Vehicle repairs are either the recommended solution to an “Initial Consultation” or a recommended solution to an issue noticed during routine maintenance. Repairs can be as simple as a door handle that doesn’t operate properly, or as complex as replacing a set of brake lines that are corroded and leaking. If there is ever a repair that STEM does not recommend on-site, we have a number of repair shops in the Western New York area that we work closely with and can recommend for the necessary repairs.
We rarely provide repairs prior to personally identifying the issue because we need to know what tools and equipment to bring, and we need to confirm the bad component rather than guessing the most likely issue. Just like an HVAC professional who may come to your house to service your furnace, we don’t stock every part available for every vehicle. However, we do stock the same types of parts as all good independent repair shops, with wiper blades, light bulbs, fuses, oil filters, oil, hoses, clamps, etc, and we have connections with all the local auto part stores and dealerships to quickly receive the correct replacement parts. We will typically come diagnose the issue with your vehicle, and if still safe to drive, we will recommend the follow-up visit to repair. This allows you to continue operating your vehicle and us to obtain the correct parts and schedule an efficient schedule to keep our service costs down. (Most people wouldn’t want to pay our hourly rate to drive to and from the parts store)
You may think many repairs are too complicated or special equipment is needed to perform on-site, and you’re partially right. We’ve come up with many proven solutions to allow repairs on-site, and invested or designed special equipment to allow these repairs without compromising quality. (Remember the majority of our repairs are warrantied for at least 24 months.) We have vises, presses, power tools, spring compressors, and vans full of tools that all repair shops contain.
If you need a specific repair, we always provide an estimate first. If we haven’t come out to diagnose exactly the repair and provide an estimate, please schedule an “Initial Consultation” by clicking below.