Recharge: The Auto Connection
By: Mr. T on
April 4, 2012
Consumers in general want two simple things in a good auto repair shop: High quality service, and honesty. Like anyone, I have had a few very poor experiences with some shady characters at repair shops. But more frequently, I’ve been disappointed with experiences at shops that I have felt have been run by good, honest people, but have produced mediocre service. Having heard from a few people whose judgment I trust that the Auto Connection delivered both great service and had a reputation for straight shooting, I finally took it in last week.
Jeff at the Auto Connection indicated that my AC hose to the condenser had a major leak that could not be repaired, which basically rendered the entire unit inoperable. As noted in the photo above, you can see where the green dyed freon leaked out of the hose onto other components. A leak of this size could not be repaired, and warranted a complete replacement.
Now I should mention, I am the owner of a particularly rare car: a 1992 Subaru SVX. Only about 14,000 of this entire model have been sold in the United States, and I can imagine only a few hundred perhaps are still on the road. The ugly side of owning such a rare car is that replacement parts can be difficult to find, and can be very expensive. On the plus side, because there are so few of us SVX owners out there, many of us are fairly diligent about knowing where to find replacement parts, and there are numerous resources online created and run by fellow SVX owners to help other owners locate parts and exchange useful information on service generally. Thus, with a little effort, it is not very difficult to determine how much replacement parts and service costs for this particular automobile.
Jeff quoted me a price on a replacement hose that was somewhat steep – about $200. But after doing a few hours of research on my own, I was fairly satisfied that that price was indeed pretty much the exact amount that I should be paying for that part. Likewise, the cost of labor was definitely well within the expected range for a thorough detachment and replacement of the hose, and the recharge itself was comparable in cost to other quality shops around town (about $150 including the cost of the freon).
Satisfied with the costs, I contacted Jeff a few days later and brought my car back to the Auto Connection. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the queue was quite reasonable, so I could basically bring in my car and pick it up on any convenient day for me. As promised, I was able to pick up my car at the end of the work day. I was pleased to find a new replacement hose, cleaned up engine components, and fully working AC. They also did their complementary 27 point check, Jeff gave me some advice on possible future issues to keep an eye out for, and then had me on my way.
All in all, the damage at the Auto Connection for my repair job was over $400, but I also made use of their $50 off a repair coupon from the weekly “Local Values” mailing which helped reduce the pain. More importantly, I can say that I am confident that I was charged a fair and honest price, not to mention very friendly, professional and high quality service. I would gladly pay that same amount of money again if it was worth it for a similar repair on my SVX, and similar level of good service. I will definitely be brining my car back to the Auto Connection in the future.
Comments
See what your friends and neighbors have to say about this.
It’s always good to get the scoop on a mechanic you can trust.
I always had good experiences with 24 Hour Auto near 27th and Cornhusker. Mike, who runs the place, knows how to treat people. I always felt like he was fair. After one particularly costly repair, he waived the cost of an oil change. And not everything he found was an urgent fix to him. He’d give you his assessment on how long you could go before it was a real issue.
I just felt like he knew that your patronage over the years for issues big and small was worth more than getting every possible cent today.
Anyway, whoo to good mechanics.
Thanks for that tip. Never heard of that place (largely because I don’t live near that area). I couldn’t agree more. Auto shops which approach car owners that way are much more likely to earn customer loyalty than employing alarmist fear tactics or other shady techniques. Its sad that so many consumers can’t see past those types of transparently manipulative methods.
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