Kirby’s Firestone Service Center

I got a flat on my ’01 Saturn and needed to get it replaced. Read the reviews here and decided to try them out since they were the closest to get to driving on a spare. Turns out the flat was due to a snapped spring on the front strut which punctured the tire. They were good enough to quote on a single replacement tire at my request. The quote for the two front struts seemed very high, and was told that they could get used struts for half the price. Not knowing better, I ok’d the used struts. After going home and looking at struts, I saw I could order new ones for a little more than the used price they quoted me, so I ordered some and they were understanding enough to cancel the used ones, that they had ordered. When the new ones arrived, I took them over, and was told they were the wrong ones, that they did not match the mounts, so I ended up using the uses struts because by now over a week had passed by. It turns out that I had ordered the rear struts by mistake. You think they could have told me that. Furthermore, the price they quoted me for the new struts, was THREE times what I could have ordered on-​line, and they charged me more for the used struts than what I could have paid new. Lesson learned. I will NOT return. Should have gone to KCM Auto, where I usually go in the first place.

I don’t know how we lucked out finding this place, but I’m very happy we did. On a cold morning, the tire pressure in our rental car suddenly took a turn for the worse. Within five minutes, a cheerful guy here checked out the situation, remedied it, and warned us to keep an eye on one particular tire for the rest of our trip. For free. (Well, that and a small tip, but he seemed fine with helping us out gratis.)
Friendly, efficient, low-​key place.

Took my car in for an oil change here. They called me and said they recommended a replacement belt, I told them to go ahead and do it. I then realized I had had a new belt put on just last year at a different shop, so I called them back and told them this. The guy I was talking to, Joe, told me he would take a look at it and call me back. Of course, when he called me back he told me that he would NOT recommend a new belt and that it was fine. I would’ve wasted $ 70 on something I didn’t even need had I not caught them. If you do go here, I would be very cautious in agreeing to any other things they would recommend you fixing or replacing.

I went in and got my winter tires changed at Kirby’s. The price they offer is competitive and the process was smooth. Friendly staff and easy to make appointments through phone, though the wait can be long. Definitely be prepared to get a ride from a friend because you can be waiting for at least 2.5 hours for the tire swaps.

These guys are THE BEST. As a college student with very limited knowledge on cars, I’m always afraid I’m being tricked into buying more than I need. However, I can say that I have never felt that way here. They are more than reasonable with their pricing and honest about what they believe your car needs. When I’ve gotten multiple quotes about services, theirs is always the lowest.
They are also really flexible when it comes to you picking up your car or waiting to perform services on it. I had my last car towed to their lot after it broke down. Once I decided I was going to donate it instead of getting the repairs, they never pressured me to move my car off of their lot. It was about $ 40 to store my car there for two weeks, and they even took my liscence plates off for me for free. I will never go anywhere else for as long as I live in this area.

Had a blow-​out on I-​57 early Saturday morning on my way back to Chicago from Mississippi after driving all night. I replaced the blowout with the space-​saving spare tire, but needed to get a new tire. This place was one of the few tire places that was listed with an opening time of 7:30 am. I called at 7:25 and they answered the phone. I explained what happened and they said to come right on in, and that they would take care of me right away. When I got there, I could tell that they had other people already waiting to have service, but because of my circumstance, where I needed to get to Chicago on time, they took care of me right away.
I had already known that all the tires needed to be replaced, so when they also mentioned that the tires were worn, it was a confirmation of my previous mechanic’s estimation. They provided me with three options of good, better, and best tire packages. I opted for the middle package which seemed to be a competitive price for a good set of tires. I asked where I could get breakfast while I waited. I came back an hour later and everything was done. They even stored the spare tire away.
I may never be here again, but I felt compelled to note that they were friendly, fast, and professional.

Great service. Got me in next day, dropped off first thing in the morning. Received call by 1030 my car was ready for pick up. Services received: oil change and tire rotation.

They fixed a flat tire for me on short notice in just a few hours on a busy afternoon for just 20 $. Nice folk and good honest service.

Will definitely recommend to everyone.
I was looking foe tire replacements and the people there talked to me very nicely. Later I found another source where I can get cheaper tires so decided only going there for installation. They behaved as politely as before. Price is very competitive and job was done quickly. Just picked up my car, will see how their job turned out to be. Believe that kind men also have remarkable craftsmanship.

As a young Asian female, I often feel a certain dread that I’m being taken advantage of when it comes to car issues (maybe I watched too many «20÷20» horror stories about abusive businesses). However, Kirby’s Firestone is a true diamond in the rough – one of the few consistently honest, competent auto services I’ve had the fortune to find. The people who handle customer service are very knowledgeable and straightforward in terms of life-​threatening issues vs. inconveniences that can wait.
If you’re a UIUC student, keep an eye out for Kirby’s Firestone employees selling special promo packages at the beginning of fall semester. Last year, I purchased a package (costing around $ 75) that entitled me to oil changes that averaged $ 12 per visit, in addition to lots of discounts for various services. It was an undeniably smart investment. I never worried about checking my bank account before an oil change – I just showed up, presented my coupon, and had the work done without any fuss or aggressive pressure to buy other products. By comparison, I’d shell out nearly $ 70 for every oil change at Jiffy Lube, where they always threatened that my car was on the brink of disaster unless I replaced a dozen things.
I also have positive experiences from the times I’ve asked Kirby’s for repairs:
— My Chevrolet has a common ignition security issue that the dealership offered to fix for about $ 700 (I almost threw up). When I took in the car for an oil change, I asked Kirby’s for their price and they estimated $ 300. Woohoo! They worked with a local locksmith to make new keys and parts, and my car was finished the same day.
— Recently, my car developed weird «clunking» sounds. Kirby’s identified the issue and fixed it. When I picked up the car, I noticed some additional rattling noises. I’d usually hesitate to bring it back since I’ve been burned by other mechanics in the past. («Mo’ problems, mo’ money.») However, as soon as I returned, the mechanics took it into the garage, looked at it again, and had me on my way in 30 minutes with a happy car – and no additional costs tacked on.

