It’s always driven me a little nuts how people seem to assume that “AAA Approved Auto Repair” automatically means you’re getting the best service or honest work done on your car. Has anyone here actually dug into what AAA approval really means? From what I gather, a shop just has to meet some minimum standards for equipment, cleanliness, and customer complaint resolution, and be willing to agree to AAA’s labor rate cap. But that’s not exactly the same thing as the shop actually being skilled, fair, or even customer-focused.
I’ve spotted a few shops in my area with the AAA badge that have pretty poor local reputations, and on the flip side I’ve found great independent techs who want nothing to do with the program because of the extra overhead or politics.
So, am I missing something? Does AAA actually audit workmanship, or is this just another marketing sticker? Has anyone ever used the AAA dispute resolution process-and did it make a difference? Would love real experiences, not just theory, because some of these “approved” shops seem a little shady to me.