You didn't say what kind of car you had, but if the starter was easy to change,why didn't you diagnose it and change it yourself? Also,warranty is dependant on the warranty that parts mfgr. gives.

I would like to find out where and what you people do for work so I can come sit over your shoulder and run my mouth telling you how to do your job like you think you can with us.
Finally, the sore subject of diagnostic time. Contrary to popular belief, real technicians spend hundreds of hours each year on training to accurately diagnose your car.That little check engine light requires reading the data stream with a $5-10,000 scan tool. The code reader is like sticking your finger up to get an accurate extended meteorlogical forecast. If you guys think it is so easy, then spend $100,000 on tools and work on cars yourself. As far as applying the fee to the repair, you just screwed your tech out of the time they spent on your car. WE DON'T GET PAID BY THE HOUR LIKE YOU! While the shop gets $70- 130 an hour, we only get paid $15-20 an hour flat rate, which means that the time in the book is what they pay us. The book doesn't factor in your nasty rusty underhood condition! So that 2 hour water pump might take 4-5 hours to fix right, but we still only get 2 hours. THAT is why you get ripped off. Techs are tired of getting screwed over. When the change the industry by paying us a proper salary and getting rid of the flakes with tools who think they can fix a car, then we'll have a start. Meanwhile, those of us old fashioned craftsmen look foward to getting out of something you no longer appreciate us doing.

I thought everyone already knew mechanics always suggest unnecessary work. When's the last time Jiffy Lube didn't try to sell you an air filter or a "fuel injection cleaning" service?

Once you accept that they're all crooks then it's easier not to get ripped off.

Here's some simple advice.

1. If we're talking about basic maintenance, never buy anything besides the oil change/tires/brake job you intended to buy when you go to the mechanic. Go home and research it first, and if it sounds serious, get a second opinion.

2. Research parts prices on your own! This is especially true with brake jobs. Here's an example good ceramic pads should be under $30, not $65 for the "no-name" generic pads sold at the brake store. If you're getting front and rear done, that tip will save you $70 alone. Buy 'em online if you have to. Most brake shops will install parts you bring for no add'l cost. But, if you've got your car in for an unscheduled repair it's always important to research those parts too. When the mechanic calls and tells you what's wrong, ask him what parts he's replacing and how much they are. At least look up any part that's over $50. Just tell him you need $15 minutes before you give him the OK to start the work. If you find out he's gouging you, tell him the truth. "Hey, I found that part online at "x" website and it's only "x" dollars instead of your "$Y". Is there any reason we can't use the "x" dollar part instead?"

3. Find a shop that will either diagnose for free or at least apply any diagnosis fee towards the repair. That can save you over a hundred dollars on a repair alone. Here's their dirty little secret, diagnosis usually takes less than 10 minutes, sometimes just 30 seconds while they scan the code on your service engine soon (OBDII) computer.

4. Unless you have strange tire wear, YOU DON'T NEED AN ALIGNMENT!!!! Alignments are the most unneeded repair that are sold in America. Two culprits here. First, it might be you. Are you the guy that lets go of the wheel and as the car drifts to the right you say to yourself, "Geez, I need an alignment." Congratulations, you've probably tested the crown in the road. Or maybe one of about a dozen other components that aren't related to alignment. Look for the characteristic tire wear that indicates you need an alignment. Here's the other culprit, mechanics that sell alignments as scheduled maintenance. Have you ever heard "when's the last time you got an alignment?" If so, you're the victim I'm talking about. Alignments aren't maintenance, they're a repair. Cars stay in alignment unless something goes wrong. The most common reason to be out of alignment is hitting a curb or a pothole. If you haven't done either of those, you probably don't need it. Know the tire wear, worn on one side and feathered/cupped.

I took my car to get an alignment and after waiting 11/2 hours they hadn't started to work on it. I never saw it go up on the lift so I was suspicious. He said his printer wasn't working so he could print out the results of the alignment. I immediately took it to another car repair shop and sure enough the first company never did the alignment but charged me for it. When I returned he said his printer was now working and he printed out the results of my alignment which was done at the second location. I told him I wanted a refund. What a shady place. I think it is important to watch what work is done on your car and ask lots of questions to protect yourself.

Mom and Pop places seem best. Have a business reputation to uphold. Dealers are dicey. With the Internet, we now have a way to bad-mouth the scammers and endorse the wholesome places.

When I was in school, I always took my car to the Midas in Cookeville, TN to get repairs. Not only did the mechanic give me a student discount, but he would call around and find the cheapest parts. If the mechanic couldn't do the work, then he would call around and get quotes from other mechanic buddies. The shop would also drive me back to and pick me up from school. I trusted the work they did because of the service, but also because my home mechanic said they did "beautiful work".

It is unfortunate that some Midas shops have this issue, but, like Clark said, "There are undoubtedly other shops in the Midas family that are staffed by decent and hard-working mechanics."

