Rolling east through the Mojave Desert on I-40, I start to hear a little vibrational rumble. I don't really feel it, just hear it - slightly. It goes away on the downhills and comes back when we start clinbing the next uphill: quieter on level groound. Jan's dozing and doesn't hear anything. We've been driving around LA for a month, up to Santa Clarita and down the coast to Vista - twice. There were plenty of hills and no noise. Now there's an issue? Here, in the middle of nowhere! We pull into Needles, at the end of California, for gas. There's an open repair bay with a lift at the gas station, so I ask the mechanic if he can check it out. He tells me that our Infiniti QX-56 is too big for his lift, but he sends me over to Dave at A+ Auto Care. Doesn't look too promising. There's Dave, shorts, sandals, long hair slicked back, shirt hanging out over a paunch (I know that trick). He's leaning over the engine of an ancient pick-up truck, trying to help some sheep farmer get to greener pastures. "Dave?", I ask and I tell him our situation. He asks a few questions, says he can get me in in about twenty minutes, and asks me to try the key on this truck. It doesn't start. He has a clip-on ammeter on the battery cable and tells me it's pulling 500 amps - yikes. He leaves and we wait. It's sunny and hot here on a Friday afternoon and home is 1,800 miles away, but after talking a little with Dave, I am starting to feel very confident and happy that we stopped here, at A+. I pass the time talking to the other stranded travelers. Oh yah, two guys and their wives from northern California, both driving big pick-ups and pulling nice camper trailers. They were four-wheeling and camping in the desert and blew a trailer tire on the way home. A state policeman and a CHIPS officer stopped to help and promptly broke three lugs on the wheel! Then there's the mom and daughter driving an old Chevy pick-up with an older camper in the bed. They are trying to get to a big show at the University to sell their miniatures, but the truck won't do more than 15 mph uphill and 35 downhill. This show is the biggest for them all year and they're worried about the lost income that they clearly could use. NAPA parts truck shows up with six shiny new studs for the camper and a new fuel pump for the pick-up. We're next. I drive into the lift bay and Dave positions the lift arms. "Push that silver button above the motor while I watch," Dave tells me. "Just a little." He's very careful and checks the owner's manual for any necessary precautions about the air suspension. With our big SUV up in the air, Dave shows me the slop in one of the four universal joints. Well that's clearly the problem. Dave heads to the computer to try to find parts. That could be a problem for our Infiniti - but it's not. Dave finds the parts, the NAPA truck returns, and Edgar, the mechanic, competently changes all four universal joints. We are back on the road, rolling home, smooth, quiet, safe and not sorry. The two big trucks and campers are already headed home and the new fuel pump is almost installed in the old pick-up. So there we were, three different, unhappy, traveling bands stranded in little, depreciating Needles, California. Each of us lucky to be at A+ Auto Care, where Dave and his crew saved the day for all of us, late one Friday afternoon. Oh, yah, that ancient sheep-herder's pick-up truck? New starter motor. It's running again. If you break down on the road, you could not do better! read more

On our way to Laughlin from Lake Havasu on the second part of our vacation, my truck, with wave runners in tow, started to loose coolant. I barely made it, as the last twenty miles I was gushing fluid from under the truck and got there after they had closed on a Sunday. Dave agreed to take a look and see what the problem was and quickly discovered the problem, a busted connector/hose assembly into the heater wall. He was able to bypass the heater by splicing two hoses together and was able to get me back on the road. He was honest enough to tell that it was only a temporary fix and that I would have to get it fixed somewhere, not necessarily at his shop, before driving back to LA on Tuesday. Because of his honesty, I decided to give him the job the following day after he provided me with a quote which he faxed to my hotel. As they started to replace the two hoses and connectors, they discovered a third hose from the water pump that split into a "Y" that connected the first two hoses together that also needed to be replaced. I was there and he showed me the hose assembly along with the broken connector that was attached to it. It had to be replaced. Dave was honest and forthright, Edgar the mechanic was quick and efficient. I spoke to Edgar in Spanish and he explained to me what the problem was and what would happen if I didn't replace the last hose. The work was done and we were able to get back onto our vacation. He really saved our day twice. My only complaint is that, after the third hose was added, the job got pricey. I had the remainder of the work done and we were able to drive home on Tuesday with the AC on the entire way. I am quite sure that it would have been much costlier to break down on I40 in the middle of the desert, so in that regard it was money well spent. There is never a good time to break down in desert, especially when it is 114 degrees, but if you do, A+ Auto Care will get you back on the road. I honestly don't think they would take advantage of customers in dire straights. And as my wife, who was as red as a tomato and about to pass out from the heat, said when we originally got there God put him there for a reason. Thanks Dave. read more

