This by no comparable measure has been the worst year long experience with an auto shop I have ever had. The owner Jim is great.. at scamming. I've spent over $1800 here. i came to get my evap system fixed and left with more problems than I came with. if you want a year consumed of frequent visits and check engine Lights coming on make sure to stop in. my evap system and now many other problems they've caused are ongoing and all I'm left with is $1800+ gone. Dropped my car off two days ago to pick it up today with Jim saying the problem is solved only to pick it up and drive home and the light come right back on with the same problems(mind you he tried to make me pay $400 to reanalyze their own work and tighten up lose parts). They're great at turning off check engine lights I'll say that much. Such a waste of time and energy. I will be filing a claim with the better business bureau. Expect to be hearing from them thanks - Luis read more

This shop is down the street from my work which makes it convenient for me to do drop off , walk to work, and pick up later. I have done oil changes, replaced my radiator and brakes. Their prices are neither high nor low, very average. I like how they always get my car in when I need it, call me to give me updates and estimates and have the car finished when promised. My only negative is when I called around for brake estimates everyone gave 2 year plus warranty on them and one shop even offered lifetime warranty, I thought that was standard but after work was done I found out they offered only one year warranty. But in general I feel like it's an honest shop that tried hard for customer satisfaction read more

I called to find out if they could inspect my brakes, crazy noises coming from front and rear brakes. He told me rotors and brakes for front and back, gave me a reasonable price and told me to come back in 4 hours. Halfway home, I got a call that my car was ready two hours early! My car is riding and stopping so much better. I'm so grateful to Jim and his staff for taking care of me for the past 10 years and 3 different cars! read more

Chicago A+ Auto Repair/A Plus Muffler and Brakes at 3751 w North Ave This is the worst Auto Mechanic shop ever. I took my vehicle here because it was in the neighborhood and I strongly believe in supporting our neighborhood small business. On June 5, I took my vehicle to this shop due to my muffle was making a load noise. I spoke with the owner and he took a look and my vehicle and stated the pipe that connected to the manifold broke off. We discuss the price and I ask about replacing my catalytic converter. We both agreed on a price and I told him to please make sure my vehicle is quite and use new parts please. June 6, I picked up my vehicle and went straight to work. I drove my vehicle for over 1hour and it started making noise from my manifold. I returned to the shop and they said it was a bad catalytic converter. I told the owner, that not where I hear the noise. He insisted it was so I let him do his job. June 7 he replaces the catalytic converter. I drove off back to work. The noise continued. I returned back to the shop very upset that my vehicle wasn't fixed and I told him I felt taken advantaged of. He said that my manifold had a crack and hell give me a good deal on replacing that. I told him that he had my vehicle for a whole day (June 6) and you didn't think to check the whole muffler. I was very upset at this point. We spoke, I told him I wasn't happy and he said that he would call me June 10 with a price to fix my manifold. June 10, I went next door to the smaller shop, SAN JOSE AUTOMOTIVE CENTER INC. They took my vehicle and checked my manifold. They showed me that there was nothing wrong with my manifold. They ended finding out that the other shop never replace my "MANIFOLD GASKET" they never replaced any the bolts or springs. They put the old spring and bolt back on. The bolts weren't even the same size. That also used washers in between to do something, what I have no idea. I check my receipt and it states that they charged me for new parts in which I never got. Man was I very very very upset now. I am never going back to that shit hole ever again. Tommy and his guys next door are the best; they explain what's going on and even checked the rest of my car. I had them fix my water pump and belt because of their kindness. PLEASE DON'T GO TO Chicago A+ Auto Repair/A Plus Muffler and Brakes at 3751 w North Ave. THOSE GUYS OVER THERE WILL STEAL YOUR MONEY AND SMILE AS YOU WALK OUT. PLEASE LEARN FROM MY BAD SITUATION AND MAKE A BETTER DECISION. read more

When I walk into a repair shop I'd say most of the time they only see me for dollar signs $$$. What can I say, I'm a slight little chick. Truth is, though, that I'm the daughter of a car dealer hailing straight from Detroit and have motor oil running through my veins. I wouldn't recommend any other garage in Chicago: they definitely take pride in what they do! A+ indeed! read more

