Very impressed with the professionalism of the owner. Quickly diagnosed the problem with my 2015 BMW. Fixed it on time and on estimate. Highly recommend for skill and customer service. read more

Proper mechanics, Will diagnose and fix the correct part not just replace whole systems. It was just a switch, albeit and expensive switch at $500 plus labour but many thousands cheaper than a new transmission on my Porsche Cayman. They have earned my trust what more can I say. Thanks read more

Excellent service/repair shop! Great communication. Honest & reliable. Highly recommend!

Do not hesitate to bring your car to Gunnar at Automotion. He's gotta be one of the few remaining honest and trustworthy mechanics. He will never overcharge or try to rip you off. He knows me quite well now and as a graduate student knows I'm not rolling in cash right now, so will always call to give me some options that are more budget-friendly. The turnaround time is pretty quick too once you are scheduled to bring your car in. For reference, I drive a 2003 Audi A4. I try to work on my car as much as I can on my own, and Gunnar knows this, so will often give me some advice on how to troubleshoot before I bring it in. I just appreciate this shop so very much. A huge comfort and peace-of-mind knowing they are just around the corner! read more

We've been coming to Automotion for years and the service is consistently great. The crew is friendly and honest and never try to sell you on non-essential repairs. Car issues are never fun but I always feel happy supporting this shop when we need to! read more

As the original owner of a 2001.5 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T with nearly 300,000 miles on the original engine, I have way more than my fair share of experiences with dealerships and independent garages. For about the first nine years and almost 100,000 miles of my car's life, I went to two VW dealerships for maintenance. Since then, for the last 12+ years and close to 200,000 miles, all of my services - with the exception of rare warranty and insurance-related work - have been done by independent mechanics (https://www.yelp.com/collection/NzFzorS5DsC3jQEIMESmew). I say all this to say I know a great independent shop when I see one and Automotion is that. Boy, am I glad these guys are around. Simply put, owner-mechanic Gunnar Gronback and mechanic Dan Kearns are honest and highly-skilled. They know what they're doing, at least when it comes to my car with an Audi/VW 1.8-liter turbo engine and all its quirks. As any owner of an Audi or VW will tell you - or any European car really - the cars are difficult to work on and expensive to maintain. What amazes me is all the makes these guys have the ability to work on: "BMW, Audi, VW, Volvo and most Asian automobiles" according to their website. Before I found Automotion, most of the other independent garages I worked with only specialized in Porsche, Audi, and VW (same family). Maybe BMW and Mercedes too. Automotion has been around for over 30 years. When I met Gunnar, I knew he looked too young to have been the owner for over 30 years. He told me he acquired the business from its original owner, Ronnie, about seven years ago. That would be around 2014, I believe. The labor rate during my first visit to this shop was $112 per hour. It's lower than dealership rates and comparable to other independent shop rates I'm familiar with. When I first brought my car to Automotion, there was one item I definitely knew needed to be addressed, a driver outer CV boot tear, and my check engine light (CEL) was on. Due to the age and miles on the car, I asked Gunnar to give the car a good check-over. Due to the amount of work and parts that had to be ordered, Gunnar had my car for almost four full days, Monday-Thursday. That was fine with me. I'm used to it and I understood the amount of work involved. I believe Dan was the one who primarily worked on my car, but I know Gunnar was involved too because when I described certain details about the intake manifold unique to a previous repair that had been done to my car at a different shop, Gunnar knew exactly what I was talking about and he explained how Dan addressed it. The CEL during this visit was due to the car running lean. Dan smoke-tested my engine and found two leaks, one at the intake manifold and another in the secondary air system. Dan made the repairs, replaced my left front axle to address the driver outer CV boot tear, and also replaced two seals that were leaking, my right-side axle seal and an oil cooler seal. Parts and labor worked out to $1,007.02. It sounds like a big bill, but for all the parts replaced and heavy work involved, the cost was quite reasonable to me. Again, I have a lot of experience with repairs and repair bills for this car over the last 20+ years. I also have a lot of experience reading invoices from every dealership and independent garage I've had my car serviced at. I've saved every single invoice and keep them all together in addition to creating and keeping digital records (TMI). Automotion's invoices are typed out and very clear with one half page dedicated to parts (part number, description, price) and the other half, labor. The labor portion of the repair order was informative and written succinctly. The past two shops I went to, the guys would write a lot more, which I didn't mind (I like detail, if you couldn't already tell from this review). The invoice from Automotion was more straight to the point. Similar to some of the other independent shops I've gone to, Automotion is a relatively small, humble shop. I peeked through the chain link fence of the gravel driveway and saw they have two bays (and presumably two lifts) in the back. The wood-paneled inside of the shop's customer areas is dated and what you'd expect of a place that's been in business for over 30 years. The waiting room is also a break room with a desk, table, couch, microwave, water cooler, reading materials, etc. If you want to drop your car off after hours or on weekends, there's a key drop hole built into the front door. Keys are dropped onto the floor. Due to the height of the hole, I was a little concerned about my key getting damaged as it hit the floor, but the floor has mats and isn't a completely hard surface. I believe it's commercial-grade rubber flooring. Automotion is located on the Carrboro-Chapel Hill border. It's close to both downtown Carrboro and downtown Chapel Hill, right off of West Franklin Street. If you know where Al's Burger Shack is, Automotion is right around the corner from Al's. read more

