I don't usually write reviews but decided to because I have experience with other mechanics to compare to !! Thomas is hands down is not your average shop owner. He is a guy who wants to help you and address every single one of your concern. The main reason why I happen to be here is because I needed a mechanic that I can trust. Heads up ! Give him time ! He does not operate a fast food restaurant ! He is a Dr of cars , and just like any other Doctor , you need to allow proffesional to understand and analyze the problem , another words must be diagnosed. I would absolutely reccomend this place to any one I know only because they actually care about you and your car if you obviously give them time to find the problem. read more

I had a great experience with Great Bear tire and auto. I found Tommy the owner to be very polite, knowledgeable and fairly priced. He Road forced balanced my tires when Acura who installed the tires couldn't on my Integra Type S and they also have a hunter road force machine. They also took great care with the vehicle. I highly recommend him and will certainly return for future repairs on my other 2 vehicles and for tire installations or issues. read more

Tommy, as the business owner and as per all the negative yelp reviews here about your biz, you should consider hiring a receptionist/front desk, as customer service doesn't seem to be your strong suit. You may be better suited as a mechanic or even start another business, but it's time to step back from the front desk or sell the business. Show a little more concern for your clients' questions; we're stupid with cars, that's why we came to you. When I asked you "The car is good, right?" You threw a tantrum.. like bro when was the last time you got a hug? You can't let a customer ask questions? Would you go to a doctor and not ask questions? How old are you, and why do you melt down when a person asks you a question? If you noticed something in my car that might need attention down the road, you aren't allowed to mention that? Instead, you come across as rigid, give me my money now and go. While I respect that approach, I'd expect it more from a big chain tire shop 2 blocks away, not from a mom-and-pop shop like yours. You said, "If it's too easy, everyone would be doing It." Well, there are four other auto shops within your block, and you should at least be grateful for being referred. But instead of appreciating that, you dismiss us as a "waste of oxygen" (which is ironic because ur industry produces so much carbon footprint). Maybe it's time for some self-reflection and an ego check. People will bring you business and money if you treat them right (why do u think barbers have loyal customers ... that's one of the rules as an entrepreneur, but u should know that since you've been in biz for over 20 years, or maybe I'm not the right demographic to be asking questions??). Being the face of the business, you are losing revenue potential from repeating customers and referrals. Remember, Woodside and Queens blvd is changing now. It may be time for you to rethink your business strategy by having a hard look at the way you treat people, especially your neighbors. Good luck! read more

The ONLY Tire & Auto shop to trust in the 5 Boroughs of New York City‼ Hands down. Ask for Tommy

I went in for an inspection. I left the car and received a text about 40 minutes later telling me that #1) One of my parking lights was out and #2) my fan belt needed replacing. He asked if I wanted an estimate. I asked for just an estimate for the fan belt as I didn't understand as there is only one belt in my car- the serpentine belt. I can replace the bulb as its not a problem for me. I received a reply that my car cannot pass inspection so please pick up the vehicle. I went to pick up the vehicle and the desk person, Tommy said my car is over in the lot. Handed me the keys and walked away. No discussion about the belt at all. I was a little worried so I took my car to my regular mechanic and asked him to check the belt. He checked the one belt that the car has and said it is fine. And he confirmed that there does not exist a stand alone fan belt. So I have no idea what this business was talking about but I can say I will take my business elsewhere. read more

Please avoid this place, the guy named Tommy is a dishonest person not to talk about the work and service they deliver, but the attitude this guy has is unbelievable and disgusting. The way he talks to his customers is unacceptable. I have just been there last week to get my new tires replaced, but it turned out the sensors are not good and need to be replaced as well. Initially, I brought one sensor with me trying to get it replaced because I knew there was one sensor gone for sure but then this guy suggested I change it all which is a set of four. Ok, if need to be done just get it done. So I bought a pack of new Toyota sensors back to him on another day, the next thing I am going to tell you all is even more unimaginable, this guy told his mechanic to swap my genuine Toyota sensors with their garbage after-market sensors. The right next day the light comes on again on my dashboard screen. So I went back to him again and this guy was the same again talking to me very rudely like usual, saying the sensors I bought had factory defects, and one of them was dead with his diagnostic device tool. And asked me to talk to my vendor about it and if it was under any warranty. If so I need to spend another $100 to get it replaced. I just couldn't believe what I heard at that moment. Long story short, the next day I checked out from another tire place and they told me the previous place that I had been to didn't program the sensors at all, they just cleared the codes from the system. And I paid him 80 dollars for that service. Finally, If you need any auto services please find somewhere else that is reliable and trustworthy! read more

