Lai’s Mobil Service Station

I was in a pinch and needed my car inspected yesterday. I visited Lai’s based on Unilocal reviews and was not disappointed.
When I first arrived I was initially turned away as they were fully booked and they close early on Saturdays. I shared I had just returned from a business trip and had read positive reviews on Unilocal.Bill then came over and offered to do the inspection if I was willing to leave the car and return in 3 hours.
Not only did they squeeze me in but did not add any additional repairs as I have experienced in the past! He actually recommended I service my rear brakes soon. In most other service stations they would have «required» I do the brake job.
Needless to say, I will be returning to Lai’s for all my car service needs in the future.

Yes thank you helpers. Finally found a great auto shop. Never thought this place was good. I went there for a simple oil change just to see how great it was. I also requested to check my suspension because I heard a weird noise. I did the same with star toyota but obviously they didn’t check. I just waited for free maintenance to expire so I can go to other shops. Lai did a great job and found the noise and it was the spare tire which was loose. Never thought of that. I am definitely going back for repairs. The service is awesome for auto repair. They even take the time to listen to you. They know how to run a business. Only problem is a bit pricey and they charge you tax even if you pay cash. But hey I’m willing to pay extra if you do the job right And drop off and pick up is ²⁴⁄₇

Went to this place based on good reviews on Unilocal and they did not disappoint us. Got the NYS inspection done. They charged us a reasonable price to fix the brake because it failed the inspection. Jeffery is very friendly and he looks honest.
Just got our car back and we would recommend their services.

Thanks Unilocal!— Read the Reviews. .. .. My findings were consistent with everyone else. The owner is a very kind and honest gentleman! Very busy place! I suggest you leave your car and go & get a foot massage or get something to eat. Plenty of things to do around the neighborhood, while you wait to pick up your vehicle. I will definitely return to this place! Awesome! — Today I had a Car Inspection. Friendly!

This place is very friendly and trustworthy. I’ve gotten my inspections and services here with no issues. One time they told me that they were totally booked but still took the time to check out my car.
They are like family to me now. Except I still gotta pay full price haha

I needed a car inspection since it was expiring September 2015 and looked on Unilocal for suggestions. Stumbled upon this location with EXCELLENT reviews and since I am a person that relies heavily on other people’s reviews, I decided to give this place a shot since it was conveniently located to me. They are closed on Sundays (not the pumps) because I tried calling a previous Sunday and got the gas attendant cashier person. I am only available weekends so I tried calling around 9:30AM on a Saturday hoping it wouldn’t be too packed. I asked if I had to make an appointment to have a car inspection and the worker told me no but the wait would depend on what time I showed up. I asked if I came in at 10AM, would there be a long wait and he told me that it would probably be an hour and half wait due to 2 cars that would be in front of mine. No problem. So I headed on over.
The two workers that I spoke with were pleasant and asked for my car registration since it was my first time being there. They actually spoke pretty good English. I was expecting Chinglish like how my parents speak haha. After entering my info into the system, he gave me an orange ticket and asked me for my number so he can call me once the car was done. I gave him my car keys and he told me it should be done in an hour. Lo and behold, I got a call a little over an hour (like an hour and 15 minutes at the most) saying my car was ready and waiting! Came back, paid the $ 37 at the cashier and went to my car. Btw, air pump was broken that day because when I got in my car, the low tire pressure light was on and I couldn’t pump air there. No biggie though!
I would definitely come back again for any car needs just based off of my own experience (even though it was only once) and these other outstanding reviews! Very professional and they keep their word. The worker that processed my info even came out to me as I was getting into my car and told me «You have a nice little Subaru» haha :) Highly recommended!
I used to go to another location in the area and though they were okay to me, my boyfriend had a bad experience with them which is why I did not want to return.

Very friendly and not there to rip you off, even if you’re a female. Took care of only what needed to be fixed and then made recommendations for additional work that needs to be performed (eventually) with approximate timelines when they’d need to be addressed. Fast service even on a Saturday morning!

