Frederick Auto Repair

In late August, southern Texas was pelted with heavy rains, storm surges and high winds, which devastated property in much of the area. Stories are still surfacing of the damage wreaked by Hurricane Harvey, and many experts estimate it will take at least a year for the area to return to normal. Gordon and Carolyn Ricossa and their employees of the Mr. Transmission & Milex Complete Auto Care in Beaumont, TX, found themselves in the thick of the storm with very little in the way of preparation. When Hurricane Harvey first hit the area, Gordon sent all the technicians home to wait it out in safety. That would be the last time they would be able to reach the store for 10 days. The Beaumont store was fortunate to avoid flooding, but all of the roads leading to the shop were closed due to high water for more than week. Once Gordon, Carolyn and their technicians could reach the shop, they had to get straight ... read more

How do you know when you have a winning formula? Maybe winning the Milex Franchisee of the Year award three separate times could be a hint! Albert and Serina Daniel, owners and operators of two Milex franchise locations — Frederick and Boonsboro, MD — know the secret to good business, and they have built up their Milex Complete Auto Care locations to a level of quality that stands out among franchises throughout the nation. We caught up with the two powerhouse franchisees to see what the secret was, and how other Milex franchisees could replicate their success. Albert grew up around the automotive industry, which awakened an early passion for vehicle repair. He learned the basics from his father, and his skills only improved when he entered the US Navy. Once he figured out the basics, it was easy for him to transfer his skills, and he spent the rest of his civilian career in the automotive repa ... read more

If you’re not a car care expert yourself, it can be hard to ignore that little voice inside your head that can’t help but wonder if you’re about to get ripped off every time you pull into a repair shop. A survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center found that about 50 percent of people completely trust their local shop to fix their cars. That means that half of the respondents don’t trust the people who repair their cars! If you don’t know a lot about cars, you can at least know the right questions to ask and things to look for that can help you feel better about your decision. Get referrals from friends. These folks have done the hard work for you already, and have found an auto repair shop they know people can trust. In some unfortunate cases, they’ve made the costly mistakes so you don’t have ... read more

It’s one of those things that we often take for granted. Every time you’ve reached for those buttons, turned those knobs and set those dials, your air conditioner has always worked for you. That chilly blast is a blessing of arctic comfort in a vehicle where temperatures can rise well above 150 degrees in the summer. So, it’s no surprise that you lose your cool when there’s no breeze at the push of a button or no cool when you crank a temperature dial down as far as it will go. What you can do Getting stuck in traffic is enough to get even the most patient person hot under the collar, but getting stuck in traffic with no air conditioning in the middle of the summer can leave you steaming — literally. Vehicle HVAC systems are complex, and unless you’re familiar with how to work on them and have the necessary tools, it might be best to leave that to the experts at your loc ... read more