In my experience, I'd almost sooner learn how to do something then pay someone to do it, and without question it ends up done half baked.

front end alignments, mounting tires, and state inspections are about the only things I'll pay someone to do. And I'd do tires myself if I had the equipment.

When I got my euro lumina someone had cut out the cat and replaced it with pipe, I need a catcon for inspection I had a spare downpipe with a cat on It so I asked them to install that and weld it up to the rest of the exhaust, but I wanted the other DP back. they threw away my down pipe and clamped the thing poorly to the rest of the exhaust

paid a local shop to install a new fuel pump and sending unit in my old euro lumina as well, they didn't put the sending unit in right, and the tank always read full, they woulden't even look at it again... the pump failed shortly after and I did the job myself and found their error... jerks

My wife went in to a dealership because she had a SES light. They told her she has a blown head gasket and would be $800 to fix. And wouldn't give her the keys. She called me crying. they said that engine will fail any moment now. I asked the guy, how do you know it'* a head gasket. He said the computer said so. Really? Ya. That'* when I stopped playing dumb. I asked if he looked at the engine. No, I don't need to, the computer said so. Did you check the oil? No, did you check the coolant? No. Can you see anything running down the side of the block? I didn't look. Did you do a compression test? No. then how do you know it'* a blown head gasket? The computer says so. Give my wife back her keys. Sir, the engine is going to go out any moment now. Don't care, give her back her keys. We sold the van 20,000 miles later with no engine problems. Most of the auto mechanics these days rely on the computer. I started working on cars in the early 70s. You used your ears, and you looked at the spark plugs. That'* about it.

Sounds like you had a service writer who didn't know anything about cars. Shops these days want a "Salesman" at the front counter talking to customers. I guess the mechanical experience is secondary. I completely disagree with that way of doing business. But than again most people don't understand what is under their hood anyway. Underneath all the "computer stuff" is stil an internal combustion engine. It hasn't really changed since its inception.

Daughter had the Bravada at College two years ago (UW). She called saying it would not start. It would turn over. Bravada was towed to the dealer because I was willing to pay extra for piece of mind that it would be fixed to standard. Service manager called me at stated it need a $700 tune-up. I was stuck as I was out of state, so I gave him the green light to do the work. Daughter drove it home (120 miles) and it died and again would not start.

Fuel pump was bad. Research showed that fuel pump on Blazer/ Bravada is very common. I wonder if the dealer even did a pressure test. Seems a tune up was an easy high margin repair. No way anyone can prove they missed the fuel pump, but considering the Bravada was 12 years old and 185k miles, seems the fuel pump would have been a major focus for a car the was turning over but not starting.

This is why I do most of the work myself. Many times halfway into it I think I am over me head, but when it is finished I always feel confident because I know exactly what was done and how it was done.

The above may be an example of "cherry picking". Taking the easy repair and turning away the tough repair.

By the way, for anyone living up north that doesn't want to make/ patch their own brake lines, a company in MI can make exact replacement brake lines for many vehicles. He remade entire lines from the master cylinder to the drums on for my 1991 K2500.

I am lucky to have an old guy near who does brake repairs from a rolls of stock with custom bending and fittings. Just redid my dually Ram 3500 from the front and back tee'* for $126. Sometimes living in the country where people actually charge the actual time/parts needed pays off. I can't even imagine what a place like Midas would rape you that kind of a job.