SIX STARS!! I've been bringing my 2003 Hyundai accent to Alba for the past few years and I'll be coming back next week! Jimmy always gives a thorough rundown of services needed and he's upfront about what can and can't wait to be serviced. I've been driving older cars for 30 years and Jimmy is definitely one of my favorite mechanics I've ever encountered. Prices are fair and work is well-executed and lasts (I haven't been back in over a year). And Jimmy is a nice guy! He even met me at Mariano's once to jump my car after I had just had it serviced (totally my error). See you next week to get that check engine light fixed, Jimmy! read more

An absolute world class experience. This was my first visit to have a power steering leak repaired. I was looking for a new mechanic and made the decision to try Alba based on the recommendations of two other people as well as what I read in the written reviews. Am I glad I did! Jimmy is professional, courteous, competent, and he goes that extra mile to make sure the job gets done right. The repair bill was honest and reasonable, and I was able to pick up my car the same day. Can't say enough good things about this place and will definitely be bringing my vehicle back to Alba Auto Service for any future repair or maintenance needs! A good mechanic is gold. You rock, Jimmy! read more

Needed a few things looked at on my '11 Ram1500 and he took great care of me insuring it was safe to drive the truck long distances again.

Excellent service!! The post were correct! He was honest and worked on 2 of our cars within a week. One was 2003 Xterra, he made sure to give it a hood inspection but not over charge for unnecessary maintenance. read more

I'm very pleased and will return for all repairs. Had exhaust issues and the cadylic converter needed replacing. Wasn't crazy expensive. I dropped my Dodge Journey off Wednesday afternoon and picked it up Friday afternoon. Plus gave me a run down of a few additional issues, which I already previously knew about. Great service and I feel I can trust him to be fair and honest after this great initial visit. read more

Jimmy is friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable. Will return for future car repair needs!

I went to Alba for a slow leak on a tire and was in and out in 15 minutes. He even made sure the rest of the tires were aired properly. I highly recommend him. read more

I came here with a lengthy list of projects from the Toyota dealership. I knew my exhaust leak was critical but had 3 different flushes recommended by Toyota including a transmission flush. Jimmy explained that he wouldn't recommend doing a transmission flush because I hadn't done one before (my car is almost 10 years old) and it could potentially cause my transmission to fail. I believed him-rare to hear a mechanic decline doing a service that would cost over $200. Looked at my manual from Toyota which confirmed exactly what Jimmy said-the transmission fuel is "lifetime." Jimmy also fixed a part of my exhaust that was broken that Toyota didn't catch just for the price of the part ($2!) Definitely will be back with any other needs I have. He's good and he's honest. read more

Like a ton of others, I found Alba due to the good reviews on yelp. In fact you type "Mechanic Ravenswood" and this is one of the shops that pops up first. Previously my interactions with mechanics are hit or miss. I've went to chain places and had horrible work done, but the reviews are true: Alba Auto is straight forward and honest. About a week ago my brother told me my car may be leaking oil since he saw few drops on his driveway. Didn't think anything of it till this sunday when i pulled away from his place, saw a small puddle. My oil light came on and I went to the local O'Reilly's, putting in 3 quarts (which is a lot of oil for a 4cyl car. This morning in the rain i noticed oil puddles oozing from my car. Hopped on yelp found Alba, and called. I brought in the car this morning before work. Alba Auto inspected it called me back in an hour to tell me the diagnosis (as well as other things they noticed wrong), but never pressured me to fix everything. Let me know which ones would need addressing soon and which ones will have a bit more time on them. Got my car back at the end of the day once the issue was discovered and fixed. Very reasonable pricing! I will be back for other work. read more

I usually take my car to a mechanic that's a little bit of a trek to get to. They're great, but when I had to take my ancient car on a road trip on short notice, I wanted to get it checked out without losing an afternoon on the bus getting to and from the place. So I took to Yelp and, to my surprise, Alba is in the neighborhood and people seem to love it. I called and Jimmy told me to roll my old car on in right then. I asked him to do an oil change, take a look at the A/C, and just generally check it out to determine my likelihood of being stranded and having to hitchhike to my destination. Jimmy listened to my concerns and presented options for what I wanted to have done, explaining the pros and cons of everything. He also gave me an approximate cost in advance, which was nice. My car was done in a flash. Jimmy explained what he checked and everything that was going on with my car, including what needed attention now and what could wait for later. As it turns out, it looks like my car is going to live to see another day. I'm so glad to have found a great mechanic in the neighborhood! read more

Jimmy and Alba Auto Service are a local gem! Jimmy is always so nice, professional, and timely with all of the service requests we've had over the years! He has always been able to get us in for service, whether it was a tire patch job or something more serious with our engine. Always provided a thorough explanation of what was happening and has always been honest about what work was critical vs what work could wait! I've recommended him to friends and will continue to use his services! read more

