Allen Automotive

Like a few other reviews here, I was a longtime customer, but a few years ago they started recommending clearly unnecessary work to pad the bottom line and acted unprofessionally towards me. No longer trustworthy.

I took my vehicle into Allen's for them to remove a lug nut that was stuck and required special drilling. I asked for a general quote over the phone but according to them I had to bring the vehicle in for them to give me an estimate. Long story short I ended up leaving the vehicle there for A little less than 24 hours. In this time I received no quote (which was my Initial reason for coming there in the first place).

Yet a technician had already PERFORMED WORK ON MY VEHICLE WITHOUT MY AUTHORIZATION. I quoted two other mechanics prior to coming into Allen's and decided I no longer wanted Allen's Automotive to service my vehicle. So they "reversed" The work that they had already done WITHOUT MY AUTHORIZATION. And charged me a "$200" storage fee for having my vehicle there for less than 24 hours. I understand everyone has to make a living and business may not be what it used to be given the devastating effects of COVID but I was dissatisfied with my experience herke.

Had a few oil changes. Always prompt and quick service. Didn't try to gut me with add on's or unnecessary work.

I was a loyal customer for years but the service has been on the decline for a while and more than once I've been spoken to in a very patronizing manner. They're now at the bottom of my list for mechanic recommendations (I wouldn't recommend this place to other single women). Services: Wheel alignment, General repairs & maintenance, Engine repair, Oil change, Check engine light diagnostic, Electrical repair, Brakes

I found them on the internet and I'm not sorry. I will not take my car anywhere else. I am quite pleased with their professionalism and their work! Thank you! Services: Battery, Electrical repair

I love working with Allen Automotive. I have been a client for almost 10 years. They are professional and personable. They are upfront with their pricing and always have my car ready when they say it will be. Service: General repairs & maintenance

This is my "go to" auto mechanic. Henry and his guys are knowledgeable and friendly. They are always helpful. Most importantly they are honest.

Thoroughly enjoyed the experience and professional care that Allen Auto provided. I felt much more like family than a customer, and was impressed by the quality and courtesy follow-up. This is the local place you want your vehicle serviced! Services: Steering / Suspension, General repairs & maintenance, Check engine light diagnostic

They are courtious, friendly, economical, and very good at what they do. Took my Jeep, first to the dealer who handed me invoice of almost $10,000. Cancelled that and took it to Allan. They did same work in half the price and in five less days. They got my future business.

Highly recommend this shop! They are so professional, efficient, and communicative. Their pricing is more than fair and they always make sure you understand what is going on with your vehicle. Services: Auto engine diagnostic, Battery, General repairs & maintenance, Oil change

The team at Allen Automotive has always been top notch technically and somehow also manages to be competitive on pricing as well. Having spent many years in the industry, I recognize quality work and good management when I see it. These folks deliver a quality product/service and a great customer experience at a very fair price. In this market where impersonal franchised chain shops are the norm, Allen Automotive stands out as the go-to resource. A truly great small business.

The staff at Allen Automotive couldn't be more friendly and helpful! They make sure you're taken care of. I love having a place that I can rest easy knowing my vehicle is in the best hands. Highly recommended!

I am new to the area and didnt know who to trust. I needed some work done on my car and Allen automotive had great reviews. When I called them they were so friendly and helpful it felt like I was talking to family. They kept in constant communication with me while they were taking care of my car. It was greatly appreciated. The owner and the staff really went the extra mile and I am so happy I found them. Take my word for it, go to Allen automotive!

I wish I could give negative star reviews. Avoid this place! They tried to overcharge me with extra fees! They tried to convince me I needed to purchase a $345 battery from them when mine was perfectly fine! I brought my car in for trouble starting (needed spark plugs), and when I returned to pick up my car, the total included an additional charge that wasn't on the original quote I agreed to.

They eventually took it off but it seems like maybe they were adding extra fees because I didn't want to buy their expensive battery. Just to be safe, the next day, I followed up on my battery w/the retailer where I bought it. It's still under extended warranty. Turns out it was at 90% and not in need of replacement! So now I'm wondering if Allen Automotive even checked out my car?!?! Beware!

