Schep's Garage

Seth Filthaut

★★☆☆☆

11 years ago

Let me start by saying that I was actually looking forward to dealing with Schep's Garage; my fiance had gone to them several times in the past and was uncommonly delighted with their service AND PRICES. I took my car in because I was experiencing a rumbling/shaking sensation when I would apply the brakes and I needed an oil change as well as some bulbs replaced. A few hours after dropping my car off I got a call from Tony (the owner I believe). He explained to me that my car was in great shape for an older car (97 Camero) and that everything looked tight under the hood and my only issue was the front brakes. He said that I likely needed new pads, rotors, and calipers. He told me that with these fixes, oil change, and the bulbs that he had already changed, I would be looking at about $450-$500 including labor. I told him to do what he needed to do, as long as it was going to be within that range and to let me know if there was anything that would put me above the $500 mark. I later got a call telling me that my car was ready and that I owed $515. I went up to the shop and spoke with one of his employees who explained to me that they had done the pads, rotors, oil, and bulbs but no calipers. I expressed my concern about paying over $500 for less work that quoted. I told him that Tony had told me that it would be between $450-$500 INCLUDING calipers and was wondering where the additional charges came from. He told me that there was a lot of rust that took a bunch of extra time and that they changed an extra 4 bulbs and that was the explanation for the bump in price. 1 hour after leaving the shop (about 5 miles total driving) my check engine light came on. The next day, my car started making a terrible noise when going over bumps; kind of like there was a bag of scrap metal in the back seat that was being tossed around when I when over bumps. Of course I called Schep's to let Tony know about these issues, as well as my concern regarding the hefty bill. He basically denied fault for either of the new issues but said I could bring in my car and he would fix it if it were something causes by him or his employee. As for the bill, he stood by that price and denied telling me that the repairs would be between $450-$500 in our first call. He then said that he had quoted me $550 with the calipers (this is an absolute lie, but of course cannot be proved). Anyway, he then tried explaining that there was a lot of rust and that there was a lot of work done on my car. The fact is, they should have known what needed to be done on my car when he called me and if anything changed should have called to confirm. I argued this to no avail. Then, I asked him why my rims were scrubbed and shined (which looked nice but was not something I wanted someone getting paid $50+ an hour to be doing). This is the best part... He told me that his employee did this "because he wanted to do something nice. What is wrong with that huh? He is just a nice guy!" I could not believe that he said this. I expressed my disbelief that he did this out of the kindness of his heart and that it was not reflected somewhere in my labor bill. However, the old man was being stubborn and began to argue further stating (something along the lines of), Listen, we are splitting hairs arguing about an "OLD CAR, WITH A LOT OF RUST." AN OLD CAR WITH A LOT OF RUST.... interesting because when he called me the first time it was "in great shape for an old car." At this point I knew that it didn't matter what I said, I was out my $515+ whatever damage they might or might not have done to cause the check engine light coming on or the horrible sound coming from the rear. To make a long story less long, do not go to Schep's Garage... they are not as straight forward and trustworthy/honest as they claim to be. I can say one thing, they stand by their prices... no matter if they are justified or not. My fiance and I will damn sure not be returning to Schep's and I will try like hell to persuade everyone that I know in the area to take their chances elsewhere.

Asa Watten

★★★★★

9 years ago

I used to do all of my own work on my car. But since I've moved to Lansing, and no longer have a lift or time, I take my car to Tony. He's honest and straightforward. He even suggested I go somewhere else for radiator work because he thought they'd give me a better deal.

Stephanie Morgan

★★★★★

9 years ago

Tony was recommended by a friend who typically fixes their own car but when it surpasses their skill set they take it to Schep's. My experience has be beyond solid. Tony is excellent, fair and kind. I would definitely recommend this garage.

Kayed Batayeh

★☆☆☆☆

3 years ago

I took my daughters vehicle to install a serpentine belt cause she was on campus and I live over a hour away . I advised the garage I’m a licensed technician . The day it happened it’s was snowing really hard and I was getting wet in the parking lot so I took it to his garage to install belt . When your a tech you inspect the part your installing and where it’s being installed and verified everything is in good working condition? He installed the belt knowing the water pump needed to be replaced ? The bearings were starting to go and there was slop and movement? He first advised me the belt was 120$ to install then changed the price to 150$ and I provided the belt ? This is price gouging 150$ labor for a 30 min repair is ridiculous ! I drove half a mile away from his garage the vehicle started to overheat so I pulled over and seen the belt came off ? I decided to have it towed to another garage and right away the tech verified the water pump was bad and the belt slipped off and was causing the overheating condition .I had to miss work that day he doesn’t care about his clients. This garage needs to either sale the business or go back to school and update there skills .

Kristina L

★★★★★

4 years ago

I was in the area from out of town, and I had an emergency issue with my vehicle. It was a relatively quick fix (~10 min), but all of the places I called either wouldn't help or weren't able to for several hours or even days. I couldn't drive with what was going on and had to leave soon. At Schep's, they dropped what they were doing to help me and did so with kindness and professionalism. I am so incredibly thankful.

Connor Ireland

★★★★★

3 years ago

Schep gave me an honest quote for a window regulator repair and had my car done within a few hours. He is an old school mechanic with a lifetime of knowledge and has had his shop for over 49 years. He does good work and will shoot you straight

Jack McDermott

★★★★★

4 years ago

Tony Schepis is an honest mechanic. He tells you what he's going to do before he does the work, and he gives you a fair price when it's done. He is the pop in mom and pop shop. Tony answers the phone, he schedules the appointment, and he does the work. You won't get the "that's not my department" runaround from him. Good guy. Give him a call. Peace.

