Had a scheduled repair today for my 2013 Smart car. EVERYONE was fantastic! Larry met with me to go over the needed repairs and upgrades, he was so positive and assured me he'd have it ready in one day, they gave me a loaner so I could get so retail therapy while they worked on the car. I had NOT mentioned that I needed a new windshield until I got there and they were all over it! Got it all done! Tires, wheels, horn, AC/fan motor, floor mats, headlight and antenna. They kept in touch as the day progressed so I knew where they were. Larry even sent me photos! Amazing! This is service like no other, I am a customer for life! read more

See all

My daughter's car in Iowa broke down and she was home in Seattle with me. I chose Ace from the solid Yelp reviews and I could not be happier with the care and service they gave me. Jason communicated well and frequently about what was going on with her car, offered solutions and made me feel so confident even though I was 2000 miles away. They did what was needed to be done, efficiently and effectively. I was so scared how to handle this because I was so far away but was taken care of so well by Jason and Larry and team. Thank you again Team Ace! read more

I recently moved to Iowa and was in need of serious auto repair. I went to 3 repair shops, down several thousand dollars and still the problem existed. Yelp app reviews gave Ace Body and Motor a 5 star review. So I decided to try AGAIN. From the moment I drove into their lot I was so impressed. You could eat off the floors in the shop. Everything was so pristine. That's says so much right there. James in the office was amazing, honest and explained everything in detail, in a way a woman could understand. Andy, the mechanic that worked on my car is a genius. Now she purrs like a kitten. I wish I would have gone to them first. But, I will always go back. Thank you everyone, so so much. read more

Awesome family-owned business! I had scheduled an appointment on Friday to have the oil and filter changed in my car; however, I overslept and totally missed it by ~3 hours. The staff here accommodated me and got my car back to me within the hour. I brought my bike with me and the staff suggested some routes I could take while I waited for my car. They were not pushy at all regarding the maintenance I needed on my car and explained everything to me very well. I will definitely be returning for anything my car needs! read more

I was looking at buying a salvage title vehicle in the area, and after seeing the good reviews here (and the close proximity to the dealer), I decided to have Ace Body & Motor do a final look-over before I purchased the vehicle. And I'm glad I did! Everyone there was extremely educated and very friendly. They know what they're talking about. The owner, Larry, gave the car a look-over, and let me know to definitely, definitely not purchase it at the price they were asking. He took me around the car and showed me why each one of those things was problematic and told me how it was SUPPOSED to look and how it was going to cause problems in the future. Turns out this salvage vehicle hadn't been properly repaired. He then spent another half an hour telling me about how to find a good car to purchase, what to look for, and recommended dealers and options in the area. He answered all of my questions thoroughly and without any sort of annoyance. He really seems to love what he does. I was already impressed by his service and planning to come back again, but when I asked the front desk how much I owed them for the visit, Larry said I didn't owe them anything. Amazing service and super-duper above-and-beyond. This is exactly what I want when I come to see a mechanic. I think I'm going to be drive all the way out to Des Moines from Ames when I need something done with my vehicle. Seriously, one of the best mechanics I have ever gone to. read more

Ace Body & Motor - Tires Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

See all

Honest and reliable. You can trust them to be fair and communicate what needs to be done and what is recommended.

Worst mechanic in Iowa and it's not even close. They will charge you for repairs that aren't needed and will even charge you for things that they didn't do like inspecting brakes. On top of that, the charges will be 3 times more expensive than the 2nd most expensive mechanic in Iowa. And to top that, the owner Larry is extremely disrespectful, pompous and illogical. You've been warned. BEWARE! read more

I'm a touring musician from San Diego and I was driving through Iowa on my way to Des Moines when a warning light started flashing, indicating an issue with my transmission. I'm not rich n' famous, so this was the last thing I needed. When I got to Des Moines, I started searching Yelp for a mechanic and found Ace Body & Motor. They had some great reviews, so the choice was the easy part. Dealing with an expensive repair was going to be the hard part. Fortunately, the reviews were spot-on. The building is really cool, being modeled to look like an old 1950's service station, and the people fit the decor. They really treated me like I was a neighbor. Everybody was very friendly and put me at ease, from Pam the secretary, to Larry the owner and Jason, his son. Jason listened to my concerns, and assured me that he'd give my van a good looking over and call me before they did anything. Larry, gave me a ride and we had some time to get to know each other a little. He's got a great attitude about doing a good job and treating people right without gouging them. I felt that he was genuine, honest & fair. And Pam? You'll love Pam. Long story short, they gave me a great explanation of what they found & what my options were. Turns out that the repairs weren't as dire as I feared, and I got out of there for a lot less than I had anticipated. Jason also took the time to go over a few other maintenance issues to watch for down the road. I don't take the time to write many reviews, but I felt that my experience at ACE Body & Motor was so positive that I should take the time to share my story. I have a great mechanic back home in San Diego, and I feel just as comfortable and confident in Larry and his crew. I'm back on the road and I still have some money in my pocket, thanks to them. They have my highest recommendation. read more