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Short read: Great service, honest, fair priced and the repair is done right the first time. Long read: I have been taking my BMW to Automotion for several years and found the service top-notch and priced fairly. Gunnar and his team are forthright about the issue and the cost of repairing it. Equally important, the issue is repaired properly the first time. I can't say I've had the same experience with other shops. I also recently learned they repair Japanese-made cars. They have done great work on my Subaru with nearly 100,000K on it. Most recently, they fixed an issue caused by a squirrel chewing through wires. It was a potentially very expensive repair, but Dan found a way to fix it for a fraction of the price. I am grateful that Gunnar called first, proposed some options and then turned it over to Dan who worked his magic. Bottom line: Great service, honest, fair priced and the repair is done right the first time. read more

TL;DR: Automotion is an honest business who saved me money. Take your car here!!!! Story time: I was told by another mechanic at a chain that my brakes needed to be replaced and quoted me over $800. Of course, I believed them but I wanted to get it done elsewhere to see if I could get a better price. So, I searched and found Automotion. I talked with Gunner on the phone and he said to bring it by the NEXT DAY. NEXT DAY! I drop off my car and not even 40 minutes later I get a call saying I don't need brakes and I can come pick up my car. He was super polite even though I had just wasted their time. I had been ready to pay $$$ but Automotion saved me from unneeded car work. I'm so glad I brought my car into them, otherwise I'd be out out $800 for no reason. I will be using them for anything and everything my car needs and recommending them to all my friends. read more

Once again I'd like to compliment Gunnar and team at Automotion in Carrboro. He helped me out by repairing my BMW 535 on short notice today -- right before the Christmas holiday. He is honest, competent and fair. Anyone who owns a BMW or other car would do well by taking it to Automotion for repair or service. read more

We have always had good service experience with gunner at Automotion - he is the best!

We have always gotten incredible, reliable, trustworthy, honest service. Can't imagine how much money (and hassle) they've saved me!

Came to Automotion* in ~2018 for routine maintenance on a 2002 Acura. Service was good and reasonably quick, and prices seemed fair. However, on the way to pickup, they mentioned that the clutch was worn down and would need to be replaced soon. They offered to replace it now, which would be an expensive add-on. I said no thanks. At pickup, they again said the clutch definitely was going to give out soon, did I want it replaced? I said no again. It's 2022 and I have been driving the car almost daily since then. The clutch is still fine. *original review mistakenly said Auto Logic read more

I'd like to start off by saying that I've spent thousands of dollars with this company and they're upfront man gunner is very rude. I set up an appointment with him to take a look at my power steering it was leaking and so he said bring it in first thing in the morning on Wednesday at 9o'clock I was there at 9o'clock went inside no one waited on me for 15 minutes I finally yelled back there is there anybody home he gunner came to the front desk didn't say hi just said where are the keys very rude so I said to him I wanted to see exactly how long it was going to take because I was going to wait to see what his diagnosis was which he said would only take 10 to 15 minutes so I asked him I'm gonna be standing outside in the 38° weather how long will this take to give me a price on what it would cost to do the repair so we could schedule it another day he said it could be an hour wait because he was working on another car I'm taking why did he have me come first thing in the morning did you think that I didn't have anything better to do than to wait around very disrespectful I will never go there again and I warn you ahead of time buyer beware read more

