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November 2023 by Sam Martin
The service itself was good but the office person that I had to speak with to set up the service was not all that great. I’m a employee for a company that has a fleet so I’m always looking for good service to be able to use for that reason but this office person while taking my information instead of me verbally telling I just gave him a business card with my number my companies office number and the name of the company everything he needed, well as I’m standing the guy proceeded to look at the card and then just threw it in the trash as I’m standing there. I didn’t say anything walked outside and took a few calls and then received a text from Kestner and noticed that he didn’t even take the time to read the card enough to spell the company name right. At the end it was time for payment and I told him to use the business card I gave him to call the office for payment as he digs through the trash to find and can’t then ask me for another card so he could get the office number. It was really disrespectful to me the customer that this even happened.
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October 2023 by Eddie Holliday
I contacted Kestner’s in Lexington on a recommendation from a previous customer. I was visiting my mother in Columbia after having driven down from Charlotte. On my journey, my car seemed to have an electrical issue that caused it to skip and jerk. I did a complete tuneup requiring plugs, wires, cap and rotor. Thinking that would fix the problem. Upon preparing to leave Columbia, the problem got worse. I wasn’t at home and I figured it had to be the coil, which is inside the distributor. Speaking with Josh throughout the process, he sent a tow truck the next morning to retrieve my vehicle off of I 26. He did mention it would be 2 to 3 days before he could look at it. Being from out of town and not knowing any local shops, I was fine with that. Turns out he contacted me on the sixth day, after the weekend. He informed me that I needed a crankshaft position sensor and a distributor. When I asked why both, he said because they work hand in hand. Being a mechanic myself, I said yes they do, but, also independent of each other. Of course they charge you to diagnose the problem and then also charge to make repairs on top of the diagnostic test which is necessary for them to know what to repair. Upon hearing the prices after the work was done and before calling me in advance to authorize the repairs, I was surprised at the the parts price's. The distributor sells for roughly $300, new, from NAPA and the crank position sensor for $60. Josh charged $435.81 and $99.46 respectively. When asked about the huge difference, his response was, you are getting a 2 year, 24,000 mile warranty on parts and labor through any NAPA auto care center nationwide. I understand a 20% markup on parts. Insurance that I am paying a premium for and was never made aware of is a different story. I realize the prices I quoted are resale prices from a store and the prices that they receive are a discounted wholesale price to start with before the mark up on resale prices. When asked about the coil replacement instead of the entire distributor, Josh said there were other issues with my distributor gear. I did not see any damage on the gear when he returned my distributor to me. I did however notice the cam sensor inside the distributor appeared to have been manipulated to require distributor replacement. If it should have been replaced is debatable. I had asked in a text to keep the parts for me when I picked up my vehicle, he said he didn’t get the text, therefore no sensor saved. But still had the distributor. I should have been able to save the money on either of the crank sensor and labor or distributor and labor. Didn’t really have to have both. I know Josh is a service manager and takes all of his information from his mechanics to relay to the consumer. It does also appear that Josh does a little double talk to either confuse the issue or try to make someone believe they are not knowledgeable regarding his responses. I also understand It is his job to help the business to make money and operate for a profit. Tow charge was fine, labor rates are in line as well. Parts prices, and charging for an insurance that the consumer is unaware of is Suspect. I did, however make an appointment for my mom to get her oil changed this Friday. Eagerly awaiting how that goes.
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October 2023 by Mallorie Ferrigno
I have lived in Lexington, SC for 12 years. I had high hopes for Kestner automotive because of their great reviews and because they are a local mechanic. If I could give my experience less than 1 star, I would. I dropped my Jeep off on Monday and Josh was the one I kept in touch with. He said that he could fit me into the schedule as long as I got there in the morning. I dropped my jeep off as soon as they opened. When I didn't hear from him all day, I decided to call around 4pm for an update. He told me that he wasn't sure what the issue was yet and that he would give me a call back. When Josh called me back, he said that it was my speed sensor which is what I told him it was because the other one had already gone bad earlier in the year. Josh told me that I would have to wait until Tuesday because they could only get the part by morning. I gladly accepted because I understand that things happen. Tuesday rolled around and once again I did not hear from Josh. I called him at 2pm asking if my Jeep was done. He told me that it wasn't done yet and that he would call me in a few hours. Keep in mind, they close at 5:30pm. Josh called me back around 4pm stating that he put the new sensor in, but now it needs another part (a clip.) The clip holds the sensor in place. When I asked how did he not know it needed a clip before putting the new sensor in, he told me that he wasn't sure. So, my bill went from $320 to about $600. I told him that I no longer trust what he is saying, the lack of communication was unnerving enough. I asked Josh to put everything back and I understood that the diagnostic/labor had been done. I had not issues paying $120. I asked around 4:45pm if I could pick my vehicle up since he said it was done and then he told me they were closing at 5pm all of a sudden. Which I felt like was just another lie. I went into the office this morning and paid the fee that I had agreed to. When we asked for the keys, Josh said that my vehicle was already running. We asked why he would have my Jeep running when he had no idea what time we were coming in the morning. Apparently, he had it running for over 20 minutes and the windows were down. It made no sense why he would have the car running that long and at this point I just felt like it was malicious intent. When I finally got into my jeep there was a dirty towel in the back with oil on it, a soaked red shirt that had died my comforters and stained other things red. I had no idea why it was soaked or what was on it. I am appalled at the workmanship and the character that Josh showed while representing this company. He was very snarky and off-putting when I was asking him simple questions. I would not recommend anyone to go there while Josh is still in that position. If the owner Bobby Kestner is willing to reconcile this issue, I would be truly grateful.
