CARPENTER LANE GARAGE

We've been taking our 15 year old car here for several years now, for repairs and vehicle inspection. Most recently, the coolant tank was cracked and replaced. This place does good work, and is conveniently located within walking distance from our house. Everything has been fixed properly and quickly at a fair price. As long as we have this car, we will continue to go here.

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The actual dates of service were more than years ago but I didn't know they were  on Angies list until recently.  I went to Dave because he came highly recommended and he's very local.  I took my suburban to Dave for a new transmission because I trusted him. In retrospect I should have taken it a shop that specializes in transmissions but shame on me.  He charged me 3200.00 and I bought  a warranty on it for another 300.00.  Within 3 months I was stranded in Rochester NY and drove home in the lower gear at a painful 25 miles an hour.  When I took it back Dave said that I drove over something ( which I did not) and it was my fault. I insisted that I did not run over  anything but he would not honor the warranty . What he did do is offer to get another transmission to the tune of 850.00 and not charge me any labor. I was boxed in at that point because if I took it to a real transmission place I'd be out 2500.00 instead of 850.00 so I took his offer. The 2nd transmission had leaks which he refused to fix without gouging me for more money so I took the hit and gave the car away...

It takes a very short time, and the owner is pleasant and accomodating.

wrong diagnosis: a leaky head gasket was causing overheating..
(overheating continued: $850 estimate to repair head gasket, next day at dealer) Trade in value, with 100,000 miles was $350.

Dave, who sadly passed away unexpectedly, and now his son TJ make owning a car in this neighborhood very easy. I have used them for years on our cars and have zero complaints. They always do good work. In fact, I can't think of a single time I had to take the car back for anything. I trust them with my brakes and that is pretty important.
Two little quibbles I have learned to live with. They are a little hard to get a hold of on the phone. They rarely call you when the car is ready, you call them to check on your car. However, I see this as just part of dealing with a small neighborhood business. They have 2-3 guys there tops and they make money fixing cars, not talking on the phone, so I guess I can understand.

Had a vibration that I just couldn't isolate. Went to three different tire shops to have rear tires re-balanced but none of them did any good, some made it worse. Found this place while shopping for tires online. They're a recommended installer for Tirerack.com. Dropped off both rear tires in the am for roadforce testing and dynamic balancing, had them back early afternoon with a simple explanation about what was done. The vibration is gone. Dropping my front tires off tomorrow for the same service. Found this guy to be professional with none of the usual car mechanic double talk or sales pitches. Will definitely use again.

What I appreciated was that I could drove my car and they could give me a ride back to my next destination. The price was competitive. They were very helpful. I would use them again in the future.

It is a local company and I can talk to him. He is a little gruff, like a polite grouch, but I like him; he is good and thorough. He charges top dollar but he gives you quality service. I will use him again in the future.