I needed new front tires. Another highly rated shop quoted me $100 per tire over the actual retail price. Another shop said they were short of staff and that the job was too small. I called Great Bear and they were happy for the business and I could buy the tires I wanted and get them shipped to them. So I bought the tires from Tire Rack and had them shipped to Great Bear. Tommy, the guy in charge, said they were busy but would squeeze me in. That afternoon tires were done. He offered me a discount if I paid cash (which I did) but I told him to keep the discount, they deserved it. An all around great experience read more

Tommy should be fired from Great Bear, he is rude and does not treat his customer well. This place received a Zero rating because of his service. read more

"Waste of time." Was told by a Great Bear mechanic after an inspection of a noise in the front wheel well I needed upper controller arms replaced. Requested a quote for parts and labor and was told that it was a waste of his time to print one up. I had installed adjustable controller arms and their diagnostics determined the brand new $600 Stern adjustable controller arms needed to be replaced after less than a month of weekend use. When I asked what was wrong with them I was told that I was " not smarter than those who make oem products", but no actual answer. After being suspicious of the shrugged off reply I brought the car to another high rated yelp autoshop in queens and they found the issue. Not only were the struts shot, but the bump stop was demolished, which they showed me. The controller arms were fine, nothing was wrong with them. After fixing the car at the other shop, the rubbing sound of one of the tires in the wheel well was completely gone. Don't waste your time or your money here. As recommended by Great Bear's own mechanics. read more

That was my 2nd time at that place. The guy was sarcastically rude. I felt very unwelcomed there, and he kept verbally attacking me. Questions are not allowed there!!!   My first experience there was so different, the other guy was so polite, and he patiently explained and answered all my questions. read more

Always come here for my car maintenance and repairs. Every time get excellent service and leave confident that the car is working properly.

They are good mechanics, and a reliable resource for myself and anyone needing an honest job and a great price.

A gem in the neighborhood. Tommy welcomed me one early morning and was able to help me get my AC going. My car hasn't seen a clean filter in how long, He showed me what needed to be done. Kept me in the loop, he was able to order my filter. Since I was at it, I got my oil changed too. Overall great experience, I was up and going later that day with a working AC. I have found my new go to spot for my car needs. I definitely recommend coming here for any of your car needs, Thank you Tommy & your crew! read more

I've been coming to GreatBear for the past 2 yrs. They've consistently provided exceptional service.. ie...one of the few places that used genuine Honda parts and their rates are reasonably priced as well. -shiv read more

Great Bear Tire & Auto - Auto Repair Near Me - Woodside, New York

I took my Jeep Grand Cherokee 2020 for oil change in summer of 2020 and 5 -6 months down the road I had some issue with the car. I went back and forth with Jeep/Chrysler and they tried to blame the problem on the oil change. Tommy from great bear was very helpful in fighting it off with Jeep/Chrysler. At the end Jeep admitted that the problem has nothing to do with the oil change and it was a minor issue with something else. I dont usually write reviews, but these guys are so nice and honest that i had to let others know . read more

All the negative reviews are from internet trolls who want attention. My tires were replaced quickly, Tommy kept me updated throughout the process (with pictures), and got the job done within hours of me dropping off my car. Quality work - quickly. What more can you ask for? read more

