Wheel Alignment in Toronto, Where?

[DJ Trance AZ]

I got my car lowered today and I'm looking for a place that does four-wheel alignment. Are there any places in the GTA/Markham that you recommend? I am aware that the Toyota dealer charges $90CDN for it...Any cheaper places?

Thanks.

.Eric

[maxgohan]

thats about the going rate
unless you want to do it yourself, look up some diy wheel alignment results on google and it will teach you how to do it yourself
it's not too hard

shops just charge alot for it because people rarely need to get them done and the equipment they have invested in needs to be paid off somehow :)

[nsr250]

K.S.L. Automotive Service (Auto Service)
7 Heritage Rd., Markham ON L3P 1M3
Tel: (905) 471-7811 Fax: (905) 471-7813

ask for Malik, he did my car for me. Like $100. But he'll give you a print out of specs and you can tell him what specs you want on your car. But camber isn't adjustable if you lowered your car and did not get a camber kit.

[PCDawg]

K.S.L. Automotive Service (Auto Service)
7 Heritage Rd., Markham ON L3P 1M3
Tel: (905) 471-7811 Fax: (905) 471-7813

ask for Malik, he did my car for me. Like $100. But he'll give you a print out of specs and you can tell him what specs you want on your car. But camber isn't adjustable if you lowered your car and did not get a camber kit.

Malik can get it cheaper. Just tell him someone referred you over to him and said they got it for $80.

[kleptodathief]

if u DON"T need a printout goto gilman's auto near bellamy/ellesmere....its only like 60bux...how slammed is ur car? mite not get up his ramp LOL

theres a place in brampton called redline i think that does lowered/slammed cars

[DJ Trance AZ]

I got the camber kits for my car when I got it lowered.

So I can go up the ramp in K.S.L. Automotive Service no problem? It's not super low...Picture here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/iameric.t/ToyotaMatrix/photo#5113133586711728338

.Eric

[nsr250]

Your car should get up his ramp no problems. He's done tons of slammed cars. My car was pretty low, the front lip on my bumper is only 3 inches from the ground and it got on no problems.

[DJ Trance AZ]

I got mine done yesterday @ Malik's place! He took almost an hour to adjust the wheels...It was a very nice job he did and I paid $100.

.Eric

[weedb0y]

I got mine done yesterday @ Malik's place! He took almost an hour to adjust the wheels...It was a very nice job he did and I paid $100.

.Eric

Why not lower? ;)

[kleptodathief]

nice neo matrix u got! any engine mods? do they have s/c or turbo kits for the matrixes?

[McLaren]

Got one done last year for $70 at this place:

York Mills Automotive Centre
Address : 1881 Leslie Street, North York, ON M3B 2M3
Telephone : 416-449-5222

[The_Professor]

Got one done last year for $70 at this place:

York Mills Automotive Centre
Address : 1881 Leslie Street, North York, ON M3B 2M3
Telephone : 416-449-5222

How was the service? I need an alignment for my TSX and that place is pretty close to my condo.

[McLaren]

How was the service? I need an alignment for my TSX and that place is pretty close to my condo.

It was fine, no complaints. They fixed a dent on a door and had them do the alignment while there, you can negotiate prices with the guy that gives estimates too.

[radeonboy]

Theres this place in Brampton where I went for a 4-wheel alignment. They got a brand new Snap-On laser alignment system there. Anyways I got my cars done by the guy, lowered and non-lowered and all were great. It's in Brampton though, $40 :) Near Rutherford South.....

You can watch while he does it for you. You see all the settings etc. Seems pretty easy to do...

[actng]

$90 for a four wheel drive, LOWERED car is fair.

you have to pay a premium for lowered + four wheel drive.

see if woodbridge alignment will do a four wheeler.

[PCDawg]

if u DON"T need a printout goto gilman's auto near bellamy/ellesmere....its only like 60bux...how slammed is ur car? mite not get up his ramp LOL

theres a place in brampton called redline i think that does lowered/slammed cars

Dont recommend gilman at all. Last summer i took my ride there and they messed up my front alignment. Front driver tire inside thread was so bad it was worn beyond wear line after 1 1/2 months.

[nsr250]

nice neo matrix u got! any engine mods? do they have s/c or turbo kits for the matrixes?

I think they have the TRD supercharger one for it. Not 100% though.

[FD3S]

I think they have the TRD supercharger one for it. Not 100% though.

Yes they do..

