I've taken two different cars to Tony's for servicing and have always found the staff to be very pleasant and courteous. I've also always had the impression the shop charges a lot for its work, but it was merely an impression. Yesterday, however, I had what seemed to be a small example of possibly high pricing. I had my car inspected and one of the recommendations was to replace the cabin filter. The estimated cost to do that was just under $80. I decided to find out what's involved in replacing a cabin filter on my car and looked online at how-to videos and prices for a new replacement filter. I called another AAA garage and two dealers to get quotes for the sake of comparison. I discovered that a new filter runs around $20 online, a little more at automotive shops in town and quite a bit less at some online parts sellers. Online videos and even dealers make it clear that the replacing itself is very simple (disengaging the glove box door, pulling out the filter housing, and inserting the new filter) and takes about five minutes. In checking with two dealers in town, I was told that one would do it for $70, as part of a current sale, another for $63; the other AAA garage would charge close to $70, I was told. Obviously Tony's presented the highest cost for this quick and simple job. My impression now is that probably all or most garages are charging a lot for their work but Tony's even more, which doesn't square, in my mind, with all the claims on their Web site and their high AAA rating. I had a similar experience with Tony's last August, too involved to describe here, but I have my doubts now about this business and will likely try elsewhere in the future. I've learned that it is definitely worthwhile for customers to ask questions and seek more information online and at other garages before handing over a lot of money that could perhaps be saved.
Hello Mike, It was nice to have met you and we appreciated the opportunity to service your vehicle
- Tony's Auto Service Center