Velasquez mufflers and brakes

Written 5/7/2012. Use them at your own risk!!! I only gave the one star because apparently you can't post a review without giving a star rating...They don't have a NEGATIVE star rating system so they get the lowest number of stars possible from me!!! First of all, please know that these people are amateurs when it comes to car repair. I thought I was safe because they had done a brake job for me before, and an oil change here and there. Boy was I wrong!!! You are free to read the detailed review below, but the Cliff's note version is this: if you actually want your car to be driveable, then DON'T bring it to Velasquez. The work is terrible. I could have ended up being killed when my brakes failed on the epressway at the peak of rush hour taffic. I had only had my car back for ONE WEEK after getting the brake work done. In the end I ended up paying them to do the work, and another REAL mechanic shop to fix what Velasquez messed up!!!! Now, I wouldn't allow anyone from Velasquez and Son's to clean dead bugs and bird poop off my windshield-let alone do another so-called "REPAIR". Save your money and go to a real mechanic in the first place!!! You have been warned. Detailed Review below:

I brought my car to Velasquez and Sons during the last week of March 2012 to have the front end checked. I noticed that my car was not driving as smoothly as it normally would. The car is older too, so I don't like to play around with the maintenance, oil changes, etc. I was informed that I needed new CV joints and axle boots. I was also told that they checked the brakes and I would need new front brakes pads and rotors. I was quoted a price that was a bit high, but I wanted to get the work done. So I asked if we could negotiate a lower price for this work since I had brought my car there a couple of times in the past for brakes and oil changes and had even referred customers. I was quoted a price of $300 for the axle work and I told them I would come back in a couple of weeks to get the brakes done. After the initial work was done, I had to bring the car back the following week. It was making the most irritating noise. A relative suspected that my hub bearing was not tightened according to the correct calibration. Velasquez checked the hub bearing and told me that I needed a new one...It wasn't making that noise before I brought it in. I arugued this point and James the manager tried telling me that it was every thing but the hub bearing, but I stood my ground and he agreed to fix it when I brough my car in to get brakes done... All for $180. A week after the brake work was done, I was on my way to work on the expressway. Another car cut me off and I hit the brakes which had functioned fine up to that point. When I hit the brakes to slow down for the car that merged over, I was unable to stop. I had to switch lanes to avoid hitting the other car. It was a miracle that nothing was in the lane next to me. I had to had to have my car towed to a shop that told me that the brake plate was not connected and the the hose was severed by the tire. I had lost all of my brake fluid. I paid to have that fixed. But after a more thorough inspection from the other mechanic, I was also informed that my transmission was leaking fluid due to a seal break where the axle work was done, and that I needed ball joints....oh and a right hub bearing (yes again). The total I paid to Velasquez $480...The total paid to another mechanic $915... I will NEVER allow these incompetent people to touch my car again.