5 /5 Jonathan Sarfati: Original review: around May 2022: Like many others, I found this family-owned business to be honest and reliable. They replaced a gear shift cable on the day. Their prices are up-front, and they inform you in advance.
They also found some leaks, and the estimate to fix was probably worth more than my car. But they said this was not an urgent job, and informed me how to keep the car going for a while much more cheaply. Businesses that do the best for their customers, rather than just go after as much money as possible, will gain my repeat custom, and that of my wife.
We have just moved into Marion Oaks, and we are very pleased that there is such a high-quality mechanic close by. Mrs Lopez runs the front desk in a friendly manner as well, We will be back.
Update, October 2023: indeed I have been back a few times, both for my car and my wifes. With current interest rates and car prices, it is more effective to keep our old cars going when they are still comfortable and mostly sound. So I asked them to fix those leaks after all.
The most expensive job was replacement of a torque converter for my 2001 Pontiac Montana. When the TC goes, it sends in metal fragments that damage the gearbox, so that needs replacement. But the cost for both replacements was far less than I thought it would be (looking at websites).
When it comes to my wifes 2007 Landrover LR3, when we lived in GA, many mechanics refused to touch it, and even the Dealerships didnt want to touch an older car. But Mr Lopez has always accepted the job. E.g. a leak in the passenger cabin is often a heater core problem, which is expensive because it is hard to reach. But Mr Lopez tested the coolant pressure and found no drop, meaning this expensive job was not necessary. Yet another example, when the LR3 had a slight problem in keeping straight, he found serious wearing on the front tyres because of a mistake by another place in wheel alignment, which could have been dangerous. So we took it back to that place, which was good enough to both fix alignment and replace tyres.
You can tell an honest company if they dont try to talk you into expensive jobs that they might offer. Rather, if possible, both Mr and Mrs Lopez will suggest much cheaper ways to address a problem. E.g. a fuel gauge that isnt quite accurate for low fuel in the tank. Rather than an expensive job needing draining the tank and replacing a stuck sensor, an easy fix is just to full up well before the dial shows "empty".