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August 2023 by Lashone Hope
First time at this shop… Initially, I was told that I would need to leave the vehicle, but once I arrived, the gentleman was able to get my tire issue resolved quickly, and he saved me from having to make a trip back. That is excellent customer service!! Plus, he was friendly on top of that. Recommend!
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July 2023 by Colin
I came to Kestner auto expecting and ready to spend $4,200 on my truck to fix an issue my truck never even had. Kestner was honest with me about the actual issue my truck had which ended up only costing me $160. Just one week later I was involved in a car accident and I called Kestner if I could be towed to their shop to be looked at and without hesitation I was told I could. Without them even knowing the full situation or the damages they allowed me to take my truck to their shop. I’d recommend Kestner Automotive to anyone who wants a place they can trust who also dose solid quality work.
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July 2023 by Philip Laughridge
Repeat customer here. Good work. Fair price but not the cheapest. Very good communication and customer service. They have worked in a fuel problem on an F-150, wheel bearings on a Subaru, and brakes on a Cadillac SRX. I will continue to use them.
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June 2023 by A V
My vehicle sat for a week before getting a call from Josh stating that he could change out the steering box if I used a locally sourced part (made in China) and not what I requested (a rebuild through a US company). When I insisted on my route he informed me that I would have to pay a daily storage fee. This, after i was told that if they were waiting on parts would not be charged. He went on to tell me that he didn't like the shop to work on older vehicles because he couldn't make any money on them. To add insult to injury, he upcharged the towing fee. I'm out over 350.00 in towing fees without a wrench being turned. Extremely difficult to give them one star. Questionable character and no integrity on Josh's part. Buyer beware.Service: Steering & suspension repair
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June 2023 by Bill Harrington
Josh was great, reviewed my requests, gave me a complete explanation with cost and went further with an honest opinion of what he do. Trust Kestner vs chains
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May 2023 by A Brenes
I had a horrible flat tire with my kids in car, and barely made it off the road into parking lot. Kestner came and rescued me by filling my tire with air and then followed me to their lot refilling my tire twice more just to get me there. They were so nice, and had my tire patched and ready to go in no time!Service: Tires
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May 2023 by Chasity Kafesh
This place is ABSOLUTELY amazing! Josh was so great, he kept in touch with me about everything. They are very honest, trustworthy and all around great. They fixed my husband's car and checked out my suv. I'd recommend them to anyone! They will continue to have my business. ?Services: Battery service
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May 2023 by Liz Brown
They found what was causing check engine light to display and resolved the issue with the most cost efficient repair. Also completed routine maintenance with oil change and cabin filter replacement. Kestner employees are always courteous and efficient. Highly recommend!Services: Air & cabin filter replacement
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March 2023 by swilsonhd
Kestner's shop was great to work with. They had a bit of troubleshooting to figure out the actual problem. They stayed on it and figured it out. Great communication with us. The price for the job was a very reasonable. I will recommend this shop and use them again when needed.Service: Electrical
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March 2023 by Michael Faecher
Another shop had my car 2 days and couldn't fix it. Dropped my car off at Kestners and they called 3 hours later saying it was fixed. Josh was great and the price fair.Service: Electrical
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February 2023 by Woody Barnes
I had a timing issue and suspected that a vvt solenoid needed replacement. I had already purchased the part and they agreed with my assessment. They had to remove the intake manifold to replace the part. I dropped the vehicle off at night and by 2:00 pm the next day, my truck was repaired and ready to go at a fair price.. communication about the repair and price for the repair was all as expected and the only surprise was how quickly they got me in and out.. I had heard they provide good service and I was not disappointed.. I definitely recommend!Service: Engine repair
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January 2023 by Maison Graham
They lie about knowing what's wrong, charge $800 to replace a $40 part (labor cost), and then when it doesn't fix the problem, they want to recharge you to diagnose and fix the same problem. They guess until they get it right and you end up paying way more than necessary! Very rude when you question them about what they did. I highly recommend getting a second opinion before letting them "fix" anything.
