To preface this story I will let you know I have only had my Honda Fit for just over a month now and half of the time I've had it has been spent at the same auto repair shop. Im frustrated, but generally a down to earth chill guy, however this is getting me hot under the collar How would you feel?

After acquiring my 2015 Fit it was determined that my car needed some work done right away before getting to drive I took it to a shop in town that seemed to have good reviews, a clever name and a good attitude. After their diagnosis they assessed it needed a VTC actuator, timing chain, guides, AC compressor and some small bits and bobs addressed. I approved the labor and off they went doing the repairs (which took longer than expected due to the new parts taking their sweet time to arrive) and called me when they were done to pick it up. I was elated but when driving away the car made a clunking and rattling noise which I discovered was partially related to an engine mount that they removed to do the labor and DIDN'T TORQUE DOWN which of course toasted the mount after the milage put on it. The shop felt bad and offered to replace it free of charge, which they did, but an additional knocking/rattling sound didn't go away upon completion of the work they quoted me an addition grand to replace the LCA's in the front and the sway bar end links to "fix the sound".

I decided that I could handle the LCA's and endlinks myself (which I did) and save a grundle of money on the repairs, and during the process discovered a loose bolt on a heat/protective shield under the passenger side of the engine which wasn't torqued down, likely removed to prop up the engine while replacing the engine mount and forgotten to be torqued down.

NOW, at this point I'm elated because my car is working, its going around corners like a pissed off fly, it's not knocking or rattling anymore.....but of course the AC system decides to stop working in over 100 F (37.7 C) so the Fit had to go back to the shop where a loose AC line fitting was discovered. Again, they are taking care of it no charge to me thankfully but I'm just over it.

So at this point, my cars been in their possession longer than its been drivable in my hands and they've had to redo work over and over.

What would you do? How would you feel and how would you rate them on their google/yelp listings for their business?

 

The one thing that you have learned, is to have their mechanic go with you on a test drive before paying.You may not have anymore issues, but in the future, try this.

 

That’s a great idea, total “duh” moment for me as soon as I read your comment. That definitely would have made my situation a lot less convoluted, as long as they’re willing to let me kidnap their mechanic for a bit before settling up lol.

appreciate you taking the time to respond

 

Another obvious note for future you, but if you hear a weird or new noise when you drive away, return to the shop immediately rather than continuing to drive, which in this case per your description ruined the motor mount.

 

Good luck trying that in Los Angeles.

 

@RumbleDaddy Sorry this happened to you. Wash your hands of this shop and walk away. That's the best you can do.

Also, regarding "good reviews" on the Internet: What a joke. Those sites, with their stars and their comments, are worth exactly what you pay for them.

 

Why would you want to waste your time rating them???? Listen to Mister Coffee. You know what they're like and you know not to deal with them again. Nothing else matters.

 

Chalk it up to your education and move on. Put your time and energy into finding a local Honda specialist that's not the dealer. They're out there. Ask around in the local subs here or on Facebook or reddit or wherever you hang out on-line and find them for the next time your car needs something more complicated than an oil change.

 

Go to your local Honda Dealer for repair and maintenance.

Avoid neighborhood mechanics and mechanics that repair every make and model car.

I've had great repairs and maintenance work done at my local Honda Dealer. That's why I drive my car more than leaving it at the shop.

You Honda Dealer haters can hate Honda Dealers all you want. Then you complain about lousy work at your neighborhood shade tree mechanics. Because they don't know what they're doing.

 

I'm not a Honda dealer hater. The dealer service department has their place for certain repairs. But over several decades I've seen authorized <pick name of brand> dealer techs ham-fist repairs or botch them entirely. Just working at a dealership does not guarantee a tech knows everything there is to know about a particular brand or model.

I'm fortunate to live in a metro area where there are independent mechanics that specialize in certain brands or models. They don't work at dealerships and sometimes that means they don't have the expensive diagnostic equipment. But they know where the bones are buried on that brand or model or engine. My VW diesel went to one of two shops in a metro area of around 3 million people because I knew they loved those cars, drove them themselves, and were far more familiar with the problems (and what caused them) than a dealer tech who saw maybe one a week. Especially once the car got old.

And they've gotta be out there for Hondas and Nissans and Jeeps and FIATs too. Those are the people to find.

 

You can get lousy work at the dealership just like you can get lousy work anywhere else. The difference is that while a private shop might be expensive, service at the dealership will be expensive. If you can't handle suspense, go for the dealership service so you know going in that it's going to empty your wallet.

But, remember that we're not talking about an exotic Ferrari or Bugatti here. It's a Honda Fit - one of the simplest cars available (relative to other vehicles from the same year) in the US. If a redneck like me can DIY repair a Fit, any trained mechanic can handle it.

There was perhaps a time when you could trust online reviews but as Mister Coffee suggested that time has probably passed. What you can rely on is the recommendation of people you know and trust from other areas of your life: coworkers, friends, etc. Find out where they get their cars worked on, ask them specific questions about why they keep going back, and follow their lead. Or just fix it yourself - 60% of the time it works every time.

 

As the saying goes, "They saw you coming." When you say, "Find anything that need repairing," they would find problems on a brand new car. My son and I have put 95k and 97k on 2015 and a 2020 Fits with zero problems. Unless they will do the repair for free, never go there again.

 

Definitely!