Shady Grove Auto Care

I can't believe this place got any good reviews. I just had repair work done by another shop today, and they asked me who did my previous repairs because there were things not done that should have absolutely been completed before. Shady Grove Auto Care serviced my car on three separate occasions in the past, and I later found out something was wrong, missing or done incorrectly with each service job.

THESE GUYS ARE TOTAL SCAM ARTISTS. DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT THEY SAY.

I won't name anyone in particular, but don't trust the skinny ruddy faced man with glasses behind the desk. You will recognize him by the smell of alcohol on his breath.

CAN'T SAY ENOUGH BAD THINGS ABOUT THIS PLACE. IT'S SIMPLY NOT RIGHT HOW THEY DO BUSINESS AND ARE DECEIVING TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.

Posted 12/04/09 | Report Abuse

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In the past I took my 2001 Mercury to dealers, independent mechanics, and places like Jiffy Lube for service, and I always felt ripped off. At first, I couldn't believe that Shady Grove Auto Care hadn't found more to fix on the car. In addition, they looked at my husband's car for no charge. I highly recommend them for their mechanical work and I think that they are very honest.

Posted 05/27/09 | Report Abuse

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They do great work and they only do the work that needs to be done.
They never ADD stuff .. only subtract if they don't think something extra needs to be done.
The manager is a Christian and it's obvious in how he deals with you.
Polite, honest, and VERY knowledgeable in what is going on with your car.
I highly recommend them!

Posted 12/15/08 | Report Abuse

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This guys are good. I drive a Z28 and have had them to all the work. This includes installing a new engine under my warranty work. I have questions, they have knowledge! John in customer service is a great guy to have as a resource, works hard to get the job done.

Posted 09/08/08 | Report Abuse

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I've been going to SGAC for eight years. I used to work at a business across the street and found that everyone went there. The company had over a hundred people employed and I never heard a bad word about them. Word of mouth, especially for a mechanic is extremely important, especially in a highly concentrated business area. I still work in the area, but live over an hour away. I have had fantastic service with SGAC and enjoy their professional and friendly manner. They are highly receptive and take the time to let me know exactly what is wrong and what needs to be fixed. If you're in the area and looking for a reliable auto shop, SGAC is second to none.

Posted 07/20/07 | Report Abuse

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I learned the hard way and am writing this so hopefully others won't have to. I took my car to Shady Grove Auto Care after someone recommended them to me and I read the reviews on this site. I had my new rear bumper painted. This came out well enough so when my front bumper was scratched by another car I took it back to them to have the front bumper repainted. I dropped the car off and asked for an estimate before the autobody shop started work. After not hearing anything for a week, I called to check-on the status of the estimate. I was told that they had already started work on the bumper but that Dave (who is in charge of the body shop and who had always been my contact) was not available and he would call me back with the estimate. This annoyed me because what good is an estimate if they have already started work? I never received a call from Dave and called the shop again a half a week later. Dave was still not available but I was told my car was done.

The first time I got my car back, I waited until I got home to really inspect the car because I was in a hurry and everything had turned out well the first time. Big mistake on my part. The freshly painted bumper was already scratched on the visible part of the bumper, scratched on the underside of the bumper and there were small divots in the paint. One of the guys had mentioned to me when I picked the car up to "Watch out because the car is really low" so I think that someone at the shop took the car for a test drive and scratched the bumper. Not very professional in my opinion. There was no reason for anyone to take my car for a test ride because it was only having body work done, nothing mechanical. I called and talked to another guy at the shop because Dave was still unavailable (they would always say he would be back soon though) and was told I could bring it back in for a repaint. This time I just dropped off the bumper because I didn't trust them with my whole car. I never received a call saying my bumper was done, I had to call them to find out. When I picked up the bumper this time, the scratches were gone, most of the divets were gone but you could see that they had just painted overtop of the previous paint job and not wetsanded everything smooth. Around the inner edges, you could see the line where the previous paint job had ended through the new paint. I was disappointed again but am not going to bother to try to have them fix it again because I just don't think they are capable of good work. In addition, the bumper color is two or three shades different from the rest of the car, enough to be noticeably different. When I asked about this, I was told that polyurethane (which many bumpers are made out of) "holds" paint differently so that the bumper and rest of the car would not be a complete match. I was even told that the original paint of the bumper did not match the rest of the car, which it absolutely did to my discerning eye. Before you could not notice any difference between the bumper and the rest of the car, now it is obvious. Besides all of this, everything took much longer than I was told, weeks longer. One other review said they were a cheaper but solid alternative. I paid them a pretty decent chunk of money and have a bumper that could still use a good paint job. I would recommend that if you care how your car looks, don't use Shady Grove. Even if it costs a little more, bite the bullet because it will still be cheaper than having to have it done twice. And they are not that much cheaper, if at all, than a place that will do a great job.

I do not have any experience with their mechanics though. From the little interaction I did have with them, they were very professional. It was almost like the two parts of the shop, the autobody and mechanics were complete opposites.

Posted 06/26/07 | Report Abuse

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I would highly recommend Shady Grove Auto Care if you are looking for an inexpensive but good alternative to your dealer. They have a very experienced staff who can help with just about anything that is wrong with your car. I have been going to them for years, and have never had a problem. They do not try to rip me off. I trust them implicitly.

Posted 11/19/05 | Report Abuse

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Shady Grove Auto has honest knowledgable mechanics that do the work right the first time, they work efficiently, prices are reasonable, the staff couldn't be nicer. Explanations of work is understandable to anyone regardless of automotive experience. honesty is in my opinion-their BEST policy.

PROS: Honest appraisal and prices
CONS:

Posted 09/02/05 | Report Abuse

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