Red Ball Garage

Go here! Valvoline quoted me $ 85 to change my oil. Red Ball Garage did a better full service oil change for $ 33. On top of that, everyone I dealt with was friendly, helpful, and easy to deal with. (I think I may have met the owner, and he had a great sense of humor). It did take a couple of hours after I dropped it off, but they were very prompt about letting me know when it was ready. I would definitely recommend this place to a friend and will be going back myself.

Timely, effective, efficient, up-​front. The desk clerk was some old, white, fat motherfucker who seemed alright. He called the timing as best he could and didn’t keep us waiting. My friend had to get four tires replaced same day and he gave it to her straight up. She called around thinking other places were gonna give AF, but then she came to her senses after listening to my monkey-​ass talk. Now we’re on the road and we haven’t died yet so I’m thinking this goofy motherfucker’s establishment deserves a ⁵⁄₅. Hook this hopeless shit up @yelp!

This is an absolutely trustworthy place to take your car for any repair. I have only been in Nashville for one year and had a panel break on my 2012 Audi A3. I took my Audi to the Nashville Audi dealership (in Brentwood) who quoted me a repair for $ 660.00 I took my car to Red Ball Garage after reading the reviews here on Unilocal.They immediately looked at my car, made on honest assessment, and helped me repair the car for the lowest cost. When I asked the manager what I should pay him for fixing my car, he only suggested that I tip the mechanics who fixed the issue with my car. So instead of paying the Audi dealership $ 660, I walked away after leaving a $ 20 tip. I love this place and will never go anywhere else.

This was my first visit to the red ball. I brought and my car and my wife’s car back to back for an oil change and a rotate and balance. Service was reasonably priced and the work was completed within an acceptable timeframe.
I dealt with the owner. He was very professional and didn’t try to upsell me on unnecessary services/​upgrades. When a very minor problem was found during inspection, I asked him if it were urgent for that problem to be seen to immediately. He said my car would run more efficiently if it were seen to, but it would not explode in the meantime. He was very easy to deal with, and I will definitely be going back to his garage if I have automotive needs in the downtown Nashville area in the future.

Great experience with Red Ball!
When I was stranded by the side of the road waiting on a tow truck, I checked Unilocal for some garages and immediately found the highest rated place was Red Ball. It’s very convenient on Church Street, and the tow truck driver was able to drop off my keys and on Monday, my car was ready by 3pm! Perfect.
I had a slight annoyance at first contact with the employee there, but overall was very pleased with the services they provided me. When you are stranded without a car in working order, it is nice to take it to a well-​oiled (no pun intended) shop for fast turnaround. Price wise I’ve heard its a bit higher than some, but my work was pretty big and I have been pleased. They also offer a discount for hospital employees who work nearby. Nice job Red Ball!

Always good, quick, fairly priced and pleasant to deal with. Love how reliable and communicative everybody is here. Really A++++ service.

Brought my car in today, for an issue that was ultimately caused by another garage. As a female I did not feel spoken down to or taken advantage of in any way, I was not even charged for the undoing of the previous problem. Highly recommended! So, so happy with my experience.

Nothing but happy that I found this place. they are always friendly. in about 5 visits over the past 2 years my car has always left with whatever was wrong fixed. They are no pressure and quick. They usually beat their own time estimate. They may be a bit higher in price for your standard oil change and tires rotated job than a lube shop but they have been worth every penny for me. I’ll continue using them as long as i’m in Nashville.

As everyone else has said here, Red Ball is as good as it gets. I took my car there several times for oil changes and general maintenance work and only ever had supremely positive experiences. I love that they have the little waiting area alcove which is very much apart from the normal bustle and noise you have to deal with waiting at a garage. And it was also great that they have drinks and snacks for customers beyond just the crappy coffee that’s usually found in such a place. This was a recommendation from a friend that I was so happy I took. They often fit me in at the last minute, found parts quickly, and just provided all-​around good service. I only wish they were still down the street from me.

