Five stars for Bill, and Dave at Carlos. My car was towed in. They could have charged me to fix it but told me there was a recall and would be to my advantage to bring it to the dealership. Their honesty, and integrity was truly appreciated. It's rare to find a shop you can really trust. Thank you so much, Kim K. read more

I have been going to Carlos for over 30 years. Excellent quality and good prices. I have also referred many people to them and they have all experienced excellent service. read more

Toni, Bill, Dave and the team always do quality work, fairly priced. will keep coming back.

Overall, the service here is very good and it was one of the few places that I felt I could really trust. I am sad to say that trust was shaken by my last encounter with them. I took my car in for an oil change and was surprised when I saw on the bill that I was not only charged $50 for the oil (more than $10 per quart) but an additional $20 for an engine oil additive. I asked what that was and was told it was a product from BG lubricants that they routinely add to all oil changes. I asked why and was given a ridiculous story that motor oils are no good for engines any longer. That they are only formulated for maximal MPG and that they are bad for engine durability. This is, of course, complete nonsense. The best synthetic motor oils are endorsed by manufacturers and many of them cost less than $10 a quart. That ridiculous oil additive is probably at least as likely to damage the engine as save it. But the profit margin is probably more than 300%. Sadly, Carlos Auto Repair seems to be edging into the gouging the customer business model. I will probably keep going there, but will have to quiz them very carefully about exactly what they are going to do and every charge before I agree to any service. I didn't use to have to do that, but now I guess I do. read more

Unfortunately the service here was not helpful. I had heard a rumbling an growling noise every time i would slow down and press my brakes. i drive a 1999 dodge dakota. i admit my truck is old and needs work but that's not an excuse for how they handled my situation. i had a feeling the brakes were getting worse so i took it over to carlos while i was at work they are located right across from my job so i was hoping for the convenient service. I told them my problem, turned my keys, and left my phone number. a couple hours go by and i get a call from their mechanic David i think was his name. and he tells me a whole list of things that need to be down he talks about the condition of the parts and replacing things and the whole nine yards i take his word for it and hear him out. He than proceeds to tell me the total cost and quotes me a price of $2025 dollars. i'm a part time college student and i work part time i told them that i couldn't afford it and if there was a temporary fix they said no and then i asked about a payment plan and they also declined. so it was either pay now or leave. and i left. my work day ends and i come to pick up the truck and their service charge was $103 dollars for a diagnosis. i'm not complaining about the prices more so the fact that they weren't willing to change and they weren't willing to compromise they told me problems and tried to get me to pay for them. Almost like getting a bad plumber who tries to sell you stuff. i left the shop with my truck and went to another auto shop called Valero auto service. the mechanic at valero recommended i get a front cylinder hose but he was able to give a temporary fix for my problem. he replaced the brake pads and the rotars. he charged me $405 in total and said the other issues still need to be addressed eventually. the first phot is from carlos and the second is from valero. read more

Carlos Auto Service - Auto Repair Near Me - Kensington, Maryland

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I always go to CAS - even when I moved to College Park for school, I would make the trip back if I needed car work, because I trust them. I was first introduced to this shop when I needed a huge repair (head gasket, timing belt, the works.), and they quoted me a MUCH fairer price than the other shop I had gone to. I also never had issues with that repair, have since sold the car, and the new owner says that in the past year they have had zero issues as well. They've now worked on two of my cars and many repairs from the small to big. In my experience, they've always been incredibly communicative, and they have called me before doing any fixes to review the diagnosis and cost. Even when my younger sister (a broke college student) was having a battery issue, I believe they checked everything and only charged for a portion of what she was preparing herself to pay. They are incredibly fair, and she was incredibly appreciative. I love close by, and I often walk my dogs to and from the shop if I need a repair done - they've always been very sweet with the dogs, so that doesn't hurt either! read more

They really know there stuff. Highly recommend 5 stars all the way! They had to fix something another place messed up. If your looking for great work at a great price come here read more

I was referred to them by Trick Trucks when my Jeep was damaged from an Allstate insured gentleman. They repairs close to 10k worth of various repairs. The team at Carlos's fought for me the entire way, submitting only the repairs that came from the collision. They communicated with me the entire time and the results were fantastic. It felt better than it did before the collision. I had one small starting issue after I picked it up (not related to their work) and they evaluated it and gave me an honest and fast response. They could of said it was a much more expensive issue and I wouldn't of know. I will be using them from now on for both of our vehicles. Nice work Bill and team. read more

