Something has changed at Lefty's!!! Brien, the manager, quoted me $600 for a brake job. Then later I learned it was $600 PER AXLE! That's like buying a pair of shoes and being told, "Oh no, it's $60 per shoe!" See ya, Lefty!!! read more

So I had written a review that has gone missing after the owner responded. His response made me lower my star rating because he was blaming me because they do a diagnostic first, obviously this is what everyone does. So no complaints there but then he said I declined work, which I did because I didn't have time to wait 4 more hours and didn't want to spend $1500 plus without looking into it. They either don't know what they are doing or just don't want to explain it to you and just expect you to pay whatever. I never said I didn't want the work done I just needed more explanation. The worst of all his allegations is that he said he gave me the detailed report which never happened because the other person I talked with said since I paid for their diagnostic service I would not be able to get a detailed report. Attached is the "detailed" response. read more

Lefty's Auto - What they consider a detailed estimate - Auto Repair Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Lefty's did a third party inspection of a car I was considering purchasing and they were so helpful and detailed in their inspection results. The mechanic came and talked to me, and caught critical items and costly that were not disclosed by the seller. read more

Went to Leftys for an oil change recently. Very pleased w the work as well as the representative who met me when I came in for my appointment. Service was quick- i understand this has to do with how busy they are-but when I was there service was quick and efficient. Representative courteous and polite. Everything went smoothly. I recommend Leftys Auto on Elston Avenue. Definitely plan to revisit. read more

Nice enough guys, but they did a wheel bearing replacement on my older Subaru for $638. I had a diagnostic done before agreeing to the fix and I know I need the other side done. I didn't have the time for calling around the first go and went with Yelp reviews to find them, plus they're only five minutes from my place. I have time this go and the estimates I'm getting are $140 or more cheaper, from multiple repair places. Thanks for gouging this single mom Lefty's. Won't be back. read more

We have been using Lefty's since 2012. They have replaced my belts, brakes, spark plugs, changed my oil, etc. I love their new diagnostic system. It really puts my mind at ease. My car started to make some super scary noises and emit a terrible smell. I also needed to replace my driver-side headlight assembly. I dropped my car off in the morning and had my car finished and ready to go by 3:30 pm! They never try to sell you anything that doesn't need to be done. They are honest, fair, friendly, and do the job quickly. My car drives like it is brand new again. I highly recommend using them. Thank you, Jamie, for squeezing me in! read more

I have been going to this place for years. Everyone is always pleasant to deal with. They are honest and always do a great job. read more

My VW Jetta is getting to that stage that it's needing service. And through the decades and 3 different cars, I'm back at my old stopping grounds for service. I've been with the original "Lefty's" and when he retired, I was worried about receiving the same type of customer service and car care that I kept coming back when needed or maintenance such as an oil change. Through the ownership and management changes, I've never been disappointed. This morning while waiting for my oil change, I witnessed 2 shop guys at the front desk (Jaime and Brian) excel at service with follow up customers and new. This is why I come back. Great and knowledgeable staff and the ability to provide service. Again, as a customer through 3 decades, I would highly recommend Lefty's for any of your automotive needs. Thanks guys! read more

Beware: this place changed management. I have been using this place for more than ten years - it was good. I called to make an appointment weeks ago. I explained the new person that I cannot leave the car there because I need it for working. Change fluid does not take more than an hour. He said that he was busy and only on Monday morning three weeks later he could do it in half an hour. I made the appointment anyway. On Monday morning this new person in the counter pretends that the conversation never happened and I need to leave the car for several hours because he does not have the fluid there and have to order it! I already realized that something was wrong in the phone call itself. Besides his bad manners, this person did not know what B1 in a Honda means actually, tire rotation. No mechanic there before would have made that mistake. He could not care less. It seems that this was not his business, he was sitting there as he could be flipping hamburgers anywhere - he did not seem to care about his responsibility to the customer. Now this is just a very expensive place where they treat you badly... a pity they trashed the reputation that this place had built over the years. read more

Fair and honest repair shop. Would recommend to anyone. They do not take advantage of their customers!