I used to have a matrix....not many people will SC a matrix..

if they do...got to be XRS....

btw..what springs do you have.....those look still very high.....should have went for the s-techs or a set of coilovers=)

[The_Professor]

It was fine, no complaints. They fixed a dent on a door and had them do the alignment while there, you can negotiate prices with the guy that gives estimates too.


The price of $70....was that for a four wheel alignment? I just called and they quoted me $120 which is quite high considering that's what Acura would charge me.

[DJ Trance AZ]

Yes they do..

I used to have a matrix....not many people will SC a matrix..

if they do...got to be XRS....

btw..what springs do you have.....those look still very high.....should have went for the s-techs or a set of coilovers=)

Well the guy installed the Tein S.Tech for me and it said it would drop 2.2". I didn't do any prior research before hand and then later realized S.Tech only drops 1.5" according to their web site....

Anyway, I was mad but not too concerned about the height as I don't want it to be too low.

As for Malik's place, you can tell him what specs. you want, such as better handling, going on to track, etc etc....

.Eric

[McLaren]

The price of $70....was that for a four wheel alignment? I just called and they quoted me $120 which is quite high considering that's what Acura would charge me.

Yes it was 4-wheel alignment, i suggest stopping by the place if you are there and talk to the guy in person.

[kleptodathief]

also, with ur car being lowered/slammed, its good to have a bit of neg camber in the back for better cornering :cheesygri some peeps have slammed cars and don't even NEED an alignment... dpends on ur model/car i guess

[DJ Trance AZ]

Well when Malik finished adjusting the front tires, he put the car down and realized the rear wheels needed not adjustment...

But now I am thinking of getting a set of snow tires on 16" rims, which means I'll have to do another alignment after changing the wheels.

However, I am thinking of getting a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 All-Season tires to replace my Falken XE-512...However, the F1 is very costly ($303/tire)...

.Eric

[hightech]

$90 is not much. I would go to the dealer as there are too many places that do sloppy jobs and charge as much or more then that.

[ShadowVlican]

Dont recommend gilman at all. Last summer i took my ride there and they messed up my front alignment. Front driver tire inside thread was so bad it was worn beyond wear line after 1 1/2 months.
weird but this is a popular shop at TSC (toronto subaru club)

my car pulls slightly to the right on the highway... gonna get an alignment done at Malik's place

i'll report back with results :)

[Rekognize]

K.S.L. Automotive Service (Auto Service)
7 Heritage Rd., Markham ON L3P 1M3
Tel: (905) 471-7811 Fax: (905) 471-7813

ask for Malik, he did my car for me. Like $100. But he'll give you a print out of specs and you can tell him what specs you want on your car. But camber isn't adjustable if you lowered your car and did not get a camber kit.

Dropped by Malik's garage today for a 4-wheel alignment and he did such a great job, highly recommended!

I think he lowered his prices. It's $70 for 4 wheels, $50 for just the fronts.

:cheesygri

[dinesh_zee]

$70 with tax - 4 wheels - Goodyear Hull (Ottawa area)

[bargain_deal]

for all 4 wheels at 100$ + tax at markham honda. they wanted 145$ but when i told them i can get it done outside for 80$ they closed the deal at 100. which i think is still more but it saves me the trouble of taking the car somewhere else and wait + at a dealership quality is supposedly better...

[Rekognize]

dealership quality is supposedly better...

:lol::lol::lol:

[m4gician]

Please AVOID Woodbridge alignment. They used to be good, but the owner (and still manager) has LONG since gone senile, treating his paying customers like crap, ignoring your requests and always speaks to you in a condescending tone. They screwed up my alignment, I brought it back the next day and they told me:
"Who cares if the steering wheel isn't straight, don't come in and tell me my job wasn't good. You need to go get a job and do something useful and stop wasting my time"

...I make a good some of money (I was wearing my work clothes + I'd badge still) and I was nothing but polite. I merely told him it still pulls, can you straighten my steering wheel like you did a year ago. He basically brought the car in, and had his lacky overfill the tire on side of the car that was pulling with 6psi more air.

AVOID WOODBRIDGE ALIGNMENT. I'll try Malik since RFD recommends him.

[smartidiot]

Please AVOID Woodbridge alignment. They used to be good, but the owner (and still manager) has LONG since gone senile, treating his paying customers like crap, ignoring your requests and always speaks to you in a condescending tone. They screwed up my alignment, I brought it back the next day and they told me:
"Who cares if the steering wheel isn't straight, don't come in and tell me my job wasn't good. You need to go get a job and do something useful and stop wasting my time"

...I make a good some of money (I was wearing my work clothes + I'd badge still) and I was nothing but polite. I merely told him it still pulls, can you straighten my steering wheel like you did a year ago. He basically brought the car in, and had his lacky overfill the tire on side of the car that was pulling with 6psi more air.

