Echo what others say about great customer service. Customer service seems to be lacking in most businesses, so it is refreshing when you experience it. Came in for the first time on short notice since I had a slow leak in a tire and needed an oil change before I left town prior to Christmas. Russel was upfront and said they would try to work me in as well as all other procrastinators. They did and I was a very satisfied customer. Fair and reasonable pricing. read more

Russel and his team are timely and informative! They heard my concerns, found the problem, and fixed it + gave me advice to avoid similar issues in the future. read more

If you are a woman, DO NOT COME HERE! The owner took advantage of my desperation of me needing my car fixed. The owner overcharged me and told me that it was at his discretion to do so. I was quoted one price by the head repairman (who runs the shop when the owner is out) prior to working on my car. After the work was done, I was quoted a new price by the owner which was almost $300 more. Not only was I overcharged for labor I did not approve to be done on my car prior, they also broke a valve on my engine. Instead of notifying me about it and fixing what they broke, they decided to GLUE the hose over the broken valve hole with a silicone adhesive. This of course wore off over time and caused my car to break down only 4 months later! They are the only shop to EVER do work on my engine/spark plugs prior to my car breaking down again 4 months later for the very reason they overcharged me to fix! To overcharge me, speak to me condescendingly, and to break something without properly fixing it is such a horrible way to run a business. read more

Northtown Auto - Holding the hose with the black adhesive still attached at the end. - Auto Repair Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Wife and I have been taking our cars to Northtown Auto and Russell since at least 2013, maybe longer. Have always appreciated Russell treating us well and doing the right thing -- whether that meant making a repair or advising us not to do so. Have built a quality relationship now, where I know that I'll be given good advice -- and he'll be straight with the tougher news, too. And, as someone else mentioned in a review -- yes, I appreciate a repair shop that also hosts art exhibits. read more

They were extremely friendly and flexible with getting my car fixed. They replied quick and communicated clearly what was wrong without trying to sell me anything unnecessary. My cost ended up being less than the quote and I will definitely be returning! read more

I love that there is an auto shop that has art shows! This place is so cool, and the owner is very nice and welcoming. They gave me a tire rotation, and even offered me a ride home since I lived nearby and didn't have a ride. They provide quality service in a timely manner, and communicated effectively about any issues with my vehicle. I plan on going back for all my car needs. read more

Russell couldn't be nicer, and he's also very honest. I had some work done elsewhere and an indicator light was on afterward.c so I assumed it was something else and called Northtown Auto. Russell's team figured out that there was an issue with the prior repair work. He charged me a fair price for the time his guys spent looking at it. Some other place might have made up some nonsense repair or charged more. I was treated with respect, and I'll be back next time I have any car repair need. read more

Getting to know your auto mechanic isn't a great thing. Russell and his team work to make sure they see you as little as possible. The place is locally owned and the people know how to do business. It's nothing flashy. It's just good service. I appreciate the team's diligence in looking at the car when you're having a problem to pinpoint what the issue is on it. When they call to give you the assessment and the cost for repair, they explain the problem. And they are nice about it. They don't get irritated and try to push services on you. They understand that each trip to the mechanic is an investment into an automobile and you need to assess the situation and make the best choice for you. The other thing that is great is if you tell them to go ahead and make repairs, it is done in as quick of fashion as humanly possible. Overall, I can't recommend this place enough. I have had to deal with some really awful to mediocre mechanics in the past. There's just such a clear difference in terms of how things work at Northtown that there's just no comparison. My one complaint -- Northtown isn't open on Saturdays. But I will gladly work around not having a car for a day or two if I know someone competent and respectable is working on it. read more

Trustworthy and quality service. Since Being introduced to Northtown Auto from a family recommendation, I haven't gone to any other mechanics. There have been other places my friends swear by that have quoted me $700 for fixing bogus problems. This is a common worry when it comes to trusting a place to take your car but I know I can trust Russell and the guys at this shop. When they recommend that service is needed, they tell you whether it is absolutely needed to be done, why it is needed, and how to avoid future problems if needed. Most recently there was some serious dry rot on my tires and I got some advice on how to avoid it on these next tires. I felt like I wasn't doing a good job taking care of my car but they let me know that it wasn't really much I could have done differently since I park in a gravel and muddy/clay parking lot everyday. read more