Allen Automotive has been my go to repair shop for years. They are very professional. I am very satisfied with their work. The owner Mr Henry is very friendly and if I ask a question in regard to the necessary repair job; he takes time to explain to me fully. Overall, I recommend this place 100%

Most folks are not savvy about what thier car needs, that is where these vultures come in. Unless you have disposable income, this may not be the shop for you. Nearly $600,t o get a state inspection in a 3 year old car(unessasary repairs). I was taken advantage of because they assumed I was new to the state. Racketeering is nothing new to them. That is why they are now under investigation with police.

I recently moved to the DC area and took my Toyota to the dealership for a regular maintenance check-up. They charged me way too much and told me I needed new brake pads. I took my car to Allen Automotive and asked that they inspect/replace my brake pads. Allen himself came back with a recommendation that my brake pads were fine. His fees for regular maintenance/services are also way under what a dealership will charge.

After three positive experiences with this shop, I owe it to them to tell people how awesome they are. Each time I have brought in one of my Jeeps, they have found and recommended issues that would have cost me much more money had I not gotten them fixed. Not only are they great at what they do, but they are HONEST and UPFRONT, two qualities that are hard to find these days.

This last time, I had purchased their voucher on Yelp ($30 savings) not realizing it would cancel out a previous discount they had applied to my estimate. When the misunderstanding was mentioned, they were quick to make me happy and apologize for any misrepresentation. I actually felt bad when I left because I didn't want to come across like I was trying to take advantage of their voucher policy.

That is how honest and wonderful these people are. I am 100% positive that I am getting honest, quality work from them every time. Some repairs have caught me off guard and fallen outside of my budget but the owner has been quick to answer every question and make honest recommendations and let me know where I could cut costs or which repairs could wait. Hands down the best auto shop I have ever used. I will continue to give them my business and recommend them to my friends for as long as I live here

I've been here plenty of times before and they've always tried to overcharge me until I make it clear I know a little bit about cars. Today was one time too many. I asked about labor on changing rear brake pads and the person I talked to said "$150". That's fine. In the course of conversation, I mentioned replacing the rotors, and the person's tone changes and says, "oh, for rotors too, that'll be $200 in labor".

You literally need to remove the rotors in order to change the pads. The "additional labor" they're charging is $50 bucks for the 45 seconds it takes to open the packaging on the new rotors! Some people have no shame. Any reputable mechanic would not have asked for an additional $50 there.

My experience with this business was one of misrepresentation and high price inflation once you are in the shop. On 1/12/2018 I received a quote of approximately $678 to replace the brake pads, rotors, and brake sensors on my car from Allen Automotive. I was explicit on the phone call that I needed 4 brake pads, rotors and accompanying sensors, both front and rear, and offered the year, make and VIN of my automobile.

When I arrived at the shop, they insisted on immediately putting the car in the shop to start the work (using the rationale that I was waiting, not dropping off) while they prepared the formal estimate for services. When they presented the estimate to me, it had increased over $1000 to $1703.56, and the scope of the work had not changed. I immediately responded that this was considerably higher than the quote they provided earlier to bring me to their automotive repair shop, I said I would go elsewhere for the brake/rotor/sensor replacement, and I asked them to return my car to me.

They refused to return my car until force-ably extracting $57.50 for "brake inspection" services which I never asked for, I went to them asking for brake replacement. This type of "bait and switch" tactic is unethical. Additionally, the fact that they insisted on putting the car in the shop to start work before providing the customer a final estimate is unfair as it would force most people to continue with the service even if the quote is unacceptable.

To add insult to injury, they refused to return the car to me unless I paid the "brake inspection fee" (i.e. ransom). Moreover, they did not even complete the purported inspection, the form they provided was blank.

TRUST - I never doubt the advice provided by Henry or his team -- well deserving of 5 stars!

We have been taking cars to Henry for 15+ years and we have always found him to be honest & caring. Lately, we have a car with an extended warranty and the dealership has given us a string of recommended repairs with estimates of $1000+ on several occasions. Not covered by the warrantee. SO each time we drive to Henry who, after examining the car, laughs and says that what is needed is nothing or something far, far cheaper.

His air conditioning repair was $450. Throw in a brake job, oil change, new headlight, some switch work on the dash board and the total was $300 less than the dealership wanted for a job that clearly would not have fixed the issue. All I can say is take your car to Henry for fair, honest service at a good price!