C Cherniawski

★★★★★

3 years ago

Tony is an awesome guy. He’s one of those old school mechanics that knows cars in and out, and he’s super honest about cost and what it will take to keep your car on the road. I know people that drive from Ann Arbor to bring their vehicles to him. 100% recommend!

Margy Mann

★★★★★

6 years ago

I took my car to Tony after receiving an insane price quote from another institution. I called Tony to explain and when I told him the price he was immediately sympathetic and told me I could bring it in the next week and he would see what he could do for far far less. I dropped my car off the night before as I work during his hours and received a call after just a couple hours of the shop being open. Tony informed me that there was nothing wrong with my car at all and he could not see a leak that the other place had be speaking to. He said he could keep my car and continue to do tests throughout the day including a drive test. Tony saved me $1,000 in repairs on something that did not need to be repaired and was very honest about the whole process and called me every couple hours as he could tell I was very nervous since I had just been scammed by another place. I needed new tires and he got me an AMAZING deal on tires and charged very little for installation and got rid of my old (very beat up) tires for me for free. Tony is AWESOME and I will be a loyal customer for life

Rebecca LaDronka

★★★★★

Edited 9 years ago

I've been taking my car to Tony at Schep's Garage for 5+ years. Oddly enough, that's my car in that Google street view shot! My dad is a car guy and a mechanic, but is too far away for me to take my car to him. Tony is the next best thing to having Dad work on my car. I have always run quotes for auto work past my dad before agreeing to anything, and in the past he's saved me multiple times from paying too much or getting unnecessary work done. But not with Tony - his diagnoses and prices have always been 100% Dad approved. I know I can trust him. And I've always been very pleased with his work and customer service. He goes above and beyond for me every time. I recommend Schep's to my friends all the time. Edit: They changed the Google street view. Bummer :(

Jonathan Sher

★★★★★

2 years ago

Absolutely the best mechanic I’ve had. I have several used cars that my 18-23 yr old kids drive. Tony always checks them out when they get the oil change and catches problems before they are costly. He always explains things so I can understand and is just generally a really good guy. Thanks for everything!!

Jessica MK

★★★★★

5 years ago

Brought in my 2014 Cruze for a heating/overheating issue on Tuesday, he contacted me on Wednesday with the diagnosis, ordered a part and had everything fixed by Thursday. He gave me the option to order the cheaper part, even though he didn't recommend it for quality reasons. But strongly recommended the more expensive part, he was not pushy at all. I felt confident he was taking care of my car and have no expectations this part will fail any time soon, not to a fault of his anyway. I would recommend anyone to take your vehicles to Tony, he's not exactly speedy but he's very efficient, kind and genuine. I will absolutely be taking my car back for any future maintenance.

Madeleine Fex

★★★★★

2 years ago

I'm a college student from out of state and when my car needed fixing, my dad found Tony for me. He's an honest, hard-working guy who takes great care in his work and his customers. I really appreciated the way he took care of me and my car. You're in good hands with Schep's garage!

Melissa Swanson

★★★★★

a year ago

I will admit it.... I am a woman who knows nothing about cars. When I walk into a repair shop, I look like a deer caught in headlights and an easy target. On top of that, I am a single mom who doesn't have a lot of excess funds for un-expected repairs. Because of this, I get super stressed whenever I have car issues. I hate being put into that vulnerable position of being at a mechanics mercy and significantly over-paying for repairs, simply because I don't know right from wrong. One day my Daughters car broke down. A kind friend knew that I needed to be steered right..... and he streered me right toTony at Schep's Garage. He informed me that Tony is very old school, honest, and a home-grown Lansing guy that will take great care of me. I called Tony and couldn't be any more pleased with how everything panned out. While I still had to pay an unexpected amount, it was an extremely fair price and he made me feel good about it (as weird as that sounds). He was extremely patient with me and tried to educate me throughout the whole process. He was honest and a straight shooter. He gave me his recommendation, along with other options to help ME make the decision that made the most sense for ME. I truly felt heard and taken care of at Schep's Garage. Tony isn't looking for a quick buck. Tony enjoys taking care of people and their families for the long-haul. Truly thankful to have stumbled upon Schep's Garage.

Chelsea Dowler

★★★★★

a year ago

Took my car here after getting an expensive quote from the dealership. Tony got me in right away and was so nice. Not only did I get my car fixed for cheaper than the dealership, he didn’t find one of the issues last that was flagged by the dealership (that cost $$). I know he was right because the problem is gone and my car is running well. Highly recommend!

Tyler Christofferson

★★★★★

5 months ago

Tony and Mike were honest, fair and fast. This was my first time using them and I’ll be going back next time I need something. They gave me an estimate one day and had me back on the road the next day. They explained everything about the repair to me, they’re extremely experienced, and they won’t overcharge you. I’ve never seen my dashboard with zero lights 😂. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Ken McWilliams

★☆☆☆☆

4 months ago

Picks and choices what they want to work on. Agreed to pay 175.00 for a diagnostic test and was told it would go towards the repair. The owner said he had bad news I needed a new manifold and that there on backorder. Said he had one that was returned. I assumed he didn't want to work on it never quoted me a price on the job. He called back and said my cars ready it will be 175.00 I said can you cut me a break on the price since your not fixing it? He said I can fix , I said go ahead then. He said I'll call you back on the price. Calls back 50 minutes later said he's not working on it come get it. I asked why and his response was I was making him nervous because I wanted a break on the diagnostic. Thanks , I'm glad you didn't work on it.