The VW dealer told me I needed new rear brakes, but the price seemed way high (pads and rotors. I called Gainesville to get a price quote, hoping to save a few bucks. They asked me to come in so they could look at it, as Atlases have a couple of versions, and they wanted to verify the setup. I came in, they pulled the wheels and told me the price (much better, 30% lower), but that I should wait 5k miles, that there was plenty of life left, and it would certainly pass inspection. No charge for the inspection. I was fully ready to do the job. I am impressed by their honesty and will return for the job in a few months. read more

Avoid if possible, nice friendly people however you go in to have something fixed and then something else breaks. Had work done on an engine that was fixed but then windshield wiper hose was disconnected. Figured it was a fluke. Brought it in to clear another error , car worked fine for a week then it started overheating. read more

I went to Gainesville Garage for an oil change because I had a $35 coupon, but the experience was extremely disappointing. First of all, they refused to give me a price over the phone. When I arrived, I found out why - the price was outrageous. The shop nearby, Piedmont, quoted me about $120, but even after applying my coupon, Gainesville Garage charged me $230. Absolutely ridiculous. They also don't show on receipt that what oil they used. They also tried to upsell unnecessary services. I know my brake pads need attention, but they claimed I needed a brake fluid change -- even though I had it done just one year ago. Clearly a tactic to inflate the bill. On top of that, they told me that European cars like Audi need an oil change every 5,000 miles, which is simply false. Audi recommends 10,000-mile intervals. This kind of misinformation is unacceptable and feels intentionally misleading. I regret not reading the reviews or knowing price before going. This shop misleads customers and overcharges. I won't be coming back. read more

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This review has been a long time coming. Ive been coming here for a while because of connivence and for certain repairs they are the only game in town. I'd really like to specify, but I don't put personal info on the internet at all. The positive- they get work done in a timely manner and they are up front about pricing... usually. They did quote me a price on an OEM item they had to order for me and the bill came back almost $100 higher for that item that i could have picked up myself. The negative- their prices are astronomical! Ive been quoted repairs at this place and ended up going to another local shop and saving sometimes over $1000. One thing that always drove me nuts about this place is their fee for "miscellaneous shop supplies". For a repair under $1000 they'll charge nearly $100 for shop supplies. I've been in service industries my entire life and $15 I understand, which is what most places will charge, but not near $100. How much can a few sprays of PB Blaster, some shop towels and maybe a couple of washers or bolts cost them? Pricing- So their online estimates show one price. After you approve the estimate the link that comes to your phone completely disappears never to be seen again. My last visit was estimated at one price and the actual bill when received was $500 more. Understood, this is an estimate, but if there are further repairs necessitating more funding, especially that much, should be authorized by the customer. In my case, there was no further repairs, the bill just completely changed. Sabotage- I brought something in for one repair and something else comes out needing repair. No way in hell they're ever touching my stuff again! I'd really like to give specifics, but I can't. Dishonest- Part of one of my repairs was redoing a previous repair that they were charging me for again. What they don't know is, despite appearing to be older and wealthy is I used to be a mechanic, but im too old, too tired and too busy to do this kind of work myself anymore. I went under my vehicle to physically see the repair just to find out they didn't even do it. My other major gripe is that Ive gone here for inspections a few times and they love to fail you for dumb stuff, which I get upselling, but making things up to purposely fail people at an inspection to make a few extra bucks is taking advantage of customers plain and simple. We rely on our cars and these people know damn well you're going to pay to get your car back on the road ASAP, but they dont check their previous records before sticking it to you. What i mean is, multiple times they've failed me on items they supposedly repaired the previous year so i end up paying a few hundred dollars for a repair more than once in a 12 month period that should have lasted 10 years plus. Why? Because they never fixed the problem to begin with. Jerry rigging something with a $.30 part, charging $300+ then calling it fixed is not a repair because they know it's going to have an issue again. Maybe they'll call it planned obsolescence, but a half donkey fix is just ripping you off. Im officially done with this place though. At this point I'll drive out of my way for the specialty repairs i was still going to them for. Im hot right now! I don't like leaving negative reviews though in this case this is probably the most important review I've ever left at any business ever. Im hoping this is will others to stay the heck away from here. read more

