I showed up not realizing my tags had expired just five days earlier. I told them I could resolve it in 10 minutes, and the tow truck driver even showed them a valid, paid registration printed directly from the DC website. They still refused to accept the car. Even the tow truck driver mentioned he's had multiple issues with this location--which, unfortunately, echoed my own experience. I was already giving them a second chance after they replaced the clutch on our Mini Cooper. That job wasn't done properly either--the car wasn't reassembled correctly, and we had ongoing problems afterward. read more

this people are scam artist. I took my pick up truck and they tried to tell me my truck need it a new transmission and try to quote me for $6500 dollars. they charged me $220 for a fake diagnostic and told me the wrong thing was wrong with the car. I took the truck to ford dealership and they fixed it for under 1k. these people are thieves. be careful going to this place. trash read more

They wanted to charge me 220+ dollars to put brake pads on in which I already have my pads. He told me last time he don't remember the price that he gave me they have bad customer service I would not recommend this place to nobody because they will rip you off. read more

This shop diagnosed my problem as exhaust leaks in several places. I was given two estimates, one repair for for $300 and the other major repair for $1700. I opted for the lesser of the two. The next day I was referred to another shop. I explained what had happened the day before. The guy looked under my car and gave me an estimate of $140 to repair the part...which I had performed. Not only was the repair done correctly but he further informed me that my $300 prior repair shouldn't have cost over $90. I really feel that I was taken advantage at Aamco and overcharged. In closing I will say that I don't recommend this place for any exhaust repair. I also found some of the staff to be surly and disrespectful. read more

I used to go to this AAMCO all the time for service and loved it. The prices used to be reasonable and the people really nice. However, sometime within the last six months they have changed ownership and management and I do not like either. Previously you could get an oil change done on a Saturday for $33 and get your car back in an hour. I went with my sister and it took almost 3 hours to get her car back (despite the # of people in the waiting room not being significantly more) and was now $53. Plus when they have her the keys back they tried to tell her she needed to get a major service done....even though she had already had it done on her car. Overall with the new ownership in place I will NOT be going back. It felt like they were just trying to scam you. read more

Went into this AAMCO to get a transmission replaced in September 2021. After waiting 4 weeks (due to Covid delays I was told) I picked up my car only to find it was vibrating when I pressed the accelerator. Whole car shaking. I asked the manager what could be causing this he suggested it might be the tires. I had the tires replaced and an alignment done. Still vibrating over 35 MPH. Had to take it to the Ford dealer to have a professional inspection done to see what is causing the vibration. Once a determination is made I have to get a copy of the report sent to my insurance company. Will keep you posted on the results. read more

A Haiku for Old Time's Sake: Poor Little Honda Who Will Come to the Rescue? Aamco Transmissions! Moving to a new city you lose a lot more than your zip code. You lose your doctor, your dentist, your vet, your favorite coffee shop, and among other things, you lose your go-to car repair shop. I've been in DC for two years now and I'm still trying to acquire some of these basic services, however, after a recent experience with Aamco Transmissions, I can cross go-to repair shop off my list! I've been to this Aamco for repairs twice--once to take care of some basic upkeep on my 2003 Honda Civic and once when the car died on me while on a road trip into "deep" Maryland. On both occasions the folks at Aamco got me in and out of the shop quickly, were friendly (although some of the staff is a bit rough around the edges at first--just warm em' up with a smile), and they didn't play games. They were upfront with me about what I needed done, what I could take care of later, and what would hold up for a good long while (cosmetics, etc.). I will definitely be taking my car back to Aamco in the event that I need any work done and have already recommended the shop to several friends. read more

I just called this place and ask them how much it was for an oil change. They told me we have a special $19.95. She asked what kind of vehicle I had. I told her. I drove it in , they range it up and said that'll be $36. I asked what happened to $19.95. They said, "that doesn't include the oil filter and this and that". I walked out. Who runs a business like this based on tricking your customers. read more

We took our car to AAMCO to get an oil change and replace some engine parts, due to the Service Engine Soon light being lit. Had the oil change, everything seemed fine - until I drove the car two days later and noticed smoke coming out of the air vents. We had the car towed to a different shop (hesitant to take it back to a place where the engine started smoking after they went in!) and found out that AAMCO hadn't put the cap back on correctly. Paid for another oil change, plus cleaning out the burnt oil that had been spilling over our engine. AAMCO refuses to reimburse the money we spent cleaning the engine - frustrating given we had to pay to fix a problem they caused, especially when it was something so simple as putting the oil cap back on. I would avoid this place if I were you - yes, they have cheap prices, but it's not worth it if they make such simple mistakes. Pay a little more to take your car to a shop that's fair to its customers. read more

