Honest Mechanics - rant

[rb]

Just had my car looked at by the dealer - he said a whols bunch of stuff needed to be replaced and gave me a price list and dealer hours ($90 an hour) ..amongst the recs were changing brakes which were at only 15% .

So i had a hook up at Nissan and got the parts at literally 50% of what the dealer was charging (ie $500 instead of $1000), took them to a mechinic (BLine automotive in Mississauga - shameless Plug) and he did the whole job and billed me for 3.5 hrs whereas the Dealer "trained " mechanic estimated 10 hours. My mechanic also said the brakes were at 50% which is not supprising since they are only 2 years old. Why do dealers have to mark themselves up huge..ok fair enough for the parts but charging 10hrs for labour that a good mechanic can do in 3.5 is ridiculous?....then also suggesting the brakes need to be changed - who are they kidding.

So if you are in Mississauga and looking for a honest mechanic the
one above is great and DON"T take the dealers word for what needs to be fixed.


RB

[bionicbadger]

The only time to take your car to the dealer is for "warranty" purposes. Otherwise dealers suck

[grant]

Why? because they can get away with it.

[Rokkin]

My mechanic also said the brakes were at 50% which is not supprising since they are only 2 years old.

RB


Wow.....I can't remember the last time I got 2 yrs out of my brakes. :|
Something here doesn't make sens though. I agree that dealer's may be exsessive for everyday wear and tear jobs, but you said they quoted 10 hrs for a list of items. What were the other things?? Did your guy in Mississauga do everything on your list that the dealer recommended in 3.5hrs or just the brakes??

[ccdude]

took my Accord for a tranny service to Classic Honda in Brampton. Great deal $49!
But 30 min after my car was supposed to be finished they called me to the desk and said that my tranny was the last thing I should worry about.
He told me that my car was VERY UNSAFE and the car was ready to drop.
He said I needed
Front and rear stabalizers
Front and rear Brakes + rotors (my brakes are 3 months old)
Upper and lower Ball Joints
Wheel alignment and Wheel balancing ( they said my vehicle shakes at high speeds even though it does not and It never left the parking lot)
Grand Total $1200 pre tax plus the tranny job
He even maid me sign the work order saying that they warned me the car was unsafe and that they are not responsible.

Told them to stuff it and give me my car back

Took it to firestone where I bought my tires to get my free tire rotation and I asked them to check all the above items. Said the Rear stabalizers were Just starting to wear.
Grand total $150 (honda Parts) parts and Labour

I will be buying a new car and guess where I wont be going to buy it.
Can anyone reccomend a good honda dealer near Brampton

Classic Honda F@CK YOU

Firestone on Kennedy Thanks

[rb]

Wow.....I can't remember the last time I got 2 yrs out of my brakes. :|
Something here doesn't make sens though. I agree that dealer's may be exsessive for everyday wear and tear jobs, but you said they quoted 10 hrs for a list of items. What were the other things?? Did your guy in Mississauga do everything on your list that the dealer recommended in 3.5hrs or just the brakes??

Yep ..thye were charging like 2 hrs for each strut (left and right) , my mechanic did the whole thing in an hour (both sides) , there were some belts as well which they were charging 4 hrs for ..again my mechanic actually did them in 1 hr
In the past I have had been quoted book rates for brakes ..I think were 2 hrs and the mechanic did them in 45 mins.


Oh and the reason they are 50% after 2 years is 1) I don't do much driving and 2) I brake very softly and drive accordingly

[rb]

took my Accord for a tranny service to Classic Honda in Brampton. Great deal $49!
But 30 min after my car was supposed to be finished they called me to the desk and said that my tranny was the last thing I should worry about.
He told me that my car was VERY UNSAFE and the car was ready to drop.
He said I needed
Front and rear stabalizers
Front and rear Brakes + rotors (my brakes are 3 months old)
Upper and lower Ball Joints
Wheel alignment and Wheel balancing ( they said my vehicle shakes at high speeds even though it does not and It never left the parking lot)
Grand Total $1200 pre tax plus the tranny job
He even maid me sign the work order saying that they warned me the car was unsafe and that they are not responsible.

Told them to stuff it and give me my car back

Took it to firestone where I bought my tires to get my free tire rotation and I asked them to check all the above items. Said the Rear stabalizers were Just starting to wear.
Grand total $150 (honda Parts) parts and Labour

I will be buying a new car and guess where I wont be going to buy it.
Can anyone reccomend a good honda dealer near Brampton

Classic Honda F@CK YOU

Firestone on Kennedy Thanks


P.s if you are looking for a good honda mechniac in Brampton , try SI performance - used to take my Honda Accord there - he's a Honda specilst - nice guy and again very honest!

