Lincoln Square Service

 

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Janet B.

Chicago, IL

My VW Golf was making a themping noise underneath when I first moved to Chicago, and a guy in the neighborhood Ace hardware recommended Lincoln Square Service. The diagnosis there was my motor mounts were bad, letting the engine shift a little and causing the noise, 'two belts,' and I forgot to ask which belts, and also new tires. I can't comment on the price of 1100 for these services, as I didn't get another diagnosis (my bad, but the thumping noises were ominous!).  But when I went to pick the car up and pulled out of the shop, it died three times before I got to the end of the block, to turn around to go back. The traffic was rush-hour fierce and it was not a pleasant experience. They took the car back and fixed a hose that had given way and the distributor cap which had sprung a  crack, both conditions occuring during the work on the motor mounts or the belts, and, at my protest that neither of these items were broken when I brought the car in, they didn't charge me for the parts or the work, which was only fair--I hope fair to them, too. However, it's not good that no one test drove it and let me leave the shop with the car not working, and I'm uneasy that whoever fixed it wasn't very gentle (the distributor cap has been 'worked around' by several other mechanics and not broken up to that point anthough it was obviously fragile--you know, the plastic had that discolored look).

But my problems weren't over yet. The second time I picked ithe car up, when I parked it, I couldn't get it locked. The automatic alarm system wouldn't go on. I looked and looked, closed all the doors again several times, opened and shut the hatch, and was finally standing on the street in some frustration and leaned on the hood--and it clicked all the way shut. It hadn't been shut properly by the last mechanic. These are small things but important to an older person such as myself. I could have stood there all night with my blood pressure rising! So I think I'll try a higher recommended service in the neighborhood for the water pump that's coming next. Through all this, though, all the staff was very courteous, I have to say, and it's convenient, and if you're able to not sweat the small stuff, this is a good place.  

Addendum: After I wrote this review, I had a chance to drive the car a longer distance, and there was the same thumping noise that I had driven in with,  eight hundred bucks earlier! Back I went, the owner (or manager) Carmelo drove with me and heard it, and then they fixed it too. Again, there was no charge. Seems one of the motor mounts hadn't been installed properly--due to dirt on the ledge or niche where it's seated,  or something like that--so it betrayed the same symptoms as a bad motor mount. That is not reassuring, is in the same league with not test driving it after the first go round, not making sure my original problem was solved the first or second go-round, and with not closing the hood securely. Kinda careless. So I don't have much reason to change my 'tepid' rating. Again, though, they were at least nice throughout, really nice. But it cost me two extra days without my car, and hassle, and anxiety.

Addendum two: a week later I had the water pump repaired at another Yelped mechanic, Marvin's on Belmont, and that evening the car began to make more strange thumping and bucking noises.  So I sighed and took it back to Marvin's, thinking once again that fixing one thing had broken yet another. His inspection revealed that the motor mount just repaired--twice--at Lincoln Square had given way yet again! I told him about my recent experience there and I'm sure I looked sad. At that point, I should have left Marfin's and taken it back to Lincoln Square, but it didn't seem safe to continue to drive the car now that I had actually seen the engine jumping skyward every time the motor was accelerated, so I just mentally wrote it off and told Marvin to please fix it, which he did. But he refused to charge me so that I 'would feel better.'  (I think it was only the labor, that he was able to re-use the mount. But still!)  Needless to say, Marvin gets the five stars, but I won't yelp it because he has lots of five stars. I wish I had used yelp before I went to the other place!

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Krissy K.

Chicago, IL

A couple of years ago, we were heading to Des Moines for Thanksgiving, but the temp gauge on our 98 Subaru Outback Legacy kept going up.  We brought it here, explained our problem and asked to have it checked out.  We picked it up the night before our trip and were told there was nothing wrong.  Uh, okay.
Before we made it to Aurora, our head gasket blew and the engine needed to be completely replaced.  We spent Thanksgiving stranded with a newborn and a dog.  The mechanic paid for some of the engine replacement, but I have never felt so screwed over.

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James F.

Chicago, IL

I have been having my cars repaired here for at least 20 years. I have NEVER been disappointed.

I was disappointed at the earlier review. I don't know how someone who brought their car in because their temperature gauge was going up would think that the mechanic was going to predict a head gasket blowing????

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Bryan B.

Chicago, IL

This is the best place to take your car.  They do great work for a reasonable price, and get it done on time.  I get all my car work done here.

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