They got back to me quickly about what was wrong with my car, and were very friendly, but.... They wanted almost 1k more than a place a block away (which was recommended by 2 different car places) wanted for the same service. No good reason for that. read more

I can see why the ratings on this place were negative, but there was a little bit of good: they read my engine light error for free (although you can get this done at autozone, also). The bad thing? The guy wouldn't give me any sort of estimate without $142 diagnostic; also, he essentially lectured me on not knowing what was going on with my car, although I assured him that I understood what he was saying about 5 times. I ended up going to Superior Transmissions around the corner; the guy gave me a quote, gave me his card, said he would look up my issue online, and that he could fit me in for repairs next week. I quickly fell in love with Superior Transmissions, and was convinced that AAMCO is not the way to go. By the way, their rate is $95/hr, if anyone is wondering. read more

DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT COMING HERE!!!!! I took my car in for a Saturday morning oil change. They said it would take a few hours, which I was fine with, because they are located near downtown Silver Spring, which is just a 10 minute walk away. They called me 9 minutes before closing to tell me it was ready - problem is, they didn't tell me if I didn't get there in 9 minutes, I was screwed for the ENTIRE weekend because they don't open back until Monday morning - during rush hour. PISSED and INFURIATED are too nice of words. read more

I went to Aamco at 8129 Georgia Ave Silver Spring, MD for a simple exhaust repair. The problem has been previously diagnosed and was confirmed on May 27th by an Aamco technician and a woman advisor. So I could be aware of the expected cost of the repair, I researched and priced all the parts prior to bringing my car in on May 28, 2021 for service. The only parts required are 2 gaskets and a front flex pipe exhaust. The cost of the gaskets at several local parts stores and online buy it now on eBay and other websites ranges from $3.50 to 4.00. The specific AP brand Exhaust required is about $100 to 120 on all websites and in stores. When I arrived on the 28th for the repair a male aamco advisor informed me the exhaust part is about $240 plus tax and the gaskets are $21 each. Total job is $ 508. When I asked for the specific parts brand he did not want to share the information. He said; " I don't know, it's what ever they send." He became indignant and disturbed about my normal consumer inquiry. That is,simply; what brand is the part you are quoting for installation on my car? Initially he refused then after about 20 minutes he said; "AP." I said, know that AP part everywhere is $100. It was up on my phone as I spoke with the Aamco advisor. When I asked why is there a $140 part mark up on the flex pipe and a $40 mark up on the gaskets, the advisor told me I could go somewhere else. He literally stated; "it's like going to Neiman Marcus, you pay more." When I said this is not Neiman he became more irritated. I signed the work order anyway because for convenience, I was already there. And after waiting about 1 hour in aamco wait area, the advisor handed me my keys and said" we can't get the part." I asked for the work order with my personal information and he said " he tore up my signed work order." He did not want to work on my car only because my inquiry exposed that his prices are a fraud. I told him I expect a reasonable repair shop mark up on parts. But not $140 mark up on a $100 item and $20 on a $3.50 item. I urge anyone to beware of this location. Check your prices on all work. The advisor is rude and dishonest about his inflated prices. Just like a phone scam. read more

I used to come here every 3,000-5,000 miles for an oil change, and always had great service. I even called them a couple times with questions about my vehicle, and they were able to look up the service history in their system and help me over the phone. Fast forward to last month. I heard they had ownership changes, and boy does it show. I will never go here again. For starters, despite making an appointment, I was told when I arrived that it would take 3 hours. 3 hours for an oil change. I agreed, tried to take it in stride, and went on my way. 3 hours later, I returned to collect my car. I ended up paying $70 for what I *hope* was an oil change plus basic inspection, although I can't be sure. Even after I asked, it remained unclear whether they performed a routine multi-point inspection, something I always received under the previous owners. Another thing that irritated me was that they couldn't even be bothered to update the oil change sticker in my windshield with the new mileage OR change the maintenance light inside the dashboard. Come on, really? You can't be bothered to take 20 seconds to update the stupid sticker? Word to the wise: if you need routine maintenance, find somewhere else to take your vehicle. I will never come here again. read more

