Portfolio sample by HVNF Studios · Penner & Daughters is a fictional shop
We text you photos of what we find and a written price for every line. Nothing gets fixed until you say yes.
2207 Cooper Mill Road, Halden Crossing · Directions
Start with what you notice. We'll tell you how soon to come in, what it usually is and what it usually costs.
Don't drive it. If it isn't safe to move, we'll help you arrange a tow.
Don't drive it. If it isn't safe to move, we'll help you arrange a tow.
Don't drive it. If it isn't safe to move, we'll help you arrange a tow.
Don't drive it. If it isn't safe to move, we'll help you arrange a tow.
Don't drive it. If it isn't safe to move, we'll help you arrange a tow.
Don't drive it. If it isn't safe to move, we'll help you arrange a tow.
This guide can't see your car. If anything feels unsafe, pull over and call (555) 014-2290.
An example of the inspection we text you. Every item gets a photo, a measurement and a price. You approve each line, or tell us “not today.”
Repair order 4471 · Tue 8:15 AM2015 compact sedan · 98,412 miInspected by Cass Penner, lead technicianTexts from Ana Penner, service advisor
Example: what your text will look like
Ana · Penner & Daughters
Text message · Today
8:15 AM
Morning! It's Ana. Cass finished looking over your car. Four things, with photos. Nothing gets done until you say so.
8:15 AM
Front brakes: the inner pad is down to 3 mm. New is 10. That's your squeal. $221.86 all-in.
8:16 AM
Left front tire has a bulge in the sidewall. That one we'd fix today. $212.52.
8:16 AM
Your belt has a few small cracks. Fine for now; we'd replace it within 3 months. $137.56.
8:17 AM
Battery tested good, 12.6 volts. We cleaned the terminals. No charge.
8:17 AM
Approve line by line, or call me: (555) 014-2290.
Taken apart and measured. The inner pad wears fastest.
Front brake pads
Inner pad 3 mm left · new is 10 mm
Cut away so you can see inside. A bulge means the cords under the rubber are broken.
Left front tire
Bulge in the sidewall · tread 6/32 in.
One belt turns the alternator, the AC and the water pump.
Serpentine belt
4 cracks across the ribs in 3 in.
Tested, cleaned, and left alone.
Battery
Tested 12.6 V · 86% health · 3 years old
Typical prices for common jobs, in plain numbers. Add a job to see it itemized, then print your estimate and take it anywhere.
Check-engine light, or not sure what's wrong? $129 covers the first hour of testing. It comes off your bill if you go ahead within 30 days, and we call before testing any further.
Typical range for this kind of car. You approve the exact price before we start.
Brake pads, one axle
$150–$350$175–$405$190–$440$205–$475New pads on both front or both rear wheels, with the hardware cleaned and lubricated. Cheapest at the first squeal.
Brake pads and rotors, one axle
$250–$500$290–$575$315–$625$340–$675Pads plus the discs they squeeze, when the rotors are worn thin, scored or shaking. We show you the measurement first.
Brake fluid exchange
$100–$210$115–$240$125–$265$135–$285Brake fluid soaks up water over time. We change it on your manual's schedule or when a test says so, never by its color.
Battery and charging test
FreeWe test before we sell you anything.
Battery, installed
$150–$400$175–$460$190–$500$205–$540Most last 3–5 years. Start-stop cars need a heavier-duty AGM battery, at the top of the range.
Alternator
$450–$1,100$520–$1,265$565–$1,375$610–$1,485†It recharges the battery while you drive. We test the whole charging system first.
Starter
$350–$1,100$405–$1,265$440–$1,375$475–$1,485†One click, or nothing, with a healthy battery often points here. The price depends on how buried it is.
Check-engine light diagnosis
$129, credited if you go aheadA code tells us where to start. We test to find the real cause, then send a written estimate.
Spark plugs
$150–$450$175–$520$190–$565$205–$610On your manual's schedule. Some engines hide the back plugs, which adds time.
Misfire repair (coil and plugs)
$250–$500$290–$575$315–$625$340–$675For a rough idle or a flashing check-engine light. Fixing it fast protects the catalytic converter.
Oxygen sensor
$200–$400$230–$460$250–$500$270–$540One of the most common fixes for a steady check-engine light.
Catalytic converter
$1,000–$2,500$1,150–$2,875$1,250–$3,125$1,350–$3,375†The part that cleans the exhaust. It often fails after an ignored misfire. Parts can take 1–2 days.
Timing belt, usually with the water pump
$500–$1,400$575–$1,610$625–$1,750$675–$1,890†Scheduled on engines that use one, often every 60,000–100,000 miles. A snapped belt can wreck the engine.
Serpentine belt
$120–$250$140–$290$150–$315$160–$340The long rubber belt that drives the alternator, the AC and often the water pump. We check the tensioner too.
Coolant exchange
$120–$250$140–$290$150–$315$160–$340Fresh coolant of the type your engine needs, on your manual's schedule.
Thermostat
$250–$750$290–$865$315–$940$340–$1,015†A stuck one makes the engine overheat, or never warm up.
Water pump
$450–$1,200$520–$1,380$565–$1,500$610–$1,620†A drip at the front of the engine or a whine from the pump leads to overheating.
Radiator
$600–$1,500$690–$1,725$750–$1,875$810–$2,025†Cracked, leaking or clogged; we replace it and refill the system.
