Great shop. I'm from Michigan and hit a rock driving around the national park. Dillsboro Automotive made time in their busy schedule to see me right away and got me back on the road in record time. They communicate promptly by text, keep you updated, and they even gave me a courtesy lift back to my hotel. Good, honest, hardworking people - I didn't expect this kind of service as an out-of-towner and I'm really grateful for it. Thank you!! read more

This is the fourth time to Dillsboro Automotive in an effort to bring my previously neglected 2005 Toyota Tacoma "up to speed". Each and every time they are good to their word as far as meeting the previously identified estimate for the work proposed. Started off with an oil change and has steadily increased in scope and complexity. I have looked at other providers for the same work and while their estimates might be a bit less, I rather pay for know quality and good customer service. I plan on knocking off several more items off the list before we get into the winter. read more

Very professional with outstanding service. I brought my car in for a ignition replacement. It was suggested there were other concerns that were brought to my attention. I'm very happy with the service that had to be done. If you are hesitant to where to go for automotive maintenance, you'll be happy as I was doing business with DILLSBORO AUTO REPAIR. read more

I highly recommend this place. Very professional. Great service and they don't overcharge me. As a woman, it's the first automotive shop, in my life, that I don't feel uncomfortable. They always treat you respectfully and I don't feel that they are out to overstretch what I really need. read more

If your kids are going to college here, don't let them take their vehicles here. Although it sounds like some locals also have had issues with overcharging from this place. They will rip off your kids. I phoned and spoke with the owner about my daughter's vehicle a week ago. The codes were pointing to likely bad coil or spark plug. This is a $30-$90 part from Napa, which is where the owner told me they typically get their parts (I think he said AutoZone also). He went on and on about how they warranty it for 3 years if they provide the part (I had asked if we could order some OEM grade spark plugs/coils to have installed). He told me the rates they typically charge and if the work takes half an hour, they'll charge you half of that. The rates were around $100/hr, $130/hr, and I think $150/hr. I phoned the morning it was taken in and spoke with Josh. I had complied a list of the codes and the likely cause. He had the list and commented, "those cars can be finicky." It's a Mini Cooper. The most common cause for those codes is bad spark plugs or coils, which I had also discussed with the owner. He told me he'd call me after they looked it over. I thought he had my phone number from my daughter, but apparently he didn't. He called her, and she told him to do it. She said he told her "he had to order the part," so I was hopeful we could stop it in time. They charged her $497 to replace 1 ignition coil. It takes 15-20 minutes at the most to replace one of those. I CALLED 10 MINUTES AFTER HE TOLD HER HE HAD TO ORDER IT. I told the other repair guy we not want them doing the work at $474. The other service repair guy told me, "I think he's already done the work." I told him, "He just told her he had to order the part." This repair guy said he'd have Josh call me. He never did (waited a couple hours). Checked with my daughter. "I picked it up." "He charged me for 1 coil." The car was scheduled to go in at 1 pm. I spoke with the second repair guy at 3:50. They phoned my daughter at 3:15 to tell her what the issue was and how much it would cost. She gave them the okay but then tried to call them back, but it didn't matter because they fixed it by 3:25. She received a text that it was ready at 3:25-10 minutes to swap out the coil. The work was done like I figured in 15-20 minutes. It would have cost us this much to have it towed near Asheville to have a Mini repair shop do it. Of course they told her it was a Mini Cooper and harder to work on. The spark plugs and coils are not hard to replace on a Mini Cooper-as evidenced by the 10 minute repair time. It's really no different than my Honda Pilot spark plugs and coils. "Mini Cooper Countryman Ignition Coil Replacement Cost The average cost for a Mini Cooper Countryman ignition coil replacement is between $156 and $222. Labor costs are estimated between $91 and $115 while parts are priced between $65 and $107." They charged $171 to swap the coil with another one to confirm it was bad. I've done that before. Takes 3 minutes. Then they charged $280 for the part and to put the new coil in. There is a lovely extra $43 fee for something also. LIARS AND SCAMMERS. I contacted a Mini Cooper Dealer/Service shop. For OEM part, they would have charged $170 for the coil and $250 (1 hour labor). this automotive shop is not on the same level of a BMW/Mini Cooper repair shop. UPDATE 2/6/23: Josh agreed to reduce the invoice which I appreciated. However, I still feel like it's higher than it should be. I think future customers should know about the $171 extra charge for diagnosing the issue (whether it takes 10 minutes or an hour as I was informed--including just running an OBDC scan). It's just a flat extra fee on your bill. The $43 is for shop supplies. Maybe people in that area are okay with that big diagnostic fee, but where I'm from, that isn't okay. I therefore do not feel comfortable removing my original post, but I will give them a nod for reducing the invoice by $150. read more

