Help Finding Independent Repair Shop San Jose Area

[bgwvdave]

I am so frustrated with the two shops that I have tried that I am leaning towards selling my 1999 996.

My experience with ==='s Foreign Car repair. They changed the oil and filter but failed to notice the oil pan was seeping until after work was done, doh. Went back to them for second try with blown water pump, giving them another chance. After installing water pump was told that the area housing the oil pump was leaking coolant and would probably cost another two hours labor. I told them to pressurize the system and call me when I can come down and see the problem in person. No word for two days so I drive down there to find the car almost completed, wtf! === replaced my oil filler tube which broke when he was working on the car. I never gave authorization for this work and was never given a price. Start my car and find one of the old hoses is now seeping, son of a biatch I can't believe my luck, if he would have done as I asked this would have shown up. The area he claimed was leaking is mysteriously not leaking. Labor to replace oil filler tube 2.4 hours X$120 an hour. I pay to get my car away from this shop and tell him of my dissatisfaction.

Between the oil change and water pump replacement I tried another shop === motorwerks. They seemed better at first but problems quickly arose. Took my car to them for a major service and also trying to fix my front end vibration and floaty feeling. They did an alignment and tire balance which did not fix the problem, took it back and they rebalanced the front wheels. Still no luck, while at ==='s car was on the rack and I observed with a flashlight the the front strut was spewing fluid,wtf again. === replaced my serpentine belt and failed to notice my waterpump was worn which went out shortly after. When I drove my car home after the major service my check engine light comes on. I take the car back and they run a check for fault codes and find a major leak from one of the vacuum lines. My best friend used to work for Fletcher Jones but unfortunately lives in another state nowdays. He tells me the problem with this shop is they are probably commission workers and are motivated to just blow the car out. He also said it was strange that they didn't try to upsale me on the problem areas.

Does anyone from the San Jose area know of a shop that is competent, professional and trustworthy? At this point I feel I made a mistake in buying this car because of how I have been treated so far. I have looked up other shops in the area and have noticed they all have some very negative reviews of them. Does owning a Porsche put a big target on your wallet or what?

Edited April 7, 2010 by bgwvdave