I dropped off my 00 Impreza at 8:15am at Mikes Car Service in Old Town, Maine. I told them they could have the car for the day. I asked that since they were pulling the knuckle to do the wheel bearing rr if they could install a new backing plate for my drum brakes, and since they were taking all my existing brake hardware off could they install new hardware that I had in the front of the car. This consisted of new drum, hardware, shoes and wheel cylinders. They agreed and I left.
I ran by at 12:15 and the car hadn't moved from the spot I parked it. At 2:00pm they called and told me the car was ready. The charge was $209.10, mind you the hourly rate is $45 an hour. The car didn't move from 8:15am to 12:15pm. So it had to have gone in after that and been out by 2pm. That is only 1 hour and 45 minutes of total work time. I highly doubt two guys were working on one wheel bearing...
That means labor is 45 * 1.75 = $78.75. Ok what's up? When I arrived I noticed they hadn't installed any of the new hardware except the backing plate, and the drum. No new pads, wheel cylinder, hardware.
Now every mechanic knows that if something is coming off and you have the money to rr it then you may as well do it. I gave them all new stuff but they still put the old shit back on.
I told them I wasn't please that now I have to go back in and do my own brake job even though I paid him to do it. I also have to rebleed that side, which I paid him to do.
So the mechanic and I had words and he said to me, "if you don't like it go somewhere else." He then turned his back on me and stalked away while I was still standing there.
Moral of the story don't use Mikes Car Service in Old Town, Maine. They aren't worth the hassle... read more