[SoNgMaN]

dealers charge "By the Book" as does crappy tire and a few other chain type garages.if you can find a mechanic you can trust it'll work out better for the both of you. i've got my mechanics and they are great. no BS no nonsense, and they are very helpful

[carwfloc]

Why is that everytime my sister takes her Accord for "regular factory-scheduled maintenance" at Classic Honda they always find other stuff that's immediately needs to be replaced as well? I'm definitely no mechanic but I get a gut reaction that the "pads need replacing" or "it needs an engine shampoo and all the coolant flushed" BS they lay on her is because she'll just authorize it and never question them about it. :evil:

She's probably spent like $1500 in service at Classic Honda last year (she has a four year old accord), and after reading a bunch of other posts on the dishonest crooks at other Honda service shops in the GTA I'm definitely considering making her go to SI Performance if it's honest. Anybody else have any experience with them?

/rant

[B0000rt]

Why is that everytime my sister takes her Accord for "regular factory-scheduled maintenance" at Classic Honda they always find other stuff that's immediately needs to be replaced as well? I'm definitely no mechanic but I get a gut reaction that the "pads need replacing" or "it needs an engine shampoo and all the coolant flushed" BS they lay on her is because she'll just authorize it and never question them about it. :evil:

She's probably spent like $1500 in service at Classic Honda last year (she has a four year old accord), and after reading a bunch of other posts on the dishonest crooks at other Honda service shops in the GTA I'm definitely considering making her go to SI Performance if it's honest. Anybody else have any experience with them?

/rant

Engine Shampoo? I believe that's a cosmetic thing, and does not need to be completed.

Even if you're not a car guy, it's pretty easy to check the regular wear and tear things.

You check Transmission fluid, if it's not red anymore, you change it.

You check motor oil, if it's really dark and nasty, you change it.

You check breaks, if the pads are super thin, you change em out (rear drums need not be changed that often).

I don't think a 4 yearold Accord would require $1500 of service, but then again since I do most regular maintence jobs at home, I really don't know how many arms or how many legs dealers charge for those kinda things.

Dealers go by the book. If a light bulb needs to be changed, they'll charge you the lowest time bracket they have, which is probably 1/4 an hour, $90 x .25 = $22.50 to change a frickin lightbulb.

[rb]

Why is that everytime my sister takes her Accord for "regular factory-scheduled maintenance" at Classic Honda they always find other stuff that's immediately needs to be replaced as well? I'm definitely no mechanic but I get a gut reaction that the "pads need replacing" or "it needs an engine shampoo and all the coolant flushed" BS they lay on her is because she'll just authorize it and never question them about it. :evil:

She's probably spent like $1500 in service at Classic Honda last year (she has a four year old accord), and after reading a bunch of other posts on the dishonest crooks at other Honda service shops in the GTA I'm definitely considering making her go to SI Performance if it's honest. Anybody else have any experience with them?

/rant


Just go to SI and talk to the guy ....(his names Lou) ....you'll have a pretty good idea what he's all about when you meet him . Al my buddys take their Hondas there, I think they have a website as welll siperformance.com?

[ccdude]

Why is that everytime my sister takes her Accord for "regular factory-scheduled maintenance" at Classic Honda they always find other stuff that's immediately needs to be replaced as well? I'm definitely no mechanic but I get a gut reaction that the "pads need replacing" or "it needs an engine shampoo and all the coolant flushed" BS they lay on her is because she'll just authorize it and never question them about it. :evil:

She's probably spent like $1500 in service at Classic Honda last year (she has a four year old accord), and after reading a bunch of other posts on the dishonest crooks at other Honda service shops in the GTA I'm definitely considering making her go to SI Performance if it's honest. Anybody else have any experience with them?

/rant


Classic Honda Strikes again F@cking B@stards! I have a 2000 accord as well maybe they think accord drivers are suckers

[ccdude]

P.s if you are looking for a good honda mechniac in Brampton , try SI performance - used to take my Honda Accord there - he's a Honda specilst - nice guy and again very honest!


Hey

According to http://siperformance.com/html/mntly_specials.html you are entitled to a free oil change for your refferal

PM me your name I will be going next week.

[Rokkin]

You check Transmission fluid, if it's not red anymore, you change it.

.


This might not be as simple enough to do these days. I have a 2002 Accord and the only way to properly change the tranny fluid...and I mean ALL of it, is with the power flushing machines they have at the dealer or the common lube chains. This is quite pricey...I think Jiffy Lube wanted $149.....and $49 just to drain and fill without the power flush. The drain and fill does not get all of the old fluid out so if you go this route you'll have to increase the change intervals. After about a month of driving after having the fluid changed, it was nasty again as it mixed with the residual stuff. I'm considering the power flush although shelling out $149 for a power tranny flush seems a bit excessive to me. Anyone know where they offer this service cheaper? I actually haven't checked the dealer price yet. Honda also doesn't use any tranny fliters like GM and other do. Not sure why....I like filters...better safe than sorry...although it's one more thing to change.

[Spongeboy]

I've got an Acura 1.7EL 2003. Anyone know a good mechanic in the Scarborough/Markham area?