On my way to Santa Fe, New Mexico, from Los Angeles the alternator went out on my pickup truck. Thank goodness it did not happen a hour or so earlier or I would have been stranded in the 115 degree heat in the middle of the California desert. I had thought my alternator was having some issues so went to a Ford dealer two days before the trip to have it checked out. They let the truck run for an hour with the he A/c on and said the alternator was okay. Thank goodness I went to the parts department and bought one just in case, as I didn't want to to take the chance on this trip as it was the Friday before the Independence Day weekend and there were over 900 miles, mostly desert before my destination. Even more importantly was that I needed to make it to the Albuquerque airport by 9:30 pm to pick up my spouse who had to work that Friday. Anyway my truck died coming down the hill into Needles. I coasted down the hill to the bottom of the off ramp and made it to the side of the road by the stop sign. I had no idea where anything was or how to get my truck fixed. I walked to the Subway sandwich place to see if anybody could direct me as to where there was a mechanic shop. Someone inside told me about A+ auto about a block or so down Broadway street. When I got there I explained my situation. They told me their guys were all busy but that I would be the next customer if I could get my truck towed there quickly. They were understanding to my situation. I called AAA and had my truck there in about 30 minutes. They got right to work, changed out the alternator in about 45 minutes, tested it about 10 minutes and had the charger on my spent battery while they did the work. I was on the road again in about an hour and made it to Albuquerque about 15 minutes before the flight arrived. A+ Autocare saved my bacon that Friday. The total charges were $95. About $100 less than the dealer would have charged had they diagnosed my problem correctly. I would highly recommend them should you happen to need a car repair in Needles! And wow was it HOT there! read more

This August 2017, we (3 pers. from The Netherlands) were on vacation in California with a rental RV from Road Bear. When we arrived in Needles and stayed on the Desert View RV Resort there, we found out that our roof AC unit didn't work. With 44 degrees Celsius in the California desert, that is a VERY unpleasant surprise..... Also, a few days earlier, we had a light turn on in the RV, which showed that there was something wrong with our gas cap. At first we thought that this could do no harm, so we neglected it for a while. But, when the AC unit didn't work, anyhow we had to find a place to have it diagnosed and repaired. The owner of the RV resort took us to A+ Auto Care in Needles and introduced us to Dave, the owner of this place. We had to wait for 30 mins. and then Dave came over to us and told us he didn't do roof AC units..... what a pity, we had to go somewhere else to have it fixed. He gave us a name and address. Also, now that we were at a garage anyhow, we asked him about the light related to the gas cap. We didn't want to spend a lot of money because under $ 50 we could have things repaired without having to request for approval from Road Bear. Dave said he could diagnose and fix it for under $ 50. He connected the car to his computer and diagnosed all of the processes in the engine etc. He was almost certain that the gas cap was defective and replaced it for a new one. He assured us there was nothing to worry about in that respect and so we could go to have the AC unit fixed. While we waited, we had some good laughs with Dave and a few of his employees. It was very nice talking to them, all of them were very friendly and our (minor) problem with the RV was solved. Ready to go! Thanks Dave and your men, for your friendliness and humorous approach! We thought it was fun! Regards from Harry, Caroline and Dominique (our teenager) from The Netherlands. read more