All the negative reviews are correct, a few years ago I was threatened to take down a bad review at the shop. They towed my car there from right down the street and wanted to charge me over $400 for a tow. I ended up making a deal and just selling the car because they were trying to charge me 2k for work done to the car. Which after the car was sold, I forgot to get my plates off the car. Then after that started getting stuff in the mail because my plates were on a white Audi and getting tolls ran up on it. These are your typical scum mechanics stay away. Btw I forgot to put tbh review back up a long time ago I apologize to anyone that this could have prevented from going there read more

This is the worst service and treatment I've ever recieved at a car shop, which as a young woman, is saying a lot. I brought my BMW in for a diagnostic (which i was told would be free over the phone, should've got it in writing but hey). I knew a few specific things were wrong with my car and just needed confirmation. They did the diagnostic, told me that they *could* fix my car, but it would cost over $7000 and they don't really feel like it. So i said, 'I don't mind the price, can you just fix it?', to which they basically responded that they could but they won't because they don't want to I thought fine, I'll just pay $300 to tow my car to another shop that's actually worth their salt, after already having paid $300 to tow it to Gainesville garage in the first place. And THEN they had the nerve to tell me it would be $200 for the diagnostic! I actually thought it was a joke. You tell me the diagnostic is free, I bring my car in, you tell me you could fix it but won't because you don't want to, and then you want to charge ME to keep my car for two weeks and then tell me you COULD do your job but won't? Absolutely ridiculous. And I haven't even touched on the attached image. That's a screenshot of someone at this shop texting me through the shops official line. As you can see, at first it's normal texts, and then after they ask me to get my car, and I say I will, they message me a day later with an all caps text. Extremely off-putting, nasty, and unprofessional behavior to display towards a customer. I called immediately after receiving this text to ask which employee texted me in all caps and the front desk lady that wears a ton of eyeliner LIED and said "our system does that automatically". Clearly not, when I have several examples of cordial, professional texts above it. Just so foul on so many levels. Oh, and I had left two nice bottles of wine sealed in wine gift bags in the back of my car when I dropped it off, and when I picked it up, they were gone. They were wines that I brought back as gifts from international travel, so couldn't even just go and replace them. So yeah, this is a shop of liars, scammers, and thieves. In that order. And their prices are insane, a much better mechanic all the way in ARLINGTON fixed everything that this shop quoted me and MORE, and I paid $5500 in totality, a full $1500 less than what I was quoted here, and again that's in Arlington where they pay 3-5x more in monthly rent for the shop. Do yourself a favor and don't bring your car here. I trust the high schoolers at jiffy lube more. read more

Gainesville Garage - An employee being extremely rude and aggressive over text, unprompted. - Auto Repair Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

I wanted to share my personal experience from earlier this week at one of our locally owned car repair businesses, Gainesville Garage. I had an appointment on Tuesday, January 21, for three specific issues: 1. I requested an oil change and replacement of the oil filter. 2. I asked them to check the tire sensor light, which had been on despite the tires being fully inflated. 3. I needed them to inspect the front passenger tire for a leak, which started long after the tire sensor light had first appeared. They examined the car and attempted to call my father, whose name is on the account. Since he was at work and couldn't answer, they contacted my mother as the next point of contact. During the call, they informed her that I needed four new tires, as one had a hole that couldn't be patched. Additionally, they claimed my windshield wipers were "torn up" and needed replacement. My mother declined the wiper replacement, but the employee pressed her, offering to do the installation for free. She declined again, but after continued insistence, she reluctantly agreed. When I went to pick up the car, I reviewed the service invoice and noticed that only the front wipers had been replaced, despite a note indicating that the rear wiper was falling apart, which was true. The issue? My boyfriend had replaced my front wipers less than four months ago, so we knew they were in good condition. We requested the original wipers back. In Virginia, if a shop performs work on your vehicle, you have the right to ask for the replaced parts, and they are required to return them. When we made this request, the owner insisted the wipers were "torn up" and had already been thrown in the trash. We insisted on getting them back regardless. He was incredibly rude but eventually retrieved them from the trash. Upon inspection, we confirmed that the wipers were not torn up at all. I have included pictures of the so-called "torn up" wipers below. We requested a refund for the unnecessary wiper replacement, but the owner refused. To make matters worse, later that day, the tire sensor light and oil light came back on. I informed my father about the issues, and he contacted the shop the following morning (Wednesday) to speak with the manager or owner in hopes of resolving the situation. The owner, Ed, refused to reimburse us for the unnecessary wipers and claimed they had done nothing wrong. The wipers they installed also still had a hard plastic protector on the passenger side wiper, that would have scratched the windshield had I turned them on at all. He also admitted that they hadn't checked the spare tire sensor, meaning the tire sensor issue was not fully addressed. My father has been a customer of Gainesville Garage for almost four years, and this type of customer service is unacceptable. This is a warning based on my personal experience at this shop to help others avoid similar frustrations. read more

