Great experience overall. Josie made the buying process a breeze even though I was an out of town buyer. She was professional, responsive, and easy to work with throughout the process. After the purchase, some issues came about that were out of mine or the dealers control, they were willing to address an issue with the vehicle and handled it properly, which showed they truly stand behind what they sell. That level of customer service and accountability goes a long way. I appreciate Walter and the team for taking care of everything and making the situation right. Because of that, I'd feel confident recommending them to others and would gladly do business with them again. read more

Universal Auto Center - Auto Repair Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Yo man I've been having issues with my 2008 Acura TL that I got from there. I really don't think the mechanics actually do anything. Just because it says "auto care" means you would actually care and do the job right the 1st go round. What puts the cherry on top of it all, the loaner car they gave me won't even fucking start today. All I want is my damn Acura TL so I can build it. read more

very nice and exceptional service great staff very good vehicles, reliable, clean, I'm very happy with overall experience, front desk staff had always a smile and ready to help, highly recommend this place for car buying read more

Great purchase of a used car! Only issues was the seat motor was making noise and they weren't as friendly as I thought they would be but I do recommend! read more

**Quick, honest, transparent mechanic ** Walter from UAC answered my Yelp Projects post requesting help with an alignment issue on my Range Rover. He replied quickly, got me in for a no-charge diagnostic, and was able to identify a bent steering component issue that Brake Check techs did not find when the alignment problem was identified. He talked me through problem-solving my repair choices and cost options in a way that earned my trust, not pressuring me to do the work since it's not a major issue impacting safety. Will be happy to work with him on this repair job or for future work. read more

This is the place to bring your vehicle if you want the job done right. Walter and his staff are professional, friendly and knowledgeable. Reyes had his hands full with my car. Still, he persevered and went out of his way to get the job done in a timely manner. Not only that, but now my car is safe to drive and, of course, that means the world to me. Integrity is number one here and that's not something you find everyday. Thanks guys. read more

They were honestly the best. Walter helped me above and beyond. As a younger person I hadn't known what exactly i was looking at when purchasing a car, He gave me tips and helped me immediately. Couldn't ask for better service. I would highly recommend these guys, didn't had any miscommunication or anything. Amazing Dealership!!! read more

Universal Auto Center - Auto Repair Near Me - Houston, Texas

WHAT CAN I SAY BESIDES , I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO EVERYONE!! I'm a loyal customer! I've been coming here since my first vehicle (no I don't have good credit not even decent credit) and David and his staff has been nothing short of amazing, friendly, understanding, and beyond amazing customer service. I am now on my third vehicle. and being a single mother of 3 having reliable transportation is mandatory ! the location is a lil ducked off and I was nervous when I got my first car but I was blessed to find David and thank god I fully put my trust into them! I been doing business with them for YEARSSS and this review was long overdue! read more

My experience was that they got my car in and maybe within an hour they had a full report with pictures about my car's condition. I thoroughly appreciated the details. Then the rep called me to explain everything on the report and gave me a quote on the things I wanted to focus on. read more

Do not come to the shop THEY TRIED TO KILL ME. They put a bad engine and battery in my car and when I went to pick my vehicle they had broken my rearview mirror and previously they had broken my oil pan as well, My car was on fire due to the negligence and unethical behavior. They charged for a hose replacement purposely did not connect the hose and clap properly which damaged my 4 month old engine. They will break your vehicle then try to sell you one of the lemons that they have. I was ganged up on, and my car was surrounded by all of the employees and owner. They were banging on my window after they damage my property and was very unethical. I had to call the police. they don't not even want to fix the issues that are covered under warranty with the parts or labor. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY IF YOU WANT HONEST AND RELIABLE WORK DONE ON YOUR CAR!!!!! Please see photos of before my car went to then no lights no major issues and after they so called serviced my vehicle read more

See all

I made an appointment for Monday and called on Tuesday to see if there was any progress. My car did not get seen until Thursday when I threaten to pick it up. I was very disappointed in my treatment and declined the service offered. I did not get my car back until Friday. That's too long and 2024 without offering a rental. people don't have other cars lying around to use while there is in the shop. read more

I was searching for a used vehicle and was lucky enough to come across a car at Universal Auto Center. The process from the moment I stepped foot at their property went smoothly from beginning to end. David went above and beyond to ensure I got the best deal possible and my needs were met with financing and accommodations. This is a well-organized business and the staff truly has your best interest. I had such a positive experience and am so grateful that I was able to find out about this shop and purchase a new car! read more

My husband took his vehicle to this shop. They did not fix it. Jason was the one helping me. Don't go here. They just took our money and still having the same problems. You never see Mr. David. It's like he is a Ghost. Remember Don't fool with THIS SHOP. PLEASE. read more

5-star professional auto mechanic service with plenty of explanations plus a clean, modern bathroom.