Ace Body & Motor - Pam works in the office and is as friendly & helpful as can be. - Tires Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

See all

Larry and company are amazing. They absolutely saved us on short notice as we were driving across the country. One of our shocks blew out while driving from California. They got us fixed and back on the road in less than two hours, saving our trip. Thank you so much for being such an honest and helpful business. read more

This probably my favorite place to visit knowing I get to spend$$ The cleanliness and attitude abounds! Thanks for the greeting and appreciation for my business. 5 star in my book! read more

Based on reviews on Yelp I had high hopes. I took my car in due to a loss of performance when accelerating that caused it to suddenly chug along. They called part way through the day and the mechanic told me what they would need to do and the cost to do it. When I got there the bill was $40 more than the mechanic told me. I was told it was to plug the computer into the car to check for error codes. EDIT: After posting my review I did speak with the ever nice Larry who provided additional information. He stated, "We care and we want to do the right thing. Sometimes we get busy and don't remember to tell everybody everything." I believe him. They are all very nice and did ultimately resolve my vehicle issue on the second visit so the car appears to be running correctly now. (I had originally equated this computer with a $35 code reader from Amazon but after speaking with Larry he assures me it is an $8000 computer with $2000 annual updates. While I've never had issues with the ones every Autozone, O'Reilly and related shop will do for free, he says they're not the same, don't give real time diagnostics and are more for selling parts.) I drove away and it seemed fine in town, going under 40. A few days later I had to go out of town and again once I tried accelerating it did the same thing. I called them and they said there was no warranty issue because all they did was replace a spark plug boot. I took it back in and dropped it off. The mechanic called to tell me the exact cost for an hour of work as he said they'd likely need less than that to have a solid diagnosis. He drove it all the way to Ankeny before he said he experienced the problem. He called to tell me what the issue was, again something spark plug related though nothing had thrown any error code and I asked for an exact listing of the costs and agreed. When I arrived the total was almost $70 more than the mechanic had told me. This time it was due to having the same stupid (but very expensive) computer plugged in again (which the mechanic told me provided no error codes and this was exactly what they had already done last time) along with an additional length of time for stopping to get gas due to needing a longer drive to find the problem (though the mechanic told me it was in total under the hour we agreed to) along with other stuff he didn't tell me on the call. (EDIT: I've been told they actually spent more time on the car than I was billed for.) They're all nice. My car was ultimately fixed. I just didn't feel the communication was as clear as it could have been when explaining the cost on the phone versus in person. read more

Good people great team. Very nice and clean chop. I will be back in the morning with other vehicle. D Davis

I needed a quick checkup and oil change for my 2017 Porsche Macan and decided to go to Ace. Jason and Larry were super nice and took care of my vehicle. I think it was the first time they had a Porsche in for service but they had no difficulty. Oh and the couch in the office was super comfy! :) I will definitely be back! read more

Ace Body and Motor has changed the way I view my car, and the car repair business. Two years ago, someone hit our car, and drove off, and our insurance company referred us to Ace. The service, helpful communication, and a body work repair was excellent, and we now bring our car here for tires, any maintenance repair, and oil changes. In the past, I bounced around from place to place. Complaints I would have: The front desk was rude, and dismissive. They assumed I knew nothing about my car, and do not seem to listen to my concerns. The waiting area was not clean, etc... My experience at Ace has been the total opposite. Pam runs the office, and is so nice and is also quite knowledgeable herself. The team of mechanics (family-owned btw, boo yah!) are so kind and generous with their knowledge. They explain things very well, and have even taken me out to the car to show me exactly what they're talking about. (Ie: I know where the sway bars are, and could slightly intelligently speak about them thanks to Ace). And talk about clean, you could probably eat off of the garage floor! If you want someone you can trust, check this place out. We don't all have a mechanic in the family, and having a car is fun and freeing, but can be so upsetting when something inevitable arises. These folks are empowering to car owners, and treat you with respect. It's kind of like Cheers -- only it's me for a change who knows everybody's name -- Larry, Jason, Pam! Thanks for being awesome! read more