I had my impreza serviced at one of the major chain shops, what a horror! After they aligned the tires, one of the wheels came off the axle in the middle of the highway. A part they replaced "malfunctioned" and ended up causing a lot of damage to the fender and steering, also almost killed me. They tried to "fix" the issue and only made it worse. Fast Forward to GB, I was recommended by a friend. I was skeptical after reading so many bad reviews online, but I'm glad I took the chance. I called in advance to explain the issue I had and that I needed a second opinion of the work done. Tommy was super friendly and was immediately ready to help. I took it in and he explained it would take a day before the mechanics could take a look. He ended up calling back within the hour letting me know he was able to squeeze me in earlier and that I should come see the bad repair job. He walked me around the car and showed me all the stuff they didn't repair and things missing. I asked Tommy to replace the missing items like the wheel lining and he had the parts ordered the same day. He made sure it was all manufacturer parts and not the cheap after market parts they were using to repair the car. I go to pick up the car and Tommy shows me MORE issues with the repair. When the major chain shop painted the fender, they only covered a quarter of the windshield and now there is a foggy film on the rest of it. Now I have to replace the windshield, at least I know Tommy will get it done right the first time. I will NEVER use another major chain shop. Glad to have found a reliable mechanic who actually does quality work! read more

Extremely bad service!!! The owner is really rude and is reluctant to explain some questions!!! The owner keeps saying "what's wrong with you?!" "Fucking you!!!". How stupid it is!!! I cannot believe such a store could still exist!!! The owner even threats to come to my home and destruct my home!!! Unbelievable!!! read more

I had a nightmare situation where my Prius died. I got it towed to a Toyota dealer, which gave me the run around for 2 days and I eventually got it towed to Great Bear on a recommendation from a friend. I got a preliminary diagnostic answer within minutes. Dealing with Tommy, the owner, was like night and day compared to my experiences with Toyota. Every step of the way he was super communicative and in touch with me via calling me or texting me. He helped me through the insurance process and I in fact heard from him well before I heard from the adjusters at Geico. I couldn't recommend this place enough! read more

This is by far the worse experience at a mechanic. The owner was very unprofessional and extremely rude. My wife walked into the shop inquiring about a tire replacement while I was outside waiting and was shocked at how rude the owner was. This guy was condescending and arrogant when my wife politely asked him whether he could accommodate us now. read more

BEWARE OF SCAM. Went to get new tires put on and had to go back because of a slow leak. They put in a new battery and it was dead after a month. Car wasn't turning on, they fixed the problem and it broke down again 3 weeks later. While the owner seems friendly it's just a ploy to create unnecessary work and tack on high prices. Needed more work done but decided they are not trustworthy. read more

Owner Tommy and his boys were real nice at first.....but later got uncomfortably hostile and blamed me for causing my car issues that landed me here in the first place. When I arrived to pick it up (the 2nd time - see "note" below), Tommy was nowhere to be found....but there was a mechanic on duty who was happy to sling some profanity in my face. How kind! I can't remember the last time I gave someone $1000+ only to be later ridiculed for not making their job easier. To this day I still really don't know what I even paid them to do.....or what they even did? The amount charged for labor was, in my experienced opinion, excessive and suspicious. They charged me about 4 hours of labor just to diagnose what the problem was.......then the actual "repairs" racked up another 5 hours. Either they are the slowest mechanics in town or they are being dishonest. No matter what the reason may be, it's the customer who pays for their lies and/or laziness. The most disturbing/frustrating part is that the problem ended up being something so simple that I could have figured it out myself had I taken the time (or just popped the trunk). I don't doubt their knowledge of cars; but I do most certainly doubt their honesty, integrity and motives. Anyhow, lesson learned, not going back here ever again. Just wish I had my money back. They shouldn't treat fellow Queens residents like this. Pretty messed up. Note: When Tommy and co. actually did figure out the problem, it wasn't until only after he gave me the car back, claimed it was "fixed" and then I ended up having the same problem a week after he "fixed" it. In his defense, he took the car back in and "went crazy all day" trying to figure out the issue and "wasn't even gonna charge me". Like that is somehow a favor to me after I already paid him to do a job he didn't do actually do. Bonus note: 5 months after going here, my car threw a check engine light. I took it to another mechanic and he said I needed new spark plugs and one of the coils failed, hence the check engine light. Well gee whiz....that sure is funny, cause guess what one of the things I paid Mr. Tommy to do 5 months back? You guessed it: put in new spark plugs. The new mechanic saved the original factory plugs he took out as proof so there you go. "Great" Bear my foot. Update*** The owner comment below is the only "scam" here. Everything that happened to me above is 100% fair and accurate. I definitely came to your repair facility and have all the paperwork to prove it. I don't know what "other comments" of mine you are referring to your response doesn't make much sense. read more

