Brookfield Auto Care

User Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

I was having problems with my car and this was the first place I took it. After Mike had my car overnight, and charged me for a diagnostic, he told me the following:

1) I had a leak in my nearly-new water pump
2) my distributor needed to be replaced (and it would cost$ 300 just for the part)
3) my rear-brake drums were warped
4) my plugs and wires currently installed in the car were excellent quality and in great shape--even though I was suspect of their quality upon installation a couple years back--and Mike also said that the plugs and wires were not the cause of my engine problems.

Mike then proceeded to quote me $1300 to fix my engine and get it running correctly.

Over a thousand dollars seemed steep, and this estimate just seemed a little strange.

So, I took my car to another shop for a second opinion. I went in and told them NOTHING about what mike said, nothing concerning my suspicions about what might be wrong, and nothing about being to another mechanic; I only asked them to do a diagnostic and tell me what was wrong with my car. Here, it only took them 30 minutes to drive my car, run a full diagnostic (no charge), and tell me my problem (mis-firing) and the cause...

The cause of the misfire? NO, NOT a broken distributor like Mike said, but a few worn-out wires that hooked into the spark plugs...and these wires were literally BROKEN and, as a result, no longer even connected to the spark plugs. Broken wires: This was the problem. At the second (honest) shop it cost me $220, and one hour, to replace all my spark-plugs and wires, which included labor. And now my car runs GREAT. Misfire gone. Car solid. Acceleration excellent.

Later I also found out that it is not possible for brake drums to be warped (only rotors: as per Honda dealer mechanic).

In retrospection I can only come up with two conclusions:

1) While doing the diagnostic, Mike missed the fact that plugs and wires were blown--which would indicate that this is a terribly inexperienced and unreputable shop.

OR

2) Mike found the problem (broken wires); he knew it was a relatively cheap and easy fix, and he hoped to make a lot of money for doing very little work.

I find it hard to believe that Mike could have missed the fact that the wires were BROKEN, because he told me that he inspected the plugs and wires and that they were all high quality components and not the cause of my engine trouble.

Whether Brookfield Auto Care is dishonest or incapable--I will NEVER return to this shop.

The only good thing I have to say about my experience with Mike at Brookfiled Auto Care is that my car was washed when I picked it up, and that Mike was SO nice when I spoke with him; everything he said was sweet and positive, and he kept saying that he would make sure that I got the best deal...but in hindsight it seems like it was all lip-service.

Save yourself a lot of money by taking your car to someone reputable--a place other than Brookfield Auto Care.

I am SO glad I looked for a second opinion.

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User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

TO WAUKEEGIRL:

THIS COUPLE CAME TO MY SHOP AT 430 ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE IDEA THAT THEY HAD TRANSMISSION ISSUES. AFTER AN IMMEDIATE TEST DRIVE OF THEIR 10 YEAR OLD CIVIC WITH 114K MILES, I TOLD PHIL & HIS WIFE THAT THEY WERE NOT EXPERIENCING A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, BUT AN IGNITION (SPARK PLUGS & WIRES) OR A FUEL (BAD INJECTOR OF LACK OF FUEL PREASURE)PROBLEM.

WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKE WHILE DRIVING WITH THEM IN THE CAR, THE ENTIRE CAR SHOOK WHILE A ROTATIONAL THUD NOISE CAME FROM THE REAR OF THE VEVICLE. THE MRS. SAID SHE HAD BEEN TOLD THAT BY SEVERAL REPAIR SHOPS THAT THE SHAKE WAS NORMAL AND EVEN THANKED ME FOR CONFIRMING HER CONCERN PROVING SHE WAS NOT CRAZY.

SHE THEN TOLD ME THAT HER HUSBANDS FRIEND HAD RECENTLY DONE ALL OF THE BRAKES AS WELL AS A FULL TUNE UP. I THEN OFFERED THE COUPLE A FREE LOANER CAR TO USE FOR THE EVENING SO I COULD LOOK AT THE PROBLEMED CIVIC FIRST THING SATURDAY MORNING, WHICH THEY ACCEPTED.

UPON INSPECTION OF THE CIVIC I FOUND THAT THE RECENTLY INSTALLED SPARK PLUG WIRES HAD NOT BEEN ROUTED CORRECTLY AND WAS SHORTING TO GROUND WHEN HOT. I ALSO FOUND A BROKEN SCREW IN THE DISTRIBUTOR FROM A RECENTLY INSTALLED DISTRIBUTOR CAP AND A CRACK IN THE IGNITION COIL WITH BLUE AND WHITE CHAR MARKS. THE BROKEN SCREW IN DISTRIBUTOR ALONG WITH THE 6 TINY RUSTED PHILLIPS HEAD SCREWS ON THE COIL DEMONSTRATED THE NEED FOR A REPLACEMENT DISTRIBUTOR AS ANY REPAIR TO THE LEAKING COIL WOULD ONLY END UP RESULTING IN A DAMAGED DISTRIBUTOR.

