Neal's went above and beyond to assist my daughter with her vehicle on two occasions. Incredible customer service. Highly recommend.

I brought my 2017 BMW X1 to Neal's Garage for a fluid leak. They inspected the car and replaced the oil cooler. After the repair, the car was still leaking, so I returned for a warranty fix, and they replaced an O‑ring for the upper coolant hose. Even after that, the leak continued. At that point, I no longer felt confident they could diagnose the issue, so I took the car to another mechanic. The second shop identified the actual source of the leak: a broken plastic piece on the oil filter housing where the oil cooler connects. They replaced the entire oil filter housing assembly, and the leak was resolved. From this, I realized that the incorrect part had been replaced initially. Based on what I learned, the plastic housing is the common failure point, not the metal cooler itself. Many mechanics recommend replacing the full housing to stop leaks. When I asked Neal's Garage for a refund, they refused and told me I should bring the car back again under their warranty. However, after two unsuccessful repair attempts, I didn't feel comfortable returning for a third try. At this point, I don't feel confident trusting them with anything beyond basic maintenance. Photos: These photos show the removed oil filter housing from the second mechanic. The first image highlights a visible break in the plastic housing, which was identified as the actual source of the leak, and which should have been replaced instead of the oil cooler alone. read more

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They did a great job repairing my dads car and they people were very nice and helpful plus it was a short amount of time I strongly recommend Neal's Garage read more

My husband and I decided to go to Neal's after our more local mechanic downtown moved farther out. Initially just oil changes and inspections. Then my husband's car had issues. They milked that issue into 3 different repairs - totaling $2200. Finally, before the last repair, my son-in-law took a look at the car and identified the issue (as it turns out, correctly). So when I took it in to get that fixed, we had success. I probably should have stopped there, but I went back for oil changes as it was just easier. Two 'appointments' in a row were just blown through as 'oops'. I walked around for an hour, killing time on 9th street in the cold and rain, only to find out they hadn't gotten to it. Ok, shit happens. But then they did it the second time - on the return appointment. The ultimate audacity was they were a bit puzzled that I was unhappy. So no - I'm done with Neal's. Cause it's one thing to get a diagnosis wrong, but basic service and respecting customer's time - that's totally 'fixable'. read more

This was my first time here and I was recommended here from a friend. Let's be honest I my trust level was low even though I have a decent knowledge of cars I just have no history with this place and working on my BMW. I only needed front brake pads replaced. The price was high to be honest. After waiting for over an hour and a half the work itself took about 30 minutes. It was nearly $200. The staff was friendly and I was able to watch them on their CCTV network. They noticed a part that needed to be replaced and brought it to my attention however it would have been a part bought at a local auto parts store which would mean an inferior part not a OE or OEM part designed for a German car, definitely not going down that route. What was odd is that a few days after the work my brake light came on, the sensor must have been tripped. What's odd is that my pad set came with a new sensor and should have been replaced, so why it was tripped is unsure to me. But now I have to get that fixed to reset my dash light, something else to do... I think I may come back... still not sure. read more

Neal's works on all of our cars, and our cars are OLD. They do great, quick work and their prices are fair. I highly recommend.

Not recommended. I had to take my car to another shop to fix their "repair job" and they straight up admitted to me that they're too busy to pay close attention to their customers. They're also slow. So slow that your vehicle registration is likely to expire during the many weeks it takes them to do a sloppy repair job. read more

Neal's is wonderful! We have a Lexus, a Volvo and a Lincoln, and they take care of anything and everything. They are friendly, responsive, very reasonably priced and amazing mechanics! A+++ ! read more

Neal's Garage provides courteous, expert service in a timely manner and they're up-front about their charges before going ahead with the work. I've never been disappointed, but it's wise/frugal to pay with a debit card or check instead of a credit card to avoid the surcharge. read more

Racist and ineffectual. Not only would they not help me change a flat to put a spare on, they wouldn't let the roadside technician do it either. The only real reason is they didn't want to lose money...even though they're incompetent read more

(Sunday 7/31/2020) I JUST paid $362 to get my air fixed, yesterday. Today..... my damn air doesn't work and it's the damn weekend!!! Update: (Monday 8/3/2020) I took it back, today. First, they said there was a leak from my air pressure switch. Now, they're saying it's leaking from somewhere else, and want to charge me $453 more.....for THEIR mistake. They said they didn't see a leak from anywhere else. How the hell did you not see the leak after doing a full diagnostic test???? I'm supposed to pay for YOUR mistake??? These people are disgusting and they took advantage of me, because I am a BLACK WOMAN. How the hell do you take advantage of anyone during times like this???? But, it's fine. Not only will I be suing them, but they will reap what they have sown. read more