ABOVE EXCELLENT. 10 STARS The engine light came on my 2015 Ram 2500 6.4 gas truck between Searchlight and Needles while I was towing a boat to Havasu for a friend. I stoped at thee rest area and searched on line for the nearest auto repair...A Plus Auto Care came up, I checked the reviews and was pleased with the results so I called. The lady on the phone was very nice and told me to come on in if my truck could make it, all my gages were reading ok so I went on down to needles to A PLus Auto....they were fairly busy but assured me they would be right with me. They plugged me into the computer and found out my transmission sensor was saying "ah crap load of things are amiss" Dave took the time to print out all the problems that my transmission was showing..the truck was still operating ok so I headed to the Dodge/Ram dealer in Havasu (Anderson Dodge ) they plunged me in, said yep they agreed with Dave, but couldn't get to my truck until the next week, I needed to be home (Northern California) The Dealership reset my light assured me that I could possibly make it home. Made an appointment with my dealership (Carson Dodge, Carson City Nv.) took my truck in to them, they were very appreciative that Dave had taken the time to print out the read out....final outcome..... brand new transmission under my warranty. Best money I spent on diagnostic in my life!!!!! Dave has even stayed in contact with me to find out the outcome. I would say more than above and beyond, it is truly a pleasure to see that businesses such as A Plus still exist !!! read more

My daughter has had a heck of a time as she traveled across the country. The check engine light came on on her truck. She took it to A+ auto repair for a diagnosis and they not only fixed many items that had been neglected at other repair shops as she crossed the country from Michigan. They all showed her that the truck she had just purchased in Michigan was a flooded vehicle at one time. Not only were they extremely helpful, they did not take advantage of her in her predicament. They shared the diagnosis and the repairs in a fair a honest manner. They fixed the truck in record time. Just to give you a example. Carrier bearing failed in Tennessee, new transmission, and front half of the drive shaft. Oklahoma, New alternator, Flagstaff Arizona, new transmission cooler, esexxe Calif. new speed sensor and brake booster with new master cylinder. Ammco repair. She did not even get on the freeway when the engine light came on. A+1 found the vapor recovery had been disconnected and a diagnostic showed #1 and 6 misfire. They completed the repairs and the truck runs better than it did from the dealer. Thank you folks at A+Auto repair. She is going to make it home to California. This auto repair facility will be always the one to go to should you have auto problems in the Needles area. Great job. Again thank you for your extra efforts. Jon Lorensen... AKA. Dear old dad. read more

Family road trip to 3 national parks, stopped to get gas in Needles, truck WOULDN'T start. It was roughly 110 degrees, in the shade (smile), and my husband is trying figure out why the truck won't start! After calling AAA, and them telling me they didn't know when they would have somebody out to transport us, and even then, they couldn't transport us all....here come the tears, from ME, probably my husband as well, if the truth were known (smile). It was now about 4:45p, and this guy walks by and tells my husband you may want tot check out A Plus Auto, they helped me when I was in a bind. My sweet 13 year old son and I walked over to the garage, and the first thing I hear is, "We close in 5 mins, what do you need?" GULP. I sweetly say, we are stranded with our trailer and children, at the gas station pumps, and we are hundreds of miles from home and are trying to get to the Grand Canyon. Dave, the owner, came to our rescue! With in 10 mins, Dave came over to the gas station, where were stranded, did some diagnostics, talked with my husband and I, and quickly figured out the problem. DAVE, is a lifesaver, wait, he's a FAMILY VACATION, LIFESAVER! We had an amazing trip and no more truck problems. Truly a blessing. Thank you Dave, my new "NeedlesBFF" read more

Having your car breakdown while traveling is never a comfortable experience. En route to San Diego from Las Vegas my car went down at the Motel 6 in Needles. My car is a classic European sports car so my initial thought was that the town of Needles had just grown in population by one. Verdict, I was never leaving. I went back to my room, did some research, and did my best to diagnose the problem. After several phone calls to various mechanics (none of which wanted to touch the car) A+ Auto said they'd take on the situation. Choosing a mechanic in your hometown can be a "chore" at best so you can imagine my hesitance, but I was left with no choice. A+ sent a tow truck over and I was at the shop within the hour. They worked with me the whole step of the way as we diagnosed the problem. Within 2 hours the problem was determined. Due to the age of my vehicle the part was a next day delivery. There is a Napa auto care in town that A+ is affiliated with so newer vehicle owners shouldn't be concerned. I've paid more for less in large cities! Long story short I was on the road and out of town the next day. Car is still going strong in San Diego. read more