Or if not, maybe a good mechanic for Hondas/Acuras in the GTA? SI sounds awesome, but Brampton is a little far for me :)

[rb]

Hey

According to http://siperformance.com/html/mntly_specials.html you are entitled to a free oil change for your refferal

PM me your name I will be going next week.

Cheers I spoke with Lou I didn't mention his garage for any kind of referral ...BUT if you mention my name Ranjit Bhatia to him he will work the referral into YOUR price. Also if you have good service from him please mention it on this thread..since there are loads of Honda folk here and they need a good mechanic !

[Rehan]

Okay, so we have Nissan and Honda covered... what about Mazda? :) Any recommendations in Mississauga / Brampton, anyone?

[blakeatwork]

It's too bad really, that it's so difficult to find mechanics or a garage that won't try and shaft you everytime you walk through the door.

It seems most are just concerned with making the big dollar per customer, then they are keeping those customers over the long haul. I've been lucky in that I've found one or two here in Barrie that seem reasonable, and if not, the father-in-laws neighbour charges by the 2-4... :D

[carwfloc]

I think what gets me most about service places are that they don't seem to care about making you trust them, because there's a hunderd other car owners out there behind you that'll make less noise and won't make so much work for them.

I went into a dealer because my battery light was flickering, and before he even went over what problems it might be he asked me if I had my coolant flushed yet, and if not he strongly recommended it. WTF does that have to do with the electrical?! Why not just ask me if I'd like to take advantage of their awesome tire sale while you're checking the %@!#in battery!!!!!

I totally think that Classic's preying on the "hapless dumb girl" aspect when my sister brings in her car. It'll never fail: warn them that a tire "may" fall off or a fire "may" break out if something doesn't get changed right away and she'll say yes to it 100% of the time. I really don't blame her though, i mean what's she going to do? Feel safe driving around in something she thinks will burst into flames?

[Rokkin]

Okay, so we have Nissan and Honda covered... what about Mazda? :) Any recommendations in Mississauga / Brampton, anyone?


To quote SI Performance web site:

"That's right, our expertise isn't limited to the Honda/Acura family of cars. We quite readily and happily service MAZDA, Nissan and Toyotas."

[grant]

You check Transmission fluid, if it's not red anymore, you change it.

You check motor oil, if it's really dark and nasty, you change it.


why not just change your fluids on schedule? So the oils never get that gunky that you're ruining your car.

Maybe it's just me? visiting the shop when the odo hits every 5,000km is even easier than checking it :D

[Kevin T]

Honda uses 7.x Litres (well for CRV) of ATF, but its common to just get it drained and filled because it circulates.

I would recommend

Ken Wong @ Kustom Sport Racign - Development
63 Silverstar Blvd, Unit A8
416 754-4249

You can just say Kevin referred you.

He's the one who services my car (have not been taking it to the dealer for scheduled maintenance for like a year).

[Gevaltech]

Any recommendations for reliable mechanics in the north york area?

[cOmAtOaSt]

In London I go to
Bob Williams Tire & Auto Centre Ltd
(519) 453-0460
1525 Dundas St

I've always been happy with them. They tell you the level that things like brakes are at, but if they don't need to be replaced they won't replace them. I've been happy with them for a few years now.
They are on Dundas Street up by First Street, across from the Value Village.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/comatoazt/BobW.jpg

[BuddyGuy]

(BLine automotive in Mississauga - shameless Plug)

Do you have a phone number / address?

Thanks

[ji2o0k]

My friend has been taking his Integra to Complete Auto in Markham for years and recommended it to me. The guy in charge is Raymond. Honest guy and doesn't charge things that don't need to be repaired. If he finds something, he will explain why and even show you the part ! They do many types of cars, my dad had his Ford and Chevorlet serviced and my other friend had their VW beetle serviced as well. All very happy.

Address:
144 Bullock Dr.
Markham, ON
L3P1W2
905-472-3513

[rb]

Do you have a phone number / address?

Thanks

905 696 9576

they are at Britania and Dixie in Mississauga

[BuddyGuy]

905 696 9576

they are at Britania and Dixie in Mississauga

NICE... thanks :)

Btw, what would be a decent price to do front pads / rotors, rear shoes. (i.e. full brake job)?

[elty]

care to tell me how to buy parts directly from Nissan?

[jed]

Wow.....I can't remember the last time I got 2 yrs out of my brakes. :|
Something here doesn't make sens though. I agree that dealer's may be exsessive for everyday wear and tear jobs, but you said they quoted 10 hrs for a list of items. What were the other things?? Did your guy in Mississauga do everything on your list that the dealer recommended in 3.5hrs or just the brakes??


Only 2 years on your brakes??? I bought my truck used 6 yrs ago, and still haven't touched the brakes. Repacked the front wheel bearings, but no pads or shoes.

