Howards Garage

"If you value your safety and the safety of your passengers, do not use this garage for vehicle purchases or any maintenance work. I purchased a 2003 Ford Expedition from Steve in December of 2020 and was assured the vehicle was fully maintained - stating that the family lived locally, used it on occasional trips to Colorado as they were flight attendants. I requested to have the vehicle put on a lift before purchase, but Steve claimed, as always, that he "didn't have any lifts open". My purchase was based on good faith and reputation, as friends had experiences with him. The vehicle was purchased AND inspected through Steve, who adamantly claimed that he had helped maintain the vehicle for the original owners for years. The first major mistake. First item - the vehicle, when received, had the intake assembly pieced together with duct tape - to the point where fittings were broken, and ended up having to get replaced with an aftermarket intake. Second item - not even after the first fuel top off, within the first couple hours of owning the vehicle - the check engine light came on, hinting that the code was cleared before the vehicle was inspected. Third item - the vehicle, even though sold "as-is" was state inspected by Steve at his garage - and the most disturbing items were the fact that the brake lines were replaced with compression fitting brake lines (which are illegal in many states and one of which promptly burst within a few months of owning the vehicle) AND the rear passenger side of the vehicle frame (the part that you need to see with a lift) was completely rotted out. It was deemed as unsafe to drive by multiple garages, and was quoted at $2,000 just to fix the rear section of frame rail alone. The area of the vehicle was so bad - one garage even flat out refused to work on it. I brought the vehicle back to Steve to have him verify this, and to give him a chance to explain the situation - as all the other garages I visited, along with the body work professional, concluded this vehicle has not been inspectedable for a long time - even prior to purchase. This type of rot damage takes years to develop. Steve promptly screamed at me, accusing me of "Baja-ing" the truck, and trying to "rip him off". When he finally stopped screaming, he stated he would contact me the next week to have it looked at along with the State DMV inspector, he never contacted me and I haven't heard a word since. The story also changed from the truck being used to go to Colorado to "being stored in Florida" it's whole life. Once again, refusing schedule an appointment to put the vehicle on a lift. The purchase of this vehicle evolved from an annoyance to an actual safety hazard not only for me, but for others on the road. The vehicle has since been sold to an auction company for scrap as it was deemed unsafe by multiple other garages, and was even prior to purchasing it."

"Came in from out of town and had some issues with my transmission fluid overheating. Talked to Steve and got set up for early the next day. When I brought my truck in, he got it up on the lift quickly and checked things out. They were unable to change my transmission fluid as the truck needs to be serviced at a dealership or a shop with the right computer. Steve was very honest and upfront about the situation and called around to see if the fluid was available and called the nearest shop that could do the work for me without my asking. He checked the fluid level and took the time to answer my questions. In the end, he didn't charge me for the time or advice. Steve could've easily taken advantage of me seeing as I was in from out of state, but be was honest and helped me out tremendously and didn't ask for anything. If I could, I'd go to them for any car issues at all without hesitation. I'd be a lifelong customer if I didn't live 350 miles away. I would strongly recommend them to anyone. Best car shop I've been to in years."

"Thorough, and prompt, extensive knowledge and experience!! Steve is available for towing, and is on the VT state police list of providers."

"Great mechanic. He taught me everything I needed to know. Stop in and say hi to my dad and he just might buy you a coffee or a cold drink on a hot day!"

"What a great shop. Steve was willing to have my vintage RV towed to his place after she died at a local campground. He respected the value in keeping these old timers going and did a great job at getting her running again without breaking the bank. He was friendly and informative, answering questions and giving advice. I live a couple of hours away, but already made plans to bring my everyday vehicle back to address a concern with it."