Several times a year, AAA
has a special offer for a free 40 point car inspection at any of their approved
auto repair shops and I finally made use of the service last Thursday. I took the car to the nearest shop at 8 in the
morning and the service person said it should be done by 11:30 a.m. Since I was
off from work that day, I had no problem being carless for a few hours. In the
meantime, I did my run/walk workout around the area which lasted for an hour
which also brought be back home. 11:30 passed and no call from the mechanic, so
I had lunch and watched a movie. The call came at about 1:30 p.m. and I was given a breakdown of needed repairs:
oil leak in the engine, hoses and belts replacement, window adjustment,
resurface rotors and new brake pads. Well, they weren’t so much repairs but
more like maintenance work. After the mechanic enumerated everything, the total
quoted to me was an astounding $2574.63! I tried to stay calm over the phone
and told the guy that I would have to save some money before I could have the
work done, and to please let me know when I can pick up my car. He said that he
would call again when it’s ready. While waiting for that next call, my uncle
called for computer technical support. A few days prior, I had installed Teamviewer
on his computer just so it would make it easier for me to assist him with his
computer problems. Anyway, that’s another story for some other time. I’m just
showing how much time I had to kill while my car was being inspected.
After assisting my
uncle, but not yet getting the second call from the mechanic, I started walking
and hoped that by the time I got there, my car was ready. I guesstimated that
it would take me about 25 minutes of easy walking to cover the mile and a half distance.
It was 15 minutes into the walk when I got the call. The inspection was finally
finished at 3 p.m. When I got there, the mechanic reassured me that my car was
basically in good working order other than the maintenance work. But $2574.63
for a 14 year old car?! Um, I’ll have to think long and hard about that. Wait…thanks,
but no, thanks. It may make more sense to sell it and buy a second hand or new
economy car. Not that I have that kind of cash lying around to get another car.
But anyhow, just a thought.
Wait, did I mention a run at the
start of this post? Hey! I did manage another run so that means another pair of
running shorts in my laundry basket. I ran/walked for an hour at a pace of
11:03 per mile.
By the way, thanks for the free car
inspection AAA and Orozco’s Auto Repair. I have to commend Orozco’s for their
excellent customer service even though I didn’t have my car repaired there. I’m
glad I was able to avail of the AAA offer because by next month I won’t be
renewing my membership due to a similar service offered by my car insurance
company for a cheaper price.
Has anyone used this free inspection
offer before? What was your experience like?
Public comments below, private comments: E-mail Me!
3 comments:
People should take advantage of the free inspections offered by auto shops because it can certainly help save money. But don’t settle for shops that are known to provide poor service. If possible, only opt for shops that have a history of providing good service. That way, you can be sure of the quality of work they give you.
The dealership from where I bought my car has some really nice and accommodating mechanics. They are not the kind that will give you a bum-steer just so they can make money out of you. They’re all professionals, and they are kind enough to give free inspections every now and then, when I take my car for a regular maintenance check-up.
Nicole Vickers
You should really avail of special offers like this to give your car the chance to be checked without having to spend money. It’s really a good treat for you and your car! Well, I’m satisfied with the free inspection being offered to me. They really provided me a good service.
Post a Comment