Fairfax Auto Repair

Reviews 3

A

Anonymous User

IF I COULD GIVE ZERO STARS, I WOULD. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. These people must get all of their friends to sign on and write great reviews, because they are the most incompetent, dishonest, and disrespectful people I have ever dealt with. I took my car in because it would not idle and asked them specifically to perform focused troubleshooting before replacing anything. They said they electrically verified that the electronic choke was not working, so I approved that repair. Then they suggested I replace the carburetor, but could offer no reason why they thought this was the problem. I asked them if they checked the timing, ignition points, fuel filter, air filter, and they simply restated that they thought a new/rebuilt carburetor was the next sensible step. I decided to go get my car and take a look myself rather than pay them to swap out parts until they found the problem. I was told that the electronic choke repair would cost $140, but when I arrived, I was presented with a bill for $250. I of course complained at length, but was repeatedly told that they charge a $95 "diagnostic" fee, of which I was never previously notified. Rebecca, the "owner/manager" admitted that she never notified me, insisting over and over that I should not expect them to "diagnose" problems with my car for free (something just about every other shop does by the way, in order to bring in business and build trust with their clients). I was also told that I could either pay the fees and pick up my car, or have the car held until I did pay, and pay an additional $30 storage fee per day. Rebecca also tried to play the woman card on me, even though I am also a woman, claiming that I had been disrespectful to her from the start. All I ever wanted was to be able to talk to someone in the shop who actually knew something about my car and why they were proposing specific repairs. She was not knowledgable enough to tell me specifics, so I asked to talk to the mechanic- her husband. It didnt take me long to figure out that he didnt really know what he was talking about either. He could offer me no details as to troubleshooting measures they had performed. To add insult to injury, I took the car home and replaced the fuel and air filters- 15 minutes and under $20- the car purrs like a kitten. So what exactly was this $95 diagnostic fee for? When obviously they did not correctly diagnose anything. TAKE YOUR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE, they are incompetent crooks.

A

Anonymous User

Adams is definately worth taking your car to. I had a car problem that was being compounded by other problems - the dealer would have most likely just fixed the first problem, sent me on my way and I would have been back. The technicians at Adams spent the time to not only diagnose my problem, but also look into why the issue appeared in the first place, and fixed those also. The best part for me was the personalized service - they spent the time to explain everything that was being done, in terms I could understand, and why they were doing it. It really took some of the "black box" out of auto repair. While my repair was fairly expensive, I know without a doubt it would have been more had I taken it to the dealer. I would highly recommend Adams Automotive as an honest, fair priced, and technically competent alternative. UPDATE: Satisfied Customer.....AGAIN!!! After my first positive experience, I decided to bring my other car (BMW) in with a problem that I had been putting off fixing. While this problem (door lock actuator) was easier than the first car, they were able to get my car in right away. Not only did they confirm the door actuator was broken, but they also found my power window motor was damaged and definately on its way out, saving me time and money. Furthermore, I found that their knowledgable staff was able to get confirmation of coverage on my warranty I purchased from CarMax on the first day in the shop and the whole thing was fixed the same day - he even stayed late to fix it for me (by his own accord - I was willing to wait two days)......the only thing I keep thinking is "why deal with the mega-dealership when these guys do warranty work too?" The same friendly, informative service calls letting me know the status of my car, warranty and repair continued. Service professionals such as doctors, veterinarians, and mechanics are a dime-a-dozon (and anyone who has dealt with a bad one, knows the pain), but good ones are hard to find - I almost did not want to write all this because I want to keep them to myself. I also love that I can talk to the owner of the shop in person and have him explain what he did to repair my car - an owner/operator who takes pride in his work and cares about his customers is truely rare these days. Keep this up and youve got a customer for life!!!!

A

Anonymous User

I rarely ever write reviews but I couldnt stand by and let there be other victims. I came into the shop to have an oil change performed. They were nice and courteous at first and said that theyd give me a call in an hour when it was done. I waited 3 hours and they still hadnt given me a call. I came and picked up the car after I called them and had thought that I could trust this place and left the lot. I only came to realize that my bumper was torn and paint had chipped off. Now they offered to pay for the repairs, but never admitted they were at fault. Ive worked at auto shops before and told them that this was caused by them backing out and snagging the bumper onto something and they turn around and tell me that its suspicious how I new so much. Isnt it more suspicious to tell me that theyll pay for the repair even when theyre supposed to be not at fault and also, not give me a courtesy call when you were done with the oil change? They even offered to cut a check and told me to file a hit and run with my insurance. I am meticulous about my car and know every detail of it, so when an auto shop blames me for blatant damages in which I have to replace the entire bumper I find that very offensive. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to understand that you tore my bumper to the point that it bent the metal body. I find the lady to be rude once there is stress and tried to get me out of the door as soon as possible. I have tried to resolve this without having to deal with insurance, but they have been difficult to deal with. I have never had an incident where an auto shop will not admit that this was caused by their shop and will not repair the damages that were incurred while it was at their shop. I had read these reviews and had decided to go to them since they had good ratings, but be forewarned, they are nice at first but when things so sour they are quick to point fingers. Remember to document any existing problems with your car and do a before and after walk-around so that they cant deny what happens to the car.

Other organizations