Autopia

The customer service here is as good as it gets, folks. Great price for an oil change with some minor detailing as well. Inside there are a dozen of reviews and rewards that rate this as the best woman friendly automotive repair in the metro… I didn’t know that was a thing but hey, I’m all for it :)

Took my car here for an oil change (with complimentary car cleaning). After an hour and a half I told them I had to leave and they said they hadn’t had a chance to clean my car yet… Get in my car and there’s still ice and snow on it and the «miles to service» setting wasn’t reset. Which makes me wonder if my car was even serviced at all… I took it back to get it cleaned (twenty minutes out of my way) and they didn’t even vacuum the back seats or offer any apology for the inconvenience.
I’ve been here before and was disappointed by the service I received these times.

I’ve been using this place for oil changes for the past year or so. Hard to beat an oil change, wash, inspection and quick semi-​detail (they usually only do the front seats) for $ 25. But I guess that’s how they get you in the door.
Last time I was in (about 3 months ago) they recommended my rear brakes be replaced and said my front ones weren’t bad but would need replacing in the near future. Since my step-​dad is a mechanic, although located 3 hours away, I figured I’d save myself some cash and bring it to his shop and do the brakes with him. They were right, my rear brakes were bad. So we changed the rotors and pads. That’s where the one star comes in…
I brought my car in today for an oil change and like always, I received my phone call about the report from the inspection. Funny, they recommended that my rear brakes be replaced and told me I had approximately 30% left on them. They also recommended that my front brakes be replaced as they only had 20% left. All for the low price of about an extra $ 350. I promptly told them that they were wrong since I just changed the rear brakes myself about a month and a half ago. The guy on the phone answered with, «Huh, I wonder why they wrote that on the report then.» I’ll give you one guess…
Remember that time I brought my car to my step-dad’s shop? Yeah, we tried to check the front brakes without taking the tires off, and it was impossible. Even when the car was on the lift. It couldn’t be done. The only way we could actually see the pads was by removing the wheels, which we did. They were worn (about 40% left) but were not to a point of needing to be replaced. My step-​dad recommended we take another look later in the winter.
So when I went to pick up my car, I asked how they inspect the brakes. I asked if they take the wheels off or if they just eyeball it. They guy at the front desk answered, «They usually just eyeball it». Well if you can’t actually see the brake pad without the wheel off, maybe you should just leave it off the inspection report and make a note that it wasn’t visible rather than lie and try to squeeze out a couple hundred more dollars out of a customer.
In all honesty, I will continue to use this shop for my oil changes because it’s convenient and cheap. I just won’t be trusting their «inspection» reports and definitely won’t be using them for any of my actual mechanic needs. Unfortunately, this place lives up to the stereotype of mechanic shops. Bummer. Thought I found a good one… I guess I’ll keep looking.

I’ve gotten nothing but great service from the professionals at Autopia. I have used Autopia for all three of our family cars, and I’ve gotten nothing but friendly, professional service each time. They can handle a wide variety of cars makes and problems.

Called and tried for resolution again. Terrible customer service. Zero business ethics. And a commitment to getting the most money out of every customers. Please do not take your car here.

Don’t ever go to Autopia. Had a coupon for an oil change, tire rotation, vacuum, and full diagnostic for like $ 35. They didn’t do the tire rotation or vacuum. And of course, their diagnostic revealed that my car needed $ 3500 of repairs. Told them no and on my way out, I mentioned to a woman grabbing a pizza next door how awful the place was and she agreed and shared an anecdote of how her husband took his car there and they repaired a bunch of things without asking and tried to make him pay for it.
I also took my car to my regular mechanic who charged me $ 500 for what was listed on Autopia’s invoice for $ 2000. Hard to believe this place is still in business.