BEWARE. BEWARE. I've gone here with a friend and alone and BOTH times we discovered they tried to scam both of us into doing significantly more work then needed (2 different guys). My friend was told he needed some gasket replacement and had an oil leak repair for $1000, he took to another shop that said not at all, that was oil sprayed on from somewhere else. I went there and just needed a quick inspection and sticker, and was told "my wheel is in danger of falling off and I would kill someone if I didn't fix it now" and the bill would be $1500. I had him write out exactly what repairs were needed, I said good, now I would like to have that list. He IMMEDIATELY took offense to it, and said "Would you question the priest at chuch?" LOL. Sorry man. you're no priest. Do NOT be fooled by the next several positive comments below. KEEP SCROLLING DOWN and you'll find a ton of bad reviews. Look at several reviews below me, tried to pull the SAME SCAM: "Went in for an inspection here, was told, by Tomas the owner, that I'd failed and needed to have three things done. When I asked for specifics he lost his temper" read more

The owner just wrote a comment on my review that I offered to remove the bad review in exchange for money. Not the case -- I wouldn't go back there if they paid me a million bucks for the privilege and the poor review stands. So in addition to specifying unnecessary work, the owner is guilty of libeling me. Do yourselves a favor and go across the street to Spirit Service. read more

I don't know much about cars but my back doors weren't opening from the inside. I went to the shop and I believe his name was Tommy was nice enough to check my car out and helped me fix it without any charge. Great service. Will def go back if i need to get anything fixed. read more

Super friendly upon arrival. I had high hopes! (So naive!). After initial review, was quoted $600 worth of repairs to pass inspection and an additional $800 of other repairs. The way he described the additional repairs made it sound serious like the car could collapse any second and things were rusted through. The guy seemed straight laced so I thought he was just being overly diligent. But my car is older and not driven often, so I called back and told him I decided not to do the repairs. Even though I was apologetic about not going through with the repairs, when I questioned something, the guy snapped, expressed frustration about my ignorance and finished the conversation with "oh my God, bye-ee!" in an annoyed singsong voice. I was shook. When I went to pick up my car, I tried to address that I think we had a misunderstanding, but he was back in normal mode and acted like nothing happened. It was so bizarre. I still can't believe this happened lol Anyway, I took my car to a place I went to before in College Point. They only needed to fix a couple of minor things, my tires and brakes were fine and while I had a small oil leak, it wasn't the mess that GB said it was and didn't require 3 hours of labor to clean. Paid much, much less than quoted by GB. Maybe the GB guy is more thorough or careful that other mechanics but I would consider getting a second opinion if you don't want to put in a lot of money. read more

Hello and welcome to your typical auto shop. Take your vehicle to it's intended dealer long before you decide to drop your vehicle in the hands of the people that run this place. I got an oil change for a whopping $90 recently. Four quarts of Castrol oil (27.99 for 5 quarts at any retailer), and a filter ($10), and I guess $50 for tax and service. I also received the typical phone call after my oil change was completed - that I needed an air cabin filter change for another $35 and an engine filter for $30. This is something that every body shop tells you to score some extra bucks off of you. Naturally I told them no... these filters don't need to be replaced for at least 20k miles and my car only has 14k on it. Be weary as this place will try to rob you blind if you don't know better. I went with his quoted price of $80 for five quarts of synthetic oil and a filter and checking all the lines and whatever else the guy said he was going to do. These are all things that are part of a normal oil change. I was billed the same price for four quarts (per my receipt) and a filter and some Washer fluid I guess. He also wanted to charge me an additional 5% for credit card use. Unreal. Scam artist at work. read more

