I've been going to Sun Auto for years -- and they take care of my 20-year-old Honda Civic like it's their own child. Today, they diagnosed and replaced my leaking power steering line in less than four hours from the time I brought my car in. Always friendly, and always willing to discuss options, they've even sometimes done very minor repairs for free. It's so tough to find a mechanic you feel comfortable with. These guys are the real deal. In Hugo we trust. read more

Great team over at Sun Auto, they always are super fast and honest and up front with pricing. After years of taking my car to the dealer I've switched highly recommend them! read more

Sun Auto Service--3201 Damen Ave. Chicago, IL 60618 More than 20 years ago, a friend told me about Hugo and his top-notch, dependable mechanics at Sun Auto. So I started going there for brakes and winterization. Since then, whenever I have car problems I use Sun Auto. Hugo checks what's needed and calls me with the details and cost. I approve the services my budget allows. Since I started using Sun, I haven't taken my cars anywhere else because he always does a great job, his rates are reasonable, and I can trust him 100%. That is rare, believe me. He is a nice guy, and everyone who works with him provides excellent customer service and top-notch skills. Over the years, he has done oil changes, replaced belts, fixed the water pump, etc. Since I have a Lexus, parts for Lexus are very expensive and Hugo makes a special effort to get the lowest parts price. One time, my car broke down and I was stuck in a freezing snowstorm near Lincoln & Lawrence. I called my road Insurance (Progressive), but after being on hold for 15 minutes listening to annoying music, they said it would take them 5 to 6 hours to send a towing truck. So I called Sun Auto and they sent a tow truck in 25 minutes.! When I tell people about Hugo and Sun Auto, they say it is hard to find dependable mechanics in these times. I know. I used to be one of them. My advice: check them out. Fassil read more

I've been going to this shop with various cars, as well as my work truck, for over a decade. They are trustworthy, affordable, and not afraid to be honest about what actually needs to be fixed ASAP and what is sort of optional or can wait. Many times they have fixed a minor problem and sent me away with no charge. Couldn't recommend them more effusively; if you have a car in need of work, this is the place to go. read more

Hugo was fantastic. Ran a diagnostic and did a AC recharge same day. AC is running beautifully. Great service and small business. Would recommend to anyone. read more

I noticed a strange noise when I started my car and debated having it towed back to the suburbs to my trustworthy mechanic or just try the mechanic half a mile away. I called Sun Auto since they tow and they convinced me I could drive it a short distance (to them) and they could check out the problem. They quickly realized my catalytic converter and oxygen sensor were stolen (common issue in Chicago especially now with so many unemployed and needing money) and I would need a replacement. I know little to nothing about cars. I asked him to give me an estimate and it ranged from $1100-3500. He assured me this was a pricey fix and that this was the best he could do based on how expensive the parts were. I left the car with him and waited for insurance to contact me and let me know if they would cover it. I asked him to give me an estimate and he gave me an estimate on an original catalytic converter as well as an aftermarket catalytic converter which I appreciated. I started doing some research on the cost of the parts. He said $577 for an aftermarket cat converter and I'm seeing $80-250 is the range. I've spoken with 5 other mechanics and they have all told me the same. The estimate for the oxygen sensor was $165 and that is what I found to be the norm for this part. I called Hugo and asked him to stop working on the car because I'm willing to bite the bullet and tow it to my mechanic to have a trusted opinion. He has already bought the new part and ready to install it at this point. He told me he would look into other less expensive parts. He called back and let me know there was a cheaper part ($360) but that he wouldn't install it in his own car. I let him know about my concerns with the price and he gave me his word that he would try to keep the price as low as possible but to think of the quality over the price. I gave him the go ahead to work on the car once he gave me a lower price of $690 and picked it up a few hours shortly. While he fixed my problem and lowered the price by speaking with his distributors and cutting the labor costs, I found it upsetting that he would attempt to charge me almost 5 times more than what it cost to repair. I've read many yelp reviews of this auto shop and most have one common denominator with unhappy customers: Women. Thank you Hugo for doing the work on my car but I do not appreciate your attempt to take advantage of me or my lack of knowledge about cars. Thankfully, (without the help of you) I got a realistic estimate of the costs to repair the car. Ladies, do your research before you come to Sun Auto. If possible, show up with a man. Maybe then they will not up charge you. read more

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We've been taking our now 10-year-old Buick here during the last few years, given the dealer is expensive and slow in service. We've been happy with all of the service provided and the service not provided . . . that is, I've never felt they have piled on unnecessary maintenance to jack up the bill. Highly recommended. read more

