I took my car to Destin Auto Center (DAC) for a simple repair--a broken gear shift cable clip, an issue I've had before. Three years ago, the same repair cost me about $250 total. This time, DAC charged over $650--and the experience felt dishonest and exploitative. When my car was towed in, I told the manager exactly what was wrong. Later, they texted me a link to a quote for $325. I called my husband, and we agreed to proceed with DAC rather than tow it to our regular mechanic in Fort Walton Beach. Unfortunately, I didn't screenshot the quote--big mistake. The link didn't allow me to approve it, so I called the manager and told him to fix the car, though I now realize I should have confirmed the exact amount out loud. When I arrived to pick up my car, the bill was $656. I was stunned. 1. They charged a steep diagnostic fee on top of the hourly mechanic fee--even though I had already told them what was wrong. This was never mentioned in the quote or during drop-off. 2. The part, which costs ~$75 was marked up to $196--more than 2.5 times the retail price. I called three local auto parts stores and found the same part for $70-$80. 3. When I raised concerns, the manager insisted it was all in my "quote," but the link they originally sent now showed a "page unavailable" error. He repeatedly mentioned our call was recorded, which didn't matter as I know I agreed to fix the car on the call but the price was never mentioned. He was aggressive and dismissive throughout our conversation. To test their pricing, my husband stopped by a few weeks later and asked for a ballpark estimate for the same repair. They quoted him $400...$250 less than what they charged me. A quote from our regular mechanic would've fixed it for $275. I would never recommend DAC--especially to women. I fully believe I was taken advantage of based on the inflated price and how differently my husband was treated. If you do go there, get a second quote, screenshot everything they send, and be prepared to advocate for yourself. My experience left me feeling deceived and overcharged for a basic repair. read more

Josh assisted me today with a situation I had with my daughter's car. He was honest and straightforward with the condition of the car. we as consumers put our trust and faith in the hands of repair shops and hope we get honest feedback. I received very honest feedback. The quality of service and humanity I received was unparalleled. I will be using their services with our other cars because I know I will get honest, quality work. I highly recommend them. read more

We are 1000 miles from home and my sons check engine light came on. I called in the morning and Chase got us right in. 24 hours later my car was fixed and ready to go. We got to enjoy the rest of our vacation. I would definitely recommend this place read more

Good customer service and done in a timely matter highly recommend will be coming back in the future if I have any problems with my cars shoutout chase great guy read more

Horrible! Do not go here for anything. They put a huge dent in my car trunk. They conveniently had my car backed into a spot when I came to pick it up by the time I got home and saw the dent in my car it was too late. The exact response took 10 days and me calling three times, they said there is no way that it could've been them and it is even more absurd that it happened on their property. They refused to send me the pictures that the tow truck driver took of my car that showed no dent before it went into the shop.I could go. Now it's going to attorneys and the insurance company. read more

Destin Auto Center - They have pictures they refuse to show me from the tow truck driver. - Tires Near Me - Destin, Florida

Had my car towed there for repairs Thursday afternoon. I called Friday afternoon to check on the car. The guy that answered the phone told me they had not been able to look at it yet. Monday being MLK day I ask if they were open and he said yes. I call Tuesday late afternoon and was put on hold for over 5 minutes, so I call back the guy answered the phone and just went off the rails yelling at me. If I had an information I would call you! I am not taking a mechanic off a job to look at your car. I kept trying to tell him all I wanted to know was when they might be able to look at it. He kept talking over me so I don't know if he heard a word I said. He just kept yell you not in que. Finally he tells me you can't talk to me like this your car will be out front! Take it somewhere else. About 10 minutes later a lad from Destin Auto called I explained what happened she said she would talk to her manager. I ask If the manager would call me. 5 minutes later I get a text message saying the manager was boarding a plane and would probably call me the next day. Well 3 days later no call. Had my car towed to another place. I WOULD NEVER EVER RECOMMEND THIS PLACE TO ANYONE. read more

We were on vacation and all the oil in our car leaked out. We were referred to this shop, they were so friendly, and quickly identified and repaired our problem. The customer service was great and were we in and out in less than an hour. They even cleaned all the oil off the bottom of the car. read more

We were on vacation, over 1,500 miles from home having severe issues with our RV. We called Destin Auto and Chase and team were able to get us in immediately as we were leaving to get back up north. They were extremely helpful and polite even stayed late to get us back on the road safely. We are thankful they were able to help and we highly recommend. Thank you! read more

$750 to change a battery? I think not! We had called AAA to tow my daughters car and the driver insisted we tow it to his shop. We obliged and got this as an estimate! We didn't just jump off the turnip truck! read more

