I have used Big Ten Tires for over 20 years. They always proved to be honest and upright never charging me for stuff I didn't need, etc. I always recommended them when someone asked where I went for tires and oil changes, etc and they never let me down... Ever. Then, they were bought by Pep Boys... What a downward spiral thats become. My wife was on her way home from work on last week when something underhood sort of just sort of blew up, coolant everywhere, so being near the Pepboys (the one that was our Big Ten that we frequent all the time) she pulls into the parking lot. The guy tells her it could be a radiater hose... Or whatever. The next day he calls me and says the radiator has a large hole in it and needs to be replaced AND the radiator hoses are getting "soft" and they should be replaced also. AND he also said I had a leaking Cam Sensor so it should be replaced also. Total cost: Are you sitting down? $1250.00 I asked him how much of that is just for the radiator alone; he says $805.00 before taxes. So after I hang up with him I call another mechanic I know, their mechanic gives me a radiator only estimate over the phone of $399.00 installed, including taxes. Well, you can probably guess where I took it. So their mechanic does his checks, calls me the next day and says: "The radiator IS NOT leaking, I can't find a hole in it at all, it's fine!" He says it looks like it's the thermostat. So, he changes the t-stat calls me back again and says there are no more cooling problems at all and the total for the t-stat replacement is $169.00. He says the radiator hoses look fine to him and he cannot find a leak in either Cam Sensor. The bottom line is this: Not a single problem they pointed out was the issue AND they never mentioned what the real issue was (thermostat). So, my point of writing this long rambling post is to warn anyone that plans to go to Pep Boys: BEWARE! Do not use pep boys for any automotive work whatsoever! Even if you've been going to it when it was a Big Ten like I was for 20 years and the mechanics and manager are the same guys that you've dealt with FOR years, don't think for a minute they won't cheat you because THEY WILL! My guess is that PepBoys managers/mechanics/whoever works on commsion and they encourage these type of dishonest tactics. I didnot get ripped off only because I got a second opinion but how many people do you think would fall for this? Probably quite a few...
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