On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 05:45:51 -0700, Michael Pardee wrote:

>"Neal Hudson" <nealwh@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
>news:AXEce.2925$zu.65@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com. ..
>> Another reason NOT to do business with
>> dealers for anything other than the direct purchase of a new car. Stay
>> away
>> from their service departments. Someone must pay for the fancy service
>> advisors, car washes & etc. And even then you don't get to talk with the
>> mechanics who do/did the work. I live in the Los Angeles area and there
>> are
>> plenty of independent service shops.
>> Neal
>>
>Surely you knew that comment would draw input. In my opinion dealership
>service shops are a better bet than independents when you have big trouble.
>A shop that works only on a limited line of cars is always more intimately
>familiar with your model than a similarly competent one that works on Fords
>and Chevys and Kias and Fiats.... That is why we have an alt.autos.acura
>forum and people here who can tell you what the deal is with your 2003 3.2
>TL.
>
>There is a lot to be said for identifying a reputable shop and developing a
>good service relationship before big problems come along. I've noticed the
>horror stories of poor diagnoses and pricing that never ends we see in the
>car newsgroups are at the hands of independents. There are also some great
>independents out there, too, but be prepared to kiss a lot more frogs
>finding one than if you select from people who have to satisfy Honda/Acura
>standards.
>
>Mike (mostly swinging my own wrench for 30 years)

I believe that my Acura dealer gives me good service at a fair price
because a) they want me to keep coming back and b) they want me to buy
my next Acura from them.

--
There are only two valid activities in this world:
personally attending to the injured and hungry,
and picking fights in newsgroups.
- Lore Sjöberg