WHILE THE CAR WAS IN THE AIR I MADE NOTE OF AN OIL PAN LEAK (NOT UNCOMMON AT 114K) AND A BIT GREEN ANTI-FREEZE RUNNING OUT FROM UNDER THE COVER OF THE TIMING BELT AND WATER PUMP, A CLEAR INDICATION OF A LEAK.

WHEN LOOKING AT THE BRAKES OF THIS VEHICLE I FOUND THAT THE INNER FRICTION SURFACE OF THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE DRUM HAD A BLUEISH COLOR TO IT FROM THE METEL HAVING BEEN OVER HEATED ALONG WITH BLACK SPOTS ON WHAT SHOULD BE A CLEAN CONSISTANT SURFACE. (THE DRUMS WERE WARPED FROM HAVING BEEN OVER ADJUSTED AND HAD HARDSPOTS IN THE METAL FROM AGE). THE ACTUAL FRICTION MATERIAL WAS JUST FINE, WHICH I RELAYED TO PHIL & HIS WIFE.

THE FRONT BRAKES HAD ALSO JUST BEEN DONE, BUT NEW PARTS HAD JUST BEEN SLAPPED ON, NO ONE CLEANED THE RUST & DEBRIS FROM OR LUBED THE CALIPER & PAD SLIDES. ALL OF WHICH IS VITAL IN MAINTAINING SAFE, COMFORTABLE STOPPING POWER.

I GUESS THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT I COME TO WORK EACH DAY TO PROVIDE AN HONEST QUALITY SERVICE. I DO NOT DIAGNOISE FOR FREE. THE OWNER OF THIS CIVIC, PHIL, THE MEDICAL STUDENT, WOULD SURELY NOT DIAGNOISE A SICK PERSON FOR FREE. ESPECIALLY AT 430PM ON A FRIDAY. (WE HAVE ALL RECEIVED A $500 BILL AFTER 10 MINUTES WITH OUR DOCTOR) IN PROVIDING AN HONEST QUALITY SERVICE, I GATHER ALL VITAL INFORMATION AND PRESENT IT TO MY CUSTOMER. ALL OF IT. A CUSTOMER THEN DOES WHAT THEY WANT WITH IT. IN THIS CASE, PHIL & HIS WIFE TOOK THEIR CIVIC TO SOMEONE WHO ONLY CARED ABOUT A COUPLE OF DOLLARS HERE & NOW. IN TIME PHIL & HIS WIFE WILL SPEND MORE THAN $1300 AND RETURN TIME AND AGAIN TO HAVE ALL THESE REPAIRS MADE. AND WHEN THE BUSSINESSES THAT DIAGNOISE FOR FREE GO UNDER IN OUR ECONOMY, THEY WILL LIKELY FIND THEMSELVES WITH ANOTHER HONEST QUALITY REPAIR SHOP THAT GIVES ALL OF THE INFORMATION ACCURATELY AND UP FRONT.

AFTER ALL SERVICES HAD BEEN DECLINED PHIL & HIS WIFE, AND MY FREE LOANER CAR HAD BEEN RETURNED, I CHARGED THEM $30 FOR THE 2 HOURS I SPENT COLLECTING ALL OF THE INFORMATION ON THAT CIVIC.

I AM NOT INEXPERIENCED, I MAKE HONEST & QUALITY REPAIRS ON MANY VEVICLES AT COMPETITIVE PRICES. I LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE AND PRESENT ALL OF THE INFORMATION ACCURATELY THE FIRST TIME. SURE, MANY SHOPS & BACKYARD MECHANICS WILL SHORT CUT A REPAIR, BUT IN THE END THE CUSTOMER WILL CHOOSE QUALITY OVER CHEAP.

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User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Mike,I just wanted to put in writing what a wonder change it is to go to an auto shop where repairs are done correctly, price conciously, only necessary repairs, and done with explanations where the common person can understand them! I appreciate your explaining what was done to repair my vehicle in detail. I also like being treated like a person rather than a woman that knows nothing about cars which is the typical auto repair shop mentality!
Keep up the excellent job!!!

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