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| - I'm not a big fan of the "big service" shops. I like to find my neighborhood mechanic, or that "small shop" that gives you an honest evaluation and fair prices. However, I had an alignment coupon for Car X, so I brought my vehicle in there for the deal. Part of the deal is a free 30-point inspection, which I welcomed being that we're going on a big road trip in 2 days.
The visit stopped at the inspection. The guy at the counter (K.C.) brought me back to the van to meet the mechanic (Marshall) and show me a few things. First, the tie rod end was loose and needed replacing. And I thought, "uuuuugh, here it comes..." But they were kind enough to SHOW me how it was loose, and tell me that's an easy job that I could do myself (having talked earlier about doing my own struts, brakes, etc.). So wow - thanks for that! They also pointed out the serpentine belt, which I kinda knew was overdue.
While K.C. typed up an estimate, Marshall sat down with me to talk about the vehicle (which he knows a TON about). He gave me some good advice on the key things to do to make it last a long, long time. Free advice - how awesome! Additionally, he gold-starred my decisions on struts and shocks - a choice that I had fretted about, but now feel vindicated.
So tonight I get to replace my tie rod end and bring it back to them for alignment. And, for their hospitality, I'll throw in an overdue transmission flush job. Great job, guys!
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