We randomly took our car here after getting lost on our way to a Quick Fit. We were bored of getting lost, just needed a new spare tyre, and just decided to go to the next place we saw. ARC 1 Tec is tucked down a little side road in the centre of Withington, just behind the well-known Fuel Café. It's a homely business crammed into a tiny premises. However, it means you get attention and friendly service from the charming and slightly oddball garage owner. When got a new tyre and a check on the alignment of the car (we'd had a flat) for just £44, which is really fair deal. It was done with a minimum of fuss and only took about 30 minutes, including the garage getting a new tyre delivered from another local company. Because they were so kind, friendly and hassle-free, we took the car back a few weeks later to get a service, and will probably be returning again when it's MOT time. read more

I needed an emergency fix on my car with a quick turnaround and ARC thoroughly saved the day. I called in the morning and was told I could bring it round straight away. Lots of things were wrong, but ARC kept me updated throughout the day and managed to fix everything by the end of the day. Would highly recommend, very low price and eager to help. read more

We took our car here for the MOT, After calling ahead to schedule an appointment. We found the location through a web search on MOT licensed garages, and this being the closest we booked our appointment here. It was typical of a small privately owned garage; greasy and old, but adequate. Our MOT took two hours to complete the initial assessment and another 5 hours to complete the needed work (wheel bearing and exhaust leak). The price was a bit higher than average (after a google search), but we once we haggled a bit it came down to a manageable number. If you already have a mechanic you trust, I wouldn't change for this location. Besides MOT work, I would not be returning because I just didn't get a great vibe, great deal or stellar service. I was looking for a good warm feeling in a mechanic, and I just didn't quite get that here. This mechanic is merely adequate in a pinch. read more

Terrible terrible garage, made a big mistake taking my car here! They had my car forever and kept giving me stupid excuses as to why it hadn't Ben done yet. There was bird mess inside and out of my car and it went into the garage with 80 miles worth of petrol and came back with 10. read more

Disappointed. I received little contact from the garage and had to ring up near the end of each day to find out if I could collect my car. The staff had poor attitudes towards me, telling me to "wait in the office" while they took my partner (who cannot drive and has nothing to do with the car) out on a drive to figure out the problem, even though I had told them it was my car. Sexist and rude. They had the car on two separate occasions (for two days each) and I informed them the problem still hadn't been fixed each time. When I mentioned this on my second and final visit I was simply told that the work they had done was covered by a twelve month guarantee. read more

I took my car to Art 1 Tec for an MOT in December 2010. He told me it had a power steering oil leek . I got my car back a week later after he charged me £330 . When I got it back unfortunately the power steering now had a far bigger leek than previously. I took it back to the garage and he told me that it was a warranty job .It took them a month to be the work after repeatedly telling me it would be ready then it wasn't. When I finally got it back they had covered the interior of my car with oil and greese which was ground into all the floor carpets and the leek was still there . Worse still , the front right wheel now rubs on the body work when i make a sharp right turn and the passsenger door creeks . I presume that they removed some of the body work to get at the hydrolic piping but then could not be bothered to replace it properly as it was a warranty job and they were not being paid for it . They also charged me for a fuel filter in the MOT which on inspection they have not changed . In short they have trashed my car ... they are incompetant read more