The quality of mechanics that work on your vehicles and the quality of their work is a crapshoot now days.

The shop I used does not have any torque-wrench. They ONLY have air impact lugnut guns. And we all know that they overtighten lugs, especially on a vehicle that is only rated for 80 lb ft. I mean it is not a truck with 150 lb ft lug nut rating.
Doubt they dont have a torque wrench, 3/8 and half inch are required tools for inspection stations and every annual audit is supposed to include a tool check. Further, you started by saying they are highly regarded then come back with this comment which indicated you know they do shoddy work. Why take your vehicle there? My county has over 800 inspection stations (far too many but I digress) you have lots of choices in the pittsburgh area, my choice being ARS
 
The quality of the work you receive is only as good as the individual doing it, no matter where you take it.

Finding a place where the owner is there everyday and cares about his reputation is the best scenario.

And even then, things can go astray.
 
Broad brush much?

I've been with the same independent shop for the last 25 years and they still do quality work for me.

If you just randomly pick a shop, then yes, it's a crapshoot.

If you choose a shop that cares about the work they do, you will more often than not enjoy quality work.
 
Works till the owner retires, or in the case of the shop that I used, the landlord sells out for redevelopment.
The original owner sold to the service writer some years ago, so I figure I have another generation.

He's kept the mechanics and the standards.

But yeah, if the shop closes, or the next generation doesn't share the same values, you might have to go looking again.

I do stack the deck a bit with donuts or a case of bud in a Styrofoam cooler with a note saying thanks in advance for a job well done :)
 
Reminds me of an old saying that my father used.

A society the praises shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted endeavor and scorns excellence in plumbing because it is a humble endeavor; will have neither theories or pipes that hold water.
MHO
Smoky
 
To be fair, shoddy work isn't a new thing. My mom almost lost a wheel on her '90 Taurus over 25 years ago due to lug nuts that were left loose. Idiots have been around forever.

That said, I've known some people who just shouldn't touch a car. We had one oil changer at work who had wheels fall off twice. Don't really know why he wasn't let go the first time given he didn't think causing $4k in damage was that big of a deal.
 
The issue is greed. The shop owner doesn’t care as long as his Techs are funneling work through….shoddy or not. Most folks are charged for things they don’t really need or even get. The businesses that push services like brake system, fuel injection flushes, and the like are a key indicator of what character of organization they are. Quick bucks… The recreational tire rotation game is designed to offer “free brake inspections” to milk unsuspecting customers. Then if the customer decides against the brake job the Tech warps the SH$# out of their brake rotors tightening the lugs too tight and out of proper sequence. My rant…
 
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The issue is greed. The shop owner doesn’t care as long as his Techs are funneling work through….shoddy or not. Most folks are charged for things they don’t really need or even get. The businesses that push services like brake system, fuel injection flushes, and the like are a key indicator of what character of organization they are. Quick bucks… The recreational tire rotation game is designed to offer “free brake inspections” to milk unsuspecting customers. Then if the customer decides against the brake job the Tech warps the SH$# out of their brake rotors tightening the lugs too tight and out of proper sequence. My rant…
Brake flushes are not snake oil
 
The issue is greed. The shop owner doesn’t care as long as his Techs are funneling work through….shoddy or not. Most folks are charged for things they don’t really need or even get. The businesses that push services like brake system, fuel injection flushes, and the like are a key indicator of what character of organization they are. Quick bucks… The recreational tire rotation game is designed to offer “free brake inspections” to milk unsuspecting customers. Then if the customer decides against the brake job the Tech warps the SH$# out of their brake rotors tightening the lugs too tight and out of proper sequence. My rant…

I’m sure some say that about a BG transmission flush - but the only person I know getting 400k from a 4L60e did them every 50K … Not what I do - but works for some …
I think their fuel system treatment makes sense - but not after 150k miles of baked on CBU - and then complain when it was really time to pull the intake …
Again, not what I do - but if I had an overpriced HP toy I might consider …

This place has an incredible reputation and does them (my cheap-xxx BiL goes there)

 
I’m sure some say that about a BG transmission flush - but the only person I know getting 400k from a 4L60e did them every 50K … Not what I do - but works for some …

My Ford dealer uses it. It's been easier/cleaner for me to just drop the truck off and get the tranny/t-case & axles done for a couple hundred bucks.
It was on the slip with all Motorcraft fluids.
The first time I had it done years ago, they noticed a seeping axle seal and replaced it and the other side under warranty. I wouldn't get that now as she's 10 years old, but she only has 70K on her. My son is likely going to Dakota State in the Fall, so I'll them done again this summer to prepare for the road trip.
 
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Something like brakes is a job you do yourself if you want it done correctly. If you have to supply a torque wrench to a shop that would be an instant no for me. With shop rates being over $100 an hour a place shouldnt really have any "mistakes".
Im in the Pittsburgh area and only 3 places touch my cars depending on the job.
6 Star Performance for my JDM cars
Psk Auto for my Euro imports
Russ the Gtr master tech at north hills nissan for anything, especially the fancy Gtr alignment rack
 
The uhaul rental business would have turned me away immediately.

I frequently rent from uhaul. Different franchises. I know how their stuff (isn't) maintained. I've yet to get a rental uhaul truck that has oil on the dipstick. Or consistent tire pressures. I always check the lugnuts once I'm out of sight of the store.
 
The best way to handle this is to do your homework.
I have four shops that service my vehicles.
I have vetted all these shops and have a relationship with them.
I rarely have had any issues with the work from these shops, and when I have, I have taken the vehicle back to the shop and they have corrected the issue and made it right.
I discovered these shops by asking around.
My test to vet a shop is to take a vehicle in for something simple, like for instance an oil change.
This has nothing to do with whether or not to change my own oil. Providing a simple task like this and going in to wait on it, gives me a chance to see how the shop operates. It also provides me the opportunity to talk to staff to see if they are quality. If they are, I start using them, so that they become familiar with me and my expectations.
One shop I have used for 30 years.
The biggest problem that I have is quality of parts.
Sometimes, the part from AAP is fine.
Other times, not so much.
There are certain parts, one in particular on one of my Fords, that I want Ford OEM only.
Since I have the relationship, I can walk in and state that I need X done, and I want the Motorcraft part only, and that's how it happens.
 
To be fair, shoddy work isn't a new thing. My mom almost lost a wheel on her '90 Taurus over 25 years ago due to lug nuts that were left loose. Idiots have been around forever.

That said, I've known some people who just shouldn't touch a car. We had one oil changer at work who had wheels fall off twice. Don't really know why he wasn't let go the first time given he didn't think causing $4k in damage was that big of a deal.
In Michigan, an owner had his tires rotated. One came off because it was completely loose and an accident with injuries resulted. Owner sued shop for damages. Judge ruled shop NOT responsible because tires were rotated but nothing more was required, including proper tightening.
For those who may be interested, Steve Letho (sp?) Law U-tube channel discusses this and other legal issues and conundrums.
 
I am the only person that touches any of my cars. I'll even remove the wheels from the car when getting new tires so they can't screw anything up on the car.
I do the same thing. I take my wheels in "loose".

And wheel torque aside, I don't even trust them to properly lift the car using the proper lift points!

Scott
 
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