This place & proprietor come across top notch / charge top notch / but put poor quality parts on my vehicle ... I've experienced 3 failures over the time since then & they have tried to weasel out of guaranteed repairs ... I would DEFER from this place ... & I really wanted to like this place ... proprietor even accused me of purposely trying to brake / damage my own vehicle ... do not use this place read more

Thank you to the staff for always looking after me, I highly recommend universal. It's a one stop shop, everybody it's very friendly...

I was referred to Universal by a friend of mine to get a quote on doing some work to my son's car. David came highly recommended as my friend takes all of his cars to him. I contacted him through Yelp and he had me bring the car in for an estimate. After which he called me to give me the update. I decided after speaking with him that I would let him do the work required. It took a a week or two as it was major work and he stayed in touch throughout the process. After picking the car up and test driving it we were satisfied. He really went beyond what he had to do to get us great quality service, and the repair was done professionally. I would recommend him to anyone needing any type of auto repairs. read more

Through AAA they had this company come out for a tire service. Their customer service sucks!! Never gave an ETA and left my husband waiting not knowing if they were going to come. Not only that they don't even give enough time for someone to come out before they cancel a service. If u don't have to go to them or use them DON'T. Such a lack of customer service. read more

This is a very professional and hassle free dealership. I was promptly contacted by the salesperson (David) and he helped me find the right car for me. No surprise fees and I am very happy with the car David helped me find and a fair price in my budget. If you are looking for a reliable detail oriented dealership look no further than Universal Auto Center. You will not be disappointed. read more

Great customer service Maria was super friendly and a big help and so it the owner they make sure the customers are taken care of and there vehicles are in great condition. read more

Universal is the only mechanic shop that I trust in the entire city of Houston. I stopped going to the Dealer many years ago when Dealers stopped making their profit on selling cars and started making profit on repairs. I get the best service, usually very fast, at the best price from a staff and owner I know I can trust. I have used Universal probably for 15 years plus now. Car repairs are no fun but this is the best place to go. I even purchased my last truck from Universal and have been completely happy. read more

We requested quotes from 4 businesses for the replacement of both our rear and back bumper. Although they were more expensive than one of their competitor and the same price as another, we decided to go with them because they assured us that they could do the job in 5 days (vs. 10). Not only did it end up being over 10 days but they also tried to make us pay full price for used parts. My husband realized that the "new" bumpers had scratches and had been painted over. It's only when he mentionned it that they let us know that they had to put refurbished parts. We paid 50% less than the initial price. They did provide a loaner after our 2nd call for an update on the repair. The car had a terrible smell and there was an issue with the battery. Overall, our experience with this business was disappointing. read more

Truly incredible service!!! we were on day one of a month long road trip in our 86 Toyota camper when our alternator died. We showed up on a friday morning and David and his team worked ALL DAY and an hour past closing to make sure we could get back out on the road that night. We had previously had our alternator replaced twice by another mechanic and they told us we were good to go, which was clearly not the case. David not only fixed up the alternator but also fixed other issues that were causing it to fail in the first place, and gave us a much needed tune up. He gave us a lot of invaluable information about the particular quirks of our 30 year old vehicle and I felt so much more confident going out on the rest of our trip. Really a blessing we broke down where we did, we haven't had any trouble since! read more

Wow! David and his team are AWESOME!!!! I hope my story below helps other Yelpers recognize what they did to deserve this feedback. -- I initially came after requesting a quote on some damage to the bumper. David thought it would be ideal to replace and gave me a more accurate quote on the total cost. What's great is that he was able to find a quality replacement part that wouldn't break the bank and was very reasonable on the labor and paint costs. We also noticed the liner was damaged and would need to be replaced too. After some further conversations through Yelp messages, I agreed to have them do the repair work while I was out on vacation. They have a loaner car as a courtesy, but I wasn't able to pick it up on the day it was available. So it was a short uber ride to a nearby Starbucks where a friend picked me up after I dropped off the car. Not a big deal though. Norma (at the front) was friendly to talk to. I needed the fog light bezel replaced and with her help, was able to order the part at an online auto warehouse and have it delivered to their location so they can put it in for me. I also ordered the replacement liner too. The challenge came when I got an update that the liner I ordered was estimated to deliver in a month. I didn't have a month to spare so I had to cancel the order. I trusted David to have my interests in mind so I messaged him to ask if he can order the liner on my behalf. He was able to quickly get a quality replacement liner at a solid price. I returned from vacation and when I arrived at the location, I saw my car. I was happy - they did a great job replacing the bumper and they washed my car too so it looked like it came straight out from the dealership. Now what surprised me is that David said "okay we actually ended up repairing the bumper and your total cost is $_____". I was SURPRISED... this whole time I thought they would be replacing it (and I even agreed to do that), but by repairing it, they significantly cut the cost. I appreciate that he was honest about repairing it and not charging me the full price of replacing it because frankly how could I even tell? Anyways they win in my book. I will be referring others to them for work (plus they even do maintenance services like oil changes). Thanks again David, Norma, and the team for quality work and a great customer experience! read more

