Friends, I just wanted to inquire as to where you all get most of your work on your cars done. Do you have the dealer do most of it? Do you go to independent shops that focus on imports? Or do you go to independent shops/service stations that do work on all makes?

I have brought mine to all three. I usually go to the dealership for BIG stuff like motor work. Fortunately I haven't had any serious motor problems but, like, when I got my timing belt changed I had the dealer do it. Smaller stuff like brake pads I'll let local import garages do. And oil changes I'll trust to a service station.

I'm curious to know whether y'all do similar. And if so, who would you trust to do an unscheduled alignment?

 

im with you, wbroylesh. except that ill hand my motor to local import garages. i never bring my car to dealership unless its something like...a "check engine" light that came on. brake pads, oil changes and stuff are also done at local import garages

 

Generally speaking, I went to the Acura people only for the recall stuff that was listed on the NTSB website and anything I got from Acura saying there was trouble.

I do all the oil changes, air filters,--all the small stuff.

I usually go to Honda dealerships. Not only do they treat me better but they do one hell of a job on the Acura...taking it in tomorrow for front rotor change, all four sets of brake pads, back rotor refinish, two new front tires, coolant service and alignment.

They wash the car nicely--inside and out (free of charge)--and they have, recently, given me Accord coupe's as my replacement car while they do work--that, in an of itself, is worth the price of admission.

-beno

 

I'm pretty much the same. I am lucky that I have a lot of friends in the autmotive repair business, one who owns a tranny shop, one who owns a mechanic''s shop, one who owns a custom exhaust shop and one who now is a service adviser at my Acura dealer. MOST work including oil changes, brakes, etc. is done at my buddy's shop by either him or myself. Anything he can't do (ie he couldn't properly bleed my brakes last time as I screwed up and let the master go dry, so the dealer had to pressure bleed them). I will take it to the dealer for the timing belt, only because if anything goes wrong, (and I'm just about due for it too..) I'd much rather have it be the dealer's fault than my friend's,and a mechanic screwed up my mom's Maxima years back when doing the timing belt, so that is always a dealer item for me now. Performance stuff is either me by myself, or at my friend's shop. Guess that's it...