Went to Nal's after reading reco's on Yelp. Nal's is great. The same pleasant woman still answers the phone and schedules appointments (usually need at least 3-4 days advance notice). Service was quick and not extremely expensive. I have an '03 civic coupe that needed a headlight and internal dash light fixed up. If the bastards at Honda would put headlight bulbs in a place that didn't take the "jaws of life" and an act of congress to change, I'd do it myself but Honda is good at compacting shit for a reason. They fixed both and had my car ready to go 2 HOURS after I brought it in. Granted, these were only minor fixes, but they didn't wait around and they didn't charge an exorbitant amount for labor. ($85 total for parts and labor) I'll be recommending this place to any friends with car troubles here in the city. read more

I've been to Nal's multiple times (including having major work done once), and I've been really happy with everything. My impression of the chain establishments is that may be quick but they're usually looking for extra stuff to charge you for. Nal's is certainly much more straightforward and does a great job of explaining anything your car needs. This is the most trustworthy mechanic I've ever had, it's also good to have your money going to a local business instead of off to corporate headquarters somewhere. read more

It's kind a little late..umm 15 months ;) review I guess My 2000 Rav4'd been visited Nal's 3 times - First for over all check up & Oil changed & light bulb changed before the road trip. totally $180 - Second the a/c died on me during the summer :( Free of charge cause Al said it'll cost me $1200++ for repairing and it's not worth it, just open the windows .. couldn't agree more! hahaaa - Third time is a charm!, the water pump leaked and car died at Loop. then it'd been towed to Nal's around midnight. Al and his co took care everything. $900's for the damaged and next 3 days we're good to go. Five Stars for EXCELLENT jobs Five Stars for Honesty, Friendly & Knowledgeable Staff Six Stars??? for Location ..just 5 Minute Walk from my work :) Thanks again Nal's, and please keep up the good work! read more

Al is friendly and honest! He always does what's best for the customer. He has a lifetime of experience and is highly knowledgeable of all autos and trucks. Much better than any dealership service dept. and no upselling of unneeded products or services. I have been a customer of his for decades and always recommend him to friends and coworkers. Quality work at reasonable prices. read more

I've been going here for 1-2 years now. They seem to have been fair with me over this time. I've gotten a bunch of things fixed here and the guy on the phone that calls with the follow-up is usually very patient with me as I like to know a lot of details and I ask a lot of questions. The other convenient thing is they are right on the Irving Park Brown Line stop. It's pretty far for me coming from downtown, but the experience has been good enough for me to be back. read more

I just moved to the area and was looking for somewhere within walking distance of my apartment to get an oil change. A friend had a good experience here plus the other reviews seemed good so I thought I'd give it a shot. I would also like to point out that I HATE anything to do with auto maintenance and repair because I know nothing about it and always feel like I'm getting hosed. I called to schedule an appointment and they took my name but said to just come in some time in the morning. It was a little hard to find - the address is on Irving Park but you can't get to it from Irving Park - you have to go south on Ravenswood or Wolcott and go in the alley - it's right underneath the El tracks. But once I got there everything was great. I told them not to rush since I didn't need my car for the rest of the day. Two hours later they called and it was ready. The woman at the front desk was SO NICE. And it only cost me about $28 which seemed a little less expensive than I'm used to. I will definitely be back for oil changes and any other maintenance or repairs I need. read more

I've been here several times and have had nothing but great experiences. The actual act of having to take your car in for repairs is always stressful but nal's has alway been a positive experience. They are extremely knowledgeable and totally upfront with you about the situation. They've serviced two cars that I've had and have been the most affordable up front shop I've been to. I recommend Nal's to everyone I know and will continue to service my car here regardless of where I am in the city. read more