AVOID WOODBRIDGE ALIGNMENT. I'll try Malik since RFD recommends him.


lol... i see you here again eh.. .. i'll prolly need a full detail job done this summer again... i'll pm you : )

[Jucius Maximus]

AVOID WOODBRIDGE ALIGNMENT. I'll try Malik since RFD recommends him.
Thanks for the update, I was planning to give them a call but I will reconsider now.

[m4gician]

Thanks for the update, I was planning to give them a call but I will reconsider now.

Thanks for heeding my warning. To be perfectly honest, the son, Tony Jr, knows how to work on lowered cars, modern cars, and knows how to satisfy the customer by giving them a damn near perfect alignment. but he works rarely, and of a shop of 10 guys or so who work mostly on commercial, pick-up and delivery trucks, their passenger vehicle work is very shotty nowadays.

I've recommended 5 vehicles there, 4 of them suffer from the non-centered steering wheel afterwards, 2 of them still pulled.

What bugs me is, they didn't even bother to check or tell me anything about:
- my tie rods
- ball joints
- control arms
- bushings, etc.

I know what those parts are, I know how much they cost and why they need replacement, yet they don't inform me the condition and assume i'm (and many customers are) stupid.

The owner, Tony (Anthony Piscella) gripes ALL the time to customers and his coworkers about how "it's not his job to fix broken parts, or other mechanics mistakes, his job is just alignments, let the customers ****ing customers fix it themselves, **** them"

How did I hear this? While waiting 2 hours for them to take my car in after apparently being "next on the list." Avoid them, try a different shop.

[acsta]

Id recommend Level Auto as well...can do really slammed cars...ask for Andrew and tell him Alex sent you...gonna hook you up real good.

levelauto.com


Stopped of at this place on Danforth rd on the way to work, they told me if would take one hour but they were done in 40 minutes...Level auto is what my invoice says here..did an amazing job. :cheesygri

[caddyfleet]

avoid woodbridge alignment. butchers.

they jumped in my car filthy dirty without even askng me and ripped out of the lot to take it for a 5 min test drive.


the owner is rich. he does not care about customers or anybody , hes a rude old man. years of scamming and jacking people and getting rich from doing this = woodbridge alignment today.


avoid at all costs. and the shops a dirty grease pit,.

I like aligntec in rexdale.

[ChaoZ]

There's a place on Martin Grove called Avtar Auto Repair. They do a lot of cab servicing. I brought in specs and they did a good job. The guy who did my alignment, Mr. Singh, has a lot of experience, but could be a tad hard to understand due to his accent.

The equipment was new and looked pretty advanced. Call for appointment first though, they were pretty busy when I went in the fall. Very reasonably priced.

1266 Martin Grove Rd Etobicoke
416-742-4252

[shaaazam]

I just got mine done cus i smacked a curb yesterday
the guy put 4 sensors on 4 tires, but adjusted the front 2
is that still considered 4 wheel alignment?

i paid $50

[Tdotshopper]

I had my lowered car done last year at IAC (vaughan). had laser equipment, re-aligned off centered steering wheel, took them about 1 hr but the job was down correctly and when i asked to speak to the mechanic, the mechanic walked me thru everything, cost was 106. with taxes. i recommend them. they are also affiliated with CarStar.

[ChaoZ]

I just got mine done cus i smacked a curb yesterday
the guy put 4 sensors on 4 tires, but adjusted the front 2
is that still considered 4 wheel alignment?

i paid $50

If the rear tires weren't out of spec, perhaps.

[Jimbobs]

I just got mine done cus i smacked a curb yesterday
the guy put 4 sensors on 4 tires, but adjusted the front 2
is that still considered 4 wheel alignment?

i paid $50

It's possible that only the fronts needed adjustment and the rears were within spec.

Where did you get it done for $50? I'm only asking because it seems to be much less expensive than anyone else has mentioned in this thread.

[br0pbr0p]

Car House on Heritage Drive (across from Markville) does it for $80.

[audidelight]

I found this place on google, they have a special on 2 wheel alignment for $59.99, and four for $79,99 ,just tell them you got the coupon of their web site, they are on danforth rd, level auto. Did a really good job on my car.

