Not sure even where to begin with my experience with TCT. I was preparing for some serious driving and brought my vehicle in for a general pre-trip inspection and to have them check an unidentified issue/noise coming from the vehicle when I made a right turn (suspect CV joint issue).
Day 1:
10/31 dropped car off early morning, expectation was they'd have car inspected by noon. Waited all morning and didn't hear anything, so I drove by shop to check on progress. TCT informs me that they tried to call me but seems they had written down the wrong number. I am informed that the left, rear brakes needed repair and estimated around $600. I ask if this is what is causing the 'clicking noise' I hear. They are inclined to think so due to reported wear on the brake pad. I give a verbal ok to proceed based on this information. Mid-afternoon TCT calls and informs me there are some additional issues with the repair. I go down to the shop and they inform me there were problems e.g. they had difficulties removing parts and some ended up breaking during disassembly because of 'mismatched parts' so there would be additional costs involved. (Note, I have other recent, documented support from several other sources that basically conflict with this finding.) I go into the shop area; everything is indeed taken apart - I am annoyed that TCT never called me beforehand to tell me they are having issues before they disassembled. TCT also tells me they are still waiting on a part as the wrong one was delivered, e.g. the 'wrong' part came in the 'right' box. They will present a revised estimate to me, shortly.Late p.m. TCT calls and informs me that they have the final estimate ready to get the repairs completed - which now totals over $900 from the original $570. OK, at this point I'm thinking to myself "everything is taken apart, the original parts are useless according to them since they had to 'wrestle them off,' and the only way I'm going to be able to get my car off the lift and drive out of there is to have them do this work." TCT tells me they will get everything put together and I can pick up following mid-morning.
Day 2
I haven't heard from TCT and it's almost noon. I go down to shop, again. They are apparently still working on vehicle. As I walk in Matt greets me and tells me they just tried to call me. I check my phone and there is no record of any calls. Matt tells me that something happened where it looks like the mechanic probably left something on in my car and my battery is drained, so car needs to stay and get charged.At this point my head is really starting to hurt and I'm feeling like 'Alice down the rabbit hole' from these interactions with TCT, all while I'm trying to reconcile the diagnosis, delays, and "extra work." Looks like I have time, so I stop by my regular mechanic (who was unable to fit me in for the inspection this week so I ended up at TCT), plus another local business, and ask them to quote this work based off their list. I explained about the (potential) issues that require additional parts and labor. Their totals both come in significantly less. I call TCT and leave a message (they're at lunch) about my concerns on the revised pricing. No call-back. Around 4pm I go to shop. The service writer tells me he received my message and that (a) he went out of his way to get me the best price, (b) my regular mechanic likely doesn't use 'best in class' parts like TCT, (c) that the other quotes weren't aware of the extra work TCT had to do to get my brakes disassembled and repaired and (d) that if he had his druthers I should have been charged more because in retrospect he realized he wasn't probably going to make anything on this job. Moving on. I ask him if he identified and resolved the 'clicking' noise I wanted checked and the other main reason I brought the car in for service. He shrugs, and says something non-committal. The whole time he is talking AT me, while I am also trying to clarify my position, he is looking down at the counter, at the wall of the shop, but never directly at me. At this point it's half an hour to closing time on a Friday afternoon, my ride has been in their shop for two full days for a 4-5 hour job . . . I just want my car back. I pay them and get out of there as soon as I can. As I drive away, I hear the 'clicking noise' I originally reported. The following day I take the vehicle to a local, national repair shop where they identify the noise as being a faulty half-shaft/CV on the front right of vehicle. Total cost to repair is $280.
In summary: I've owned cars my entire long, adult life, and I get that if you own a car you are eventually going to run up against situations where you will have a 'difference of opinion' with the mechanic doing the work. Fortunately, I've had very few and those were discussed/negotiated appropriately. Regret I can't recommend TCT and absolutely will not be bringing my vehicles to them again. read more