We've been taking our car to Nal's for years now, and will never go anywhere else. They are honest, nice, and very affordable. You do have to call in advance and schedule a time to bring your car in, but that is only because they are so legit that they are usually busy. Once when the battery died during a snow storm, and I was stuck at work in Roscoe Village. We told them and they came and switched it out, and didn't charge us any more for coming out. They even noticed the battery was from Autozone, so although we didn't have the receipt, they still tried getting us the new battery under warranty. It didn't work, but it was awesome that they tried, when they definitely didn't even have to bring it up. Our most recent experience was them being completely honest with us about an ABS problem. Instead of trying to push us to spend a lot of money, they were honest with us about the lifetime of the car, and fixed the problem for less than a quarter of what most places would have. They even helped us get the computer back up and running in 2 days so that we could get our emissions test done before the deadline. We were told it would take a week. They didn't have to do that either and they didn't charge extra. They're the best and I will never go anywhere else! read more

I purchased a used car and was kind of scared about it. The car was a used Nissan Pathfinder 2002. The car had 184k miles on i one owner bought it for $5100. Had some fears about it and took it to Nal's after reading the spectacular reviews. Got a diagnostic and a clean bill of health from Nal's. Given the age and the mileage on the vehicle it's in good condition. I was told by the mechanic the same thing that the mechanics at Sears Auto told me. Yes I had gone to Sears Auto a few weeks before to get it checked out as well that's how paranoid I was. My trust went up 80 pts for Nal's. I was informed that a minor fixture was needed on my Vehicle and that it would need to be done with in the next 5 months, unlike Jiffy Lube who makes it out like the car is going to explode if you don't get this done RIGHT NOW! (never go to Jiffy Lube) On top of the work I paid for the mechanic fixed some other minor things with the vehicle for free! You might think that yeah he just said he did but two of the three minor issues he fixed I knew about before hand. Prices were very reasonable This place is great and Nal's will now have all my business. Con: finding the place was kind of difficult but worth the search read more

Based on reviewing my SO's service records over the past five-six years of her taking her car to Nal's and her conversations about how they've treated her (and her car) I was impressed, at first, with their approach of being pretty "conservative." Like, "they don't rip you off because you are a woman." However, after she put me on the phone recently to explain to them why I thought one of her brake rotors may be warped (or at least have material deposited on it), I started having my doubts. She had told them that the steering wheel shook a little when braking, but not when driving along. I'd felt and repeated the same symptoms and, having warped a rotor during a track day in my own car, I knew the feeling all too well. Long story short, they had taken the car for a test drive and "couldn't repeat the issue." I had to explain to them how to diagnose the issue: drive at a constant speed, let off the throttle and gently and progressively apply the brake. Yeah -- that shudder coming down from 15 to 10 MPH? That's it. So, they got around to machining the rotors. Problem solved (yes, it isn't a 100% solution, but that is what they did and they didn't bother to call to ask if she wanted new rotors). The car was gone a few days extra because they dragged their feet with the diagnosis, then had to do the machining. Oh, and then there is the fact her car had been sluggish and her fuel economy had gone down. She had to, on my suggestion, ask them to check the spark plugs (and wires) because they said they had already checked the sparky side of things the last time she had the car in. You know: standard, "air, fuel or fire" sort of things. Lo and behold, cylinder #3's plug was arcing and pretty much worthless -- she'd been driving around, effectively, with a three-cylinder for months. I'm not impressed. I get the impression they like to keep it simple, to the far extent of just not fixing things if they are "tolerable." Warped rotors aren't a massive miss, but not being able to realize that the Impreza was running on 3 of 4 cylinders? That sounds like a good analogy for this place... Whether you know a crank from a valve spring or not, I suggest you take your business elsewhere. Me, I've been impressed with Wizard Werks on Lake, and I'll get around to writing a review for them soonish. read more

So I found Nal's on Yelp so I thought it only appropriate to add my 2 cents. I really lucked out. I followed the driving directions in previous posts and got my car right in the garage. Turns out Nal's is a pretty popular place and you need to have an appointment to get checked out...normally. ;) My issue was pretty small so they let me sneak in for a diagnostic and got me out of there very quickly. For those of you with real issues, better call ahead! All in all, it was a great experience. read more

