Ever since I got my first car, I've hated going to auto repair shops. Being a 30-something woman…read moreapparently makes me the prime demographic for wrench-wielding ripoff artists, because every single time I take my car in for work at one of the chains in town - even just an oil change or a tire swap - I'm solemnly informed that my vehicle is in urgent need of some pricey repair or another, and that I really need to authorize the work right away before it gets worse. I have no objections at all to preventative maintenance - my last vehicle racked up over 250,000km, and still ran smoothly when I sold it - but I do take offense to attempted scams. Gosh, really? My cabin air filter is dirty, and it's going to create a significant allergy risk until it's replaced? Funny, this model year of my car wasn't even *equipped* with a cabin air filter. It does not have a cabin air filter, it has never had a cabin air filter, and I've managed to keep breathing regardless. Seriously, do you think that having ovaries somehow prevents me from using Google?
So, when my current commuter car informed me, in a monotonous drone, that it was in need of new front wheel bearings, I was really dreading having to take it in to the shop. When I was quoted over $500 for the repair by Transmutation King on Bayfield, I decided "Nope, that's enough, not putting up with this anymore, there's got to be another option."
The other option, of course, is the near-mythological rarity, the unicorn of auto repair: an honest, independent, local mechanic. I quested through pages of search results, I read scores of reviews, I pestered friends and family for recommendations... and finally, I found it.
The unicorn is real, and it lives in an unassuming little one-bay garage tucked behind a building on Huronia Road. Actually, there are two unicorns: one is named Mitch, and the other is Sam. Most of my interaction was with Mitch, and he was fantastic. I called on a Friday afternoon to schedule the appointment, and was told to drop it off first thing Monday morning. Mitch himself gave me a ride from the shop back to my house, then came and picked me up a few hours later when the car was ready. He apologized for it taking a bit longer than he had predicted: apparently the first set of bearings they unboxed had some minor imperfections, so they had to grab a new set. I had never heard a mechanic apologize for anything before, much less for taking the time to do a job properly!
The quality of the repair was excellent - the new wheel bearings are smooth and silent, and they'll probably last as long as the rest of the car at this point. And the cost? $280 - slightly less than what Mitch had initially quoted me on the phone, and just over *half* what Transmutation King wanted for the same job.
Sure, Homeland Auto Service didn't have a fancy 10-seat waiting room with Timbits and a Keurig... but they also didn't have any dishonest workers lying to pressure me into signing off on work my car didn't even need. Mitch was pleasant, professional, and efficient, he did good work, and his prices were extremely reasonable. I'll definitely be taking my car back to him the next time I need work done - and for once, I won't be dreading the experience.
