posted: Friday, Dec 16 8:28am

Let me start by saying I genuinely consider myself a car person - I used to race I still do track days I am vigilant about vehicle maintenance and I literally buy the best Porsche approved (N Spec) tires available and never cut corners. I needed new winters for my Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. I generally either buy from Tire Rack or get tires through my Porsche dealership either way I have always had them installed by the dealership. That is until now. This time I ordered the winters from Tire Rack but this year wanted to try something different and decided to have a Tire Rack recommended installer put the tires on. For the past ten years I have had my tires (swapping back and forth from winter to summer) done by a dealer. This past spring I began to notice a front-end shimmy at 75 mph. This was a frustrating vibration that Porsche claimed was not attributed to balancing or alignment (both of which they had previously done). They recommended I have a road force balancing done because they were not unable to detect either the existence of the vibration nor could they see anything visually that could be the cause. They recommended road force balancing for over $500. I figured I was going to wait until I put my winters on but instead of bringing them to Porsche I opted to take it to Tommy at Great Bear. Now let me say I was not thoroughly convinced that a franchise shop in Queens could do anything that Porsche couldn't do but WOW WAS I IMPRESSED. First they installed the tires as you might expect BUT they also diagnosed the problem of vibration using their road force balancing that was $5 per tire. Yes $5 per tire versus the $125/tire at Porsche. On top of that when I picked up the car for the first time ever I received my car back with the tire pressure monitoring system properly reset for my new tires a task that I historically had to do on my own after the tires were installed. In order for the TPMS to work the computer must be told what specific tires are on board. This was a detail that a Porsche dealer failed to correct after each tire installation. Most importantly it turns out that it was a simple balancing issue though one that could only be deduced through road force balancing. If all of this high quality service at reasonable cost was not enough Tommy identified that I needed an inspection sticker and he took the initiative to bring this to my attention and save my a ticket down the road. The service was knowledgeable polite affordable and has a depth of technical expertise. I am now a new return customer. Great Job Tommy and Team!

posted: Friday, Dec 16 8:26am

Let me start by saying I genuinely consider myself a car person - I used to race I still do track days I am vigilant about vehicle maintenance and I literally buy the best Porsche approved (N Spec) tires available and never cut corners. I needed new winters for my Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. I generally either buy from Tire Rack or get tires through my Porsche dealership either way I have always had them installed by the dealership. That is until now. This time I ordered the winters from Tire Rack but this year wanted to try something different and decided to have a Tire Rack recommended installer put the tires on. For the past ten years I have had my tires (swapping back and forth from winter to summer) done by a dealer. This past spring I began to notice a front-end shimmy at 75 mph. This was a frustrating vibration that Porsche claimed was not attributed to balancing or alignment (both of which they had previously done). They recommended I have a road force balancing done because they were not unable to detect either the existence of the vibration nor could they see anything visually that could be the cause. They recommended road force balancing for over $500. I figured I was going to wait until I put my winters on but instead of bringing them to Porsche I opted to take it to Tommy at Great Bear. Now let me say I was not thoroughly convinced that a franchise shop in Queens could do anything that Porsche couldn't do but WOW WAS I IMPRESSED. First they installed the tires as you might expect BUT they also diagnosed the problem of vibration using their road force balancing that was $5 per tire. Yes $5 per tire versus the $125/tire at Porsche. On top of that when I picked up the car for the first time ever I received my car back with the tire pressure monitoring system properly reset for my new tires a task that I historically had to do on my own after the tires were installed. In order for the TPMS to work the computer must be told what specific tires are on board. This was a detail that a Porsche dealer failed to correct after each tire installation. Most importantly it turns out that it was a simple balancing issue though one that could only be deduced through road force balancing. If all of this high quality service at reasonable cost was not enough Tommy identified that I needed an inspection sticker and he took the initiative to bring this to my attention and save my a ticket down the road. The service was knowledgeable polite affordable and has a depth of technical expertise. I am now a new return customer. Great Job Tommy and Team!

posted: Friday, Dec 16 8:23am

Let me start by saying I genuinely consider myself a car person - I used to race I still do track days I am vigilant about vehicle maintenance and I literally buy the best Porsche approved (N Spec) tires available and never cut corners. I needed new winters for my Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. I generally either buy from Tire Rack or get tires through my Porsche dealership either way I have always had them installed by the dealership. That is until now. This time I ordered the winters from Tire Rack but this year wanted to try something different and decided to have a Tire Rack recommended installer put the tires on. For the past ten years I have had my tires (swapping back and forth from winter to summer) done by a dealer. This past spring I began to notice a front-end shimmy at 75 mph. This was a frustrating vibration that Porsche claimed was not attributed to balancing or alignment (both of which they had previously done). They recommended I have a road force balancing done because they were not unable to detect either the existence of the vibration nor could they see anything visually that could be the cause. They recommended road force balancing for over $500. I figured I was going to wait until I put my winters on but instead of bringing them to Porsche I opted to take it to Tommy at Great Bear. Now let me say I was not thoroughly convinced that a franchise shop in Queens could do anything that Porsche couldn't do but WOW WAS I IMPRESSED. First they installed the tires as you might expect BUT they also diagnosed the problem of vibration using their road force balancing that was $5 per tire. Yes $5 per tire versus the $125/tire at Porsche. On top of that when I picked up the car for the first time ever I received my car back with the tire pressure monitoring system properly reset for my new tires a task that I historically had to do on my own after the tires were installed. In order for the TPMS to work the computer must be told what specific tires are on board. This was a detail that a Porsche dealer failed to correct after each tire installation. Most importantly it turns out that it was a simple balancing issue though one that could only be deduced through road force balancing. If all of this high quality service at reasonable cost was not enough Tommy identified that I needed an inspection sticker and he took the initiative to bring this to my attention and save my a ticket down the road. The service was knowledgeable polite affordable and has a depth of technical expertise. I am now a new return customer. Great Job Tommy and Team!

posted: Friday, Jun 10 11:13am

I own a 1996 Saturn, and it is old, but has been well maintained throughout the years considering the city miles. I have been a customer of Tommy's from Great Bear located at 52-19 Queens Blvd for a little over 4 years. I will be fair, and honest in my experience with Tommy today. I own a standard, and a clip popped in the shifter, i called Tommy to let him know i was getting my car towed to him, and if he could look at it for me. I also asked if he could check my window, and he said no problem. He later called my girlfriend, and stated that the clip in the shifter was broken, and Saturn no longer had the part. He then told her that he called a junk yard, and the part would cost me $225 not including labor. So it raised an eyebrow. Thankfully for me i have a cousin in the business who told me that was highway robbery.......I then call Tommy after speaking to my cousin, and asked him if there was a way to lower the price,,which of course he refused. I then tried to have a conversation with him, regarding the part, that wasnt anyway near worth that kind of money. His response was its $225 dollars plus labor, meaning almost 400 dollars for a 50 dollar part. Im assuming by his nonprofessional attitude he was insulted at the fact that i called the junk yard, and was told he wasn't even quoted a price for the used part. So that tells me hes robbing me blind!!! I then stated after listening to him loose his cool,,that i would come pick my car up and take it elsewhere,,,his response was OKAY BUT IM CHARGING YOU 75 DOLLARS FOR BRINGING IT HERE.......I am completely taken back, and sick to my stomach to think of all the money i was overcharged......He is a good mechanic,,but will quadruple the price for the parts,,,,,,,,,and then lie about it.....so becareful,,he is shady!!!!! VERY PISSED OFF