Ray’s Tire & Automotive

Got in right away. Its an old school mom and pop business, so I felt good about giving my business to them. However, the cost was the exact same as the dealer. Which I find strange considering they charged me $ 125 in labor for a job that took one hour. Pretty high labor charges for a place like this which left me feeling like I was over charged.
I also asked them if they could put on some new windshield wipers I had purchased. They said no problem. When I get in the vehicle the windshield wipers are still in the back and hadn’t been put on. No attention to detail.

Pretty iffy place and here’s why.
My Acura was making a very obvious noise — an axle or bearing went out. They drove my car «in the neighborhood» and couldn’t replicate the noise. Instead I was quoted a noise my car most definitely doesn’t make (a thump at stop sign — engine mounts).
Due to holiday time and my travel fam plans, my car spent over a week at a shop because they couldn’t hear the noise I easily hear. Couldn’t they let someone else drive and listen?! Finally, I had to go in there myself and drive it WITH them. Turns out they didn’t even take the car to 40 mph!!! Noise is best heard at 60mph. I thought they’d at least take my car on nearest highway and give it a good listen, not just take it around nearest stop sign.
Thing 2. The person upfront manning the phone doesn’t know much about cars or communicates well with the mechanics in the back. My car was confused numerously with another similar make car they had at the shop when I called for updates. This was frustrating to find out, as the OTHER car is the one that had the quoted engine mounts issue.
I asked for a written quote so I could shop around and compare, and all I got was a hand written scrap of paper. This isn’t gonna be accepted by any other shop as a legit quote to compare.
Maybe this place is for old folks who dunno a thing about cars. A guy in front of me in line was paying them to change his battery. You can do that for FREE at AutoZone! No shop needed, a most basic thing you can even do yourself.
The one good thing — their warranty is for a year. That’s much better than Just Brakes’ 90 days/4,000 miles (don’t ever go there, they use cheapest parts).
Not saying this place is a total rip off, saying that you can find a higher quality place that does more and gives longer warranty on parts and labor. The place I go to in Austin gives a 2 yr/24,000 mile warranty on most work they do – and that’s a nationwide warranty due to their enrollment in NAPA program — so shop around and I’m sure you can find a similar shop here in Houston.

Charged me $ 100 to replace fuse. Really! Never again.

I called for a quote to get my oil pan replaced. I gave them all the necessary information car make, model, year and got what I thought was a reliable price for doing the work.
I hung up the phone and drove straight to the garage.
Upon arrival to leave my vehicle, the price went up 42% — $ 120 without any else changing.
I refuse to do business with mechanics that operate like this.

Love this place! They remind be of how business was done growing up. Handshake and a promise. They never seem too busy to take care of me. I recommend them for all automotive needs, not just tires. And there is always a good western to watch on the TV.

I had taken on the task of replacing the rear hubs on my wife’s Volvo. I had ordered the parts online and was ready to get it done. Long story short… I could not access the bolts without a lift, so I would have to take it somewhere. I just happened to drive by Ray’s and stopped in to see if they could do the labor with my parts. They said no problem and quoted a very fair price. We have lived in the area for several years and have driven by the shop many times. Anyway, the work was done on time for the price quoted. What more could I ask for? Oh yea, they had to cut a bolt off because the head was stripped (not their fault, I knew it was stripped when I was working on it)…no charge for replacing the bolt even though it would have been totally legitimate to charge for it. So Ray will be working on the Volvo from now on. This is not a fancy service center with «advisors» trying to upsell you stuff you don’t need, nor should it be. A good shop fixes cars without a lot of fluff, and that’s what they do. It reminds me of the shops I used to hang out in when I was younger.

I like Ray. He’s old school, back to basics, honest and integral in his dealings. What he quotes you is what you pay and he has a great staff on hand.
What I like most is that it’s a first come first serve basis. No appointment needed. And they’re open on Saturday’s until 3.
There are many auto repair shops within the 3 mile radius and Ray’s has earned my business by demonstrating good craftsmanship.