STEVEN & FRANCINE'S COMPLETE AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR INC

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I had them do my car inspection. So I had them do the body work. The molding that they replaced on the door was not attached properly. It came completely off of the car, I could not get it back on. My mirrors on the outside of the car which are electrical did not function. They only did the body work. There were things missing from the car. There were CD's in the car that were thrown haphazardly into the trunk. The service was fast, but it seems like it was fast because the mechanics did a terrible job.

They were very competent, helpful, and very nice. I thought they were very reasonably priced.

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Greeted with smiling, friendly faces my Mark and Isabell. The inspection was completed when they said it would be done and they called me on my cell when it was finished.
I also coincidentally had an issue with my AC so I drove back after almost getting home. They took a quick look at it for me and got it working again very quickly.
I will definitely be back!!

I hI have used Steve and Francine's often in the past and have always found the work more than satisfactory. Mark recommends work that needs to be done, not unnecessary repairs. I have found his estimates to be honest and accurate and recommendations made without pressure. Mark takes the time to explain everything and has always impressed me that he is more interested in repeat customers than in the profit on a given repair..

See above

Went ok. Diagnosed promptly and adequately. They did great work, just as they said. It was expensive, but, hey, it is Manhattan.

The repairs went fine, the car is fixed and the employees were very nice. However, I feel taken. I spent about 1000 dollars to fix this.The Labor rate was $145 per hour, and I was told that it took 2 hours to diagnose the problem, 2 hours to remove and replace the part that was the problem and $330 for the part. (I also paid tax and oil change which figured into it).When I brought the car in they told me it would probably take 2 hours to diagnose and cost 145 an hour, so I suppose that is on me. But when they finally determined what was wrong they found out it was something called the Vehicle Speed Sensor. I would think something with that name would be the first thing you check when trying to diagnose why a speedometer is not working. Then they charged me 330 for the part. When the mechanic saw my disappointment with the overall price he told me very nicely that the part actually cost close to 500 and he was taking a loss on it for me. But I don't believe him. And I looked up on line how much Vehicle Speed Sensors cost, and in general they seem to go between 80 and 150 dollars. I don't know what special speed sensor he got for me, but I doubt it cost him 500. I was lazy and just wanted the problem fixed in time to take a quick road trip to Atlantic City. I think labor costs alone justify taking a trip out of the city to the suburbs to get a car fixed. Moral of the story, don't be lazy. I can't say for sure that I was taken, but it doesn't feel right, and I kind of wish I didn't get my car fixed up, and instead just bought a new one. It sucks not really knowing anything about cars. I lost money in Atlantic City too, but at least I understand the mechanics of gambling.Having said all that everyone was very nice at Steve and Francines auto shop and the speedometer is now working, with the check engine light off. But I think I would rather deal with jerks with cheaper prices.

They are always extremely polite, good about calling to update about my car's issues, and they were fast. They are expensive but they are in Manhattan so I think that comes with the territory. They are slightly aggressive about a couple of things - hawking fancy filters and oil changes recommended at 3000 rather than 5000 miles - so just say no...they'll be fine.

Called in the morning on saturday to see if they could look at the car and was told to bring it right in. They diagnosed and fixed the problem within 6 hours.

Price seemed high but they did a great job - much better than the work I had gotten at the dealership previously. My car is running better than it has in years. Very professional and courteous.

Overall:
The process was wonderful! Mark was patient and happy to explain everything I was being charged for. His estimate was spot on and he performed no work until we spoke over the phone and I OK'd everything. He listened to my long list of issues and broke it all down for me into a few simple areas to concentrate on. My car was ready at the day and time he promised.

I have to say that my Jeep drove away from the garage feeling like a brand new car! I had often mentally complained that my Jeep's pick up had been less than stellar for many years now, but after Mark was done with his work, my Jeep's pickup feels like when I drove it out of the dealer's lot. =)

I cannot say enough how much of a pleasure it was to work with Steven and Francine's and with Mark especially. I have recommended this shop to all of my friends and family and have subsequently gone back for more work.

While the list of items above were all completed, I did bring up two bigger issues to Mark which he began to investigate, but due to time constraints on my part (I needed my car back in a few days), he was not able to actually perform work to resolve those issues. I am including the below because I think it exemplifies the type of service this shop offers: Mark performed a lot of investigative work that, in the end, did not result in my spending extra money. He went the extra distance anyway, out of what I feel was an honest desire to help and to do a good, thorough job. In the end, what Mark earned wasn't a few more dollars on this particular bill. Instead, what he earned was a client for life!

Specifics:
Two major issues which I brought up to Mark were dealt with in a professional and realistic manner.
Issue #1: My gas tank cannot be filled 100% (gas will rush back out of tank when the fill nozzle is removed)
Issue #2: My dashboard lights will blink and change state (dark to bright to dark) at random

While there was no mechanical work completed to resolve the above issues, Mark did complete investigative work to give me a better idea of what was needed to fix the issue when I had more time. I did appreciate that Mark was up-front with me about the time it would take to properly investigate and resolve these issues and recommended we tackle these particular issues at a different time.

For issue #1, I explained to Mark the the dealer had told me I needed a new gas tank and wanted to charge me $1350 for the work and part. Mark called the same dealership (I gave Mark a copy of my dealership estimate) and asked them the price for a gas tank. They told him the price was $1350. Mark explained to me that based on that information, the work the dealer had told me was required didn't seem correct, as only charging me $1350 to fix my issue would cover the cost of the part and no labor, which we all know mechanics would never do.

For issue #2, Mark quickly explained that the investigation for this type of problem would take longer than my time constraint allowed, so he would not look into the matter during this visit. He did ask that I bring the car back when I have more time so that he can conduct a proper investigation.

very smooth. not sure needed new battery but decided to trust (one wants to be able to trust!)

They are incredibly nice. We had a very frank discussion about what to do - and they rushed through my repairs because I needed my car for an appointment. I would recommend them highly.

I was taking a chance going against their recommendation, but I had just purchased the car and had it checked prior to doing so. Shortly thereafter their shop moved. This company has been in business many yrs. opening and closing in different locations. I would be wary of their work.

Called, made appointment, surprised they worked Columbus Day. Brought car in at 7:30 AM. Asked for a general look-over of 11 year old Toyota. Early afternoon, suggested I replace wipers (they'd been streaking), hoses (getting hard after 11 years), battery (missed in a 50,000 mile check by Potamkin), oil filter, oil pan gasket, checked fluids, other essentials, plus NYS Inspection. Car ready next morning. They'd also balanced and rotated tires, washed and vacuumed. Feels like a new car.

I think that they did a good job, however they charged a diagnostic fee which was quite a bit higher than I expected. They fixed the sunroof, however it ended up costing a couple hundred dollars more than I thought they would.

They were able to take me the same day I called and immediately assess the damage to my vehicle. They warned me to make it perfect again I'd have to replace the door, but they listened to my concerns about putting much money into an 11-year old car and did the minimum amount of body work necessary to permit the car door to open and close. They also made the car body look good (although there is crackling from the work). I drove it away the same day, and the price was fair.

This is a highly professional group. They provided a written estimate which others did not. It was high but they came in exactly as they represented. They do custom work in Manhattan which is remarkable. They keep their cool and clearly have repeat business. This I learned while hanging around the office waiting for the job to be completed. At least in my case, they had difficulty making and meeting deadlines, but then I did not press them. Customers say that they stand by their work.

They were on-time and thoroughly professional.

The service was very good Steven is very knowledgeable the shop is neat and well staffed. I will bring my car here again