I'd recommend first choice being your last choice. The experience I had here couple days ago was horrible. I dropped my car off for an MD inspection & an alignment. I got a call explaining the car had failed inspection for TWO MINOR THINGS (which I was already aware of). I asked if the alignment had been done also, to which he told me he wasn't aware I requested one. No problem, but yes let's get an alignment done please. He advised me they do not do alignments and had to send the car to another shop to get it done. No problem. Once the car was taken to who knows where- I was never even given the name or location of whatever "shop" I did not personally hire to service my vehicle, I was told the alignment could not be done, and it would cost $2k+ to replace chassis parts in order to be able to align the car. What they were not aware of is that I myself am an automotive mechanic, and I inspected my vehicle myself before taking to them. I declined the up charge and informed them I would like to pick the car up, but now they can't tell me when they would even have it back. Again, I have no idea where my car is at this point. I explained politely that I'd like to come pick it up first thing in the morning, and I was told it would be ready. Morning time comes and I call first choice, and I'm told the car is still not back, and "maybe" they can have it back by lunchtime. At this point I have to shuffle my schedule around just to make plans to pick my car up. I call back around 1pm and I'm told it's still not back. I inform them that I will be there to pick my car up in 30 min and they need to figure out how to get it back to their shop. Once I arrive, wouldn't you know it, the car is still not there. And when closing out my bill, I'm informed that I owe extra $ for this failed alignment situation, I don't even know who or what I'm paying for that, again, no information on where my car went was ever given. After about 30 minutes of waiting, the car shows up, and after a couple apologies from the receptionist, I was handed my keys. I wasn't the happiest customer at this point, but I understood. I let them know I will be making the TWO MINOR REPAIRS listed on the inspection report myself and will bring it back in a couple days for reinspection. I bring the car back a couple days later for reinspection and handed the inspector my keys so he could check it out, I literally had to replace a mirror glass and hood latch pull. Minor. He asks me did I get the alignment fixed, and I said no. He then immediately, with an attitude, shoves the keys back in my face and tells me he will not pass it. At this point I am fuming, I explain to him that I paid YOU to inspect my car, and what you wrote on the report has been fixed. What this man was trying to do was fail the car based on info "supposedly" given to him by some unnamed 3rd party for the alignment. I tell him, nothing about alignment was on the report I was given from YOU yesterday. In this moment I am catching him in his own lie, saying "I'm human, I forgot to put it on the report". No sir, you either missed it, or you're trying to make things up. The whole point of being a licensed state inspector is to NOT MISS THINGS, you are literally responsible for the vehicles you sign off on, that will be put on these roads. He then goes and makes that change on his computer and prints me a new report showing it now failing for 3 things. Unbelievable. What I took from this situation was first choice auto trying to up sell $2k+ worth of unnecessary items in an attempt to get a few bucks. Once I left this place, I immediately took it to another MD inspector and the car passed inspection with NO issues. The lesson I learned is that this place will never see another dime from me.
I have a copy of both failed reports from first choice, one showing those 2 minor things, and another one showing he added something that wasn't true. I also have the passed inspection report from the reputable shop that was done immediately after I left first choice. I will be making sure the MD state police hears about my experience here, hopefully they make the necessary corrections. Be weary of this place. read more
