Al’s Auto

This is my go-​to auto repair shop! They’re amazing. Fast, thorough, and fairly priced. Plus they have one of the biggest salvage yards in PA, so the chances of them having a used part that fits the make and model of your car is really good.
Last fall my car was attacked by a flying piece of rebar on I-​95 in the never-​ending construction zone. Looked like Wolverine went to town on the front driver’s side corner. They were able to replace that whole section with a piece of a Rabbit in their yard, and while they thought the colour matched, it turned out to be a dark grey instead of black and they painted it to match free of charge. Along with the touch-​up work on the hood the car looks good as new! They gave me all the various options for repair, explained the merits and differences in price, and had the work done in one day. Really fantastic place.
Recently I had my rear brake pads replaced and the front driver’s side headlight, which had been malfunctioning off and on since I got the car. Turns out the part that was there was a «will fit» part, not an OEM part. They did the brake pads and headlight for around $ 300 when the VW dealership quoted me a whopping $ 750. I dropped it off at 8am and it was done by 10:30.
Don’t look down your nose at used parts from their yard. Most of the cars there were in serious accidents that did structural damage, but if you have a newer-​model car and need a mechanical part, chances are good that the part from their yard is in good condition. They also have a lot of panels, doors, etc from the parts of the cars that weren’t damaged, like with my front fender situation. It’s way better to go with a used OEM part than a brand-​new «will fit» part in most cases.

This place was a gem in the sand. Don is wonderful and very accommodating. A motorcyclist hit the passenger side of my car and then sped off leaving me with the damage. When I saw Don he was understanding and tried to make this as painless and inexpensive as possible for me. He had to replace the outer part of my door and it looks brand new. I was given a car to drive while my car was being fixed. I would go to Al’s collision again. Hopefully not soon! ;)

I am so cheap when it comes to putting one dime into my vehicle, yet I am a spendthrift in most other areas. For some reason I pay off a vehicle as soon as possible, because the whole idea of that monthly payment drives me insane.
I also procrastinate when it comes to having the yearly inspection, in fact as usual I had it inspected yesterday, which was one day after being due.
My neighbor swears by Al’s, my husband’s work place also uses Al’s and swears they charge a third of the price of other mechanics and as well they should since they own twenty acres of used vehicles and catalog over one million parts.
I have a tough time with mechanics and I believe they are all out to get me, so over the years I save every read out of the work that has been done on my vehicle. Two years ago S&S Tire & Auto charged me $ 237.49 to have my front brakes completely replaced, you know the rotor things, pads, wheel bearings. They also did a state inspection and the oil change thing.
At Al’s I had the same things done but to my back brakes, plus an emergency brake replaced for a grand total of $ 445.73 and they said they discounted the labor, plus you know where they got the brakes from… Al’s Auto right across the street which is junk yard heaven.
In all of my years on earth I have never heard of having an emergency brake replaced, especially since I never use it. He explained that every time you put your car in reverse you are wearing down the emergency brake. Does anyone buy this? I think mechanics smell like sardines.