Dillsboro Automotive - Auto Repair Near Me - Sylva, North Carolina

Do yourselves a favor and head caution, because we didn't. They may be "good" at what they do, but they do not have the customer service enough to complete an oil change with efficiency and milk you for every dime they can. We had our Audi serviced for a simple oil change that resulted in $400. Ok, we paid. The next day the oil was drained and all over our driveway due to a plug they replaced that came loose from the 30 miles we drove on it. They pleasantly told us they'd call a tow, we obliged being it was a result of their incapable hands. Fast forward to picking the car up, we are now getting stiffed for a tow. Mind you we have AAA and free tows through our car insurance through USAA. Josh has decided to keep our car hostage and has escalated the situation and even had the audacity to complain he came in on his day off for this tow. Well, sir, we all have lives, and had you done your job THE FIRST TIME this entire situation would have been avoided. You and whomever dropped the ball under the hood should be embarrassed. This is not how you run a business. Forcing your clients hand to pay $241 for a tow they never should have had to pay for is repulsive. Rest assured this will be escalated to the Automotive BBB. read more

These guys are lifesavers. They were able to help me out with a same day appointment when I was having trouble with my car. You really can't afford to be without transport in this area since there's no buses or public transit. Anyway they were able to help with my issue and also pointed out some other things I needed done --I knew from my old mechanic that there were problems I would need to fix right around now, and some of the other stuff I had already noticed so I knew they weren't just trying to fleece me. Their prices are fair and they communicate well. Oh, and on top of that they gave me a loaner car to borrow overnight at no extra charge. You can't ask for more than that. Great service! read more

I think Dillsboro loves to up charge people like nuts and I found that they wanted to charge me $900 for my brakes. That's crazy to think that I went there thinking they're a really good quality place and honest but really they are shysters. I mean they wanted to charge me $3000 for my car to be fixed with everything included. I was like no and also I felt like I was more like a use book. I understand the business but to charge people for crazy amount of dollars to fix a car especially something that's like like a 2010 Ford focus SE. There are other places in town that you can go to much cheaper. I just think that they are just trying to make a good buck off of you and that's I learned from moving into cullowhee it kinda made me feel like I need to find them a good mechanic, but doing my homework and I went there again I was like this is crazy. I was like I'll go fix my brakes somewhere else. I'll go fix my car somewhere else. read more

Jason and Amber were great and formative in creating my great experience! I had a medical emergency and ended up going across the grass median of a divided highway and into the side of a steep hill. It was my first car accident, but Amber was great in helping me through the process and keeping me from freaking out and walked me through what to expect with insurance and the process at Dillsboro Automotive. When they look over your car, they send a detailed report including pictures, estimates (including labor and tax), and the ability to approve and deny certain things. Their communication was great, and their prices fair for the great work they did. It was about three weeks from my car getting dropped off until I got it back, but that was entirely my fault as I didn't have an appointment and they got me in at first availability. They accidentally messed up one of my tires while putting them on, but were able to get another one the next day. They are very considerate of your budget and didn't do anything to my car I didn't know about or approve. Overall, I couldn't recommend them enough, as is obvious by their sea of five-star reviews. read more

Kept our vehicle for weeks employees had not communicated and it cost us 100.00's of dollars all they offered was an apology, not good enough. To make things worse when I got my vehicle back things were not working that had been but if I give them more money they could fix the problems. Yeah right! read more

Helpful, direct, and reasonably priced. I was very pleasantly surprised to be offered a loaner while they worked on my vehicle. I would definitely recommend them without reservation if you're in the area and need service. read more

