Gaston's Garage

We were customers of Gaston's for several years, but have experienced several issues with them over the past 6 months. 1. 1st issue- We brought our 2013 CRV in for routine maintenance. They replaced air filters and did an oil change. We noticed after the work was done, there was a rattling sound. We were concerned about a more pressing engine issue, so we took it to Autopark Honda. Honda determined that the wrong size/type of air filter was installed. After Honda put in the correct filter, noise was gone. Gastons did refund us for the filter they put in. 2. 2nd issue- I dropped my 2005 Honda Civic off for a state inspection. I have NEVER had any issue with my car stereo, but when I got my car back from the inspection the stereo was completely dead. I requested a call back from the manager, but when I had not heard from him by noon the next day I called again and got to speak with him. He refused to take any sort of ownership of the problem nor offer anything to help other than to charge me $100 to perform a diagnostic test. He said it was coincidence that the stereo broke the 30 minutes they had my car in their garage.

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They have been excellent.  It was easy to schedule an appointment. They have a high integrity factor, they don't charge you for things that you don't need, they advise you competently, and I just think their work is very good.

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This is a difficult review to write, because there things both bad and good worth mentioning. The end price was great, but the place was really disorganized. The people there kept saying really nonsensical things. And the customer service was really poor. Several examples are written about below.
I wrote to several auto mechanics whose businesses scored highly on Angies List, stating what I wanted done to my car, and asked several questions about things, including a quote to do the work. I clearly stated that my car is a 2003 Honda Accord coupe V6, and provided the VIN number. Gaston's came back with the best quote, $830 including tax, and included several very nice items, such as use of all Honda original parts. The quote came back with the strange statement that sometimes they find that the front engine mount needs to be changed on these vans. My car is not a van. It is a Honda Accord Coupe. I wrote back asking what he meant by that, asking if his quote was for the incorrect vehicle. He did not respond. A week later I called him and asked him about it and he said that he had just been working on a van and must have gotten things mixed up, but that his quote was for my Honda Accord Coupe. I also asked him if we qualified for their 10% discount for senior citizens, which would bring the price, including tax, down to $747. He said yes.
I brought the car in on a Sunday night and dropped off the keys through the proper slot. The next morning at 9:30 I called, asking if everything was going forward. The receptionist quoted two phone numbers to me asking me if they were mine. They weren't. They had to have come from another person's paperwork. She hadn't even read the information I had provided in a letter I left in the drop box. She then ran and got my letter and said everything was OK.
Fifteen minutes later, their mechanic called and said he couldn't do the job for $830 plus tax. He said that the price would be $996 plus tax. I reminded him that the job was quoted at $830 including tax, and additionally, I was to get a 10% discount bringing the total package, including tax down to $747. And they had agreed to that. I told him I could forward their email quote back to him as proof. He said that email wouldn't help. I'm not sure what that meant. He said that the guy who quoted that price was on vacation and he couldn't prove it one way or the other. But eventually, he agreed to do it for the total price of $747, including tax.
He also told me that the power steering pump was leaking, and that he could repair it for $230 minus the 10% discount. He told me that a new power steering pump was $400. I looked on line and saw that the list price that Honda charges is $407, but I could buy it new for $258 online. He then asked me how much I said the belt was. and quot;What belt? The power steering pump belt?and quot; I asked. He responded, and quot;No, the timing belt. How much was it on the piece of paper?and quot; I replied, and quot;What paper? And I didn't say anything about a belt.and quot; He then said, and quot;Well, never mind.and quot; He was totally confused about something and had me confused.
They did get the work done by 6 PM as they were shooting for. I came to pick it up. I said I would like to take it for a test drive. and quot;Sorry sir, we can't give you the keys until the order is closed out.and quot; That's really bad customer service. But there was nothing I could do about it. So I proceeded to pay, hoping there was nothing wrong.
She said the total is $747. I let her know that this was incorrect. They forgot to charge me for the work done on the power steering pump. She went in back and got that fixed on the bill while I waited.
Before she was ready to let me pay, she kept going into the back, talking to the mechanic about things, and modifying things on the bill. This took about 10 minutes, in which I was left standing and waiting.
As I was paying, the girl said that my signature would indicate agreement with the notice next to the credit card swiping machine. I read the notice and it said that a mechanics lien would be placed against my car. I asked what that meant and the girl started explaining to me what a lien is and that it would go against me if I don't pay. I know what a lien is. And the notice didn't say that a lien would be placed against my car if I didn't pay. It just said that a lien would be placed against my car, period. She asked the other girl in the office to explain it to me, and I got more of the same non-sense. The other girl removed the notice from the counter. Again, I was stuck. If I wanted my car back, I had to sign the darn thing. I figured these people didn't even really know the concept of what a lien is or why it's used, so I figured it was harmless. I signed.
I then asked if they put a sticker on my engine showing that the timing belt had been changed and at what mileage. This is pretty standard practice. They said no. There was nothing I could do about it.
I went to my car, started it, and started to drive it away when I noticed the air bag warning light was on. This is the first time I had ever seen it. I went back to Gaston's, parked my car, and went in. It was at closing time. The mechanics were starting to leave. The girl was on the phone with another customer and kept ignoring me. Finally, I went around the back of the counter and asked the other girl if she could help me. I explained the problem and she got a mechanic just before he was leaving. He explained to me that it was a standard problem with this type of car. Perhaps it is. I am looking into it. The point here is that the girl at the front desk was ignoring me as the mechanics were leaving and I had obviously come back due to a problem.

They did the motorcycle inspection as expected and the girl upfront was very nice. The guy they have upfront was not rude, but not very customer friendly. A quote on MC tires was $600 compared to a quote from team Powersports of $400 out the door, and Gaston's did not want to work on the price at all to win the business.

They serviced the timing belt, water pump and replaced the serpentine belt.

We dropped our car off the night before with instructions for an oil change. The next morning our car was in the shop for service, and during the evaluation, they found that the rack and pinion was leaking, and should be replaced, and the front brake pads also needed replacing. They did all the repairs that we spoke about and picked our car up that afternoon. We felt our car was safer to make our trip out of state the next day. It feels great to know that we can trust this garage for their work and honesty to keep our car running well when we need it.

I am satisfied with the service and I would recommend them to my friends. They kind of get to your car when they get to your car so punctuality is difficult with a car place. I give them my phone number and they call me when it is done.

The tire rotation was free since it is included in the price of the tires. I have Michelin tires purchased at Gaston's. The price was very competitive. Service was fast.I have had both my cars (Mercury Grand Marquis and Honda Accord) serviced here including service for major intervals (45,000 and 60,000). Fully satisfied every time.

I have been very satisfied with my experiences with Gaston's Garage. They can fix anything! They are very good at what they do. They specialize in Toyota vehicles but can work on any brand. If we buy a new car, we will take it to them before we buy it to check it out. I will continue to use them in the future.

Well its a mom and pop shop. Its not quite that it's more sophisticated then that. It is an independent. they have master mechanics. They do a good job. They know what they are doing. Most importantly when ever I take my car to them I never have any doubt that I am being taken for a ride.