A few undisputed facts about VIP Garage:

1) They kept my car for about 2 years
2) They parked it outside, allowing it to be broken into
3) They did not tell me it had been broken into: I had to drive from Arlington out to Sterling and discover it in order for them to acknowledge this, because they wouldn't reply to my emails or take my calls
4) They did not even clean the tape residue from the paint around the window where their plastic blew off; you can still see raindrops in the dust that settled over the interior where they left it open
5) They dodged my calls for at least a year, my favorite incidence of which involved Mary inexplicably picking up the phone after weeks of unanswered voice mails and saying "oh yeah, I've been trying to reach you, hold on a sec" and leaving me on hold for 28 minutes until my phone disconnected in traffic
6) They never provided the replacement window or trim piece as they promised after finally acknowledging the break-in
7) They removed (or stole, depending on how you look at it--I never got it back) the ignitor from under the hood and didn't tell me about it, costing me several hours of diagnosis at the next shop (they blamed Scott Avoy's chip for the failure)
8) When they accepted my car in 2006, it ran (badly), but when they towed it to a competent shop in 2008, it would not even start

In short, I would take a good hard beating before I let those monkeys touch my skateboard, and I would shoot anyone who let them near my car keys. I do not have words for the frustration, blood-pressure, or marital dischord they caused me.

In my experience, they are as honest and reliable as they are mechanically competent--but in all fairness, I make that statement based exclusively on my own experience. Your mileage may vary.

For what it's worth.

Noah