The Penalty Box Goes Back to Service - 1989 Yugo GVL Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

The Penalty Box Goes Back to Service - 1989 Yugo GVL Long-Term Road Test

An Edmunds editor takes his first run in the long-term 1989 Yugo GVL, aka the Penalty Box. It was a roasting drive, but car and driver made it in one piece.

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kirkhilles1

So, the repair shop is in one of those sparsely filled strip malls? LOL. Is there a garage in the back or do you have to jam it into the doorway? LOL.

SadButTrue

kirkhilles1 said:

So, the repair shop is in one of those sparsely filled strip malls? LOL. Is there a garage in the back or do you have to jam it into the doorway? LOL.

There's actually a local brewery next door that makes pizza, too. Sure beats the waiting room at a dealer's service dept. Garage entry is in the back; see Part 2 of the Yugo's Monterey Car Week adventures for some interior shots.

-JS

daryleason

It's never a good idea when a mechanic adopts a car "as their own." That just means they see plenty of repeat business because there's always going to be something wrong with it to fix.

socal_eric

At least from the previous posts the prices at this particular shop seem somewhat reasonable and it didn't sound like there was a big up-sell on a ton of stuff the car could technical use but isn't required.

thecardoc3

daryleason said:

It's never a good idea when a mechanic adopts a car "as their own." That just means they see plenty of repeat business because there's always going to be something wrong with it to fix.

This is one of the perceptions that are forced onto shops and techs that eventually gives some consumers exactly what they deserve, and that's the loss of talent in the trade.

daryleason

thecardoc3 said:

daryleason said:

It's never a good idea when a mechanic adopts a car "as their own." That just means they see plenty of repeat business because there's always going to be something wrong with it to fix.

This is one of the perceptions that are forced onto shops and techs that eventually gives some consumers exactly what they deserve, and that's the loss of talent in the trade.

Actually, that's not a perception that is forced onto any shop by a consumer. I've had mechanics that I've used that I could tell that they cared about providing the best service they could. I've also dealt with mechanics that I knew I'd better look the car over to make sure they didn't create a repeat service for themselves. Why do consumers think along the statement that I mentioned earlier? Probably because enough consumers have seen that sort of mechanic.

thecardoc3

Its consumers that keep treating the good one's like they are the bad ones that are making it less likely that there will be good ones to find.

daryleason

There's a difference between treating someone badly and assuming that their motives may not be pure. "Hope for the best, plan for the worst." If it's a mechanic you use on a regular basis, you can tell what their motivation is. Like I've said, I've seen mechanics that were phenomenal and I've seen ones that should have been in jail.

thecardoc3

daryleason said:

There's a difference between treating someone badly and assuming that their motives may not be pure.

Both of which should have them handing you back your keys and showing you to the door.