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Review 6/6/2009
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First, let me recommend that you locate a GOOD mechanic near you with the help of Auto Club (AAA) and a little internet research (like the BBB and other review sites).
Regarding Purrfect Auto Service: I don't remember the details of the coupon that brought me in, but it had to do with brakes and an oil change. My brakes had been feeling a little soft, so I asked that they be inspected. After my oil change and brake inspection they recommended that I get new front brake pads, which I had guessed it needed. When I came to pick up my car, they said I also needed a new master cylinder. Since my 1998 Honda Civic had about 140,000 miles on it, that would have been reasonable - except that I had just had my master cylinder replaced at Rollings Automotive (a GOOD mechanic in Fullerton) about 8 months prior, and in fact that part was still under warranty. When I told them this, they said that the part had failed and had me get into my car to try the brakes. When I put my foot on the brake, the pedal went all the way to the floor! I told them they must have done something, because it wasn't doing this when I brought my car in. The mechanic said, "You said the brakes felt soft," and I answered, "yes soft, but the pedal wasn't going all the way to the floor!" He insisted I needed a new master cylinder because the part had failed. I called Rollings and explained what was going on, and my mechanic there told me to tell them to bleed the brakes, that air in the brake line would cause them to go to the floor. When I told the mechanic what Rollings had said, he insisted they had not gotten air into the brake lines - when I asked if he would like to talk with my mechanic he got a little angry and said, "No, I don't want to talk to your mechanic!" By this time I was getting irate and reiterated that my brakes were not failing when I brought the car in and that I already had a new master cylinder! Finally, they agreed to replace the "defective" master cylinder at no cost, and I said I'd like the old one back so it could be returned for credit since it was under warranty, and I told them that if I was given a refund on the defective part I would gladly come and pay that amount to them. The mechanic said that wouldn't be necessary. Well, they almost "forgot" to give me the old part but I reminded them before I left, and yes it wouldn't be necessary to pay them because when the part was returned to the supplier, no credit was given because there was nothing wrong with the part! About a month after all this, my front brake calipers locked up on the freeway causing them to overheat and burn up - an expensive replacement! I had my car towed to Rollings and expressed my suspicion that Purrfect Auto had done something in replacing my front brake pads that then caused the calipers to fail, but apparently there's no way to prove that. What should have been a simple brake pad replacement turned into a bit of a nightmare - I believe Purrfect Auto was trying to sell me an unnecessary and expensive part (the master brake cylinder) based on the mileage on my car and the assumption that they could get away with it - and they would have if I had not already had the master cylinder replaced. Oh AND they get and "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau, meaning "We strongly question the company’s reliability for reasons such as that they have failed to respond to complaints, their advertising is grossly misleading, they are not in compliance with the law’s licensing or registration requirements, their complaints contain especially serious allegations, or the company’s industry is known for its fraudulent business practices." Here's a link to that report:
http://www.la.bbb.org/BusinessReport.aspx?CompanyID=13076771
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