Lawrence, Kansas: I took our 2000 VW Beetle TDI to Don’s
Auto Center to see if the "problems" another mechanic (Das Autohaus -
see review at
http://www.combatcritic.com/2013/12/if-you-want-to-spend-lots-of-money-take.html)
told me needed repairing were indeed concerns. On my recent Das Autohaus invoice,
the owner had stated that the vehicle needed "new struts"
($400-$600 on RepairPal) and removal of “excess carbon buildup on intake
manifold” (which I had done less than two years and 20,000 miles ago at a
cost of $700), for a total of $1,100 to $1,300 in repairs.
I had recently taken the vehicle on a
500+ mile trip to Colorado to visit my mother and noticed that the fuel
economy was six to seven miles per gallon less than last summer (intake
manifold?) and the ride somewhat rough (struts?), so I decided to take the
vehicle to Don’s when I returned to see if the Das Autohaus “recommendations”
were accurate.
I explained to Mike, the owner of Don’s,
what the symptoms were and what I thought could possibly be causing them
(based on the Das Autohaus diagnoses – struts and carbon in manifold).
Mike called me later that day and told me that he had checked the
suspension thoroughly and found “no issues”, no concerns and certainly no
need for new struts. He told me the cause of the rough ride was likely
caused by the tires being overinflated and simply let some air out of
the tires. As for the poor gas mileage and possible carbon buildup on the
intake manifold, Mike said that the winter additives in the diesel fuel
cause lower gas mileage and because the manifold was cleaned less than
20,000 miles ago, there was no need to have it done again. He told me that
the air filter was a bit dirty, so I had him replace it and do an oil
change ($30 for an air filter, $50/gallon for synthetic motor oil) for a
total of LESS THAN $200 and OVER $1,000 LESS THAN THE DAS AUTOHAUS
"NEEDED REPAIRS".
I thanked Mike for his honesty and
integrity, values I as a retired military officer hold dear, and will
return to have him service our
vehicles
from now on. You can come to your own conclusions regarding Das Autohaus.
All I know is that by taking our vehicle literally a couple blocks down
the street to an honest mechanic, we saved over $1,000. Enough said ... THANKS MIKE!
Key Words: Don's Auto Center, Don's, auto, center, Lawrence, Kansas, 66044, honest, mechanic, integrity, honor, price, fair, manifold, tire, strut, repair, CombatCritic, combat, critic, TravelValue
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