What Should I Do When My Car Dies on the Road? »
Four tips for keeping yourself and your vehicle safe while you wait.
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I LOVE passport motors. Jim, the mechanic, spent HOURS on my Audi and Trish, the office manager, is awesome! I was terrified to find a new mechani…
1710 E Franklin StChapel Hill, NC 27514
From Business: Welcome to East Franklin Car Care, your one stop car care center. Located in the Chapel Hill area of North Carolina, we’ve been the neighborhood’s favorite choice…
1728 Fordham BlvdChapel Hill, NC 27514
Click to make an appointment online!
Book an AppointmentFrom Business: On The Rim & Out The Door is our revolutionary pricing policy. A traditional tire dealers tire prices do not include installation. On average, this costs $25 per …
730 Hillsborough StChapel Hill, NC 27514
From Business: Family owned and operated since 1984. We are a certified dealer of many tire brands. We offer brake inspections and repair, oil, lube, and filter changes and sche…
407 E Main StCarrboro, NC 27510
From Business: Meineke is your one-stop shop for all of your car care needs. Visit us today or save time by scheduling your appointment online at meineke.com. Contact us for inf…
These guys bent over backwards to help us. I HIGHLY recommend this place.
This is THE best place to take your Porsche, BMW and Mercedes. I have all the above and owner Tioga Honigman is a real trusted mechanic. He will exp…
My car was showing signs of major brake problems. When I called, Auto Logic's schedule was full for the coming week and then was scheduled to be clo…
I took my 2002 Nissan Maxima for a second opinion to Automotion. The dealership diagnosed a noise coming from the right front wheel as worn shocks a…
With an extended family who has 6 cars, I have had the occasion to Use Hatley's body shop a number of times in the last few years. Let me tell you …
A regular customer, I have two vehicles over 200K miles. They do great work and keep it affordable. Are they the cheapest, no, but they will take ca…
107 W Weaver StCarrboro, NC 27510
Went in for an oil change in my late model Volvo. Multiple people worked on it at once. They did the work in about 20 minutes and off I went.\r \r…
If you are like me, you dread taking your car in for any type of work, including body work. I usually cringe while waiting for the price, which is …
Courtesy, considerate, and quick. These guys have saved my day over and over again!
Excelent service, quick, on time, low price... I would go to them again and tell all my friends to do so
This is a good place to take your car if you're not sure what's wrong with it. The mechanics are very knowledgeable and usually can fix your car th…
8505 Orange Grove RdChapel Hill, NC 27516
1705 Legion RdChapel Hill, NC 27517
8702 Keith CtChapel Hill, NC 27516
11744a Us 15 501 NChapel Hill, NC 27517
11744 Us 15 501 N Unit AChapel Hill, NC 27517
83 Salt Cedar LnChapel Hill, NC 27516
106 Carr StChapel Hill, NC 27516
5402 Nc Highway 54 WChapel Hill, NC 27516
4117 Old Greensboro RdChapel Hill, NC 27516
Four tips for keeping yourself and your vehicle safe while you wait.
When a car is damaged by an accident or weather, what can be repaired and what must be replaced? Or is it time to buy a new car?
No matter whether an accident involved a freshly licensed teen or an experienced driver, knowing what to do (or not do) is essential to bouncing back.
This will be wordy, but if you are considering Al’s I hope you'll read it and save yourself some hassle. When I first took my car there, they were under different management or ownership and most of their positive reviews seem to come from that time.I took my car in to get a blower motor replaced and was quoted $390 for that and an oil change. I said I couldn’t afford it and asked them to just do the oil for now. I found the part online, new, for $36 and found that I could repair it myself in about 5 minutes.I had my boyfriend’s car in for an estimate on the same day. They wanted to do the front brakes, not the rear where a bad caliper was causing uneven wear. I learned from another shop that it needs just the opposite. The estimate, with other work, was $1400. I told them we’d have to budget for that and to please just change the oil that day.I then had the pleasure of arguing with the mechanic over the phone about who last changed the oil. At first, he wouldn't believe me that it was Al's because the work was shoddy. He proceeded to tell me that “either the plug or the pan has to be replaced and I don’t know which and the pan could be much more expensive.” So I told them to just stop working on the car and I would come get it. I had a lot of questions when I went in, namely about why the brakes were wearing out so fast and they offered no real explanation. I then reiterated that my boyfriend and I are college students and just can’t afford the lump sum and would be driving my car for now. I then asked, “If we have to prioritize something, what should it be?” And instead of walking me through that or even just explaining that everything was equally dire, the mechanic said, “Well do you want brakes or steering?” like a true smart alec. They then expected $70 for a diagnostic fee which they didn’t warn us we would be charged, and still tried to convince me to leave the car. Moral of the story: do not waste your time or money at Al’s.
This is a good place to take your car if you're not sure what's wrong with it. The mechanics are very knowledgeable and usually can fix your car the same day. Friendly staff. The price is about average, but you get individual attention and great mechanical work.
