McNeil's Auto Care

Place: Sandy, UT
Date Visited: 12/13/09
Rating 1-5: 1.5
Pros: Fast, clean, not super expensive, and generally polite.
Cons: Not cheap, too much up-sell pressure, and not the best service.



I needed an oil change and tire rotation. My normal mechanic, whom I would trust with my life, is very busy (see the high correlation between trust and business in this industry).

I was looking for a close place to go for routine maintenance, and was hoping McNeil's could be it. Not so.

They were polite to me on the phone and when I came in, and they had a spot open for me right away.

Unfortunately, after getting my car up on the rack, they started with a now-all-too-familiar auto-care-annoyance: up-selling.

A man walks up to me with a clipboard, and says my belt looks worn (starting $90), my blades should be replaced (starting at $15), and my engine needs a power flush ($30). In his defense, the wiper blades do need to be replaced and the belt isn't in great shape, but if I would've wanted these things done, I would've asked, and neither repair was imminent.

It didn't end there. He went on and on about the power flush--how it was necessary for an engine with as many miles as mine, and how it was the best thing I could do. It was only $30, and I don't like interacting with sales people (which he had clearly become), so I okayed the power flush.

After a leading reading, I found out that by and large the power flush is junk, and not one major vehicle manufacturer recommends it.

Also, after paying my bill the guy gave me a little card that would give me up to %50 off on my next work--a convenient thing for him not to mention that future discount when he was trying to add $125 to my bill.

Finally, they advertised their oil change as full-service, meaning cleaning windows, vacuuming, and topping off all fluids. I haven't checked the fluids, but there is no way they washed my windows, and I highly doubt they did any vacuuming.

I could forgive the lax attitude on the full service oil change. I really don't expect all that for $25 anyway. But to talk me into a $30 power flush I don't really need...

To make a few extra bucks, McNeil's lost a potential steady customer. (And I am a creature of habit. Once I find something that works for me, I hold onto it like Excalibur.)