Part of me doesn't want to give Nals' 5 stars because of the huge amount of money I spent there but that wasn't their fault so I did. The checking in experience was flawless, very nice lady on the phone and in person. The place is a bitch to find I circled the block about 4 times then ended up calling them. They really are directly under the brown line as another reviewer said but there is NO SIGN you can see from any street. So you really need to know its like just 100 metres down the road off Irving Park way, just park up and go find em. I knew my tires were crap, I bought the car from a friend who has left the country for a really good deal. She was a crap driver so all her tire sides were worn down as she was a bad parker. I thought these might end up exploding or cracking over winter plus as we just got the car and are driving to canada for Christmas I thought I better get the whole thing checked. $1250 later ouch I feel confident the car is in tip top condition for another 2 years until we leave the U.S. The had a good look at everything told me how worn my brake bads were only 1/2 so some good wear in them yet, fixed my squaling fan belt, replaced a dodgy battery which I was aware of. I kind of knew it was probably gunna cost me $1,000 before I went in so I don't feel ripped off at all. Nice mechanics and friendly to deal with. The smells were very evocative of my youth when my mum worked in her brothers car repair shop as a secretary. Car stayed over night no problems and work was done very quickly which was great. read more

I made an appointment on Monday (3 days in advance), sent my car for engine checking on Thursday and got it back on the Next Tuesday. 5 stars for the convenient location, 5 stars for the friendly phone reception, 5 stars for the patient explanation about the problem, 5 stars for additional detailed checkup for the issues other than my engine, 5 stars for the reasonable cost ... I can't compliment this place more :p read more

I came here after a closed fiasco at another place closer to my house and boy am I glad that happened to allow me to have to come here instead. I love Nal's Auto Repair. These guys rock. They're honest, they're friendly and you can talk to them without feeling intimidated. I made an appointment for them to fix my dropped exhaust, which I thought only had a bolt missing, causing it to drop. Of course, me being a novice, I wasn't sure if it was something more serious than just a simple missing bolt or what but that's what it looked like. So I brought it in, dropped it off and within an hour the wonderful woman called me back saying it was all fixed and ready for pick up. It was just a missing bolt. No added damage, no trying to up sell me extra goods, nothing of that sort. I went back after work to pick up the car and he hands me the paperwork, saying "no charge." I give him a blank shocking stare back asking if I really heard him right. He said "yeah, it was no big deal; we just a replaced a bolt; nothing serious, don't worry about it!" Thank you Nal's for being an honest repair shop who aren't trying to nickel and dime folks. I came here as a completely new customer to them, without any connections, and they told me "no charge." I love these guys and will definitely be back when my car has something more serious wrong with it... but I'm hoping that doesn't happen because that would suck. But I'd rather them deal with the sucking situation because I know I can 100% trust them. read more

I see Nal's is no longer a hidden secret (and good for them), but I'll add to the kudos - my family has been going to Nal's for 20+ years, and even though I've moved a bit far away I still make the trip, because they are just that good. Honest, friendly, patient when explaining repair options, and first-rate work, these folks deserve an extra star for the above and beyond. read more

Nals is the way to go. They won't do you wrong as far as I'm concerned. Price is not cheap but I've come to learn quality is never really cheap (well, maybe raaaarely), definitely not with auto repair. There are some slimy guys out there. but Nals is NOT overpriced. They helped me out before. -D read more

Every mechanic I went to prior to Nal's told me something different and tried telling me I had to change a handful things in my car or else it might not continue to work--this after I just had maintenance done on my car. After all of these terrible experiences, I turned to yelp for some direction and thank god I found Nal's. Al fro Nal's was so nice on the phone and instantly gained my trust by being so honest by explaining to me what might be wrong with my car. He did not treat me like a clueless girl that can be easily scammed like all the other mechanics I went to. He even let me take my car in the very next morning to take a look at it and when I dropped it off he gave me a ride to the Metra. He also provided me an update with my car and found out the cause of the rattling noise--a hanger that was stuck on my door. Scary! All the other mechanics couldn't even figure this out. I was also a little late when I picked up my car and a friendly mechanic was there waiting for me. Sorry guys for being late and thank you very much! My experience was so great that I had to yelp about it. I am not a yelper so this is huge. With that said, I highly recommend Nal's to anyone. I've already told all my friends and family about it. Nal's is super honest, won't scam you because you're a girl and will find the root of that rattling noise in your car that no one else can. Although it was a little hard to find the place due to the L construction, this place is truly a hidden gem that you should check out for all your car problems. I know I will always go to Nal's from now on! read more