Love this business! So helpful, always friendly, cleanest auto shop I've ever been in. Customer service is phenomenal with Russ and Ted taking the time to explain my options and putting "car talk" in laymans terms so that I can make an educated decision with my vehicle. It's not easy to find a mechanic that you can totally trust but they've proved themselves. Also, they have the sweetest dog that greets you at the door which i look forward to with each visit! read more

I used Northtown Auto several times in the past with my older car and always had a good experience. I bought a newer car and didn't need any service to my newer car for several years. But today when I called to get a ballpark estimate of cost before I tried to make an appointment, it was a terrible process. He was very short with me and if you're a woman that doesn't know everything about cars then you'll feel silly for trying to give them business. He didn't believe me when I said I had been there before and looked me up to see if I was lying. I would only recommend this place if you live close by and don't mind driving in for an estimate. The drive would have been pretty far out of the way for me but had been excited about returning here. read more

STAY AWAY! Northtown Auto and Russell Philips deserve 0 stars. This place is run by a bunch of buffoons. My car started shaking a little after I would turn it on and my heat went out, so I brought it into them to look at. After having my car for 3 days, and claiming I just needed routine maintenance, replacing spark plugs, and a fuel injector, he still couldn't figure out what was wrong with it although he claims he fixed it and I just needed to drive around a bit to let the fuel injector cleaner work. I got my car back in much worse shape than when I gave it to him. Ended up taking it to Thoroughbred Ford a couple hours after because the car was shaking so bad at highway speeds. They discovered that he had replaced one of my spark plugs with a cracked spark plug, causing the terrible shaking. In the end, they had to replace the spark plug and coil in cylinder 1. When I went back to Russell and told them he put a cracked spark plug in my car and asked for them to pay for their mistake and being negligent by not checking his work, he had this long winded explanation on what he would pay for and what he wouldn't. He said he would refund me $266.47 (the actual cost at Thoroughbred was $365.90) because he never charged me for a diagnostic fee in the first place. Okay. But then he said he knew my brakes needed to be fixed and said he would do them for free, which would save me $400. I said I needed to think about it and that I would call him back. I should have just taken the money right then and there, because when I contacted him the next day about just getting the refund, he said he never offered a refund, but only to pay 125.50 for the parts and labor. Because I didn't take his brake job offer, his amount suddenly when down. When I told him this shows extreme lack of character, his fragile ego was hurt and said he wasn't giving me any money. He then gave me the warranty info on the spark plug and said I could try getting something from them. So, this snake doesn't take responsibility for his work. I tell everyone I know now not to go to this terrible place. Another thing, his diagnostic skills are awful. A week after this debacle, my car was still shaking a little when I turned it on--the reason I brought it to him in the first place--but now it started smoking a little, and died a couple times. I took it into Thoroughbred Ford and they diagnosed it in an hour. I needed a new engine--they found out that coolant had been leaking into my engine, completely ruining it. I took it to Gary Crossly Ford for a second opinion and they diagnosed the same thing after I described what was happening and a quick look at the coolant level--like 15 minutes. So not only did Northtown Auto put in broken parts into my car, and charged me almost $1000 for it, they also missed something that was clearly easily diagnosed. Terrible service and terrible skills. read more

Years ago and to this day my Father is expressly serious when he says to me, "Where ever you live, be sure to find the best, most trustworthy mechanic near you and stick with them." Through the years this is invaluable advise. So when we moved to North Kansas City, with a bit of research, we found Northtown Auto to be our go to. They have consistently been helpful, professional, affordable, friendly, and in a pinch there for us. I've had other mechanics, and cars for that matter in the past, this is the place I plan to keep, kinda wish I had them previously, :-o Will send my family and recommend to friends here in KC. read more

Highly recommended. I came in late on a friday expecting that I would need a new tire and I would have to leave my car at the shop for the weekend, but was happily surprised when they explained to me that I just needed a patch up, and that they would try their best to fit me in before they closed. An hour later my tire was all fixed up and ready to go. They also have the sweetest dog I have met named Luna. I would come back just to hang out with the pup; the friendly, speedy, and reliable service was just a bonus. read more