Sun Auto Service - Auto Repair Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I asked them to fix my car when it would not start. Everything would act normal but the engine just would not turn over. It ended up being a $35 part easily accessible at the top front of the engine compartment and it could have been replaced in 5 minutes. It just needed one screw to hold it on and a wire set clipped on. After many hours of "diagnosis" meaning taking apart many other things, instead of actually seeing what the problem could be from past records on similar makes and models, I ended up with excess charges and they did the work for the bargain price of $485. Run from these guys. If they cannot diagnose a simple problem simply why would I, or anyone else use them for a more complex issue. read more

Been working with Sun for about 1.5 years to keep my low mileage 2006 Toyota Matrix XR on the road. This car has a reputation for lasting forever if you care for it. Yesterday, I presented with an exhaust rumble and was braced to deal with a total replacement running into 4 figures. Sun told me a heat shield had come off due to corroded connection parts (I think I have this right...). Anyway, they fixed it for $88! A mechanic with no scruples could have really taken me to the cleaners, and I would have been none the wiser. Sun is very honest, knowledgeable and competent - plus they are right on the 77-Belmont bus line. I am sticking with them for good! read more

I have taken my car here for a few minor repairs and could not be happier. I moved to Chicago a couple years ago and was worried about finding an honest and dependable mechanic. I was referred here to Hugo's shop by a friend's Dad who is a big car buff. Another story: My friend brought her Benz here after a getting a ridiculous quote from the dealer. They wanted to replace the alternator, turn signal and battery. Sun Auto says the battery is just fine and by replacing the alternator, the turn signal starting working again! The Benz dealership would have simply replaced the whole turn signal unit even though it works just fine! Glad I found out about this place. read more

Have been bringing my 05 Subaru here for regular maintenance for a few years. Always satisfied with the work, turn around time, price, honesty and their respect back to their customers. Will be returning and recommending others! read more

Only go here if you are an unmarried male (and probably don't have any positive female influences in your life). My wife took her car into Hugo Jr., who quoted her $300. Two days later, my wife went in to pay, and Hugo Sr. informed her it would be $415 plus labor; he even went so far as to state they were "losing money" on this (Wow!). She decided to go back when Hugo Jr. was working, who then said he would only charge her $350 plus labor. He also yelled at her in the middle of Damen and Belmont. Eventually they settled on $350, with the understanding we will NEVER go back and hope they only cater to the male population that probably include mostly TRUMP SUPPORTERS. Enjoy this, Hugo's, hopefully there are some classes you can take to become less sexist. read more

I finally had a reason, unfortunately, to take our car to Sun Auto after hearing from friends in the Roscoe Village area and reading so many positive reviews. They did not disappoint. Hugo and the team were very professional, provided an estimate lower than my expectation, and completed a very quick turnaround on the repairs. Excellent experience. read more

Hugo and his team are top notch! If you are looking to be treated fairly and honestly, look no further. We all have car issues from time to time and bringing the car in for a repair can be a painstaking process. Not to mention, there are plenty of repair shops in the city that will definitively rip you off and tell you that things need to be fixed that are not even broken. Not here. Hugo is one of the few who doesn't look to up-sell you on services you don't need. He wants to fix your problem quickly, affordably, and honestly - getting you back on the road ASAP! He is part of our community! If you want a no frills high quality auto repair experience, Hugo and Sun Auto can't be beat. read more

I went to PepBoys to have a wiring harness installed so that I could trailer my motorcycles to California. It didn't cross my mind that they would have installed them incorrectly - they're a large company. Well I couldn't have been so wrong! I called Sun Auto Service on the Friday of Labor Day weekend, the day I was scheduled to leave with my U-Haul trailer because U-Haul wouldn't let me tow since my lights weren't working. The guys were super gracious and got me in and out super quick, just in time to get back to U-Haul before they closed and be on my way. I highly recommend this place. read more

This review may not be fair since I didn't actually bring my car here. But I had every intention of doing so since they are right behind my house until I showed up one morning and they couldn't have been any more unhelpful. Apparently in Chicago, it is a good idea to get a "winter tune up" which is exactly what I asked about. The guy (not sure of his name) acted as if I was speaking Arabic, like he had NO clue what the hell a winter tune up was. Please! I asked if he could give me some sort of estimate based on what I would need for my car for the winter and well of course, he couldn't tell me. He asked what kind of car, the year and the miles. He then proceeded to tell me I didn't need anything done to my car because I had so little miles. LOOK JERK. I F*CKING JUST MOVED FROM CALIFORNIA. MY GOD DAMN CAR NEEDS TO BE WINTERIZED, WHATEVER THE HELL THAT MEANS is what I wanted to say to this douche bag. Instead, I politely said thank you and walked out. I will never go here because the one guy I dealt with was such a complete jerk that on principle, no matter how damn good they are, I would never in a million years give them my business. read more

