Excellent service and trustworthy ownership. I bought a Honda here, and before selling it to me, the owner took the time to ensure it was thoroughly serviced. It drives like it's brand new. The team is also incredibly friendly and well-informed. I strongly recommend this auto shop for any repair or maintenance needs. read more

I brought my car in about a month ago and have heard no progress being made whatsoever. I'd rather be told "this may be outside of our knowledge," so we could have saved both parties time. In the month my car has been "being worked on" their mechanics reached out to me once. I call every other day and have my car's problems reiterated to me and then get told "I'll reach back out to you before the end of the day," just to hear from no one and repeat the process the next time I call. I'm sure they're some nice guys but if they just don't have the ability to do the job it's way easier on both parties to just say that instead of keeping someone in the dark. read more

Black Bear Auto was phenomenal. They made me feel safe and welcome as a trans woman. I didn't feel as though I was ripped off. The work ended up costing me less than I anticipated. My car was sitting for a year, and they were able to get it fully up and running in less than 3 days. I was so pleased they were able to get my car running again I decided to do my tires and AC recharge as well. Mike was honest about everything, and I felt respected from the moment I walked in. I would highly recommend Black Bear Auto to anyone in the area! read more

Best mom and pop shop for all your car service needs. I've been coming here for years because they have always been the most honest and reliable service center for my Jeep. I only get my oil change here and will never go anywhere else. Barry is the owner and his expertise and knowledge always let's me know I've picked the right spot for all my vehicles needs. The service here is impeccable. There is always a fridge full of complimentary drinks including coffee, water, Gatorade and sodas to enjoy while you wait for your service. They do a full service oil change here that includes all point inspections throughout my vehicle. This allows me to feels safe knowing they thoroughly checked everything. They always have a printout of any issues and also include pictures to show and explain the issues as well. I completely trust them to provide the best service possible. The business decor is also the best! The theme of black bears are painted all over the exterior and they even have wooden chairs with bears carved into them. Love this place! read more

Black Bear Auto - Cute welcome sign - Oil Change Stations Near Me - Bristol, Connecticut

they claim on their website that they can do almost any repair, I brought my car in with a transmission issue, I explained to them that the transmission problem was most likely being caused because the fluid level was too high, which can easily be seen by checking the transmission dipstick, they told me they did a diagnostic test and I should take the car elsewhere because they don't do transmission work, they charged me 91.82 for this waste of my time. I would not recommend this place to anyone for any reason. read more

Ok, here's how much I appreciate Barry and his team--I am giving him five stars and my car isn't even finished yet. About six months ago, my 2015 Ford Escape's transmission failed while I was in Pennsylvania. A local shop in Bethlehem, Pa, replaced the transmission and we were good until about three weeks ago. Then the loud knocking started. The Ford dealership gave us a four-week wait. A corporate garage chain kept it for a week, but misdiagnosed it as another failed transmission--then told us they weren't allowed to do someone else's warrantee job anyway! One of their guys recommended Black Bear. Just by listening to the engine, Black Bear knew it wasn't the transmission. Sure enough, when they dug in they found a poorly secured and now seriously damaged fly-wheel from the work done in Pennsylvania. Barry took pictures and gave a detailed explanation for me to take back to the first mechanic so I can make my case for him to cover cost. And best of all, the car is being fixed within a couple days of them getting it. On my first visit there, Barry treated me like a lifelong customer. Now I am a lifelong customer. read more

I can't say enough about this repair shop. Barry, the owner is an upfront person who expects the best for the customer. He generates that same behavior throughout his team. His office staff and his technicians are over the top. We had a fairly complicated repair and without a flaw it was repaired. Quit looking for the right shop. Stop in to Black Bear auto. You will be pleasantly surprised. read more

I recently made an appointment with Black Bear Auto to have my oxygen sensor and fuel/air sensor replaced after my check engine light came on. The price was in line with other quotes that I received although the quality of interaction was much, much better with Black Bear. They were able to make an appointment for me to come in during my lunch break, verify the diagnosis and repair the problem quickly enough for me to make it back to work with time to spare (other places I called informed me I would need to leave the car overnight. At least.) The staff is well-trained and efficient. The waiting area itself if clean and offers customers a place to sit, read and enjoy complimentary beverages while they work on your vehicle. Black Bear also has car care classes that you can sign up for as well as a maintenance club that lets you come in for discounted services throughout the year. I recently discovered that although they're only open during regular office hours (M-F 8:00 am-5:00 pm) that as part of the price of service they will drop you at work and come pick you up when your vehicle is ready (within 10-15 miles). Considering that their prices are already comparable or lower than other area garages, Black Bear will be the only place in central CT that I will be having my car serviced. read more

I bounced around with mechanics for years before I decided to make Black Bear my shop. The owner, Barry, is a straight-shooter and tells you upfront what needs to be done and what can wait. Honest, friendly, and efficient are the three words I'd use to describe them, and I always recommend The Bear to friends. Five stars. read more

Brought my car in for a last minute oil change and they had it out in about 30 minutes. They had a few recommendations for some maintenance but weren't pushy about it and I didn't feel like they were trying to up charge me. Great customer service and seems like good work, too. Quality car shop. read more