These guys know their stuff and are very honest. I found this place for my sister-in-law when she needed her BMW serviced. They did a great job and noted the suspension needed work. She did not even know there was an issue. No pressure or hard sell from them though. They just gave an estimate and told her to keep an eye on it. Since then I have had our Lexus SUV serviced by them a couple of times. AAA jumped the car wrong and blew it's main fuse along with some other fuses. Gunnar was more than patient dealing with it and sorted out the various electrical issues. He replaced the headlight assemblies I bought online and endured me getting the wrong part and then ordering replacements. read more

My Mercedes model 2003 needed a small repair. We found Automotion by coincidence. The auto technician helped us on the spot and the problem got solved We were very pleased with the service performed. Automotion may be a small business but they provide a GREAT service, We for sure will go back To Automotion for all our future repair needs and we will recommend them to all our friends and family read more

Posting this here as well as Google... Being a woman on a budget, it can be scary trying to find a new mechanic and shop that will be reasonable and not try to upsell and overcharge for service. I always take time to comb through reviews on multiple sites before I make a decision. After much searching, I came across Automotion and was impressed by their reviews and feedback. They got me in right away the morning after I called. Within less than 1 hour, they were able to let me know what was going on and how much it would cost out the door. I was amazed at the price, worried it would be much higher! While I was here, there was also someone who came in to get a 2nd opinion on a $600 quote they received from another shop in the area. They gave this person a quote to do the work for nearly half that cost! These guys are incredibly nice and honest - they spoke to me like someone they have known for years. My car is still being worked on as I write this review, but I just couldn't wait to put this up so people can know a good shop when they need it. :) read more

I have been going to these guys for the last 4 years and they have kept my 2002 Camry purring and in tip top shape, at affordable costs, and with honest service. Can't emphasize the "honesty" part more. These guys just saved me $1800 after Chapel Hill Tire quoted me a $2400 price tag on several "broken" car parts that needed to be fixed to pass inspection. Came to my reliable mechanics at Automotion, Gunner took a look at the car, and told me that several things were either not broken at all or could be fixed without replacing the entire component (eg, the entire exhaust system). Fixed it for $560, passed inspection the next day. Highly recommend and I'm lucky that I found them 4 years ago. read more

Went to see Gunner first time last year. He helped with new tires for the BMW - a bit pricey but hey! tires mean a lot. This year he helped us out with the brakes - all around a great job - he had it done in a day with a great price. Thank you read more

Took my Jetta here for a routine oil change after first trying Chapel Hill Tire without much success (I had waited for 2 hours only to be told it would be another 1.5 hours until my car would be seen). Nothing bad to say about these guys - the work was done likely before my car would have been seen at the other place, and the customer service was great. And the kicker - I learned that Automotion specializes in VWs (among a few other European manufacturers). Sounds like I'll be frequenting here again soon! read more

I highly recommend this place for anyone who needs work done. Good honest people, great work and very reasonable prices. I'll be taking my Audi here regularly now instead of the dealer. Support your local businesses! read more

Automotion - Auto Repair Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

If you are looking for a mechanic you can trust, Gunnar is it. Quality service at a great price! Look no further!

I recently started getting work done on my 2013 BMW X3 here and I love the guys here! They're super honest, good willed and well qualified people that are there to help you however they can (check out their certifications). Aside from small sensor repairs I had my brakes replaced here for half the price of the dealership - no joke the price the dealer quoted me just for parts was the price it cost for parts AND labor here at Automotion. They even graciously squeezed me in and got my brakes done super last minute the day before I had to leave for a big trip. Life saver's I'm telling you. I'd recommend these guys to anyone! read more