[jed]

This might not be as simple enough to do these days. I have a 2002 Accord and the only way to properly change the tranny fluid...and I mean ALL of it, is with the power flushing machines they have at the dealer or the common lube chains. This is quite pricey...I think Jiffy Lube wanted $149.....and $49 just to drain and fill without the power flush. The drain and fill does not get all of the old fluid out so if you go this route you'll have to increase the change intervals. After about a month of driving after having the fluid changed, it was nasty again as it mixed with the residual stuff. I'm considering the power flush although shelling out $149 for a power tranny flush seems a bit excessive to me. Anyone know where they offer this service cheaper? I actually haven't checked the dealer price yet. Honda also doesn't use any tranny fliters like GM and other do. Not sure why....I like filters...better safe than sorry...although it's one more thing to change.

For the shadetree, there is a way of having the internal pump do the job ala flushing, its just if you're not careful you'll starve it for oil and cause more damage than what you are trying to avoid.

[dodo]

aha... join the club.. I like honda (had 3 generation so far) but hate :twisted: their dealer, salesman & admin people (the bussiness mgr when u buy new car) -> always insist u to buy extra warranty, rust proffing etc2... especially if you finance/ lease

[rb]

care to tell me how to buy parts directly from Nissan?


Yes ..have a "family member" who works there and ask them to get them for you

[rb]

NICE... thanks :)

Btw, what would be a decent price to do front pads / rotors, rear shoes. (i.e. full brake job)?


Depends on the price of the parts and the vehicle ..some 4wd vehicles take longer to do ..while Honda Accords are pretty str8 fwd I believe. I would have thought max 1 hr labour and parts cost..and you can get your own parts not OEM (johns auto parts in Brampton were pretty decent for parts as I recall)

Bline will give you an idea before they do the work

[lugzm]

This might not be as simple enough to do these days. I have a 2002 Accord and the only way to properly change the tranny fluid...and I mean ALL of it, is with the power flushing machines they have at the dealer or the common lube chains. This is quite pricey...I think Jiffy Lube wanted $149.....and $49 just to drain and fill without the power flush. The drain and fill does not get all of the old fluid out so if you go this route you'll have to increase the change intervals. After about a month of driving after having the fluid changed, it was nasty again as it mixed with the residual stuff. I'm considering the power flush although shelling out $149 for a power tranny flush seems a bit excessive to me. Anyone know where they offer this service cheaper? I actually haven't checked the dealer price yet. Honda also doesn't use any tranny fliters like GM and other do. Not sure why....I like filters...better safe than sorry...although it's one more thing to change.

Yup its actually fairly easily to do this yourself, granted I went through about 20 Liters of ATF +3 for my van when I shoulda done the job with about ten or less :S

Basically, you drain the pan, change filter, refill pan, then disconnect the return line to your transmission from your transmission cooler, run the engine *you might need to be in neutral* so that fluid pumps out of the disconnected hose and into some container. Add fluid through the dipstick hole at the same rate as its comming out (I used 4L milk jugs to determine the rate). When the fluid comming out looks like the fluid going in, your all done :)

I ended up just draining the pan and refilling in THREE TIMEs because I couldnt figure out I was puttin RTV sealant too far inwards on the pan, and it didnt even TOUCH the surface of the pan. Talk about major leaks. (oh well I know all the fluid is changed :P).

If you use RTV, its really simple, just put the sealant in line with the holes, and loop around the inside of the holes. Seals up nicely. Learned my lesson for next time :(. Oh one more thing, always check transmission fluid levels after the car has been running for at least 60 seconds *check owners manual for complete procedure*. You actually wont have enough fluid if you just check it with the engine off, as all the lines and cooler will drain fluid.

If you end up doing all this, its a good idea to add a transmission cooler at the same time. Proven to lengthen the life of your tranny!!

PS. BE VERY CAREFUL WITH BOLT THREADS!!!! Stupid mechanics, or myself, ruined the threads on three bolts (im damn sure it was the mechanics as I finger tightened the bolts and they wouldnt tighten, but theres no way to know for sure. $$ @ <a href=../autolink/redirectpage.php?linkid=24 target=_blank>canadian tire</a> to get helicoils installed :(.

[ichpen]

Good thread. My own personal recommendation is:

Gerry & Son's Auto
1-30 Alden Road,
Markham, ON
L3R 2S1

Was referred to them after I acquired an older car. Great guys, brutally honest on occasion, gave me a complete checkup of the car (told me most items that needed fixing could wait). They pretty much service the cars of most people in my office and have no issues driving you to/fro if you're nearby.

I must say if you own a used car of age, please please find a decent mechanic that you trust. It will save you a lot of headaches. Try a few out, never go to a dealership unless you absolutely must.

My car's a Nissan, but they do most makes/models.

[bembem]

Oh and the reason they are 50% after 2 years is 1) I don't do much driving and 2) I brake very softly and drive accordingly

I dunno why everyone is measuring brakes in years :lol:

I've racked up 75,000kms in 4 years, and my brakes are still around 40%.

