TIL my mechanic was right about skipping the dealer for my 2018 Civic's A/C fix
Back in March my neighbor Dave, who used to turn wrenches at a Chevy dealership in Toledo, told me to skip the Honda dealer and take my Civic to an independent guy for the A/C that quit blowing cold. The dealer quoted me $1,850 for a new compressor, but the independent shop found a $40 relay and a slow leak at the Schrader valve, and I walked out at $310 total. So how do you all decide when it's worth going to the dealer versus an independent for warranty work?