I wish I could give no stars! My vehicle has been to them 4 times now. Every time they tell me they fixed the problem but this time I didn't even make it home. I hade to have it towed to them, for a problem they didn't fix right the first time, and they won't reimburse me for the tow fee. Now my car is broke down on 98 and I have to pay for a tow again. This place is definitely crooked and now it's time to get lawyers involved! read more

While on vacation, had an issue with our vehicle, Called to see if they could look at issue. Chase said bring it in and will take a look. Was shocked being a Friday at 4PM and they were closing at 5. Arrived and Chase was eager to help, he checked the issue with the assistance of Jay the repaired the problem in a very timely manner. I highly recommend them to everyone. Thank you Chase and Ray. You guys are truly Gentleman. read more

Destin Auto Center - Had a problem with the hood release. Repaired Ty - Tires Near Me - Destin, Florida

Took my Cadillac in because it was making a weird noise in the rear. They couldn't replicate it on the rack and basically guessed at what it could be. Replaced the transfer case for $3700, and that did absolutely nothing. My son in law hooked it up to a code diagnosis machine, and the code suggested something totally different and cheaper! read more

RUN RUN RUN AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE. Read all the REAL 1-star yelp reviews about this RIP-OFF place. Terrible experience for my young daughter. Their affiliated AAA tow guy shagged the car to them instead of the dealer. Wanted $750 to change a battery. Then held car hostage for $181 to diagnose a bad battery. We had it towed away again to a reputable shop and the total repair including resetting computer was $280 TOTAL. They smile and screw you. Shop and staff have a terrible reputation in automotive circles in Destin. Ask around first. RUN!!! read more

Was in town briefly & needed a suspicious noise on a foreign car investigated ASAP. Chase & his team performed the diagnostic on time as promised. The part was ordered & car was surprisingly ready the following day. Chase could have taken advantage of out-of-towners, but rather Chased treated this woman with respect and dignity, taking the time to explain the issues when necessary and knowing exactly when to stop... AND kept us rolling asap. Thank you for getting us back on the road! read more

I cannot say enough good things about this Auto Center. Over spring break, we had some issues driving over 1,000 miles to Destin. Chason was so kind and accommodating. He made sure we knew if we needed anything else while in town he would get us in, he made sure I was satisfied and put my mind at ease about making the long drive home. If you are looking for a smart, honest repair shop...this is your place! read more

First day on vacation and our car wouldn't start. After attempting to jump it and replace the battery I was desperately searching for someone that offered both towing and mechanical service. I read a few reviews and called them up. They are AAA approved and came and towed the car within 30 minutes. Ours ended up being a miscommunication issue so it did take a few days to figure out the wires. But, in the end I highly recommend them. It's hard being out of town and not knowing, but I would call them again. read more

Destin Auto Center - The vehicle being towed out of a parking garage. - Tires Near Me - Destin, Florida

I was visiting from out of town. Our car wouldn't start. I had it towed to Destin Auto Center. They said my alternator was bad and quoted over $1400 to replace it and the battery. I called around to three other places including the dealership who all said it would be $800 for the job. Ultimately I paid to tow my car to another garage who tested the alternator and said it was fine. I wasn't upset until the alternator was tested at the second garage and it was fine. read more

My 2007 Odyssey broke down while visiting our vacation property in Destin, had it towed to Destin auto Center at 6 PM on a Thursday evening and picked it up Friday at 11 AM, they only charged me for the part needed and I was very happy with the service and time frame, I will definitely use them again anytime I need service or repair and I recommend them to others! George Lukasik read more

CROOKS!! Don't know how these people sleep at night. My 19 year old daughter went to daughter went to Destin for vacation When her car started acting up. It started miss firing. Not knowing anything about cars and Worried she wouldn't make it back home to Cincinnati she took it to Destin Auto Center to get fixed. They were able to fix it in a day but over charged her $1647.82. For example they said she needs a compression test and charged her $187 for it. In order to do the compression test you need to remove the spark plugs. So they charged her for 4 new spark plugs at $109 and another $125 to remove and replace the spark plugs. They charged $125 for a vehicle inspection which she didn't need. They charged her $600 for four new ignition coils. Not all of the coils were bad if any at all. They charged $100 for labor to change her oil. And then there were your normal charges like. environmental charge $35, fuel injector cleaner $125, and shop supplies $100. I Don't recommend this place especially people vacationing. They might be able to get your car fixed but you're going to pay I have a lot for it. read more

I was charged over $200 for a easy diagnosis of my car The estimate was over $4;500 for the repair. Their towing services were good read more

As a local I've been here a couple of times. They have a great location and staff. They are just expensive.

