Virginia Auto Service

You will be overcharged!!! I was overcharged by 40 percent for the exact same services and parts, if I had received the same service in Scottsdale. I contacted my usual auto service provider near my home and the charge for the exact same everything was more than $ 400 less than Virginia Auto. I then contacted a total of 5 repair shops near my home and asked for a quote for exactly the same service and same parts, the average difference in price for these dealers was $ 450 dollars less. I spoke to the owner and gave him my figures. He said the difference in cost was «illogical.» No the difference is due to price gouging! My car broke down and I chose near Virginia Auto because I did not want to have it towed. Beware, you are overpaying by a lot, for all the services and expertise at Virginia Auto Service!!! $ 1150 to replace upper and lower radiator hoses, replace new thermostat, power flush cooling system, replace the A/​C Schrader Valve and evacuate and recharge the A/​C. This is outrageous!!!

Great auto shop! I brought in my truck after another shop failed to fix an oil leak. Service was excellent, and communication was great. I will now use these guys exclusively.

Top notch customer service. They walked me through what must happen and what could wait. Even dropped my car off for me! I’ve never experienced such excellent service from start to finish.

Today I took my car in for an Oil Change (PERIOD). The mechanic decided to play with my coolant overflow and when he pulled the clamp off the line the plastic broke inside the hose and they wanted me to pay for it. THAT IS CRAZY! I never asked them to do anything other than an oil change. Conveniently, the repairs they suggested was $ 350+ Never Again will I take my vehicle to their place of business.

After just 2 weeks of being in Arizona, I had another incident added to my string of bad luck. I was trying to register my car after having been pulled over and, luckily, let of with a warning, when my transmission lines blew all the way across town. I called my insurance for a tow and then a brand new Amazonian friend recommended Virginia Auto to bring my car to. I could kiss this new friend. Pascal answered when I called to let him know I was coming on a tow and he couldn’t have been nicer. When I arrived, he got me checked in and offered me options to get home, since they couldn’t look at my car until the next day. Luckily, though, I had a ride on the way.
Via text the morning, he let me know what the problem was and the cost. Once I ok’d, he was on it and I had my car back at 5 pm. Not once did these guys try to upsell me on anything I didn’t need or ask for. In fact, they washed my car before giving it back to me! Who does that? These guys, apparently.
I’ve never had such a good experience with a shop in the years I’ve owned cars. I will definitely go back to Virginia Auto if I have further issues with this or any future vehicle.

Took my car in as it needed its scheduled maintenance. They called me and gave me an estimate of over $ 4,000??? Seriously? I told them I wanted a second opinion. I took my car to 2 other mechanics and neither of them quoted me over $ 1,000. I do not think they are honest and I definitely do not recommend them! On top of it, they were rude to me when I told them not to perform the work, even though I paid almost $ 100 just to look at it!

Unilocal review process is totally rigged… what a joke! They only claim to be impartial.
I took my 2000 Ford E-​250 van in last week after I rebuilt the engine and transmission. This isn’t the first rebuild that I have done and it won’t be the last, but it will be the last time I give Virginia Auto another dime! I replaced just about every sensor and I used brand new parts while performing a complete rebuild. Chuck’s Speed Shop did my block work @ $ 680.00. Between the engine and transmission, I have over $ 4,500.00 just in new parts, the labor was from myself… and the van does run. I’m just not happy with the idle once the engine is at temp.
History: My van fired right up after the rebuild, but it began to run rough after warming up with 50 miles on the new rebuild. The dash cluster temp gauge wasn’t reading the temp, or it was inop., so I figured that the computer was unable to read the temp and make fuel mixture corrections. It turns out that the temp sensor on the cylinder head does this job, but Virginia Auto never mentioned this fact to me. In a weak effort to find what was wrong with my van, they checked the fuel pressure, which they said dropped off shortly after turning the ignition on. They recommended changing out the fuel pump, fuel filter and swapping out the temp gauge with Ford Motor Craft parts. I had already changed the fuel filter. I asked how much they would charge to install a new Motorcraft fuel pump and they told me $ 900.00 — $ 1,000.00!!! I asked how much the fuel pump would cost and I was told $ 600.00!!! You can purchase the Ford fuel pump for $ 297.00 from
! I chose the Carter for $ 135.00 and they looked identical during the swap. I used a new Motorcraft temp gauge too. Virginia told me that they have never heard of «Carter». I’m not sure how much these guys know about anything.
My major complaint comes from having to argue over how much the diagnostics fee and time should run. They gave me an attitude when I told them $ 300 — $ 500 was too expensive and I’d give them 2 hours, then I wanted a call because I wasn’t giving them an open checkbook of mine. Their shop rate is $ 127.00. The second service writer chimed in and informed me that they would need to retrace my steps on my rebuild because I might have stuff crossed, missing, or incorrectly routed, which pissed me the off! I kept my cool and I told him that I took pictures, made diagrams, and I purchased the Ford repair manuals, which are three thick books! After just over an hour, I walked over and asked about the progress where I was informed about the fuel pump pressure, which they said they found within the first 20 minutes. The rest of the time was spent doing god only knows what, but they didn’t even come close to helping me fix the poor idle at temp or the rough start and they charged me $ 289.00 without finding a single issue. NOTE: They had the van for an entire day, but only worked on it between other jobs — this info came from the manager. I told them what I didn’t change out during the rebuild because there was only a couple parts. I also wanted the timing checked, but they never wrote that down because they were way too busy pressuring me into giving them an open checkbook! Seriously, does anyone do honest work anymore?!
To: Matt A., (business owner)
Save your time addressing my review with your wit and sarcasm and spend some time and money teaching your guys some ethics! I may not know everything, but I have honor and integrity.