I had my car's battery replaced there yesterday. They are now open until 2:00 pm on Sat. Reasonable, friendly and the place is clean and comfortable, TV, coffee, current reading material, etc. One can tell the owner takes pride in his business. read more

We brought our 1968 Mustang to Black Bear to have some work done. Barry communicated the scope of work that should be done now and what could be done down the road. He offered two options for our radiator to either be replaced or reconditioned at a fraction of the cost. His honest opinion to go with the reconditioning was very much appreciated. Barry stands by his work and after a glitch with my car once we got home, (finicky old car) Barry not only picked the car up, but also dropped it back off to my house! Way above and beyond. We will be loyal customers for years to come. read more

My girlfriend brought her 02 honda civic to black bear a while ago and was charged $1600 for front pads, 2 14 inch cheap tires and a transmission flush. What really bothered me was the charge of 48 dollars for 4 cans of brake cleaner. So 12 dollars a can when they cost 3 dollars a can and they used 4 cans?? Seriously, 4 cans? You can clean ten cars brakes with one can. They took advantage of her being a female and not knowing anything about cars. I found the bill months later when she was selling the car so it was too late to do anything. read more

I brought my truck in 2 times in the last year or so and would continue going back because they do good work and they seem honest

Called for price on oil change. Took part of day off and when I arrived I was told The girl that worked there gave wrong price. Wasted half the day will not go back. read more

Honest. To the point. Don't bs you around. They never push serive on you. Profesional. Hardworking. Knowledgeable. Always willing to give true advice. Quality service. I'd say that those are all the qualities you want in an auto shop. Black Bear goes above and beyond and I am glad to have found a place I can rely on. read more

as always everyone is so nice and helpful. the techs are smart and do their job well.it is not easy to find techs that care and have pride in workmanship..but here you will find them..Alex and the others are terrific..thanks for keeping the vehicle running and in good shape read more

I had a flat tire and had my car towed to Black Bear Auto. It was a Sunday and the shop was closed until Monday morning, so I didn't expect it to be repaired. But the owner, Barry Balaban, just happened to be there and took an hour of his Sunday afternoon to fix my tire. I couldn't believe that fantastic level of service. I mean...who does that nowadays? If I could give him 10 stars, I would. Absolutely excellent and absolutely recommend. read more

Very over priced. I also had an estimate done and they told me something needed replacing that did not. The mechanic that I did use, showed me the part they said needed replacing. It was in excellent condition. read more

Barry and Mike are awesome. I've brought my vehicles to Black Bear for several years. I typically try to fix the car myself, screw it up worse than it was, and then bring it to Black Bear to bail me out. Their technicians know their stuff. It's one of the very few places I trust to work on my vehicles. read more

I have been going to Black Bear auto for while now. I am very satisfied with their service. They do a great job. They are very accommodating and they are fair. I have had them do everything from brakes to window regulators to spark plugs and head gaskets. They are skilled and have always done a great job. They stand behind their work! read more

I enjoyed the experience with Black Bear Auto. I was introduced to Barry about a year ago. At first I was sceptical, but in time the scepticism turned to TRUST. I Trust Barry with my car. I had an problem, my head gaskets were leaking and I knew I needed to have that repaired. Not an inexpensive repair, but I went with Barry. The amount I paid was 125 SCORE*, but well worth the money. Professionalism, Accuracy and Dependability is what my money bought me. I would go No Where Else. Thank you Barry, A Satisfied Customer *score=20 times the amount read more

Work was done on our truck without our consent, Owner stated he tried call my wife on her cell 3 times, And her voicemail was not activated! NO missed calls on her cell phone, and her voicemail, Has been the same and activated for over 2 years! I could get an answer as to how this was possible when, Picking up the truck!? $252.00! $69 for sparkplugs! and $193.00 for labor to put them in! We won't be using black bear auto again! read more

I was having trouble with my van and the check engine light would not go out!!! After reading some reviews on here, I decided to take it there and have it fixed. Barry quoted me a price and we were good to go. Well along the way, other problems came up. The light would go out and then come on again. Barry called me to tell me that what I was quoted and the work I was quoted only fixed part of the problems. He gave me new quotes and had to special order parts. He called and kept me up to date the whole time. When all was said and done, the cost was more than I was quoted, but the van has never run better!!! Thanks to the guys at Black bear auto. You put trust into a shop again for me. When needed, you will definitely have my business again. Thanks again for everything from Barry and the guys that fixed my van. Highly recommend this place to anyone looking. You will get a fair price and be treated like a person. read more

I was in Central CT and had work done on brakes, motor and A/C on an aging Sable. Fast turnaround and reasonable price. Green business (I asked the owner and couldn't believe everything they do...). I generally hate walking into a garage, but I was impressed this time. read more

Went in for front brakes, Cost me $900!!!!!! I called another shop after the job was done they quoted me $630 and they even added an extra hour of labor just to show me how ridiculously over priced that place is. DO NOT GO HERE UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE RIPPED OFF. The place is always busy and i have no idea how it's possible that people don't see how overpriced it is! read more