100% excellent service! Ask for Russel or Ted! Luna will meet you at the door for a rub. They also feature local artist! We've used them for 17 years. We'll go to Russel before we go to a dealership. We had both cars in the shop yesterday and today! They put a new timing belt & all the maintenance such as oil change etc on my husband's car & added freon to my car! I can't say enough wonderful things about them! They keep us on the road without breaking the bank doing one heck of a job! You go Russel & Luna! read more

Northtown Auto is a business that you can trust. It is a family owned and operated business, run with small town values that you can feel confident about. I bring all of my cars to them regularly, with confidence that I am getting an honest job at a competitive price. It is comforting to know as a woman, that when I come in the door, I will be treated with respect and dignity, and that I will not be taken advantage of. I know that they are taking care to give my car the attention to detail that it needs to prolong the life of my car and to ensure that I am safe on the road, yet never do I feel that I am getting pressured into work that doesn't need to be done. Russell and Ted are honest, reliable, do excellent work, and are always a joy to do business with. I would recommend them to anyone! read more

I bought a Groupon from them for the oil change special. My roommate and I car pool so she used it first on her car. It was fairly inconvenient to leave the car there all day. The guy that helped us was a little curt. I also asked him if he could check the "Check Engine" light that has been on my car. He acted like it was beneath him and said I could just take it to auto parts store (I was already at his place, though?!?). We thought it was odd and didn't complain with the oil change being so cheap. Then, I tried to use it. Now to be fair, I have an ignition lock in my car, so you have to blow in to it to start the car. I've had it for about a year and every where I have taken just lets me start the car and then they move it. When it is done, they call me back. I have to wait the whole time but I don't mind. When I called, I explained this. The man said he could blow in the ignition. I told him I didn't feel comfortable but would gladly wait. Now, I wouldn't mind if he had said they couldn't service it. But instead he talked down to me and told me that I should read the voucher because on it, it SAYS that I would have to leave it. I told him fine I would call back. I probably wouldn't have even been upset at his rude answer, if he had actually been correct. The voucher actually states in bold that an appointment may be necessary. I don't know if leaving a car at the beginning of the morning to be worked on at some point through the day is some kind of new appointment, but I found it very irritating. While this place is close to my house, and I like that it is not some big chain, I doubt I will be recommending them or using their services. I gave the voucher to my roommate but with our work schedule it is hard to meet the drop off/pick up times. So, I guess they made their money back on that stupid voucher as we won't even being using it. read more

Ted was awesome. He and his crew performed miracles on my Hot Rod!

I have gone to Northtown Auto several different times in a pinch. Each time I have been pleasantly surprised with their customer service and honesty. Simply put they conduct business the way it should be done. read more

Amazing people with great hearts. Their work is absolutely phenomenal! I had an emergency traveling cross country and they got me back on the road in less than 3 hours! Highly recommend. read more

I had a strange experience at Northtown Auto today. I am puzzled by the whole thing, so I'll just put what happened here and let you interpret it for yourself. I called last week and set up an appointment for 9 a.m. for an oil change and for them to check my tires for a couple of issues. When I called, I talked about how most places want me to come in at 8 for oil changes, but that I can't make it that early. The man on the phone scheduled me for 9. I was running late this morning and didn't arrive until 9:20. I wasn't sure if they were still going to be able to work on my car. I went inside, apologized for being late and asked the man at the counter (Russell) if he wanted me to reschedule. He asked if I could drop the car off and I said no, as I had no way to get to work from NKC. He said that he was booked through the morning, but he took my keys and said that after his 9:00 and 10:00 appointments were done, he would try to fit me in. I sat quietly in the waiting room. 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00 passed by without a single word from Russell or anyone else. Meanwhile, my car still sat in the parking lot. Not once did he say to me that he wouldn't be able to work on my car; not once did he say, "Hey, the mechanics are going to lunch, do you just want to reschedule?" He never said a word. After waiting for three hours, I went to the counter and asked for my keys back. Never during either interaction was I anything but apologetic and polite. Nonetheless, he apparently felt the need to snark at me at this time, saying that I was supposed to be there between 8-9 (?!). I replied that no, I had a 9:00 appointment and was 20 minutes late. I suspect that though I was told that they made a 9:00 appointment for me, it was still written down as "arriving between 8-9." I see that Russell likes to post snippy responses to people's complaints on the internet, so I suppose that he will post something negative about me, too. I don't have anything negative or positive to say about the actual work they do on the car or their prices. They may be spectacular; I don't know. I am just reporting my experience as is. Caveat emptor. read more

I posted my original review almost a year ago, in that time we've had three different vehicles serviced at Northtown. On each and every occasion we were treated respectfully and honestly. Once, we dropped off a vehicle in the middle of the night leaving a message for Russell that we had to leave the following day at 6am to make our daughters wedding and he made it happen. He has gone above and beyond each time. Having trustworthy and affordable contact for automotive work is invaluable. I would not hesitate to recommend the establishment to anyone. read more

Russell is great. he explains everything needed so you can understand. plus he fosters/ adopts bully breeds and trains them!