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If you're looking for an honest and reasonable shop this is the place to go. Super easy to get to and when I called and made an appointment very personable. Then I got to the shop. Even better! Very down to earth and the prices are very reasonable. I did some research on the work I had done and maybe a $5+ difference if I did it myself. They were also quick with the service. Everything was done via text or email for approval. Which is super convenient. Give them a shot you won't be disappointed. read more

Negative stars! I should've believed the bad reviews. I assumed they were from a few terrible people that just complain about everything. But they were right. Took my Jeep to get a check engine light looked at and the heater fixed. Everything started out great. Very responsive, applied a discount, and seemed to know what they were doing. The estimate was high, but I like to support local businesses. There were a bunch of things on the estimate that weren't needed like my battery, which they confirmed was unnecessary. Good thing I know what my car actually needs, or I would've spent too much money. But hey, a business needs to make money I figured. They said they found a broken thermostat and another heater issue. We agreed to replace the thermostat first to see if that fixed the heat. It was actually my plan, they wanted to just move forward with fixing both issues (about $600 each issue). But they did agree that it was smart to do one thing at a time. So they replaced the thermostat and told me on the phone that the heat was fixed and I could pay and pick the car up. That's what I did, but not more than five minutes distance from the garage, my car sputtered, stalled, and died. Stranded on the side of the road. Car wouldn't start. When it finally did start it sputtered for 30 seconds then died again. Had to get it towed back to the garage. 1.5 hours stranded on a hot day. Shop was closed. Spoke to them the next morning and the first thing they did was get defensive and say it wasn't the new thermostat. I spoke to a Jeep specialist, which I should've gone to in the first place. They said there was undoubtedly air in the coolant system because when the thermostat was replaced, it wasn't bled correctly. I discussed this with the shop, they remained very defensive, but agreed to talk to the tech about it. It was very unpleasant. No apology for my inconvenience or even just to acknowledge that it sucked to have to get it towed back so quickly after picking it up. They supposedly test drove it eight times that day. Said nothing was wrong and I could come pick it up. Jeep seems fine now. I was told by the Jeep specialist that either something was fixed and they didn't want to admit to it, or the air bubbles worked themselves out with time and during all the test drives. The crazy thing is how argumentative they were. I asked why they would tell me that the heat was fixed. They said they never told me it was fixed. I said well if it wasn't fixed, why would they tell me to pick up the car and pay because the plan was to fix the second item that they found if the thermostat replacement didn't work. They said that I told the owner I didn't want to stick to that plan anymore. What?! Why would I waste my time bringing a car home that wasn't fixed, when we had a plan of what to do to get it fixed. They also asked me who the tow company was. I asked why they needed to know. They said "it's a basic question. Why can't you answer it?" I said because you're implying that my story of getting towed back to you and what happened to the car is not truthful. They said the reason they're asking is because sometimes tow truck drivers like to discuss the cars they tow with the shop they towed it to. That's ridiculous, they obviously wanted to check my story. The whole situation was extremely argumentative. They should have just simply been sympathetic to the situation, apologized for the inconvenience, and known how to do their jobs which is knowing about air bubbles in the coolant system. So buyer beware: I would never return to this shop. BTW, I asked the owner to call me back to discuss. I just wanted to let him know that I would've been a perfectly happy customer if the situation was dealt with with understanding instead of defensiveness. Cuz I know ppl try their best and sometimes stuff happens. That's good Customer Service. But of course he never called me back. I just received multiple requests to review them. Lol. Oh! When I was initially feeling them out, I asked about the negative reviews. Front desk laughed and said they ignore those! read more