AAA towed my car here after it died on i90 two years ago. Hugo told me that it was the head gasket and would be a $1,200+ fix and began to upsell me on what I needed to fix, including parts irrelevant to what HE said was wrong. A. It was my first car. B. I was a girl who, at the time, only knew where the engine, battery, and gas tank were on my car. But - I wasn't naieve and I've been warned by friends and family that many auto places prey on young girls with car trouble. This is one of those places. I ended up driving it back to my apartment in Roscoe Village and having a mechanic swap out my radiator for $200! He was able to diagnose the problem with the same question I was asked about the smoke color coming from the hood of the car when it broke down and a little tinkering under the hood. Thanks guys! read more

My husband and I have been using Hugo for about 10 years and have NOTHING but great things to say. Over the years, we have brought our Range Rover, Jeep Laredo, a Jeep Rubicon, vintage Jeep Wrangler, vintage Porsche, Audi TT, and both of our Lexus' to Hugo. (That's over the course of 10 years, we don't all of those cars simultaneously!). Hugo and his crew are able to service every car (foreign or domestic, vintage or new) and every problem (from the usual up-keep of an oil change to bigger issues). Sun Auto is always there to take care of me - when I have had a dead battery, they'll come out to where I am and either give me a jump or tow my car to their station. Hugo Sr. AND Hugo Jr. are fair and honest men. That's all you need to know. Trust them with your car. read more

I have had two different experiences with Sun Auto and so I have mixed feelings on them. The first time I went was to get some minor body work done that i was paying for out of pocket. His price seemed reasonable and he did a great job. In fact I was ecstatic with the work he did. The second experience i have with them was for a routine normal oil change. I picked up the car and drove it for two days before i noticed anything wrong. I came out one morning and a huge oil spill was leaking down the driveway. I attempted to drive it the 2 blocks it is from my house to his shop but my car didnt make it. All the oil had leaked out and i had to get towed there (at his expense). It turns out they left the cap off. The whole thing was a bit scary because i thought i ruined my engine. Would i go back, probably but only in a pinch. read more

Hugo Sr. has been providing service for our 3 cars for 7 years since we moved down the street and I thought we would try out a local shop instead of trudging over to the dealer. I find them to be the reliable, honest, and reasonably priced for the big jobs. I highly recommend Sun Auto on Damen. read more

I've visited a few mechanics around the city, based on location and reviews. I've found some outstanding ones, and been less than impressed by a great deal more. Sun Auto has fallen in to the "good experience" category, and has become the first recomendation I give to my friends looking to take their vehicle in to a local shop. The family run shop is easily accesible at the corner of Damen and Belmont, near two major bus lines, for when you need to get home after dropping your vehicle off. They've got a decent sized lot you can park your vehicle while it's waiting. The Sun Auto Crew have maintainted, and repaired my 2005 Subaru Impreza RS quickly and at a very reasonable price on more than one occasion. I find the manager and employees to be friendly, professional, and not talk to me like I'm an idiot. In fact, they've gone above and beyond at times to get me my vehicle back in a speedy manner. As per above, the service was performed quickly, and I was able to drop my car off at the end of one day, to pick it up the next. I'm sure this varies for what work is being done, but for my situation, this was the solution. The work I've had done was belt and oxygen sensor replacements (which I intially installed incorrectly myself,) and alternator/starter issues. If you're in the "shop small and local" camp, with a multi-generational family business, this is defintiely the right stop for you. read more

I have been using Sun Auto for years now. Hugo has always been upfront and honest with me. Sure they cost a bit but to me it's worth it because I trust them. That is very important. I certainly don't feel like I am getting ripped off. Really, everything in Roscoe Village costs more, so why wouldn't a mechanic! I like that Hugo always remembers me too. That's service! I will continue to go there as long as I am nearby! read more