I am giving one star because they charged me a 4% surcharge for using a credit card. I paid almost $40 surcharge. Very tricky! When you are paying the bill the surcharge does not appear on the screen - only on the receipt after you've paid. read more

I call on Tuesday and had an appointment for the next day. My alternator belt came off. One of the pulleys were completely missing so I had the alternator belt kit installed, which included replacing all the pulleys. Got my car back quickly. The people were professional! I am pleased and car runs great! read more

Always take care of my car needs when needed & do a great job! Great guys, reliable & nice!

I have a love-hate relationship with my car. Being in multiple loaners and rentals over the last couple of weeks made me realize, even more, how much I appreciate her design, pick-up, and responsiveness. However: she is needy. And has already demanded lots of TLC in the short time I've owned her. So, I visit Neal's more than I'd like to. At first, it was just basic oil changes. Then, a check engine light that wouldn't turn off, even after having it serviced. Followed by some shoddy tires that needed replacing. Waking up the next day to find two of the brand new tires flat (broken valve stems). And most recently, towing the car in because of a stalling issue, that wasn't resolved after having it looked at once earlier. Here's why Neal's gets my upgrade to an ultimate 5 stars. They may not know exactly what's wrong right off the bat; but they are dedicated to solving the problem, and doing it as efficiently as they can. When my stalling issue took longer to troubleshoot and repair than expected, Chris went out of his way to offer a loaner car. And when that car had to be returned, he actually loaned me his PERSONAL vehicle. That's customer service that's above and beyond (especially considering the curb rash I know they've seen on my car! [Oops]). When I got my car back, it had been driven out to 540 to ensure it was running right, and given a car wash. They had also taken care of filing the warranty claims. Moreover, Chris and other Chris (Little Chris? Chris Jr?), are polite, professional, patient (believe me -- I called them about a bazillion times, and when I wasn't doing that, I was making my hubby drop in and pester with questions), and really seem to care about getting me back on the road safely. They're kind of like the car-savvy uncle and cousin I never had! read more

Great communication they let me know what was wrong with my vehicle and gave recommendations on fixing it

I recently had an experience where the shop made a mistake repairing my vehicle. The mistake went unnoticed for a couple months. Once it was realized they accepted responsibility and completed the job immediately. This is a solid shop that cares for its customers. read more

EMERGENCY SITUATION. DEC. 23. ABOUT TO GO TO NEAR ZERO TEMPS. MY SERVICE STATION WAS CLOSED. I stopped at Neal's and told them my problem. Lots of places could have said to go away: we're busy, you're not one of our regulars, etc. Now I know why my friend, Royce, raves about their service. I needed to get my antifreeze levels checked and filled up it necessary. They stoped what they were doing and helped me on the spot. No Charge. Really nice folks. Thanks. read more

I dropped off my car at 6:45am to have a car inspection done and check tire pressure. When I came back at 3:45pm to pick my car, the service was not done. The manager stated that the machine has been having trouble the entire day. However, the customer before me just had a car inspection done. ( I happen to listen that she fail inspection) THEY ARE LIERS AND PROVIDE POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!! My car was there more than 7 hours and the service was never done?? How can I take them serious when they lie right to my face. In the past I used to see the manager in the bar around the cortner drinking and answering the shop calls and he was pretending that he was at the shop. Thank God the bar closed down. Who knows where they hang out now this days. They forget and lie about peoples cars. read more

It makes me sad to write a mixed review. I've been going to Neal's for years for fast and competitively priced oil changes, inspections, and minor fixes. I've never felt pressured to spend more than I needed to. However, recently I need more extensive work done. After a series of unfortunate events (a power outage and snow storm, not their fault), they ended up keeping my car for 7 days instead of one. Even though they couldn't help it, there was no apology and they would not give me a loaner car. When I finally did get the car back and pay them for the work they did, the car was in the exact same condition from before. I took it back to them and told them nothing had been fixed (they would not give me a loaner car again). They then told me it was a set of bigger problems totaling much more money than I was willing or able to spend. I do not think they are dishonest. I really believe they fixed the original problem they said they fixed. However, they did not check to make sure the car was fixed before giving it back to me. Also, because they did not correctly assess the problem in the first place, I ended up spending close to $500 on a car I'm now just going to sell. Long story short: great a place for a fast and easy oil change, but for anything more complicated, take your car elsewhere. read more

