Thank you.

Of course, with any selection of a service provider, mindless disregard of the useful caveat emptor warning can easily lead to all manner of problems, whether it's mechanics or lawn care or doctors. Same as always.

I've had good luck with a couple of shops that happened to be Firestone. They're certainly not my prime, go-to shops. But assuming they've got a competent couple of techs, they're generally no better or worse than other average generic shops.

My own personal preference: a high-quality private shop that isn't affiliated, one that's been around a long time in the area/region, where there's a very high incidence of people responding favorably if asked who's their own high-quality go-to mechanics of choice. Have a good one for general, suspension and drivetrain/transmission specific stuff; they're exceptional, conservative/cautious, but very good and detailed in their work. Have a nearby dealership that has a couple of competent techs. But in my area many of the "chain" shops are generally recognized as no-go's by the many people I've asked,.

Devil's in the details, as with anything. And it can all change on a dime, beyond simple name recognition, once a couple of great techs with the competency and training to back 'em come into a shop.

 

Very helpful. Thanks.