I've taken no fewer than nine different cars to John at Shady Grove Auto Care over the 27 years I've lived in this area, and I've never encountered a more knowledgeable and -- most importantly -- honest mechanic in my life. He never recommends borderline or unnecessary repairs and almost always has some money-saving suggestions. You can't go wrong taking your vehicle to Shady Grove Auto Care. read more

We have brought our cars to John for 16 years now, and we love him! The most honest car repair person we have ever had!

John is great. We've been going for 20 years. Always honest, direct and super helpfull. Reasonable pricing. No need to think twice. Take your car and they'll take care of whatever you need. Minus collision repair. That part of the business was sold prior to moving out to Gude from Gaither road. read more

Been going to Shady Grove for more than 20 years. Honest, thorough, professional in all regards. If you are thinking of giving your car to your one of your kids, have John look at it first, and you can rest comfortably knowing the car is in good shape. read more

As someone who is constantly worried about getting ripped off by a mechanic - I never feel this way at Shady Grove Auto Care. A lot of people at my job use Shady Grove Auto Care and we're constantly referring them to new people. John always makes sure I fully understand what exactly is needed to be fixed and a good timeframe of when it needs to happen. Oh, and, he always helps me get my key back on my keyring when I go to pick up my car, which is also very helpful to me. I would highly recommend going to them for any of your car repair needs. read more

There is a wonderful peace within when you know that your mechanic will honestly service your car. I was so tired of mechanics that tried to tell me the whatzit needed to be replaced and a second opinion said it did not. I found Jon by the recommendation of a co-worker and I continue to recommend Shady Grove to anyone who is having a rotten time with the dealership, etc. You will NOT regret bringing your car to SGAC. read more

These guys are the greatest. So honest and good at what they do. They always fix my car on time and perfectly.

So this review will 100% get buried under the "he's so honest and explains everything" reviews; but this review is for new (ish) customers who are looking for a new mechanic or just moved to the area. Some backstory: I moved to Washington DC about 1.5 years ago and was recommended to this mechanic by my roommate--as she and her mother had trusted John, the mechanic, with their various cars for over 15 years. I had been coming since her recommendation, because that is how word-of-mouth works. That's why yelp, for instance, is so successful. I thought, hmm why not, I need a mechanic. I first called to make an appointment, which must be made one week in advance. Totally fine. But he takes walk-ins which are ... walk ins. So I'd been doing that for literally one and half years. I would give the service and quality of repair about 4 yelp stars. Nothing to complain about. He fixed my car, did the inspection, changed the oil. It was fine and running smoothly. Regular customer service. Solid four stars. A few months ago, I brought the car in for a standard oil change and 22-point inspection, nothing wrong with the car but a standard walk in, with a request to look specifically at the tires. Everything came back fine. He said the car was fine and running smoothly. Great. A few weeks later, my car tire literally blows out on Rock Creek Parkway due to inner tire erosion. I'm a young person, I don't know how cars work (I know, such a shame and people are going to take advantage of me, I know reader, you are much smarter than me) but I thought that's what a mechanic is supposed to tell you when you ask them to look at your tires? Either way, it's okay. Luckily, nobody was harmed, just caused a minor delay on Rock Creek Parkway DURING RUSH HOUR. But honestly, no big deal, no harm, no foul. Lesson learned. Went to Costco, paid for four new tires. Costco will put it under warranty for 60,000 miles and if anything happens in regular wear and tear they will fix it. (I ran over a nail, a few days after the purchase, because this is DC and everything is under construction) They fixed it, no charge, because it was under warranty and that's their policy. 10/10 would recommend Costco. Randomly, my car had a bunch of service lights go on. AHHHHH. Panic!!!! So I take it here, because I mean for all intents and purposes, this is my mechanic. I brought it in, talked to the same guy I always talk to, John, the sole proprietor, and explained to him my situation. After the explanation, he says firmly, "I don't take walk-ins." Which would be fine, if I hadn't been coming here for 1.5 years without an appointment??? And suddenly there's no walk-ins???? Okay, fine, maybe the policy changed and I wasn't aware because I hadn't come in for a couple months. I ask if he could check my car again, in an attempt of pure desperation, to which he responds, "I don't lie, I'm a very honest person." Again, fine. Maybe I'm angry in the moment because I'm absolutely desperate to get my car fixed. But also, this is a nonsensical response to my question of could you check my car again. Fine. I ask for another recommendation for a car mechanic because I need my car fixed. I can't go anywhere (work) without my car, which I need. And to just live actually. He says, "maybe the dealer? Because nobody else will take it on such short notice" I get on yelp and find a nearby auto garage and found Auto Care Garage 19209 Chennault Way (4.5 miles away) and they accepted me as a walk in. They looked at my car and diagnosed the problem. I highly, highly recommend them. Maybe my experience was a one-off. Or maybe he was just really packed and busy that day. Or maybe he just doesn't work on emergency problems. But I needed my car fixed today, and I felt like I'd been a decent customer for a little over a year, no major problems with the service or the repairs. But that's neither here nor there at this point. The tl;dr: if you're looking for a reliable car mechanic and you're new to the area (1.5 years versus 15 years for instance) I would not recommend this place. Maybe if he'd recognized me because I'd been coming for XX amount of years, the situation would be different. Or if my car wasn't in emergent need, this place would be an okay place. But it's not a place for new customers, which is fine. I just wish I had known before because this experience. I write this because yelp is surely for new customers, as it makes NO sense why you'd be looking up a car mechanic you'd been coming to for years and you know the guys by name. But if you're trying to find yourself a new trusty mechanic in the area, this is not the place. Save yourself some time and go down the street to Auto Care Garage on Chennault Ave. read more