Automotion gets my highest recommendation. The owner, Ronee, is an old-school businessman who relies on community reputation, and he's been doing it right for over 30 years. Finding a mechanic who is honest, skilled, professional and friendly is almost as hard as becoming an astronaut. I moved here in 2002 and brought my 1988 Mazda 323 with me. During an oil change a local place suggested that my brakes were worn and needed replacing. I was dubious, so I looked for a mechanic to check them out. I just went in to Automotion on the recommendation of a neighbor, and said, "I'm concerned that the brakes are kind of old." Automotion checked the brakes and turned me away without charge. According to them, the front ones had a year and the back ones 6 months, and they gave me percentages of wear. Our other car was American, and we'd get the "you need a brake line flush" or "transmission flush" BS from other garages in town (their name ends in "Tire"): always trying to come up with some bogus work to pad your bill. Ronee at Automotion never does that, and runs a really honest business. Over the years, I've also brought in a 97 Toyota Corolla and 94 Mazda 6, and these guys have taken good care of our vehicles and kept us safe. They are flexible about drop off and pick up, it's easy to get your car in, they are helpful about things where they won't make a dime (like selling my car), they communicate well, and they keep me updated on the overall health of my cars, especially the older ones. When Ronee hasn't been around, my interactions with other guys in his shop have also been very positive. These guys are helpful, and I think Ronee hires people who share his philosophy. Full disclosure: I think Automotion is a bit more expensive than some of the competition. But I can guarantee that you'll get that money back through honesty and peace of mind. You going to nickel and dime the safety of you and your family? The only down side about Automotion is they don't do state safety inspections. But that's on the city of Carrboro. Ronee needs another, specialty bay to do that work and the city won't allow auto mechanics to expand. But let's face it: any old mechanic can do the state inspection if they have the proper equipment. Just don't let that other mechanic flush your transmission! read more

Gunnar was wonderful to work with. He installed shocks onto my daughters car, using parts I had bought and planned to install but never got around to. He met a tight schedule, and was able to source parts to fix a broken driver's side mirror in the same time frame. Great communication, great service, very reasonable prices. Highly recommended. Thanks Gunnar. read more

I brought my car in because the left brake light was out. I expected to be turned away due to the number of cars already on the lot. The mechanic patiently listened as I told him about how a previous mechanic was unsuccessful in addressing the issue. The mechanic noticed that a piece of the molding (a piece that snaps together) was broken. He was very careful not to blame the previous mechanic but it was fairly obvious what happened. The mechanic took a zip tie and secured the piece in place. The entire on-the-spot repair took about 25 minutes. I paid for a 1/4 time labor and the promise to return. This place is top notch. read more

This is where I always take my 2003 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. The reason I decided to first go with auto motion was that I called around to area import mechanics and asked for their labor charge of an oil change if I brought in my own synthetic oil. auto motion was cheaper than any other import mechanic, but they still have expert skill and offer great advice. Definitely a good find in chapel hill! read more

Called to make an appointment for an oil change and wiper change the day before I wanted to bring in my car. The guy I talked to was nice and laid out the pricing before I made my appointment. Next day I dropped it off and they called me to say it was ready within a few hours. Everyone was nice and they took great care of my car. I'll definitely be back! read more

I am a graduate student and I live on a budget. For two years I have trusted the guys at Automotion to keep my 2003 Nissan Sentra on the road. They have done that and more. I have never been up-sold or misled. For every repair, they offered me a fair estimate prior to the work being done, and I never ended up having to pay more than the estimate. These folks are honest and they know cars. I would highly recommend Automotion. read more

Finding a trustworthy mechanic is tough, finding a trustworthy mechanic to work on German cars is near impossible. This place is excellent and reasonably priced, and they truly go above and beyond in terms of customer service (for instance, they don't perform inspections but offered to get my car inspected for me at no additional charge while it was getting worked on). Can't recommend this place enough. read more

My partner & I have been bringing our Mercedes & Jetta to Automotion since we moved to Chapel Hill in June of 2003. These guys KNOW foreign cars & are the best in the area! Not only is Automotion very reasonable, but the work is QUALITY. Ronnie, the owner of Automotion, is very honest & fair. I guess that's why the guys at Car Talk recommend them so highly. M.Kilbear read more

I recently took my 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit in for some repairs to the belly pan. Rather than charge me an absurd amount to replace the entire unit, the owner called and gave me a range of options and prices tailored to my budget. In the end, the repair was very quick and affordable. Ronee even installed a new light for me for no charge. This will be my go-to shop from now on! read more

I cannot believe its taken me 10 years to find this jewel of a car service garage! Probably because there are SO many to choose from in the area...and Ive used most! This place was highly recommended by a new friend who raved about the service and cost. Ever the skeptic I decided to give it a shot, as Id had a number of high dollar estimates to sort out my broken down car and money was tight. From the first moment I met Dan - Dan The Man indeed - who runs this place i felt i could trust him. He was knowledgeable and came across as an honest player...and is a truly nice guy. A rare combo! I was dumbfounded but elated when I called back 2 hours later to pick up my now repaired car to discover he hadnt had to order the expensive parts the other garages had recommended - with the huge labor charges on top - and had discovered and fixed the problem for under $100! Car has now run fine for 2 weeks and needless to say I now have found my 'garage for life'! Do yourself a favor - check this place out. read more

