Our Pledge To Customers

We insist that you know about certain key commitments we make to our customers.

BASIC STANDARDS

We hope that the standards and commitments presented in this declaration will inspire your confidence in our ability to satisfy your needs with professionalism and competence.

• We have been in business for more than 30 years.
• We are a member in good standing of an established non-profit organization (such as the Better Business Bureau) which:
  • directly fields consumer complaints and offers to mediate disputes
  • investigates and then expels a member who fails to demonstrate ethical business practices
  • maintains a membership base representing a cross-section of business in numerous industries and professions
• We have signed a binding arbitration agreement with an established organization, or include a binding arbitration commitment clause in all all contracts (to resolve consumer disputes efficiently and often without attorney fees).
• We are willing to be independently rated for customer satisfaction  in order to demonstrate that we normally receive high customer satisfaction ratings and rarely receive "dissatisfied", "very dissatisfied" or "critically satisfied" ratings. (A "critically dissatisfied" complaint is one that alleges fraud, gross negligence, or professional incompetence against a business.)
• We are able to provide consumers with recent references of customer that have employed the business
• We will distribute to any customer, upon demand, a copy of this Declaration to Consumers (Basic Standards and Diagnostics & Repair Estimates Guidelines) as well as the Specific Industry Standards for our industry.
• We display, in a conspicuous location at our business premises, a copy of our Declaration to Customers.
• We faithfully comply with all provisions of Colorado law, especially with the prohibitions on deceptive trade practices described in the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, and disclosures required in other applicable provisions of the Colorado Revised Statutes.
• We provide written warranty on all work for a specified period of time
• We provide space on the work order where the service writer can differentiate between situations:
  • when the proposed work IS GUARANTEED to resolve a specified problem,
    versus
  • when the proposed work IS NOT GUARANTEED to resolve a specified problem
• Since our business normally provides to consumers diagnostic evaluations and estimates, we must provide our declaration regarding Repair Estimates & Diagnostic Standards

DIAGNOSTICS & REPAIR ESTIMATES

These are our guidelines for diagnostics and repair estimates:

• Before any diagnostic evaluation begins, 5th Gear Auto will first provide the consumer with the cost of that diagnostic process.
• If the possibility exists that more than one diagnostic may be required (to understand the given problem), 5th Gear Auto will inform the consumer of the possibility before the first diagnostic analysis is initiated.
• 5th Gear Auto agrees to provide the consumer with an estimate, and obtain the consumer's approval before any chargeable repair or restoration works begins.
• The estimate will be an realistic projected cost for work related to the actual repair or improvement.
• The consumer will be given information as to the amount that 5th Gear Auto is legally permitted to charge (over and above the original estimate), without first obtaining permission from the consumer. In cases where there are no legal standards, 5th Gear Auto  must disclose its established policy in this matter before the estimate is given.
• Upon the consumer's request for a "worse case" or "maximum" cost estimate, 5th Gear Auto has the right to be reluctant to give such 'worst case scenario' estimate until after diagnostic work has first been performed.
• In order to reduce the possibility of consumers being given an inaccuartely low estimate over the telephone (whether by mistake or deceptively), 5th Gear Auto agrees to limit giving estimates over the phone except in cases in which a realistic estimate is possible and misunderstanding or false expectations are unlikely.
• 5th Gear Auto is responsible for clearly communicating the time-frame in which the estimate remains valid, afterwards requiring the creation of a new and revised estimate.
• When 5th Gear Auto is convinced that the only way an accurate estimate can be given to a consumer is after a phsyical inspection of the damage area, (or after a diagnostic evaluation has taken place), 5th Gear Auto has the right to insist that it cannot and will not risk a misunderstanding with a potential customer by giving a 'guesstimate' rather than a professional estimate based on facts.
• 5th Gear Auto agrees to utilize whatever means works best (e.g. the work order, an "open item" on the work order, a supplemental estimate sheet, etc...) to communicate to the customer that the estimate offered:
  • A. only covers external (visible) damage (damage that can be seen and reasonably evaluated from an inspection of the outside),
      or
  • B. also includes internal (invisible) damage (damage that can only be understood, and an estimate given after external parts have been removed or manipulated in order to see and evaluate damage below the surface).
    
    
    

ADVANCED DIAGNOSTIC TECHNOLOGY

Our ASE Certified Technicians use the full spectrum of modern electronic diagnostic equipment and have decades of combined experience, knowledge and expertise with just about every domestic and import vehicle made and on the road today.

Continuing education is a must at 5th Gear. Our investment in our employees translates directly to the superior service you and your vehicles get at our facility.  5th Gear Automotive employs a broad range of diagnostic software and has priority access to industry- wide information on every make and model vehicle we service. We own and use over 10 different computer diagnostic scanning tools that plug directly into your vehicle to scan and diagnose any present issues.

Subscription-based online sources are also available at the fingertips of all technicians at any of the 6 PC stations throughout the shop. Owner Andy Eberstadt states that aftermarket service information providers, such as All Data, Mitchell, Identifix, and networking on iATN, all aid in troubleshooting. Andy and his staff also seek out technical service bulletins (TSBs) associated with the specific trouble code that the diagnostic scanning tools or online info databases may return for a specific issue he is trying to resolve.

Read more about 5th Gear's Arsenal of Diagnostic Scan Tools

We are competitive to other repair shops and dealerships in our area. We perform all dealer-recommended scheduled maintenance. We are an authorized Bosch Service Center and AAA Approved  AutoRepair facility. 5th Gear is also an active participant in the CarQuest Technical Institute for continuing automotive education.

We specialize in both Import and Domestic vehicles including :