We took our cars to the dealership while everything was covered by them but after getting annoyed with how they kept pushing extra repairs and issues we looked elsewhere. A family friend recommend to see John at Shady Grove Auto. We've been coming here for 4+ years now and HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend them!! They are very honest and fair priced! They've done everything from dings/dents to major work in a timely manner and explain to us (not car people) in layman's terms so we understand. read more

Home to some truly honest mechanics and front desk staff, you will always drive away satisfied with the quality and price for the work. They do general maintenance as well as body work. They provide written estimates for the work to be done, and they always stay close to that stated price. They don't pressure you into superfluous repairs that may not need to be done immediately. I have been going here for more than fifteen years, and will be a lifelong customer. read more

Needed an oil change, tire rotation, as well as a diagnostic on a couple noises my car was making. Decided to check out Shady Grove Auto Care due to its convenient proximity to my workplace, and glowing Yelp reviews. John was a pleasure to work with. He was sincere, knowledgeable, and never gave me any feelings of uncertainty. Now, my car feels like new--buttery smooth! I look forward to bringing my car back for future work, and I will definitely be recommending ALL my coworkers! read more

My car broke down near Shady Grove auto care. I was so lucky, as it turns out. I was just about exactly halfway between home and work --over 8 miles each direction. However, I was in the hands of a professional auto repair shop which treats all customers with integrity. In the waiting room I was reassured by two customers who were there to pick up their cars. Both told me they had been coming to SGAC for some years, one for almost 20 years. At the very start, it looked like a well-tended shop. It was neat and the front office was orderly and professional. The repair work was diagnosed on the schedule the shop owner gave me, performed efficiently and on time. I was billed fairly. I felt treated like a long-term customer. I may even make the trek to repeat having any large repairs done there. read more

Shady Grove Auto Care is one of the auto body shop my insurance company works with. I will definitely use them again in the future due to the following reasons. Good Service - I have difficulty drop off and pick up my vehicle due to personal reasons. Dave offered to pick up and drop off my car at my house. No other auto shop ever offered this to me before. Good work - Job was well done and completed in time frame promised. Even the interior of my car was cleaned. Good price - Even my insurance company paid for the repair. Their quote and final cost was lower then an estimate from another shop. read more

Great, friendly service. The location is super convenient to work. Will definitely, work with them in the future!

