Brentwood Foreign Auto Svc

Went here and got my car diagnosed. They said I need a new alternator and alternator belt and they suggested a new battery. They tried to charge a WHOPPING $830! Are you kidding me!? Went somewhere else and got it done for $350....BEWARE of these ppl!

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1. New in town,dropped car off for a MD inspection,they did it, and noted one of two license plate lights out, and a taillight busted. When I followed that vehicle in the cross country move and dropped it off, all lights were working. They had no comment. Had the work done at another shop and they said MD law only recquires the inspector to verify that license plates are not concealed, but once its written down, the work has to be done. He said its a shi$%y thing to do. I naively thought they were just thorough.
2.Flatted out a tire. Asked them to repair, or if cant, replace, and check alignment. They supposedly did an unrequested full vehicle inspection ($45 found nothing), and refused to replace tire unless I agreed to replace both front, said its a liability issue to them, I (stupidly) agreed and told them to replace the old spare tire with the other newly removed tire. They over-charged on the tires, added extra labor charges and BULLYed my wife when she balked at a different price than they quoted me. I was too busy to give them a piece, but when I checked on the spare before a trip a month later I saw it was the same old tire AND FLAT, I threatened to call the police for tire theft. Only then did the owner cancel the bogus charges, and replace my stolen tire.
3. Insanely, when my OD stopped working, I asked them to look at the transmission. I dropped it off at 7:30am. They called me at 5:30pm and said they looked at it and it wasnt going into OD (DUH!, they didnt actually look at it) and they would need to keep it for the weekend to figure out more. After the weekend they called to tell me they couldn't figure it out and I'd have to take it to specialty shop they recommended. I asked them if they checked the solenoids or wiring on the OD on/off button, they said it was "too complicated to say". I asked if they checked the engine temp sensor. Again "too complicated to say". I asked what possibilities they eliminated. They couldn't answer and got pissy. Oh yeah, they told me that was $90 in labor, cause they had to keep it and look it over the weekend.
What a bunch of bull#$%#$.
If you want proof of these events, email me and I'll show you the bills.

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Even if these guys are honest they are way overpriced. I took the car in for one problem and they said I needed $4500 worth of work, including an alignment that I had just had done the day before when I got new tires.
I took it to another shop and paid $1750 for the same thing. Go figure.

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These guys are friendly, competent and honest. They replaced the boot and front struts on my Subaru when I had an emergency during a road trip. They caught a billing mistake in my favor (that I had missed) and credited the amount back to my card. I had a question regarding the alignment they did a month later and when they couldn't find the paperwork on the job, they credited me for that as well. I received outstanding service before and after they got my money, despite the fact that I live out of state and could only contact them by phone.

Be aware that Brentwood, like any good mechanic, will inform you of any and all problems they find with your car. This can result in lengthy and expensive estimates that go beyond the scope of the problem you brought the car in for. But it leaves you better informed and there is no pressure to make all suggested repairs. You decide what to pay for.

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I have heard some good things about this place, which is why I sent my car there.

I have some noise in the engine, and they gave me an estimation of $4,600. I told them I just want to get rid off the noise, they then insisted that I need to replace the exhaust downpipe which cost $1,650 according to them ($1,390 to get the pipe).

I went to Midas and people there said I can either replace the pipe for $750 or just fix the pipe for $325.
I got it fixed at Midas. My car is nice and quiet now.

I understand lots of auto services are trying to charge extra money. But I have never seen one so shameless.
This place might have experienced mechanics; they might appear friendly; they might have some good reputation among certain people. But most importantly, they are not running there business in a trustworthy way.

They charge, depend on people, not on the actual problem of your car.

BE AWARE!

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Brentwood Foreign Auto Service, as the name implies, specializes in foreign make cars. They do a very good job. The mechanics are attentive, and always greet their customers by name. The prices are a bit higher than I was used to paying, but they keep my car in good running condition, and don't try to rip me off with needless repairs, so I don't mind paying for that.

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The people here are very nice, and from what I know, also very trustworthy. They always do a great job in a short amount of time. They offer amazing and cheap oil changes and car repairs. This is a great place to take your car, whether it is for a repair or just an oil change.

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If you are like me, you dread having your car serviced (or worse, repaired in an emergency situation) more than dental work. I feel like I have a sign on my head that tells auto repair places just how little I know about cars. Brentwood Auto Service is different - when I take my car there, the staff are patient and take time to explain what needs to be done and why. Their prices are about average in my experience, but the quality of their communication puts them a notch above.

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