I’m often skeptical of online slams for service. I get that repairing and maintaining cars is not always straight forward and can require more than one try, even for a smart and talented mechanic. However, my experience with Autopia was horrid and matches the various one star Unilocal ratings. The one star slams that are in the Unilocal
«unapproved section» offer tons of further warnings and Autopia horror stories.
I first called Autopia to get a price to replace the timing belt on my Audi. When I got a series of return calls with «special» offers that were more expensive than the dealer’s price, I ignored Autopia’s hard sell and just let the dealer change my belt.
However, the previous car owner used Autopia to repair a faulty dashboard instrument cluster in my car, so when the battery light came on one night in the summer (in spite of new alternator) I stupidly brought my car to Autopia for a diagnosis. The manager had my car test driven, without my permission and told me I needed a new alternator @ $ 800.00+ and rear differential seals @$ 500.00. Because I had broken a rear spring, I was suspicious and surprised that mechanic missed an obviously broken spring. When the manager told me I also needed my very new timing belt replaced, I got scared. I did not challenge the $ 140.00 diagnostic fee. I would have paid more just to get my car back. I consider the money Autopia stole from me a kind of tuition in learning how to be careful about who to trust in the auto repair world.
Autopia’s diagnoses where also challenged by the Audi dealer. Even though I feel stupid that I gave Autopia money for crude and dishonest diagnoses, I am very happy I got out without them doing anything to my car.
Avoid these sociopathic crooks.

Autopia has helped my whole family with all our auto repair needs for at least 5 years now. The reason I keep coming back is because they are always honest about what needs to be done, and I never feel like I’m paying for something that isn’t absolutely necessary. Great service, personable staff, and always willing to go above and beyond to please the customer and keep them coming back.

Preface this by saying I know next to nothing about cars or how they work. My low tire pressure light came on and I figured I’d go to the place right next door. Easily made an appointment on their website and Dave (the manager I think?) called to confirm since it was a bit later in the day (5:30) but they still fit me in to have a look. They couldn’t find anything wrong but still took the time to top off my pressure and then explain what could have caused it etc.
Nothing major happened but the staff was friendly, knowledgeable and most importantly helpful.

I had to remove my vehicle from here and bring it to a competent mechanic. My head gasket was bad and I told them that’s what I thought it was. They were more interested in breaking my bank than properly troubleshooting the problem. For example, I knew due to the Check Engine Light which cylinder was misfiring. They wanted to replace all spark plugs and ignition coils. A quick 10 minute search on the internet made me realize there is a much more efficient way to troubleshoot this. They know how to change an air filter, but that’s about all I would trust them doing!

How does this place keep getting customers? Every online review most rate it poorly!!!
I took my truck in for a routine job. Easy enough for any tech to do. I was called 3 times each saying it’s going to be more money. Finally i said. Okay stop the job!!! I’ll take it someplace else!
They refused saying it was in pieces. Wow. Finally after 9 days it was ready. (Had to rent a car). It was a shocking amount I could have put the money down for a brand new truck!
It was terrible terrible service, they lie, cheat and are just plain old rude
Never ever take your car or truck here! I beg of you to bring it someplace else
I’d not send my worst enemy here for car repair.
These people are crooks!
I am in the process of suing these losers
Ps the Hispanic or Indian looking manager is a POS as well as the owner
I would love to bring a class action lawsuit to these jerks
Go any other place. I beg of you!
Don A

I took my car to them because the check-​engine light was on. I agreed to a $ 59 fee for them to look at it. They called me a few hours later with an estimate of ~$ 4000 in repairs (the car was worth ~$ 2000). I was very clear this was unacceptable, and I just wanted a bandaid on the expensive problems. The check engine code was not serious (emissions), but they neglected to turn it off. They did nothing mechanical to the car, and charged me over $ 100 for the visit. They did vacuum the the front two seats, and clean the windshield of the car, but that wasn’t the service I needed. Despite their alarming diagnosis on my car, it is running fine thousands of miles later.