I was tired of going to the dealer for my truck, which is out of warranty coverage and tried Virginia Auto on the recommendation of one of my business partners. My truck had been shuddering and shaking badly at certain RPMs & speeds. The dealer diagnosed the problem as my catalytic convertor and replaced it. After driving my truck for a day, I could tell the problem was not fixed and even felt worse.
Rather than go back to the dealer, I thought it was a good time to sever ties and try some place new. They had to keep my truck a few days to fully diagnose and repair the issue and actually took the time to drive the truck, first to recreate the problem, then to be sure it was fixed. Doesn’t seem like a big deal, but the dealer clearly did not do this. They kept me updated throughout the process (what tests they were running, possible causes and next steps), offered me rides to and from the shop and a loaner car when they had to keep my truck a few days. Turned out to be a spark plug issue, adding to my frustration with the dealer, as the technician there had even written, «probable spark plug issue» on my receipt/​work order, yet failed to fix it. However, their lack of follow through and poor customer service forced me to find these guys, who I feel like I can trust, so all is good in the end.
I went into the situation a little standoffish because I knew my fix would be expensive, but I left feeling good about the service I received. They also warranty their work, I believe it’s 2 years/24,000 miles? I’ve been to other shops that will fix your car for cheap and do a quick-​fix repair that will mask or even fix issues for a time. If that’s what you’re looking for, don’t bring your car here. These guys work hard to find and fix the source of the problem, not just the symptoms.

*Updated*
In the interest of transparency, I’m including my original review and a follow-​up. But here’s the summary: they’re a good, dependable local business that has earned their strong reviews.
Original review:
«My car died on a Sunday. I had AAA come out and do a diagnostic. I was hoping it was just a battery problem, and they could fix it and be done with it. The AAA guy worked with my car for almost an hour, but the starter was shot, so I had to have it towed. I decided to have it towed to this shop because it’s around the corner from my house, I like to support local businesses, and all the reviews were so positive. Robert called me early in the morning and he was initially very friendly. He told me they would do a diagnostic test for $ 64.99 and call me back. I declined the test (because two different AAA guys already told me the problem), and his response was deeply patronizing: „Wow, well, if you feel confident that *you* know the problem, sure I can give you a quote for the starter.“ His quote was $ 500. I called a couple other shops, including my trusted mechanic in Tempe, who all quoted me around $ 300. I called back and asked if $ 500 was the best they could do. Robert offered me a different starter („it’s decent, and it just has a 1 year warranty“) for $ 414. I understand that all shops have different prices, but I am disappointed. I won’t be giving them my business.»
Update:
Shortly after I posted the review, the owner of the shop (Matt) called to discuss the situation. We chatted, he took down some information, and called me back later in the day. We talked for a long time about labor costs, parts and vendors, how shops arrive at estimates, etc. He was professional and courteous. I haven’t yet decided whether I will ask them to fix my car; I’m updating the review mostly because I agree with Matt’s replies to other comments below — that price quotes alone aren’t worthy of bad reviews and that if we have a mechanic we like, we should stick with them. I left a bad review because I didn’t like the way Robert spoke to me *and* because the price quote was dramatically different than other places. I felt exploited because I was vulnerable — my car was towed there and I was stuck. (I couldn’t go to my mechanic because he was too far away and I was running between my two jobs.) I’m fixing it because Matt has a lot of integrity as a shop owner and I’m grateful he took the time to research the situation and offer me a better solution. In Unilocal-​speak, everything is A-​OK, and I would recommend them to others.

I know a little something about cars. my uncle has been a mechanic for over 40 years. I took my car to virginia auto service for a very specific issue. They called me with a totally different problem the cost to fix was outrageous. I repeated what i needed and they told me no, no, no. They really thought i would be bullied into getting a service done that I don’t need and that would not fix what was wrong to begin with. So they are either incompetent or just puling a scam on a «girl». what is even more outrageous is all these people think they are doing a good job. i hope no one gets hurt because of virginia auto service

First time customer. Great service. Accurately diagnosed the problem which was a different and more expensive problem than my regular garage wanted to work on. Saved me a few hundred dollars. Accommodating with drop off to work with Burgie. And when a part could not be located in time provided a loaner car. Great customer service. Will be back.

I always passed by this place on my way to work. I was due for an oil change and decided to stop to have my car serviced. My concern with going to a new mechanic is to ‘not get taken for’ doing work that does not need to be done, etc. but with this place, I felt at ease, seemed honest and only advised on what your car should need and not need. Friendly, professional, clean, and what was very convenient was that a very friendly guy named ‘Bergie’ took you to your work and back.
Recommended.

