I had a really disappointing experience at Glanzmann
Subaru and would strongly caution others before going there for inspection or service.
They failed my PA inspection on a 2023 Subaru Forester with
Subaru and would strongly caution others before going there for inspection or service.
They failed my PA inspection on a 2023 Subaru Forester with only 27,000 miles — not for anything remotely serious, but for extremely minor issues that felt more like an excuse to upsell than legitimate safety concerns.
First, they failed the car over a tiny nick on a windshield wiper blade that was still fully functional, and then quoted $55 to replace it. That alone felt excessive, but it got worse.
They also claimed my tires needed to be replaced immediately and quoted $445 for mounting and balancing two tires — all based on a very small cosmetic mark on the tread. The tires still have measurable tread (around 4/32”) and no structural damage or exposed cords. When I questioned it, they pointed to “state requirements,” which is misleading at best. PA inspection rules are clear about what actually constitutes a failure, and this didn’t meet that threshold. I wish I could upload a picture to show how miniscule the mark was, but it's in my google review.
The overall impression I got was that they are actively looking for the smallest possible issue to fail your inspection so they can sell you overpriced repairs on the spot.
I understand safety matters — but this felt like a business model, not a safety standard.
I will not be returning, and I’d recommend others consider a more honest, independent shop for inspections.
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by jcdare3
Service Price Transparency
Mar 26, 2026 -
Glanzmann Subaru responded
jcdare3, we understand your frustration with the items on your vehicle that failed PA state inspection. To clarify, technicians who are authorized to perform vehicle inspections in the state of PA are bound by the state's guidelines for what may pass and fail. Those guidelines are not established by our company. We feel the threats you made to our team, of posting negatively online about them and our company if we would not pass your vehicle were unfair, as this would place our and their PA licenses at risk. After review of the pictures that our technician took of your tires and wiper blades, I can confirm that these items were clear failures under the PA inspection guidelines. We are sorry your vehicle failed its inspection, but our team looked for every possible solution on your behalf, and are sorry that we were unable to meet your request. Jeff Glanzmann
Mar 27, 2026 -
Glanzmann Subaru responded
jcdare3,
Thank you again and I understand your concerns and why you feel your tire should have passed. We certainly do not engage in the practices you reference. To hopefully bring some clarity as to the guidelines our technicians follow, below is an excerpt from the PennDot training for PA state technicians.
Key Pennsylvania Tire Inspection Rules:
* Failed Condition: A tire fails if any ply or cord is exposed, or if wear is down to the wear bars in any two adjacent grooves.
* Secondary Rubber: This is the layer beneath the top tread; showing this mean the tire is worn past the usable tread cap,
which fails inspection.
* Minimum Tread: Tires must have at least 2/32-inch tread remaining at any point.
PennDot considers the secondary rubber exposure to fall under: "a condition that renders the tire unsafe" which is part of the code you reference (67 Pa. Code §175).
My intent with this response is not to prove right/wrong or engage in a back & forth, but rather demonstrate that our team was not trying to take advantage of you. We take our reputation and customer care seriously, which is why I wanted to provide further explanation on our technician's findings.
Mar 26, 2026 -
jcdare3 responded
Jeff,
I’m going to respond directly because your reply misrepresents both the situation and Pennsylvania inspection standards.
At no point did I make “threats.” I stated that I would share my experience publicly — which is exactly what I am doing now. That’s not a threat, that’s transparency.
More importantly, your claim that these were “clear failures under PA inspection guidelines” is simply not accurate.
Under PA inspection regulations (67 Pa. Code §175), a tire fails if:
• Tread depth is below 2/32”,
• Tread wear indicators are flush with the tread in two adjacent grooves, or
• Ply/cord is exposed or there is structural damage.
None of those conditions were present.
The tire in question has approximately 4/32” of tread remaining, with no exposed cords or structural damage. The small cosmetic mark your team identified as “secondary rubber” is not listed anywhere in PA inspection code as a failure condition.