Please please please read this review before you decide to take your vehicle to the shop. My only goal after my horrible experience is to help someone else not make the same mistake I did. I was caught on the side of the road and my car broke down and I thought it was the clutch that went out after hitting something on the road. I had the car towed by Auto works which is affiliated with Dustin auto center because that's where AAA recommended. That part was not too bad as they arrived pretty quickly, everything else from that point on was a complete disaster and completely unprofessional. I was told when the car was towed I would have an estimate the next day from Dustin auto center. After 4 to 5 calls spread out over 2 weeks and promises from the owner that they would call me back, I still had no return call or communication. I had informed the owner that I was in a rental car and every time I called it was an excuse from him and I was told it would be "a day or two." Three weeks went by renting a rental car and the owner Just got around to looking at the vehicle. The owner called me back with a quote for over $1800 to replace a clutch in a jeep wrangler. I thought that was high but I didn't have time to shop around so I told him to go ahead and do it. A week later he calls me back and tells me I am going to need a new engine because the transmission wasn't mounted to the engine correctly (Quoted 8000 dollars for an engine with 80k miles on it). I don't know if the engine was already broken or if they had broken the mounts off at the shop when removing the transmission to replace the clutch, but I am more upset with the length of time that the owner took to look at my vehicle. After promising me he would look at it sooner I believe the owner did everything he could to not have it covered by insurance and I ended up having to get my car towed back to my house and I am out over $1200 without any fix to my car. It was returned in worse shape than what it was left at his shop. The transmission is separated from the engine, the axles are apart and hanging, and the gearshift is laying in my floorboard. Please don't do business with this person, he is not honest, and possibly cost me over $10,000 in damages. Please don't let it happen to you. read more

Best service we have ever received from an auto repair shop. Unexpected power surge in the vehicle during a storm fried the battery, alternator and a whole bunch of wires. Could not start the car, no lights, no locks, nothing. Destin Auto Body had us back on the road in less than 24 hours. Chase worked around the clock helping us. We recommend their services for anyone. read more

Do not support this business!!!! I was visiting family in Destin from Miami and the service light went on in my car. I dropped it off here and David said that I needed to replace my purge valve. He estimated over $800 for service and parts and instructed me to leave it at the shop for the three days it was going to take for the part to arrive. I called a few other places to get the same estimate and was quoted almost $400 less. I picked up my car the next day to take to a different shop and David made me pay for the part that hadn't arrived. When I took it to the other shop, they did a diagnostic and there was nothing wrong with the car, it was a computer glitch. I drove 600 miles back to Miami and the service light never came back on and it ran perfectly. When I returned home I took my car to yet another shop and they told me that I was scammed. My car is fine. With everything that is going on in the world right now, it's sad that a business would operate this way. read more

Guy there tried to charge me $500 for a simple rotor and break pad job. Only because my trick had Texas plates. They tried to justify it buy saying parts are special order. read more

Wish I could give 0 stars. I was visiting Destin when my car wouldn't accelerate correctly, they tried charging me $1000 for something my local mechanic did for free in 5 minutes (but I gave a good tip). Go somewhere else, especially if you are a woman. read more

Chase is amazing! I was visiting Destin with my very sick daughter when my car died in the middle of driving. There was no electricity to anything. My car was towed to Destin Auto Center within the hour. I assumed it was the alternator. It wasn't. It was my wiring harness. Because my daughter takes many anti-rejection medications and began to feel unwell, I started to panic thinking I was going to be stuck in Destin (I love Destin, it's beautiful) I mean stuck six hours away from my daughter's doctors and home. Chase went above and beyond. He had my car for less than 24 hours until the service was complete and I was able t pick up my car. I even had him do the brakes and diagnose a different issue while he had it. Thank you Chase for being such a sweetheart to work with. You're an absolute doll! If my car ever breaks down again, I hope it breaks down in Destin, FL! read more

I found this place by accident when my old jeep broke down and had to be towed. They were able to diagnose my problem, find the parts and repair my jeep within two days. Reasonably priced and they seem to care about getting the work done right. They did a few extra things while they were working on it and didn't see the need to charge me for it. I will be back the next time I need some work done. read more

Day after we arrived in Destin, which happened to be a Sunday, our MINI Cooper made a very ominous noise. We searched online for a shop that could look at the MINI problem. We called AutoCare that afternoon and left a message that we would be there first thing Monday morning. We were taken care of promptly. Chason, the service manager, and techs were amazing. Throughout the diagnostics and repair Chason kept us informed and comfortable while we waited. If your MINI needs attention, we highly recommend AutoCare in Destin. read more

