Found: An Honest Mechanic
There was the guy in a Walnut car shop who convinced me I needed a new car battery. (He even showed me some printout from a little computer.) Turns out I DIDN'T need the $100+ item. (Our truck was barely two years old!)
Then there are the guys who insist I needed a new filter, some of this, more of that, and while some of the repairs are legit, the prices certainly aren't.
I'd come to expect getting gouged on car repairs because I am female, and more to the point, know next to nothing about cars. I also have a healthy horror about being stuck on the side of the road somewhere, so yeah, draw the bullseye target on my forehead already.
But no more. I have found an honest mechanic, and if you promise not to get in front of me when I'm in there with my car, I will tell you who he is.
Then there are the guys who insist I needed a new filter, some of this, more of that, and while some of the repairs are legit, the prices certainly aren't.
I'd come to expect getting gouged on car repairs because I am female, and more to the point, know next to nothing about cars. I also have a healthy horror about being stuck on the side of the road somewhere, so yeah, draw the bullseye target on my forehead already.
But no more. I have found an honest mechanic, and if you promise not to get in front of me when I'm in there with my car, I will tell you who he is.
First, how did I find him? The way most parents find the best daycare, party space or summer camp: word of mouth.
Our 2002 SUV overheated and needed a new radiator, among other things. The dealer we bought the car from had replaced the radiator last year, when it was still under the extended warranty we paid for. This time, the warranty had expired. We got a quote for a new radiator, four sensors that the dealer guy insisted HAD to be replaced, ad nauseum, for close to $1,000.
I was all for letting the dealer do the job. The car was there already, after all. But Hubby prevailed on me to make some calls (easy enough) and "just compare prices." Times like these underlines why I married the Great Hubby. Two phone calls to car repair shops, one in Irwindale, another in Azusa, brought me quotes way lower than the dealer's. Just to replace the radiator alone would have cost us double, yes DOUBLE, at the dealer's.
Hubby then remembered a recommendation from our neighbor, who drives his cars until they die (like Hubby does!) He takes his Honda to Ultimate Honda in Arcadia and swears by their fairness and work. Hubby's car is a Honda and he brings his ol' ride there now too. The Ultimate Honda guys recommended a repair place in Arcadia that does every make and model.
Enter Samy Siriani to save the day. I called him, told him my problem, got an estimate, then hung up to call some more repair places. When I called him back to ask about appointments, he had already looked up what kind of sensors the car needed, and that if they were original to the car, they should be covered by a warranty, He had gone to work for me without expecting anything in return.
When I drove in, he quickly diagnosed that yes, I need a new radiator, but not all four sensors needed replacing. He even told my husband that yes, it was easy enough for Hubby to do himself. We paid Arcadia Service Center a FRACTION of the original $1,000 quote from the dealer's. ($200)
Needless to say, Hubby and I grabbed a bunch of their business cards and offered them to friends.
A happy sequel to this story came last week. I was stopped by a nice police officer for a busted brake light. The traffic stop was nerve-wracking enough, but to be told I would have to pay to get the light repaired, then pay $15 for a sign-off on the ticket, when we were already straining at our budget, did nothing to improve my Monday morning. I called Samy at 8 a.m. and he told me the repair meant just replacing a bulb, so come on in.
He recognized me when I came in, and asked about the car before excusing himself to see for himself. Wonder Boy and I had barely settled into the couch in their waiting room when Sami came back, keys in hand. The bulb's been replaced, you're free to go home, he said.
NO CHARGE. I was so happy I had to give him a hug.
Samy knows how to make someone's day. So here's his info, feel free to share with friends. I am off to write a letter to the Arcadia Chamber, Better Business Bureau, and the Automobile Club, about one excellent guy running a great business:
Samy Siriani
Arcadia Service Center
40 E. Duarte Road, corner Santa Anita Avenue
Arcadia CA 91006
(626) 294-0072
Our 2002 SUV overheated and needed a new radiator, among other things. The dealer we bought the car from had replaced the radiator last year, when it was still under the extended warranty we paid for. This time, the warranty had expired. We got a quote for a new radiator, four sensors that the dealer guy insisted HAD to be replaced, ad nauseum, for close to $1,000.
I was all for letting the dealer do the job. The car was there already, after all. But Hubby prevailed on me to make some calls (easy enough) and "just compare prices." Times like these underlines why I married the Great Hubby. Two phone calls to car repair shops, one in Irwindale, another in Azusa, brought me quotes way lower than the dealer's. Just to replace the radiator alone would have cost us double, yes DOUBLE, at the dealer's.
Hubby then remembered a recommendation from our neighbor, who drives his cars until they die (like Hubby does!) He takes his Honda to Ultimate Honda in Arcadia and swears by their fairness and work. Hubby's car is a Honda and he brings his ol' ride there now too. The Ultimate Honda guys recommended a repair place in Arcadia that does every make and model.
Enter Samy Siriani to save the day. I called him, told him my problem, got an estimate, then hung up to call some more repair places. When I called him back to ask about appointments, he had already looked up what kind of sensors the car needed, and that if they were original to the car, they should be covered by a warranty, He had gone to work for me without expecting anything in return.
When I drove in, he quickly diagnosed that yes, I need a new radiator, but not all four sensors needed replacing. He even told my husband that yes, it was easy enough for Hubby to do himself. We paid Arcadia Service Center a FRACTION of the original $1,000 quote from the dealer's. ($200)
Needless to say, Hubby and I grabbed a bunch of their business cards and offered them to friends.
A happy sequel to this story came last week. I was stopped by a nice police officer for a busted brake light. The traffic stop was nerve-wracking enough, but to be told I would have to pay to get the light repaired, then pay $15 for a sign-off on the ticket, when we were already straining at our budget, did nothing to improve my Monday morning. I called Samy at 8 a.m. and he told me the repair meant just replacing a bulb, so come on in.
He recognized me when I came in, and asked about the car before excusing himself to see for himself. Wonder Boy and I had barely settled into the couch in their waiting room when Sami came back, keys in hand. The bulb's been replaced, you're free to go home, he said.
NO CHARGE. I was so happy I had to give him a hug.
Samy knows how to make someone's day. So here's his info, feel free to share with friends. I am off to write a letter to the Arcadia Chamber, Better Business Bureau, and the Automobile Club, about one excellent guy running a great business:
Samy Siriani
Arcadia Service Center
40 E. Duarte Road, corner Santa Anita Avenue
Arcadia CA 91006
(626) 294-0072
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