Very angry! I had my car towed there Sunday needing a muffler, cat converters and the whole assembly. They quote me $5,173!! Telling me they can't get the parts and have to have them customer made, can't use any prefab parts and need all this special custom work done. Then they want to upsell me nearly a thousand bucks of work ON TOP OF their ridiculous price to replace my muffler system! and charge me $149 just to LOOK AT IT!! I get that a lot of places charge diagnostic fees, but that's kinda high. I'm pissed!! So, after I calmed down a bit, I called my regular mechnic an she referred me to the guys she sends her muffler work to and they quoted me less than half the price and informed me these parts ARE available and CAN be used on my car! He informed me this place is grossly overpriced and don't know where to get parts. I'm guessing they didn't even look very hard since it took them all of just a few hours to decide my parts couldn't be found! SUCH BS!! and it's a lie I am going to have to pay $149 to be fed!! My advice to you.. Stop playing on peoples' panic and distress and actually put some EFFORT into trying to find the parts before you decide you need to bilk customers for thousands to fabricate them!! I am unbelievably angry I am going to have to PAY THEM TO LIE TO ME!!! UPDATE!!!! SO.. I went to pick up my car and had a chance to talk to the folks over there in person and they were super nice! Seems there was some communication hiccups and that they admitted they'd have probably been better off referring me to Nellie's Muffler cause they would have access to more parts and they specialize in mufflers. Took it there and saved a BUNDLE!! The issue was the specific source they used didn't have what we needed. The office staff were very understanding and VERY nice and Liz even waived the Diagnostic fee! They apologized profusely for the mixup and before long we were all getting along great, she brought my car out to me and I took it over to Nellie's. A little communication goes a long way and there's no substitute for in-person communication! Also, make sure you take your car to someone who specializes in mufflers, I should have taken it to a muffler shop to begin with rather than a general mechanic, They did do a pretty exhaustive inspection, tho and that will help me to plan future repairs so that things don't have to fall off my car before I notice they need to be repaired, Again, Thanks, you guys for making it right.
Thank you for taking the time to update your review, Amoreena — we truly appreciate it. We completely understand how frustrating that initial experience felt, especially when you’re dealing with an unexpected repair and big numbers. In this case, the recommendation was based on the parts sources available to us at the time, and you’re absolutely right — a specialty muffler shop can fabricate exhaust pipe for more cost-effective solutions for that specific type of work. And like you said this repair will still unfortunately cost you a few thousand dollars. That said, we’re glad you came in and gave us the opportunity to talk it through face-to-face. Clear communication makes all the difference, and we’re happy we were able to turn things around, waive the diagnostic fee, and help you save you money. We also appreciate you recognizing the inspection — our goal is always to give a thorough, honest picture of your vehicle so you can plan ahead and avoid surprises down the road. Thank you again for your patience and for giving us the chance to make it right. If you ever need anything in the future, we’re here to help.
- Honest-1 Auto Care Ormond Beach