I have to begin by saying I did not actually have work done here, but keep reading. Last year, my Dodge cargo van failed inspection due to a rusted frame. My local garage recommended Stauffer's, so I drove it over after calling. The guys were just about ready to go home for the day (I just caught them), but they took the time to crawl under the van and have a look. He noted the problem, said I'd need at least a partial frame replacement (cut a section off a donor frame and weld it in place), quoted me a price I think was pretty reasonable, considering, and we scheduled an appointment for about 1.5-2 months later, the earliest he could fit me in, plus he needed to source a frame.
Fast forward, it's time to drop off the van. He finally gets it up on the lift and can now see that the rust has gotten to the mounts and other areas, and it's unfortunately not something that can be repaired. At least, not affordably considering the age/value of the van. So, I'm disappointed, but understand, and I go to pick up my vehicle.
When I asked him what I owe, he said $0. I argued he had to put time in to looking at it, sourcing the part, etc. but he refused to take anything. You don't often find people with that kind of integrity, and we're blessed with a couple of them in my area -- my regular mechanic and this guy.
I'm of course hoping I won't need the services of an auto-body shop, but if I do, this will be my first call. read more