I went in for an inspection and as far as I could tell nothing was wrong with it. When it was returned to me, they suggested I pay for a repair that was estimated at $500. They claimed I had a leak that was clearly visible--nope! I hadn't seen the leak before and have checked every morning and afternoon since and still no leak. I could just let this go, but when I got my car back the check engine light was on and had not been before. They oh so kindly offered to check the diagnostics (autozone does this for free), and informed me I needed further repair. THE LIGHT WASN'T EVEN ON BEFORE THEY MESSED WITH IT! When I brought this to Russell's attention he spoke down to me as if I were a child. That afternoon I wrote a review on google and received a biting voicemail from him condemning my review. I'm glad I didn't give him my address... read more

I needed an MVI for my 16 yr old son's VW Jetta and took it to Russell at Northtown Auto. The car failed due to an exhaust leak in resonator. Russell called me at work (they shuttled me to the Streetcar to get to Crown Center to work) and suggested taking the car up the street to Seeburg to replace the resonator and weld a pipe section of the exhaust. They transported the car, had the work done and re-inspected the car which passed! Service above and beyond and I couldn't be more pleased. Great shop, great people and great owners. I have 100% trust in Russell and crew to give me straight talk with straight answers. I will use this business for all of my future needs and recommend them to others. Thanks Northown Auto read more

I've been coming here for almost 15 years. It's a small family owned business and they obviously care a lot about their customers. Russell is almost always the person who greets you when he walks in. If you come here for a while he remembers your name. They always do a great job on my car. I will say they are consistently very busy, so plan to make an appointment and be on time, especially if you plan to wait for your car. They do a great job communicating- they explain things in terms anyone can understand, and show photos of what needs repair as well as the actual part at times. I would recommend them to anyone. read more

I thought this would be a decent place based on a recommendation but not for me. I feel taken advantage of for being female. Brought my vehicle in self diagnosed, it was what I expected. Despite being an easy part replacement in an easily accessible location he charged me 3x what would seem reasonable. Asking for justification only gets meet with chortling snarkiness, worst nightmare of every women. Surprised I didn't get the blinker fluid joke. Perhaps that is what the excess $500 is for. read more

I will never go to this business again. I went in to have my AC and transmission serviced. I used the word AC in the request for service. I found out 2 weeks later when I turned on the AC and it blew hot air that they flushed the radiator and didn't touch the AC. they are crooks. read more

I have been going to Northtown Auto for years and could not be happier! When you are extremely busy and work long hours like I do, having car issues can be your worst nightmare. Thankfully, Northtown Auto makes these inevitable problems a whole lot easier to deal with. Every time I visit the shop, I'm greeted with a friendly smile and treated with respect. Russell always gives me the honest facts about what my car does and doesn't need and, most importantly, I am confident that I can always trust Northtown Auto to do an honest job for a very competitive price. Finding a shop you can trust can be so difficult. It is so nice to never worry about whether or not I am being taken advantage of. I've recommended this shop time and time again to friends and family alike and will continue to do so! Thanks, Ted and Russell, for always keeping my car safe and cared for!!! read more

I've been going to Russell for 13 years. I drive 20 minute sout of my way to take ALL my vehicles there. I have always been treated with the upmost respect and courtesy. His team has always taken the time to explain what malfunctions my vechilces were having at the time I brought them in. I have nt ever been pressured to repair my vehicle. As matter of fact when I sent my last vehicle in for a transmission repair, he informed me that it would be a wats eof money for him to fix my car!!!! He cut himself out of a couple of thousand dollars by being honest and letting me know that I would be better off going an alternate route with my repair. Thank you to Russell and his team, this is the way a company shold take care of their clients. read more