I used to come to Lai’s bcuz of convenience, I work full days most 7 days a week. I was able to pickup my serviced vehicles from the attendant after work after dropping off in the afternoon during what time I could squeeze out.
I have come to rely on their service as a primary consult. Other occasions I had many problems other mechanics not finishing my vehicles on time or by the estimated time which would cause me great inconvenience and money to rent my transport.
I’ve had my brakes done here for less than half the price of Star Toyota quoted me for my 50k service.
Just got my caliper, pads, and front rotors (I think) replaced cuz my brakes werent releasing right which messed up everything else. Got it $ 100s (don’t miss the plural) less than my friend who had the same service on a smaller vehicle somewhere else.
Wires replaced when some kind of small animal chewed thru it during the cold winter for heat and shelter.
Many oil changes and a couple new tires.
All very fast and at great prices. My friends who know more about cars and servicing attest that even they can’t get much better and they known their ‘guy’ since the guy’s father was fixing their family car.
Friendly staff, can be busy, but definitely a good choice to make considering honesty, $, time and value.

I’ve been to a few service stations in the last year or so but looks like Lai’s will be my go to place going forward. The people are extremely nice and will only fix things which requires fixing. Came in to do a NY inspection, oil change, rattling when breaking and a humming noise. They identified the source of the humming noise but said that it was OK and didn’t need to be fixed yet. They changed the break rotors (which I was expecting anyway) at a reasonable price. I came in at around 9am on a Saturday and was out 2 hours later.
Thanks for the great and honest service!

I hardly ever write any kind reviews for anything.
But for Lai’s, I am so confident and I almost feel obliged to write one.
Yes, they are THAT good.
I have been coming here for 21 years for all my car problems and maintenances.
I will tell you now, I am not an easy customer in any aspect. But I NEVER had any kind of problem or unsatisfactory experience with them all these years.
I started coming here because I had my business in the neighborhood. Once I got to know this place, there was no reason to go anywhere else.
I used to live in Queens but I have moved to L.I. and now to Westchester. But I still come to Lai’s because they are good and they are fair. And they keep their promises! As you know, knowing a good and trustworthy auto mechanic is one of the ultimate necessity in American life. In that sense, I feel so blessed.

Again another great experience at this shop. I stopped by for brake work today, the owner was very attentive to my needs and listen to my problems. After examanation of my vehicle (4runner) they proposed only the necessary replacements, which was much less parts than what I expected. I had four pads, two disc and two caliper replaced at an extremely fair fair price.
The caliper that went bad was replaced by my last mechanic in Astoria/​LIC (you know which shop I’m referring to) only two years ago and the brake pads was replaced only 30k miles ago, typically for me the pads should last 60k. At that time I mentioned to them that the parts they have been using was subpar, which they didnt acknowledge. Many of the parts that my old mechanic used in the past 5 years went bad in under 2 years.
Based on the parts I saw ordered by this new shop, I’m sure it will last much longer this long time. (See photos)
I wish I found this shop earlier. I’m going to start recommending my friends here. Thats going to be a lot. I built the business for the last shop with my recommendations. Please feel free to email for more information.

The best auto shop for me! I tried this shop to fix a problem on power steering pump, because Lai’s shop has very good reviews. The original plan was to change the pump, but they found clogging stuff causing the bad circulation and malfunction of pump. They cleaned the system and solved problem. Now, my car stopped making a big noise and the power steering wheel is smooth.
Mr. Lai is very sincere, careful, and honest. Most importantly, he is an excellent mechanic. I asked several questions about other problems on my car and he gave me good and practical advices. He is outstanding from other mechanics.
I highly recommend this shop to my family and friends.

Fabulous! I usually go around the corner to get my car inspected but I really dislike that particular shop. Found this place on Unilocal and was happy with the reviews. The gentleman running the shop is courteous and personable. He told me it would take an hour, and about 30 minutes later I received a text message that my car was ready! So not only are they polite they are fast and efficient and I loved that I received well written text message alerting my that my car was ready. And to top it all off, Its a fairly quiet area of the neighborhood and the shop itself is very clean and professional looking. I will most definitely be coming back in the future and will recommend them to my friends.

Came here because of all the positive Unilocal reviews! On a saturday afternoon around 2pm
That said they we’re very busy so i had to wait, they gave me a ticket and took down my phone telling me they where going to call me
Walked around for about 25 mins than i came back to the shop to see what was going on since I haven’t received a call.
My cars AC was not blowing out cold air. told the mechanic i already try to recharge it with refridge and it did not work. he diagnosed the problem and told me i needed a new condenser all will come to $ 400 with labor and recharge of refridge. He told m the condenser alone was $ 150
No thanks i ordered the part on ebay for $ 50! $ 100 less! And will install it myself and buy a $ 30 AC refridge can in autozone n recharge the AC myself thats a total of around $ 85 compared to what he quote me $ 400!

