JC Automotive Specialist

This is a REAL REVIEW From a Customer not the owner

by jenstray

June 15, 2009

Well I am only writing this review because the other REVIEWS were obviously written by the owners of the place. This was no where near close to my nightmare with Dan (The used car type salesman) Manager there.

I used these reviews to take my vehicle to them for a Diagnosis for emissions. I had just gotten a voucher from the STATE of TEXAS for the TexasAirCheck Program that offered up to $600.00 to get my vehicle to pass emissions. Mind you it passed fine last year but since this program went into effect, everyone is getting failed and referred to the program so these rip offs can steal the money out of STATE and then on top of getting the $600.00 from the STATE they try to up the Co Pay from $30.00 per the AIrCheck Aprroval Letter to almost $50.00 to perform a Diagnostic after which you get to approve or decline the repairs. The letter says...$30.00 co pay so make sure you clarify it before you leave your car....if you go to this place.....don't say you were not warned by a REAL customer.

They took my truck at 11am on Monday telling me they would call me in two hours...no call.....not all day or night...I called the next day where I was informed that my Emissions Repair would be over $1300.00....they were getting $600.00 or up to that amount from the STATE and wanted $700.00 MORE from us. The program is for people needing help not needing to be ripped off more.

I declined the repair and took it to another place in Round Rock where it will be fixed for under $600.00 easily.

I reported this to AirCheck and they advised also filing a complaint with the TX Dept of Transportation which I am going to do next. They are also going to start taking rip offs like this place and Lambs for the excessively high estimates. The other places submit normal ones but this place and Lambs try to rip the customer off as well as the State.

BEWARE!!!!

• Pros: None
• Cons: Fraud Warning

Response from this business

beagleracing– June 15, 2009 at 20:08:14 PDT

Our relationship with AirCheck Texas is, and always will be, solid. Attempting to pass a car that is clearly illegal is not only unethical but can close down a shop for fraud. We are not that shop. It's shameful that you are attempting to find a shop that will do all the work required for $600. That tells me that you do not take responsibility for your own vehicle and are having the citizens of Texas pay for your repairs through our own taxes that paid for your voucher.

We stand by our estimate as it was faxed directly to AirCheck Texas with a line by line itemization of what we found wrong with your vehicle. If anything, expect AirCheck Texas to perform an investigation on the shop that does pass your car as they have already been advised by two shops of what is wrong with your vehicle. To pass your vehicle otherwise will raise a redflag.

We cater to customers that take responsibility for their own actions and vehicles.

Dan

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FHR - Friendly, Honest and Reliable

by IMATXQT

May 18, 2009

Okay, I'm not one to usually write any reviews, but felt this was absolutely necessary and well deserved.

I went online with hopes of finding a good reputable mechanic in Round Rock. I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have found such a honest and reliable place to take my car. They are friendly, upfront and will give you an alternative if possible. I must admit, I was skeptical at first after reading the reviews thinking they couldn't be that good. I was wrong, they were better than I expected. And I admit, I'm a bit of a perfectionist. Walking away knowing a company has not "wronged" you is so rare these days. With JC Automotive, you walk away with such a wonderful experience, knowing you got the best deal possible without having to search numerous places for the best deal.

I hope this will help you in your decision next time you need a mechanic. I feel so confident with them, I have taken my daughter's car there for repair today and know I'll get an honest estimate with no doubt whatsoever.

Thanks so much for your help JC Automotive!

• Pros: Reviews problems and alternative options
• Cons: None

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Great & Honest Service

by JPritchett

December 25, 2008

My wife and I moved to Round Rock recently and it is always a pain to find a new mechanic. I did some research by driving around and then checking the internet. JC Automotive's reputation and reviews seems too good to be true. Well, they are as good as most say. I have had work done twice and got excellent service in a timely manner.

In the most recent instance they could have easily told me I needed major work in two areas and I would have considered they were right. What they did however is evaluate my problems, one was due to a bad tire and I thought it was a brake problem. No charge.

The other was a door sticking problem I had been trying to locate for months and they fixed it with the tap of a hammer at no charge. Just a pin needing to be knocked back in.

In the end they did the service that definitely was required at a fair price and I came away with a huge grin on my face. These guys are tops.

• Pros: Honest, reliable and excellent workmanship
• Cons: None

Response from this business

beagleracing– January 02, 2009 at 06:16:21 PST

We definitely need to thank you for the kind words. We try to do our best but are human and do make mistakes. IF we ever do make a mistake on one of your visits, or if you're unhappy for any reason we hope that you will give us the opportunity to make things right. We try to treat each vehicle as if it were our own and base our recommendations as such. We hope to see you again in the new year!

