From $3,500 to $1,800

Lily's had her trusty 2006 Toyota RAV4 Limited since 2013 and wants it to last as long as possible. She recently sent it in for a routine oil change and was shocked to be quoted over $3,500 for suspension work, prompting her to get a second opinion from ZenGarage.

We found bloated rates on the quote, as well as unreasonable things such as only one side's tie rods being replaced. We were ultimately able to save her around $1,700, have the work done right (both sides' tie rod assemblies replaced!), and find a convenient shop for her to bring the RAV4 to.

Lily’s original quote had almost everything overpriced.

We'll let her tell the story:

"I recently got an oil change at a local auto shop to prep my car for a cross country trip; the oil change included a free inspection. This shop identified a variety of significant maintenance issues with my car, and quoted me $3500 for the work. Although I am a car owner, I know very little about cars. In the past, I have relied on a more knowledgeable family member, like my dad or my uncle, to help me evaluate quotes and shop around. However, now that I live in a different city from my family, it's very difficult for me to get their help.

"That's where ZenGarage comes in! I emailed the inspection and quote to ZenGarage. They were able to provide their educated opinion on the quote. For example, they told me that the shop's quoted price is for one side of tie rods only, and fixing only one side doesn't make sense to do because the other side is probably as worn, and I would be spending the same on an alignment afterwards. This is something I never would have known to ask - I don't even know what a tie rod is!

"ZenGarage was also able to call around to different shops and get an extremely competitive quote of $1800, saving me ~$1700 or nearly 50%. Since ZG is a third party, I feel confident that they have my best interests in mind. Additionally, since they are knowledgeable about cars, I feel confident that they were able to ask the right questions while getting the new quote to not get upsold by them either; additionally, as I continued to work with the shop, I felt more confident than usual that I wouldn't be taken advantage of as a woman/person who doesn't know about cars, because the shop knew I had a knowledgeable ally in ZenGarage.

"After ZenGarage laid the groundwork, I was able to call the new shop to confirm that I wanted to accept their quote and find a time to drop off my car. Thanks to ZenGarage, the new shop already had the info about my car, including the price they quoted ZG and the parts required. All I had to do was drop off my car and find a ride home!

"Thanks ZenGarage!"