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| - I drive a 2006 Toyota Corolla with about 150,000 miles on it. It's been shaking/vibrating like crazy for probably about the last 8 months or so every time I step on the brakes. But I kept putting off bringing it in because I was scared to death of how much the repairs would cost and because I absolutely HATE going to mechanics (hubby never has time to do it since he's a pilot and out of town most days). But finally the car was making enough noise that the fear of dying in a crash outweighed the other fears and we decided it was time. Hubby did some looking around at reviews and picked Professional Brake Service after seeing the great reviews it had here.
I have to say we absolutely made the right choice and I can't recommend this spot enough if you need brake service. They were very warm and friendly from the time I called to make the appointment to the time I picked up the car to go home. I have one small complaint but it's a typical mechanic issue, let me explained what happened. I dropped the car off, telling them what it was doing and pretty much expecting the worst. About 2 hours later, the owner (Jeff) called me to give me the details, he said I had 2 options. The rear brakes were fine and didn't need anything. But the front brakes were about 80-90% worn and really needed to be replaced. He said he could do the whole thing, including using "premium rotors" that are "powder covered", and it would cost $497. After I recovered from almost dropping the phone, I said the car is a 2006 and we probably won't keep it much longer, it doesn't need premium anything. He said ok, that our second option was to go with the non-premium rotor package and replace the whole thing for $397. I said ok, let me call my husband and relay the info to him and I'll call you right back - I've learned the hard way never to just say ok, go for it!
So I got my husband on the phone and he immediately sounded confused and a little unhappy. He knows a lot about cars and car parts (he's the one who fixed the rear brakes) and he said $397 sounds like too much for just front brakes. So he called Jeff himself to talk about exactly what that included. Apparently, it included new everything including calipers and rotors (and the pads and other parts) - but my car's calipers were fine and didn't need to be replaced and the rotors weren't in great shape but could be saved for at least a couple more months by being "machined". I am not at all mechanically inclined but I think my husband also said Jeff wanted to use very expensive pads that were unnecessary when the cheaper ones would be just fine for this car. So after his conversation with Jeff, Hubby called me back and said he gave him the go-ahead but it's going to only cost $250. I know this is partly my own fault for knowing so little about cars and brakes but this really does bug me. I would never have even though to ask if my calipers needed to be replaced - if you tell me you're replacing them, I'm assuming it's because they need to be. I wouldn't know to ask what kind of pads they were using. It really feels like just another way for a mechanic to take advantage of a woman (or any uninformed customer for that matter). I would have had to pay the $400 and never known the difference - and I sure as hel* don't have that extra money laying around!
Anyway, aside from that, they did a great job. The car really drives like it's brand new again. The brakes don't make a peep and they respond quickly and easily just like they're supposed to. Since the quality of the work is what matters most to me, that's why I'm giving them 4 stars despite the above issue. Also, like I said, everyone was very friendly and kind and helpful for the entire process. They had the car done and ready to go within a few hours, as promised. And it's the owner Jeff who is there doing a lot of the talking and I like that about a business - and he's a very nice man who takes his time explaining things to you. It's very obvious that he really cares about his business and his customers - rare find these days! I very much wish they did everything and not just focused on brakes because I would go back but they don't at the moment. But if you are looking for a brake place, please give this place a try, you really won't regret it!
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