My car's engine started making this terrible noise a few days ago so I knew it was inevitable that I was going to have to take it somewhere to have it looked at. Someone had recommended that I take it to a place in Cedar Park but when I called, they said they couldn't get my car in to have a technician look at it for almost a week. I'll be the first to admit that I know nothing about engine work,
but with the sounds my vehicle was making, I knew that I didn't have a week to wait.
My in-laws told me about Frank's Car Care, a place they've been taking their (multiple) vehicles to for years, so on Tuesday afternoon I gave Frank's a call to see about getting my car looked at. Frank (the owner, I'm assuming), said he could get my vehicle looked at immediately ("as soon as I could get there" were his exact words, so I wasted no time making the drive from Leander to Liberty Hill (a 15-20 minute drive). As soon as I pulled up, Frank immediately stopped what he was doing to have a listen to my engine. The look on his face said it all - whatever was wrong was definitely not good. His first impression was that I had a rod about to go out, which ultimately meant that I'd need a new engine. However, he quickly changed his stance when he realized that the awful noise coming from my engine wasn't constant. He pulled my car into the shop and popped the hood and instantly apologized for almost giving me a heart attack at the thought of needing to buy a new engine entirely. It took him approximately 2 minutes to determine that it wasn't a rod going out, but the water pump and subsequent pulley/belt needing to be replaced instead (considerably, a much cheaper repair).
He immediately looked up the parts needed and less than 5 minutes later had everything that needed replacing ordered. Having had multiple experiences with various other car repair shops, I assumed it was going to take at least a day to get the parts in (if not several days, or longer). So, I asked the dreaded question of how long it would be before my car was actually going to be fixed. He laughed and told me that the parts had been ordered (which I already surmised from overhearing him on the phone) and that he'd be able to get it done immediately, except with the work that was needed, he couldn't do it until my engine cooled down. Since it was already about an hour until closing time, he apologized that he wouldn't be able to do the work until first thing in the morning. While it was a minor inconvenience that I would be without my vehicle for at least a day, I was happily surprised that at least he seemed to genuinely want to get my car up and running as quickly as possible. I thanked him and then promptly called my husband to have him come and pick me up. All told, from the moment I arrived until I called my husband, only about 15 minutes has elapsed.
Now, keep in mind it's only a 15-20 minute drive from our house to the repair shop. This is important because about 5 minutes before my husband arrived, I noticed a truck pull in to shop area. I kid you not that it was one of the other mechanics pulling up to deliver ALL of the parts my vehicle needed. I've never experienced a repair shop getting parts THAT quickly.
Once my husband arrived, we pulled some needed items from my car (car seats, a booster seat, etc). Imagine my surprise when I realized that Frank was already getting to work, prepping my car for the repairs he would be making the next morning. As we were leaving he said he'd give me a call to let me know when my vehicle would be ready, letting me know that he'd have it done "no later than 10 a.m." the following day. He wasn't kidding! He gave me a call this morning at 10 a.m. and told me I could come and pick up my car whenever it was convenient for me. Even though the repairs were still more costly than I'd have liked (almost $400 - ouch!), that amount pales in comparison to what a new engine would have cost. The only downside of my whole experience was that when I went to get my vehicle, Frank wasn't at the shop so that I could thank him personally for an excellent job well done.
Even though his shop is a little farther away than a lot of other car repair places, I've decided that the drive is well worth it. The next time I need any work done on my vehicle, I'll head over to Frank's Car Care. I can't imagine going anywhere else. read more