I have been going to Nal's for several years now. Al, the owner, could not be a more honest, nice guy. They are straight up with you, knowledgeable and have never failed me. Rest assured if you go there, you will be taken care of like family. read more

I won't go back. Work was OK but twice they gave an estimate and then came up over a $100 more ... after the work was done. 10% I can accept but not this. i go to Ashland Tire. HONEST HONEST HONEST! and work well done. read more

I have taken my fabulous little '93 Honda to Nal's and they have treated it right. The first time was for a hole in one of my exhaust pipes and then the second time was some major work on the ball joints, exhaust line, etc. Greg, the mechanic, called me up the second time I brought the car in and was surprised that the car hadn't left me stranded on the expressway yet, it was that bad. He went through the laundry list of things that needed to be done to make it drivable and then also found ways to take off discounts...and wound up saving me a good chunk of change. They also misplaced my engine key, called me as soon as they noticed, and rushed off to have another key made ASAP, no charge to me (and those manufacturers' keys are not cheap). Also? They don't talk down to me because I'm a female. HUGE bonus points there. read more

I brought my Mazda Miata (broken antenna & convertible top) almost two years ago and was given top-drawer, professional treatment. The repairs were half the cost of quotes I had received. And my car was turned around quickly! I now have a Pontiac Vibe, and have been experiencing trouble starting the manual transmission--was thinking I needed to find the sweet-spot :-). I have been told by service reps. that I need a new starter or have a flywheel problem. I called Nal's, brought the car in the same day, and learned that it was nothing except interference of the floor matt with the clutch pedal. Yup, I felt kinda dumb, but so were the two that gave me bad advise. Nal's adjusted the settings of the clutch pedal, and sent me home with no repair bill--yes, $0. I have told all my friends about this place. Now I am telling YOU! read more

My license plate was stuck on my car (no amount of elbow grease could get it off) - I called Nal's they let me know I could come in and they'd fix it while I waited. They were able to fit me in and were super courteous and quick. I'd recommend them any day. read more

It is totally out of character for me to write online reviews. I don't even have my own blog. However, my positive experience with Nal's Auto Repair merits sharing with the online community such as this forum. As with most people's opinions and experiences, do take the gist of my review with an open mind (and a dash, yep I said, "dash" of salt). My experience with Nal's Auto Repair may end up being entirely different from yours. Conversely, there seemed to be a consensus and laudible pattern of reviews received (so far), of this auto shop. For online readers (such as myself), imbued with a short attention span, I'll spare you the long winded details (soon to follow below) by saying: "I took my 2003 Mazda Protege 5 (hatchback) for repair due to engine stalling and Nal's Auto Repair fixed it. Nal's Al, Lynn, Gigo and Gene are all wonderful people -- I am a bit sure of this. On top of that, I did not feel like I got screwed (price and service wise). I would give it 7-stars, if only they did not reject my proposal to rename their shop the "Little Hard To Find Auto Shop Under The Irving Park Brownline "L" Tracks." Ok, here is the long version of my review for readers out there glutton for such punishment: I have a 2003 Mazda Protege 5 (hatchback). The engine has been stalling/dying on me intermittently while stopped in traffic. I took it to a Mazda dealership, they ran some diagnostics and found nothing. I decided to give this shop a try based on the positive reviews in Chicago Checkbook Magazine and this forum (one of the reviewers here, thankfully provided directions on how to locate this auto shop). By the way, it's probably a good idea to first set up an appointment with the ever friendly owners/managers: Lynn and/or Al instead of just dropping your car off for repairs/maintenance. On the days that I was there, this full service auto shop looked quite busy. They open at 7:30 AM and closes at 6:00 PM, Mondays through Fridays -- only! The earlier you can drop your vehicle off (w/ an appointment), the better. Do be prepared to leave your car at the shop -- especially for repairs and maintenance beyond the customary oil change. Nal's Auto Repair has a tight-fitting customer waiting area possibly in need of an "Extreme Makeover." But, hey, the unisex restroom is relatively clean and the toilet works! Their labor rate is competitive, by this I mean likely cheaper, than most car dealerships' labor rates. Nal's did an initial diagnosis of my ailing car, and like that Mazda dealership, found nothing. They also charged me nothing -- excellent! I picked my car at the shop, drove it and the engine stalled three times ---not good! I took it back to the shop (spoke with Al several times in person and by phone), and each time, he calmly and patiently explained possible problematic areas in my car. They ran some more diagnostics, and after several more tests, found the problem (i.e., stucked EGR valve). They ordered the parts and fixed it. As an aside, they initially thought the problem was the ignition coils and wires (the Mass Air Flow Sensor was also a suspect). So, they replaced the ignition coils and wires, but the problem still persisted while in the shop. After more tests, they found that it was indeed a stucked EGR valve. Al indicated that he was not going to charge me for the ordered ignition parts if I elected not to have these parts replaced -- which I find to be a good thing. Anyways, car problem solved. Al did a customer follow-up over the phone to check how my car is running. I was going to extend my "kudos" to him and everyone at Nal's, but I figured, writing this review would be more appropriate. Slight downside (not a fault of Nal's Auto Repair): Nal's Auto Repair is a full service shop that services several makes and models of cars. Therefore, this shop may not have your specific auto parts in stock and immediately at hand. If this were the case, parts may need to be ordered elsewhere which can take about a day (or two) to arrive, depending on parts availability. This equates to your car staying at the shop for a relatively longer period of time. Regardless, this shop is superb -- especially in their dealings with customers. read more

