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| - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: I really, really, really hate to have to update/downgrade my review for this shop ... but it's clear I won't be returning. I liked these guys, wanted it to work out ... but not-to-be. What was 'the beginning of a beautiful friendship' with this shop six months ago ... slowly disintegrated into being unable to even obtain service in an emergency scenario.
THE CORE SHORTCOMING AT THIS SHOP IS - that the proprietor (whose shop IS in high demand) is only interested in taking on 'straight-down-the-centerline' high-margin work. Belts, tune-ups, oil changes, A/C, brake jobs, alignments, radiator/CV-joint/axle replacements, high-$ insurance wrecks - those sorts of things.
But for any OTHER work, anywhere outside such mainstream, this shop just repeatedly blew me off.
* Replace my rear bumper backup sensors, sensors in-hand, pop them in the bumper holes and plug them in? Fugetaboutit. Done at my new go-to shop, works perfectly.
* Replace an external B-pillar door window molding because its rubber gasket was stripped off? "You don't really need that." Really? Then why did the manufacturer build it into the car? New go-to shop ordered the part & installed it ... and in under 30 minutes.
* Install a new sunvisor I brought along (three screws & plug in the wiring harness)? Nope. New go-to shop did it in 10 minutes, no charge.
* Tire pressure check? "We don't do tires."
* The two OEM rear bumper light bulbs were blowing. "Well, someone else has been in there rewiring stuff." Yeah, when the rear bumper was recently replaced. Ok, that guy screwed up, but it's just trace the wiring down and find the problem. They did the work, but only after I begged ... twice. It took 15 minutes; tech said 2 wires were rubbing up a short.
* Replace an LED lightbar over my rear license plate (in-hand, red wire, black wire, just splice at the old/failed lightbar splice, then slide the two plate bolts through it - and then through the plate - to 'mount it')? Mikey looked at the lightbar, then LITERALLY turned his nose up like it was five-day old fish. Someone referred me to another shop that did it, no appointment, 20 minutes, $20. That shop, btw, got several hundred dollars of additional work from me ... and I've told them I am scheduling more.
* Unbolt the center console to retrieve a bunch of junk slipped down under it through an opening, make sure nothing damaged/shorted in there? The owner said "that looks like a lot of labor." Doesn't labor = profit? New go-to shop did it ... and in about 30 minutes.
In fact my new go-to shop was eager to do -- and did -- every single task I brought to them that Sunset had already turned away. And their work has been flawless. So when it came time for more expensive & routine items such as transmission fluid/filter service, replacement of the spark plugs and a BG injector flush service, guess which shop I picked? Not Sunset, I assure you.
One common excuse I fielded at Sunset was "This is a Triple-A shop, so we can't do 'special' work like that." What hog-wash. Meet AAA requirements and they don't care what additional services/labor you provide. That's just cover for the owner & his cherry-picking-jobs policy. Given his shop is busy, I sort of get that. On the other hand, you can't just 'skim the cream,' and then expect me to go hat-in-hand to other shops when less-routine or lower-margin work drops. It's a raw deal for me ... and a raw deal for the other shops too. I am either your customer ... or I am not. You can't have your cake and eat it also.
The final straw was when I appeared without appointment having smelled gas vapors in & around my car. I knew it was probably tank-overfill during the heat, not serious. But could also be any of several serious/dangerous issues and I wanted to check that out. Mikey said he was 2 days behind on scheduled work, he was thinking about closing the door to new business, glanced over the car for leaks. Then said -- and I resort to the rudeness of caps -- WITH MY CAR SURROUNDED BY GAS VAPORS, 'WAIT A WEEK AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.' That was eight weeks ago. No call from Mikey/Sunset to see if my car exploded (or not) or to suggest an appointment.
My new go-to shop examined the vehicle as I asked, and did so that same day, no appointment. I have not returned to Sunset since.
CONCLUSIONS: If you just need one of the mainstream services this shop offers ... and if they will make time for you ... these guys DO do honest & good work. I was really quite impressed with the detail at which they examined my drivetrain, axles, etc. and reported possible issues to 'keep an eye on,' for example.
But I, as most people, need a FULL SERVICE auto shop that will embrace ALL my repair & service needs ... high-margin or low-margin, easy or complicated, routine or not-routine, emergency or appointment.
And you cannot get that here.
UPDATE: Look at the 2017-08-01 review. If you're an attractive young female, suddenly they do tires. Sheesh.
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