I was in and out for my state inspection(and it's the last Friday of the year, so you can imagine how busy shops are). Very quick service and very friendly people. I highly recommend choosing Neals Garage for any services you need done on your vehicle. read more

Got new tires from Neal's and they did an amazing job. Very professional crew. Marshall was very helpful with the whole process. I recommend Neals Garage all day. Thank you again guys. read more

I had a very bad experience with Neal's garage. They OVERCHARGE, at least three times the normal repair cost. I went there and left my car in the morning to fix a TPMS error/issue. They called me and said there is issue with one of the TPMS and they will charge 395$ to replace it in total. I argued with the guy and confronted that this is at least 3 times the normal repair cost for replacing a TPMS. After argument he said I can come down to 265$ or you need to pay the diagnostic charges and take your car back. This is the first red flag that he was clearly trying to overcharge me and negotiated from 395 to 265$ charge which is still twice the normal repair cost for diagnosis and replacing the single TPMS. I had to agree because I needed to get it fixed on the same day. When I went to pick up my car I discussed with guy on counter that you guys are trying to overcharge. Nobody charge 265 for a single a TPMS. One of the guy at counter started arguing in a very rude manner and said we charge hourly whatever the repair is, which they did not communicated with me when I came to drop-off my car. Neither they provided me any estimate or hourly rate. He was very rude and arrogant that I had to just pay and leave. My advice is that if you really have to go to them just beware that they are going to overcharge you. read more

We have always liked Neal's for service in the past. Unfortunately we were recently there and the gentleman in the very small front office was not wearing a mask. We may not use them again. This shows no respect for their customers considering the current state of the Covid virus and the fact that the city/county have reinstituted a mask mandate. read more

I took my car here because a service indicator light was on that I wanted to get checked out. I called ahead and told them, and was told no problem. When I brought it in I was told they would take a look and nothing about a cost was ever mentioned. When they diagnosed the problem and I chose not to have them fix it, as it wasn't dangerous, they charged me $100 just for the diagnostic! When I complained about this (I've never been charged so much just to see what was wrong with my car) they insisted they had told me how much it would be, which they hadn't. In all the years I've had my car, no mechanic has ever charged $100 for a diagnostic. I'm never going back here and I wouldn't trust these people. read more

I'm so thankful for this place coming in to the rescue as they did. I spoke with Chris when first bring my car in because of it stalling out. He first let's me know they'll look at it in the morning and give a call back to me the next afternoon. My friends and I happen to pop my hood to see if we notice something funny and we did. We called him over he checked and made sure to note the observation. Literally 30 minutes, I kid you not, went by and Chris has given me a call to let me know my car is good and I can come get it...THE SAME DAY. I can't rave enough of how much I appreciated this caring and fast service. I've been looking for a new place to service my car and I think they have won me over. Thank you guys! read more

I noticed a delay in the start-up of my car, and so I took it by Neal's. I was pretty sure it was just the battery, but wanted to double check. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, however, I feel extremely ripped off. It took close to two hours for them to test my battery (I understand they may have been busy). They then quoted me something around $137 for the battery and labor (about 10 minutes). That is all fine, i knew it was going to be more expensive to have it done at a shop. They were going to have to go out and pick up the battery, and as i was on a tight schedule, I told them I would have to come back the next day. Everything was fine until they told me I needed to pay for the diagnostic. $50 dollars for them to run a little battery test which takes only a few minutes. I paid the $50 dollars, and decided I would just purchase and install a new battery myself. I went to auto zone, and the man assisting me was extremely helpful. He did a quick battery test (for free!), and then told me that my old battery was still under warranty, and exactly where I could go to have it replaced (for free!). Anyway, I will not be throwing any more money away at Neal's. read more

Really nice guys and they do the work quickly. For an oil change, it is the place to go. (Especially with the Duke student discount.) But they miss things. When I take my car in for an oil change, I've asked for them to check it over and they rarely find anything. But when I take it to a family friend when I am back home who I completely trust, he will tell me that I need new tires or that the brakes should have been changed. read more

I've never gone to an independent garage before, opting always to go to dealers for service and repairs. This time around, however, I figured that since my car is out of warranty anyway, I'd try somewhere local. Best. Decision. Ever. Seriously, the service at Neal's is great, and the location pretty much can't be beat. I mean, where would you rather wait, in a crowded dealership filled with people who are bitter at the interminable wait in automotive limbo, or Elmo's, Francesca's, or any of the other places on 9th Street? Heck, I could probably just walk home and wait there. Furthermore, the service was completed in a timely fashion, and they are very accommodating. The next day I received a call from Chris just to check up on everything. I've never gotten that kind of personal attention at a dealership before, ever. read more