^^^ Another reason why BC cars are more epensive. Very light abuse.

[careener]

Maybe we should start another thread asking for mechanic referrals by area in Canada and get it added as a sticky in this part of the forum. (As in RFD Recommended mechanics )

As for my recommendations,

1)North York
Glennalan Motors: Finch/Dufferin area (off Alness)
416-665-6230
65 Brisbane Road,
North York, ON M3J 2K3
Alan Gleman is a long-time radio and tv car repair consultant in the GTA. Owns the shop with his brother Glenn.

2)The Master Mechanic
8 Bermondsey Road, East York
(Eglinton Ave. and Victoria Park) (416) 759-3738
These are my mechanics even though they are far from my house. I have been dealing with them for about 3 yrs. Shop rate is about $72/hr but they have been fair and extremely competent. They are also one of the few shops I know of that come up with smart work-arounds.
I have also seen clients come into the shop and ask questions like, "I can't shift gears in my car..how much does that cost?" Instead of getting that "grin" I've seen at other shops, the service advisor, Dan, gave a straight and honest answer detailing the exact diagnostic they would perform and reassured the client that with that specific vehicle the problem was likely easily fixed.

[hotstartup]

any good shops in vancouver for hondas?

[superdave]

Classic Honda F@CK YOU

Wow I don't live in Brampton anymore but my friends that do have said the same thing about Classis Honda. They are the worst dealer that they had ever dealt with. I personally bring my Honda to Acura East for service and I find that they are awesome for service and truthful opinions. They have even rotated tires for me no charge during an oil change. not all dealerships are crated equal and it will take some time to find a good one.

For all of those Honda/Acura owners out there, I can recommend a dealer in NY that has AMAZING prices for honda/acura parts. They are N.A's biggest Honda/Acura parts dealer and his prices cannot be beat. (I even got my acura dealer to try to match his pricing and they couldn't even given the US exchange and shipping).
You can read about this dealer in many forums but I use http://www.acuramdx.org/ as they are an MDX enthusist forum. Usually I drive down to NY (he's located by buffalo) to pick up items as it saves on shipping and duty and stuff. No, I'm not associated with this dealer but I do wholeheartedly support him as he has been awesome for pricing and service (he ever shipped me out a free key fob when I got an older model fob by mistake). Check out his site at http://www.hondacuraworld.com/ and he has an AIM account too so you can get pricing. He is an actual honda dealer so this is not some reseller. Up to you to do your research for the best pricing on honda/acura parts, however you will not be disappointed with Tim.

[kmltick]

Hey rb thanks for starting this thread, they should honestly make this a sticky since I'm sure EVERYONE needs to know of a good mechanic. I'll check out a few in my area.

Thanks again.

[tuzzi]

any good shops in vancouver for hondas?

I don't know about Honda shops, But Arbutus Automotive is a great place to go.

Randy & Steve are as honest as they come. Its down near the Fraser Arms Hotel of Marine Drive.

Heck you can go watch some peelers at the Frser Arms while your car is being fixed :D :D

[Sting]

Gilmen Auto
1940 Ellesmere Road.
Unit 6
Scarborough, ON
M1H 2V7
416-289-1388

The owner there is Raymond. I have been going to his shop for about 5 yrs now. He is a honest and hard working guy. He is always busy but has the time to talk to his customers. He will give you the best work and he won't BS you on the work your car needs.

Tell him Dim sum guy referred you. :razz:

Thanks for this shameless plug for a great mechanic.

[wt22]

Has anyone tried writing in to Honda Canada?

I recently moved from the US to Canada. I've never had any problems with servicing my car at Honda dealers in the US (North Carolina and Massachusetts to be specific). I have done all my services with them for the past 2 half year, their prices are very competitive.

eg: replacement of a pair of wiper blades (8 USD) no labor charge
old change: 21.95 USD flat.

Every now and then, Honda will send a survey asking you about your service experience with the dealer. So I trust that Honda as a company do care about their reputation.

Maybe for anyone who has been take advantage off, should write in to them and report the particular dealer. It seems dealers do get incentives for providing good service.

Honda Customer Relations
Mailing Address:
Honda Canada Customer Relations
715 Milner Avenue
Toronto, ON
M1B 2K8
Number: 1-888-9-HONDA-9 (1-888-946-6329)
Hours: 8:00 am to 7:30 pm Monday to Friday (eastern time)

[Spidey]

Wow.....I can't remember the last time I got 2 yrs out of my brakes. :|
Something here doesn't make sens though. I agree that dealer's may be exsessive for everyday wear and tear jobs, but you said they quoted 10 hrs for a list of items. What were the other things?? Did your guy in Mississauga do everything on your list that the dealer recommended in 3.5hrs or just the brakes??