Knowledgeable, reasonable, and honest, John is one of the best in the area. Unless it's covered under warranty at the dealership, I bring it to Shady Grove Auto and they get it done in no time at a reasonable price. I would, and frequently do, recommend John and his team to anyone. read more

Not because they are near me. Excellent service, very nice staff. Helped me when my car was in an accident. Answered all my questions about insurance. Their body shop also Excellent. Get my auto checkups there. read more

So I've taken several cars here many times. I've had decent luck with them over the years, but my last trip was a very negative one. I'd give them 2.5, as I likely won't take my car back to them. I can't entirely pan them for one or two bad experiences over say 10 visits. I think they are really trying to do there best, but car repair is a tough business. My biggest con comes from my last experience. My wife took the car in for a noise it was making. They replaced a part for 450 dollars which did not fix the noise at all. This bothered me, but wasn't the worst part of the experience. When my wife called back to complain about this, they suggested we take it to a different shop where we had our tires replaced. This was unacceptable as I paid Shady Grove to diagnose and repair the problem. Trying to pawn it off on another shop is just not right, especially when I paid you to fix it. Other cons... There pricing was around what I was getting quoted at the dealer. I had a brake job done there, and probably could have been done quite a bit less expensive if I had shopped it around more. I'd rather support a small guy, so didn't mind. Speed, they aren't the fastest guys around. They kept our car for over a week the last time we had it in. Pros... we're able to fix my A/C at a reasonable cost, and it wasn't a simple repair (this was about 4 or 5 years ago). They generally seems to want to make things right in previous visits, and prior to the visit above they did always make a reasonable explanation about the work they performed. There are pros and cons on this shop, and I likely won't be using them in the future after my wife's last experience. read more

Shady Grove is without a doubt the best auto care business I have worked with. I grew up in the auto care industry and know a lot more than most people about cars and the business in general. John is very honest and does what is right for the customer rather than trying to jack people for unnecessary repairs. Customers stay with Shady Grove Auto for this exact reason and in the long run they get much more business from being honest and trustworthy. You can't go wrong with Shady Grove Auto and I give them the highest recommendation possible. read more

My maintenance light came on due for an oil change and a tire rotation. I took my car to this shop and they performed oil change ONLY without the tire rotation. The owner of this shop told me that they tested the tires and the tires are balanced, therefore, the tire rotation was not needed. This is the first time a car shop is honest about what is really needed for my car. I recommended my coworkers to this shop. I would definitely recommend anybody. read more

It's hard to find an honest mechanic and when you do you stick with them. John is great and has never steered me wrong. Out of convenience I'll usually get an oil change elsewhere and when they tell me something is wrong with my car John sets it straight. read more

An honest auto shop that is reasonably priced and took care of my car without any concerns. I had an oil change (full synthetic), 2 new tires (+ balancing), and front end alignment for my Mazda and had no problems getting that taken care of (only had to wait for them to get in the tires after 1 day to take the car in and get it all taken care of). No hassles and easy to deal with, I would recommend them and will probably go back. A convenient location for those who work in the area. read more

John and his team did a great job fixing my Jeep Liberty v6. Runs great. And it had gotten towed in after blowing up! Reasonable price.

I am a pretty serious motor head (motor head as in having a car on a rotisserie in my garage). As my own work gets busier, I had less time available to do the routine work on my daily driver and my wife's car. By chance, I found this garage and started taking all the family vehicles to John at Shady Grove Auto Care. The shop is a gem. They are very honest about what does and does not need doing. I am still always amazed when they steer you away from repairs (I still recall that I asked them to check my brakes, as the dealer said I needed brakes done all around - they checked them, told me the amount of wear left and suggested I could wait a year). I refer all my friends here and they have always had glowing praise. I think the most telling comment was a friend who said that he took his car to John for an oil change and it was the first time in his life he wasn't hit up for extra services when he requested a simple oil change. There is a posting dated 6/18/2012 that says the shop is under new management. That scared me - I would really be lost without this shop. I had my car serviced this week (January 2013) and John was there as usual and he said management hasn't changed. I am feeling much better now - I don't know what would motivate someone to write that, but it helped to get me off my duff and write a review for a garage I really like and value. They are busy - you absolutely should call ahead for an appointment for routine work. read more

Went here off a recommendation. Not only did they forget about my car all day when I called to check the status but they also never called me the following day with my estimate. bad service. dont go here! read more

John and there autobody shop is honest, I had my transmission done and always go back to this shop, he is honest, and takes care of things quickly I highly recommend shady grove auto care. Great service and great company. Probably the last honest mechanic in Montgomery County would not take my car anywhere else and I recommend all my friends here. Justin Baxter read more

Wow, so impressed with this auto repair shop! Out of towner passing through and was concerned about malfunction message and car not starting. John took a look, recommended a quick fix and said it would be fine. Did it with a smile, and didn't even charge. Almost wished I live here so I could have him service my car. Very honest and trustworthy place. Recommend read more