[longitude]

What about Midas and Active Green Ross?

[AA0913]

Car House on Heritage Drive (across from Markville) does it for $80.

the place is for fobs and is ****.

i had a wheel bearing done there once

alignment done 3x cuz they couldn't figure out out to reduce toe-in and the steering wheel was always off. they told me it was because of road crown and i laughed at them.

its the unassuming place to take ur car if 1. ur chinese and 2. ur driving a car because ur husband is off in asia making the cash.

[murdazz]

since this is bumped back up, anyone know a place in peel area for lowered cars?

[wmahmud]

Are these new laser alignment places able to give you specs and show that your alignment is actually off before starting to do any work?

[wmahmud]

I just went from 17" to 20" on my car and have some pulling to the right - hope alignment will fix this up.

[ChaoZ]

I just went from 17" to 20" on my car and have some pulling to the right - hope alignment will fix this up.

Were your wheels professionally balanced during mounting? Might want to check that first.

[AA0913]

Were your wheels professionally balanced during mounting? Might want to check that first.

wheel balancing does nothing to reduce your car pulling to one side or what not.

going from 17" -> 20" would probably mean he also increased the WIDTH of the tires.

these wider tires are exaggerating the symptoms of not-perfect alignment from his 17" rims.

i'd also check the offset of the rims as that can also exaggerate alignment issues.

[m4gician]

I'll repost this here:

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to say I found a good place that isn't "Woodbridge alignment" and charges a max of $60 (cash) for a 4 wheel alignment. While some might argue this is similar to shops out east, this is a decent option in the West end here.

Anyways, for what you pay for it's a great job. All computerized, and while some might argue "by hand" (a la Woodbridge Alignment) is a better way of doing it, you get all 4 wheels done digitally, as well as a printout of specs before and after.

They're called "Avtar Wheel Alignment" and they're located on Martin Grove Rd, South of Rexdale Blvd on the West side.

They're one of those grimey shops, but as is the case with a lot of shops, that isn't a reflection of their work. It's run by a nice Punjabi guy who has two bays for alignment with guys who have plenty of experience and are very good with what they do.

[wmahmud]

wheel balancing does nothing to reduce your car pulling to one side or what not.

going from 17" -> 20" would probably mean he also increased the WIDTH of the tires.

these wider tires are exaggerating the symptoms of not-perfect alignment from his 17" rims.

i'd also check the offset of the rims as that can also exaggerate alignment issues.


So what do you suggest? My stock tires were 245/55/17, and im now on 245/35/20 tires.

I have some pulling to the right - so I assume its the alignment, and the rim shop told me to get an alignment as well, as my balancing was done by them twice and was perfect.

[Jucius Maximus]

since this is bumped back up, anyone know a place in peel area for lowered cars?

Try Altech at 384 Olivewood Rd in Etobicoke.
They are very highly recommended in the TorontoMazda3 forums.


Are these new laser alignment places able to give you specs and show that your alignment is actually off before starting to do any work?

At Altech they gave me before/after specs in the printout, showing that the the alignment was out of spec, though I did not request to see that ahead of the work because I knew it was not driving straight.

[longitude]

I'll repost this here:

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to say I found a good place that isn't "Woodbridge alignment" and charges a max of $60 (cash) for a 4 wheel alignment. While some might argue this is similar to shops out east, this is a decent option in the West end here.

Anyways, for what you pay for it's a great job. All computerized, and while some might argue "by hand" (a la Woodbridge Alignment) is a better way of doing it, you get all 4 wheels done digitally, as well as a printout of specs before and after.

They're called "Avtar Wheel Alignment" and they're located on Martin Grove Rd, South of Rexdale Blvd on the West side.

They're one of those grimey shops, but as is the case with a lot of shops, that isn't a reflection of their work. It's run by a nice Punjabi guy who has two bays for alignment with guys who have plenty of experience and are very good with what they do.

Ok, I'm following your tip.

I hope their good as you say... :D

[Robb]

http://www.levelalignments.com/

I'm gonna try this place Monday (tomorrow)
Thier shop looks hella clean !
Gonna update afterwards :)


http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/8083/73974517.jpg
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/760/41914710.jpg
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/7996/15677469.jpg
http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/3218/26200358.jpg

[m4gician]

That is one sexy sexy shop. It's brand spanking new. No grease or junk anywhere. LOL. Quite the opposite of my referral, but the laser alignment is very accurate so yes.

[bembol]

LEVEL alignments looks impressive, too bad it's an hour away. :(


Any follow up with m4gician's recommended shop, Avtar Wheel Alignment?