I have had several sets of Tire Rack tires mounted and balanced on my rims here. $100 plus tax for a set of four as TR says it should be. Takes about an hour. Service is better than big chains. I sourced my own TPMS sensors and they told me they *may* need to be programmed and they wanted to charge $90 to do it. I said no, I'll take it for a drive and let you know before we do that. They didn't need to be programmed. One thing that bothered me about the most recent install is the tech put the wheel weights and mounted the wheels but didn't check for caliper clearance. I found this when I got back to my garage and the weights on the front wheels were missing. All that was left was the tape and some chipped paint on the calipers. I imagine the wheels are no longer balanced. Inattentive installer that's all. I wouldn't have the shop do more than a mount and balance personally. Next time I'll double check the install before I leave. read more

Always feel confident the guys at Great Bear take care of their customers with 100% honesty and premiere workmanship! Tommy and Machik are the most truthful gents jn the industry. I always travel across boroughs to make sure I get the job done right at Great Bear. read more

Great Bear Tire & Auto - Auto Repair Near Me - Woodside, New York

The minute I came in my door locked and wouldn't open because of my fail of a car. Tom took care of it and had estimates for me real quick for the actual work to be done. Although steep, i appreciate their work ethic. I dont know what the bad reviews are about. Just go in there with at least an ounce of confidence and you will be fine. It helps to go in knowing a little something something about cars too. read more

My car needed to pass inspection in New York and I brought to Great Bear. I was told I needed brake work (rotors and pads) done - Tommy said rotors weren't immediately necessary to pass inspection, but would need to be done soon. Meanwhile, pads necessary for inspection. I said I was surprised because the car had just passed inspection in another state only a few months prior, and I was told brakes were fine. I had the pads done according to Tommy in order to pass inspection. A few weeks later I brought to Ford dealership and was told nothing wrong with brake rotors. I doubt anything was wrong with pads as well. Total scam. read more

This was my first time here. I had my tires delievered from tire rack, and I chose this installer because they had the highest reviews there as well. Tommy was very helpful throughout the whole process. He was polite and courteous. The service was great. I didnt need to make an appointment, so i was prepared to wait. But there was only one other person in front of me, and the whole process was about an hour. Its very rare to find a business thats not trying to sell you everything and are honest. I would totally recommend this place to anyone else. read more

This is the only place I go to get my car checked for inspection and get it fixed when somethings not right. All members of the crew are super friendly, they make you feel like you are treated as family. Their price is also very reasonable. Thanks read more