This shop almost killed my car. After having my car die on the side of the road, I had it towed to Neal's as they were close by. After a few days, they called to say that I needed a new crankshaft position sensor which would cost close to $500. I said, great, go ahead and repair it but I should have known then that they were not very honest as this repair can be done for less than $200 by other shops. I didn't hear from them for almost 2 weeks!!! I kept calling but no one would talk to me. I finally was able to get in touch with the manager who told me that my engine had seized and the car was toast unless I wanted to replace the engine. This made no sense from the car's history. I kept trying to get additional information but they just kept repeating that the engine was shot. They still charged me for the crankshaft position sensor as they stated they could not return it. I had the car towed to Creech Imports in Raleigh who confirmed the engine was fine. It needed a new timing belt and pulley. They had it fixed and ready to go in less than 24 hours. Fair warning that this shop is dishonest and doesn't have good mechanics. read more

I've been going to Neal's Garage regularly since I moved into their part of Durham. I have a high mileage BMW (over 120K miles) but they have helped keep it in good shape. They are certified to do BMW repairs and I actually trust them more than Performance BMW in Chapel Hill (due to bad experience that I had there). Most of my visits have been for routine maintenance but there have been a couple of car issues that were more difficult to diagnose and fix. Luckily the BMW has been more manageable than my wife's Audi TT. When my wife's car had strange issues they did their best to find the cause and I blame Audi for the delay more than Neal's. Their tire prices are competitive (I could probably order online for a little cheaper but I prefer building a relationship with my local business). Plus, they sometimes get my car washed at Bull City Car Wash across the street which is awesome. As for oil changes, they are also priced competitively. I usually drop off my vehicle in the morning and pick it up at lunch because that works with my schedule. Other people wait at the shop during the oil change. The shop seems very clean and modern. They even have an electric vehicle charging station and they have gotten special training to work on hybrid/electric vehicles. All of the staff are very friendly and they get to know you and your vehicle. I'm very fortunate to have this place within walking distance of my house. If you don't live as close by then it is still worth the drive. read more

Brought my Ford Explorer in for an alignment since my tires were wearing unevenly and I just purchased a new set. Charged me the full amount for only setting the tow. The explorer doesn't have an adjustable camber (which was my problem). When my new tires starting wearing unevenly, I checked under the vehicle myself and saw that all 4 ball joint boots were torn and appeared to have been for a long time. You would think that the mechanic would have mentioned that but then again he didn't speak much English. The owner just sat up front answering the phone and chatting to a friend. Never did supervise or check the work that was done on my car. Bottom line is that the car needed front end work but they took some quick money for a useless alignment. read more

So, the wife's car won't start. No problem! You say to yourself, "I know how to use jumper cables. Besides, using them is an excellent opportunity to prove my worth as a man." What's that? It's raining? You're no longer as eager to get to work on jumpstarting the dead Yaris but you're still reasonably into it. Crap. The car STILL won't start? Maybe it's the alternator? Should I set it ablaze in a plume of insurance fraud-tinged glory? Easy now. You have GEICO roadside assistance. What's that? Your top o' the line GEICO policy DOESN'T have roadside assistance and the new AAA membership you signed up for doesn't kick in until the morning? No big deal. Just wait until it stops raining and try again in the morning. The morning is upon you. You've just come in from a run, for whatever reason you have car keys on you, and you decide to give the jump another shot. Success! Ah, but wait! It sounds like the battery is going to die. Better drive to Neal's Garage. Not so fast. You have your car keys but not your wallet. Wallet in hand, you speed down Markham to Neal's Garage where you learn that, despite most of the techs being offsite for training, the remaining tech will in fact give your vehicle the once over. Several hours later and for about $50 more than you would have expected, the Yaris is up and running, your wallet is a bit lighter, and spousal harmony has been restored. read more

Finding an automotive place that doesn't dilute information because you have two X chromosomes seems as rare as finding a doctor that spends more than three distracted minutes talking to you. I usually go to my dealership, which is great but is so impossibly busy you can't get an oil change in less than two hours. I decided to head to Neal's for a change. Best. Change. Ever. I went for 120k service and an inspection. The service is great; they check everything any other place would check, but ONLY REPLACE WHAT NEEDS REPLACING. Instead of the $400+ price quoted by other places, my bill for the service was about $40. They also helpfully and clearly explained a couple other issues I asked them about, and fixed those, plus took it for a drive to try diagnosing something. Anyway, I went to the basement of a nearby coffee shop expecting to plug away at my to-do list for half a day. An hour later, I got an email (!!! - because my phone was getting no reception in the basement of the coffee shop). It felt like a nice extra touch of service. Everything was completed in about 1.5 hours, using top quality parts and service. Plus they invited me to come back for a follow-up on the issues I took to them, and they'd take another test drive. It may not come with the complimentary car wash that my dealer offers, but hey, it was raining that day anyway. Plus, faster and absurdly more affordable? You can bet I'll be back. read more

