My 1994 ES Lexus was making a very loud noise and smoke was getting inside the cabin of the car. I was told by one mechanic that my muffler was rusted and ready to fall off.
I was referred to Jim Baldwin, the owner of Lyons Muffler and Brake. Jim is fantastic, friendly, and so knowledgeable. Jim found out that my car had a separation of a small part at the entrance to the muffler. My muffler was not rusted like the other mechanic had told me. Jim explained to me that my muffler was stainless steel, that was installed by Lexus to prevent rust.
Jim took off the muffler and cleaned it up, professionally repaired the muffler gasket connection and showed me exactly what his business partner and he were doing, while they repaired it. They repaired the problem in less than an hour and the price was extremely reasonable, I could not believe it.
My car sounded like a Mac Truck when I arrived. After the repair was complete my car was quiet once again.
I am a business woman and am very impressed with Jim's professional work and absolute knowledge about brakes and mufflers. Jim has been working on brakes and mufflers for over 30 years.
Many mechanics take advantage of women drivers, which I have experienced most of my life whether it was a dealership or a private mechanic.
During the 1970's I purchased a new Chevrolet Citation, the "Motor Trend Car of the Year." I was a young mother with three children under the age of 5. The brand new car was a disaster. The car would be fine than suddenly lose all power and lights and just stop. It happened over 20 times including on the freeway system one time when I had my three small children in the car. When it happened at night with no power and no lights, it was a miracle that I was never in an accident. Chevrolet did not fix it, could not figure out what the problem was and refused to give me my money back.
I contacted State and Federal agencies including the Department of Transportation and the DMV in California who regulate transportation in the nation along with car dealerships. I sent my extensive research and reports of over 6 months to Congress. My extensive research, reports and case studies dealt with defective cars and the severe financial damage and safety issues consumers had to endure with absolutely no solutions or compensation from the manufacturers or the dealerships to the consumers.
I worked directly with Sally Tanner who was working on a comprehensive compensation plan for consumers when they purchase a new defective car called The Lemon Laws. The Lemon Laws have been watered down since that time, but it was the conduit that helped motorists across the nation effectively negotiate with dealerships and receive compensation for defective new cars.
There is another problem that has been around for decades; dishonest mechanics. Many mechanics take advantage of women drivers. They give women false information about their automobiles, which results in huge bills that were never necessary to fix the car.
Jim and his business partner treat women with great respect and are very protective with women, it is as if they were helping their moms, daughters or sisters.
My car ended up a simple fix because Jim Baldwin was honest and knew exactly what was wrong with my car, which was repaired quickly, one tiny part and along with it a small bill. Jim Baldwin clearly demonstrated his work ethic, impressive knowledge and experience on many types of cars. What a breath of fresh air. A truly honest mechanic that loves helping people get to the bottom of the exact problem and fixing it quickly at a very fair price.
Kathleen Haub
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