We were recommended this place by B & L Automotive. My boyfriend took his car in for an inspection and met Hugo. The car was making squealing noises, the brakes were going out, and the driver's window motor had seen better days. He quickly assessed the car for issues, and then scheduled a date for service. He recommended the closest rental car service as well. On the scheduled date, we dropped off his car and heard from Hugo within a matter of a few hours. Huge simply oiled the window motor (our Lexus dealer had quoted $1100 for the work), changed all of the belts, and gave us all new brakes. The price was fair for the work and we didn't feel like we were charged for unnecessary parts or labor. After seeing his work, I took my car in the next week. Even though I only dropped my boyfriend off to pick up his car, Hugo remembered me. I mostly needed a general inspection before winter. Hugo and his team checked all of my systems, belts, fluids, suspension, brakes, and exhaust. He found only a few minor issues and asked if I wanted an oil change since mine was due (which I had completely forgotten about). I thought I would have to schedule the work to be done on another day, but he fixed it within two hours and for a couple hundred bucks. I have been wanting to find an alternative to our dealer repair places as they are so expensive. I will definitely take all of my business to Hugo and Sun Auto from now on! read more

100% satisfied with my experience with Sun Auto. Team was at my location in 20 minutes! I was out of the snow in 5 minutes. And the cost was absolutely the lowest of over 10 places I called. Fast, gracious, professional service. I will highly recommend Sun Auto! read more

Went here for the first time yesterday for my breaks. The customer service was excellent, the service was quick, and my car drives amazing since leaving. Would definitely come here again. read more

They charged me 182.00 to charge my air conditioning, and didn't correct the problem, when I took it back he redid the a/c charge still not cooling they said there must be a leak and wanted to pull the dashboard apart to find the leak, took it to reliable auto on Ashland it took them 15 minutes to determine the compressor was bad. read more

I have painted the hood and looks crap.For sure 2nd brand quality and i went there to talk and Hugo said the problems is with me and that i will have problems in life. Can you believe in that? I said not i don't have any problems is the quality of the work int he car that is the problem. If you are going there to do body work just forget it. read more

I am a little biased when it comes to Hugo since he has been the family mechanic for years, but I can't bring myself to go anywhere else. He is always fair, and does a great job. Any time I have had a problem with anything he can always get the car fixed right away. He even has offered to stay late so that I can get my car back in time to go somewhere. The only draw back is that a lot of the times he has to either order parts or I have to wait for him or one of his sons to go run and pick up a part so it takes a little longer than most places that keep parts on hand, but the good thing is that since he has to order parts, when I had my back window busted out he was able to get a used one for 1/2 price and no one new the difference. read more

so we bought a used car off craigslist in jan...we knew there was things wrong with it. we took it in to sun auto(by recommendation of our friend) last week to see how much it would cost. he printed out a list of all the things "wrong" with it and it was WWAAYYY over what we could afford..my husband had to ask several times what would be the most important thing right now to fix (since we didnt have enough for it all we would come back later)first off...he WOULDNT tell us..he just kept going in a circle about how its all important and it all should be fixed(yay we know..but we dont have alot of money!!) then he finally said the timing belt and water pump..right after he compared them to our back window which doesnt roll down....ummm...a TIMING belt is WAY more important then a back window!! yay we wanna get that fixd but its not important!! so to change the timing belt and water pump he wanted to charge us $800!!! we thought that was steep... we called the guy who sold us the car and got his mechanics number...we took our car in to the other guy and he said to change the timing belt and water pump it will be $350 including labor!! WOW less then HALF the price SUN AUTO wanted to charge us..also we took in the print out sun auto gave us and the other mechanic said half the stuff he printed where small things that shouldnt even be listed and shouldnt be charged separate since they can be done in a bundle with everything else!! ..he told us some mechanics like to make a BIG LIST (which we had!) and say you need alot of things done when really you need a few things done and some small stuff... either which were NOT going back to sun auto again...from the start we thought it may cost a bit to fix our car but the price sun auto wanted to charge us for just 2 things was not right...and since we found another place to do it for HALF THE PRICE its just INSANE!! read more

Hugo is the man. He'll repair your vehicle for much less than what you would pay a dealer and you won't leave feeling ripped off. He's quick, fair and friendly. Friends have been his customers for years and he saved me a ton of money on a new transmission. read more

This place is great! My new to go shop especially for tires. Honest and very fair pricing. I highly recommend. Thank you!

