Convenience Auto Service Liberty St

Reviews 4

NA

Nathaniel Siddall

Update: They actually seem pretty shady. See detailed updates below. The front desk operation is friendly. They give an impression of being experienced and competent. They are said to be Subaru specialists, and there were many Subarus in the lot. I dont have experience with any major repair. I can say that their diagnostic procedures are somewhat formulaic, and as a result can be pricey. I wanted a sort of general checkup for my older Outback, and brought a written list of questions and concerns that I thought a mechanic could go over. But they dont work that way. They have a standard service package they call "Courtesy Inspection-Complimentary" (which costs $55) so I signed up for that. It turned out to consist primarily of checking that my turn signals work, telling me I need new windshield wipers for $35, etc. Probably worthwhile, but it didnt really address my main concerns. I knew that I had a P0420 error code, and that my catalytic converter was probably bad, so I wrote in my notes that if they had the car up on a lift maybe they could look at the catalytic converter and see if there were any obvious signs of damage. They did that. But--that is not included in the "Courtesy Inspection" package. It triggered the "Diagnose Check Engine Light" package, which is another $110. So I paid $165 for more or less what I could get free from Midas and an oil change place. Update 4/10/17: When I wrote this review I assumed there was just some misunderstanding, and they did the “Check engine light diagnosis” in good faith. But now Ive looked at the work order again, and I see that “Check engine light” was written there and then crossed out—which confirms what I thought I remembered, that they told me the charge was $110, up front, and I said in that case I dont want that. So they took that off—but then later they added the charge back on. Why? This looks a lot like they concluded I wasnt a likely or desirable long-term customer (asks questions, reluctant to spend) so they figured, might as well rip him off for $110 while we have the chance. And, Im increasingly dubious about their diagnosis. The check engine light has only come back on when I refill the gas tank, which isnt really consistent with the diagnosis of catalytic converter failure. On the bill it says the diagnosis is based on “visual inspection” but they werent able to tell me what they saw. When I asked they changed the story and said it was really based on “monitoring.” I never really grasped what that meant, except that it was something much better than just checking the code. Probably they hooked a voltmeter or diagnostic tool to the oxygen sensors. Maybe that is all you need for a definitive diagnosis. I dont think they did any emissions test, and they didnt swap out the rear oxygen sensor (which is the one thing that would have been of some use to me.) Quite likely I do in fact have a bad cat...but their approach seems very typical of the lazy mechanic: Check the code; replace an expensive component; repeat until problem goes away and/or maximum possible funds have been extracted from customer. This is common, especially with mechanics who are used to doing work for a dealer, under warranty. Another update, 4/25/17: Convenience people said I needed new tires, and a brake job. Well, Ive just been to Belle Tire, and they said, I dont need new tires...and I dont need a brake job. I feel like a chump to have paid Convenience $55 just to get a bunch of recommendations for expensive work that doesnt need to be done. I regret having them replace a belt, and wish I had asked to see the old belt. I suspect that repair also wasnt necessary. It didnt stop the noise that I was originally worried about, at any rate. Another update, 8/22/17: The owner sent me a refund of $55. Thats nice, thank you. But the $55 charge was not really a problem. What I object to is the $110 charge for a diagnosis that I specifically asked not to get. By the way, I have no record of him calling me. I sent a letter several weeks ago, but have had no reply.

---

TA

Tani B

Ive been taking my car to Convenience Auto for five years, and Ive had nothing but stellar service experiences every time Ive left my car in their care. Whether for a simple oil change or for major suspension work--or for the variety of repairs Ive had done that fall somewhere inbetween--the folks at Convenience Auto have always taken remarkably good care of my car. And in addition to being incredibly skilled mechanics, the Convenience Auto crew is just a great group of folks, in general, who have always treated me respectfully and kindly while having a great sense of humor, to boot. They always manage to make me laugh, which is not something Ive ever done when dropping my car off for repairs anywhere else ;-) Im writing this review after having had another great experience with Convenience just last week, when I took my car in for an oil change, brake check, and winter inspection. Corky patiently explained the issues that were found with my 2003 Vibe, which has 180,000 miles on it, and he helped me decide what needed attention now and what could wait for another visit. I always have a million questions, and theyve always been answered with patience and with the level of detail I like when trying to make a decision. When I retrieved my car, I drove away confident about its ability to make it through the winter and satisfied with another great service experience at Convenience. Ive been driving for 30 years, and and Ive done business with more garages than I can recall, but since stumbling upon Convenience Auto five years ago, Ive found my go-to garage, and Ill never take my car anywhere else.

---

SA

Sajjad Ashnagar

So this place tried to fix my car Air conditioner on 31st of March 2016. They replace the whole condensor. At that time the car was in my friends name. The A/C didnt work well so another repair done on 1st of July 2016, as they replaced the Schrader valve. When i was trying to buy the car from my friend, i realized the A/C is not cooling. So before buying the car, I, personally, drove the car on December 6th 2016 and asked them to check it. They rather to recharge the AC again(without charge). They put a note then"May need leak repair if system gets low again". On 28th April 2017, only after less than 500 miles of driving, i started to use AC as the winter was gone. It was not working again. Showed up at the Autocenter and they stated the warranty is gone, as the owner has changed. Im not complaining of that, as its their right to discontinue the warranty. However, good for them, as they were responsible for paying this and now Im in charge. I agreed to pay the fees for repairing as the new owner, which still not happy with it, because I bought the car assuming A/C is fully ok! But They asked me 125$ for inspection of the problem, which was not acceptable for me. Im complaining of how they are technically incapable of fixing a problem, which as a customer, i had to go 4 times in a year for a single problem. They easily got away from being responsible for that, as my friend sold the car to me. I used to change my oil and etc there, which definitely would not go there. I dont have time, money and energy for this headache.

---

JO

Josh Williams

Called them on Monday morning, and I was hoping to get the job done by Tuesday evening. When I called they said they were booked until Wednesday afternoon. I thanked them and then called Steve Steeb who was also booked for the next few days. Shortly after Convenience Auto called back to say they could squeeze me in on Monday. Brought the car in around 10am, it was ready by 2:00pm. The person at the front desk was cordial and patient. I stopped by the next day after having already picked the car up to ask about time periods for replacing brake pads. I told them about our summer road trip plans, he said not to worry. Asking further about when to replace, he said it depends a lot on driving style / terrain, etc., and noted that there should be a rather uncomfortable noise generated when the brake pads are getting low. Some service places will give you a document that reflects various points of inspection, ie: what the current brake pad thickness is. I did not ask if something like this was available, which I regret not asking about! All in all, I felt comfortable and satisfied with the experience. They seemed happy to take the time to answer my questions even while the parking lot and service bays were full.

---

---

Other organizations