The radiator started hissing and I smelled anti-freeze.
That's never a good sign! My car is out of warranty and since I am now an Old Town condo-maniac, I have neither the tools nor the spot to do the work myself (in fact, as reach my dotage, I don't really have the inclination to do much work on my cars any longer...I just want them to run well and not cause me any problems).
Going to the dealer always sucks...you can just about guarantee they will gouge you by adding unneeded additional services, and so many mechanics do the same.
I did most of my own mechanical work for many years and understand what goes into repairing cars.
When called around to find someone to fix the radiator on my car, the prices and weasel worded equivocations really depressed me. The dealer quoted me $850, minimum to replace the radiator, and "prepared" me for more "if they found anything else. They weren't alone, several other well known shops had pricing in the same range and the same sort of rap going about finding more things that needed to be done. I know we are in a recession and people are trying to find ways to make a living, but don't do it by RIPPING ME OFF!!
So, on to The Radiator King I called these guys on a referral and talked to Steve, the owner for bit, explained what was happening and he quoted me 1/2 what the other shops were quoting. He also mentioned that if a specific part were available, he would be able to do the repair for even less!
I took my car in, Steve tried to find the new part, but ended up having to replace the entire radiator, but he not only matched his original quote, he cut me a bit of a break for getting my hopes up about getting the part to repair the radiator instead of replacing the radiator!
I can't recommend Steve and the Radiator King highly enough!!
They did excellent work, my car was done quickly (took it in at 8:00 am, got a call at 12:30 that it was ready), and they were on budget and no BS.
They do far more than just radiators (all sorts of auto repair, so try them out!!).
I have found the mechanic that will be my family mechanic as long as I am here in Scottsdale!