Similarly, a fully functional wiper blade with a minor nick does not constitute a clear failure unless it cannot properly clear the windshield. Mine was operational.
Saying these were “clear failures” under state law is misleading. At best, your team applied an overly conservative internal standard — which is your choice — but that is very different from a legal requirement.
What is more concerning is that you, as the owner, are publicly standing by these decisions. That suggests this is not an isolated judgment call by a technician, but a broader, systemic approach at Glanzmann Subaru to interpret inspection standards in a way that benefits the service department.
When minor or borderline items are failed and immediately paired with high-cost replacements ($55 for wipers, $445 for two tires), it creates the appearance of an upsell-driven inspection process rather than an objective one.
I fully understand that licensed inspectors must follow the law. My issue is that the law is being incorrectly cited to justify decisions that go beyond what is actually required.
I stand by my original review, and I’ve provided photos (on other websites that allow this) so others can judge for themselves.
Mar 27, 2026 -
jcdare3 responded
I appreciate the follow-up, but this response highlights the exact issue.
What you’ve quoted is not actual language from the PA code — it’s an interpretation. The term “secondary rubber” does not appear in the regulation, and presenting it as a defined failure condition is misleading.
In my case, the tire still has measurable tread, no exposed cords, and no structural damage. The condition you’re describing is being elevated to a failure by interpretation, not by a clearly defined requirement.
I understand a dealership may choose to apply more conservative standards, but that’s very different from stating that PennDOT requires a failure under these circumstances.
At the end of the day, this comes down to judgment — and in my opinion, that judgment was overly aggressive, especially when combined with the other items flagged during the inspection.
I’ve provided photos so others can see exactly what was referenced and draw their own conclusions.
I stand by my original review.
Great service and prices.
Responsive to my concerns and questions. They take the rime to review the new technology in the new models. Erin and Lisa (service) are both excellen
Responsive to my concerns and questions. They take the rime to review the new technology in the new models. Erin and Lisa (service) are both excellent!
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by Kwinneg
Jan 06, 2026 -
Glanzmann Subaru responded
Thank you for your review! We’re glad Erin and Lisa provided excellent service and helped you understand the new technology.
Thank you,
Jeff Glanzmann
Erin was extremely informative.
Very approachable and easy to speak with. I appreciate her help today.
Very approachable and easy to speak with. I appreciate her help today.
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by jenna.timcho
Service Price Transparency
Aug 27, 2025 -
Glanzmann Subaru responded
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled to hear that Erin was approachable, informative, and made your visit enjoyable. We truly appreciate your kind words!
Thank you,
Jeff Glanzmann
General Manager
I’ve worked with Chris W a few times now and can
confidently say he’s a true professional.
Not everything went perfectly smooth every time, but what really matters is how Chris handles situations
confidently say he’s a true professional.
Not everything went perfectly smooth every time, but what really matters is how Chris handles situations when things aren’t 100% peachy. For instance, I had tires replaced, but the initial balancing wasn’t great. I brought the vehicle back within a week with a rear vibration complaint, and Chris had the rebalancing / road testing done free of charge—no hassle at all.
On my next visit, I was back for tires again (yep managed to puncture a newly installed tire within a month 🥹). The check-in process was super quick (Thanks Chris G) and Dana was very straightforward in explaining the repair process. Before I knew it, the car was ready to go! Everything covered by the tire warranty.
Thank you all!
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by Giorgi
Service Price Transparency
Dec 26, 2024 -
Glanzmann Subaru responded
Hi Giorgi, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We truly appreciate your kind words about Chris and our team. We take pride in our commitment to providing excellent service, and it’s great to hear that Chris was able to handle the situation quickly and efficiently when the initial balancing wasn’t up to standard. It’s also great to hear that your next visit went smoothly and that Chris G and Dana were able to provide a seamless experience. We’re grateful for your continued trust, for your feedback and for choosing us for your automotive needs. We look forward to serving you again in the future!
