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Review content:
On June 17th, 2013 I took in my Toyota Sienna in for an oil change, inspection, and a maintenance check (fluids, whatnot) to Lamb's Automotive and Tire on Bell Blvd in Cedar Park. My usual mechanic does not do inspections, that is why I went to Lamb's.\r
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The mechanic at Lamb's came across some issues and the sales/front office person (I did not get the name, unfortunately), took me back into the shop. I was told that the rack and pinion was leaking, Transmission Plate leaking/seeping, tires were bad, and the one strut was leaking. About $3+K worth of work (per rough estimate of second mechanic whom I later took the vehicle to for a second opinion). Told that this HAD to be done to pass inspection by both the front office person and the manager. In fact, when I questioned the need for all the repairs/replacement and wanted to make sure all HAD to be done, Mike Weir, the manager, looked me in the eye and said: “The TX department of safety says that I cannot pass this vehicle with these problems. They MUST be fixed.” \r
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I was upset, not because they found items (being it a 9 year old van with 90,000 miles on it, I wasn't surprised), but because they insisted that everything had to be taken care of in order to pass inspection and I was quite certain this was not true. Skeptical, I took my car home and called another repair shop with whom I normally do business.\r
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The second mechanic took a look at the vehicle. He found the same issues (plus a couple of others, in fact). Yes, there are minor problems, but all were not ones that would prohibit inspection and none which had to be addressed immediately, although the tires should be replaced in 6 months or so (preferably sooner) and the struts very soon, if not immediately after, tire replacement. He verbally told me that all the repairs that he and Lamb's found in common would cost (rough, not an exact quote, but about $3,000). \r
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I was told that the car would pass inspection, to go to a local inspection station and get it done. I did and the car passed inspection. I was told by the man at the inspection station that the tires did pass, but they probably wouldn't next year and it would be best to get them replaced sooner. \r
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This morning I called Mike Weir and told him what I had learned. He denied most everything, stating that he said only the fluid leak on the steering (rack and pinion) had to be addressed, that everything else would not have held up the inspection. This is not true as I had not only asked him directly, but the list given to me by Lamb's was the “list needed to get done to pass the inspection.” He then claimed that Buddy and the inspection station must have missed the leak. (Buddy didn't, but said the leak was not material enough to have to be addressed now, let alone hold back the inspection.)\r
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I do not appreciate being cornered and lied to about repairs and given a false sense of urgency. Had Lamb's done the right thing, the honest thing, and just reported the issues and gave me an honest assessment of what needed to be done, I would have no qualms with that. In fact, I probably would have purchased the new tires from them.
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