This place is about a block from my house; always a bonus when you're without a car. I've had only one experience so far, but it was EXCELLENT. The staff are VERY nice, the place was immaculate, a good sign with any business. And they didn't pull the upsell, you-need-this-and-that bullshit so common with auto repair places (maybe cuz I have a 21 year-old car and I'm unemployed, they could smell the poverty). I took my ancient BMW in because the transmission was slipping badly and it also needed an oil change. I knew if the trans was dead, the car was going bye-bye, I figured this would be the case. They changed the oil and also the trans fluid, filter and gasket. Total bill, a lil over $150, WAY better than I expected. This was a few weeks ago, and the car is still running like buttah (for a German car w/150k miles and old enough to have graduated college). Thanks guys, I'll be back. read more

After getting brake repair quotes from Pep Boys and few other places around the neighborhood these guys gave me a great estimate. I read some of the previous reviews on Yelp and decided to give them a shot. I don't have a ton of experience dealing with mechanics personally but I felt that these guys were very honest. They took me to my car and showed me exactly what was wrong with the rotors and explained it in plain English. I never felt like they were going to try and push unnecessary repairs on me. They did the fix in the time they said and my car was ready by the time I came back from lunch. The final price was more than the quote but I'll give them a pass because I think they misheard me on the phone. It was still significantly less than the other guys. As of right now, these guys will be getting my future car repair business. read more

Our family was going out of town and my wife had just picked me up from work when something horrendous happened under the front end of our minivan. Turns out the Chicago potholes did us in and both front springs snapped. We limped over to A+, which is near our house, and when they found out our situation they prioritized our car and got us in and out by the next afternoon. We lost only one day of vacation. I have used them several times due to their proximity, and always found them personable, helpful, forthright and competitive in pricing. Finding a good mechanic in Chicago is daunting, so knowing these guys are doing some good work is a big relief. read more

I know nothing about cars.. I was told I had a muffler problem so I went there expecting to get a new muffler. I told the guy my problem and he took my car. Usually in car shops this is when the bill starts to add up and they start telling you that you need this and that and a better one of those. The nice man came back after about five minutes with my car and told me it would cost me nothing to get this fixed, it was a much more simple problem and he did it for FREE. He could have lied and sold me a whole new muffler and I would've agreed. This is one other most honest, cleanest shops I've been to, great customer service, and downright efficient in what they do. read more

Lies all lies!!!! First of all the estimate was false. I never needed a rack & pinion, you was trying to get me to do a bogus insurance claim. And the part for the catalytic converter was 516.67 !! So don't try to act confused or surprised .also how can you charge me for part and Labor that I don't need???You all were looking to Check a check off of me. I was only trying to have the actual work done that I needed and not file a fraudulent insurance claim to put money in your pocket. And I never said anything about a Universal part, because I call mike and chevy dealer to order my own part the day before I came in read more

A Plus Chicago Auto Repair - Do you remember NOW - Auto Repair Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've used A+ several times, including this past month for new brakes and I'm very happy! The customer service is fantastic and the turn around time is great. Better than fair prices! I won't go anywhere else!!! read more

Great experience while waiting for my vehicle, kept me informed on how long I'd be and even if anything came up during my wait I was made aware. James made sure my to let me know of the other issues that may be coming in the future and how I may be able to address them when they occur. read more

They never overcharged and are great same day to next day service! Knowledgeable and friendly staff!

I took my car into Chicago A+ when it didn't start on a very cold morning. I called ahead and the manager/phone answer-er/all around awesome guy named Mike answered my call and was ready for me when I arrived with the car. They immediately starting working on my car and discovered it needed a new starter. Problem was, they had a tough time finding the right part for my car. Long story short, they had to go make multiple trips to get the right part AND gave me a discount on it because it was more expensive than they originally quoted. My car now starts without any problems and the service is backed up by a warranty. Beyond that, Mike and the guys at Chicago A+ made my day a lot less stressful by generally being awesome and giving me great service. I definitely recommend Chicago A+ and plan on taking my car back for future service. read more