Gas station is open 24 hours a day and is conveniently located near both the Whitestone Expressway and the Grand Central Parkway. I’ve pulled in a few times to put some air in the tires and fuel in the tank. The area is well lit and it’s across the street from a police station, which makes for a safe environment especially in the wee hours of the night.

Before came to Lai’s, had other shop estimated, got a ridiculous price. I suspected wrong diagnosis, or intentional. Came to Lai’s on friend’s recommendation, left car with Jeffrey, he called back later, told me what’s wrong, how it needs to be fixed. ¼ amount of other shop’s estimate. After car was fixed, went back for system check the following week on Jeffrey’s request, to see if every thing works well, then had inspection done. Car runs smooth again now.
This is one of best experience I had with auto repair shops. Invoice clearly listed what have been done. They even replaced a broken light bulb which I forgot to mention to them.
Honest, Attention to details. This shop will be my auto shop now on.

I have known these guys for a few years now and appreciate the honesty, trust and service they provide me with. I know absolutely nothing about cars but the workers here are patient, professional and answer my questions in layman terms. I live in Bayside but the trip to this gas station is worth it.
Because my car has more than a few miles on it, I always get nervous about my brakes. These guys could easily charge me for servicing the brakes at every oil change or NY inspection but they keep me updated on the status of my brakes and tell me not to worry.
One time I had my muffler fall off while I was on the Southern State. I managed to bring it here (sparks and all), and in no time they secured it back. They didn’t even charge me for it! I thought I needed a new muffler too, considering what it went through, but apparently I did not need a new one. I ended up leaving a tip and they already know that I am pretty patient when they are really busy. I refer my family, friends and coworkers to this service station frequently. Ask for Phil!
I did manage to make a few observations over time:
— They park all the customer cars on their own lot. I have been to other places where my car would be parked on the street.
— They use new Mobil oil, as compared to recycled oil at the cut rate places
— Joe’s Shanghai brings their cars here and frequently brings soup dumplings for them! Yum!

I use Unilocal mainly to look for food places, but after some positive experiences I felt I needed to write a review for this auto repair shop. My husband used to work in Long Island and we serviced the car out there but not anymore, so we wanted a place a bit closer. My friend who comes here strongly suggested this auto repair shop.
After a few times here is my impression of this place, although they have a local neighborhood shop feel they have customers coming from all over the area. Not just Brooklyn or Manhattan, but few times I saw plates from Connecticut or New Jersey even ! I asked them about it, and they said, they used to live in the area, but when they moved out of town, they make it a point to visit some friends, eat and coincide with the car maintenance, and they said even though NJ/​CT is far for me, if my car needs a fix, I don’t mind coming to Lai’s Auto Service.
People say they have great service, I think their great service simply comes from them by being honest, and when they talk to customers with respect and without being condescending. That is pretty much what you need from a mechanic. Give this place a try, and in the long run you’ll see how this auto repair shop sticks out from the rest.

The air machine was not working, there was no sign of «out of order».
The night shift worker at that time said it was not their business, and didn’t refund to me.
I patronized them for over 10 years, both for gas and mechanic service, no complain, but just this instance.
I am sure the Manager would refund to me, but that is not the money issue, sometime the attitude, the frustration you got would turned you away.

My usual place to get all my car servicing is Manners on Northern Blvd, however since I’ve moved to Flushing now Manners is not as convenient to get to.
So I asked some friends on any nearby spots I can trust to get the job I want done without having to get 10 other things I don’t really have to get fixed. They recommended this spot on Northern Blvd and LInden Pl across from the townhall.
I came on a Saturday afternoon and the lines are incredibly long, so I knew this was a popular spot. I needed an oil change so they asked me if I could wait a while so I dropped the car off and just stayed around Flushing. I can chill around flushing without paying for a meter! Win win. Get your dim sum on and your grocery shopping done and I came back 2 hours later and the car was waiting for me in their lot.
What I really appreciate other than the incredibly great customer service, was their thorough investigation of my car. They noticed a nail on my rear tire and helped me patch that back up, and they also noticed my antifreeze was running low so they topped that off.
I am ecstatic about finding this local service station which I can rely on to keep my car maintained. So if you need anything done to your car and you’re around flushing, give them a call for availability before pulling into their lot, and leave your car there.
If it ends up being a longer task, I say go ahead and treat yourself to some flushing food, or dim sum because they are all very close by.
I guarantee that you will have a good experience here and your car is in good hands!