Don’t go here.
I brought my car in for a 90,000 mile check up — basically, a diagnostic of what should be done to keep it in good stead. I asked them to pay special attention to the brakes, since my last inspection (3 months prior) had mentioned that pads were low. The two sales guys spit back at me ALL of the possible things I could do at 90k, which would cost $ 3,000+. When I asked about the brakes, they said all 4 were fine. When I asked them to confirm that (given my concerns and all), they returned and said I needed 4 full pads and rotor replacements ($ 700+), and that I should do that ASAP because it’s winter and simply not safe to drive my car. When I picked up my car, I asked for an itemized estimate and their professional opinion on what I should prioritize since $ 3,700+ in work isn’t something I can afford immediately. The said they couldn’t do that since they don’t give estimates.
Let me repeat: THEY DON’T GIVE ESTIMATES. I paid them $ 132 for an inspection, and they expected me to sign up for $ 3,700+ (ballpark figure, of course) in repairs. They don’t give estimates because «something might change», which is, DUH, the definition of an estimate.
I can’t help feeling like I was treated like an idiot because I’m a young female with a nice car. They belittled me while describing the repairs they wanted me to pay for («really? you don’t hear that noise? it’s very loud») and threw a «complimentary» car wash at me when I was obviously annoyed. There was a helpful saleslady who worked at Autopia 6 months ago, but she’s no longer there.
This story ends with my calling another shop, describing what happened, and that person guessing instantly that I went to Autopia. I spent $ 300 on repairs at that shop (with a free inspection and estimate), my brakes are fine, my car is safe, and these people suck.

my husband and i had my VW serviced several times off of a casual recommendation, and i really wish i had read the Unilocal reviews before giving them my business. BUT, im seeing them now and totally going to agree. these guys sneak every chance to nickel and dime you.
long story short– the front desk people are suuper nice, but it misrepresents the shop completely. we had a few oil changes here, which led in to «obvious repairs» recommended on being done. i knew there was a few things on my car acting weird, and the price was high but understandable for all they had to do, so we had them «fix» everything. can i have a moment now to hit myself on the forehead and say «Stupid! stupid! stupid!»
the car ran better, everything was fine, next time we brought it in for an oil change, suspiciously ALL of these issues had magically arisen with my car, as if the $ 2,000 i gave them did absolutely nothing (please, i have an older car, it’s been dented and rusted, VW’s are fickle, but… it’s not a total P.O.S yet). we just told them we’d keep it in consideration (AKA start looking for second opinions)
but, what made them lose my business was when i had my headlight burn out. my husband was working out of state, and it’s not like im feeble but im awful when it comes to cars. seriously, deer in headlights clueless. (but punny!) i brought it to autopia to have it changed, and im SO glad i reviewed my service agreement before i signed it– they wanted to charge me almost $ 90 to change my headlight. seriously??! i flat out refused, but their reason was because «VW’s are hard to access, and we need to take all of this out before we do this, and then… blah blah», and also that they needed to charge me for the time it takes (Which is apparently an hour?) i know these cars are a little more challenging to work on, i’ve been told that many times, but my husband has changed my car’s lightbulbs before in our garage, for less than $ 20 and in like 10 min. i’ve gone to valvoline and had an oil change AND a taillight replaced in 30 minutes for around $ 50 (i just wanted to support more local business). it’s just ridiculous, i know it’s not that hard, i just didn’t want to do it myself. i complained, they knocked it down to $ 50 which i agreed on but was super annoyed about.
anyways, my husband and i were lazy with price comparison and second opinions, and they totally ate it up… for a few months at least. it was totally our fault, but lesson learned. i feel really awful writing a bad review, but this place really warrants one. if it were just 1 off time, i’d overlook it no problem, but there were numerous. if you have auto-​body issues, go to oscar’s in whittier, and honest-​1 for oil changes.

Upsale seems the by word here. Yes I took in a good (loss leader) oil change & tire rotation offer. No long wait but I did have an appointment and there is a no res drive thru right across the street.
Upon picking up my car, with no tire rotation done besides driving it to the lot! I was given a $ 1.400 est! This car was worth maybe 2 grand. I paid for my oil change and took the estimate to my regular mechanic. He wisely hid the estimate from his employees to see how they compared. Yep over ½ was un-​necessary bill padding and much could easy wait. About $ 700.00 was deemed needed and done quickly and professionally.

I have been going to Autopia for the last several years on and off. The first few times I went there they offered competitive rates, even if they did try to get me to spend money on things I thought were unnecessary. But in the last few months I have had two really bad experiences — and I will not be going back.
First, they misdiagnosed an issue and then tried to charge me a ton to get it fixed again, without offering to give me credit for the money I had already spent «fixing it» the first time (they eventually gave me credit, but didn’t apologize for screwing it up). Next, they tried to price gouge me when I got my car towed there and it wasn’t drivable. At first I trusted them and told them to go ahead and do the work, but on the advice of some friends I later checked around. They were charging me $ 950 for something that should have been ~$ 500 – 550. DEFINITELY price compare every single job at Autopia — do not make my mistake!