I was fortunate enough to find Dillsboro Automotive about a year ago. I've taken vehicles there a few times, and Darren and his crew always do great work at an affordable price. Most recently (Feb. 2016), I had a vehicle towed in that had not ran in almost 3 years. After replacing the fuel pump (myself) and still no crank, I had all but given up on it. They traced it down, determined it was a faulty connection in the fuse box and replaced it. Now she runs like a dream again. If you're looking for a dependable and knowledgeable mechanic with integrity, look no further. These guys are top-notch! Highly recommend them for all your service needs. read more

Very satisfied with the service. They took the time to correctly diagnose my vehicle's problem. I highly recommend them!

Visiting from out of state. My Honda was making a scraping sound like a train going by at low speed. Pulled into Dillsboro Automotive and the owner took it for a spin, put it up on the rack, and pulled out a small piece of gravel that was lodged up in the wheel somewhere. Didn't charge me anything. So helpful and honest. Spread the word!! read more

Being on vacation with a car that breaks is not fun! But my faith in people is renewed after talking with Rita and the team at Dillsboro Auto. They got my car in, priced it fairly and didn't mess around! Car was ready in the am and I was on my way! If you are ever in the sylva/dillsboro NC area and need car help, call here first!! read more

Darren and the guys are our "go to" mechanics. They pretty much know their gas and diesel vehicles. Just got my diesel Jeep back from them today and they will not rip you off on prices. They really treat their customers with utmost respect. I very highly recommend them! read more

My daughter is a student at WCU and had car issues while at school. Dillsboro Automotive lied to me about what the issues were with the vehicle.They balanced and rotated brand new tires and then called me back to tell me that more repairs were needed to the tune of $367.00 After declining the repairs and speaking with my mechanic, I called back and questioned why they would balance & rotate brand new tires and why didn't they find the suspension issue until after they balanced and rotated brand new tires. They refunded my $ for the balance and rotation that was not needed. I feel like I was mislead and that Dillsboro Automotive tried to take advantage of me & tried to overcharge me for repairs my mechanic said should only be about $200.00 if needed. I would definitely NOT recommend Dillsboro automotive. read more

Honest and fair! My subaru died on the job site after 250,000 miles. These guys recommended a tow service and tho it was a busy Friday, got us in. The fuse link was replaced quickly and the total bill was very reasonable. No overcharging for things that were unnecessary. We will probably make them our primary mechanic though we live 2 towns over. Nice, fast, honest and they got the job done correctly! read more

I found this mechanic about 4 years ago and won't take my cat anywhere else. They are honest and know what they are doing.

We use Dillsboro Automotive at our business, which has a fleet of ~15 vehicles, and for our personal vehicles.. They have proven to be honest, reliable and willing to go the extra mile when we are depending on them to get vehicles back on the road ASAP. Thank you, Dillsboro Automotive. read more

Valve cover replacement. NAPA Autocare center estimates $331-$454. The bill was $550. I was told the difference was a quart of oil, 1/2 gal. antifreeze and shop cost. Too high for me. read more

I started going to Dillsboro Automotive in 2011. It was the closest shop to my home. I can describe them as honest and respectful. We have 3 vehicles that he now maintains for us. All of his workers are reliable and trustworthy. I never have false charges on my bill. When he gives me a verbal estimate, but he finds something else causing the problem, I get a call. This is a great shop to get your vehicle fixed. read more

I had these guys look over an older VW Jetta I was planning to purchase which was located near their location. I live in Asheville and I couldn't get the car down to my normal mechanic, so I was glad to find a shop with good reviews nearby. The other reviews were on point and these guys did not disappoint. They were very thorough and in the end saved me from buying a lemon. After this experience I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them highly to a friend. Thanks for the dependable service! read more

Shop was unable to correctly diagnose a faulty water pump. Had to take my Honda to another shop to correctly diagnose and fix the problem. Inability to diagnose the problem also lead to further mechanical damage on the car. Customer service was mediocre to poor. Price was fair considering they charged the normal going rate for a diagnosis, only problem is they failed to diagnose/find the problem. I do not recommend this shop. read more