Gary's Automotive

I've only dealt with them once, but I'm very impressed from that. I originally went in seeking a diagnosis for a ~$1500 repair. Instead of blindly listening to my own observations, they made their own and left me with a recommendation of ~$200 worth of work. I'm moderately experienced with car repair and they were able to walk me through what they saw and how they came to their conclusions.

They strike me as knowledgeable and honest something I rarely see in this industry.

(Edit: Spelling)

Great customer service. I unfortunately had to make a last minute appointment to fix a loose battery terminal on my car and Gary's Automotive took me in on the same day.

The service was quick, fairly priced and the staff I spoke to were very kind. I have no complaints and will be taking my business here in the future.

They must have gave my car the wrong oil or something because my engine has been making an odd rattling noise ever since. Definitely not coming back here.

Love the customer service here! They lay out all the info and let you decide on services - no pressure at all.

Cliffs Notes:
Decent and honest shop with highly personable, customer-oriented service. Post-repair bolt tightening could have been better. I'd use them again if I lived closer.

Unabridged version:
The alternator on my 2006 Acura TL went up and stranded me in Laurel. I did a quick search in Yelp, and these guys had decent reviews and were close by (knew I needed to be towed).

Tony was very polite and professional on the phone and in person. The waiting room is small but was nicely air conditioned and comfortable with a TV running old '70s shows like the Partridge Family (this is not a bad thing). They also have a bunch of free snacks and drinks; very cool and thoughtful.

In addition to the alternator being fried, I was concerned that I blew a head gasket after the alternator blew since I was afraid to turn off the car, knowing that the electrical system had issues because the battery wasn't being charged. Completely neglected to think about how the fan is electrically operated and would no longer be able to cool the radiator. The coolant smoke coming out from the hood was my clue.

The shop replaced the alternator and recommended that the radiator be replaced, to which I agreed to have replaced as well. Not having any prior experience with this garage, I wasn't sure if I was being played, so I asked for the radiator back. When I inspected it at home, I saw corrosion at the seams (marked by the mechanic) and thought their call to replace it was a fair one since it did appear to have a seep leak.

Additionally, the head gasket was fine, so it appears that I may have shut down the engine in time and as I saw the coolant smoke come out of the hood as it hit the hot engine.

I would have given them five stars, but I had to bring the car back for them to address a really bad rattle from the front end. Over smooth roads, something sounded loose. This TL has about 120,000 miles and is a vehicle I purchased last October as a winter beater/rain car to keep the miles off of the other cars. I was always aware of a minor rattle from the front end and had it in the back of my mind that maybe the ball joints were going bad (car had passed a MD state inspection, so this didn't come up as a deficiency). However, the noise was significantly worse after I picked up the car.

Tony said the bring the car back whenever I wanted. I scheduled a time, and they took a look at the car as soon as I arrived. The mechanic said that the front anti-roll bar link was loose, along with one of the tie rods, I think, but that the ball joints were fine.

The weird thing is that whatever the mechanic did, he made the car even quieter than before the initial repair. There is still a bit of a rattle over rough roads, but the noise on mostly smooth roads was gone. I felt like I had a better car, but the mechanic definitely left something loose when I first picked up the car.

Tony and the other lady in the office were super polite, so they seem to really concentrate on excellent customer service. They were honest with the radiator replacement recommendation and didn't BS me about the head gasket being blown. Tony remembered to put the windshield sunshade to protect the Acura TL's notoriously fragile and crack-prone dashboard, so he was diligent.

This shop seems like a good bet, and I would definitely use them again if I were a Laurel resident.

Can't give a quote for replacing rotors and brake pads through yelp. What's the point of offering that service if you can't give an estimate on a standard repair ? Obviously if I go in and my axel is falling off, it will cost more.

Don't participate for estimates if you Aren't willing to give them.

Very professional. Had my ball disc joint replaced. Would definitely give them my business again

I really like this spot. I'm new to the area from out of state so I've had to do quite a few things with my car so far (inspection, oil change, tire rotations etc) and EVERY time I call and/or come in, they are so pleasant, accommodating & professional. The prices are fair. And with COVID being an issue right now, they aren't overbooking, keeping the traffic in the office to a minimum and as I sit here, they are literally sanitizing the front door handle and seats every time someone comes in or out. I will def be coming here for all my car needs!

Please do not take your vehicle here.

My engine started knocking horribly. I called and spoke with Gray and he said that if I had the vehicle towed there that it would be looked at the same day. WRONG! I had the vehicle towed to their location and got a bunch of "in a few hours" until the end of the day.

They didn't look at the car until the next day (which cost $200+) and when they spoke to me they told me that I needed a new catalytic converter and it would be $1500 to fix and it would take 2 days just to get the parts.

That didn't seem right to me and I ended up having the car towed to a different garage and having a diagnostic run. Also when they returned the car to me they didn't bother reattaching what they had taken apart and ended up THROWING AWAY parts of my vehicle.

Turns out that one of my pistons in my engine was no longer functioning and the engine was gone. The only solution would have been to replace the engine.

They were literally going to charge me $1500 to NOT repair my car. This business lacks ethics and will rob you blind. Please find somewhere else to take you vehicle. Horrible business. I would not do business with this Gray's Automotive of Laurel MD under any circumstances.

I took my car here to get my Maryland Safety Inspection done on my out of state car the other day.
Excellent service! Staff is all very friendly!
Their waiting area is very comfortable. Quick service!
I will recommend to family and friends!