My car broke down in a parking lot about 2.5 miles from their location... read more My car broke down in a parking lot about 2.5 miles from their location, called up in the morning, dropped off the keys, and that was it, about 3 hours later Dave called to let me know my starter needed to be replaced. The cost incl. having to tow the vehicle was inline with what I was anticipating. They also let me know about a couple of other issues I needed to take care of, and since they already had the vehicle and had earned my trust, I had them take care of everything. I'll definitely be going back...
As the owner and operator of Great Bear Auto Center in Huntington Stat... read more As the owner and operator of Great Bear Auto Center in Huntington Station I would like to address the following comments with the correct information. First off all, pertaining to the comments made by Lori M. Her car did not have a hole in the water pump since that would be ridiculous, however there is a factory weep hole on the water pump used to diagnose leaking seals on the interior of the pump. This is what we told her was wrong with it. It is true that we previously installed a new, aftermarket water pump in 2007 because the bearing had worn out and was making noise. The seal in the replacement pump went bad in 2011, 4 years later, which is beyond our control. Also to address what she said about the "master mechanic" at Sears saying that Toyota's do not need water pumps is completely non-factual. Every water pump goes bad, it is just a matter of time; anything that has moving parts and carries fluid that is held in by rubber seals will wear out. Furthermore Toyota recalled over 2.8 million vehicles for faulty water pumps; this is public information that can be looked up by anyone who has 30 seconds of time and the internet. Also, the dollar amount she mentions ($800) was for a replacement water pump, battery, transmission flush (which is routine maintenance) and a valve cover gasket which had started to leak. To replace just the water pump and the battery would've been 403.25 which would have been cheaper than Sears. If you look at Lori's yelp account you will note that she has a double digit amount of reviews, most of which are very negative and nasty. Given our experience with her, she is a very bitter and unhappy person and takes it out on hard working business owners. Finally, since she stated that she would be reporting us to the BBB from whom we have a stellar A+ rating, we have no other choice than to take legal action for the libelous comments/reviews she has made on numerous websites against us. As a business owner who prides himself of honesty and quality, libelous comments such as these are extremely irritating. I have spent the entirety of my time in this business being up front and honest with all of my customers; taking the time to walk them out into the shop and physically show them what is wrong with their vehicle instead of just hitting them with a list and price, and expecting them to take my word for it. As previously stated, in addition to posting the actual facts of this instance I will also be contacting my attorney to pursue legal action for libel (slander in print) Lori M.
Purchased an S550 used. Had a couple of issues with the head rest ($5... read more Purchased an S550 used. Had a couple of issues with the head rest ($550.00) and the seat kept breaking. Brought it in several times and finally got it fixed. Took the car in for a routine service and ended up with a $2,000 in July and then a $3,000 bill in November for brakes and tires. The rubber around the door is falling off and they told me that's common with these cars! (What!?) It's now December and my radio wasn't working so I brought it in again. They said I have two leaks and quoted me $135.00 to diagnose the problem and then charged me over $200 to diagnose it. They have had the car for 5 days now and they are telling me it is $2500.00 to fix the radio because it is on the same circuit as something else. UTTERLY RIDICULOUS! To say I am disappointed would be an understatement! The car is beautiful to look at and I love driving it! But, if the car needs a couple of thousand dollars in service every couple of months, what good is it?! My opinion: Buy a Lexus!