[KorruptioN]

http://www.levelalignments.com/

I'm gonna try this place Monday (tomorrow)
Thier shop looks hella clean !
Gonna update afterwards :)


http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/8083/73974517.jpg[/img]
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/760/41914710.jpg[/img]
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/7996/15677469.jpg[/img]
http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/3218/26200358.jpg[/img]

Pretty clean. Please do update us with your impressions.

[m4gician]

LEVEL alignments looks impressive, too bad it's an hour away. :(


Any follow up with m4gician's recommended shop, Avtar Wheel Alignment?

haha, I'd get a friend to post to vouch, but I have no vested interest in this. If it's convenient for you, try it. I used them vs. Woodbridge alignment and to me, it was a DEFINITE upgrade.

But again, i'm comparing two shops lol, heh it's $60 for a 4 wheel cash, hard to beat that price for a lazer alignment and a print out though haha.

[fsalim]

Just had my front wheel alignment done for $40 from Peter's Alignment. It's located at Old Weston & St. Clair west. Basically, when you're going north on Old Weston, cross St.Clair and make the first left. Then follow the curve to the right, and it's located along with a junkyard on the left hand side. Alignment was hand done, and I'm pretty happy with the results so far. I haven't gone on the highway yet, so I'll keep you guys updated.

[AA0913]

bumping cuz i want to know how much LEVEL was and do they ding u more for lowered/rims etc etc.

[Robb]

Well I didnt end up going to Level Alignment, since it was out of my way.
I took it to a place beside my mechanic. The place is called Ortis Auto inc.
It's located at Rogers rd and Weston rd. They showed me everything cuz I was watching him do it. The car drives perfect now. :)

[001Stunna]

Well I didnt end up going to Level Alignment, since it was out of my way.
I took it to a place beside my mechanic. The place is called Ortis Auto inc.
It's located at Rogers rd and Weston rd. They showed me everything cuz I was watching him do it. The car drives perfect now. :)

Did they offer a before and after printouts or no, hand done or laser done?
...and im assuming you mechanic is Joe @ Altech :P?

[Robb]

It was done by laser. Yes Joe @ Altech is my mechanic.
I didnt need a printout. I was there the entire time.

[squall458]

Do all alignment procedures involve hooking up some device onto the rims? I just got my rims refinished and the dealership told me that the alignment device was going to scuff up my rims. Is this true for all alignment processes? Is there a shop that can do this without scuffing up the rims?

[Robb]

It might scuff the lip a bit if they are not careful.

[ekashyap]

Anybody know of a good shop around the Vaughn area (7 and Keele). I'm going there go pick up my car which is having
it 's shocks replaced.

How important is a shop with the new laser alignment. Anywhere from the vaughn area to Mississauga with some good
service and good tech....please let me know. Thanks.

[Angelina2321]

I got the shops info from redflag website. I went to get an alignment here and there was a really nice receptionists who took my info and explained exactly why and what the alignment is. I'm a woman and I don't know much about this stuff. The dealer I usually go to wanted 140 to do the alignment. Level alignments price was half of that of the dealer.I found them on here and I was totally satisfied with their service. Another plus their washroom was so clean and new, really a plus for a woman shopper.

[Techhead]

Anybody know of a good shop around the Vaughn area (7 and Keele). I'm going there go pick up my car which is having
it 's shocks replaced.

How important is a shop with the new laser alignment. Anywhere from the vaughn area to Mississauga with some good
service and good tech....please let me know. Thanks.

Have taken several of my vehicles there with no issues at all, reasonably priced. Years ago they were the only ones who would touch my lifted jeep.

Crown Steering & BrakeAddress:‎
1766 Dundas Street East
Mississauga, ON L4X 1L8
(905) 275-3100

[adesii]

http://coupons.redflagdeals.com/index.php/search/?q=wheel+alignment&near=

check it out...peace

[Lankan007]

Did anyone go to Limitless Auto and try out the place?

[lovemyride]

Did anyone go to Limitless Auto and try out the place?
Does it even matter what anyone says about any shop...you never really know until you go for yourself..I've been to different shops where I read good stuff and the shop was crap and bad stuff about the shop and they turned out to be really good...and everyone has a different experience at different shops..try it out for yourself...I am new to redflag deals and so far I read bad things about Firestone and how they are rude...but I don't believe so.