WORST. MECHANIC. EXPERIENCE. EVER.
I’m loathe to accuse anyone of incompetence or dishonesty without sufficient evidence, but… well, you be the judge…
Our BMW Z3 sprung a leak in the coolant system. When I took it in to Jiffy Lube for an oil change, the techs there topped off all the fluids, and in doing so, pinpointed where it was gushing out of the system. They got under the car for a closer inspection, determined what needed to be fixed, and gave me a rough estimate of the parts/​repair cost (not something they do themselves). We called 3 different places to get a quote on the repair, and all 3 were in the $ 300-​$ 350 neighborhood. We opted for Red Ball Garage (RBG) because it’s right next door to my wife’s work.
We dropped off the car, and the owner — David — called a couple days later to tell me the work was completed, but that there was actually a 2^nd leak (that Jiffy Lube didn’t detect) which also needed to be fixed, and required removing the manifold intake to do so (at an estimated additional cost of $ 300-​$ 400). A whole bunch of extra hundreds on all labor and no parts? Hmmm… Okay, go ahead and fix it (they assured me it wasn’t drivable without this 2^nd repair).
Total cost to fix coolant leak: $ 895.
Then things got fun.
I picked up the car and drove it home (about 17 miles away), and noticed that the heater wasn’t blowing hot air, and the temperature gauge never moved. I wasn’t sure if there was some reset event that had to happen after working on the system before everything got back to normal, so we drove it around a couple more days to be sure. When it never did begin to work, I suspected an issue with the thermostat, and called RBG to let them know we’d be bringing it back to them. My wife dropped the car off this time, and also mentioned that a turn signal bulb and the Check Engine bulb were out and needed to be replaced. The next day, we got a quote of $ 350 to fix the (sure enough!) thermostat, plus an invoice of $ 125 for the light bulbs. WTF? (my wife forgot to tell me she asked RBG to check out the bulbs too, so I found this out while standing at the RBG counter with her). I asked her why she approved a $ 125 estimate to fix 2 light bulbs, and she said she didn’t. She was told 1 light was $ 7 and the other was $ 3 -$ 4. What’s going on here? David tells me that the entire dashboard has to be pulled out in order to replace the Check Engine Bulb, so the bulk of that $ 125 bill is labor. I asked him if he informed my wife beforehand of what changing that bulb entailed, and he said he couldn’t remember. My wife said that he did not, and if he HAD, she wouldn’t have approved the work. I am pleased to discover that I have married a genius. :) While she and I are arguing about whether or not she should have mentioned the bulbs at all when she was just supposed to have them check the thermostat, David interrupts to tell us not to fuss at each other, and that he won’t charge us anything for the lights. We thank him for that, and ask if they can hang onto the car overnight while we decide on having them fix the thermostat. They agree.
I’m still suspicious about the fact that something that was working fine when we dropped it off is now broke after RBG worked on that exact system, so I called Firestone to get their opinion on the matter. They say it doesn’t sound like the thermostat, but that the system just needs to have all the air bled out of it, as is normal protocol after working on the coolant system. They even said they’d be happy to take a look at it for free. I called RBG back and asked David if they’d bled the system, and if he was sure it was the thermostat. Yes, and yes. I called my wife at work and asked her to walk over and get our keys from RBG because I was going to take the car to Firestone. She did so, and David charged her the full $ 125 for the lights that he told me he wasn’t going to charge.
When I came by to get the car from her and take it to Firestone, I discovered that while RBG had indeed fixed the Check Engine Light bulb, every other conceivable light in the dash was now out — gas gauge, odometer, rpm’s, thermostat — everything. GGggrrrrr!!! Now I have to take my car back there AGAIN!!!
I take the Z3 to Firestone, and they check it out. The Verdict: there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the thermostat, the system just hadn’t been bled (as they suspected, and which David assured me had happened), and there was a giant air pocket near the back of the engine. They bleed it out — takes 25 minutes — and give me back a car that works just fine. Don’t charge me a penny. Nice guys.
David pleaded ignorance to the whole thermostat/​bleeding the system affair, and had no comment on why he charged my wife the $ 125 after telling me he wouldn’t. All I know is that a $ 350 estimate turned into $ 1,020 ordeal, necessitating 3 return visits, 2 extra weeks of hassle, and that I will never EVER go there again.

Great garage. It is right down the street from where I work. I can drop my car off before work and by the time I get done, my car is ready and I can pick it up. Friendly and knowledgeable staff and the prices are decent.

Anyone who has had any sort of motorized vehicle knows the struggle to find a good mechanic seems never ending. Red Ball Garage, however, should make the car owner’s tragic quest come to an end. I can’t really put into words how much I like and trust everyone at Red Ball Garage. My car has had some interesting issues in my time in Nashville, all which they have resolved at a more than fair price. The owner of Red Ball Garage is not only a really nice guy but honest. I have come in there with some doozies and he has always managed to get the work done well while keeping the costs within my budget. If you ever get to chatting with the owner, you can tell that he is genuinely proud of the work they do and will also always let you know that they are using the best parts and tools possible for the job.
I left my car there once to get an electrical problem fixed and while it was there he went ahead and fixed my A/​C that had not been working for months for free. I don’t know many mechanics these days that will do ANYTHING for free. Point of the story: Red Ball Garage is fantastic.

I’ve had a couple dealings with Red Ball, and I am glad to say that they exemplify honesty and efficiency. They have changed my flat tire for free, though many places would have charged. They have also checked and charged my battery without cost when I was towed in with electrical issues.
A convenient feature was that they paid the tow truck operator and added that fee to my total bill with them. It saved me from having to work out two separate charges and then send in two receipts to my insurance company. If you’re getting towed, chances are you’re not having a great day so little assistances like this mean a lot.