Automation has been servicing my BMW and VW for the past few years and all I have to say are good things about these people. They are honest and competent. I am having a hard time believing the negative review posted on this site. read more

As a visitor to the great town of Carrboro, while visiting my daughter, I realized the battery in my FOB had dwindled. I called the "local" Toyota dealership which was 30 min away, and was not impressed. While walking back from Med Deli, I called then stopped in to see if they could change out the battery. The amazing gentleman walked me next door to the NAPA auto parts store to purchase the battery, then proceeded to install it for no charge. Service like this is so hard to find! Kudos to Automotion! read more

I'm new to this area... I moved here from Cambridge where for the last 35 years my cars were serviced at Good News Garage (Car Talk NPR), so I have high standards. I took my car into Automotion in Carrboro just a half block from the main drag in Chapel Hill. Ronnee explained what he was going to do, gave me an accurate estimate, drove me home when I dropped the car off in the morning, (14 miles round trip) and picked me up at the end of the day. They answered all my questions and were genuinely helpful. I wouldn't hesitate to take my car back to Automotion. read more

They quoted us an estimate of $135 just for a battery and the labor to install it, and then when we went to pick it up the bill was almost $200. I know an estimate is not exact, but estimates should be for the total price including environmental fees and taxes and any other fees involved. I'll let you decide if $200 is a fair price for a battery and installation... We're not going back. read more

One of the best experiences I've had with a shop. Gunner and the guys diagnosed my car and found a fix for my transmission that saved me thousands of dollars. The dealership they ordered the parts from gave them the run around so it took a little longer than they expected but the guys at Automotion went above and beyond to take care of me. I chose Automotion because of the reviews and I definitely recommend anybody with car issues to check them out. I would give 10 stars if I could. read more

I started taking my BMW 328 xdrive since last year when the dealer warranty ran out. I read online reviews in addition to my own need of something near me, reliable, and who does foreign (german cars). I had nothing go by except the reviews and what I would feel instinctively once I was there. Since then Gunnar has replaced my spark plugs (crossed 60K miles), oil changes, oil dripping onto plate and belt parts, and now I am going to take it for the inspection and possibly the front 2 run flats tires. IF needed. And in a couple of months for the brake pads as per the car's 60K miles maintenance. I had taken it to a tire shop in Hillsborough which said that I needed the front 2 tires replaced and that it has worn to the metal. Ordered 2 run flats and an appointment for Monday to replace. Gave me a fail on inspection because of the tires and I paid for that inspection. On the way back I realized I had replaced one of the front tires and one at the back from the dealership last year and couldn't have worn out. So read their reviews and the wiser for it; I am going to take it to Gunnar and pay for another inspection and mention to check tires. Only, Automotion doesn't have the machine to take up car to inspect from the bottom (or so i remember). We will see what he can do though as I trust his diagnostics, and I would totally advocate German car owners to take their cars there. I think I just lucked out. read more

I called on a busy day for a quote, owner took my info and called back with a quote at the agreed upon time. Quote was about half of dealer including OEM parts. Made an appointment, all parts were there when I showed up, repair was performed in the promised time, cost was as quoted. Very professional and I will be going back. read more

I had my (manual) 2003 Audi A4 1.8t Quattro serviced at Automotion in Carrboro recently. I was very happy with the excellent work done on my car (the following items needed replacing: oil uptake screen/tube, oil pump & oil level sensor). In addition, I was extremely pleased by how I was treated as a (female) customer (who btw truly knows how my engine mechanically works!). The owner Ronee Fontazzi patiently answered every concern I had about my car and I felt he genuinely cared to give me the best possible service at a very fair price. The mechanics at Automotion truly know their Imports and are excellent! I completely trust them to work on my "frustrating" German car! Likewise, you will be treated professionally with kindness, politeness, much humbleness, and respect. ALL the reasons I won't bring my Import vehicle to any of the other shops in Carrboro or Chapel Hill- They need to take a lesson in how to establish a true customer service relationship from Mr. Fontazzi. Thank you Ronee for not losing this old school approach after 35 years in business nor forgetting the REAL importance of this. Great experience all the way around. I will surely be back! read more