[001Stunna]

Level Auto in Scarborough and B-Line Mechanics in Mississauga would be my top 2 reccomendations for alignment

[vtec_concept]

Another place for a great alignment:

Fix-Rite Auto Tech
1312 Britannia Road East
Mississauga, ON L4W 1C8
(905) 565-7318 (ask for Alex) referred by Akshay if they ask

[tsxnation]

Woodbridge Alignment used to be the go to place. They would be able to fix any alignment no matter how bad it was (due to abuse or collision). I took two difficult vehicles there years ago for a salvage rebuild alignment and they were able to get it perfect. Now that old man is an absolute idiot and has definitely gone senile. Went there a month ago and he ended up yelling at me when I told him the part he was telling me to replace was brand new. I have dealt with him in the past and it has been a pleasure, but now that man is off his rocker. His son should step in and run that business now before it goes to hell. If you go there now, they are not nearly as busy as they used to be. What a horrible way to ruin the reputation of what was arguably once the best alignment shop in Ontario. I know I'm not the only one who shares that opinion.

[KorruptioN]

+1 to the above. I don't go to Woodbridge Alignment anymore. They run on word-of-mouth advertising. It's this same advertising that will bury them.

I have been to Level Auto and wholeheartedly recommend them. Clean efficient shop, and you get a printout showing exactly what needed to be changed/adjusted. The fishtank is mighty cool too.

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/wheel-alignment-toronto-where-493916/2/#post10903659

[tsxnation]

Anyone know of a place that does alignment straightening/correction after a collision? I don't need one now, but I will in the future.

[vthakur]

Auto House (10 Laidlaw, Markham) - Alignment Shop and Mechanic Shop.

Extremely dissatisfied with this place. Avoid this place at any cost!
Went for wheel alignment.

So it all began with squeaking on the front right side of my car. My mechanic changed the outer tie rod end, squeaking went away and suggested to get an alignment. I live in Markham and read decent review (many good, some bad), so I figured I will give AutoHouse a shot. Its on my way to work anyways.

I went to Autohouse for alignment. David, the store manager, suggested that I get all four wheels aligned, although I need front two done. I complied and agreed to do all four based on the experts opinion.
Four wheel alignment is $80 and two wheel is suppose to be $60.

The mechanic breezed through the rear two tires and got to the front two tires. Came back and said that the locking nut was stuck. Right away, David, the store manager tells me that the alignment cannot happen and that I must pay for an extra half an hour of labour for them to loosen the nut. That would be another $35. I was pretty shocked to find that the nut, which my mechanic had serviced just three days ago, and was freely moving, is now suddely seized and corroded in 3 days. I recalled 'my mechanic' telling me that the locking nut is loosened clockwise (not counter-clockwise as traditionally with other nuts). So I asked Auto House mechanic which way he had been turning the nut. I am told that he tried turning it both ways and it doesn't turn, so they will have to try harder by taking off the front two rims and it will cost me more.

Frustrated, having not much choice seeing my car up on a hoist, I agreed to pay another $35. The shop tells me that they do not have a key, for a very common aftermarket locking nuts that I have on my car. I told them that I am currently not carrying it, and can go home and get it. I was quiet surprised as my own mechanic has keys to most of common aftermarket and oem lug nuts.

I am now told that since I am not carrying the key, I will be charged $80 today and another $75 the next time I show up with a key, to complete the front alignment. I told them this is outrageous as for alignments, tires do not need to be taken off, plus why am I being charged full four wheel alignment fee when my front two wheels have not even touched for alignment!!! I said it would be fair if you charged me for rear two wheels (which I did not need aligned anyways) and I will come back and pay for the front wheels AND for the extra time it will take you for removing the nuts. But no, David needed the $80 to release my car and another $75 to complete the alignment.

I do not want to type another few pages but after $155, my car still does not drive straight, pulls to the left. By the way, they also suggested that I should replace my inner control arm, as the locking bolt and tie rod end are screwing in way too easy and there is play. I am once again shocked, as this is the same person who told me that things were seized and it was impossible to remove the nut, which suddenly now is way too loose?

In the process of removing the locking nut, they had also used heat guns to heat up the locking nut quiet alot, this was also done without asking me. I later had to replace my tie rod end, as the rubber portion of the bushing had melted by Auto House which they had hid and told me about. After changing the outer tie rod end, I once again needed front wheel alignment. So after $155 wasted at Auto House, $80 + $50 to my mechanic to install a new tie rod end which Auto House damaged, and $110 (dealer alignment), I have spent $400 by making a mistake of going to Auto House.