You mean you cant make brakes last longer than 2 years. I still have the oroginal brakes on my VW and they are almost 12 years old. Giess driving habits are the key :D

[evolution921]

I agree, everytime I bring my car to do those maintenance package, they can always find something wrong with the car. I drive a Civic, each time I go there, they tell me this and that need replacing. So I'm always like, OK, I don't have the money now, it's my parent's car, just list it, when they come back from their vacation, they'll pay me to fix it. When something is really wrong, such as one of my power window stopped working, they tell me that they can't find out what's wrong with it. I asked them to give me a quote on how much it cost to fix it, they told me they can't and said that they will tell me how much I have to pay after they fix it. I was like WTF, screw that.. I mean who would authorize the repair if you can't even give me a ballpark figure on how much it will cost to fix the problem? Another thing is, I took my car to a garage near my work to do some things like alignment, tire rotation, other maintenance stuff and change tires. When I took the car back to the dealer for the next scheduled maintenance, this one guy working there gave me a "lesson" on why I should only use tires from their dealership and I can't to do maintenance somewhere else. That's the last time I'm going back there, because last time I checked, he's not the owner of the car and they aren't the only one who can fix my Honda.

[Tiberius]

I have had good and bad experiences with Dealers....

While they were servicing my car under it's original warranty (and extended warranty bought through them (a GM warranty)) they didn't tend to add on extra stuff, etc... I took it in and did what the "service plan" called for to maintain the warranty... and they didn't try to gouge me beyond that.

However.... when my A/C compressor went (under warranty)... it then failed AGAIN less than a year later... AFTER my warranty had expired (I passed 100km). They told me I'd have to pay for it - this after I escalated it to their service manager and he told me he would call GM himself to see if they would cover me or not - but that it wasn't their policy.. blah blah blah... Well, I called GM warranty myself and was told any warranty repair got 1 year, unlimited mileage. Called the dealership back again - got the same BS and then told them I called GM and the part was covered for 1 year, unlimited mileage... the service manager called back a day later and said he confirmed what I had told him (ummmm... shouldn't he know this BASIC GM warranty policy!!!)

Anyways.. they tried to make $$$$ off of me for something that should have been covered for free! Idiots and/or thieves... ? This was at Addison on Dundas in Mississauga.

I went into Stedelbauer GM in Kitchener and they immediately told me "a GM warranty repair is covered for a year so no worries".... I let them fix my car! I had another little issue after they did a coolant flush and their service manager was GREAT at Stedelbauer - and their oil change price is reasonable (and they don't try to sell you air filters, etc. every time you visit like the supposedly cheap oil change places).

Hit and miss is the way it goes with Dealerships....

As far as major repair costs go... they just use standard times from some book for repairs - not "real" times... so they overcharge for time. If you can find a good honest mechanic who charges for the time really taken - you are blessed!

[GunnerX]

Gilmen Auto
1940 Ellesmere Road.
Unit 6
Scarborough, ON
M1H 2V7
416-289-1388

The owner there is Raymond. I have been going to his shop for about 5 yrs now. He is a honest and hard working guy. He is always busy but has the time to talk to his customers. He will give you the best work and he won't BS you on the work your car needs.

Tell him Dim sum guy referred you. :razz:

Thanks for this shameless plug for a great mechanic.

I second this recommendation. I bring my car to Gilman's to get aligned too since my car is quite low. Ray definitely knows his stuff.

[shutterbug]

Sorry to dig up an old thread but anyone got a recommendation for east of downtown Toronto (between DVP/Vic Park)? I currently need to get a tranny flush but would like some place to go to for general repairs. I've been going to Simpson's Auto in Etobicoke, honest guys, but super busy and way too far for me now.

[DJ_Peanuts22]

we should make a sticky thread with a list of all good mechanics in the gta

[ElvaSoShexai]

well.. for toyota/lexus i go here:

T-Lex
7605 Woodbine Ave, Unit #7
Markham ON
L3R 5V3
(905)415-3384

the owner is Basil. used to work @ DVN Toyota. so he's a certified toyota mech.
Pretty good + honest mech. he also services other cars as well like honda etc.

Pretty good guy. when he finds something is wrong he usuallie shows me where and what the problem is and explains it to me.

he's got 2 ppl helping him there.

it's a bit pricey tho. i think he charges $70/hr +/- or something like that. but u know he'll get the job done right

he normally asks whether i want to use aftermarket or oe parts before doing anything as well

[stealth]

Add Erin Dodge in Mississauga to the list of "bad dealers". Brought my car in in an emergency (badly leaking oil cooler hose, plainly visible to anyone through the fender wheel well) becausethey are right around the corner from me. They wasted 3 hrs in order to call me later, tell me they wouldnt have the parts for 2 weeks, had a ridiculous price for them, and of course tried an upsell on a brake job that really wasnt that much of an immediate concern (I do my own brake jobs), esp since the car isnt driveable with a liter of oil leaking out every 10 mins. What the hell good is new brakes on a car you cant drive because you're waiting on parts for 2 weeks? By the time they had gotten back to me, my regular garage was closed for the weekend of course (I would have towed it there at this point), and they even topped it off with a hefty $85. fee for looking at it.
To make matters worse, they put you on an automated call back system so now I get stupid service calls every couple weeks to come back for oil changes, service etc.
I hate them. And all "Authorized dealers" that charge the amount of hrs to fix something that a beginner without a hoist or half the tools or expertise they have, could do in half the time. Shame on the industry, they havent learned a damn thing.
A good, busy family shop has always been the best for me.