Although I have had good service with this company before related to accident repair, when it came to fixing a noise that my car was making the work was not as stellar. I was charged $500 for the men to fix the squeaking that my car was making and when I picked my car up I was $500 poorer and my car still makes the noise to this day. When I called and complained, I was told that "we all squeak and make noise when it's cold". Great. No offer to fix the actual problem that I came in for and for them to do anymore work it would cost me more money. I'm still not sure what exactly if anything was fixed on my car. Disappointed in the huge drop off in service. Ok for accident repair, terrible for maintenance and diagnosis of car trouble. I have not been back since. read more

Great people and service.. Couldn't fix my problem due to it being Friday afternoon, not having the part and 2 people short. But they did everything else to make sure that my engine is running and I had help along the way if needed. Thank you. read more

Before coming to Ace, I called several mechanics around Des Moines for an estimate on a ball joint replacement recommended by another shop. Larry was the only one who gave me an estimate and invited me to stop by so he could check if the vehicle actually needed one. Luckily, the joint turned out to be in decent shape and Larry was helpful in explaining how it only needed to be watched over and addressed my concerns. Speaking with Larry, I get the impression that he's a thorough and capable mechanic. But what stands him apart from the rest is that he'll take you in to the shop, show you the issue, and help you understand what does and doesn't need to be addressed and why. He does it without patronizing you or pressuring you and he doesn't rush his explanation. Genuine is how I would describe him. Not saying that he's the best mechanic in town or that Ace is the only place to take your car, but I think this is one of those places that deserves a shot. read more

At the end of a drawn out battle with my less than dependable car not starting, sneaky AAA wanting to tow me to their "friend's shop," and my own friends being flaky I did what I should have done at the beginning: I went to Ace Body & Motor. As a time-strapped, relatively poor grad student I feel lucky to have chanced upon such a good business (my first experience was on the body shop side back in September.) My problem this go-around involved a convoluted story about an uncharged battery, a difficult Napa Auto Parts Store (which I should write a separate review about elsewhere) and an after market alarm that refused to go away. In any case, per usual, the guys (and girl!) at Ace Body & Motor listened patiently to me trying to explain what I'd been experiencing. Obviously, cars are not my area of expertise, but never EVER do I get the feeling that I'm being duped or looked down on at Ace. I really appreciate this about them. Furthermore, they seem to understand that I'm a student on a frustrating schedule on the verge of insanity and do an awesome job accommodating. I know they have their own book of appointments, but with an imminent storm my two-wheel drive car probably wouldn't have made it back any time soon -- thank you sincerely for taking care of me same day! They set me up at an out of the way desk and let me study while I waited. Every now and then someone would fill me in on the progress and make sure I was comfortable. Larry and his team battled Napa on my behalf and spared me the headache. Not only is my less-than dependable car a significantly more dependable now, but I am even more confident in Ace Body & Motor as the go-to place for any future car needs. Thank you again! read more

I called Ace Body and Motor for an estimate to get my thermostat replaced, and Pam took down my information and had a mechanic call me back. I talked to Jason about the estimate and scheduled an appointment for just a few days later. I was really impressed with now nice everybody was and how quickly the work was completed. The invoice total ended up being pretty much spot on to the estimate Jason gave me. I ended up waiting in the office and had a nice chat with Pam (after she made me her delicious special coffee) and got a lot of work done on my laptop while I waited. I will definitely be back! read more

I have been a customer at Ace Body and Motor since 2005 and can confidently say that the entire staff and team have my best interest at heart. As a professional, I appreciate it when my clients trust me and have confidence in my ability and knowledge. I have come to rely on Ace Body and Motor for all my auto service needs and advice when shopping for vehicles. I find the team at Ace Body and Motor to be honest, reliable, and personable professionals in all aspects (shop cleanliness, appearance, language and presentation). I recommend Ace Body and Motor with the utmost level of confidence. read more

I like their concern for safety. I got great service on an oil change and honest advice about what to think about for the future as far as maintenance. Let's face it everyone, we all know but don't like to hear it ever...we have to spend the cash required to maintain these things we entrust with our lives every day. Thank you for the recommendations for care of my car and the great service. read more

This place is great! We were driving through and needed a light replacement asap. They helped us right away, and we could tell they genuinely cared about getting us back on the road as quick as possible. Such a relief to meet a mechanic who values the customer over the dollar. Really can't recommend this place enough! read more

