Carlton Rd Garage Can Fix It (Independent Garages)

Member Name: flutel

Product:	Independent Garages
Date:	01/07/09 (103 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Trustworthy

Disadvantages: Can get busy

The Carlton Rd Garage in Nottingham is now a garage that I trust to mend my car and give me honest advice.

As a woman who knows nothing about cars and garages, over the years I have had to use instinct and bluff my way through the process of getting my car mended. Sometimes I have felt that I have been conned and there was nothing I could do about it - apart from switch to a different garage.

This happened just recently when a I had a 'Full Service' at a garage I had used previously without problems. The owner/mechanic of the small garage, who had carried this out before no longer touched engines he told me. Instead he had a gangly boy with no communication skills to do the work because he was now too busy with his second-hand car business. Alarm bells rang - but I went ahead with it. This time, there was no call detailing any other concerns, and the option to get anything else fixed at that point. I returned to collect my car to find a list of other problems that were so serious I needed to book it back in straight again and a price that shocked me.

As my car is a 'boringly reliable' Nissan Micra' I was unsure about this so I declined the offer and booked it into my MOT garage, Carlton Rd Garage in Nottingham. After the mechanic there had looked at it, he told me that there were some issues but none were hugely serious and could be sorted around MOT time several months later. I chose to have one issue fixed and do as he advised.

Carlton Rd Garage is run by a Scottish Mechanic who has strong opinions and who talks to you in a down to earth way. He also listens. If a job is not one he can do easily (such as complicated electrics), he knows someone else who can do it and will give you all the details.

Costs
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The MOT is not one of the cut-price ones that are offered by some Garages. I feel that these are often a hook to get you in the door and then earn lots of money through jobs that are higher costs than at other garages. It is a recommended price. I get a full breakdown and detailed emissions printout - and most of all - this happens without pressure to have unnecessary jobs. The advice I get is never shocking. He always books me in soon after if I need it. Generally, he is relaxed but not overly laid-back.

I think one of the major factors of using Carlton Rd Garage is that the owner has many cars wanting to use his services - so he has no pressure to squeeze cash out of mechanically clueless women.

The Repairs
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These are carried out in the time frame given, the costs stated (sometimes the actual repair has come in slightly less) and with a prompt telephone call as soon as the work is done.

To Conclude
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If you are a person in the Nottingham area, struggling to find a garage you can trust, I can recommend this one because of all the factors mentioned above. My advice is to book a few days in advance as they are busy.

Summary: A great no-nonsense garage that does not con you