[shutterbug]

Thanks but I need someone closer to the south end of town, around Queen & Carlaw/Leslie out towards Beaches maybe?

well.. for toyota/lexus i go here:

T-Lex
7605 Woodbine Ave, Unit #7
Markham ON
L3R 5V3
(905)415-3384

[Eli]

Add Erin Dodge in Mississauga to the list of "bad dealers".

Is that the one near Glen Erin and 5? We've had less than pleasant experiences with work done there on our minivan in the past. Definitely not recommended.

[stealth]

Is that the one near Glen Erin and 5? We've had less than pleasant experiences with work done there on our minivan in the past. Definitely not recommended.
Yup...in the Automall or whatever they call it.

[codemonkey]

any recommendations for the High Park-ish area, guys?

one advice I can give you is: stay AWAY from Active Green&Ross on Dundas St. W near Annette. they wanted me to do 1500+ dollars worth of repairs when I took it in for regular maintenance. before had me put on some sort of bolts the names of which I forget because they couldn't "get the alignment right" without it. turned out the alignment was off because the right rear wheel was bent out of shape. couldn't even tell me that which a bunch of amateurs in my car maintenance class told me. a couple of days after the visit where they wanted me to do the huge repairs, my brand new tire burst. reason: a bolt was missing at the rear which was causing the tire to hug the structure of the car. took it to Mackereth based on a recommendation of Costco. they told me that I didn't need anything Active GReen was telling me to get. also, apparently the bolt could be missing for two reasons: it was loose and fell out or something, or it wasn't even put in. apparently the bolt could not have broken off due to pressure and if it did, it would have broken other stuff along the way. never been back since to Active GReen since.

Costco, however, has been absolutely awesome for tires and maintenance and Mackereth also looks good (been to them only once so can't say for sure but they seemed to be very busy). I would go back to MAckereth, I liked what they did but they're more for brakes and steering stuff plus it is difficult to drop off the car there and get to work. any recommendation would be appreciated. :)

[jrnight]

I have been using Car Wings Auto in Thornhill for about 6 years
905-882-8377, 60 Green Lane Unit 19-21

They don't try to upsell you on anything. Most of the time when stuff are going old, they ask me do I really want to change it or just leave it as it.

Service and price used to be great with the owner Koiston, but since his son Dennis has taken over prices have gotten a bit higher. They use OEM parts eventhough I have wanted to try some aftermarket products but they strongly recommend using anything but the OEM parts.

[edgar]

what has to be understood is that dealerships make their money off of regular servicing, not repairs. You bring your car in for a battery problem, yes, they'll check the service history to see if there is anything due for the car. Small repair shops concentrate on repairs not maintenance (besides oil changes of course), because that is what their customers ask. Someone brings in a '92 Civic because there is a noise somewhere, or the brakes need to be replaced, things like that, they're not going to suggest things such as a coolant flush or a brake fluid flush, because the car is such a POS, the customer is simply trying to keep the car driveable.

If you buy a brand new car or a reasonably new car, something that you invest some money into. Why not maintain it to spec? If you take it to a repair shop, they're not going to suggest anything other than what specifically needs to be done such as brakes or a solution to any complaints you might have. A dealer will check and suggest any regularly scheduled maintenance.

I've seen first hand someone with a hundred thousand something kilometres on their car and the transmission fails because the person only took the car to a repair shop and never to the dealership. The repair shop of course never suggested the tranny flush where as the dealer would have done it twice by then.

Finally when you go to resell a car and you're able to show that the car was fully dealer serviced, it raises the resale value by a fair margin. Sure, you were smart and know that dealers are scammers. However, the silly general public thinks that dealerships have an idea of what they're doing, and would prefer a car that has been maintained rather than repaired.

I've personally been on both sides of the fence. I've been a dealership customer as well as a customer of a small repair shop. The repair shop guys are great and I suggest anyone with an old POS to take their car there, but for a newer car that you want to take care of, I like the dealer.

[Rokkin]

we should make a sticky thread with a list of all good mechanics in the gta


Well, based on the positive feedback from a few of you guys here I took my car to SI Performance in Brampton on Saturday. I requested the following : TIming belt/water pump replacement, coolant drian/fill, brake fluid drain/fill.
When I went to pick up the car, not only was my car done ahead of schedule, but it was washed. Plus, Lou also shampooed my engine at no charge AND only charged me for the Timing belt/water pump. The other two services (coolant/brake fluid) he gave me as frebbies. When I asked why he said "I'm just that kinda guy".
For sure I'll be taking my car there in the future.
Honda wanted $700 just for the timing belt/water pump. I paid far less AND got extra stuff done.