AC check and recharge, with leak test
$150–$350$175–$405$190–$440$205–$475We find the leak before we refill. A recharge without a fix doesn't last.
AC compressor
$900–$2,500$1,035–$2,875$1,125–$3,125$1,215–$3,375†The AC's pump. Replacing it means flushing and recharging the system too.
Front struts, pair, with alignment
$500–$1,200$575–$1,380$625–$1,500$675–$1,620†For clunks, a floaty ride or the nose dipping when you brake. Always done in pairs.
Sway bar links, pair
$150–$350$175–$405$190–$440$205–$475The most common cause of a clunk over small bumps, and one of the cheapest fixes.
Wheel bearing, one wheel
$300–$700$345–$805$375–$875$405–$945For a hum that rises with speed. Only the bad side gets replaced.
CV axle, one side
$300–$900$345–$1,035$375–$1,125$405–$1,215†For a click in tight turns. Caught early, a new rubber boot alone can do it.
One tire, mounted and balanced
$110–$260$125–$300$140–$325$150–$350Includes a new valve stem and recycling the old tire.
Tire rotation
$25–$75$30–$85$30–$95$35–$100Every 5,000–7,500 miles so the tires wear evenly.
Rotation and balance
$80–$135$90–$155$100–$170$110–$180Add balancing only if you feel a shake.
Four-wheel alignment
$100–$275$115–$315$125–$345$135–$370Sets the wheel angles so the car drives straight and the tires wear evenly. We check the suspension first.
Oil and filter change
$35–$125$40–$145$45–$155$45–$170The exact oil your manual calls for, on the schedule it sets. Many newer engines go 7,500 miles or more.
Engine or cabin air filter
$35–$100$40–$115$45–$125$45–$135We show you the old filter next to a new one and replace it only if it's dirty.
Transmission fluid service (drain and fill)
$150–$400$175–$460$190–$500$205–$540On the carmaker's schedule. No flushes on a high-mileage transmission that's never been serviced.
Pre-purchase inspection
$139A top-to-bottom check of a car you're thinking of buying, with photos and a written report you can use to negotiate or walk away.
Bigger bills can also go on a third-party car-care card. Its promo plans use deferred interest: if the balance isn't paid in full by the end of the promo, interest is charged back to the day you paid. We'll walk you through it before you sign.
We take cards, debit, cash, checks, Apple Pay and Google Pay, or pay by text.
Not something we do: bodywork and paint, glass, or transmission rebuilds. We'll diagnose it and point you to someone good.
Here's one car's day, from the night drop to pickup. Every step comes with a text.
The time, through one example day
The night before.
Keys and a note go in the steel slot by the blue door. Envelopes and a pen are inside the box.
6:30 AMYour car waits in our lot overnight.
7:30. Bay door up. Your car is first in.
Repair order 4471 · 2015 compact sedan
7:45 AM
Looking
Up on the lift for a first look.
8:15 AM
Waiting on you
Photos and a written price, by text.
8:40 AM
Parts
You approved front pads and the left front tire: $434.38. The belt can wait; we'll remind you in 3 months.
10:30 AM
Repair
Parts arrive. Cass gets to work.
12:50 PM
Repair
Wheels back on, torqued in a star pattern.
1:15 PM
Road test
Road test: 6 miles, brakes bedded in.
2:05 PM
Ready
Ready. Pay by text. Keys at the counter until 6, or in pickup box 3 any time after.
Wait with us
Jobs under an hour: coffee, Wi-Fi, a desk with outlets, and a window into Bay 1.
Drop off
Any time we're open. We text you when it's ready.
Night key drop
Open 24/7. Park in any numbered space, grab an envelope from the box by the slot, write your name, number and what's going on, and drop it in with your keys. We text you when we start.
Free shuttle
Within 5 miles, weekdays 7:30–5:00.
Ride credit
Up to $20 each way, beyond the shuttle's 5 miles.
Loaner car
Two of them, free, for jobs that run past a day. Reserve when you book; just replace the fuel you use.
Repair order 4471 · 2015 compact sedan
Service advisor: Ana Penner
NowParts in · 10:30 AM
Every repair we do is covered for 36 months or 36,000 miles, parts and labor. Here's exactly what that means.
Photos before any work.
You approve every dollar first.
Same day on most repairs, when parts are in stock.
36 months. 36,000 miles.
Warranty
Penner & Daughters
36 months · 36,000 miles
Parts and labor, on every repair we do.
Road-tested before you get the keys.
Your old parts back. Just ask.
Something not right? Ruth Penner, owner: (555) 014-2297. That's my direct line.
On the corner of Cooper Mill Road and Tanner Street, across from the old grain elevator.
Got an estimate from another shop? Bring it in. We'll look at the car and tell you what we'd do. It's a free 20-minute look.
From Route 9, turn onto Cooper Mill Road at the grain elevator. We're the second building on the right.
Park in spaces 1–6 on the Tanner Street side. The blue door on the left is the office; the steel key slot is just to its right.
Key drop and pickup boxes: open 24/7
Closed Thanksgiving (Thu, Nov 26), Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
We look after cars from Halden Crossing, North Halden, Millbrook Flats, Cedar Point and Wren Valley.
Four short steps. No account, no VIN. You'll see the price before you confirm.
Call or text (555) 014-2290 to book. Mon–Fri 7:30 AM–6 PM, Sat 8 AM–1 PM.