Treat their findings as you would a medical diagnosis--get a SECOND OPINION. I was experiencing a deep "rumbling" noise just under the dashboard of my car. I first went to Midas, who recommended I see a transmission shop because it looked as though my CV joint needed repair. I only knew of AAMCO at the time, so after dropping my car off at 9a...by 1p, I finally received word. Their verdict: the bearings in the transmission. They wanted to charge me $2100-2900 to inspect it, and even then, they weren't sure it was the root of the problem. Only after "tinkering" around and "cleaning the parts" of my ENTIRE TRANSMISSION would they be able to find the root of the problem. You can imagine my dismay, especially since the estimate for repairs was more than half of what I paid for the car itself. And since it's a 99 Toyota Corolla with only 100k, I was hoping to get another good 100k without having major problems. They gave me three choices: 1) fix transmission ($2100-2900) 2) replace with used transmission ($1700) 3) sell the car to the mechanic himself The last option seemed charitable, but considering what I know now, it can be interpreted as back-handed. For you see, I got a second opinion from Superior Transmission just down the road. The mechanic ACTUALLY rode in the car with me to assess the noise. He took a look at it, and behold! It wasn't the transmission at all. It was the sway bar links that needed replacement. He took me just around the corner to Satellite Motor and the total cost came out to $290. HUGE difference. And yes, with the sway bar links replaced, there is no more rumbling. So I'm not sure how you would interpret the AAMCO offer "to take the car off my hands" -- did they really see a problem with the transmission? Or did they see a young woman with no knowledge of cars as an easy target? All in all, they were nice and friendly. That, I can't complain about. I just wouldn't do business with the guys. read more

Stay away from this place, specially ladies. I had a car repair done there on May 23, 2011. I' d gotten a brand new alternator and battery. They charged me $159 for the battery and $47.50 to install it; $300 for the alternator (standard price) and $80 to install it. My total cost was $612.98 after tax. I wouldn't even complain if the alternator didn't give up exactly one year after, to the point. And of course, I didn't get any help from them. A brand new alternator should last AT LEAST 5 years or 40.000 miles. So ladies, make a HUGE detour from there when looking for a good mechanic in Silver Spring. I have only two words for them: OVERPRICED & BAD WORK. read more

This place used to be good, straight forward, and honest, not any more. I recently took a vehicle in vehicle to have the transmission looked at and told them the exhaust smelled like pure gas; I was concerned it would not pass emissions and did not want to make two drips to the inspection station. They called me the next day with a quote of $3200 to install a rebuilt transmission and replacement of a leaky valve cover gasket. I decline to have the rebuilt transmission installed, so they charge me $400 to install a $12 gasket and to "clean out the carburator." When I asked the guy why the exhaust smells like pure gas he says, "old cars are supposed to smell like that," but said there was no issue with the emissions. Fast forward two weeks, my vehicle fails emissions, I take it back, they tell me they need to rebuild the carburator, run a smoke test, and replace a bunch of emissions parts to determine the issue. I have no doubt there is an issue with the carburator and that some of the parts need replaced; however the fact that they lied about checking the exhaust issue the first time has caused me to lose all faith in this Aamco. read more

Went in to have brakes and roters changed under new management great service quick and efficient would recommend highly giv them a shot you will be presently surprised read more

I had a Groupon for an oil change...$14 - you can't beat that. I get there, and the work was done in about twenty mins or so. The guy behind the counter wasn't exactly the nicest guy, but he was efficient - no argument with that. I probably should have gone to my usual guy, but hey Groupon did me right. read more

I stopped by the Aamco for a car inspection and to have my engine mounts replaced early in the morning. I noticed that the office was under new management. Under the old management (I believe), replacing the engine mounts would have been more expensive. The guy at the desk calculated the new costs and told me that they would be able to get a better deal which included an oil change. I authorized the fix and was told that it would be fixed the same day. However, this was not the case. The next day I called the shop to see how everything was going. The guy at the front desk told me that the wrong part was delivered and it would be finished by the end of day. Sure enough it was but I did not feel like it was correctly done. About a month later, I went to Goodyear to get another inspection on my car since I would be taking a trip soon. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that Aamco did not secure the bolts for the engine mounts and left one out. The next day I went back to Aamco in the morning to get the issue resolved and had to take off work for something that should have been done correctly the first time. They secured the bolts but left the same bolt out. The mechanic told me that they would have to remove the whole engine mount in order to put the bolt back in. He assured me that the engine mount was secure enough though (and I verified this with my father as well). I would have liked for him to have put the bolt in but I was over it at that point. Overall, I had better experiences with Aamco and never second-guessed their work. I was not happy this time around, which is a shame because this location is convenient. read more

Do not use this AAMCO. It's run by a couple of scammers. Fake receipts and everything. Do yourself a favor and don't deal with them.

