Hilo-Wiwoole
OUTSTANDING! I usually don't take the time to write reviews, but my experience this week at Lex Brodie's (Hilo) was so extraordinary that I would feel negligent not to share it: Having the ability to schedule my appointment online in advance is great for folks like me that don't like to drive into town often. They provide available time windows, so you know when they will have time to do your service promptly. A time saver for both me and them. Having Blaine's Drive-In literally in the same parking lot is also a great plus- I could sit down to a leisurely lunch while still being able to actually watch the progress of the work on my car! I needed two new tires. I was in & out in just over an hour, even with an unexpected glitch (described below) that probably added 15-20 minutes of extra work time. I suspect it would have been substantially less than an hour otherwise. While trying to remove one wheel of my "new to me" used Nissan xTerra, they discovered that one lug nut was frozen- the previous owner (or someone) had torqued the lug way too tight, and it could not be removed without breaking the stud. They offered to do that without charge (leaving me with 4 out of 5 studs on that wheel), but warned that this would compromise safety and reliability. Since I drive off-road every day (I live in Hawaiian Acres!), I knew this was not a viable option for me. They offered to replace the stud at a nominal charge ($5 for the stud & $40 for the labor), and I gladly accepted- this was a small charge for a grungy job which would have required a couple of hours of my time (and probably a lot of cussing and scraped knuckles!) if I had decided to try doing the job myself later. After all that, I was particularly happy to see them using a torque wrench carefully while remounting both my newly tired rear wheels. It would have been awful to only have discovered this over-torqued stud when I had a flat tire on the road somewhere in the middle of nowhere! Too many service centers simply use air wrenches to mount wheels, over-torqueing studs al leaving owners stranded when they need to change a flat while on the road! (Note to self- I need to check that my front wheels were not similarly over-torqued by the previous owner!) On my way out, they gave me a printout showing minor problems with my front wheel alignment, noting that the errors were not large and would probably not be worth correcting at this time. They didn't try to hit me up for an unneeded alignment, they just let me know there was a minor issue to keep an eye on. Very refreshing! And- After I got home, they texted me a link to view the full "Service Report" on my vehicle online, including checks of all fluids, brake pad thickness in mm (all wheels, inner & outer brake pads!) &c &c. They even included a PHOTO of my dirty air cleaner to show that it really needed replacing. All that without even trying to hit me up for an air cleaner replacement or any other service- lots of important information, free of charge. Remember- I only came in for 2x rear tires, not a complete vehicle check including alignment. The amount I was charged was "local industry standard" for what I purchased, 2x tires. I am astounded. I think I got much more than I paid for from Lex Brodies.... I couldn't recommend them enough, to anyone needing tires or service in Hilo. Mahalo Lex Brodies Hilo and all your crew! Keep up the great work- your customers appreciate it! joel.
WOW!! Thank you Joel. That is like a 10 star reveiw. lol =) We really appreciate your gratitude for the service you received. We wish we had more customers like you! We look forward to seeing you in the future. Safe Travels-especially in Hawaiian Acres. Watch out for that pot hole on the hill just past ROAD C as you're heading out. Aloha.... Anita (A Neighbor on Road D&6) =)
- Hilo-Wiwoole