*** You want to read this one ... ***
On Saturday April 21th , 2012 I called Brakes Plus and made an Oil Change appointment to honor a $15.95 coupon I received in the mail. I spoke with Brett who quoted me a 30-45 mins wait.
After I checked in, I went to Starbucks to make some phone calls and kill sometime. Upon my return, 40 mins later, I was told that they had some bad news for me: The oil drain plug was stripped and they could not proceed with the service. I was told this was caused by the party that performed the service prior to coming to them. They had tightened the plug using extreme force. Brett recommended I replace the Oil Pan for a new one to prevent future leaks and indicated that could not proceed with the service as is. I asked him to type up a work order with his observation and professional recommendation. He hesitated to do so and said he needed to consult with somebody else, went to the back room and after a few minutes, he and his manager came back out and confirm the diagnose, but proposed a new alternative route: Re stripping the Oil Pan.
I requested a written estimate of the cost of both procedures, but I was only provided with the total cost of replacing the entire part (oil pan):
Labor $187.50+Original Oil Pan $449.37, Total $636.87.
After I left the shop I called my mechanic for advised, he recommended going somewhere else to complete the work and I should let him know of any anomalies.
The Oil change was successfully done by Super Star CarWash in Peoria for $29 with a complementary car wash.
Today is Wed April 25, 2012 and I have not yet seen one drop of oil on my driveway.
... You be the judge ...
Cesar