A&A The Shop

I contacted AA to determine whether it was possible to drain and refill the CVT (continuously variable transmission) in my 2014 Subaru Outback with 97,500 miles. They quoted $300 for the service, but said they would check a sample of the fluid prior to replacing it, and if it was found to be too dirty or containing pieces they would not advise the service as it could result in driveability issues. All consistent with what I had read. They did not mention use of a proprietary Subaru software tool that resets the transmission and makes it “relearn” its shifting ability. The tech took a sample and advised not to do the service due to rather large particles he observed in the sample. He also advised that the antifreeze was low and that stopleak product had been added, and the rear brakes were down to 3mm. I’ve owned this vehicle since new. There are no leaks of antifreeze and no additives have been put in the system. i paid the roughly $100 service charge and spoke with Folks at the Subaru dealership. They advise transmission service between 50 and 100K miles. They performed the service, noted zero pieces or chunks in the fluid, refilled it, ran the relearn program, and it all works just fine. Cost was $550. They also checked brake wear and told me both front and rear brakes are at 6mm, twice as much as AA’s tech reported. Being wrong on 1 of 3 items would maybe be forgiveable, but being wrong on 3 of 3 items tells me this tech does not know what he or she is doing. Was this a way to generate unneeded service revenue? Are the techs paid based on how much they generate in earnings? Your customers, especially those unable to verify your diagnoses, should be able to trust that you are only recommending necessary work. Taking advantage of the less mechanically inclined is not ok. Come on AA, fix this.

I love the ease of Sked on line and the ability to text status and request changes. On top of that, they’re always friendly, on time and quick! The waiting room is clean and well lit too. So thankful our friend recommended them!! (Reason enough to buy another Toyota or Subaru, when you have a MX team you can trust!!). They’ve even taught me about settings that make my vehicle more efficient and they fixed all the the things the Toyota Dealership messed up!

*Update*. I contacted my credit card company and I was granted a charge back for the work that BMW completed. I asked for $868 the cost of replacing the parts w/ labor for the transmission issues that were not diagnosed by A and A in Eagle River. Case Closed! I have returned to the shop multiple times to repair my leaking differentials after a 60k-mile service, and the front differential is still leaking. That alone has been incredibly frustrating, but unfortunately, it’s only part of the reason I’m so disappointed with A&A The Shop – Eagle River. I’m extremely disappointed with the service I recently received here. I’ve been coming to this location for years, and it used to be a place I trusted. Unfortunately, the new ownership and management have completely changed the experience—and not for the better. The service has become disorganized, communication is poor, and it feels like customer concerns are no longer a priority. What used to be a reliable and well-run shop now feels poorly managed. I left feeling frustrated, unheard, and questioning whether anyone is actually paying attention to what’s going on. What makes this even more upsetting is that one of the best employees—the person who consistently provided honest guidance and great customer service—is no longer there. Their absence is noticeable, and the quality of the entire operation has taken a major hit because of it. I will be following that employee to their new repair shop, because their professionalism and integrity made all the difference. I truly hope things improve at this location, but based on my recent experience, I can’t recommend A&A The Shop – Eagle River anymore. It’s disappointing to watch a place that once had such a strong reputation fall so far under new management. I added this last photo just now to illustrate the amount of fluid that leaked overnight from the front differential. The rear differential is fine. This saga has come to an end! Turns out transmission fluid was also leaking. But, only a tiny amount which did not cause major damage. No indicator lights popped up on my dashboard. The two plugs for the front/ rear differential fluid were properly fitted after several failed attempts! Drain plug is leaking and the pan for the transmission fluid needs to be replaced. See the last two pictures. The two previous leaks were solved from the front and rear differentials. Another shop quoted me $1200 for parts and labor! I am going to reach out to Zach and insist after 3 failed attempts to fix all three issues, he needs to reimburse me for these additional costs that I have incurred. I was denied any reimbursement from Zach and with 3 strikes you're out!!! First visit was for the 60K mile service and two more visits to try and remedy the three leaks. My wife and I have found a much better shop to have our Subaru’s serviced at, BMW of Anchorage!