I hate to leave bad reviews but the friendly faces and so sorry other shops have treated you wrong…read moresong and dance that was followed up with the highway robbery pricing just blew me away. I was in shock, and I think people need to beware and do your research before taking your car somewhere. I'm new to Texas and have been looking for my go to mechanic and this place is not it.
I took my 2008 Nissan to Victory Lane Automotive on June 19th for a diagnostic. After a previous experience at another shop that left me doubtful about their recommendations, I sought a second opinion. Unfortunately, I will not be returning to Victory Lane Automotive.
The first issue was the diagnostic fee. They advertise it as $85, but my final bill was $95.69 due to undisclosed shop supply charges. Transparency matters, and it's frustrating to find out about these additional costs only when paying. Just be honest and tell me upfront that the diagnostic will cost $96 rather than sneak in extra costs when the service has been completed and I have no choice but to pay at that point.
During the diagnostic, they confirmed several of my concerns but also identified numerous other issues. Initially, they quoted me around $2,600 ober the phone for the repairs, but when I reviewed the invoice I noticed one of the things we talked about was missing. So i emailed asking why the additional job wasn't one the estimate. The following Monday, I discovered an additional $3,500 had been added without explanation. How does a quote go from $2,600 to nearly $6,000? So I called hoping there had been a typo and that worst case scenario the $3,500 was the new out the door price. But nope it was in addition too.
Additionally, for rear shocks and struts, I received the quote of $3,500 from Victory Lane Automotive for parts and labor, while the original shop quoted me just $783 for the same service. And I received another quite for $655 from another shop with good reviews. Victory Lane Automotive justified their high prices by offering a lifetime warranty and said the parts were factory parts but could lower the price with the option for aftermarket parts. However, considering the age of my vehicle, a lifetime warranty holds little value. Even with a potential discount for aftermarketparts, the labor charges were still exorbitant--$2,500 is outrageous for labor alone.
To put it in perspective, I've never encountered such high prices, even in California. Even my Ford dealership back home didn't charge as much. While I understand that costs have risen and businesses need to set their prices, the difference--up to five times the cost of other shops--is unacceptable and in my opinion should be criminal.
This behavior, which I can only describe as price gouging, is disheartening, especially given the current economic climate where many people are struggling to make ends meet. As an independent shop, I recognize they can set their own rates, but this level of exploitation is concerning. This is more than a little inflation, its price gouging and taking advantage of people in a time of need at its finest.
If this is what they charge to work on an old 2008 Nissan I can only imagine what they'd charge to work on a newer, electric or foreign car. I mean even the new battery they recommended was going to cost $375 with $65 of that being the labor charges for the 10 minutes it takes to put one in.
In summary, I do not recommend Victory Lane Automotive. While the shop is clean and the staff friendly, the excessively high prices overshadow any positive aspects of my visit. Shop around for sure.