Universal Auto Center - Initial damage - Auto Repair Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

I dropped my suv off because I was having transmission problems. They test drove it and said the tranny was fine but will let it sit and check later . Then call me telling me it was my transmission . They worked with me even tho my insurance company didn't want to pay for the repair. Fixed the transmission even gave me time to save up the money to have it fixed. read more

If Alexander R from Discount Tire sent you, TURN AROUND AND GO BACK HOME. Alexander R sent me here after I purchased two tires for $392 from him. After waiting for an hour he explains that he couldn't install the tires because he didn't have the key for the wheel lock and he sent me to this shop to buy one. "It shouldn't be too much" he assured me. Well, Alexander lied. Not only did the unenthusiastic receptionist, Jessica, not know what I was talking about, but she did little to explain what they were going to do to my vehicle. She took my keys and asked me to write my information. After waiting around for 30 minutes I began to worry. What are they doing to my car? By this time Jessica had already gone to get her lunch and a young man took over for her who was even more clueless than she was. When one of the car salesmen started talking to me, he explained that they had to rip the locks off and that it was going to cost $100. At checkout Jessica charged me $123. This was a lot more than "Not too much" as Alexander R had originally said. My frustration with this establishment is with their lack of communication and transparency in regard to pricing and what they were actually doing with my vehicle. read more

Well, I had a stroke in my sleep in 2017 that left me with a speech impediment. I used to live in Arlington but had to move back to Houston. I towed my car back to Houston. So my car had been sitting up in my dad's drive way leaking oil. So I took it down the street to have it checked out. Them people told me to will need a new motor!!! They estimated the cost, I think $5k! I cried my lil heart out and got a second opinion. I went to universal auto on Waldo street. They checked it and they priced it at about half that. They did the inspection sticker, let me make payments and everything! As a single woman, I'm constantly worried that mechanics will take advantage of me. Not here, they did me right!! I trust them . Thanks guys! read more

The Slowest shop in the West!! It took them over 40 minutes to just pull my car INTO THE SHOP! And- they Were Not Even Busy!! They had ONE car in front of me. I asked the receptionist how long it would take for them to look at it, she said Not Long. She should have said it will take at least half an hour before we can look at your car! I would have taken my keys and GONE ELSEWHERE which is what I will do from Now On! The kicker is they wouldn't have even gotten to it if I hadn't asked them what was the status of my car. AT THAT POINT, my car was taken into the shop. Frickin 40 MINUTES LATER - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING DONE !! Wonder what the receptionists definition of "Not That Long" means to her in her world?! Unbelievably SLOW SERVICE!! read more

The staff is very friendly. They are very clear and transparent when quoting prices and explaining what your vehicle needs done. Not only do they guarantee their work they keep their word. I will keep coming here because I finally found a place I trust. read more

Very disappointed. I went in for a few minor things plus to ask them to check my brake pads. The dealer where I bought the car in 2008, and usually have it serviced, commented at the last checkup that the rear brake pads should be checked next time I did an inspection. The lady behind the desk at Universal reported that I needed new pads AND new rotors. When I protested that I had not driven that many miles since they were at 6mm thick and had no noises or anything, she changed her story. My car has never needed brake pads yet. I did replace the brake fluid last year. I only drive the car 5K miles a year and have had no problems. So then the lady says, "Well, he can replace the pads and TRY to ReFace the rotors, not sure if rotors will be ok or not. She said the pads were at 4 mm. My dealer does not replace brake pads till they are at 3 mm. I declined the brake job. Just to reconfirm, I drove the 30 miles out to my dealer the next day. Sure enough, they said my pads were between 4 and 5mm and probably won't need replacing for another 4,000 to 5,000 miles. Of course my rotors were fine. I also heard Universal recommending a lot of work to two other customers while I was there. Maybe their cars needed it but mine sure did not. read more