I've been going to GG for quite some time, somewhere around a decade, give or take a couple years. They've not once led me down a path that wasn't beneficial for me. They've always been straight shooters with reasonable prices. The work they do is outstanding, and they stand by their work. 100% recommend, and I will continue to patronize this business until I move out of the area. read more

Outstanding work, fast, courteous people and honest. My wife I will not go anywhere else after finding these special folks. We highly recommend Gainesville Garage for all you auto needs, old cars and newer cars! read more

My daughter has a Jeep it has had many problems since we purchased it new in 2016. We have been to 2 local dealerships in the past, all bad experiences unfortunately. We are very pleased with the repair and service that was preformed on the Jeep recently. Friendly and knowledgeable staff! We are very happy and plan to continue to go to Gainesville Garage in the future. Would recommend. read more

Honest and timely service. I've taken different vehicles to Gainesville Garage and have always been treated fairly and received excellent service at competitive rates. read more

I called today to see if they were super busy with inspections & of course they were bc my fault waiting 2 days before the end of the month AND the short week due to New Years. The gentleman who answered the phone was SO polite and even mentioned another place I could go to that might not be as busy. Although i didn't go here i definitely will in the future Bc of the amazing customer service from this phone call! Wish i had gotten his name. Great customer service!!!! read more

Recently my family mechanic we had for years retired. He tried to help locate options but no luck. Prior to taking my vehicle to Ed I spoke with him telling him of my situation. I was impressed that Ed, first of all, took my call and actually took a lot of time out of his busy day to hear my story. He truly gave me an opportunity to get to know him and his shop. I figured if he was willing to take the time to speak with me then I felt comfortable taking my vehicle to him. Great service, courteous and just simply friendly. It was nice to know you can go someplace and not worry about being handed 10 pages of stuff, that dealers do, claiming of everything else that may be wrong with your car. Thank You! read more

This place is a rip off. They charged me over $500 just for a diagnosis, brake pads and an oil change. They were slow and did not fix what I came there for. They were estimating $1300 to do the above plus secure some rattling plastic, replace a valve cover and spark plugs. Outrageous prices. Never going here again read more

Fantastic service and a rare find. I know zip, zero nada about cars so I could be an easy target but I don't have to worry at all because this garage is totally honest and professional. Dave and his team have taken care of my car for about eight years and I am extremely pleased with their work and their prices. Dr. Vanessa Lindgren read more

I just had my. A.R.E truck cap install on my tundra- they did an amazing job!! It was done in the time period like they promised me... I couldn't be happier with my purchase. Working out of my truck will be so much easier now. I would recommend all to use Gainesville Garage for your truck cap needs! read more

Gainesville Garage - Auto Repair Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

I've been to Gainesville Garage several times now and each visit I've been met with exceptional customer service. My car has been running great and their prices are low but I've returned and have recommended them to friends purely based on how friendly and knowledgeable their staff is. read more

Nice people. Took care of my issue quickly and efficiently. They didn't try to sell me extra stuff or have unnecessary work done. I like them and will continue to use Gainesville garage. read more

I really like this shop ! Super honest and knowledgeable. I've recommended them to my family and to anyone else looking for a trustworthy garage. read more

Pam & Ed were on duty. These folks are great. Saved me some money, too, on a needless repair,

Finally, an auto repair shop you are not afraid of!!! Gainesville Garage gave me an honest and fair estimate on the repair to my Avalon. They were extremely friendly and nice to me each time I was either in the shop or on the phone with them. So happy to have found them and will recommend them to anyone I know in need of service/repair on their cars. Thank you Gainesville Garage. You rock! read more

