Patton's Auto & Tire

We were on a trip from FL to D.C. when the low coolant light came on. I pulled over and saw that the water pump was making a racket and leaking coolant profusely. I knew we could not continue on like this, so I stopped at the next town. Fears of getting ripped off by some shop as soon as they heard we were on vacation ran through my head. I asked a librarian for a recommendation, and she recommended a shop, but they could not get to us today, so they referred us to Patton's. We began driving there and called them on the way. He said he could fit us in and had a mechanic with experience on Saturns. The estimate he gave over the phone to replace the water pump was within a few dollars of the estimate I already had in my head ($250 out the door) having worked at a repair shop myself. When we arrived, we were promptly greeted and treated very nicely. He provided a written estimate after taking a look at the car. When we inquired about somewhere to eat lunch withing walking distance, he said there really wasn't anywhere and offered us the use of his van! He also had an extensive list of good places to eat. So we took the van, ate lunch, looked at some stores, and returned at the time he said it would be ready. We saw our car pulling into the shop from its road test as we were waiting at the light. Perfect timing! We returned the van, inspected the work, and gladly paid Mr. Patton the fair price. Overall our trip was only delayed by four hours. Considering how things could have turned out, I'm very happy with this situation and am glad to recommend Mr. Patton's shop.