Love this place. Straight shooters, great prices, no gender bias. Just the kind of place to bring your car when you want things done, no-frills, high quality, good price, done on time. I took my old car there years ago and was glad to take my new car to them again vs. the dealer once the warranty expired. They're actually much better than the dealer when it comes to Audi, Volvo and Hondas.

I brought my Mustang in for oil change, lub, manual transmission fluid change and 4-wheel alignment. The car was taken into the garage right at my appointment time, and the work was completed about 90 minutes later. The car was clean upon return, and has been running well since. The price for the service was reasonable. Allen will only charge you for the work they actually do; even if you ask them to do something, if they assess the work is not necessary, they won't do it and won't charge you for it. That kind of honesty is rare today.

In the sea of 'decent' automotive shops in the DC area, Allen Automotive stands out above the crowd. They don't have a fancy lounge with free coffee, pastries, and a 60 flat screen TV, but then again you don't have to pay for that when the bill comes. They do have a clean, comfortable, no frills waiting room, and they do have WiFi. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to stay long.

Like Brett said in 2012, they work closely with Radial Tire. They still do, and that's a good thing. I had a very complex and unique 4 wheel alignment that needed to be performed on my Porsche. I was told that Marvin was the guy to do the job. Turns out he was. After discussing with Henry the specifics of the job and a good time for me to come in, I arrived on that day. Henry remembered me, what I needed and took my car immediately.

I mean my car was in the shop within 5 minutes from me arriving at the front desk. I know that my timing was good, but that's how these folks do things. Not a lot of standing around. When my car was up on the rack, I was informed as to the progress and asked my preferences during the procedure. In this unique situation (modified suspension), I had the opportunity to fine-tune the alignment to my preferences, with Marvin's guidance. Marvin's capabilities go way beyond just running the alignment machine and 'dialing in' the components to spec.

He has a comprehensive understanding about steering geometry, caster, camber, toe-in, scrub, etc.and what adjustments produce in the behavior of the vehicle. That knowledge is critical in complex situations, and modified suspension. I decided to wait for the results of this alignment via an extensive 'road test' before writing my review. Marvin's alignment was spot-on. Steering wheel centered where it should be, no pull to the left or right, no tramlining, etc. The improvement in handling is dramatic.and the cost for this alignment? Less than any other capable shop who specializes in this kind of alignment. Ask me how I know;)

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 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.

We have been taking cars to Henry for 15+ years and we have always found him to be honest & caring. Lately, we have a car with an extended warranty and the dealership has given us a string of recommended repairs with estimates of $1000+ on several occasions. Not covered by the warrantee. SO each time we drive to Henry who, after examining the car, laughs and says that what is needed is nothing or something far, far cheaper.

His air conditioning repair was $450. Throw in a brake job, oil change, new headlight, some switch work on the dash board and the total was $300 less than the dealership wanted for a job that clearly would not have fixed the issue. All I can say is take your car to Henry for fair, honest service at a good price!

Second time customer. Very satisfied with the friendly, efficient, customer oriented staff at Allen Automotive. Received an appointment convenient to me, and a written quote for service requested. Work completed on schedule with final cost actually being a little less than my quote.

Over a year ago, I had an experienced tow truck driver talk me through the pros & cons of many of the local auto shops. He gave positive reviews of Allen Automotive (one of the only positive reviews for the area since he said that most of the honest mechanics had been forced out of DC and the nearby surrounding suburbs). I've subsequently been a loyal customer with Allen Automotive for my BMW and have been impressed with their honesty, transparency and rapid service turn-around. I'm lucky to have found them.

Excellent, attentive, responsive service; my car is 16 years old, still running well, only serviced at Allen Automotive.

Went in for a Maryland state inspection, they replaced my wiper blades that caused my car to fail and passed me. They’re much better than the ones I had. I had a rear differential issue and went back and they took care of it in just a few hours. The owner offered to have someone drive me back to work (3 miles away) if I dropped my car off first thing in the morning, too. My windshield was cracked pretty badly while in their care and after making arrangements with the owner, that was fixed the next day, in an hour or so while I waited.