On the strength of these Yelp reviews, my wife and I started taking our car to Nal's in 2008. The service can be superb, and you sure won't find a better value. But I've learned that sometimes, if your car doesn't cooperate, you may still deal with some frustration. In my case, I had a year-long struggle with my brakes. The guys put in new drums, new rotors and new pads at all four corners. But after they did, the brakes kept misbehaving. They wouldn't release properly, so there was a constant smell of burning brake pad. It took a half-dozen trips back and forth to Nal's for the guys to finally isolate the problem, which was a bad brake line. By the time they replaced it, the new pads, rotors and drums were all ruined. But give the Nal's gang credit: They replaced all the brakes for free in the end. Yeah, I got a little frustrated along the way. I know the Nal's guys must have been frustrated, too. But it all came out great in the end. And I'm still taking my car to Nal's. Isn't that the best endorsement of all? read more

So after my debacle with Pep Boys on Elston(see that Yelp) I drove my car over to Nal's due to the overwhelming positive reviews on Yelp. I got there on New Year's Eve hoping they would be able to help me that day. I quickly realized that this place is so popular and so busy, that wasn't going to be possible; but I was okay with that. So - if you want to use their services - realize they are always super busy, so you should expect to wait a few days before your car is fixed. One of the mechanics stopped me in the waiting room while I was waiting to be helped to ask me what was going on. I told him my sob story about how I thought Pep Boys was going to rip me off and that I wanted their opinion on the issue. He told me unfortunately due to the holidays, the earliest they would be able to look at the car would be Monday, 5 days later. I was totally okay with that, especially after the calm sense he left me with. The other guys at the shop I talked to both on the phone and in person were also very nice. Not extra macho like most shop guys are. None of them ever talked down to me - as if I didn't know anything like some mechanic types do. The lady at the desk was super sweet too. I called on Monday afternoon to find out that the only thing that needed to be replaced was the battery cables and that the total was $69.95 vs the $650 Pep Boys wanted to charge me for all the extra ridiculous stuff. I took the CTA 80 bus over this morning to pick up my ride - nice and ready to go. Thanks Nals! You've got a customer for life! Oh - and thanks other Yelpers for pointing me in Nals direction! Oh - I guess one other thing I should mention is why I only gave them 4 stars - mostly because the time I had to wait to get my car worked on. It's seems standard at this place since they are so busy, but it is a bit of a drawback when you work in the burbs, live in the city and heavily rely on your car as I do. read more

I have been coming to Nal's regularly for a couple of years now to get my oil changed and have had some other things done (horn replaced, side mirror reattached), and I have nothing but great things to say about the shop. I recommend this business to as many people as I can. Mostly because their mechanics are everything you want a mechanic to be: 1. Knowledgeable 2. Honest 3. Consistently good at what they do 4. Focused on keeping your costs as low as possible One suggestion: call ahead to schedule a date/time to bring in your car for an oil change. read more

Hand's down the best auto repair shop I've ever been to! Communicative and honest. Thanks so much!