"We care about your safety and will save you money and time. Our auto repair shop is your best source for quick and reliable auto repair. We offer fair prices, reliable experience, and efficient service in our state-of-the-art facility. Our shop offers state-of-the-art computer technology and friendly service. We provide a service guarantee for all of the work done with us." -Excerpted from the business website Uh...now I have nothing to add. Except that Dave (the owner) is cool as sh*t and ALWAYS helpful and polite. Yes, always both. That is all. read more

I have been to Gainesville Garage a few times now, and every time has been a good experience! Everyone is friendly and polite and I have never felt pressured to get additional work done like I have at other garages. read more

Friendly service but expensive compared to other places close by. I had a job done there and when compared to the same job done somewhere else, the final invoice was double than what I have paid somewhere else. To make sure , I went somewhere else and they looked at the invoice and were surprised at how much I was charged. Too bad because the people are friendly and the service is great. read more

My wife and I have used Gainesville garage for all of our oil changes and general maintenance done over the past 5 years. All I can say is that I'm so glad we have a local, trustworthy shop in the Gainesville area!! We love this place! They've done consistently great work for very reasonable rates and will not talk you into unnecessary repairs. We've had tires, alignments, brakes, inspections, and other work done and will continue to use their services. The staff is always very friendly and they get your vehicle done in most cases before they quoted you it would be done. Keep up the great work GG!! read more

We've found our new mechanic! After discovering my van needed a rear rotor replacement, I googled mechanics in my area, and called to see who could fit me in soonest. The first shop said they couldn't see me until the following week, and seeing as my car was essentially undrivable and I didn't want to have to pay for a rental over the weekend, I decided to call Gainesville Garage, hoping they could get me in sooner. To my surprise, they were able to fit me in same day, and within an hour of my appointment, the mechanic, who I believe is the owner, called me with an estimate. I was delighted to hear that I only needed done what I already knew about. I'm so used to mechanics tacking on a bunch of stuff that I wasn't expecting, and watching the cost skyrocket. My appointment was at 3:00, and by 5:00, my car was ready to be picked up. The price was reasonable, and the people are extremely friendly, which is important to me. We will definitely be back. read more

Superior Customer Service - Last week I took my 2009 Mazda 3 to a garage in Manassas for state inspection and it failed for front brakes. Not extremely surprising, but I decided to take it to Gainesville Garage for the brake work . I had an appt. at 8am and my vehicle was taken in immediately. After about 15 minutes in the waiting room, I was told the front brakes did not need to be replaced yet. They were not below the required size. They put a new inspection sticker on it and when I went to pay the $16 inspection fee, I was told there was no cost to me because they give new customers a coupon for $20 off on their first visit. If this garage had been dishonest they could have gone on ahead and replaced the brakes netting them a nice profit. And to top it off, my visit was free. Customer service like this is hard to find, and I highly recommend them for your automotive repair needs. read more

I have been there on several occasions and have been very pleased with the quality of work and the additional recommendations. My wife is an excellent judge of character and is not a very trusting person. She trusts them as much as she trusted her mechanic in Maryland. She gave him a blank check for her and her three sons' cars. She was a single mom on a teacher's salary. I think that says a great deal. I was a mechanic and I raced years ago. But I still know enough to not be fooled. I not only trust the knowledge and skill, but also the honesty and integrity. They have not only worked on my cars, but my trailer as well! Great work, great people. A very difficult combination to find read more

Great experience at Gainesville Garage every time. Customer service is amazing, and worth paying an extra couple of dollars to work with honest folks providing good service. They will be providing all the service on our Cadillac and Audi. read more

Seemed to have fixed my thermostat and associated problems and nice guys, but their labor charges are outrageous. $222 to replace hoses and $125 to hook it up to the computer. Total $770 in labor for only a $929 bill. Quoted me over $500 for front brakes. No way. Just got another quote via Yelp for $250! Outrageous! Shop around first. read more

Gainesville garage is awesome. They have a very personal, friendly, family feel. I'm always calling for same day oil changes and they squeeze me in if they can, but are honest with me if they don't have time. They are honest and fair and do not force unnecessary repairs. I've never had a bad experience here and we've been bringing our cars here for many years. Check them out, you won't be disappointed. read more