I brought my dodge truck into Aamco with gear shifting problems. The car would hold onto lower gears much too long before shifting. Everybody I talked to and the Dodge Service Manual referred to the need for a throttle valve adjustment which I tried to no avail. After several months I brought the truck to Aamco fearing transmission problems. Aamco immediately deduced that it was indeed a throttle issue. Not at the throttle valve where I was concentrating but at the other end. The accelerator assembly was rusted and sticking causing the throttle to stick. They fixed it for around $500.00. The truck is now running just fine. They also explained the problem I was having with intermittent ABS alarms. I was very impressed. My only complaint is that it's a pretty small shop so it takes them a while to get to your vehicle. I had to leave mine for a week. Otherwise the service was top notch. I hear a lot of complaints about garages, some of them legitimate and some of them nonsense. To avoid getting raked I recommend researching the problem before bringing it in so that you have some clue. The internet is full of usergroups for almost every vehicle. YouTube has excellent how to videos on car repairs. I purchased the factory service manual for my truck and a code reader. They're really easy to use and many times pay for themselves in diagnostic savings (not always though). A decent one will run you between $150 and $200. You should never go to a repair shop completely clueless about what is wrong with your car. Diagnostic tests are a given with any repair shop and your going to have to pay for it unless you know exactly what's wrong with your vehicle. There's no point in getting upset. read more

The transmission that AAMCO replaced in my Honda van failed yesterday a little over a year after being replaced. I was left stranded on 495 for an hour waiting for a tow truck. I've had multiple problems with this transmission, some which were fixed by AAMCO as they happened within days of replacement. Just because they advertise their specialty is transmissions doesn't mean they are good at it. read more

Do Not Bring Your Car Here!!!! This is the worst service I've ever seen given to a customer. The customer set an appointment for last Friday morning and when the customer arrived from Alexandria,VA, she was told they could not repair her car that day. There was no phone call given to her to advise her as to the change or reschedule. So, that's one day off of work lost. Then, when the appointment was rescheduled for the next Saturday the repairs weren't completed and the vehicle was left Friday night. The customer showed up an hour before closing to pick up the vehicle and return the rental, just to be told they have not started the repairs. Danny said he attempted to call to have authorization to start the repairs, but had the wrong number. Keep in mind the customer left the vehicle overnight so they would have time to do the repairs. Aamco had also called the customer on previous occasions to advise of the needed repairs. When asked about covering the rental if the repairs aren't completed today, he refused and said he can't do that for customers. To my surprise, being that it was his fault for the delay. Danny went on to say that with him being locally owned that he doesn't have that kind of money. (The rental car was at a rate of $29.00 a day.) He stated that the corporate office who makes billions doesn't give them money for this. Which may be true, but they get business based off of being able to use the Aamco name and receive referrals based off of that as well. Danny advised me that he doesn't need referrals being in downtown Silver Spring, he's doing just fine. However, he can't provide $29.00 in customer service. read more

This is the worst mechanic shop that I've ever dealt with. The mechanics are not good, the managers lie about their charges and will try to bill you for things they haven't done. There are many auto shops in the Silver Spring/DC area and I advise everyone to use another shop other than Aamco. This place should be ashamed of themselves for the type of service they give. They tried to charge me $2000 more than other area shops for the same work. Never again!!!! read more

oh boy,what should I say? if not that this is the worst experience we ever had. We brought our chevy van for a transmission problem. we spent about $2700 for a rebuilt one. it took them a week to fix. the same day the van was out, 1 hour later, the van could not shift in reverse!!!. We had to wait to wait until monday for AAMCO tow truck to tow it away to the shop. After inspecting the car, to my surprise the mechanic came with the conclusion that they couldn't find any problem. I took the can back and later on during the day the problem started again now I had to rush to the shop so they could see it themselves. They were kind of surprised that my diagnostic was indeed right. they told me it was some kind of device that the GUY who rebuilt the transmission didnt adjust correctly. the Van stayed for another 2 weeks. they told me this time they replaced the VALVE COVER!!!! after reopening the entire transmission. They don't seem to be apologetic at all about the entire ordeal they are putting us through waiting for them to repair the van. I finally took the van back 2 days ago and today while driving , I realized the gears are not shifting at all. I drove in first gear for 1 hour. Tell me that this is not professional at all. This will be the third time in less than 30 days that i would have to return the van to AAMCO without mentioning how it inconvenienced us greatly to have to waste our time to always call them about something that is wrong with the van. IF anyone out there has had the same very frustrating situation, I need your input about what should be the next step or course of action to take? read more

