Repair Shops

Chatsworth ceramics manufacturer Don Franklin was looking for an auto mechanic to fix his problematic '63 Ford Ranchero when he heard a radio ad for (800) FIX-A-CAR. Although Franklin admits he's skeptical about auto repair shops and 800 numbers, he decided to call because several independent mechanics and two Ford dealers had no success fixing his vehicle. "I found a great dentist like that, through (800) DENTIST, about three years ago," he says.

The problems for Sears, Roebuck & Co.'s auto repair centers expanded beyond California on Monday as New Jersey officials accused the chain of recommending unnecessary car repairs. New Jersey Consumer Affairs Director Emma N. Byrne said employees at six Sears auto centers in the state recommended unneeded repairs that ranged in cost from $30 to $406 during 12 inspections of undercover state cars. She said the cars had disconnected alternator wires, a $10 repair.

Sure, buying a Prius is the obvious way to reduce your carbon footprint, but there's a more stylish and sustainable step toward Earth-friendly transportation you might want to consider: resoling your shoes. Los Angeles is home to more than 200 registered shoe repair shops, but not all cobblers are created equal, especially when it comes to men's shoes. So where to take your favorite wingtips, loafers or boots? Here are three top shops where history, quality and craftsmanship combine to keep your shoes a step ahead.

One frustrating day last November, Jennifer C. Jones' videocassette recorder spat out a tape she had just inserted, and then it refused to play any others. Although her first thought was to junk the broken VCR and buy a new one, Jones decided that with the economy in recession and money tight, she couldn't afford to pay $300 or more for a replacement. She carted the machine to a repair shop in Orange to determine if it could be fixed, and was pleasantly surprised by the final bill: $83.

Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo lent his support Friday to a bill requiring auto repair shops to display report cards showing whether they have violated consumer protection laws. If approved by the Legislature, the bill would set up a system similar to one already used to monitor restaurants in Los Angeles County, which must post a large letter A, B, C or less depending on how well they fare in regular inspections.

Ever taken that used tea bag and dunked it into a second cup of hot water? As the economy sags, the idea of making good with what you've got has folks squeezing more use out of their cars, shoes and even golf clubs. While retail stores report drooping sales, repair shops are flooded with people looking to extend the life of their old stuff because they're too worried to buy new. Sure, the housing market is in free fall, gas exceeds $4 a gallon and the likes of Ford and Sears are complaining about declining sales.

Jose Gomora runs an auto repair shop in Sherman Oaks. Even if you didn't know that, it'd be easy enough to find out if you were an auto club member and did a search on AAA's website for an approved shop in the Los Angeles area. Gomora Auto Service bears the auto club's seal of approval, one of about 640 repair shops in Southern California (and more than 8,000 nationwide) "that meet and maintain high professional standards," according to AAA's site. What auto club members aren't told is that Gomora and other shops pay at least $1,000 a year to be listed as a facility approved by the American Automobile Assn.

If an auto repair shop says it charges $70 an hour for labor, and the job takes one hour, how much is the labor bill? David Verdiner thought the answer should be $70 when he had his car fixed at a Pep Boys -- Manny, Moe & Jack Inc. garage in Los Angeles two years ago. The store had signs stating that its hourly labor rate was $70. But instead, Verdiner claims, he was billed $112 for the labor, even though the job took only 40 minutes. Verdiner paid his bill.

The district attorney's office filed a civil lawsuit Monday against three auto repair shops that allegedly charged for unneeded car repairs and parts not replaced. The defendants are Goodyear Advanced Tire and Service at 25502 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo; El Toro Tire & Service at 23211 Cherry Ave., Lake Forest; and Quality Care Auto at 2705 S. Grand Ave., Santa Ana. Also named as a defendant was Homayon Bakhtar, owner of the three repair shops. Bakhtar could not be reached late Monday.

The City Council directed the city attorney Tuesday night to draft an ordinance that would phase out the use of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, over two years. The ordinance is expected to come up for a formal council vote next month. City officials said the measure would affect 44 businesses, mostly auto repair shops, which use CFCs to recharge auto air-conditioning units, and appliance repair shops that fix refrigerators.