I am not sure where the negative reviews come from. Automotive repair is one of those treacherous hazards in life and many folks are lost and feel helpless when it's time for car service or something goes wrong, and the potential for very bad news is always possible. One minute you are zinging along in life, the next minute you are staring at a $1500 bill for something that you don't quite understand. Here are a couple of things I've found out over the years about car repair: - Good mechanics are seldom the cheapest. - You can judge a fair amount by how busy the mechanic is. - You can judge a shop by the type of clientele that walk through the door and how they are treated. I have the benefit of having been raised by someone who is a car nut and taught me a great deal about cars and for the most part, I fix and service my car on my own, including the computer modules in the car. I lost a relatively new rear tire and thusly bought a pair for the rear of the car and started calling shops in the nearby area to see who had Hunter "road-force" balancing equipment. Great Bear did and they charged the correct price for the work, which is all I expect from a shop, and I figured I'd give them a shot. Ordered the rear tires, received them, and drove them over. The shop offered to accept delivery of them for me but not having any idea what sort of shop this "really" was I opted to have them sent to me. In the future I will have tires sent there directly, and yes, my experience was a good one and I will continue to use them. After I arrived the shop owner set one of his crew to the matter. At some point while I was in the waiting room, the owner (named Tommy), called me out to look at the car. With the car on the lift, he noticed the telltale wear pattern on the front tires that indicates either longstanding under-inflation of the front tires, or some of the front end linkage is going out (control arms usually). I check the tire pressure regularly so I knew immediately that it was the control arms. (My car usually needs new control arms in the 70k-80k range and the fact that I made it to 120k, I was on borrowed time and lucky to make it that long). The car's steering had been pulling more and more while driving and being obstinate I thought perhaps it taken a few too many potholes and it needed an alignment. It hadn't occurred to me that my control arms were shot til I saw the tires. The owner saw this and wanted to show me so he called his guy over to pull the protective cover under the engine that gives one access to the bottom of the engine and front axle linkages and pointed out that in fact, the bushings were totally shot. And, he was 100% correct...they were totally shot. By this point he'd known that I did my own mechanical work, and yet still, he checked the front end out for no charge to give his assessment. He also explained (correctly) that to do the job correctly the car needs to have all of its weight on the wheels before the control arms are tightened up or the front end won't behave. This is a mistake that inexperienced mechanics make all the time and in fact my father suffered this exact problem at a BMW dealership(!). He had to take it to a second dealership when the first told him it was fine and it was just the convex of the road. In summation, I think that Tommy knows what he's doing. I found him to be direct, energetic, and a straight shooter. I can come up with a number of reasons people might find reason to be upset with a mechanic that is otherwise doing their job well. Some people don't like bad news and think they are owed a favor - something I experience in my line of work more than I'd like. While I was there, I watched a number of different types of people come though the door and the shop was busy. Thats probably a sign that they are doing right by most people. I will go there again. read more

Great, fast, pain-free service. Needing and new tire...I went there on a Wed around 3pm and ordered a tire from tirerack.com. Tire arrived next day around 1pm. Tommy took care of everything (changing/mounting) within 15 mins. I have been screwed over by pretty much every other service dealing with autos...fortunately this place has been an exception. Really not sure if it's yelp removing other posts, but I found it strange that the only reviews on here are negative. read more

Great Service from Tommy, he was always very attentive and looking after my best interest. I had to visit twice because on my first visit he actually caught that a second tire was damaged. For my second visit, he recommended spots where I could go to while my car was getting fixed. and did a *courtesy* rotation of my tires to have the same wear on between front and back. It's location is convenient - next to the subway, in case you need it, I did for my first visit - and at Queens Blvd. read more

Any shops are kinda skeptical to begin with. But from the moment i stepped into great bear i was greeted by Tommy, I had a couple issues that needed to be addressed on my Audi. And he took the time to explain exactly what was going on with my car saved me a trip to my Audi dealer and saved me a lot of money. I would recommend this shop to anyone who has issues with there car read more

Usually when you walk into a business they greet you and ask what you want ... i stood waiting for 15 mins with no one asking me if i was being helped !!!! Then when i finally asked is anyone going to help me they were rude and said they didnt have time to fit me in !!!! there was a lift open and when i asked do they take appointments they refused to answer and walked away !!! DONT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY read more

Had a great first experience at Great Bear. While the work was relatively minor (tire mounting and balancing), the team there dealt with my issue quickly and politely, despite me showing up without an appointment. I came to Great Bear specifically because of their road force balancing equipment (very hard to find in NYC!) and their familiarity with high end/exotic cars. They're professional and know their stuff. I will be back should more work on my car be needed. read more

I have been going to Great Bear for many years, having both my Jeep and now my RAV4 repaired. I have had nothing by great experiences with having both regular maintenance and emergency repairs. I have tried other mechanics, even the recently opened Pep Boys (I had a coupon, but prices were still 10% higher than Great Bear) when I was having some clutch issues and Great Bears prices and overall service was fantastic. Not sure what all the negativity is about, but I can only speak of my experiences and in 8 years going to Great Bear I have not had a complaint about how I was treated and the work that was done to me vehicles. read more