Sincerely,
Jeff Glanzmann
Ysaac is awesome very professional and helpful.
' went that extra mile gave me outstanding service all the way through the repair Glanzmann is lucky to have some one like that working for them he re
' went that extra mile gave me outstanding service all the way through the repair Glanzmann is lucky to have some one like that working for them he represents the dealership good thanks for everything Ysaac keep up the excellent work .
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by truck
Other Employees Tagged:
Dana Goodman
, Ysaac Almonte, Cassandra Lonesky
Nov 16, 2023 -
Glanzmann Subaru responded
Hi truck,
Thank you for your 5-star review. We are delighted to hear Ysaac made your car-buying experience excellent. We are looking forward to seeing you soon. Have a great day.
Sincerely,
Jeff Glanzmann
Had my car inspected and serviced in June.
Chris was great to work with and attentive to my needs. I mentioned one of my wipers was making a noise and I got replacement wipers. Good thing beca
Chris was great to work with and attentive to my needs. I mentioned one of my wipers was making a noise and I got replacement wipers. Good thing because it poured on my ride home and the new wipers did an awesome job. Bought my car at Glanzmann and have had both my Foresters serviced there forever. They always go out of their way to please.
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by Jann
Service Price Transparency
Jul 19, 2023 -
Glanzmann Subaru responded
Hi Jann,
Thank you for your 5-star review. We are delighted to hear Chris made your service visit excellent. We hope to see you soon. Take care.
Sincerely,
Jeff Glanzmann
The service from Glanzmann Subaru is always excellent.
The team is great at keeping customers appraised of the cost of service as well as how long it will take. I typically stay at the dealership and they
The team is great at keeping customers appraised of the cost of service as well as how long it will take. I typically stay at the dealership and they keep me updated during service. I would highly recommend this location.
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by gmv
Service Price Transparency
Other Employees Tagged:
Joe Falbo
, Catrina Faughan, Sam Simkins
Mar 08, 2023 -
Glanzmann Subaru responded
Hi gmv,
Thank you for your 5-star review. We are delighted to hear about your service visit went excellent. We are looking forward to seeing you on your next future. Take care.
Sincerely,
Jeff Glanzmann
Service is hit and miss with the excuse we are short
staffed heard too often. Car is never ready when promised and received no communication from service advisor that my car wasn't going to be ready on
staffed heard too often. Car is never ready when promised and received no communication from service advisor that my car wasn't going to be ready on time. Maybe Ysaac is new but he needs some training. Service manager could also try and be more pleasant.
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by fsacks
Service Price Transparency
Nov 15, 2022 -
Glanzmann Subaru responded
Faith, we apologize for leaving you feeling this way. We will continue to provide training to our team, and we hope to provide you a better experience in the future. Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback.
Sincerely,
Jeff Glanzmann
Excellent service.
Lender car was a big help. Chris provided good communication through the process.
Lender car was a big help. Chris provided good communication through the process.
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by lanebeth34
May 09, 2022 -
Glanzmann Subaru responded
Lanebeth34, thank you for the positive review. We are so glad Chris was helpful and made your service appointment a good experience for you! Have a great day!
Sincerely,
Jeff Glanzmann
Service department is excellent. They are prompt in
assisting upon arrival, knowledgeable, friendly. Chris has assisted me the last few times I have been there and I can’t say enough about his service
assisting upon arrival, knowledgeable, friendly. Chris has assisted me the last few times I have been there and I can’t say enough about his service and professionalism.
Excellent employee.
The service manager Dan Geist has assisted me many times throughout my dealings with Glansman and 100% plus services every time. Super excellent always.
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by Barbara
Other Employees Tagged:
Dan Geist
Jun 28, 2021 -
Glanzmann Subaru responded
Barbara, Thank you for the positive rating and great feedback! We're glad to hear that you continue to have great experiences with Chris & Dan. If you need anything else, please let us know. Have a great day! Sincerely, Jeff Glanzmann
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