Allen Automotive

My go-​to local shop for things I don’t want to do myself. Friendly people and fair prices. They did the 100k mile service on my 2006 4runner and I had no issues.
My favorite tire shop (Radial Tire) recommended Allen Auto to me for an alignment a few years ago. If they are good enough for Radial they are good enough for me.

After getting 4 new tires on my BMW I need an alignment. Friendly, quick, and at a good price. Got me in an out in less than 1 hour.

So I would’ve given them 5 stars until more recently. We have been taking our cars here for years now and they had been amazing. A little pricey, but you get what you pay for and we felt they were honest in a sea of those were who were not. However, we recently had a problem with, what turned out to be, some connector on the part that starts the car. It took them three times to fix, including one time where they didn’t even end up doing anything to the car. Not to mention that they decided we needed new tires (not the problem we were worried about) during one of those sessions. And this is on top of the fact, that only say a month before that, we had brought in the same car for 100,000 mile maintenance — why didn’t they mention we needed new tires then? Every time we brought the car in we had to maneuver it since we have one car and I drive to work every day — it was a HUGE hassle. I seriously thought maybe we needed a new car. After complaining that they were not able to fix our car after bringing it in so many times — which, btw would randomly turn off while driving and would stutter whenever you pressed the gas, they finally agreed to not charge us anymore and found a used part that did ultimately fix the car… After putting a ton of money into it with all of that nonsense, it better last for a while before we need to take it in again or replace it.

Great service. Henry and team do a great job. Always very honest.

Great general auto repair shop! Henry and his staff do great work, are honest and open about what is going on with your car and why everything is being done. We have been going to them for 15 years and have always been satisfied. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions.
They are located near and work well with Quattro Auto Body and Radial Tires. All are withing 5 minutes of each other and represent complete, quality auto care.

I was so excited when Allen’s was able to take me last minute for a MD safety inspection at 5pm — an hour before closing.
The price was a steep at $ 80, when we were able to get our other car done for $ 40, but on a time crunch!
They did a thorough job, but they ended up charging me an extra $ 20 to check my tint because they said it looked dark. Of course it passed, but they didn’t tell me before they checked — so my safety inspection cost $ 100 which I’m pretty sure is double the normal price. That’s what you get for waiting until the last minute.
I get the feeling that they do quality work because they were extremely thorough and even noticed my not noticeable, barely cracked sun visor. However, I’m thinking that this comes at a high cost. They estimated that my rear brake replacement would cost ~$ 500 when other places have quoted me ~$ 300.

Helpful and thorough job on a pre-​purchase inspection. Henry (owner) explained all this issues with the car. Professional, clean, organized, and thorough. They have generally been available for the same day or next day appointment. They are not specialists with my make of car (VW), but are excellent overall. I took my car to a VW specialist in Wheaton for another job, he pointed out a minor (?) diagnostic detail that Allen sounded like he missed (specialist saw the ‘disease’ while Allen noticed the ‘symptom’…but I am a layperson so you can discount my opinion on that).
I went back for the repairs recommended for the inspection, which ended up being about $ 80 more than the estimate ($ 487 versus $ 565). I did not get an explanation as to why, which was a bit dissapointing.
Overall, I would recommend Allen Automotive for general repairs.

Allen did a great job on my BMW suspension. They work closely with Radial Tire which makes them a super convenient option.
They were done early and came in at a very reasonable on price.
I highly recommend them.

I love this garage, and I highly recommend that you go here. I moved to Maryland two years ago, and a woman at my church recommended Allen Automotive (she has been going to them for years). I have a 2007 Honda Accord, and my brakes were making a grinding noise, and I took the car in to be evaluated (thinking that something very expensive must be wrong with the brakes), and they told me the brakes were making that noise because I don’t drive the car that often (I metro everywhere), and while the car sits, a little harmless rust builds up on the pads, but it wears off as soon as I start driving the car. They asked me if I noticed if the noise went away after a few minutes of driving it, and I said yes it did. I’ve since brought my car to them for routine oil checks, and they have always been honest and excellent. They will also pick you up from the metro (and drop you off at the metro), if you don’t want to wait in their waiting room.