I've done an oil change, inspection and replaced two tires here and couldn't be happier with this shop. The service was quick and friendly, and they were happy to answer any questions I had. Prices seem about average, though my tires ended up being cheaper than I had thought they would - I have low-profile tires that tend to be pretty expensive to replace. They didn't carry the tires I needed (no surprise, they tend to be a special order deal), but they brought them in next day. I LOVE the location. I had thought I would have to go to 15-501 to find a shop, but I was instead able to walk from home to pick up my car. The waiting area is indeed tiny, but that's small beans in the scheme of things. read more

I needed a mess of general maintenance on my modified 2014 wrangler. It drives like it's brand new. I'll go nowhere else.

After taking all my cars here for over a decade, telling countless people how amazing this garage is (two friends that I referred just last month had major work done here because I sent them), and spending thousands of dollars, I will never ever go to Neal's Garage ever again. I had my front brakes replaced this summer when they had apparently just undergone a change in "management". They squealed as soon as they were put on and never stopped. I complained multiple times and was told it was just brake dust that would dissipate. After a couple of months, I was in there one day when the owner was there and I asked that he take a look. He said according to their system I had the best pads put on and he rode with me in the car to listen and tell me the pads and rotors were under warranty and he would make sure they were fixed but he didn't have anyone to do it that day. I was leaving for a trip abroad so I told him I would either leave the car there before I left or bring it back upon my return. When I returned I brought the car in for an oil change and for them to look at the brakes and was again told it was brake dust. They informed me that I was given the worst pads, not the best and that I would have to pay for anything else. I insisted on speaking with the owner as he had guaranteed them for me and given me his word. He never called me back. I picked up my car and they clearly they damaged the back brakes as they were squealing too (when they had not been before I dropped it off). Supposedly their office staff left multiple messages for the owner to call me back but it has been a week and a half now and I have given up on ever hearing from Neal's or having them stand by their work. Their "warranty" is essentially useless. Which unfortunately also applies to the tires I also have from them which are less than a year old. Additionally, when I asked if my car was safe to drive, I was told "just for now". By all means please take your vehicle elsewhere as your safety and that of your family and other drivers on the road is far too important to risk having your vehicle serviced by somewhere that does faulty service, doesn't return phone calls, and does not treat their customers with the basic degree of respect. I am utterly flabbergasted that anyone would ever treat anyone else this way especially a fellow business-owner and loyal customer. I deserve better and so does all of Durham. read more

They do free nitrogen tire fill-ups. Free. No such thing in my hometown. We showed up today without an appointment, and the garage bays were all full. Almost as soon as we arrived an employee came over to find out what we needed, then instructed us to pull up to one of the bays. Without us even entering the garage, we had our tires topped up and we were on our way within 10 minutes of when we first arrived. I don't know anything about Neal's other services or policies, but they are superb at doing very quick nitrogen fill-ups. If I lived in the area I'd want to give them my business just because they made everything so easy. read more

I took my car to Neal's when it started overheating. The location was perfect since I could just walk to East campus and catch the bus for school. I left my car while I was at school, and they were finished working on it by the time I went home. It was a pretty easy fix, and the price for parts and labor was very reasonable. I even got a student discount, which is always helpful. I appreciated that the people at Neal's were very straightforward with me and didn't try to sell me on a hundred other things that needed work. They just solved my problem in the simplest way possible and sent me on my way. I'll definitely be back if (heaven forbid) the ole Subaru starts acting up again. read more

I had a Mercedes in for a stuck key back in 2016. They replaced the EIS, when come to find it was really just a faulty key. This car has not been a good experience, but garages like this only make it worse. They also blew up one of my SAMs then blamed me for it; never mind that I warned them about connecting the battery when I brought in the car. $1700 later it was just limping along. I finally took the car to the Mercedes guys on Hwy 50 by Creedmoor. It wasn't cheap but it sure was reasonable. They know what they're doing, and will also talk with you about it. No guys at the front desk blocking you, nice! read more