I am very angry with this auto garage. My Honda Odyssey had a huge death wobble going on and took it to them to see what might be causing it. They looked and said that 4 of my engine mounts were broken and that would definitely cause the van to shake at increased speed and that my brand new tires were choppy. Ok, sounds reasonable. Finally took it in and had the engine mounts replaced, my spark plugs and one of the coils, timing belt cuz it was at nearly 100,000 miles, transmission flush and fill, oil change and my oil pan needed fixed. I paid $3400...$3400!!! I asked them if they drove it and if it still had the shakes and Ed told me it was all good. Well, I took it down 66 to work and I wobbled my way into work. I was so angry. I called him and had Gene come drive it with me. He seemed perplexed and couldn't imagine what it could be. You know, for $3400 they should've made sure the damn van was fixed before its driven down the road. Ed wanted me to bring it by this past Monday to have a look and I thought, 'hell no, I'm not giving you another damn dime!" I traded it in. Shame on Gainesville Garage for such crappy work. I guess if you need an oil change they can handle it but for major work go somewhere else. read more

Provided incorrect assessment even though the issue was originally explained to them. Then, did unauthorized repair and provided an outrageous bill for it. BBB coming to c u. read more

Good work here, but I highly urge anybody to get advance written estimates. Their charges are sometimes unexplainably high. Over $400 to replace a relatively small and easily accessible battery for a four cylinder engine is insane without some rare exceptions, and there are none. I have had airplanes worked on for less money. An equivalent spec battery WITH installation at the local Advance Auto nearby (their best) would have been $169. I could easily have done this myself but have tried to support local businesses. I got tires from them in the past and also found afterwards that I could have gotten them with installation for a total of 40% less buying from Tire Rack, using a Tire Rack local installer such as Currys. A friendly place but I see little value added over a dealer, where I get even friendlier faces, boutique coffee, a loaner car and most likely, their employees get good employment benefits. But on the other hand, I could not figure out my AC a few months ago and they checked it for free and they could have charged me $150 or more (the dealer would have, for sure), so I will allow some slack on this one visit. I suggest anybody get an estimate, though, to avoid being shocked by a bill. John Ellis read more

NO for RV repair. These guys are really nice and I don't think they will rip you off. They may be great for car repair, but don't expect much if you take your RV in there. They just don't know anything. They weren't trying to sell me anything but they said I needed a new step and a new motor on my leveling system, when the actual problems were just control units. As I said they weren't trying to rip me off bc they sent me somewhere else to get the parts and repairs, but their diagnosis was completely wrong. read more

Fantastic, reliable, and prompt service. Gainesville Garage fixed my 1999 Toyota Camry engine problems in just a few hours.

Great guys. My 2012 Wrangler was making a funky sound two days before Christmas. Normally I do all my own work on my Jeep, but I was pressed for time with the holidays, so just stopped in to have them take a look. It wasn't possible to look at it that afternoon as it was pretty late in the day, but they handed me a set of keys to their loaner and made a copy of my license. That was it - no paperwork, no questions. Their loaner should be a testament to their work. It was a 2000 Toyota Camry with over 200k miles on it and it ran like a champ. They said that the serpentine belt needed to be replaced and in order to pass the VA safety inspection, they had to replace a seal on the rear axle. Again, I normally would have done the serp belt myself, but the seal was a pain and I just had them do everything. Not once did they try to upsell or tell me that they had to replace both seals. In fact, they even adjusted my emergency brake at no charge so that I would pass the inspection. Price was a little higher for the individual services, but since they didn't try to charge me for unnecessary work, the overall bill was cheaper than if I had gone to another local shop that constantly tries to sell more work than necessary. read more

Got word of this place via a flyer in my mailbox. I just happened to call up the place for a quote to get an exhaust install on my car, and Dan beat his own quote when I showed up. I brought the car in on a Friday morning and it was done in maybe two hours. Very quick, friendly service! I would definitely come here again to get my vehicles serviced. read more