We've been going to Flamingo for all of our repairs the last few years. Two poor experiences with other shops were a big part of the reason.
The first problem was a brake pedal that would go all the way to the floor while the car kept rolling forward. First Texas Honda charged me several hundred dollars to replace the master brake cylinder. After that "repair", the break pedal would go all the way to the floor while the car kept rolling forward. No change whatsoever. First Texas Honda claimed otherwise, which I found pretty mind-blowing because the problem was so obvious. So I took the car into Flamingo on the advice of a friend. Joe adjusted the brakes, and they have worked perfectly ever since.
The second problem was an intermittent engine oil leak on our 2003 VW. Hewlett VW did an oil leak test, which showed no problem. That didn't surprise me since the problem was intermittent. Hewlett refused do anything more about the problem (under warranty), and claimed that a leak of two quarts in a month is perfectly normal. Later, I took the car into Flamingo with a rough engine problem. Joe found that engine oil was leaking from the valve cover and that the spark plugs were covered in oil. He fixed the leak and replaced the spark plugs and wires. The car no longer leaks oil and works perfectly.
That's been my experience since. Flamingo gets your problem solved, first time.
One thing you will find with Flamingo is that they do tend to check your car out pretty thoroughly and recommend repairs other than what you brought the car in for. It may seem like they are trying to make extra bucks, but I don't think so. If you prefer to postpone other repairs all you have to do is to let them know. It's also true that sometimes the customer service is a little slow. That is because they are so busy - for a good reason in my opinion.
Pros: competent, honest auto repairs, local small business with austin flavor
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