A friend recommend Shady Grove 5 years ago. Since then I have taken my vehicle to Shady Grove Auto for body shop services & for mechanical repairs. John schedules repair & Dave manages the body shop. Both men are very knowledgeable in the auto industry. I've used Shady Grove about a dozed times. Very Very satisfied with their services. read more

Bill has worked on our family cars for years and always does a great job at a fair price. Highly recommended

John and Shady Grove Auto Care are the best mechanics around. Honest. They will treat your car like it's their own. If it shouldn't be fixed, John will tell you. I can not say enough nice things about this place! read more

Absolutely happy with the service I got. My Audi A5 was hit a few weeks ago and there was a deep scratch and dent on the side of my car. I dropped the car off on Monday and got it back the following Thursday. The car looks brand new. I thoroughly inspected the area expecting to find a remnant of the accident but there was nothing. They also thoroughly vacuumed, wiped all surfaces, and washed and waxed the outside of my car. They gave my car back to me in significantly better shape than when I gave it to them. Best car service. I will go to them again (hopefully I won't have to) and I recommend them to anyone who loves their car and wants to make sure the body shop will do a quality job read more

Awesome garage. I have recommended this garage to many of my friends and they have all been impressed - even other motor heads like me. It is a real gem - people who really know cars and have enough work so they aren't looking for bogus work to do. I have worked on old and vintage cars on and off for many years, but was very happy to find a place to take my daily driver and the wife's car. They have done all sorts of work in the last five years for me - from an emergency replacement of a transmission to routine oil changes and tire mount & balance. They are busy - plan on calling ahead to get an appointment for routine work. I sometimes leave my car for the day and get a ride to work and sometimes wait - if you tell them that you intend to wait for the car, they will schedule it accordingly. I did want to note that there is a posting dated 6.18.2012 that says the shop is under new management. That posting really freaked me out, as I really love this garage and didn't want to see it change. I just had my car in for an oil change (January 2013) and John is still there and he said nothing has changed. I don't understand why someone would write that, but it was a good incentive for me to get off my duff and write something nice. read more

Used for insurance covered Auto Body work. Came in under the insurance price, work is beautiful, and washed and waxed car when done. On time, great service, nice work. Highly recommend. read more

This review is a shout out to Dave at Shady Grove Auto Body. What a great place! They did an excellent job of fixing my car and restoring it perfectly. Quality, timely service and very good people. Highly recommend them for all your auto repairs. read more

Fantastic auto care. John is an expert mechanic who is fair and honest. Each time I go, I am more impressed with his expertise and fairness. He will thoroughly investigate the problem and fix the root cause properly at a reasonable cost. The entire shop is very well organized. read more

Unprofessional and not interested in my business apparently. Went in for both major maintenance and minor body work. Would recommend skipping and taking your business to one of many high quality shops competing with them. Your not doing us a favor guys when we take a day off to stop in and get estimates. read more

As everyone else pointed out, John is a very honest man. I have been giving my regular maintenance with him rather than the dealer, since I trust him more. When the dealer told me my tires were due for a change (it is a new car less than 2.5 years old), John said it was fine and no need to change. My car shut off randomly one night, took it to John asking if I needed to replace battery- he said it was fine and didn't even take any money for inspecting. He is to the point, and delivers his promises. read more

I started taking my car to John a couple years ago after I felt that the Fitzgerald Subaru was screwing me over. John and his team were very fair and didn't over charge. I have had thousand's of dollars of work done to my car over the years and on many occasions john has given me a free oil change to help out. Its the little things that count. read more

I don't know how you can not give this place a 5 star. The BEST customer service. EVERYONE there is very easy to work with. You can not go wrong. I will recommend them to anyone that asks. read more

I have been using this company for 31 years, without any doubt they are the most trustworthy people I have ever brought my car to. I think that is all that needs to be said. read more

This used to be a good shop but now under new management I would never take my car there again. Not only are the prices higher but the work is not the same quality I had come to rely on. I had to bring my car back twice before they fixed the problem. Meanwhile I was charged quite a lot above the quoted estimate to fix other "problems" found. I wonder if these repairs were really necessary. I no longer feel they are being honest with me. I do not recommend anyone taking their car here. Buyer beware! read more