AVOID THIS SHOP! Willie, the shop owner, was inaccurate and negligent in diagnosing my car as well…read moreas being rude!
I took my 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS to Willie's Auto Repair because it had been overheating the last few days and leaking fluids. I knew to keep adding water to radiator tank and expansion tank to keep car from getting TOO hot in the meantime.
Willie tells me I need a new water pump, bottom radiator hose, and have a small transmission leak. Cost for labor would be $280. He allowed me to buy parts @ Greyline Auto Parts to save some money. Got them for $151.
Next day, my car is ready, and I pay Willie $280 and drive away (should have test-driven first--my mistake!). But you have to understand, in all fairness to Willie, he had worked on my car before and results were satisfactory.
Anyway, I drive a few miles up the road and car starts to overheat, so I return to shop. Willie looks under car and sees fluid pouring out. Looks under hood and sees bubbling expansion tank and says, "you have a blown head gasket." He also seems perplexed regarding the leak and says aloud "where is that coming from?"
Somehow, I doubted his head gasket diagnosis--instinct, I guess! Willie did not do head gasket repair anyway, so I looked online and found great reviews for Cutshaw Automotive on Cutshaw Avenue in Richmond. And THEY did head gasket repair!
So, I take my car over there, and Master Mechanic Matt pops the hood, takes one look, and says, "I see already that you have a split radiator." He also noticed the broken radiator cap, which Willie SHOULD have noticed when he opened the radiator cap to add antifreeze! I mean, it was obvious...Matt said he thought Willie misdiagnosed on the water pump, but could tell he put a new one in. He also said he didn't think I had blown a head gasket.
Matt put in a new radiator, thermostat, antifreeze, and repaired a small transmission leak (couldn't help wonder if this was the SAME leak that Willie said he repaired?!)...Anyway, my car has been running great w/no leaking and no overheating whatsoever..
I call Willie up and tell him all this and he says, "well, the water pump WAS leaking." But when I pointed out his not seeing the broken radiator cap which CONTRIBUTED to my overheating/leaking issues, he simply replied, "Sure didn't." I also told him that he was wrong when he said it was a blown head gasket. He simply said, "well, it appeared to be that."
Basically, I then told Willie he was not thorough or accurate, but was negligent, and not a very good mechanic. Told him I was reporting him to the Better Business Bureau (I just did), to which he replied, "whatever, asshole!"....Nice guy.
p.s. I mean, think about it, suppose I had taken Willie at his word and gone and had my head gaskets replaced when they didn't need to be? I would have been out around 2 grand. More money than I can afford!