Chevy Chase Citgo Station

I went to the Citgo mechanic for a vehicle inspection so that I could register my car in MD. My first impression was very good - the staff were friendly, got me in quickly, and gave me an estimate for repairs (a new tie rod and malfunctioning blinker) that seemed reasonable for the area. After having the repairs done, however, I learned several things that led to additional work (at another mechanic) and more money out of my pocket. I cannot recommend this business to anyone looking for a reliable mechanic.

Though the mechanic fixed my blinker (the relay was off, causing it to blink rapidly), it started malfunctioning again the next day. I had to go back so he could fix it again. Annoying, yes, but not a huge deal.

My greatest concern had to do with the tie rod. After leaving the mechanic, I noticed that my steering wheel was crooked (when driving straight, the steering wheel was actually turned 45 degrees to the left). My tires would also squeal when making turns. When I called the mechanic to talk to him about the problem, he told me that he could not fix it. He said my car would need an alignment, and that he could not do that for me.

This confused me, as an alignment was supposed to be one of the things checked on a vehicle inspection, and the mechanic had, in fact, indicated that my vehicle passed the alignment check. Moreover, it is common practice to do an alignment anytime a tie rod is replaced to make sure the wheels are straight (failing to do so can cause the car to pull to one side when driving and affect the angle of your tires, which leads to poor gas mileage and uneven wear on the treads).

After prodding him further, it came to light that the mechanic actually did not have the equipment needed to do alignments. He did not tell me this at any point during the initial inspection or when making repairs. He reported that he did a "visual check" on the alignment when doing my inspection and simply marked it pass. When he replaced the tie rod, h