As a single female I always have the nagging feeling I'm getting ripped off when I have to get my car fixed. I'm ignorant to anything car related (other than the basics) and therefore vulnerable. AAA confirmed my speculations last week when I went in to get my car re-aligned because it was pulling to the left, which is about an $80 job. Instead they came back telling me it was actually a different problem... a $2,000 problem. I decided to take it in for a second opinion at a small privately owned place in Belmont, NC. They started with checking my tire pressure and rotating the tires. Brilliant idea, I thought! Very common sense and basic. After then finished their assessment, I brought up the issue AAA told me I had. They checked it out and reported back the part AAA told me was busted was actually just weakened. I should probably get in replaced, but its not urgent. AAA made it sound like my engine was about to fall down onto the frame of the car. The best part was the vast difference in cost estimate... only "a couple hundred dollars". When driving back to Charlotte I noticed the car was no longer pulling, indicating to me it was a simple tire issue all along.
In conclusion, BUYER BEWARE!
Trust the guy with the grease on his hands. NOT the one in the pretty blue polo.