I took my car in for an oil change, and asked the Service Center to please take a look at what might be causing the loud rumbling sound my car was making at highway speeds. When Diego, the service technician assigned to my case, called me a few hours later, he told me that both my rear hub bearings needed to be replaced. He quoted me an estimate for parts and labor of $900. \r
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My brother-in-law, a Service Technician across the country, so I called him to double check that price. He was floored, first stating that its extremely rare for BOTH rear hub bearings to need replacing at the same time, and that according to numerous industry standard websites, the procedure take .6 of an hour to complete. I then began calling other service centers in the Santa Barbara area to ask their opinions, and each and every one of the service technicians I spoke with agreed with my brother-in-law. One gentleman even called it ""suspicious"" that BOTH bearings needed attention. \r
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Diego was telling me that more work needed to be done on my car than was necessary, and he was charging me $420 for less than an hour's worth of work. \r
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When I called back to tell him I had done some research, and would not only be taking my business elsewhere, but would also be advising others to do the same, he responded with a flip, ""Ok, no problem. Goodbye."" He coudn't have cared less. \r
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I am well aware the car dealerships are notorious for their potential for shady dealings, but I was surprised at how exaggerated and blatent Graham Chevrolet acted in their obvious lack of ethics and integrity. I will be sharing my experience with the local newspaper and any review outlet I can find. \r
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Graham Chevrolet--a shameful disgrace to the industry. \r
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(Oh, and I ended up finding an honest, capable mechanic who fixed the car beautifully for a grand total of less than $200. Turns out, my car only needed one hub bearing after all. It literally paid--$700-- to go elsewhere!)
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