Dan

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Fast, efficient, friendly

by cho79

August 29, 2008

I had recently bought a 99 Miata about 15 months ago and was surfing the net looking for an auto shop that had a good reputation for working on Miatas. Many Miata owners repeatedly recommended Automotive Specialist for their friendliness, fairly priced, and efficient service. After reading the reviews on Citysearch, I decided to give them a try.

First, it was easy to set up an appointment; you can do it online, and they respond relatively quickly. I brought the car in on a Wednesday evening, and on Thursday morning fifteen minutes after they had opened, I had an estimate to work with. I had a new timing belt, water pump, thermostat, gasket seals, etc. done on the car, and the car was finished earlier than they had predicted on Thursday afternoon by about 3:30pm. They even had a great special discount tax free service that carried over from the tax free weekend of mid August which was another nice incentive.

I don't know what else they did to the car, but driving it out of the parking lot, it honestly felt like I was driving a new car! Everything felt tighter, shifting felt more crisp, and the engine responded perfectly. I was very, very satisfied, and I'll be returning to them in the future. Thanks!

• Pros: speedy service, knowledgeable about Miatas, constant contact with customer
• Cons: I wasn't able to use the 3% off yellow labor card in addition to the tax free discount

Response from this business

beagleracing– September 10, 2008 at 11:00:27 PDT

I remember this Miata well! We first talked about this via email. i'm glad you feel your car performing at a peak condition. I've owned 7 (currently have a '94that's under going major surgery), and love them all. Come see us again!

Dan

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consistency

by nykerintx

August 08, 2008

i go to jc for a oil change and they are always prompt and if i have to wait a long time they are upfront with me.they are the best place in round rock in my opinion.

• Pros: never have a problem and they are knowlgeable
• Cons: none so far

Response from this business

beagleracing– September 10, 2008 at 11:01:33 PDT

Thanks for the opportunity to service your car :) we always try to be upfront and honest about timeframes. If you ever need us to squeeze you in during a busy day, just ask for me or john!

Dan

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Fixed my problem, but not without some issues

by littlekim03

July 31, 2008

I would rate JC Auto as average, I got a typical auto repair experience, which I didn't expect after all the positive reviews. I called JC for a quote on a steering problem. They were less than the Ford dealer, so I went with them. It was suppose to be a 24 hour job, but they kept receiving defective parts from their supplier so I had to wait for a 3rd one to be delivered before they could fix it. I don't blame them for that though. Then, they informed me that when they gave me the quote, they forgot that an alignment was necessary with this type of repair, and that it was an additional cost. The dealer included that in their estimate, so I actually ended up paying more than expected. Once I picked up the car, I had to take it back the next day because it was still not working properly. I hesitated to write a review, I just wanted to be done with the ordeal, but after a friend of mine experienced similar "hidden charges" I decided to post one. The car is fixed now, but it was a stereotypical repair experience. I think i will stick to the dealer from now on.

• Pros: Close to home, Dan was very helpful
• Cons: Hidden cost not presented up front

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good shop, but disagree with some charges

by bigtex2525

July 29, 2008

We brought in our Protege when it didn't start and after Firestone said it was a bad alternator. I don't trust firestone so I thought I'd try out a new shop. I read good reviews about JC Automotive and decided to try them. We called the tow company who they suggest to bring in the car for "$65" and they would add it to my bill.

I called JC's and explained the problem and also had them fix a power window that didn't work. The alternator was not bad and I saved a lot compared to Firestone who would have gladly taken my money. They also did a great job on the window for about $15 cheaper than the last quote I had received.

All communication was with Dan over the phone. He was very helpful and answered any questions that I had. He didn't try to sell me anything I didn't need like other shops.

The complaint comes when we go to pickup the vehicle and I get the invoice. We were charged $85 for the tow which should have been $65 according to the quote I received from the tow company. I asked about this and they said they were charged $75 and tacked on an extra $10 for profit. I was also charged $44 for them to install the battery. This made no sense to me as I also paid $45 for them to Inspect & Diagnose the alternator/electric system. The battery was obviously bad as Dan had told me it was leaking a lot of acid. I agreed to the $45 charge for testing the alternator & electric system, but don't remember ever being told I would have to pay $44 for them to replace the battery. I can replace a battery in 10 minutes and I'm sure it took them about 5. I've gone to autozone before and they tested the battery and installed a new one for free.

So, good service & communication, but I feel that I was nickel and dimed for these 2 fees. I was not happy about the extra $64 that I had to pay for the extra tow charge and "battery installation" fee. Although I agreed to the total quote, I didn't realize that much went to battery installation/towing.