My experience with the Midas in Cookeville, TN is they do good work, are trustworthy, and "home mechanic approved".

Always ask the mechanic to show you the problem. I've found that on numerous occasions the problem magically goes away when he/she is showing you.

I had my 2005 Buick in for a 3000 mile oil change and check-up. The service advisor told me that the transmission fluid filter needed to be replaced. I said that's strange, I have been bringing my 1998 Buick in here all the time and you have never said that about that car. Why is it that my 2005 needs a new one, where my older car never has and has 40,000 more miles on it? He had no answer for me and I said you're not replacing it then. We switched garages after that and have a place we trust now.

I recall many years ago I took my car to a Midas shop in West suburb of Chicago Il. I was naive then and looking back I think I may have been ripped off. I was charged around $700 to repair the brakes on my car. They changed hoses etc. The new brakes then started vibrating. I took it back. They said it was the back brakes which they had not work on. They qoted about $500 more which I declined. I eventually gave the car away and bought a new car. I am always suspicious of all mechanics. Couldn't we do something to protect consumers from unscrupulous service people. I have no problem paying for honest work even if they make a markup on parts and charge a decent labor rate. They are entitled to an living too.

My alternator quit working. I went to the Green Ford to have a quote, 350 for the part and 250 for the labor for a total of 600 dollars. I went to Autozone, bought a Mastercraft alternator for 100 dollars, then I had an indipendent mechaninc come to my house and put it in for 50 dollars.
Total cost for replacin the alternator was 150 dollars, total saving for not going to the dealer 450 dollars!!!!!!!
This is the politics of every dealer by the way, they will say they are out there to give you a service but in reality they are out there to suck mony out of your wallet in large quantity providing a service of scarse value!!!!

Sure California conducted a 3 year undercover investigation. Thats all fine and good. But how does that help the people that already got ripped off? I am sure all California is interested in is getting cash for their coffers. If they really wanted to help the citizen they would not have waited 3 years. It would have taken a week to get enough dirt on this company. This is how our government works. Whats in it for them.

frekee,
you complaining about Midas' reputation is like a workers comp lawyer complaining about being referred to as an ambulance chaser. You should take your issue up with corporate as they are the ones creating this reputation.

I have owned a Midas franchise for almost 15 yrs now. I take offense at your remarks and the remarks of listeners who have little or no experince in the auto repair industry. I run a very straight forward and honest store and would welcome anybody to come and look.

Midas is just the tip of the iceburg. Fraud is rampant among the auto repair industry. Best solution: learn how to do maintenance and simple repairs yourself. Roll up the sleeves and save serious money and you'll end up with a higher quality repair as well.

Most community colleges eagerly teach basic auto mechanic skills. I took several courses, and along with decent repair manuals and mentoring with experienced mechanic friends, I now do 95% of all needed repairs and all regular maintenance myself.

One caviet: be sure you use only OEM parts. Most everything sold in parts stores is JUNK. And use factory repair manuals only. Aftermarket manuals are junk as well.

Same thing happened to my pregnant daughter. Fortunately, she took 3 years of auto mechanics in high school, so although she doesn't have the tools to do the work, she is very knowledgeable.

Her A/C went out and she was pretty sure the problem was not a huge one. However, she was talked into taking it to one of these auto franchises who quoted her $880.00 for repair.--Needed a new thermostat, a new hose assembly, etc. She said she knew they were shady. She then took it to an independent mechanic recommended by a friend. Turns out it was the fan. For a Nissan fan it was $180. For the labor, it was $60.00. What a difference.

went to a midas in AZ was told to pay for a 200.00 repair that i later fixed my self for 40.00

I am not an auto mechanic, by trade I have learned to fix most of the stuff on my cars myself, I made is a point to learn. You just don't know who you are dealing with. Some of these places scare people to death, that their cars will blow up on them, or their brakes will fail, or what ever.

AAMCO in Marietta tried to cheat me twice. The first time they told me that I needed to have my transmission replaced. I had an independent transmission shop pick up my car, and they found that they only needed to replace a linkage in the gearshift. A second time, I was told by the same AAMCO shop that I needed to have my transmission replaced, it turned out that I was only low on transmission fluid. They told me that I had metal fragments in my transmission which meant that it needed replacement. ALL transmissions have metal fragments in them.

If there are other Midas' shops staffed with decent, hard-working mechanics, I haven't found it yet. I've been ripped off by every Midas shop I've visisted in my lifetime, period. I finally stopped being "serviced" by Midas in the early 90's, and began doing the work myself. The same goes for the Pep Boys. Econo Lube-N-Tune here in CA is even worse, and they've been sued several times, as Midas is/has. Even in this small town, the State just shut down a smog-check shop that has been falsifying documents and ripping off customers for work that wasn't needed or just wasn't done at all. Bleh!