Please be forewarned with going to this place. This place was recommended to me by All Day Tire Shop, as I was looking to get new tires. The guy at the Tire shop said I only needed a "wheel alignment" not new tires. So he gave me the Chicago A+ card and told me to go there to get the alignment. So I went over and got a wheel alignment. No sooner than I left the property I heard a loud swooshing sound of water inside my car and then began to see leaking. I called right away and was told to bring it back so they could look. Mike who worked the front desk who was somewhat nice to me that day earlier began to get rude. He said that my new problem had nothing to do with what I had gotten done on my car. He went on to say that if I wanted them to look at it that they would charge me to fix the problem or I could take it somewhere else. Mike was horrible and rude and begin to get defensive when I said something must have happened because the problem started right after I left their shop. He said it was a coincidence that the problem occurred. And that all his technicians do good quality work and that they have cameras to monitor. Well Mike I went to another mechanic who said my AC hose was accidentally bent and stuck underneath my car. Which means that someone who was working underneath my car messed up the hose which caused the leaking water to run inside my vehicle. I had to go somewhere else and pay more money to repair the mistake that one of your mechanics made. Yelpers beware.... DO NOT GO HERE UNLESS YOU WANT SHOTTY WORK DONE AND BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!!! read more

These guys were great! Very friendly, super fast, worked with our budget. We had our catalytic converter stolen TWICE in two weeks. The first time we replaced it with OEM parts. The second time ($1000 later), we used A+. They also fixed our brakes, which were so bad they were dangerous. The car is running perfectly now and stops on a dime. We are a customer for life. read more

Great service and great work. Tony was extremely helpful trying to figure out what was wrong with my car. After a day of back and forth his team eventually found the issue and fixed it quickly and at a reasonable price. I highly recommend these guys... read more

Mike and his team were able to do a difficult bit of work on my Honda in a time crunch. Provided excellent service and even better professionalism. I will definitely be trusting them with future car issues. read more

Went in sat 3/12/2011 - with 2 cars, 2 separate problems - was quoted over 700 at my local muffler shop, got the work done here for under 250 for both cars together. Highly recommended, professional employees, great and knowledgeable, clean and free coffee. Was in and out in under 1 hour. Great job A+ thanks again! read more

Took my van there because the check engine light was on, spent over $1000 and the check engine light is still on. Now that it's still under warranty, they don't have time to look at my van because of many excuses: too backed up in work, mechanic called in sick, etc., etc. Now they're saying it might be a clogged fuel filter. Their word is not dependable. read more

My husband and I are currently going through a divorce...from our former mechanic. (review to be posted once the ongoing problems are solved and we don't have to deal with them anymore). In the midst of this, my car needed some brake work. I looked on trusty yelp which led me to Tony at A+. I know more about cars then I would ever want to given the lemon that is my husband's car. Tony is reasonable with pricing and gets things done fast. He will prioritize your cars needs if you can't get everything fixed right away. Great if you're in the area as there are fewer options. read more

The owner Jim is awesome! He does a great job giving you a run down of all the issues that your car has and helps you prioritize them if money is an issue. I have a 2007 VW GTI that has been leaking oil since it's warranty expired about 6 years ago. I've gone to other mechanics that said replaced all sorts of items, even my turbo and couldn't get the leak to stop. On my first visit to Jim's shop, him and his team found the issue and fixed. As far as expectations go, they under promise and over deliver which is a plus in book. It's been over six months and still no leaks. Jim has always been professional and a pleasure to work with. read more

As a single woman, I hate going to automotive repair shops because usually when they see a lady by themselves they think they don't know anything about cars and they see a perfect opportunity to take advantage of them. I was very hesitant to take it in by myself, but my car failed the emissions test and I couldn't renew my license plate sticker so I had no other choice! I needed it checked and fixed fast! I was so relieved that I was treated fairly and respected. I even double checked the prices online when I was given the quote to make sure I wasn't getting ripped off. The manager and staff were very helpful and professional! read more

I called to have a new catalytic converter put in after mine was stolen. Jim gave me the price over the phone, I brought my car over, and it was ready to go a couple hours later. Excellent service at a reasonable price. read more

Chicago A+ is the best auto shop I have ever taken my vehicles. Jim is excellent at explaining what is wrong with the vehicle and makes you feel very confident in the work his shop provides! I will never take my car anywhere else! Thank you A+ read more