I have friends who knew the former owner Carlos before his son-in-law Billy took it over. It was on their recommendation that I had my car towed to Carlis Auto Shop all the way from Virginia to Kensington when I was concerned my front brakes were not safe. They quoted me a price that was considerably higher than what could have been expected. When I realized the price was quite a bit higher, I told them I wanted to take it somewhere else for the work. That's when they sprung a $100 charge on me for the estimate. $100 does not break me, but I was surprised that they had not mentioned there would be a charge for an estimate when I dropped it off. They estimated -- and charged me for estimating -- that both my front and rear brakes and rotors needed to be changed, even though I came in about the front brakes only. I think they assumed that I would accept any diagnosis and charge since I had the car towed there. When I asked Billy why I had not been advised that there would be a charge for the estimate, he said actually I had not been advised there would not be a charge either. Anyone get the logic? The kicker -- I got the job done for considerably less at a nearby shop that assured me that the rear brakes were fine and had more than 50% tread left. I wouldn't have minded paying if I had been told upfront about it. Transparency can create trust and lead to loyal lifelong customers. I hope the $100 was worth it! read more

I took my car to a local dealership for a pretty thorough recall service, and (surprise!) they found over $2000 worth of repairs "needed" by my car. I am giving myself a mammoth gold star for thinking to check Yelp and get a second opinion. Carlos' customer service was superb: they sympathized with my problem, found a time for me to bring my car in for said second opinion, and drove me home (which was way better than sitting in the dealership for 8+ hours like I did). When they called a few hours later, they took the dealership paperwork and their own report and went over it with me line by line. The conversation went a lot like this: "So the dealership says you need X and Y fluids. We pulled samples and they're crystal clear, so we do not think they don't need flushing or replacing. OK?" YES, that is TOTALLY ok. The technicians and mechanics also found solutions to diagnose potential future problems (my car is 13 years old) and ways to help me keep it running (13 more years, please! I love my car) with standard maintenance and attention. I was immensely pleased with the service they provided, especially since it was less than 25% of the estimate from the dealership. Since then, my husband's a/c quit working, and they fit him in right away to fix it. They're all friendly, patient, and thoroughly knowledgeable about cars (and all the on board computers they come with now) and ways to keep the car you have running for as long as possible. I am so relieved to have found a reliable, cordial, and excellent mechanic with top customer service and attention to detail. read more

Yesterday was my first experience with Carlos auto Service. I was a bit nervous because I have never visited a mechanic before and I went in to ask a few questions. I had a friend who used to help me with my car so I didn't have to even know how often to change the oil. They were really nice and helpful, explained to me with pictures what I might need and gave best and worst case scenarios for my bad rear brakes. They accommodated me the next day and I was able to pick my car up that evening. I was also informed when I got there that my oil had been really low and they filled it up for me as a courtesy, which I really appreciated. I can't speak for or against the price since this was the first time I have gone to a mechanic, but they were up front with me and that's all I could ask for given my position. I had a good experience and it is convenient, so I will keep going back to them. read more

I like them very much. I've had them work on a 97 Honda Civic, 96 E-150 conversion, a 96 Taurus, and 05 Odyssey. They do good work, are reasonably priced, and are very clear at explaining what work they think you need. Once the Civic was making a terrible rattling noise, so I brought it in and they jacked it up and found a rusted piece of heat shield. Pulled it off, said "no charge", and sent me on my way. That's generally how they treat their customers. read more

Called for the 1st time to fix an electrical issue with my Ford F-150. While naturally cautious with new service groups, they easily put me at ease. They were very polite on my original call, fit my truck in the next day, & completed the diagnostics in the timeline they projected. They kept me in the loop every step & even fixed smaller annoyances without hesitation. High quality customer service, and will definitely be going back anytime I need work in the future. read more

I have been taking my car to Carlos Auto Service for several years to work on my BMW. They have done several jobs and I have been mostly satisfied. A while back I dropped the car off to get new brake rotors and pads for the front. Installation was completed successfully, but after several months I noticed the front calipers were "clamping' the rotors and overheating. I dropped off at Carlos and they called back next day to tell me one of the calipers had seized up and both sides should be replaced. I went with their suggestion and they ordered and installed rebuilt front calipers as agreed. A year went by and I noticed the same issue recurring -- the front calipers binding up and overheating. I took to Carlos and he supposedly orders and installs a new set of rebuilt calipers under warranty. Two months later I was picking the car up from another shop, and on the way back home the front calipers seized up for a third time. I almost decided to return home and take back to Carlos, but since I was still near the other shop, I decided to take it in to them and have them diagnose the problem. While I waited they rebuilt the front calipers with new pistons and showed me the condition of the old ones. This shop was a BMW specialist and told me that the parts were very old and had been reconditioned to temporarily extend their life and they didn't think the parts were a year old. I realized at that moment that perhaps the reason I had been having recurring issues with the calipers was possibly due to Carlos Auto Service not replacing the calipers, but instead cleaning the pistons and putting them back into service. I confronted CAS about their practices and they denied it, blaming the distributor for recycling unrefurbished used parts. If their claim is true and they did in fact replace the calipers the distributor would have provided defective parts twice in a row. If CAS is not recycling used parts they are nonetheless failing to correct the issue and costing customers repeated visits and expenses. In addition, when I replaced the flywheel at the BMW shop I was told that a drivetrain gasket had been installed backwards and would prematurely fail. This was a job CAS had done incorrectly several months prior. To their credit, the shop cut me a check for the last service charges when I presented a receipt; unfortunately, trust has eroded and I have since moved on to greener pastures. read more