These guys do a great job. Honest, hard working, competent, friendly. I’ve taking my car here for a year and will continue to for many more.

These guys are dependably polite and make you feel at ease.
I have been fairly paranoid about being taken advantage of by auto mechanics, but you could sense something different at this shop.
The owner himself has come out to talk through things with me and all my questions and need for clarification. Through all of it, the staff has always been patient, pleasant and trustworthy.
As my boyfriend says about them, «I don’t mind paying a little more than the cheap-​o shops to know that things will be done properly the first time.»
Also, something significant for me is their ability to provide a prioritized list of suggestions regarding what needs to be fixed on your car, what can wait and how «dire» they each are.
I’m incredibly impressed with their ability to do great work and also, somehow, make me feel happy about giving them my money to work on my car. :)
Definitely recommended!

The team here at Virginia Auto Service is the best. We bought a used car from another local service center and boy were we sold a lemon! We even own a business next door to the place that we have trusted to work on our vehicles. When the other shop refused to stand behind their work, and the car they sold us, we sought out the crew at Virginia Auto on the advice of a friend.
Robert took us through the engine of our vehicle and showed us all of the poorly done work by the other mechanic we trusted and then, he advised us on what we should do to keep our car running smoothly. The price was fair and the service was done quickly. We will be trusting only Virginia Auto Service from now on. We will be referring all our friends and customers here in the future.
All you Phoenix ladies who don’t know a bunch about cars and need reliable auto repair with out getting lied to, Robert is your man.

Well, I have a little 2001 Ford Taurus. My lovely silver grandma car is fantastic for the 100 – 200 miles I drive per month. And now, my little car has a great shop looking after her.
I took my car in as it was time for an oil change and I was convinced my serpentine belt was about to go. It had that tell-​tale burning smell which was making me nervous. Turns out I had a loose oil-​filter from my last oil change and dripping oil + catalytic converter = my car is about to die smell.
Virginia Auto Service changed my oil and cleaned up my engine. It was so nice to receive a call from them saying my belt was fine and an oil change was all I needed. It was refreshing to be given an honest assessment vs being told some great story about some random repair that was needed… I am a female after all and have received some rather odd diagnoses in the past (your rotors fell off, so you’ll need to have them replaced for example).
It is very reassuring to know I now have an honest, kind and reliable repair shop for my car. Did my oil change run a bit more than some $ 19.99 special? Yes, but it was so worth it! Now my little one won’t be getting an oil change for another year most likely, but my service advisor, Robert, asked me to please stop by every three months so they could check out my belts, tire pressure, etc just to be safe. Now THAT is service!

The men here have always taken care of my car, which is now getting up there in age. They’re patient and always willing to explain what services will be done to my car and give me a fair price. They’re not the cheapest in town but they do high quality work. Even when I had to have work done at another shop they called and had the details of the work faxed over to double check and ensure that everything was done properly.

I’ve been taking my car here since moving to Phoenix a year ago. Three things really stand out about this shop:
1. Everyone is professional and very nice. That’s not a given at every auto shop.
2. Honest service — Several times, I’ve asked them to look at something and to do the service only if it needs it (for example, if my car’s manual suggests something at a certain mileage). Many shops would just take the opportunity to do the service and charge you. However, Virginia Auto has come back to me several times and said that things look fine now and that they’ll check it again at my next oil change.
3. Burgie will give you a ride back to your work/​home!

When my car started making scary, loud, noises, I panicked and took it to the nearest reputable mechanic (Virginia Auto). I had heard they were a bit more expensive than other places, but my brother had just had a really great customer service experience there, so I decided to chance it. After explaining to the very nice mechanic working the front desk that I really did not have any money to spare, I left my car in their hands and crossed my fingers. A few hours later, I had a written estimate in hand: $ 1,600+. I was hugely disappointed (who happens to have a spare $ 1,600 lying around?) so I forwarded the quote to some knowledgeable friends who told me that I should definitely get a second opinion. Once all was said and done, I managed to work out a solution to my auto troubles for $ 700 from a different mechanic.
Yes, Virginia Auto does good work. Yes, they offer GREAT customer service. NO, it’s NOT worth paying DOUBLE for.
P. S. Do yourself a favor and check out Inman & Sons instead. :)

I’ve taken Audrey, my Audi, to Virginia Auto Service a couple times for routine maintenance. I first heard of them through a coupon in the mail, though I’m not sure how they got my address! :)
Being new to the area and because the Audi dealership is way up in north Scottsdale, I decided to give them a try. Not to mention because I value the more personalized service of a small business, but that’s a longer discussion…
I’ve been thoroughly impressed with VAS’s personal service, their ability to squeeze you in on relatively short notice, the ease in making an appointment, and their communication on what the deal is with your car. They also have a free ride service to drop you off and pick you up, which is highly convenient!
If you have a European car, I highly recommend giving these guys a try! I’m fiercely protective and OCD about my car — if I trust Audrey to someone, you know you can.