I am never going to this place again and would strongly advise for everyone to stay away.

AVOID AVOID AVOID Auto House.

[appleb]

I have an appointment booked with level auto based on the recommendations here.

I'm driving a 93 miata (rwd) and the last time I had an alignment was around 5 years ago. Should I be getting a 2 wheel or 4 wheel alignment? I was reading that 4 wheel alignment isn't always necessary?

[krypton]

Did anyone hear anything about these guys ?
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-automotive-services-repairs-maintenance-4-WHEEL-ALIGNMENT-ONLY-37-00-W0QQAdIdZ302615169

[mrvette]

I brought my lowered 2007 Vette to Woodbridge Alignment because I heard they were the best at wheel alignments, and in my honest opinion, these guys are the best. The shop was really busy and all the mechanics seemed to know exactly what they were doing. The old man was still there working on some banged up civic and he seemed to be a nice guy and not too involved with customers, not that I care, he's fixing cars not dating the drivers. Anyway, I'd go there again. I even brought my wife's ML there and they got rid of the vibration and the steering pull. No computerized alignments which if you really think about it, the computer program cannot take tire wear, defective parts and driving habits into account. I paid $80 for the vette and 70 for the ML.

[drk_fly]

Shop Review: Millenium Auto in Oakville Ontario owned by Charles.

Summary:
-Disrespectful owner with a short temper / No customer service / However, I don't doubt he does good work (wouldn't know, never finished the job because he swore and yelled at me).
-Was given Charles' contact info by Dave; however, this has no reflection on Dave, as I don't know their relationship.

Background: I bought this car (first car) early this summer and have been working on it as much as I could (both time wise and money; poor university student, just finished a summer term). No experience working on cars or anything of the sorts so I'm a huge noob and have been relying on my enthusiast manual, and online forums. That said, I love my Miata even though it's a money pit.

Story:
So after having lowering my car with me and a friend, it was time for an alignment. I emailed Dave (@Dave's Garage) because he seems to be well regarded on both miata.net and clubroadster.com. After a few exchanging emails, he informs me that he doesn't do alignments, but he has a friend named "Charles" at "Millenium Auto" in Oakville down the road who does. So I thought to myself "hey, if Dave suggests this guy, he must be alright." Despite having a close friend whose dad who is a mechanic and owns an auto shop, I chose this guy named Charles.

I give him a call to get a quote, and told him Dave sent me and that I have a 1996 Mazda Miata which I've lowered, and now needs an alignment. He tells me his price is $125 and goes on to justify this seemingly high price by saying how he works on a lot of performance cars and gives me an anology about buying a crap Kia and getting what you pay for. He continues by saying, since my car is a 1996, it will probably need new bolts and some other bits on top of the $125. I respond by saying, "I dont know, I'll have to think about it, $125 is already pushing my budget". To this he says "you know what, just bring it in and I'll take care of you buddy". So I agree and tell him I'll come by Friday at 40-4:45ish, but I'll call Friday to confirm. I ended up really busy at work that Friday so I didn't call him back. I call back the following week and we agree on Friday at 40pm (Last friday).

So I swing by and park my car out front. His place is in a small tight packed plaza and I eventually locate his shop. First impression walking in, the place is a mess, news paper everywhere, bird poop (they have a pet bird they let fly around) on some of the furniture, a puppy with red eyes laying on a broken in couch. Picture frames with broken glass and faded motivational pictures and car diagrams. The place looked pretty dirty and really unorganized, but hey, Dave pointed me to this guy so he must do a good job and I'm already here so let's just get it done.

Unsure if I had the right shop, I poke my head in to be greeted by an overweight female secretary who looks at me and says "What?". I ask if this was Millenium Auto, and she says "Yeah" and continues to stare at me. I meet Charles, seems to be a nice guy and he asks me to sit down. I end up sitting there for 1 hour while he cusses on the phone, talks disrespectfully to his secretary. After an hour wait, he says "Sorry for the wait I gotta get these buses out". I shrug it off and say "No worries, **** happens".