My car was making a ton of noise, I suspected it was my muffler. I took my car for an estimate, it turned out my exhaust pipe was broken in two spots, they were able to fix. I was in at 4:15pm and out before 6pm. Glad I found this place, planning to go here again to get an oil leak fix. read more

I took my car in an hour before they closed to have an exhaust problem fixed. The problem was a broken flex pipe and another pipe that needed to be replaced. The price was pretty reasonable so I decided to go with the price they gave me. 45 minutes later I was out of there with some shiny new exhaust parts and a quiet and odorless exhaust system. read more

We have been to Chicago A+ Auto Repair for muffler replacement. Today we are here for some other work. We came back because we were so happy with the service and Jim the manager. He is very up front about what it is going to cost and we are very pleased with the quote he gave us. We would highly recommend Chicago A+ to anyone in need of car repair. When you walk in the door you are greeted with a smile that really makes you feel special. Thank you to Jim and your very special auto mechanics. read more

This place is awesome! They were so good to us and we didn't even have them work on our car. My daughter's car broke down on the Dan Ryan. We are from Michigan. I had to use a tow company I didn't know and they recommended this place. The tow company was awesome as well (24 hour towing - Alex) and A+ Auto diagnosed our car, walked my husband through the needed repairs and was very helpful. We decided to pick up the car and take it back to Michigan just because our own mechanic knows it so well and it was easy to do. We couldn't pick it up for a week and A+ kept it safe and secure, helped us get it on the car dolly and were so gracious I just had to write a review. If the way they treated us is any indication, this is a fine, fine place to have your car worked on. Thank you! read more

This auto repair place is OK. I had an oil change here and it took forever! The workers were nice and informative though

Edward S. Chicago, IL Yesterday Apology accepted, but there was no mix up I clearly understood our conversation regarding the repairs associated with my vehicle. The only rectification to this situation is to never give you my business again and or refer you to others. Mike M. Manager Yesterday Edward, again, I'm sorry for the mix up. I can assure you that it was never my intention to give you any wrong information, and I apologize for giving you mixed messages. You asked me to work with you on pricing, and to my recollection we basically gave you half off of labor. As you could not afford the necessary repair of over $600. We spent over 4 hours on your car, which technically is over $360 @92/hr. so we did the best we could in the time you gave us. So like I said, not sure where the confusion occurred but my prerogative was to save YOU money in any way shape or form... Hopefully we can move past this and continue working together in the future. Give me a call if you'd like to discuss this any further, and let me know if there's anything else I can do. - Mike Edward S. Ive always had a pleasant experience with this my local shop that was until today. Usually your able to talk to your mechanic about money issues and they will honestly tell you what they are able to work out with you. But in my case I'm struggling and was given the wrong or bypassed information without knowing the knowledge behind it. Rear lights not working after speaking to Mike office manager he informs me that I had an option either he would hook me up $92.00 for the diagnostic and he would throw in the bypass and would get the car out in the about an hour or I could pay $200.00 and could have the work done correctly. After agreeing to pay the $200.00 dollars I receive a call a few hours later informing me that the car is ready. I thought a great job was done my lights were working everything was great. Later that day I find out that he has installed a bypass but had been charged the full $200.00. Mike told me that the additional funds were for the time spent on the car and I was then given the option to have the piece taken off, have the $200.00 returned, and never to come back again. read more

I will describe A plus as a shop with great service, know-how, and integrity. They have taken care of my car needs for five years, and I have always found their service to be excellent and well priced. The people running this place are real nice guys and true professionals. I know about cars, and I can tell when I am getting a line of BS. At this place, they don't take advantage of mechanical incompetence, instead, they take the time to educate their customers. I have seen them in action, and everytime I felt that they went above and beyond. They are pretty awesome. read more

This place provides an amazing service and would not only recommend them to everyone but also use them again. I call them today to fix a catalytic converter, unexpectedly stolen the night before by some punks. They were the first our of 3 places I called prior to give me exactly the answers I needed. Such as: can they do the job, can they work on my vehicle, do they have clearance (10.6 feet), availability to take it, amount of time, price, SPOT ON got all the answers. When I arrived at the location, before I even packed, a guy who later I understood was the owner, greeted me and took the truck which they send straight to the lift gate. One of the things that impressed me alot, everything was clean in the shop and had free coffee, not many auto places do that, unless it is outrageously expensive dealer. The work was done the same day, the owner Jim was sympathetic of the issue, and hopefully will use my business so I can recup my loses. Thanks A+! read more

