I brought my vehicle in after hours on Tuesday for CV joint repairs. There were no envelopes available at the key drop box, so I left my keys with the intention of calling first thing Wednesday morning to provide the details.
On Wednesday afternoon, I received a call confirming that one CV axle needed replacement, and it was recommended that both front CV axles be replaced. I was informed the parts would be ordered, but the vehicle could not be worked on until Monday at 8:00 a.m.
On Thursday, I returned to pick up my vehicle since the repair appointment was not until the following week. I was uncomfortable leaving my car in the parking lot for several additional days unnecessarily. At that time, I was told that if I removed the vehicle, I would be charged a $93 diagnostic fee because the shop could not guarantee I would return Monday for the repairs, and the fee could not later be credited toward the repair bill. To avoid paying an additional $93 on top of the approximately $1,400 repair estimate, I left the vehicle there.
Monday passed without my vehicle being moved or any communication regarding a delay. I drove by several times and observed no activity. On Tuesday around lunchtime, I called and was told the vehicle would be ready by 5:00 p.m. I received no follow-up call that evening.
On Wednesday, I called again and was told the parts store had sent the incorrect part, but the correct one had been ordered and the vehicle would be ready by 5:00 p.m. Again, I received no follow-up communication.
Thursday morning, I called once more and was then informed that the shop itself had ordered the wrong part and would need to reorder it. We went to the shop to speak with the manager directly because he was unavailable by phone. He was outside smoking when we arrived. During our conversation, he explained that he was booked with other appointments and would not be able to work on my vehicle until the following Monday.
At that point, I picked up my vehicle without paying any diagnostic fee. I then took it to Meineke, where the repairs were completed and the vehicle returned to me the same day. Meineke’s repair cost was approximately $200 less than Gil’s estimate, and they communicated with me multiple times throughout the day to keep me informed about the status of my vehicle and repairs.