So we get the car on the hoist and he points out my racelands are rubbing on my axles a tad. I had just put the rears on and wasn't sure if they'd rub and didn't want to grind the locking rings if I didn't have to. He looks at my eccentric bolts and exclaims that I will need new ones and new bushings, $20 per bolt, and $30 per bushing. Shocked I said "Wow". By this, he get's ticked off, and I stand there trying to add this up in my head, 125+160+240 assuming 8 bolts and 8 bushings = $525 and then labor and taxes on top. From here, he snaps on me and I just tell him I need to think about it and I can't leave my car here overnight as it is my only transportation to get home and to work and such. He starts yelling at me and swearing and calling me a cheap **** or something along those lines with "cheap" and "****". At this point, I lose it too and start yelling at him. Then he's like get the **** out of here and pay me for my time. I tell him to **** off and get my car down. After some a little more yelling I cave and I calm down and I'm like " you know what man, I'll pay you your $50 just get my car down and I'll leave". He continues to yell at me and swear and goes inside to write up a bill. Then he offers to do my fronts for $125, to which I say "nah its fine I'll pay you your 50$ and thats that".

What a cheap guy, anything for a dollar; after all that yelling and disrespect you have the nerve to ask me to do the fronts? I'm the kind of guy that tips big at a restaurant when the waitress is nice. I pay for customer service. No way am I gonna give my money to some disrespectful guy who I feel doesn't deserve my dollar. After paying the bill, he's calmed down. Brings my car down and as I go to get into my car he shakes my hand and apologizes for snapping on me and rambles a little. I just nod my head along and say I understand and it's cool, and have a good weekend.

I'm leaving quite a bit out of this, but the entire time I was dealing with him, he was really aggressive and condesending by saying things like "hey man, you working with me? or against me?", but I feel you get the jist of it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things learned? Having a mechanic you can trust is very key. On top of that, I've reaffirmed that customer service is really big to me. And that the cleanliness and morale of the staff might be fair criteria to judge a store.

What really bugs me is that this guy is 50-60 years old and yells, disrespects, and swears at a 21 year old 5'6 asian who gets by on Junior passes at movie theatres and lift tickets (people think I'm in high school). I wouldn't yell and scream at someone half or a third of my age, and can't see myself being 50-60 and yelling a 20 yr. old who looks 16. Like come on, I'm a poor university student who really likes cars and is trying to make it work, despite it being such a money pit; I don't have a lot of money and can't afford to pay out that kind of cash right now. I'd rather take it off insurance and save some cash to do it later as money is tight both with me and my family. I don't know anything about cars and I'm trying to learn (I asked if I could stand by and watch the procedure). The other thing that bugs me is that I'm the first one to calm down and just let it go, meanwhile he's still fuming and yelling at me over spilt milk.

I understand that he might have been stressed out with other orders, and that he might be frustrated with my noobiness, but A. we agreed on $125, B. he also said "don't worry about it, I'll take care of it" C. grow up, I'm just a kid and he's a full grown adult. How is it that he's the first to snap and lose it, and I'm the one to calm down first.

Welcome to the real world I guess. Jeez.

/Rant

[wing0]

Anybody has a recent review on Level Auto?

Thinking of going there for an alignment, but its quite a drive.

[001Stunna]

Anybody has a recent review on Level Auto?

Thinking of going there for an alignment, but its quite a drive.

I was there in this past summer and had a great experience. Just know they have quite the BIG dog in the shop so enter the office area first lol :P

[ichpen]

Level is great for your standard alignments. I know of a few places that do proper corner balancing also which is always a good idea for track time/auto-x.

[wing0]

Thanks.

I'm just looking for an alignment place that can fix my car from pulling to the right which I couldn't fix after two alignment at my own mechanic's place.

Hopefully these guys can do a decent job.
Will give them a call.

[QuestForKnowledge]

I was looking for an alignment (pulling a bit to the left) from a good shop close to home, called a few places nearby and chose A-Line Auto, just because I got a good vibe from the service manager on the phone. I asked if they could take me today and he said if I could come now, he'd get it done right away. When I got there, the service manager, Peter, took me into the back, showed me the shop and the equipment they use, answered a few questions I had, and took my car right away while I waited. Took less than an hour, $80, done deal. Bart, the mechanic who did the alignment talked to me a bit afterward on some stuff, said it wasn't bad, shouldn't have any issues, some where on the tires (been driving it this way for a bit), etc. Didn't try to upsell me on anything I didn't need. Overall, very positive experience.

Anyway, nothing 'extraordinary' happened, but I really liked these guys and this shop. I'd likely feel very comfortable going back to them for other work I couldn't do myself. They left a very good first impression. Just wanted to share that with anyone else looking.

Place is called A-Line Auto & Tire located at 3191 Wolfedale Road in Mississauga. Nearby for me. Website is alineautopro.

In addition to sharing a positive experience I had here, if anyone else had a good or bad experience here would love to know for the future.

Hope it helps!