Saved My Bacon! Yes, He Did!…read more
While driving from Memphis to Atlanta, I spent the night in Huntsville to visit the Rocket Center, the next morning. The car started several times that next morning. Suddenly, it wouldn't start (but the dashboard lit up as normal). Had a hotel guest jump me off and headed for an Autozone for a new battery (it was last replaced more than 60,000 miles earlier). After buying a 'new' battery the car still would not start. I decided to keep the new battery ($166), since I'd need one soon anyway.
Desperate now to get back home, stuck in front of the Autozone, I had decisions to make. Called the local Infiniti dealer, they only have one dealer, he was charging almost $410 (high, but acceptable under the circumstances) to fix the car (parts and labor). Called the local Nissan dealer, where they use the 'trick' of having you talk to their parts department first to find out the price of the starter itself (about $420 from Nissan), then they add the labor (about another $240), for a grand total of $640.
This previously seen trick, allows both the parts department and the service department to make maximum profit off of an unsuspecting customer. Greedy! Normally internally parts are 'discounted' to the service department.
Yep, you read that right, Nissan would charge me about $640 (parts and labor) vs. luxury brand Infiniti charging me $410 (parts and labor).
Now to Diehl! Highly angry with my limited choices a friend who worked at a tire dealer in Pennsylvania, suggested I looked up an independent specialist. I 'googled' (verb) around and Diehl Automotive popped up, with several others. After calls to several places, a conversation with Diehl, gave me the most sense of confidence that they knew what they were talking about. He'd examine the car and tell me what the problem was. Also, they were right down the street from Autozone.
Mike's tow service (listing information provided to me by the Infiniti dealer), towed my car the few blocks to Diehl. The truck driver says he has dealt with them before and they are good people. The clean look of the place and service floor at Diehl, is always something I like.
The desk agent knew my ordeal because she heard my conversation with the tech. The tech confirmed that, "yes, it was the starter". They got started repairing the car right away. Within two hours they had my out of there with a bill equivalent to the Infiniti dealer of about $410. Ouch!
I knew my rear brakes were going to need replacing soon. But I like the fact that he checked them on his own, too, confirming that I was getting dangerously (in my mind) low on pad. Yet, didn't try to push himself to service them, thus delaying my time home. His price quote for the brakes (which I requested) was equal to what my local guy would charge me, so I knew Diehl was reasonable.
I babied those brakes all the way home.
I still made it to the Rocket Center for a short visit, before heading home, where I had my local independent dealer, Fast Lane Import Service replace the rear brakes the next morning.
Battery, starter and brakes = about $1,000 spent in two days. Whew! But Diehl kept me from staying overnight, which would have cost me more money. PS., I found Infiniti didn't have the starter in stock, so I would have had the inconvenience of waiting the next day.
This is a good place, clean working environment and with reasonable prices and good service. Should I get stuck in Huntsville again, this is my go to place.
No, I won't get in stuck in Huntsville again! But if I do, then Diehl!
