About a month ago I went in because my check engine light was on, they told me it was because of a…read morefaulty EGR valve and the thermometer being stuck in the closed position. Because of the latter, I also got the coolant flushed and replaced.
One thing I do like about CBA is how thorough they are with their inspections; I really like the digital inspection report they send, the different issues that are labeled based on how important they are, and the plethora of pictures they provide. The tech I talked to mostly, Jake, was very kind and patient, and knew his stuff.
For further context, my car is a 03 Chevy Malibu that I honestly should've ditched months ago. There was a lot wrong with it that they found, and Jake kept it real with me and said any more money put into this car would be better spent for a newer one.
Anyway, I got the two main issues fixed, and Jake even applied a coupon I wasn't aware of that saved me about $50. Nice!
The next day (Thanksgiving), as I was driving, the engine starts to overheat, the car revs on its own, and the fuel gauge suddenly drops to "E" and the check engine light comes on again. Fast forward to me coming back to CBA again. They fixed most of the issues with no additional cost, as apparently there were several air pockets in the cooling system which caused most of the issues. The fuel gauge thing, though, was separate and had something wrong with the sensor. Jake, ever truthful, said that since I was planning on getting a new car soon it wouldn't be worth to fix the gauge and to just fill up on gas a bit more often. I agreed.
The next couple of days were okay, the engine didn't overheat, and the car didn't rev on its own!
...But then the engine started stalling and the car died lol.
Suffice to say, given the number of issues with the car, I don't think CBA intentionally broke anything during their repairs, as it doesn't surprise me that one thing being fixed would lead to a separate thing breaking down.
Also, the diagnostic fee was about $160, which I think is crazy considering Dobbs' fee, which is basically across the street, is about half the cost, AND that fee is waived if you get repairs done there! I double-checked my invoice and CBA's diagnostic fee does not appear to be waived. I suppose I can understand the higher cost with how thorough they are but having it waived would've been nice.
Anyway, I only give CBA 3 stars, as I feel like the air pockets and everything else maybe should've been noticed, but they also said they drove it a decent amount after their repairs and didn't see anything on their end. They get a 5/5 for great ideas of having the inspection report, the pictures, the shuttle service, and having techs there that are genuinely nice and seem to be looking out for your best interest.