I feel very blessed to have come across this place during one of the most stressful days of my last road trip. I would recommend this place to anyone! My RV broke down in the middle of the desert about 60 miles from the closest town which was Needles, CA. Some nice people stopped and gave me a ride to A plus auto care. The guy at the counter gave me everything i needed and more. After mapping out a list of possible problems and solutions, He sold me the minimal amount of parts for a great price, made me a reasonable offer to have one of his mechanics drive me back to my rv and run test/ possible repair. When i declined he went out of his way to print me out a map of the distributor and other electrical systems of the car and refreshed me/ instructed me on how i could fix the car. i think his name was Dave and i could honestly say he was the most knowledgable, honest, and helpful person ive come across in the entire auto industry. I got a ride back to my rv, installed the distributor rotar and new ignition coil and we were back on the road. (For Less than 80 dollars) Thank you A plus for being so helpful, i am very pleased with my encounter. read more

Our Transmission on our Yukon died on Interstate 40 about 30 miles West of Needle, CA. It was over 100 Degrees on that day (September 14th). Called AAA for a Tow. While waiting for the Tow, went on the Web searching for Auto Repair Shops in Needle, CA . Came across A+ Auto Care. Read all the reviews. Called to let them know that we were on our way. While driving there with the Tow Truck Driver, he confirmed that we made the right choice with A+ Auto Repairs. That made us feel good. Once there, Dave, Phillip took care of us. They were very Professional, Honest and Trust Worthy. Even helped us with getting a Rental Car Info and a Taxi to the Rental Car Office which was 30 miles away. A couple of days later Dave called to mention that the Transmission had to be replaced with a Rebuilt Transmission. He put a Factory Rebuilt in with a 3 year or 100,000 miles Warranty. He said it would take a week to get the Transmission and another week to put it in. By God, Dave delivered! My Wife and I will never forget that day and what Dave and his crew did for us. He deserves 10 STARS! 5 Stars is not enough. Tom M. read more

I was traveling to LA from Denver and my wheel on my camper seized up and shattered my hub and drum. I called a couple of mechanic shops and one asked me to tow my trailer to their shop (which was a few miles away) but asked me to leave my trailer for over a week. I needed to get to LA for a family event in 2 days. James at A+ Auto told me to drop off the camper and have them look at. I brought it by and they had all the parts in stock. They replaced my drum, hub and wheel bearings and then inspected and notified me that I was about to have a similar fate on 2 other wheel bearings. They let me inspect the parts for myself and was able to get me back on the road in less than 24 hours. It cost me more to have them fix it, but being in the middle of a dessert and pulling a mechanic off of a job to get me back on the road and was worth every penny. Thank you to James and Edgar for the great work and allowing me to make it to my destination and make it home to Denver without another incident. read more

My car broke down on Highway 95 running south 10 miles out of town. Number six cylinder wasn't firing. All the lights came on and the engine was very rough. Got David on the phone and he told me how to get to get to his shop which was Very helpful because I'm not familiar with the area. I got there at about 3:45pm he got his computers out and started diagnosing my car. Figured out it was my number six cylinder misfire and he ordered all the parts. It was too late to deliver the parts so I had to spend the night in the hotel across the street which was very convenient. The next morning they got right on it and Edgar professionally repaired my car. It's a pretty tough job because I did the same job myself, except it took me twice as long! David cleared all the lights on my dashboard and we had a uneventful and safe trip back to LA. It's not the prettiest shop in the world but these guys really know what they're doing. I suggest taking your car to A+ auto! read more

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! While getting off the Highway in Needles the power steering in our 4Runner was suddenly not working. We checked yelp and found A+ Auto and managed to drive the vehicle over there. Dave checked it out for us and found the new belt that had been installed by the Dealer a few days before, was shredded and drained the power steering. We needed a new pump which Dave found on a Friday afternoon but he could not get it delivered until Monday. We managed to get a rental car and finish our trip. We got back on Monday afternoon and Dave had finished the repairs which were very reasonable. We picked up the 4Runner and drove it home with no issues. The dealer reviewed the write up that Dave presented plus the pictures we took and reimbursed us for the repair and the rental car. Dave was great and he has a wonderful shop dog that is very friendly as well. Would highly recommend A+Auto if you are near Needles and need help. read more

