Sears Auto Centers genuinly reputable?

[beer]

I'm going to have to have a complete brakejob overhaul.
I am going to need entirely new rear drum brakes as well as new rotors for the front. My car now has 61K miles; the rotors were resurfaced at 30K and some minor work was done on the fronts but other than that, no work has really been done on the brakes.

I also am probably going to need new struts, and a wheel alignment.

I've always gone to a single shop and gotten all my work done at home (220 miles away), and I don't have any experience getting auto work done in austin, my college city. So I don't know any mechanics nor any good, non-screw-you-over shops.

I've always had good luck dealing with sears and electronics/appliances. Would they be a good choice to get some work done at?

 

[The Stigenator]

i had doen stuff in sears before.. they are far better than places like midas or whatever..

I havent had trouble with sears stuff.

Edit: must say its a tad bit more expensive.. but the work was good.

 

[NYSTrooper]

Originally posted by: beer
I'm going to have to have a complete brakejob overhaul.
I am going to need entirely new rear drum brakes as well as new rotors for the front. My car now has 61K miles; the rotors were resurfaced at 30K and some minor work was done on the fronts but other than that, no work has really been done on the brakes.

I also am probably going to need new struts, and a wheel alignment.

I've always gone to a single shop and gotten all my work done at home (220 miles away), and I don't have any experience getting auto work done in austin, my college city. So I don't know any mechanics nor any good, non-screw-you-over shops.

I've always had good luck dealing with sears and electronics/appliances. Would they be a good choice to get some work done at?

Personally I'd go to a Pep Boys...they guarantee parts for life and a good warranty on quality of labor. Its probably cheaper. Brakes and struts at 60k miles I'd guess you've got a big vehicle and you drive it pretty hard.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: NYSTrooper

Originally posted by: beer

I'm going to have to have a complete brakejob overhaul.

I am going to need entirely new rear drum brakes as well as new rotors for the front. My car now has 61K miles; the rotors were resurfaced at 30K and some minor work was done on the fronts but other than that, no work has really been done on the brakes.



I also am probably going to need new struts, and a wheel alignment.



I've always gone to a single shop and gotten all my work done at home (220 miles away), and I don't have any experience getting auto work done in austin, my college city. So I don't know any mechanics nor any good, non-screw-you-over shops.



I've always had good luck dealing with sears and electronics/appliances. Would they be a good choice to get some work done at?

Personally I'd go to a Pep Boys...they guarantee parts for life and a good warranty on quality of labor. Its probably cheaper. Brakes and struts at 60k miles I'd guess you've got a big vehicle and you drive it pretty hard.

It's a 98 ford contour, mid-size sedan.

But I'm going to be making a 1700 mile drive next month, and I will be in completely unfamilar surroundings until the end of summer, followed by another 1700 mile drive back...and I don't want to have to worry about these things when I am that far from everyone I really know.

 

[NYSTrooper]

Have you had your timing belt and hoses replaced? Usually that's ~60k miles. With the weather changing and your long trip its worth inspecting them if they haven't been replaced.

 

[BornStar]

I only do tire things at Sears. They have been very good about tires and their warranty is awesome.

 

[Ryan]

Ahhhhhh - this thread scares me. I would never have my work done at Sears, let alone the pimple farmers they call mechanics at pep boys.

Either a local mechanic with a good reputation, or the dealer for me............

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: rbloedow
Ahhhhhh - this thread scares me. I would never have my work done at Sears, let alone the pimple farmers they call mechanics at pep boys. Either a local mechanic with a good reputation, or the dealer for me............

Personal experience or stereotypes?

 

[vegetation]

Sears is OK for those kind of small things. Brakes are really nontechnical believe it or not, so any shop can do them. I question why you would need new shocks at 60k on a non-performance vehicle though.

 

[beer]

up...

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: NYSTrooper

Originally posted by: beer

I'm going to have to have a complete brakejob overhaul.

I am going to need entirely new rear drum brakes as well as new rotors for the front. My car now has 61K miles; the rotors were resurfaced at 30K and some minor work was done on the fronts but other than that, no work has really been done on the brakes.



I also am probably going to need new struts, and a wheel alignment.



I've always gone to a single shop and gotten all my work done at home (220 miles away), and I don't have any experience getting auto work done in austin, my college city. So I don't know any mechanics nor any good, non-screw-you-over shops.



I've always had good luck dealing with sears and electronics/appliances. Would they be a good choice to get some work done at?

Personally I'd go to a Pep Boys...they guarantee parts for life and a good warranty on quality of labor. Its probably cheaper. Brakes and struts at 60k miles I'd guess you've got a big vehicle and you drive it pretty hard.

:Q:Q:Q:Q

 

[Ogg]

Ask some of your professors where they take their vehicles.....or go to a triple AAA certified shop in town. Often if you mention triple AAA theyll discount you and never even ask you for your membership card.
:Q:evil:

 

[TwoBills]

I'd avoid sears, I've had alignment problems w/them. Most shops like that can't even do simple things, such as a proper tire rotation. As for pep boys, well, no personal experience, but to give an example: a friend of mine had a clutch installed and after all was said and done, we figured out that they faced the flywheel too much (couldn't do the 1st clutch adjustment). In their defense, they honored their warrenty and fixed it right. Find the local Napa dealer and ask about mechanics and machine shops. Go to the machine shop and ask about mechanics. Good, fair mechanics are few and far between, but worth hunting down.

 

[m2kewl]

don't let the jiffy lube boys at sears work on your car...or pep boys for that matter!

jiffy lube put wrong oil on my friend's car and claimed my friend gave them the wrong info...what bs!

use at your own risk.

 

[VTEC01EX]

Sears = NTB which is about to equal Tire Kingdom (buyout). Based on what I've seen some NTBs (and Sears) do, I'd never take my car there. Stick to reputable local shops where there's actual accountability and consequences if they screw up.

 

[Savij]

Two seperate sears auto centers in two different states, both of them ended the same way. My car left more damaged then it went in, and the manager didn't back down until there was threat of legal action. Never again.