Ladysmith Tire & Auto

We were headed back to Florida from DC and the BMW alerted as to a serious oil problem. We found this place by chance and what are the odds that they knew BMWs? They did and they were fantastic! After a bit we were on our way with peace of mind.

So, my car’s battery light started coming on intermittently on I-​95, which lead me to this shop. It’s conveniently located right off the highway.
The bottom line is that the shop did good work in a timely manner. They were friendly and the waiting room was pretty clean for an auto shop. That being said, they are VERY pricey. As I waited there, however, you see how much traffic they get off of issues on I-​95, so I can’t really blame them for cashing in.
So, to my issue. I knew going in that an intermittent battery light was probably the alternator or battery. Both very easy to check. Beyond that, the issue could get ugly (short, something in the electrical system, etc.) They charge a $ 90 diagnostic fee that is NOT waived even if you have the work done there. So, that was up charge number 1.
The issue was confirmed to be the alternator. The quote was high, but what is an I-​95 motorist to do. The parts cost was literally $ 100 above the web site cost from Advanced for the identical part (I’ll cut them a little slack and assume there is a delivery fee, but not $ 100). They charged $ 100 in labor for a 30 minute job. There’s a $ 25 environmental/​supply fee, for something that is bolted on and is not only recyclable, an alternator has to be recycled or you pay an added core fee (like a battery). Total cost was about $ 50 over the high end estimated on RepairPal.
So, all told, this was a VERY expensive repair, but they did get me back on the road. For that, they get 3 stars. Would I trust them to repair my car again, yes, I have no complaints with the work. Would I go there if I have another choice, no, the cost is prohibitive.

Replaced my battery. Wasn’t the battery but the alternator. You think they would have checked that. Drove another twenty miles and the battery light came back on. Scariest day of my life driving on 95 with no power.

4 months ago we went and got our car inspected. They said we had THOUSANDS of dollars in repairs. We took it to a place in Fredericksburg and there was nothing wrong with it at ALL. Scam!

We were towed here after our car broke down on I-​95 in freezing wintry conditions early one morning January 2014. AAA arranged the tow, and the tow dispatcher explained that the repair service was offered by the next-​door repair shop. While we were waiting for the tow, she checked with the manager and verified that the shop could investigate the malfunction right away.
The Xpress staff were very courteous and they began working on the car as soon as we arrived. The shop was orderly and clean. It took them about 75 minutes to perform the diagnostics — a bit longer than I’m accustomed to. But they recommended three repairs, two critical and one that would need to be addressed eventually. I elected to have all three done. The manager estimated it would take about three hours to complete the repairs, including getting in a part.
It took about five hours, in part because the mechanic had difficulty with a stubborn part in a difficult position. The waiting area was initially very cold, but the manager figured out how to get the heat on. We walked across the road to McDonalds for a meal, and there was also a snack shop at the gas station nearby.
I can’t attest to whether the repairs were priced fairly, as I haven’t been able to find a comparison online, but I do believe the manager and mechanics are honest. Since we were about an hour from home and no easy way to get there, and there was no hotel within walking distance, I appreciated that we were able to drive away at 2pm and get home before dark.

We were on our way to MB riding on the 50 mph spare after a blow out on the 301 Potomac River bridge. Mike got us in and out in 1.5 hours, with a new tire, on a Saturday morning. No games or price gouging, just great customer service. If you are south of Fredericksburg and north of Kings Dominion it’s a good choice. it’s less than 1 mile from 95 at the Ladysmith exit.

Flat tire on I95. Not even a call after a promise from ‘towing’ to call/​help. life threatening not to help/​call in that situation.

I broke down on 95 and had my truck towed here. They diagnosed my truck as having a bad diesel injector pump with a cracked housing. They wanted over $ 2,700 to replace this part. I bought the pump for $ 900 and replaced it myself in the parking lot, at night, limited tools, 20 degrees out in two hours. The pump was not even bad. The housing comes apart and five of the six screws holding the housing together were missing. DO NOT GO TO THIS SHOP EVER!!!

Do not go there! They are a rip off. I took my vehicle there and they wanted 1400 to fix my bronco so it would pass inspection. This is an older vehicle, but $ 400.00 for a muffler and tail pipe. I went to auto zone and got muffler, tail pipe and other parts spent $ 120.00 for $ 1400.00. What the hell!!! Oh my battery was dead when I went to pick it up. However it’s always started right up. Also they bled out my brake fluid. DO NOT GO THERE!!!

Verry friendly customer service. They get the job done in a timely manner.