Larry and the entire staff have been nothing short of friendly and knowledgeable as my family and I have been taking our cars here for a few years. They always are quick & efficient & provide the best service! Could not recommend them enough for any and all car needs. read more

Engine trouble driving cross country and passing through. Larry was able to help right away and was extremely knowledgeable and personable. Never felt like I was being taken advantage of for not knowing much about cars. Driving cross country alone as a woman can be extremely nerve wracking so it was very comforting and helpful. Also the shop is so nice and clean. Thank you so much! Highly recommend! read more

I've had my vehicle serviced here several times and it's always been done with excellence at a decent price.

Very polite but quoting and charging differently. I called Ace Body & Motor and told them that I have the engine light on and I have these codes, I was told that they do not take my codes and will do their diagnose and will work on those codes, that makes sense, I asked them how much do you charge for the diagnose and I was told that they charge $35, I asked if the $35 for just to get the codes or do you diagnose further, because if you are giving me the codes than I already have the codes from another place, and I was told that $35 is not just for the codes but there is more to it. The next day they called me and told me the same codes and quoted me the cost to repair it, I decided not to go ahead and get the car back, so they invoiced me for the codes $101, I asked them that I was told $35, they said they other charges are for their time they spent to get the code and their diagnostic machine is $5000, that gives the same code as $10 scanner, and they did not even give me any details of the diagnostic, all it was that they found the codes. So, this is my experience dealing with them. Update: I went to another mechanic and he used his $5000 scanner and find out there there is nothing wrong with the car and he spent an hour diagnosing my car. Ace and Body did not do anything other than telling me what I already knew and they charged my credit for $101 for the work (they never told me what they did more than $35 they quoted me) if they did something, they did without my approval. The language barrier is that they told me $35 and charged me $101 that I do not approve of. The credit card company will take care of this language barrier. I changed my review from two stars to one star after getting a diagnostic report from another mechanic and that was the same as my mechanic in Texas both said that there is nothing wrong, only Ace Body and Moter gave me over $800 estimate. I read another person's review, Rob P, he had the same problem as mine they quoted him something different and charged him a higher price, and then they told him the same thing, "communication problem", after reading Rob P's post I agree with Ace Body and Moter, that communication problem is common with them, which part of "$35" is a communication problem? read more

*** I've edited my review because I got a call from the owner asking about my experience and he was a great guy and from that call alone I will give them a second chance. I wasn't sold on the customer service from the receptionist but now I know what to expect when I walk in there - she likes to joke with you. As far as service, I just had an oil change done but I liked that their inspection was thorough and they let me know of some things that will need attention in the near future. read more

Needed a lot of work on our 07 ford focus. In particular shocks and struts. Went in on Thursday morning and was taken care of promptly by Pam. Unfortunately I'm not a coffee person so i didn't have her "special" brew lol, but i hear it's good! Jason and Larry are the most thorough repair guys I've ever met. Indeed the shocks and struts did need replacing, but also Larry showed me how bad the tires had gotten due to poor alignment and recommended new ones. I knew that meant more money, but I have also read past reviews and based on that , I trusted his judgement and said yep go ahead and do it. They also found an oil leak in the front, but they said at this point it was ok, just keep an eye on it. also recommended several flushes and a tuneup, but they could spread those out over time. I truly believe these guys were honest and upfront with me about everything and not out to get my last buck. And they prioritized all the issues so i could make a decision on what to do immediately and what could wait. Most places will tell you you need this this and this and not really explain everything, they just lump it all together and say you need it now. Not these guys. Bonus: i didn't have another ride, so Larry took time out of his busy schedule to drive me back to west des moines to my apartment so I didn't have to sit and wait all day at the shop. Good thing, because they had to do some extra work on the alignment and it wouldn't be able to get done till the next day (this morning)....when it was done Larry called me and asked if i needed a ride back to the shop, and he came and got me! Only scary moment about the whole experience was when i tried to pay, my card was declined. and of course i didn't have my checkbook with me.... Pam was so calm lol (I was panicking cause i knew i had enough money in my account and couldn't figure out why it wasn't working) and she said why don't you call the bank. I did, turns out there was a daily limit on my debit card. got that fixed and was good to go. Car drives and feels A LOT better now. I will definitely be coming back. i wish i had found these guys YEARS ago. read more

