After several years of adequate service (typically oil changes, tire rotations, and the sort) I have realized that it is necessary to stop frequenting Lee Adams for my automotive service needs. On the positive side, Carl is amazing... and probably the single reason why I continued to go to Lee Adams despite questionable workmanship. On the negative side is practically everything else. I have run the gambit of technical issues. Mental gaffs of not replacing the underbody cover after an oil change, to not replacing the spare tire after getting new tires [I’m not sure how exactly a tire in the back of my car with a screw in it (the primary motivator for getting the new tires) is going to help if I need a spare…and sadly this was not the first time the occurred], to a $500 ABS sensor change for a dash light that had been on for literally YEARS [and for that time I was told that it either was not a “big deal” or that it was not worth fixing…so it was surprising that they HAD to fix it so after many years (and services later) when the vehicle was in for a nonrelated issue], to being charged $100 to put a four inch piece of hose over a hole in my evap line despite my original request that they get original equipment to replace the evap line (though I suppose I did get 2 hose clamps for the deal so I shouldn’t be complaining…).
The coup de grace occurred when I took one of my vehicles in for new brakes. From the noises coming from the car when I stopped and turned, it was pretty evident that new brake pads were a necessity. I dropped off my car early Saturday morning (before they opened as this was the only time I could get a buddy to help me drop the vehicle off). I called right when they opened and was assured that they would not only be able to look at the car that day but also perform the needed work. As the hours slowly passed and closing time quickly approached I got a bit worried that I had yet to hear from them. As the shop is relatively close to my house I made the journey in hopes that my car would be done. When I arrived (30 minutes to closing) my car had yet to be looked at. I sat around hoping (beyond hope) that they would be able to get everything done in time. At 12:45p I was told that there was nothing wrong with my brakes and that they could not replicate the noise. So clearly I’m losing my mind and hearing things…but only in that car. With the assurance that my car was in top working order I drove with a friend to the western edge of Indiana to drop off some stuff at their parents’ house. The trip was uneventful though the noise was still present for the majority of the trip (and getting worse).
Trusting my gut instinct I opted to return the vehicle to Lee Adams (not wanting to go through the vetting process with another shop). I was cynically mocked by the owner’s son (“if I didn’t trust the assessment the first time they looked at it, why did I bring it back?”) but wanted to make the grinding noise from my front end stop. Two hours later I received a call from Randy saying that I had “practically no brake pad left” and the he would “get to the bottom” of who looked at the car the previous Saturday. The car was finished later that day. When I went in to pay and pick up the car no mention was made of the previous gaff. And when I brought it up it was quickly laughed away and disregarded. I paid for a full brake service and had the added pleasure/insult of paying for new rotors.
The situation with the brakes best typifies my experience with Lee Adams. Service is slow, requires multiple trips for them to “properly” address the issue, and between visits the car may or may not be safe to drive. Although Lee Adams does generally have the lowest price in town, the workmanship that you get for the price is just that CHEAP. I would rather do the work myself to take the cars to a new garage (which I have started doing).
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The coup de grace occurred when I took one of my vehicles in for new brakes. From the noises coming from the car when I stopped and turned, it was pretty evident that new brake pads were a necessity. I dropped off my car early Saturday morning (before they opened as this was the only time I could get a buddy to help me drop the vehicle off). I called right when they opened and was assured that they would not only be able to look at the car that day but also perform the needed work. As the hours slowly passed and closing time quickly approached I got a bit worried that I had yet to hear from them. As the shop is relatively close to my house I made the journey in hopes that my car would be done. When I arrived (30 minutes to closing) my car had yet to be looked at. I sat around hoping (beyond hope) that they would be able to get everything done in time. At 12:45p I was told that there was nothing wrong with my brakes and that they could not replicate the noise. So clearly I’m losing my mind and hearing things…but only in that car. With the assurance that my car was in top working order I drove with a friend to the western edge of Indiana to drop off some stuff at their parents’ house. The trip was uneventful though the noise was still present for the majority of the trip (and getting worse).
Trusting my gut instinct I opted to return the vehicle to Lee Adams (not wanting to go through the vetting process with another shop). I was cynically mocked by the owner’s son (“if I didn’t trust the assessment the first time they looked at it, why did I bring it back?”) but wanted to make the grinding noise from my front end stop. Two hours later I received a call from Randy saying that I had “practically no brake pad left” and the he would “get to the bottom” of who looked at the car the previous Saturday. The car was finished later that day. When I went in to pay and pick up the car no mention was made of the previous gaff. And when I brought it up it was quickly laughed away and disregarded. I paid for a full brake service and had the added pleasure/insult of paying for new rotors.
The situation with the brakes best typifies my experience with Lee Adams. Service is slow, requires multiple trips for them to “properly” address the issue, and between visits the car may or may not be safe to drive. Although Lee Adams does generally have the lowest price in town, the workmanship that you get for the price is just that CHEAP. I would rather do the work myself to take the cars to a new garage (which I have started doing).