Dave is a real honest guy! We were travelling across the country a couple months ago and had stopped to get fuel down the road from A+ at the Chevron next to Carl's Jr. When we pulled in the auto shop guy on a mobile scooter began circling our vehicle like a ravenous shark. He told my husband he needed to get some new rocker arms for his trailer and tried to swindle us out of $535.00 or so. He told us the tires were going to fall off while we were driving if we didn't let him and the guys replace em. I called A+ Auto and they said to come on down to get a second opinion. Sure enough they found no fault with our trailer but gave us some solid advice for travelling long distance. Dave was gracious enough to grease up the underside of the trailer and we even got a oil change on my van while we were there. Great service and great prices! Good to know there's still honest people in the world. Thanks for the help! read more

John,A,Testa my SUV broke down on I-40 West about 47 mile uotside of needles, I used my gps and find repair shop in needles,ca. I called them and tolled me to call for a tow truck so I called AAA and they tow my suv to A Plus autocare in needles,ca.I walk in to the shop,and meet james,charley who were the services writers for A Plus I tolled them what happen to my SUV.They said that the tech would ran a computer check on my SUV,and let me know what the problem is and how much it would cost to repair the engine.I was surprized at the repair price for the engine of only 2,400 to do the repairs.I ok the repairs and anything else they find wrong. this was on7/19/2011. There was a Lady there to that broke down the services and owner were tring to help her but she was a but head. The staff at A Plus Autocare will do what ever it takes to help the customer get on thier way home. Yours Customer always John,A read more

Looks like this place exists on travelers with car problems! We were also on our way somewhere else, in the morning, when only needed a little a/c, but vent was blowing hot air. Found place in Google, pulled into their shop on a Friday. Dave couldn't have been more accommodating, stopping whatever else he was doing. Brought out his temp gauge, and pronounced, "I don't know what you're complaining about; it's only registering 94!" He looked into some problems, tried adding Freon, measured the pressure, finally sent us over to the Giggling Cactus (I kid you not!) while he spent more time. Found the problem, HAD THE PART (remember, this is Needles, and I wouldn't expect him to have everything. Then again, probably most of his business relates to air conditioning. We came back in an hour, the a/c was fixed, and the bill was $150. Total detour: less than 2 hours. Very much appreciated. read more

When all the motorhome repair shops were too busy to get me going, A Plus took a look at my coach, offered me a fair price fir repairs, and game me an honest estimate. The total cost equaled the estimate, and they were quick to communicate any changes in service with an emailed estimate. If t was 109 degrees outside, and the there went outside to work on the vehicle in the heat of the day. My coach was overheating, and the water pump was damaged. I asked them to replace it, but they were sure to make sure of the actual problem. I ended up having them replace all my hoses and belts, as they were all way beyond their life expectancy, radiator fan, and water pump. When I brought it in, it squealed from the belts, and whined from a cavitating water pump. I drove it 250 miles home, and no squealing and no whining sounds. The temp was perfect the whole way home. great job. read more

My mother and I were in the beginning stretch of a cross-country move when the driver-side door of her car decided it would be best not to close...at nearly 4pm...on a Friday...in Ludlow (aka, the middle of nowhere...seriously). Our GPS located A Plus Auto Care as the nearest repair shop, and we called to see if they would still be open by the time we arrived there. They close at 5pm, but Dave talked with my mother to make sure we'd secured the door for the drive there, and said he'd wait for us to get there. We arrived after their closing time, but Dave was there and quickly fixed the problem for us with the help of his adorable bulldog assistant, Bailey. Getting stuck with car trouble in a small town with few options is the stuff of scary movies, but Dave made sure that we were safe and taken care of without taking advantage of the situation by charging exorbitant fees. read more

On 8/23/2014 we were heading west, towing a 43-foot horse trailer and 5 horses. We broke down near Needles, California and were able to get to A + Autocare. We found ourselves in very hot weather with all the imperatives of transporting live animals, stuck in a small town and, quite possibly, at the mercy of potentially unscrupulous automotive repair services. We found just the opposite to be the case with A + Autocare. Dave, Mike and Edgar were the absolute best. They were prompt, courteous, fair-priced and, most importantly, trustworthy. When we walked into the shop and were greeted by Bailey, a 10-year-old English bulldog. We immediately knew that these were our kind of people. We were soon back on the road. I wholeheartedly recommend A + Autocare for all your auto, RV and light truck needs. M. Smith San Diego, CA read more