Don't be surprised by their small size. Carlos is a very efficient shop. The new owners started in February and is doing a fantastic job. Brought my truck in to be fixed, the problem ended up costing about $300 less than what he quoted me, didn't have to let me know the difference but he did, very impressed. Can't say enough good things about them. Hope they're around for a while. Can't give them a rating above five if I could I would. read more

Really appreciate the honest and professional approach! Can always depend on Bill, Billy and the mechanics to provide a thorough assessment of what my car needs and importantly what it doesn't! For example another garage said my daughter's Prius needed new front brake discs. Took it to Carlos and it turned out the other guy looked up the wrong specs for her Prius! Got an oil change and back on the road! read more

My family has used Carlos Auto Service for over 30 years because they explain things well and are honest. Wouldn't go anywhere else.

I took my car there this past week with the estimate of work needed at $917.00. I never consented to any additional work being done. When I picked up the car, the bill was for $1,230. - $300.00 more than I had been quoted. When I asked why it was so expensive, I was told that they had to flush the power steering fluid and align the tires. I would think that this would be included in the job given what I had done. Still, I was shocked at the $300.00 difference and stupidly paid it as someone was waiting for me and I needed to leave. They've lost my business and I do NOT recommend them. read more

I've been going to Carlos for well over 20 years. These guys are just the best. Honest and very fair pricing wise. For instance, I hit a pothole and blew a tire. Tire Rack charges $260 for the tire; Carlos $240. Everything they do they do right. Can't say enough about them except take your car here and don't worry about it. read more

What a great place. I lost my wedding ring and had a feeling it went under my car seat. Strange i know. Took my car to the honda dealership in Bethesda and they would not help at all. I went on my neighborhood listserv and Carlos Auto Service was recommended. I went there and cannot tell you how nice Bill and the crew were. Bill promised me that if it was there he would find it. In just two hours of bringing my car in they found it. I cannot speak highly enough about the shop. In addition my husband has taken his car there with great success. read more

Great Service Bill and Dave have always been up front and honest in there diagnosis of my car issues they are a bit on the pricy side but mama always said you pay for what you get and you get friendly and honest service matched with great lasting work!! read more

Carlos Auto Service was recommended to me by another car repair business who did not work on my car make. I have taken my car in several times and am very pleased. They are courteous, reasonably priced and most importantly, they are good mechanics. They quickly diagnose the problem, explain it to you in detail, give you a repair estimate, and finish the job on time. I recommend them highly. read more

My friend took her car to Carlos because the oil was dripping from the oil pan area, and they said they fixed it. Then she took the car back due to the leaking, and they analyzed it and said it needs a new oil pan because the drain plug threads are stripped. She paid for a new oil pan and filter and labor. Two months later the drip is back, and she takes the car back to Bill the Manager and said they will seal it. When we went to pick up the car, he was prepared to charge her for the oil change that we never authorized, and would never have had the car in the garage if the job had been done right the first time. You would think after three times in the shop with the same leaking of oil, someone could correct the problem, and not have the gull to ask the customer to pay for an oil change since it never required an oil change at this time. We have lost faith in the good faith and competence of Carlos Automotive, and I have recommended this business to friends and family for more than 40 years, but this episode was the straw that broke the camels back. read more

I have a 98 Ford F150. I first stopped in here for an emergency problem, my battery light was on. They immediately came out and tested the battery and discovered the alternator was bad. They replaced it and I picked up the truck first thing the next morning. A few months later I was having problems with my brakes and brought my truck back in. Bill called me after they looked at it, bad news, I needed most of my brake system replaced. I stopped by that evening and Bill went over they whole system with me and explained the problems. I agreed with his asessment and had them complete the work. I stopped by during the day to see how things were going. The work area around my truck was neat, clean and well organized. The man working on my truck clearly explained to me what he was doing. The work was completed in a timely manner. I was given an estimate up front, the final bill was within this estimate, no surprises. To sum it up. I would recomend this company to anyone who is looking for a reliable auto repair facility. read more