Autopia

By Paul

My wife and I recently bought a used car from Autopia. Our experience was wonderful. We didn't want to take out a big loan on a car, however, the car we really wanted was at Autopia. So Dave and Tim worked with us to hold the car for several months while we paid them installments, until meeting their asking price. It was the most hassle free car buying experience we could have asked for. After buying the car Tim personally came to my office to put the plates on, and completed all the paper work at my convenience. Tim was very easy to trust and always available to work with us, even on Sunday evenings while watching Football. We will definitely consider Autopia again, and recommend their business when buying a used car. Thanks for everything guys.

Posted 11/19/09 | Report Abuse

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I brought my 12 yr old Subaru into Autopia last month after neglecting it's upkeep for the last 4 yrs. It had been a heavily used work car for about 8 yrs prior to that.

I'd had some trouble with my latest clutch that Autopia had put in for me in '08, but I put it down to my hardly driving any more.

So I called Dave S and made an appointment for a tune-up.

Once they got my car in they found out the clutch really did have a problem and they replaced it at no charge. They also had the foresight to send my flywheel in to a machine shop to fix some damage the bad clutch had done.

When I got my car back, I couldn't believe it. The WHOLE car is like new again! I really thought my little GT might be on it's last legs. But they managed to turn my poor old dog back into a pup again!

Now I really enjoy driving my car again. And they did it all for a song! For the money I paid, I never expected to get a completely rejuvenated car back. I couldn't be happier.

Posted 11/05/09 | Report Abuse

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I would never take my car back here. Took it in for a couple simple issues...took multiple days and still wasn't fixed after a large bill! Also told me I had more items that needed fixing so they could get more mone out of me. I do not recommend this place to anyone!

Posted 08/06/09 | Report Abuse

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I dropped my car off for a problem with the battery connection, and I picked it up with many other problems fixed too! Of course they called and verified with me first before making any repairs.
They dealt with my warranty company so that I didn't have to, and they got almost all of the repairs covered. For one particular repair that I really needed, but didn't think I could afford, they came up with a generous solution: giving me a discount according to an old coupon for that repair.
Then when I picked up my car, they had cleaned it inside and out! I will definitely go back there and recommend them to everyone I know.

Posted 05/28/09 | Report Abuse

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After taking my car there several different times, I've had enough.

The biggest problem I've found (the most disturbing at least) is that they claim ASE Certification when they do not have it, according to the ASE website. They also claim to be AAA certified when the AAA website does not list them in their database of approved shops!! That kind of deceit is a HUGE red flag you should take into consideration!!

They have tried to diagnose my oil leak/burning issue for a year and now, finally, think they have it figured out. After spending over $1,000 in lost time and money for them to find the source, they've determined the most expensive fix is the one that will solve the problem. They also took two tries and $664 to diagnose and correct an electrical problem that caused my car to stall. They can't get it right the first time. Don't give them your business for anything beyond small repairs or routine maintenance.

Posted 05/14/09 | Report Abuse

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We had a fuel pressure regulator replaced.

The customer service was great, but they charged us 350 dollars.
We called around and all other shops were charging max of 250.

We felt really ripped off, and called to complain. Surprisingly, they were extremely helpful and immediately offered to cover the difference. They were very eager to help. While the prices may be a bit higher than other shops, you know you have qualified and skilled mechanics working on your vehicle. In addition you recieve quality parts with warranty.

Posted 01/16/09 | Report Abuse

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Talk about persistence, these guys make it an art to up-sell. Most of their business must be from the additional sales they get. Nice showroom. The guys are very polite and understanding, but OMG!,do they hit you up for additional sales. I spoke with one of the people that work there and was told that even though they advertise certified technicians, none of them have a current certificate. Good work done there, but just be prepared to have a second line of credit to pay for the additional sales.

Posted 10/21/08 | Report Abuse

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Let me start off by saying that I received good service on my car ( I got a new fuel filter, transmission flush, tires rotated, and my alignment fixed). Your car will most likely be in good shape after taking it to these guys, but you'll be much poorer for it.

I was shocked to see that they charged me $42 for transmission fluid, $52 for the transmission filter kit, and $35.32 for the new fuel filter. The service prices were also somewhat high, but I accept that they provide quality service, so I'll pay a little more. But overcharging on parts is completely inexcusable. After a little online research looking at what edmunds.com says a mechanic should charge for these parts I found out that a fuel filter should cost around $20 at most, a transmission filter kit between $35 and $40 and the transmission fluid about $10. Overall, I was overcharged by more than $60 on a $132 parts bill.

What really irks me though is that the 20% off labor coupon I used didn't apply to the alignment repair. Their reasoning was that it was a special package that was already discounted. The realignment was no special offer to begin with. Other places offer the same service for a fee not related to labor-hours. It's an industry standard. And when i disputed this, the person I spoke to use the tactic of suggesting that he could use a labor-hour system of pricing to charge me for the alignment which cost nearly $200. Only then could he give me the discount. Of course he expected me to accept their charges without a discount, and unfortunately that's what I did.

PROS: Perks like the complimentary carwash and vacuuming
CONS: They use this and other things to justify their absurdly high prices

Posted 03/16/06 | Report Abuse

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i take my car to autopia about once every three months to have my car serviced and the hydraulics looked at and oil changed. everytime i have found that i recieve good service from them. they check the car and fill the oil and any other fluids that need changing. the people are very friendly and knowledgeable. their prices are a little higher but its worth the little extra for the good service.i think they can be trusted always.

Posted 10/25/05 | Report Abuse

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Autopia upsells with such percistance and annoyance that I avoid that place ever since going there for the first time, though they may advertise good prices and mail out coupons. If you are salesperson resistant, know exactly what you need and are not easily annoyed, you might actually like that place location is very convenient, and so are service hours. Otherwise, just go elsewhere.

PROS: location
CONS: upselling goes overboard

Posted 08/31/05 | Report Abuse

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When we needed the hydrolics on our shifter tightened, we called around a ton of places. Autopia in Uptown was very reasonably priced and could get the job done fast. They were very nice and helped us with our requests. I also see coupons for them sometimes in the mail. They even parked our car outside for us so we could pick it up after hours. Really great to work with.

Posted 08/18/05 | Report Abuse

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