Anyone ever get their car repaired at 1 of those gas stations like sunoco or shell?

Question

Are they any better then the major auto shops?

Answer 1

what you want to do is get a written estimate on all needed repairs.  Compare that with others are willing to do the work for.  

What most shops go by is the hourly rate > there's a book called chilton's & tells what the average time to do a job.  Then the repair shop multiplies that figure by their hourly rate to get to their estimate on repairs.

Beware too of hidden repairs that are not always seen > for example you want a brake job.  They will quote a standard price, but unless they pull the wheels, you won't know if the rotors can be turned & saved.  Rotors will always be an additional charge.  

Most of the gas stations have gone out of the repair business where I'm at > the newer cars don't need much done any more other than oil changes, maybe a brake job, or a battery.  Tune ups & mufflers are things most cars won't need until they have a 100, 000 on the odometer.