Great service. We have been going there for years. Prices are reasonable and fair. They will also do an analysis of the car and let you know if anything else is needed. If your car failed the state emissions test they can correct that so you pass. read more

What can I say..I drive by this place all the time and thought it was fun that I had a boss who was named lefty and I stopped in to get a pen. Now my headlights went out..autozone said, new battery, Walmart said I didn't need one. So that is what led me here. It was a wiring socket for the headlight. Because they have a great reviews and being a lady who does install my own headlights and take care of my old '04 Toyota Corolla, this trip was needed as the headlights had a burned out connection which didn't do well for the lightbulb that wouldn't work. He fixed my vehicle up and used the bulb I left in there, so $50 total. Back again for the passenger side headlight with the same issue, but this time i had the new bulb and he would use it, good to know the bulb would be $20+. I asked him to check the air and cabin filters for a chance to pay for another service to compensate for my cheating out supply of my own lightbulb. Go figure, jiffy lube was right, cabin filter was old and Bill explained how often this should be changed, and the fact that I have never done this, I had no hesitation of having them put in a new one. I'll be bringing my old Toyota here til it kicks the bucket. read more

Lefty's Auto - Looking east toward Elston. Parking is easy too - Auto Repair Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Been going here for awhile. My husband's shop is very close. Only been once since there has been an ownership change. It definitely has more of a corporate feel and is more challenging to schedule an appointment. However, I loved that they were able to send me a full report of my car checkup and I could text with any questions I had about potential work done on my car. read more

Very reasonable in pricing and are very friendly and showed me what was wrong with my car! I brought it in cause of a noise another shop couldn't duplicate and find, but lefty's did and I couldn't have asked for better service or price! Thanks guys we'll be back. read more

knowledgeable mechanics. Fixed my car fast. And fixed it right the first time.

I had a knocking sound by front passenger wheel. I brought my car in just before the New Year weekend and I already knew it would not be done right away. I gave the business my cell number along with my home number with was required by the website when I set up the drop off appointment. They contacted me on my home number and left a voicemail. I did not check the voicemail until that Monday and received the message which was my fault. I was told the knocking was because I needed that ball joint replaced and if I was going to do one it is common to do the other side. I understood and I was then told it would be $1,100. I was a little surprised at how expensive it was but understood it was two ball joints, parts, and labor. And if it would fix the vehicle I would be happy. I agreed to the service and it was completed later that afternoon. My wife walked to shop with our two kids, because I had to take her car to work, and the vehicle's battery was dead. They claimed it was because the vehicle was sitting outside. They gave the vehicle a jump and my wife took the car home. I charged the battery because I had replaced it last year. They must have left something on and inadvertently drained the battery. A little aggravating but the problem is fixed right? Wrong. I was driving the vehicle a couple days later and I thought I heard the same knocking, but that couldn't be because I just paid a mechanic shop $1,100 to replace both ball joints and drain my battery. I asked my wife and she said the person at the shop mentioned I may also need my struts replaced. MAY need? The car still makes the same noise! At this point I was furious. I took my vehicle to another shop and was informed by the mechanic he has never seen a Toyota with ball joints replaced before 70,000 miles. My vehicle has 43,000 miles. He inspected my vehicle and conducted a road test to diagnose both struts need replacement. He also informed me the ball joints that were used for replacement were cheep parts. I hope this is an isolated incident and I wish them luck but I will not return here for business. read more

I had a neighborhood mechanic for close to 40 years. They sold and the garage was never the same. Bill et al at Lefty's made me feel a part of the family. The service was beyond reproach. His honesty, integrity and professionalism are hard to find in the auto repair business. I even had a family situation and he had my car driven to my home. Even if you are not in the market for an auto mechanic, this is the place! read more

Lefty's Auto - Auto Repair Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Lefty's has been my family's go-to shop for over a decade now. They are honest and do quality work at a fair price. I recently took one of my cars that had been in storage for a couple years over to them since I needed it to pass an emissions inspection and to see what else was needed to get it back into good shape. Pricing was fair and they presented me with a complete picture of what needs to be done now, soon, & sooner than later. I appreciated that they just didn't try to make me do everything at once and charge a huge bill. I got what I needed to get done & will go back to get the other recommended repairs soon. Another recent experience was with my mom's car that needed a new throttle body. She got stuck in the snow behind her garage. Lefty's came out quickly, got her car unstuck, and then drove it to the shop for her. Excellent customer service! Highly recommended shop and the only place I will take my cars. read more