Thanks, SI Performance....and thank you guys for the hook-up.

[danfromwaterloo]

If anybody in the Mississauga area is looking for a good, honest, and reliable mechanic, head out to Tomken/Eglinton. There's a Midas there. Ask for Bobby. Guy really knows his sh*t and he's always honest with you. Even throws in free stuff, just cause.

First time:

Went in for an oil changed. Mentioned off the cuff that I might need my tires rotated, but I'll probably wait until next oil change. He nodded. I picked up my car a half hour later, noticed on the bill "Tire Rotation - $0.00".

It wasn't a part of the Oil, Lube, and Filter, and he just decided to do it for me.

Second time:

Told by Mazda that I needed my brakes done. Went to Bobby. He looked at em, after me telling him I need a brake job cause the front brakes were worn "according to mazda". He cracked the tire off, looked at the brake, said they were full of sh*t, put back on the tire, and told me I was fine. No charge.

When I went back to Mazda for my lease expiration, the brakes they said were worn, they never said a thing about. Criminals all of them. (Stay away from Erin Mills Mazda)

Now I refer everybody to Bobby.

[Gevaltech]

Any recommendation for the north Toronto/Thornhill/Richmond Hill area of the GTA?

[hightech]

well.. for toyota/lexus i go here:

T-Lex
7605 Woodbine Ave, Unit #7
Markham ON
L3R 5V3
(905)415-3384

the owner is Basil. used to work @ DVN Toyota. so he's a certified toyota mech.
Pretty good + honest mech. he also services other cars as well like honda etc.

Pretty good guy. when he finds something is wrong he usuallie shows me where and what the problem is and explains it to me.

he's got 2 ppl helping him there.

it's a bit pricey tho. i think he charges $70/hr +/- or something like that. but u know he'll get the job done right

he normally asks whether i want to use aftermarket or oe parts before doing anything as well


I too recommend Basil. I take my 2002 Camry LE V6 for service and his prices are about 1/2 of what the dealerships charge. He is patent, thorough, and knows what he is doing. He tell you what needs to be done and what does not. I just got my brakes done there this weekend and he told me that I could still use the brakes for a good 6 months if I wanted to and just needed cleaning.

He is the only guy who will be taking care of my car.

[iExcel]

Any good mechanics in Oakville area? There are a bunch on Speers but not sure which one is good and honest. Any one?

[Little Johny]

I think car owners have the right to ask for old parts.

If the dealership changed your brake pads and you found they were only 50% gone, then I do not think the dealer can get away with that.

Make sure you mention to the service manager or the poor guy who makes the work order understands that you need to see the old parts.

Not every dealership is bad.They are expensive but sometimes it worths every penny------just some times.

[radeonboy]

Dealers will do anything to get you to pay big bucks for things they "want" you to do. Not a "need" to do them.

Bottom line is most dealers suck and take advantage of most people they can. Them being dishonest = big bucks!

[ronnroz]

I know this thread is about honest mechanics, but I want to share my bad experience with you about this dishonest crooks.
ITAL MOTORS on Caledonia & Lawrence in North York

beware of this guy SAM

I recently had an accident, and the front of my Honda CR-V was badly damaged. I got referred to Sam by a friend of mine so I had my car towed to his workshop. I told him I had to pay from my pocket for the damage and he said ok you shop around and let me know. So I did, it needed the front fixed and inside air bags and seatbelts as well. I called a few places and found almost the same amount everywhere, including Sam, for the whole fix, which included everything. So I decided to go with Ital Motors and was told it should be fixed in two weeks.
Every week I called and got updates from him, and I never rushed him. I was told when I get my car back, it would be as if brand new, and no one will be able to tell there has been any accident. So I patiently waited, despite the fact that I was commuting, very inconveniently, from north york to markham, by train and bus.. After 5 weeks, he says come and pick up the car. I go there one saturday morning, feeling excited.

My Honda looked really nice from outside but when I peeked inside of the car, I was hit by a big hammer. Seatbelt and car seats are not fixed. I charged Sam.. he said, no that was not in the deal.. I was only responsible to fix the outside, we got into this verbal argument, and he threatened me, go get your lawyer and etc.... You all can imagine my shock. It was a verbal agreement and there's nothing written down, and I very well remember we discussed airbags & seatbelt, and now he completely denied that. Just those airbags and seatbelt would cost me extra $1500 and the whole deal was for $5000.00. Elsewhere I found for the same price, including the airbags and seat belts. Not only that, when I showed it to another mechanic, he said under the hood, the job was not done properly either. The frame was not properly fixed.

Now I am left with that extra expenses because I trusted that guy. Those crooks. How do they live with themselves???

SO BEWARE OF ITAL MOTORS!!