So I was hearing squealing from my brakes and I needed to go out of town in a few hours to Wisconsin. So as I was driving down the street I passed by and found A+ and looked them up on yelp right quick the reviews were good and decided to come by. Afyer getting a really high quote from another place I was hoping they could do better. AND MY GOD THEY DID. Mike was so helpful and honest with me. He told me I had plenty of brake life left but my rotors were shot. So I opted to just change everything at the same time. And he gave me a really steep discount of about $100. And on top of that he got my car up in the air right away. I had my son with me and could not just leave my car there. So he gave me priority and so I could get on the road right away. So after my trip to Wisconsin when I got back in the city I heard rattling from underneath the car. So I went back thinking something came loose which it did. Mike told me that my heat shield came loose and was bumping I think my muffler and he fixed in 2 minutes flat and I was on my way again. Over all I am extremely happy with their service and I will definitely come back for my car needs. THANX GUYS!! read more

I woke up to find my car molested & running like a hot rod... The Catalytic converter was stolen in front of my house. I have a 4Runner that is raised up, so it made it easy for the bandit to cut it off. I came into the shop and they repaired it within 25 minutes for only $150 plus tax. Great deal and they didn't try to cross sell me something that I didn't need. Their hourly rate is very reasonable. read more

I needed to get a new muffler and I went to this shop after a friend recommended it to me. They gave me different estimates and options. After agreeing on the price, they installed a custom exhaust system with a stainless steel tail pipe. I was very happy with the quality of work, and of course the price, considering that other shops wanted to charge me $200 more than what I paid at A+. Jim was professional and he fully explained what was wrong with my vehicle and what repairs were needed. This place is great and clean. read more

This place is great. Mike and Jon are helpful and honest, the shop is clean and the prices are reasonable. I have an old truck that can be hard to find parts for. Mike worked with me to get it up and running in no time. They also called with updates regularly, which I really appreciated. They seem to be able to do a lot more than brakes and mufflers and I'll be bringing my truck back whenever it needs work. read more

These guys are honest and do quality work. My wife and I have been going to Sam and his team for many years, from when we were in grad school and driving old jalopies to today. Because we are so satisfied we continue to drive to their North Ave facility from our home in Oak Park (we used to live in Lakeview and went to their shop on Clark St back in the day.) Keep in mind that they're generalists and not necessarily experts on all models (unlike your expensive dealer)-- they're great nonetheless for some of your basic and not-so-basic repairs and tune-ups. read more

Further update-- after writing the negative review, they called and offered to do my next oil change for free. I have no idea if they are any good. But the guy was nice and I think it speaks well of them that they are following up on Yelp reviews and attempting to correct the problem. ---------- Below is my original review-- they did seem nice and helpful. However, a few weeks later I noticed my car was leaking oil. And so I took it to a repair place who told me that there was a hole in the oil filter. Which apparently was caused by A+ not replacing the filter when they changed the oil, and then poking a hole in the filter when they put the old filter back on the car. So now the repair shop is cleaning up the mess. Too bad. Cause I wanted to like A+. But not enough to go back there to ask them to fix the problem they created. ----------------------- I went here once for an oil change. I don't really know anything about cars, so I hate going to places without good references. But I showed up without an appointment and they were really nice. I forgot to mention to them that my tire pressure light was on, but it was off when I picked the car up! And the car was ready faster than they estimated, they called me when it was ready and it was less expensive than they estimated. Less expensive and faster than expected while also fixing basic problems I forgot to mention and nice-- seems like all I wanted. I'd go back read more

I called A+ because I was shopping around for a better price than what I received from a previous shop. Mike picked up the phone, and I was able to explain to him my situation. We figured out a plan, and I made the decision to let him take a look at my truck. They was able to figure out the exact problem, worked with me with what I could afford, was honest, prompt, they followed up with me about my car and options, and was affordable. Best price I have seen for 4 things being repaired. My car is working great with no problems. These guys are very professional and a true blessing, because I didn't know what else to do or go! Thanks guys for going out of your way for me! You don't get service like this anymore and I appreciate it. read more