your car is being worked on now" they said. Seems that they took the initiative to fix everything without even getting me an estimate.
I do not doubt that the work needed to be done on my car, but the lack of basic customer service will motivate me to go to more inconvenient locations
update: they took off most of the labor because of the screw up so I'll give them a star back. -
Review from Hog F.
Oakland, CA
12/6/2006
I'm a regular customer. My oil, fluids, brake pads, leaks, rattles, seat belts, tires, and even my windshield wipers have all been worked on here. The guys are cool, and even moved one of their cars from a parking spot on Cole so that I could park mine and get lunch just after retrieving my fixed up Jeep.
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Review from Monika A.
San Francisco, CA
4/16/2007
I've been taking three generations of my cars to Cole Garage and have never once felt that I should have gone else where. Mike and Dirk will always tell you what is up with your vehicle and what needs work in the future and what can wait. They will even honestly tell you when its time to get rid of your 1984 Volvo 240 Wagon and get something that will continuously run and not suck you dry for money. I love them. Not the cheapest shop in the city, but I rather have an honest mechanic that charges a fair rate, than a cheap one who screws up my car!
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Review from James M.
San Francisco, CA
6/18/2007
Got nice and lubed up here and it cost a lot less than I thought it would. Considering this is Cole Valley, I expected to get a yuppie convenience charge at the very least. Great service and done on time. I wish they were open a little bit later cuz getting out of work early enough to make it there by 6pm is a bit of a challenge. Definitely going back.
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Review from Jeffrey J.
San Francisco, CA
7/31/2008
I don't understand the great raves about this place. They are horrible about correspondence. I will give it to them that their prices are fair, but thats about it. When you DO get a chance to talk with Dirk, he has very good and helpful things to say. But plain and simple, they are just too crowded to efficiently communicate with all of their customers. I need quicker service than this. I don't have anything against them except for their speed...but their advice is pretty spot on.
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Review from Lorraine F.
San Francisco, CA
4/20/2006
I arranged on a Friday to take my car in on Monday, which I duly did at an early hour. My car was there all day and they never even looked at it. Basically, they lied... said they couldn't figure out what was wrong. Another mechanic, which I'll yelp about figured it out straight away.
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Review from Ellen R.
San Francisco, CA
2/24/2007
Fair and honest shop. Have been using them since 1995. They let me know what I really have to do and what is optional and where it is ok to cut costs and where it is not ok. They usually charge me less than they estimate. And they send me somewhere else when they think that someone else is better set up for a job.
They have lent me a battery when I needed it and they have changed my blinker bulbs on the spot when I stopped by.
The only reason I gave them 4 stars instead of 5 is that they are sometimes too busy to see me as fast as I'd like. -
Review from Natalie D.
San Francisco, CA
5/28/2010
I am really sad/mad/frustrated with what happened recently at this place.
My gf and I used to use this place all the time, as it was convenient (only a block away) and they seemed to charge a normal fee and were always nice. But recently, we were let down big time.
Our car needed new brakes. We knew this, and when we went into Big O recently for an oil change they confirmed this. They told us what they would charge and told us to come back in a few days if we wanted them to do it. We thought we would call Cole Garage to find out what they would charge, and if it was in the same range, we would just have it down there to save time. We called, they gave us an estimate of about $300, including labor and parts, and said we should come in so they could take a look. That was a little bit lower than Big O's $400 estimate, so we were pleased. The next day we brought in the car and chatted briefly with the mechanic working at the front. Gave him the keys and told him we had called, so we kind of knew what we were in for, but to call us an let us know what the deal was. Two hours later he calls to tell us not that the car is ready, but that the new estimate was about $500!!! When told him we would be back to pick it up and take it elsewhere since our estimate had been $200 over the phone the day before! So we walked back over to take the car back and get it to Big O, and when we arrive they slap a $60 fee for inspection.
Really annoying. We knew we needed new brakes, we did not need them to charge us to find that out. They had told us that, and so had another place. It was just that time. But somehow we ended up paying $60 and waiting 2 hours to find out what we already knew! And they just didn't seem to know or care why we were annoyed. Definitely taking our car to a different shop from now on. Big O, we'll be rolling your way...