Firstly, it is important to note that Bill the original owner and Jim the operations manager are no longer the owners, Bill sold the business to an out of state company, so this review is not a reflection of Bill or Jim as they were excellent in their analysis and explanation of issues and I have been a loyal customer since 2009 through 9/12/22, which is my last day with this shop. Took my car because it was overheating, temp gauge on dashboard was rising. Prior service to the car I had radiator replaced, coolant tank replaced, temp gauge replaced, so all these components were functional. Lefty's evidently performed a pressure test on the radiator, which was appropriate, then directly proceeded to perform a combustion test. Based on that test it was indicated to me that the head gasket is blown, $4K repair. Took it for a second opinion and was present (as shop allowed me to be with them). Second shop put the scanner in the computer, opened the coolant tank, and Idled the engine for about 30 minutes. Coolant temp rose to operating temp 208 and held steady, coolant tank was not bubbling or exploding which is absolutley indicative of an engine overheat, pointed thermosat gun and engine and hoses, all within operating temp. All along the temp gauge on the dash was going crazy, coolant warning light came on. Took the car, with the scanner plugged in, on the highway in stop and go traffic, temp holding steading at operating temp 208. By now the engine would have completly seized, caught fire and melted. Drove back to garge, idled it for another 20 minutes, temp holding steady. Performed 2 combustion tests, negative for head gasket leak. Diagnosis: faulty instrument cluster zeroed to the temp gauge. Lefty's absolute poor performance. This would have NEVER happened under Bill or Jim. Before giving a customer very devasting news that head gasket blown, which is a VERY expensive repair and possible totaling of the car, Bill and Jim would have made VERY VERY sure that the diagnosis is correct. New owners of Lefty's, get new technicians and better managers. Future customers, be aware that you might get an inaccurate diagnosis read more

Could not have had a better experience at Lefty's Automotive. Bill helped me quickly and clearly runs his business with customer service as a top priority. I don't live nearby but will be going out of my way to return with any future car problems. read more

I got stuck taking my 07 Nissan to these con artists because my alternator went out. I was orginally quoted $900.00 for the alternator and a battery. I said that I would get a battery on my own to save on cost, to which I was informed they would give me the battery at cost. I go to pick up my car and the total came to $854.79. I informed the mechanic that that was a ridiculous price, to which he replied that I needed to be smart and realize that he uses superior parts. Well I'm smart enough to know that I'm getting ripped off, especially since the national average for an new alternator is between $400-$600. I came home and looked up alternators for my vehicle and discovered that the most expensive one is $178.00, which these con artists charged me $328.98 for and I highly doubt they used the most expensive part. I informed them that they had me over a barrel due to the fact that my car didn't run, but this would never happen again. They will never get a dime of my, my family or friends hard earned money. So to add insult to injury, not only did these guys rip me off, they talked down to me like I was just some dumb chick who didn't know what she was talking about. If you like to be overcharged, treated like a piece of garbage and talked to like you're dumb, then this is the place for you. However if you're the type of person who likes to be dealt with fairly and treated with an ounce of respect, then find another place to get your car fixed. UPDATE... 2 days after picking up my car, I went for a day trip up to Wisconsin, only to breakdown in Kenosha. My car stalled and would start but would die again once idle, which is what I paid an arm and a leg to fix. Now here I sit, 5 months pregnant stuck on the side of the road in Kenosha with a car that doesn't run. There is a special place in hell for con artists like Lefty. read more

Lefty's wont steer you wrong... I've been taking my xterra here for about 2 years and they have done great work. After my warranty was up and I was already sick of dealing with the nissan dealership I discovered Lefty's in Chicago magazine. They charged a fraction of the price that the dealership was trying to get away with. I have been taking my ride back ever since. read more

Leftys is the best! They have it all -- professional expertise, old school integrity, and straight-up kindness. I won't go anywhere else. read more

Don't want to leave a great review for them... Then they will be busy when I need to stop by! Alas, I can not lie. Great guys, great service and prices cheaper than manufacturer's shops. Funny thing is a tech at Sears told me about them years ago! Thanks guy!. read more

I'm actually surprised these guys aren't rated 4.5-5 stars. Sure, their prices are a bit higher than the local average, but the quality of service is very high. I've been in a couple times and they've seen me immediately on both occasions and fixed my problems. Take your car into Lefty's and get it right! (Oh god, did I just invent their new slogan? Sorry.) Oh, and they give you a courtesy car while yours is in... nice. read more

Fast service. Great price. Friendly people. Elston Ave sucked, but thats not their fault. We needed a general car mechanic spot in our new neighborhood, and this place was great! read more

When my car broke down and I had it towed, the tow truck driver recommended Lefty's Automotive. I AM SO GLAD!!! My car was dropped off to the shop on a Friday night. I called at 9:00 on a Saturday morning and explained my problem. The guys I spoke with told me they would check out the problem and get back to me in an hour. Boom. An hour later, he explains the problem, quotes me cheaper than I would have thought AND tells me he'll have it ready that same day. The shop was super easy to get to via CTA bus, they had my car ready, and a snazzy new alternator installed (along with a belt, and a minor fix of another problem). I am impressed with how friendly the guys are as well as how fast they attend to their customer's issues. I would totally recommend these guys to anyone with car problems. read more

They charge you what they say they will charge you, they get it done when they say they will too. They have loaner cars that are just fine. They will tell you what you need to worry about in the future and help you prioritize work to fit your financial circustances. They are your partner in automotive ownership and you can trust them. Thanks Bill and Jim, you are great! read more