Hugo and his crew are trustworthy and honest. They get repairs done on time and don't make promises they can't keep. I've been taking my cars there for 15 years now and have never been dissatisfied. read more

I moved into the Roscoe Village many years ago and found myself in need of some auto repair. Sun Auto was close, and I wasn't sure my car would make it very far, so I crossed my fingers that I wouldn't get ripped off and dropped my car off with Hugo. I was mentally bracing myself for a huge transmission bill when Hugo called me later that day to say it was a $10 part and one hour of labor. I've been taking my cars to Hugo ever since. He's an honest, honorable man. Not sure what happened to GMoney that she felt she had to spew out the review she did, but after reading through her long list of bad reviews on just about every business she has ever come in contact with, she comes across as a bitter and miserable woman. read more

This place is great. It was recommended to me by some co workers. They were completely correct. Hugo was friendly and knew what it was to provide customer service. They fixed my windshield wipers which isn't a huge operation, but everything has been working fine since. The service was prompt and they explained exactly what had to be done. Also, when I tried to pay him on Saturday.... my check had not cleared with my bank....so, my debit card was not working. He actually let me take the car for the weekend so long as I promised to come back Monday morning. Who does that?! I came back that Monday and paid him. read more

This is my first Yelp review, but this place was so professional and helpful, I had to leave a comment! I got a flat tire parking on the street. I saw Sun Auto was only .2 miles from where I was parked. They came over and put enough air in the tire for me to be able to drive over. They called after I left saying the oil needed to be changed - which I knew, so they took care of that too. They asked about another repair, but didn't push when I said that I didn't want to take care of it at that time. Everything was fixed and ready within a few hours, and the price was less than I was expecting. I would absolutely go back to Sun Auto again and would recommend anyone else to too! read more

Great service. I have been going here for maybe 40yrs when they first opened. They always took care of my car. I don't go anywhere else. If you get a good mechanic they keep your car running with no worries. read more

Rented a U-Haul truck for a cross-country move. These guys were great! Courteous, helpful and honest. They also helped us with a billing issue after the move. Can't say enough good things about Sun Auto Service! read more

Hugo worked on my car when my tires were stolen while I was out of the country. I was able to enjoy the rest of my trip knowing it was in good hands, and he gave me a deal on locking lug nuts to make sure it didn't happen again! Came back a few months later when one of the tires got a bubble in it and he got me a new one under warranty right away. The whole inspection and replacement took less than an hour. Can't recommend this place enough. Thanks Hugo and the Sun crew! read more

Run Run as fast as you can AWAY from this shop Spent several thousands here...Yes THOUSANDS...to have my car brought back to new mechanical working order. Three months after a multi thousand dollar repair to the clutch in 2011...it goes out again... I bring it back in...they say "Who has been driving this car? The clutch is TOTALLY messed up, we have to redo again" What I wanted to say to them was really? REALLY MOTHER FUCKERS? But I didn't, should have, but didn't.. cuz you see I WAS THE ONLY DRIVER OF THE CAR...SINCE it was purchased in 2005 and never had problems with clutch until it need to be replaced in 2010/2011 and then after these people touched the car it was having issues almost bi-monthly. Paid for a new suspension in 2011, amazingly when I went to Pep Boys for two new tires in beginning of the year they told me there were suspension issues (but why the suspension was "NEW" ... or so Sun Auto told me) ***AND HERE IS THE REAL KICKER*** Sun Auto also installed a new engine for me since the original had developed a leak. NOT a cheap reapair, again in Nov. 2011...so tell me why its Nov. of 2012 and my car wont run cuz it bellows out thick black smoke from the exhaust - oh thats right...its because its burning oil and the engine has a oil leak...so I have to wonder if the motor was ever replaced (Doubting it ever was) Make sure a qualified ADULT mechanic works on your car at this shop if you dare go, not just "one of the kids/nephews" that are there ****LONG story SHORT, dont go to this shop. I spent every last dollar of my savings. I lost my money and no longer have a car (which I needed for work and hence have been out of work because of it) BUT I DID NOTICE 3 MONTHS AFTER I PUT SEVERAL THOUSAND **CASH** INTO HUGO'S HANDS HE GOT A SHINNY NEW WROUGHT IRON FENCE AROUND THE SHOP - I can only imagined that I was the person who paid for it, sadly So shame on you Hugo, Hugo Jr. and crew...hope you sleep well at night knowing what crooks you are! read more

These guys are just simply great. I trust them completely and they have great customer service. As far as the previous reviews where someone wanted their car winterized, I don't know who is telling you this, but that is NOT a thing here or, in fact, anywhere outside of Alaska. I would have looked at you like you were crazy too. And as far as the woman who bought her car on Craigslist, you might have wanted to start with the mechanic of the guy who sold you the car first as they were the most familiar with it. Shame on both of you folks for taking your crappy reviews to the internet. read more