I took my car in for an oil change. Steven at the front desk said it would take two hours minimum. I thought that was odd since I can do it in my fathers shop in 30 minutes (My parents live far from the cities so it is no longer worth doing it myself). I dismissed it as I thought maybe they were busy (at 7:30am)…
However, after I got it back, the clutch no longer worked like it had when I brought it in. It was now slipping. I brought it back in and they said they would check it out for a fee of course.
I drive this car very delicately. The clutch was fine before I brought it to them and now it’s worn out. There is no explanation for how that happened within the two hours they had my car.
The oil change was fine and they failed to vacuum the inside like they had said, but the outside and windows were washed. Overall a terrible experience and I wouldn’t trust them with my car and will share this experience with all my Minneapolis friends to warn them.

I was lead to Autopia by a co-​workers recommendation who lived in the neighborhood. After recently moving into the neigborhood myself I decided to give Autopia a try. I had recently purchased a used SUV from a private party two months prior and was told that the belt needed replacing. I decided to give them a try on my co-​workers recommendation. I also worked with Dave as a few post below noted and thought he was great to work with throughout the process until I got the call of what «needed» to be done to my SUV. On top of the belt needing to be replaced (which I knew going in), Autopia came up with $ 2k+ more of work that they stated should be done sooner than later including hoses, struts and your normal plugs & filters. Knowing the private party that I bought the car from took good care of the SUV previous, I inquired to see where they got it serviced. I was able to get my hands on the servicing history for the past 5 years and the most recent item in April was the belt. Long story short, I couldn’t afford to spend $ 2,500 to get my car repaired. I decided to get a second opinon at the place it was previously serviced. The service dealer did a full inspection and only noted one small item that need to be fixed but mentioned that it was nothing major. I was sick to my stomach thinking that I needed to put $ 2,500 into a car I recently purchased.
In conclusion, it pays to get a second opinion. Although Dave was professional, helpful and cordial throughout the day I had my car in the shop I would not recommend Autopia unless it was for a normal oil change.
And Dave I do not need a phone call or a free oil change as you offered Jon a couple months ago. You have lost a potential new customer and I also told my co-​worker to not give out Autopia recommendations anymore.

It is a rare day when I am so impressed by a phone call that it motivates me to completely rethink an experience… However, when Dave of Autopia called me today, I had to revisit this review…
As one can see below (as he did), I recently had my vehicle serviced at Autopia. As noted, I was less then impressed with the conclusion of my experience there.
Dave called to address my concerns and earn my confidence back in his business. He was unbelievably sincere, candid, and professional. Of all the reviews, negative or positive, this was the first time I’ve actually had a representative reach out to me. This reach out showed that he was a truly observant and caring businessman. This is a rare quality in today’s market. After profusely apologizing for my disappointing experience, he offered me a free oil change in order to demonstrate that he cares about his customer’s satisfaction. Naturally, I accepted and will be returning… His phone call was a true testimonial to the value of customer service and appreciation. Thanks again.

Not horrible, but I won’t be going back.
I took my Honda Pilot here when the check engine light came on and it was running sluggish. The people here were nice and helpful, but the price I was quoted on the phone for inspection ($ 60) wasn’t what I was charged ($ 110).
They said I’d need to pay $ 1500 to get my car running again… to replace all my fuel injectors.
I took it for a second opinion to a Honda dealer to find out that it was the wire connecting the fuel injectors that was bad NOT the fuel injectors. This ended up costing me $ 200, instead of $ 1500 at Autopia, which wouldn’t have even fixed the problem. Autpoia’s diagnosis wasn’t wrong, they just didn’t correctly identify the problem.
I don’t think they are dishonest or unreasonable. They were just simply wrong about my car… and it almost cost me $ 1500. I can’t afford that type of honest mistake, so I will not be returning.