these guys are a class act. the building itself is nothing to shout about, but they are fair and had the best price in town to replace all four of my tires. i usually go to farm and fleet when i need new tires. they aren’t fast, but their prices are usually competitive. however, when i went in to farm and fleet to have my tires rotated… and then they told me that they couldn’t because all four tires needed to be replace… AND THEN quoted me over $ 775 to get them fixed that day… i decided to look elsewhere. firestone was able to beat farm and fleet by almost $ 325. they got me right in and put all four tires on in no time. a few weeks later, while driving on the interstate, one of the tires blew. it’s for this reason i can’t give them 5 stars. i am not sure if it had something to do with how it was mounted or what, but it blew from one end to the other. the tow truck that came and helped me roadside said he could see no evidence that i had run over anything. it looked like perhaps a defective tire.
i called firestone up, and it was no problem… they replaced the tire the next day for no charge at all. that is how it should be. although i didn’t dig my tire exploding on the interstate, i can’t say that was their fault — and they fixed it, so what is there to complain about? nada. that’s what.

I really like it here.
I am not the best with car stuff, so I used to depend on my 2 brother-​in-​laws, who are both mechanics, before I moved here. When I get my car worked on I always call my bro’s to check that the work seems appropriate and the price is fair. The Kirby guys are always right on the mark. No frills though.

Fast and considerate service. They do require an appointment as they can get pretty busy. I was previously going to the dealer, but these guys are priced much better and have a better location. I really appreciate that they tell a straight story and don’t take advantage of people.

Last year, I went to Firestone to get a new tire and had an awesome experience there. They were fast and to the point, the way I like it. If I had a good experience in the past with a business, I am pretty loyal to that business and most likely to refer friends to that business.
I found a flat tire yesterday and luckily, I was able to drive my car up to Firestone. They were very busy and asked me to dropped my car off overnight so they could check it tomorrow morning. I didn’t think that was a problem so I dropped my key and left my car there for the night.
Today I called them 10am to see if they checked my car. An anonymous employee picked up the phone and said that they would call me back in a «few» minutes because their manager was occupied. I was expecting the call to be in 10 – 15 minutes at least. I had to call them back half an hour later. When I did, they said they were checking it «right now.» They told me that my car would be finished before they close at noon. I got to the place 15 minutes before closing time and spend more than 10 minutes after their closing time waiting. The wait wasn’t what bothered me. I DON’T MIND WAITING AT PUBLIC PLACES IN GENERAL BUT I DO REALLY MIND THE QUALITY OF SERVICE I AM RECEIVING AND THE JOB BEING DONE CORRECTLY. I am not expecting some VIP service here, I just want my car fixed, and I want to be able to trust that the car I am driving out of the auto shop is now safe to drive.
What really aggregates me is that when I was on the highway, another tire blew out and I am currently cruising with a spare tire (the new tire was just perfectly fine). I understand that auto places might take advantage of me because I am a female and assume I don’t know much but here’s the thing:
In order to receive that usual good service from a good auto shop, typically the mechanics are expected to check the air pressure on each tire after they finish placing a new tire. It makes sense, you’ve had the other tires for awhile and you just got a brand new tire to replace the fourth. Of course, the air pressure would be different. I mean you just stick a tire pressure gauge four times and that’s it. How hard can that be? It seems like the simple work done on my car was RUSHED AND HALF-​ASSED before closing. Thank you, Firestone Men =/​
Not only did they risk my safety, but they lost a loyal customer and future customers once they read this review. I will never recommend this place to anybody and I will not be coming back to this place again. Thank you.

the rate for oil change is pretty reasonable: $ 22.70 including tax. However, they want to charge $ 305 dollars for replacing the windshield water reservoir and battery. The car is 6 years old, so it is reasonable to change battery. However, I don’t think it would take 1.30 hours to replace the batter, consider the hourly rate for labor is $ 85. This is ridiculous!

very straight forward guy
estimates are very close to the actual price
good workmanship
slightly higher labor fees than what I am used to in a big metro area
The place looks shabby, the whole place looks like its going to collapse, but do not let that scare you off
He has a pretty good workshop inside.
He straight to the point, very accommodating to requests and immediately completes the work if anything is pointed out. He even tells if you a procedure is not needed at this time. That is a big plus in my book. We rely on experts to tell us what is needed and what is not. It was a very pleasant experience to see that he does not «recommend» a work when its not needed.
He doesnt seem very friendly at first sight but as long as he is not trying to rip me off and does a good job, hey, I will go back there again.
I highly recommend.

I used to get all my routine car care here and they always did a good job and charged very reasonable rates. The work always completed on time. I only had them do oil changes, tires, flush and fills, etc. The guys were nice enough, but it was the overall experience that brought me back.