This is very funny, I came here because I see four and have stars review on yelp. But now I can only give him a zero if I could. I came to have an state inspection. The guy didn't ask for anything, even my insurance card. And he told me that I need to change my wiper blade because they are bad, and he told me he will take care of it without asking me if I authorize him to do it. In the beginning I thought it will be free, or just cost normal price. But he charged me $19.99 each! 39.98 total for only the wiper blade! Everybody knows that $19.98 could buy both wiper blades on auto zone and you don't even have to change them by yourself! I tried to complaint but he gave me no chance to do that. This is totally a robbery. In the last, to the guy of this place, I want to say, if you wanna build a long term relationship to your customer, try to be honest and move your smart badass back off. This can only happen once because I will never come back again. In the beginning I thought this place is good and close to my location, but his action like that really ruined everything. This is totally a fraud and nobody should ever go there. read more

As a female with little knowledge of auto mechanics I am pleased to promote and highly recommend Universal Auto. Dave and his staff are professionals, trustworthy and honest. I know their work to be quality and deliver exceptional service. read more

I've been using Yelp a long time but this is my first review. The service I received necessitated that I let others know what a great job Universal does. I used Yelp to find Universal and am very happy with the thorough job David Rojas and his crew did on my wife's Subaru Forester. Their prices are reasonable and they go out of their way to explain what is going on with the car and your options. He has earned my business and I will be back for future auto needs. read more

This place is like no other mechanic you been out there! Since day ONE, they treated me like a long time customer and was the only place to find the problem in our truck after bouncing around from mechanic to mechanic!!! A guy from auto-zone suggested this place to me 6 years ago and been customer since then. The shocking part for me was to actually believe that there is a honest mechanic's shop that care about you and won't ever over charge you, I am not worry of being scrub with "extra staff" like must mechanics want to charge you ones your car is fix!!!! If you looking for an HONEST mechanic that will find the problem to your car without "guessing what's wrong" and fare labor price, STOP looking!!! Go to universal auto center! read more

After roadside assistance severely jacked up my tire, I was so thankful that discount tire sent my car here. They are the most honest and nice people that I've came across when it comes to car repair. They don't try to sell you on things you don't need and they are very helpful when you don't really know anything about cars. Shout out to Norma at the front for being an absolute doll as well. Will be coming to them for any car needs from now on! read more

Overall the service to the car was good, but the customer service was HORRIBLE. I understand that my particular situation was complex, but it would have been nice to have that communicated to me by staff. Instead, I had to keep calling numerous times for updates and it seemed like no one knew what was going on. The hold up was that they were waiting for the part. The manager (David) finally called me to inquire if anyone has been calling me/for an update, and I told him no one called. I only received one voicemail. He then told me that one of his staff members (Reuben) said that they could not get a hold of me when he clearly left a voicemail previously. Bottom line if you are going to take longer than a day or two on someone's car, tell them that so other arrangements can be made. This business had my car for a week with only two business initiated phone calls as updates. Then on top of that, when I get my car back they tell me of all this other work that needs to be done, and GO FORWARD WITH A SERVICE I DID NOT AUTHORIZE (ultimately making the total bill almost $200+ dollars than what I was originally quoted). Frankly, I feel that I was taken advantaged of at this place. I never want to come back nor do I recommend them. I don't like to seem negative, but this has been my first and last experience with the company. read more

Well I just like to say that I was looking for mechanic one who wouldn't beat me out money and say they fix my car and didn't so I went to universal auto and gave them try they didnt no that I new about my car cause I'm lady who Fathers was a mechanic and I new what need fix on my car and they fix everything that was need to be fix and they have good price to,so ladies and gentlemen if you need good mechanic and honest mechanic call David at Unverisal Auto he going be mind from now on. and they went out the way to take me home and pick me up. very clean place and bathroom and shop. read more

First visit to David's shop, as my Jeep is out of warranty now. Can't say enough about their courtesy, communication and honesty. Work was done quickly, followed up by actual photos of what they observed, and recommendations. Highly satisfied! read more

I think this place has been sold. Had work done a few years ago and no problems, now I call several times and leave messages but no call back. Took my business elsewhere. read more

They changed, my fuel pump and fuel filter. They charged $ 197. After they changed fuel pump and fuel filter, they don't check for any leak. Now my car smell gasoline and check engine light on. Before they changed no smell gasoline. I don't want to come back and complain, they will say that is not the problem. They will say somethingelse wrong. I know some mechanic work, they blood and money sucker. Becareful with this place. The owner David and management is suck. They are amateur. read more