Extra time extra money extra Heart ache... towed in there on a recommendation from the tow truck driver who was self reportedly associated with the garage though the garage apparently had never heard of him, we were left with a large bill due to work done that was not necessary and in fact The opposite of productive. If it weren't for my husband's mechanical skills and positive management - it took one day of his time to sit at the garage with the staff to ensure that our truck was put back together just so we could get it out of there- It would've been even more money and more time and possibly more destruction. When we realized we left our second set of keys, we were so relieved to have left that we didn't even go back for them. read more

For more than a year, this has been my top auto shop of choice. Finding anyone who can work on a European car is practically impossible on the Emerald Coast, but AutoWorks stands out as one of greatest. They're about half the price of the dealership and they're always there to help you out- and they reward loyal customers. They always need to order my parts in to fix my car, and they always get them in promptly! I always ask about price and they're always upfront about it- and the price doesn't magically skyrocket after the work is done. I do recommend that you call ahead and make an appointment for your car. I was foolish enough to bring it in without one and got turned away. But that was my fault. Again, don't go here if you have an American car or something that doesn't need specialized care, it is a little bit more expensive than average- but they special in European cars, so what do you expect. read more

The shop itself is really nice but man they charged me an arm and a leg to replace an alternator.

I went in there for a quote today. Not a great experience. The older gentleman (who may have been the owner or manager) was rude to the young lady to get her to come help me. She was very sweet and friendly. The gentleman was pushy on prices etc. and how he was talking to me made me upset. Trying to add things that "needed" to be done when they didn't. I grew up working on cars and doing my own brakes, etc. The quote ended up being almost $700. Which was ridiculous. The gentleman was not very friendly. I will not be taking my car there. read more

on vacation, car died, had it towed here. David called and said fuel pump shorted and burned wires. quote of $1100 for pump and burnt harness replacement, after work finished, almost $1500. asked for old parts. said were discarded. half way home, died again. towed to a mechanic i trust. fuel pump was broken when they put it in. he replaced pump FOR A 1/3 OF THE COST, said couldnt find where harness replaced or repaired. called David, never could tell me which harness, eventually said not replace but repaired. my mechanic could not find anything to the such, called David again, started spewing lies about reprogramming this and that, and "it was really hot that day", and "I wouldnt cheat you, I'm a church going man". REALLY? Eventually agreed to send back some of my money. In short, scammed an out of towner. TOW YOUR VEHICLE SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!!! Update: called David again today, went to dealer for complete scan because having wiring trouble, multiple error codes due to probable wiring problem. Ask David to tell me where harness work was done because may be possible cause of problems. "The mechanic that did your work has been real sick and i dont know how to get in touch with him" HOW CAN I GIVE (- STARS)? read more

Great service and awesome customer service. I will always use Auto Works of Destin when servicing my vehicles. The service was top notch and very speedy when working on my vehicle, I strongly recommend them to anyone. read more

I went to Auto Works today for the first time and am so excited to have a new place to take my car. David was a tremendous help in assessing the issue/problem and having the guys take care of it. They were friendly, reasonable, and efficient. I have had a tough time finding a good car shop in this area and am so relieved to know that they are here and ready to help! I will come back for any future car problems and highly reccommend them to friends and family. Thank you David and the Auto Works team!! read more

Horrible. Was on vacation and car wouldn't start. Had to be towed. They said it would be addressed quickly but I had to continue to call and check on it. After 3 days, said they couldn't fix it but charged me about $200 to do nothing! Stay away. read more

I would avoid this garage at all costs. Charged us over $1000 to not repair our truck. No estimate, no updates, no communication. If their tow truck driver tells you they can fix your vehicle? Do not believe him. We were promised our truck would be repaired in 4 hours. 4 weeks and $1000 later and now having to pay extra to have truck towed to a real garage to have it repaired. If I were an employee there, I'd be ashamed of my business to treat people like they do read more

Had these guys replace suspension on my bus, they did a great job. It's very hard to find a shop in Destin that works on heavy duty vehicles... Destin Auto does, and does a great job! read more

Beware Never let this firm get their hands on your vehicle. My car would not start and AAA had my car towed to their garage. Never contacted me after towing it. When tow truck picked up the car employee claimed it to be an AAA approved facility. In order to get my car released I had to pay a diagnostic fee of 98.98 and an additional 185.00 for a battery for a total of 283.93. All this just for a battery. Terrible attitude from employees, if I wanted my car pay the bill. Not a AAA garage. Additional note AAA has done nothing to help me get any money back. read more