I'm new to the area and had a couple of quirky issues, one of which was the fan for my heater/AC only worked some times. I consulted Yelp for a reco and found this and another shop, which I tried first. They were really nice guys and held my truck a week, but couldn't figure out the issue. I dropped my car off to these guys Monday evening. By Tuesday afternoon, they'd found out what was wrong and I had my car back by Wednesday afternoon. They explained their pricing, are in an extremely convenient location (under L station), and they knew something another shop couldn't figure out. Only hesitation on five stars was I also got all four of my tires changed and after doing some research, the price they quoted plus labor came in at about $240 more than just the tire costs, which struck me as a bit high for labor. That said, it was very convenient and they worked fast, so my complaints are few. read more

My transmission on my 2008 Dodge Charger AWD has been acting-up. I went to Nal's because of their great yelp reviews. I had a bit of trouble finding it, as you must enter from the alley in the rear. Go north on Wolcott, until you reach the alley for 1815 W Irving. Go east to the CTA tracks, and park under them. Their office is the rear half of 1815 W Irving. Nal's diagnosed my transmission as having a bad input speed sensor inside the transmission. They told me that they could not replace that sensor, and that a Dodge dealership would have to do the job. They test drove my car, diagnosed what was wrong, cleared error codes, and charged me NOTHING. I am very happy with my experience at Nal's. I have a friend at a Dodge dealership in the suburbs, so I'll ask him to help me get that sensor replaced affordably. read more

Nals is AMAZING. They are straight forward, patient when explaining and incredibly friendly. I hit a huge pot hole on the interstate and cracked my axel which set of a chain of other issues. I took my Mazda 3 immediately to Autobarn in Evanston (like the only Mazda dealer around!) they gave me an outrageous quote and were SLOW and totally dismissive of me. My boyfriend searched yelp while I seethed in the Autobarn waiting room (at least they had good snacks). After finding Nals I had my car towed there to be worked on. I dropped my car off around 9pm on a week night. Getting dropped off under the brown line in an alley was a bit unnerving but I got my keys in the slot and took the train home and it was the best decision I'd ever made. I saved over $1000 and walked away only paying $800. Don't make my mistake! Go to Nals the first time! read more

I highly recommend this auto repair place. I started going there a couple years ago when a friend recommended them and it's my go-to for car issues. Last week I had a nail/screw in my tire that I didn't discover until 4:00pm on a Friday before a holiday weekend. They got me right in, fixed it right away and only charged me $38!! I also appreciate that they don't talk down to me (a woman) when they talk to me about what repairs are needed. Love these guys!! read more

I went to Nal's because of the reviews I read on Yelp. It's easy to get to from my house on the bus, which is a plus. My transmission was hesitating. It took a week to get an appointment and I didn't realize it's not one of those "drop your car off and wait at Starbucks for the diagnostics" kind of places. I was kind of annoyed that I didn't realize that. I didn't hear back until right before close, when I called. As it turns out, the mechanics couldn't find anything wrong with my car. I was told that the transmission could just be acting up because it's cold out and it's an old car. No charge for the test drives. No made-up problem to at least make a buck off me. And they were nice about it all. I will definitely go back when the next problem happens. read more

First went to Nal's sometime in the early 90's on the recommendation of a friend. I left the city soon after and really missed having a local auto place as good as this. I just moved back and one of the first places I went to was Nal's. It's just the same. They get the job done so well, no fussing, great price, helpful and no nonsense replies to questions, sensible quotes with no pressure, careful and attentive work. I felt my clunky old van was in good hands. It is a bit hard to find- I managed to get lost, 15 years after my last visit. It's west of the Metra tracks, under the El tracks on the south side of Irving. You'd drive in off Larchmont and hope you can find somewhere to park. Nal's is busy for a good reason, but worth waiting for an appointment. read more

