Speedy Auto Service

Under a friends recommendation, I had my car serviced there 4 times before realizing that they aren’t good or honest and I’ll never be returning there again.
Here’s my story:
First time was for a tune up, since the idle was rough and gas mileage was really high for a little Mazda 3. They did plugs, an oil change (I supplied my own oil) and put some fuel additive in (charged $ 100 for an additive I can buy at Napa for $ 25). Just over $ 400 later, my car still ran rough with no apparent change from when I first brought it in (see end for the conclusion of this issue).
The 2^nd and 3^rd repairs were the rear shocks replacement. They did the work, I recommended they do the springs but assured me that, unless they’re broken, they don’t need replacing. Well they had to redo the shocks because the first set was «defective» and I did need the springs done after all…
The 4^th was for some front end repairs (strut, control and link arm). Got a quote at another garage ($ 700) and Randal promised they would be lower for the same work. After revising my quote 3 times during the course of the repair, my final bill was $ 650 and they did less work than what the other place quoted. Left the shop with a loud squeak on the front end from something rubbing on the driver side (where they did the work) and some vibration when braking. I went back the next day and they said it was fine, that it was brake dust from moving things around during the repair and it would all wear off. A month later and the problems were still there.
Went to Kal-​Tire up in Concord to get that squeak and vibration looked at and they showed me what was wrong. The guys at Speedy had bent my caliper bracket which was now rubbing against the rotor. It cost me a new rotor and pads to fix the mistake Speedy didn’t want to admit to. They also found my brake line wrapped around the strut on that side, guess the guys at Speedy were too lazy to cut it to length and bleed the line. The good folks at Kal-​Tire kindly fixed that for me at no charge when they replaced that rotor.
Earlier this summer, about a year and under 40 000 km after they allegedly replaced my plugs, I had a cylinder misfire error and had my car towed to a Canadian Tire of all places. Two of my plugs had no center electrode visible, one no longer had a ground electrode either — something that’s impossible to have happened in such a short period. I reluctantly let the CT guys replace my plugs (requested they put in NRG iridium plugs, only cost me $ 230 out the door) and my car has never run smoother. Rough idle is gone and I’m getting 60−70km more to a tank. Seems like Randal at Speedy only said they were replacing my plugs when he charged me $ 400 for a tune up…
Draw your own conclusions from my experiences but you can’t say I didn’t give them a proper chance, they just failed miserably.

Simply had a tire changeover (winters on rims swapped for summers on rims). Told $ 40 on the phone. Polite and easy to work with. Job done on time. All seems fine. Balancing would have been an extra $ 20; not sure if that’s standard or not. One thing: was charged $ 3 extra for plastic bags for the tires! That’s a first, in all my years of changing winter/​summer tires. Wow. Not to sound alarmist or anything, but I take that as a bad sign: if you charge $ 3 for plastic bags, then what other little fees and services and charges slip in? It was a cautionary flag for me.

My boyfriend had his muffler replaced not even a year ago. He went for his emissions test to renew his license, and there was a problem with the muffler/​connector pipe.
Went to get the problem fixed and they claimed that the 12 month warranty only covered the ‘inspection’ of the missing part. How does one guarantee an inspection? «It was there — I saw it.»??
Cost him an additional $ 185

a fews month ago i took in my 2003 GM Alero and got new summer tires, and new wheel bearing on the driver’s side a full oil change, from a garage i have beengoing to for years. I took it back a few days later compalining of same noise in the front end. The owner told me it was a rubber bearing. I am on holidays and called them several times with no anwer and there mailbox is full. I took it to Speedy and they immediately told me my garage had not put in a major bolt in the wheel bearing assembly. They ordered a bolt from GM and showed me how the wheel rotor was really bad scored cuased by the loose fitting bearing. They also agreed the wheel bearing (not rubber) needed to be replaced. They did it fast and the car rides like a dream. I have had work done by them before too and always found them great. I went over to the other garage and they are on vacation according to next door neighbour.