There are more than 700,000 auto service technicians and mechanics in the U.S. Finding the right one to repair a dent in your car door or fix an engine that won't start can be overwhelming, especially when it's an emergency. Review a few important facts about auto repair professionals and what you can do to get the best possible mechanic working on your vehicle's issues for a fair price.
Looking For Reliability
Unlike home repair services that evaluate a property, meet with homeowners and have time to prepare before their physical work begins, auto repair businesses are often asked to make fixes on the spot. If you come into a garage with a tire issue, the expectation is the mechanic will know how to correct that problem quickly.
That is why reliability is so vital when searching for a trusted auto repair shop. It may take going to several different mechanics before you find one you are truly comfortable with. Pose questions to this professional to find out what approach they will take to repair your car or what alternatives are available. Shopping around also gives you the best opportunity to find the cheapest rate or the fastest service, as some garages may be backed up with other vehicles that need repair first.
A recommended way to locate a trustworthy auto repair professional is to seek out customer reviews. Online sites offer honest opinions from real customers who have used a business. Read through this feedback to learn how a business operates and what you can expect if you were to take your vehicle there. Look for reviews about how quick maintenance was completed and if prices were fair. By learning what other people have said about a garage, you can gain a better idea if it's the right place to go when you have a car problem in need of fixing.
It can be difficult to know which automotive problems are serious enough to require expert assistance. A ripped seat cushion or broken radio don't involve safety and will not warrant enough of a problem that going into a garage is required. However, setbacks with brakes, lights and other parts that are vital to the safety of your car's driver and passengers, as well as others on the road, necessitate quick fixes. Many modern automobiles will notify drivers of an issue, in the form of a signal on the dashboard or a noise within the vehicle.
In the event of an accident, even if your vehicle does not appear to have any damage on the outside, it is generally recommended that you see a trusted auto repair professional. Internal damage may have occurred, or an important part may have been knocked out of place. Fixing these issues before driving much further can prevent further vehicle breakdowns in the future. In the case of a serious accident, a body shop can assess the problems and determine the best course of action for repairs, as well as evaluate how much they will cost.
Beyond that, regular checkups are recommended. Tires must be rotated, fluids needs to be replaced and the engine must be evaluated. After driving 25,000 miles, most auto dealers suggest having the vehicle checked out to ensure everything is running smoothly. Taking the car into the auto repair professional you trust will protect you from further problems down the road.
Not every type of auto repair work needs to be done by a certified mechanic. You can fix some of a vehicle's issues just by paying attention to how the automobile is running and having a basic understanding of auto repair. Look over the ways weather may impact your car and what preventative measures you can take to avoid having to take it into the shop. At the same time, be aware of mechanic scams that can impact your experience.
Preventing Trips To The Professional
Some fixes to your car can be done without paying a specialist. Issues like replacing oil and air filters are relatively simple, with instructions provided in the owner's manual on how to make these changes. The same goes for replacing broken windshield wipers or burnt-out headlights. Such issues should be repaired quickly to guarantee safety, but don't require a visit to a garage. By handling these types of tasks on your own, you'll gain a better understanding for how your car operates and save time and money.
Along with understanding how to fix manageable vehicle issues that may arise, taking preventative measures to avoid future problems is a valuable time saver. Many problem-solving best practices are related to the seasons. Your vehicle will be in different conditions in the winter than in the summer, meaning it requires a different type of preparation.
In the spring and summer, you want to be sure your air conditioner and cooling systems work correctly. Given the high temperatures the vehicle will be exposed to, overheating is a common problem. Look over the system by ensuring there is enough coolant available. If it needs to be refilled, it is best to open the hood and add more to the car before it gets too warm out. Also, clean out fan ducts and other ventilation sources necessary for summertime driving.
For winter driving, features such as the defroster, heater and exhaust system are paramount. Look in your owner's manual for specific directions on how features should be checked and repaired. Many newer cars have a cabin air filter that can be replaced when needed, allowing warm air to continue to flow in. Also, check your tires before winter driving, as they need to be at the proper pressure to perform well on snow and ice.
Avoiding Scams
There is a common worry among many people that auto repair professionals take advantage of the general public. Because so many people are unaware of how to fix the problems in their vehicle, they are nervous of being overcharged by mechanics or worried that the improper work is being done.
While the great majority of professionals in the industry are honest, hard-working people, a few bad apples can ruin everything. You should be extra careful when first visiting a mechanic to guarantee that the price you're charged and maintenance the vehicle receives are fair.
Among the common scams pulled are needless repairs, where a garage charges you for work that isn't necessary. Another popular one is attracting customers through a cheap oil change or tire pressure check. Then, when you are in the shop and your car is being repaired, they give you a long list of other corrections they'd like to make, therefore boosting the total cost of your bill.
The best way to combat these types of problems is getting a written estimate before work is done. That way, you can see how much repairs are expected to cost. If the final bill is higher than the estimate projected, ask to specifically see the work. Make sure information is put in writing as well. If a problem remains, you can have proof that work was not done to your satisfaction.
By working closely with an auto repair professional and doing some of the tune-up work on your own, you will be less likely to fall for these scams. At the same time, you'll be able to drive out with a clean and healthy vehicle, thanks to the repairs made by a trained professional.