I have been using Nal's exclusively for tune-ups and repairs since they were recommended by a friend about 10 years ago. They have always been honest, professional and timely in their work. Their shop was hard to find at first but they have a very convenient location for someone who is dropping off a car for service, directly underneath the Irving Park Brown Line el stop. It doesn't get more convenient than that. read more

Our entire family and extended family has been going to Nal's for over 30 years. I usually say just do what is best 99% because I trust them. They are professional, provide options, honest, on time and on budget. Never ever had any complaint or concern about their work and service. They are also conveniently located next to Irving Park Station on Brown Line. read more

I have been a faithful customer of Nal's since the 1980s. They are highly competent, honest, and completely open about what the customer''s options are. I've lived on the South Side for the past 20 years and still use Nal's exclusively, even tho it's far from my home. They aRe simply the best! read more

Nal's is a hidden gem. You literally don't know that it's tucked under the Irving Park Brown Line, but I'm so glad a friend told me about them. The customer service was some of the best I've experienced in Chicago. They are kind, honest and not condescending. Rare for mechanics! Prices were reasonable and labor rates were cheaper than other shops I've been to. They have a customer for life. read more

My beloved Audi A6 has 160K miles on it and is starting to be a bit, um, temperamental. It was running a little loudly, so my husband took it to Nal's. After checking it out, they told us that it was basically fine for now, but that it may need some things replaced in about six months. Given the price of the parts vs. the car's remaining value, they said it probably wouldn't be worth it. The charge for looking at it? $0. Fast forward two weeks. It doesn't start. Nal's hooks us up with a tow, fixes the (not related to the first issue) issue, and does an oil change with synthetic oil. Total for the tow, the work and the oil change? $197. A synthetic oil change at Jiffy Lube usually runs me about $100, and the tow was $60. So basically our repair cost was about $37. We will continue using Nal's because of the great prices and awesome service. read more

Okay, it doesn't get five stars because I have only had a couple of experiences here...I took my car in here a while ago to get the alignment checked because I thought I was hearing a crunching noise when I was making hard turns. After looking at it all day, they found nothing wrong with it, charged me $20 for looking into it, informed me that I needed an oil change (but didn't demand that I do it right that second), and sent me on my way. Let me emphasize...They told me there was nothing wrong! What mechanic does that these days? They are like I am at H& M...If I am in there long enough I can find SOMETHING! I appreciated that they didn't find some obscure thing that needed work in order to milk me of money and time for their benefit. My friend also went here the other day to get a second opinion on a tire situations (for more info see the Pep Boys review of their shotty work). They found that there was a leak and charged her for the work. Pep boys told her that she needed tires replaced and was going to charge her over $200. Nal's also knew that replacing one tire on a car with All-Wheel Drive meant replacing them all because having tire treads off means bad news in the future for the AWD (Pep boys didn't know that). Other people have recommended this place before. So, I tend to recommend it to others until I hear some other kind of reaction. It is a little hard to get to though because it is underneath the train tracks. When going west on Irving Park, you have to pass the train tracks, take a left, and then a left in the first alley to get around to the entrance. read more

I believe they tried to scam me. I took my car in because my rear passenger side tire was losing air. A few hours later when I called (they didn't contact me), they said: 1. That there was no leak. 2. I needed to replace my rear rotors. 3. I needed to replace my suspension. 4. I needed to replace my 2 back tires because they were 5 years old. 5. I might need to replace my alignment. This would have cost at least $1000. I had my husband take my car to a different place. 1. There was a leak in my tire due to a nail (I had to refill my tire every 2 days), why didn't Nals discover the nail? 2. The other place said that my rotors were fine. 3. My suspension is fine. 4. My tires are otherwise fine. My car is only 4 years old and Nals told me my tires were 5 years old. How are my tires older than my car? 5. Alignment is fine. The other place charged me $20 total for inspection, nail removal, and patching. My car is running smoothly. I will not go back to Nals. read more