I LOVE Lefty's! John and his guys are just great. They always do a good job, they have the work done when they say they will, they don't upcharge us, and they don't talk to me as if I'm an idiot, even though I did buy a Saab. My Saab makes me sob! But Lefty's leaves me smiling. read more

I brought my car into Lefty's after my Dad's suggestion since the dealership wanted over $4000 to fix up the car. I am glad I listened to him because Lefty's was not only cheaper (like $1200), but they were much nicer. Seriously, I have never found a happier and nicer automotive shop. They went though the issues, showed that they cared, and even called me when they promised. While it the whole fixing portion was a bit on the longer side, they did explain, apologize, and follow up with me. If you are looking for a good, honest auto shop that really cares about its customer, you have found your place! read more

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Lefty's. They are absolutely fantastic!Fast and friendly service, a ride home and even a loner if you need one. It is such a huge relief to have 100% confidence in an auto shop. Thanks Bill, Jim and all the guys! read more

Lefty's is my new go-to mechanic. What really makes them stand out to me: -They're honest. They explain in clear detail what is wrong with your car and why, what's a priority, and what can wait. -Everyone I've spoken to on the phone or in person is friendly and courteous. -After hours drop-off is available. -They'll pick you up and drop you off from work or home. I haven't used it, but I also hear they have a loaner car. -Prompt, quality service. -They have a great oil change/full inspection coupon. read more

We brought our car here for an ignition issue, was fixed in 1 day. Great service, as usual, we'll be back.

Any time either of our cars need anything, we go to Letfy's. They are straightforward and do not jerk you around like other auto places. They do a good job repairing. read more

I've been going to Lefty's Automotive for several years. They are very customer focused and Bill takes the time to explain things thoroughly, and provide different options when possible. I have always been pleased with the quality of their work. I previously took my vehicles back to the dealership for maintenance but Lefty's is much more reasonably priced and honest. I've referred several friends to Lefty's and they've been quite satisfied as well. Plus, if you need to leave your vehicle they offer a loaner car! read more

Lefty's is the best mechanic in the city. Lefty himself is the nicest guy and the other manager John is great too. I don't think you will ever meet a more honest mechanic. Everything is spelled out, the prices are always lower than the competition, and they won't try to sell you on anything you don't need. read more

I can't say enough about my positive experience at Leftys. A few months ago I was purchasing a new/used car and someone suggested I take it to Leftys to get checked out prior to buying. For $50 he gave it a once over and provided me a list of the issues. None which were major. It was such a good experience that I decided to bring my Kia there to fix. Previously I always went to the dealer. He accommodated me easily, did the work and charged my what I feel was a reasonable rate. I decided the experience was so easy that I would bring in our other 2 cars which each had issues that needed to be fixed. One of the cars needed the heating core replaced which he said would take 8 hours and he quoted me a price. Well he got into the job and it took over 16 hours to get it done. It was not ready when he promised (because the job ended up being much more difficult then he thought) so he offered us a loaner car. This was a huge help. In the end it took him more than 16 hours to fix the car but he honoured his original quote. We are all skeptical of car mechanics, afraid they will take advantage. Well rest assured that won't happen at Leftys. If anything I took advantage of him. The only thing I can do to show my gratitude is to encourage others to bring their car to him if repair is needed. read more

They are nice and professional but I was not happy with my classic car repairs it was expensive and took too long( 4 weeks.) I understand that classic cars are difficult but they are advertised as "the best shop in the city" I disagree. For charging top dollar per hour I was not thrilled. They did the work satisfactory but the electrical problem returned 1 week after the repair which I have to fix again. I'm being critical because if you pay top dollar you should get top service and I did not. My bill for repairs was $3000 total for the work and honestly felt like it should of been half that. I would not recommended them for classic car repairs, new cars I assume they do well since other reviews like them. read more

Wife insisted a noise from our car's heater meant the car would explode any second. Nothing I could say would dissaude her. She took the car to Lefty's, practically begging them to take our money. They took a ride in the car, listened to the noise, and assured her it was nothing. Total cost = $0. This will be our go to service shop from now on. read more

I would give it ZERO stars if I could. HM. Had my car about a month ago for actually needed repairs. Though I thought it was a little shady that the price kept going up and up and up, I paid the $1200, as I intend to keep my car for a long time. Yesteryday, car died again. Now they are telling me ANOTHER $800. Thinking 1) we could have caught these problems a month ago? 2) You can't cut me a deal with the amount of $$ I've already given you 3) Feel talked down to, as a woman perhaps, yet I'm a woman that worked over 10 years in the automotive industry. I'm thinking Hack every time I'm thinking Lefty's. Time to find a new mechanic. Picked up car, they gave me $100 off. Still, I'm out $700. Still probably going elsewhere next time. read more