• Pros: good service
• Cons: unnecessary fee's

Response from this business

beagleracing– September 10, 2008 at 11:06:11 PDT

I know that we've discussed this issue with you over the phone and have things ironed out. Thanks for giving us another chance to make up for our mistake. We *are* human, and I'm glad you brought it to our attention!

Dan

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Just like Dad's old mechanic

by TrooperDude

July 01, 2008

Their motto is "Returning the trust originally instilled in the family mechanic" and I could not agree more. Dan and the guys are top-notch and honest. I originally went to them a couple of years ago after reading good things about them on this site. I had a number of nagging issues with my 89 Isuzu Trooper and brought it to them to get inspected and have them quote me on the other items.

My A/C was very flaky and would blowout the fuse every so often and also the sliding selector would not work and I had to reach up behind the dash to change modes. I figured at least $500 to fix it up right and other places that I had been to had basically given me the run around when I asked how much it would be to fix these things. So imagine my surprise when I got a call from Dan to say that the A/C was just a loose wire that was shorting out and that the selector was only a cable that had fallen off that they fished around for and fixed!! I ended up getting out of there for less than $100 with the inspection. Needless to say I was sold on this shop from that point forward.

My most recent experience was very positive as well. My old Trooper died and I found another one and brought it to Dan to get inspected. Come to find out it was seriously lacking from an emissions standpoint which wasn't too much of a surprise to me. What was a surprise was how much effort they took to fix the problem and the level of concern they had for this old truck that wasn't even designed to pass an emissions test. They took the reading from 1000ppm down to the needed 200ppm by methodically fixing only the things that need to be done.

Working with these guys reminds me of going to my Dad's old mechanic back in the 80's. He would just take it in and it would get fixed, no need to wonder if he was getting shafted. I like old cars so it is nice to have guys like this to help when I get over my head.

• Pros: Trustworthy and dedicated
• Cons: none

Response from this business

beagleracing– July 01, 2008 at 15:15:28 PDT

This was actually a fun project. Part of the diagnostic procedure is to learn from experience. Knowing we had such a high emissions output, we can determine from the numbers that it was from an ignition miss or fuel leak (common on TBI engines), i.e. it was running rich on fuel. We knew we could get the numbers down, but weren't sure how far we would have to go. a TBI rebuild and then a coolant temp sender, both part of the fuel delivery system, fixed it and we got you down into the 90s! It helps us to sharpen our skills when we get to troubleshoot vehicles like these. Thanks for bringing it to us :)

Dan

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I Trust'em

by roundrockrockhound

June 26, 2008

My 94 ford pickup was overheating. I found these folks through city search. I'm always nervous about getting the car fixed as you can write books on what I don't know. I told them that the truck was overheating and when I stopped it was leaking fluid. I suggested "It might be the water pump, but I don't know". I also told them that I'm not a rich man and only wanted to fix what needed to be fixed. I was told that they would tell me what the problem was take care of only that problem when authorized. When they called, they told me, "Nope, not the water pump - just a bad hose." Well, they replaced the hoses, checked the system and assured everything OK. They could have "stuck me" for a new water pump (or more). They did what needed to be done and no more. They even saved what new coolant I had added as best they could, to pour back in. Their rates were fair and competitive. I feel I've found someone I can trust to take care of my old grey mare.

• Pros: Honest - with a capital H
• Cons: None for me...

Response from this business

beagleracing– July 01, 2008 at 15:10:21 PDT

Well, it would have looked bad if we told you the water pump was leaking and then have to call you back and say, "No, it's also a hose". I hate those phone calls. While they do happen, we try to avoid it and get it right the first time! Glad we could help :)

Dan

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Best auto shop in Round Rock! (or anywhere!)

by songbirdsd22

June 20, 2008

Within a month of moving to Round Rock, the A/C in our Corolla gave out. We took it in to a Toyota dealership, where they told us that there was a hole in the condenser and that the compressor would also have to be replaced. After hearing how much they were going to charge, we decided to get a second opinion. I searched around online, and we decided to take a change on JC's based on the awesome reviews. We were not disappointed!!! We dropped our car off in the morning and received a call only a few hours later telling us that the only problem was a leak in the Schrader valve. They checked out the compressor and condenser, and there were no problems there. We pad just under $230--a LOT less than the $1,000 we were quoted at the dealership. Dan was great at answering all of our questions--I have total faith that we were treated fairly and that our service was honest. I will recommend JC's to everyone I know!

• Pros: everything
• Cons: Can't think of anything!

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