We stopped by on our drive back to California from Wisconsin, needed an oil change. They are SO thorough! Jason and Larry are amazing! Did a great job. Jason is very thorough and found a warped part that was causing an oil leak. Frustrating circumstances, but so glad we had these guys to fix it. They are so pleasant, and there was an office we basically had to ourselves to wait with our 8 month old son and dog, made the wait much nicer. The entire shop is SO clean! I have never been to a mechanic shop before where I could compliment on cleanliness and how awesome it was decorated! We let my son play on the floor! Cannot say enough good things about these guys! read more

Ace Body and Motor goes above and beyond to educate me on the issues our Mazda was having. They brought us into the shop and shows us our break pads, and why they were rubbing wrong. They told us with all honesty what had to be fixed and what we could wait on. They gave us a ride home and offered up any other help they could give us and sat and answered all of our questions both on the phone and in person! I will keep working with these guys! read more

When we lived in Iowa this was our go-to mechanic. They perform high quality work on your car, keep you updated along the way, and were pretty flexible with scheduling. read more

I have been getting my automobiles serviced and repaired here for several years, the staff is outstanding. - The prices are not the cheapest in town, but the quality of work is OUTSTANDING. The employee all work as a family and call me by first name and ask me how my children are doing. I would highly recommend all services Ace offers. read more

I had a wheel bearing go on me while driving across the country. Larry took me in first thing in the morning and had me on the road in a couple hours. Friendly, fast, and a great job! read more

I have been a customer of Ace Body & Motor ever since an unfortunate deer accident on I35N in Minnesota in November, 2012. My insurance company, State Farm, advised that Ace Body & Motor was a preferred provider and that if I chose them for my repairs I wouldn't even need to have a claims adjustor inspect my repairs. I live across town so I went to my purchase and servicing dealership near my home first, and they advised they couldn't do the repairs, so Ace it was. Ace did a fantastic job. Larry, the owner, worked with me on a flexible turn time as I had upcoming out of state travel, arranged a rental at a very low pre-negotiated rate, and days later I had my car again, like new. A few months later, in January of 2013, I hit another deer, this time on Hickman Rd The accident happened around 9 PM. I immediately emailed and actually face-booked Ace to ask if I could drop it off that night and they responded immediately! Just this past weekend I went to turn on the A/C and got hot air. I figured it may have ben as a result of one of the two accidents, so I took it back into Ace. Larry, the owner, personally responded to my email asking if I could bring it back in on Thursday and he advised that he would personally inspect and repair the vehicle. I dropped the car off last night and picked up my car today after work and Larry showed me where the A/C leak was; it was not from the deer incident. Nonetheless, Larry thanked me for my loyalty with both collisions and advised that the repair was taken care of. I am not saying that you can expect free service from Ace Body & Motor. I am saying that this is a body shop and mechanic shop that appreciates it's customers and values their loyalty. It is rare to find this kind of small town honest service these days, and when you find it, you need to let it be known! Larry and his team do excellent work, the shop is clean and you walk away knowing that your car is in the best hands possible. read more

We are in the process of buying a used car in Des Moines, but we live in Iowa City. We didn't want to drive all the way over to the dealer to discover we had no interest in the car. Pam set up a meeting with our dealer and Jason did the inspection. He called me promptly after and really spent time explaining some issues with the car. It was clear that he did a very thorough inspection. Both he and Pam were courteous and great about returning calls. I could tell that this is an honest business that takes pride in delivering quality work. If we lived in Des Moines, I would absolutely take my car here. read more

First Class Shop! Larry and the guys no how to treat people. They truly live up to their slogan "Business How It Used To Be". I recommend him to all who have a car and need maintenance to repair work done. read more

Love this place. They are efficient, honest, and helpful. We bring all three of our cars here and have always been satisfied. They have been thorough in checking everything over but always honest in what truly needs to be done. We have some older cars that they have helped us keep in great working condition without breaking the bank. read more

Definitely the friendliest auto repair business I have ever been to, and was helped in a major time crunch while passing through Des Moines. I also saved some $$$ by coming here. Excellent service!! read more

So far so good! Technician communicated the issues clearly and referred me to the dealer for a warranty issue. Very small waiting room, like a couch in front of the desk, so although it's clean and everyone is nice, as a mom of young kids, I'm glad I didn't have to bring them with me today. read more

I was previously here for an inspection of a oil leak and the technicians explained everything thoroughly to me and didn't pressure me into fixing anything additional or unnecessary. The whole experience was very pleasant. I came back to them for an AC charge on my vehicle. read more