Opening Hours:
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MONDAY - FRIDAY: 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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​NIGHT DROP AVAILABLE - after hours tow ins accepted.
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530-251-5200
4175 Johnstonville Road
Susanville CA 96130
About Us
We started Paul's Auto to try to help people afford auto repair. It is not about getting rich off of you. We offer the best manufactures' warranty we can find at the most responsible price. Sometimes the price is a little more because the manufacture is offering a lifetime warranty instead of much less.
Understanding your estimate.
People call and ask “what is your hourly rate?” One shop says I charge $75.00 an hour times the estimated time it will take to do the job. The next shop says I charge $90.00… Are you really saving money? Check the bottom line. If Shop $75.00 estimates a job to take them 3 hours you are paying $225.00 in labor. If shop $90.00 estimates the same job at 2.5 hours you are still paying $225.00. Did you save anything? Shop $75.00 is proudly telling you a lower rate “by the hour” to get you in the door. How do you know how many hours a repair actually takes to do?
In California we cannot charge by the hour; it must be done by the job which is one reason why an estimate before repairs are performed is required. It does not have to be written. For your convenience a shop can call you with an estimate to get the authorization over the phone. Their phone records prove they called you.
California shops can NOT add miscellaneous fees to your bill. If they add “hazmat” to your bill they must be able to show you where they paid a hazmat fee in relation to your vehicle. Example: We pay a dollar a gallon to get rid of your coolant and we pay nothing to get rid of your oil. We cannot charge you an oil disposal fee (we do not charge you to get rid of your coolant – it is a courtesy to you for allowing us to meet your needs). Everything repair and item must be itemized on your final bill. The final bill cannot state “shop supplies”. They must bill each supply out individually by name and price.
If a repair has unseen complications like a broken manifold bolt the shop must call you to inform you of the problem to get your permission to continue. It will cost you more because a broken bolt that has to be drilled out is not part of the original estimate. If you tell them to stop and just put it back together you are responsible to pay them for the time and materials they have into the repair.
Due to the unstable economy shops do not get a “killer deal” on parts. Most of the times we are paying the same or more for a part than you do. The reason is in the warranty. If you buy a part you only get a parts warranty. The store will not pay you (or a shop) to redo the repair. If we buy a part and it does not work the store usually pays us to redo the repair. They recoup some of their expense by charging higher prices to shops. This practice is also why many shops will not put a part you bought on your car for you. The labor to replace your supplied defective part is not cover because you bought the part. The shop did not buy the defective part and will not replace it for you under warranty. Bad parts do come in new boxes.
Core charges: The belief that a shop “wants” to keep your battery or other cores is a myth. We are charged a core by the store when we purchase a new battery or core related item. We get credited back for the core only if it is returned. Often the core is more than the part cost. If you want to keep the core California allows us to recover (charge you) the cost of the core. You are required to ask for your parts back at the time you bring your vehicle in. The shop does not automatically have to return your parts to you.
Estimates over the phone often change because many people do not know or tell the whole story behind the estimate they are asking for a shop to write. If you modified your vehicle you must tell the shop before getting an estimate or your estimate will change. It is not “bait and switch”. It is failure to reveal modification like wenches to the shop writing your estimate.
It is best to walk into a shop to get an estimate. Over the phone estimates are rarely right. If you call around asking for prices on a timing belt you will get a wide range of prices. The reason why is mostly in the parts. A good shop will quote you everything you should replace when replacing the timing belt. In the long run it will cost you less because most of the labor is in replacing the belt; little is added to replace the other parts. A not so good shop will only replacing the belt. If the water pump or tensioner fails, you will hear it is not their problem because they replaced what you ask them to replace. Written itemized estimates allow you to compare parts and labor cost of multiple shops to make an informed decision about your needs.
Understanding how estimates works will save you misunderstandings and difficulty at your auto repair center. Do not be afraid to ask to have an estimate explained to you. Some parts cost more because the parts have a lifetime limited warranty. You are valued and your time is just as important as anyone else’s time.