New customer, VERY satisfied.
I'll be honest - I've had a hell of a time finding a good, trustworthy mechanic in Chicago. I've been to tons of garages and mechanics over the years, both small private places and dealerships, and have had problems with, or have been generally dissatisfied by many of them. But this place seems different.
I have an Audi A4 quattro that needed a LOT of work. I had to have my timing and serpentine (accessory) belts replaced, and while this was getting done, I opted to finally have some aftermarket parts that I'd bought installed, including a new water pump, and new engine, transmission, and snub mounts. On top of all this, my engine was leaking oil from God-knows-where. This is extremely important work, since if it's done improperly it could significantly shorten the car's lifespan, so I was 100% adamant about having it all done by someone who was very knowledgeable and trustworthy.
I called tons of garages, both private and some Audi/VW dealerships, which had been recommended by online auto forums. The quotes for just the labor (since I had the parts already) were predictably high, but I wasn't totally impressed by anyone I spoke with. But then, I was fortunate enough to be recommended North Shore Auto Clinic by a friend. I called and spoke with Gena, the owner, and was impressed. He's an intelligent, friendly, and to-the-point kind of guy who's willing to listen to customers and will give you all the technical details of what's going on, should you be interested, which I very much appreciate. Seriously, it's almost expected that guys like this will be slightly dismissive of the customer's opinions and ideas - it's so rare that an auto mechanic will take the time to listen to a customer's description of what's going on, and will then ask questions about what's been done to the car, before giving his thoughts and plans on what he's going to do. I'm both grateful and impressed.
Upon pulling my engine, they noticed my radiator was cracked and leaking (explaining those spots on my driveway...). They were good enough to send me photos of the damaged radiator, and then call and ask what I wanted to do. For $240, they installed a brand new radiator with a lifetime warranty. Into an Audi, a notoriously-overpriced brand. I'm so glad they were the ones to find it, since I'm sure I'd have paid at least three times that much anywhere else. He also found the leak and fixed it for very cheap, only replacing a gasket. Keep in mind, I had no clue where it was coming from. He easily could have told me it was something else entirely and taken me for like $500 without me knowing any better, but he didn't. He also called to let me know that I was mistaken in thinking that I needed new braked and rotors, and told me I had a good amount of life left on my current set, saving me something like $150. As with everything else, he was honest and upfront, and kept me informed every step of the way.
I dropped my car off yesterday, and was clear that I was working on a budget with all of this stuff. Gena was up front about how much each individual installation or repair would cost, and not only did his prices undercut even the cheapest of the other quotes I'd received by several hundred dollars, but my final bill was exactly what he said it would be. When's the last time that's happened? It's legitimately the first time in my life that that's happened. He and his crew had all this work done in just over a day, and and my car's driving better than it ever has. Before I picked it up, he went through and checked all my fluid levels, and topped them off as needed. When I arrived, he explained again everything that was done, gave me his thoughts on the car in terms of what it needed and what I ought to keep an eye on, and I was on my way. I was out the door for less than half of what the other shops quoted me at for labor, and I'm confident that everything was done properly and with much attention to detail.
Don't let the looks of the building put you off - that would be a huge mistake, as it doesn't at all reflect the quality of work and customer service that this place can boast. I'll check in again after a few hundred miles, but given my experience so far I can readily and very highly recommend North Shore Auto Clinic. read more