FOOTHILLS AUTO & TRANSMISSION

They were able to diagnose and fix a problem for $500 which the dealer said would cost me $1000.

Took my 07 Nissan Versa to Express Auto in the Foothills for estimate on repairing engine mount and replace serpentine belt. Asked them to check a ticking sound in the A/C. John the service rep called about thirty minutes later with a full cost and some suggestions for the ticking sound. I approved the motor and trans mount replaced along with the belt. John also had called the Nissan dealer and got suggestion for the tick his tech heard in the axles.
The work was completed as quoted and was done by the end of the day. I am always pleased with the work and service I receive. They are always prompt and never exceed the estimate unless they call and get authorization for the extra work. I will use them again for all my auto needs.

My wife's car had a vibration when driving so we took it to get looked at. I had assumed it was a transmission problem and asked if they could check it. They told me it would be looked at we would receive a call before any work was done. Within a few hours I received a call telling me it was a broken engine mount causing the vibrations and were given a quote to have it replaced. The price was fair and I told them to replace the broken motor mount. A while later I received another call after the transmission had been inspected. They said it would need to be rebuilt; not that day but in the next few month. I was informed that it would be around $2100 (reasonable price) out the door to have the transmission done. I decided to get a second opinion so only the motor mount was replaced.
I rated them an and quot;Aand quot; on price, punctuality and responsivness because that was my experience with them. I rated them an and quot;Fand quot; for proffesionalism because thats the level of service I received in this area. During every conversation I adressed Jody as sir. After dropping the vehicle off and every encounter there after I was reffered to as and quot;Budand quot; or and quot;Buddyand quot;. Maybe this is just my background, but you ALWAYS address your customers as Sir/Miss or by MR./Mrs. XXXX unless specifically told to do differently. It is common curtsy to do this do anyone, especially when they are your customer. I'm sure most of you with a military background know exactly where I am coming from.
When all the work was finished I was given a total and told the vehicle was ready for pick up. When I paid in cash $360 for a $351 bill, I was asked and quot;Do you have two tens, because I don't have any change?and quot;. I said I did not. I was then told and quot;Well I don't have any change because most people don't pay in cash, so you will have to go get change. You can try the Circle K right down the street.and quot; It would not have been an issue at all if it were handled differently. He didn't ask any of his employees if they had change, or offer to go make change. Telling me I need to go make change for his business in just unacceptable.
UPDATE: I had my transmission checked at different business and was told it is showing some wear, but just needed a service and to bring it back in 12,000 miles to have it checked again. I was also shown that another engine mount was broken and had been missed previously. That is the reason I rated the quality a and quot;Cand quot; because they missed one of the broken engine mounts.

Normally I perform all my maintenance but did not have the time, tools or a lift to perform this task. I also purchased my own parts that were designed to the quality that I demand due to the fact that this is a foreign car and that specialized factory parts are not available in Yuma (clutch, flywheel, throw out bearing, torque to yield- one time use only bolts). I called around to find price quotes and personally visited several shops. Some shops can be leery of customer supplied parts but Foothills Auto said it would not be a problem. I showed up just before they opened to ensure I was the first task of the day. The employees all showed on time and were ready for work. This car is my sole means of transportation so I waited for the job to be completed. NOTE: I am VERY particular when others perform repairs on my car, so I scrutinized their work, ensuring that care was taken to protect the car, the parts I supplied were the ones installed and that proper torque was applied to critical fasteners. The bottom line: They delivered service I expected, they were respectful to both me and my car and finished the job quicker than I expected (+- 4.5 hr.s). I have driven over 5000 thousand miles since the installation of the clutch and have had no problems to date. I would recommend them to anyone needing similar work done and would use them again in the future. That being said, do as much research as you can to know what you need. I knew all the parts that were required or SHOULD be replaced for this job. Some shops might be tempted to reuse the original parts and cut corners...remember, your family's safety depends on a job done right. Get several quotes and visit their shops if able. Ask hard questions i.e How much is JUST labor? Are you working by the hour or an agreeded upon price for the total repair? What is your warranty?Where do you get your parts? Are they factory orginal (OEM) or chinese knock-offs? If they are shy to answer, indirect or condescending move on. I consider myself knowledgeable about vehicle systems and their repair, but even I have been burned…caveat emptor- let the buyer beware…hope this helps

Everything about them was superb.

We did not utilize their services nor will we in the future.

Had problems with a 2000 Dodge Caravan losing its coolant and sometimes overheating. Thought the water pump was on the fritz. Took it to Foothills Automotive because of a recommendation I read on Angie's list. They diagnosed the problem as a leaking radiator and recommended that it should be replaced, but the water pump was fine. Since the cooling system was being broken down to put the new radiator on, they suggested the thermostat be replaced also (which would save a lot of labor cost if it went out next) due to the age of the vehicle (to have that replaced it was an additional $16). Also had the blower motor repaired because the first 3 speeds didn't work. It was apparent from the start that Jody, the owner, was an honest mechanic and that he wasn't in the business of telling customers their vehicle needed extra repairs so that he could line his pocket book. He fixed what was broken, and used prudent judgment on what else should be repaired, for my sake, not his. I do think I found an honest mechanic!

The last project involved removing the engine and installing new engine mounts. In the process of doing this, a $35 gear was chipped, so when Jody test-drove it, it could not go into third. He called me and said he was going to find the problem and fix it for no additional cost. Another mechanic might have reported there was an additional problem costing more money.