Thoroughbred Auto Care MD 20723

M

M.David Yaman

This shop came recommended to me by a colleague at work and I’m glad it is near my home in Laurel. So far, they have saved me thousands of dollars in (unnecessary) repair bills that I would have otherwise paid at dealerships had I not gotten a second opinion from Thoroughbred. I recommend this place for your out-of-manufacturer warranty car repair and service needs. The staff I’ve interacted with also seem quite knowledgeable about many car brands, knowing all their quirks and flaws. The shop’s shuttle service is also a welcome perk for those needing to get back home.

N

Nicholas Gratian

Would not recommend. Took our car in for Maryland Safety Inspection and it failed because the parking brake did not hold the car. Was informed it needed new rear brake rotors for it to work, so we authorized $576 in work - $209 in parts for two new rotors and $354 in labor to replace rotors and adjust the parking brake cables. They informed us after that this did not fix the issue and that they adjusted the cables as much as they could. They said it would be an additional $876 to replace both cables - $176 for parts and $700 for labor. I asked what cables they are using and they confirmed they were the Febi Bilstein cables which you can buy a set of for $27.38 online. 530% parts markup. I asked them about this and they said they could drop the parts price to $140, which is still a 400% parts markup! The situation felt fishy so we did not authorize the work and picked up the car. I Googled how to adjust the parking brake on the car, clicked the first link, and followed the instructions. Cost me $0 in parts and was extremely easy and now the parking brake held. Took the car back to the shop for re-inspection and it passed. Either they are incompetent and do not know how to adjust a parking brake cable, even though I was able to do it myself quickly by following the first result on Google, or they are trying to make a quick buck, which seems very possible considering the 530% parts markup on the cable. At the end of the day they made $576 off of us (plus $110 for the inspection) replacing rear rotors that likely didn’t need to be replaced to fix the issue anyways. Very glad we didn't authorize $876 in a "fix" that was not needed. At least they were very friendly... can’t say I will be bringing any of our cars back here.

J

Julie B

I was so happy when I found a great auto shop other than the dealership that can work on VW. This group can definitely be trusted with VW. Knowledge and honesty go a long way. Will definitely be back!