Ice House Lube & Wash

Prior to my last oil change, I probably would have rated this place with 4 out of 5 stars. Like most quick-​time oil change shops, the mechanics here love to ask if you would like a new wiper blade set or air filter change. I was duped into getting a new cabin air filter (it was about time for it anyways according to my owners manual) plus, the mechanic had already taken it out to show me what it looked like before I even got a chance to refuse the service. After charging me more than $ 40 for a part that would only cost $ 18 for me to replace on my own, and changing my oil, I left the store and received a complimentary ticket for a car wash – a real perk for getting your oil changed there.
Within the week, I travelled back to Saint Louis, my hometown, and I started to notice problems with my car. A very strange, very annoying whirring sound started coming from my air conditioning unit. In 99+ degree heat, my air conditioner also started failing in my 2007 Toyota Corolla. But because the changes were very subtle and would come in waves (for example the noise and air failure occurred every 20 minutes or so of driving and last anywhere from 1 minute to 3 minutes), I didn’t think too much of it, even though I was concerned about how a 2007, and for that matter a Toyota, would have any problems so soon.
A month later, I finally went and saw my family’s go-​to auto mechanic. When I explained what was the problem and we both questioned if my problem was a real problem or not, he removed my glove compartment, unscrewed a few parts and removed the remnant pieces of a cabin air filter – THE SAME AIR FILTER THAT ICE HOUSE INSISTED THAT I INSTALL. The ICE HOUSE mechanic had shoddily installed the filter and it had fallen and was being chewed up by my air conditioner fan**. The plastic and metal pieces had nearly destroyed my system. I had to spend more than a few hundred dollars to get it fixed. So, the lesson learned from this debacle is to resist the urge to get something fixed or replaced by money hungry auto service mechanics who are trained to get you in and out as fast they can rather than being trained to actually service your car properly. What should have cost me around $ 30 to replace including labor ended up nearly destroying my air conditioning system and several hundreds of dollars to fix.
**I want to point out that the installed air filter ICE HOUSE had put in must have fallen out of place or whatever within the first week that I had it installed. How on earth can you mess something that simple up, ICE HOUSE???