Took my Mercedes Benz in for repair, told the manager what the problem was and what needed to be fixed. I went in later to find that they had taken my interior console apart and chip the wood grain trim, which was NOT the problem. I went to pick the car up and console was loose and not fixed, after trying to talk to the non English speaking person and after the third time, they could not fix the console and did not fix the original problem either. It was a cluster and a comedy of error and I had to ask them also to remove the trash they left in my car. So I had to take it to Mercedes Benz dealer to be fixed and at my cost, I had to pay for what Aamco destroyed. They suck I will never go there again I might not ever go to Aamco again. They were so unprofessional and down right rude and DESTOYED MY CENTER CONSOLE TRIM & DESTROYED THE MOUNTING FOR THE CONSOLE. They wasted 3 days of my time and many hours waiting for them on three occasions to try to fix the console. Submitted by a 30 year aircraft mechanic read more

I took my car in because the guys at Jiffy Lube thought I had a transmission leak. Aamco didn't find a transmission leak but did say I had an oil leak and would need a new oil pump etc for $1600. I said "no thank you" and went to pick up my car. Prior to finding the leak, they told me that they would need to degrease and clean the engine so they could find the leak which they did. I picked up the car and drop it about 5 blocks when it begin to jerk and shudder and eventually would shut off if I put the car in gear. (Note: I never had ANY problems like this before bringing it in.) So I call and basically have to arrange to get a tow back to Aamco which was then closed. The tow cost $125. The next day Aamco calls and states that the car drives fine and that it was probably moisture or condensation left from the engine degreasing/cleaning. So I go to pick up the car and ask Jan (the owner) about the $125 tow. He said he couldn't help me because the reason I needed a tow had "nothing to do with what they did." Seriously? He himself admitted that it was probably moisture but refused to accept any responsibility. Amazing. I didn't think I was being unreasonable clearly the two incidents were related. It is really quite shameful that he was unwillingly to admit their responsibility. I finally got him to give me a free oil change so I didn't leave empty handed. I would suggest that you look elsewhere..I don't think it's too much to ask for a business owner to do the right thing. Do you? read more

They diagnosed the car incorrectly. I bought the car to them because my engine/wrench light was on. They stated I needed a new transmission to fix the codes that showed up in my computer system. They installed the new trans. and my engine light continued to come on from the dates of 4/22/15-5/14/15. Each time we picked the truck up we would have to bring it back the next day. They informed me that the same "codes" were appearing on the computer. They assured me that they was doing everything to fix it they even replaced the trans. saying the first one must have been defective. When that didn't work after me bringing the car back to them at least 6 times they finally concluded that it must be an electrical problem so I should take it some where else to get fixed because they don't do electrical work. They do not provide rental car reimbursement so I was out of a car for a month which was an inconvenience for my family. They have taken no responsibility for their actions, they are supposed to be transmission experts but it took them a month to figure out they couldn't fix the problem, but took them 5 mins to tell me I needed a $3,000 transmission. After the car was diagnosed at the electrical shop he informed me that the work that AAMCO did was incorrect. AAMCO also stated that they were going to throw in some motor mounts for me getting the new transmission but in the other diagnostic the motor mounts were not changed as promised and the transmission harness was done incorrectly and the "new" transmission was over filled and leaking. read more

all i can say is it boggles the mind that this Aamco has been in business for the length of time they claim, because i'm certain that they are a bunch of crooks. my experience with them was incredibly eye opening. they basically were referred by my main mechanic whom i trust very much, when he told me that my 2001 camry probably needed a part replacement that might be related to the transmission that he couldn't do. but he said it shouldn't cost much. so when i got Aamco $2400.00 estimate along with it would take 5 days to a week to repair because they thought they would have to take the transmission apart, u can bet i took that info back to my mechanic to ask if he though t it was on the high end, i sure thought so. my mechanic was embarrassed by my reveal & immediately gave me another shop owners number to contact for the work. by the time i got home from dropping my car off at the other shop, the mechanic had called me to tell me the part i needed replacing was NOT within the transmission & it is a part that frequentl goes bad on camry's that experienced mechanics generally know. the part was approximtely $45.00 along with the labor, we're talking about $265.00. i could pick up my car tomorrow morning. i was so angry. i wanted to wait for the saturday morning peak hr & rush into that Aamco to annouce to the hopefully full waiting area that they were dealing with smooth talking, incredibly personable, con artists, who were out to treat you like a million bucks while they robbed your blind. i was so disgusted, but i chose to not do that. it wasn't until i was referred to yelp by a friend that i realized i could likely reach & warn more people about these snakes. they do not deserve anyones hard earned money. what they attempted to do was nothing short of devious. read more