Fast, fair, and flexible. A routine check-up turned up a rather substantial issue, and as soon as I mentioned that my budget was a concern, Jimmy started offering solutions that might only be temporary fixes but would give me a chance to save to get it done properly. And in the two issues I've gone to him for since (one unrelated and the other doing the full repair), he has remembered that. In addition to being totally free of judgement that my finances are tight, he was willing to explain the problems and their potential solutions repeatedly when I was trying to wrap my head around what needed to happen. Cars are not my thing, and most of the time people get more frustrated, more quickly, and over smaller issues. Jimmy was honest and straightforward and didn't seem annoyed by my total inexperience. And on top of that, I've had major repairs finished over a weekend. That's the longest he has ever kept my car by a long shot. You can't go wrong going here, and as long as I'm close enough to do so I'm going to keep coming. read more

Let's face it, taking your car to the mechanics is just about #9,999,999 out of 1,000,000 on your to-do list (yep, you read that correctly), but you just gotta do it. Preventative care and all that jazz, right? Or, in my case, if your car has been pouring water inside when it rains and, in fact, is making a sloshing noise due to the swimming pool it's created. Same thing. I was able to get my car in quickly to Alba and they worked hard to find out the issue and fix it. In fact, when I came back for it later they took the time to tell me everything they did, what they thought the problem was, and how they fixed it. They also offered for me to bring it back in again should I have the problem in the future. Seems as though they got it right the first time, however, and as far as I can tell my car is no longer a swimming pool. read more

Alba Auto Service - Auto Repair Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Just used Alba Auto Service for the first time and very pleased so far. Jimmy seemed: * knowledgeable and courteous * responsive to my questions and concerns * straight-forward * cost concious read more

The short version is this: Jimmy saved me $3,000. My Toyota minivan broke down, and I took it first to Northside Toyota, the dealership on Broadway north of Bryn Mawr. Big mistake. They told me I needed a new power steering pump, power steering lines and a new radiator, and they wanted to charge me more than $3,550 for the work. Thank goodness I decided to take it to Alba instead. Jimmy checked over the minivan, and though I did need a power steering pump, the lines and the radiator were perfectly functional. Old, but functional. No need to replace them. I ended up paying $580 instead of $3,550. Jimmy is the best!! read more

I was having electrical issues with my car and it wouldn't turn on. I was lucky enough to find Alba Auto Service and they really saved the day. They were able to quickly tow my car to the shop, diagnose the problem and call the let me know my options. He was upfront and was pushy with up selling. When I picked up my car, he had pictures of what he did and even had the hood open and ready to show me everything. Also, the price for the job done was very reasonable. I'd recommend him to anyone looking for an honest, no pressure mechanic. read more

I walked in to Alba Auto planning to spend 600-700 dollars, but after getting my car looked at they said it'd only cost me around 500. The service was quick and my car was only in the shop for one night. Had to get both front axles replaced, and my car drives more smoothly than it has for the two years that I've owned it. Fast, affordable, easy to work with, will definitely visit again with future auto needs. read more

Alba Auto Service was taking care of my vehicles for about 10 years now. They took care of my Merz E320, two CLK320 and most recently CLA250. When I was having problems with CLK320 and CLA250 Loeber Motors wasn't able to quickly fix the issues keeping my cars "on hold" forever (of course charging me for "so called" testing). After bringing vehicles to Alba Auto Service, Jimmy proved again and again that he provides excellent, professional and quick accurate service. Most recently he fixed a turbo charger in my CLA250. Very reliable, very honest with affordable pricing. Highly recommended! And thanks Jimmy for all your help! read more

I only came for an oil change, so we had just a quick interaction. But Jimmy was really kind and thoughtful. I look forward to Jimmy and Alba being my new "go to" mechanic in the city. read more

Jimmy the owner responded super quick to my quote request for my dad's car not starting issue on Sunday!! It turned out that my dad's car battery was completely out. Jimmy's response was super prompt and I really appreciated how he professionally approached to help my situation. I ended up having my father drive the car home after our insurance roadside assistance was able to jump start the car but I really found Jimmy's responsiveness super helpful given the fact that today's Sunday and his place is closed. Thank you Jimmy! read more

Jimmy provided efficient, well priced, and quality service. Would definitely bring my car back for any other issues that arise. He pretty much fixed the issue in the price it would have just cost for doing the diagnostic at the dealership. read more

Awesome experience. Responsive, timely, quick/convenient and reasonably priced. The entire process was both easy and stress free!

This is my new auto shop to bring my car to. The super polite gentleman working there named Mo helped get my car serviced right away. I brought in springs for a coil conversion from air bag suspension to regular spring coils on my older Lincoln town car and they finished it quick. They also put in new brakes, aligned my wheels and a premium oil change. Can't thank you guys enough for an extremely fair price and speedy service. read more

Jimmy was responsive, friendly, straightforward, and honest. No BS, no runaround, no bogus diagnosis. Alba Auto is the real deal, he does reliable work at a fair price. See Alba Auto first and save yourself a hassle and paying too much for parts and labor you don't need. Thanks Jimmy!! read more

Just moved to Chicago from Texas and I have now found my auto guy! Fast, honest, & informative. I will go to Jimmy for all my auto work.

Jimmy responded to my voicemail within 2 hours, we discussed my concerns and schedule. Arranged a time to come by and he asked a few astute questions about the noise I noticed - then he requested to ride with me so we could simultaneously hear the noises I was concerned about. He called with his findings, the cost, and any other concerns I might have remembered. The work was done expeditiously. Most impressive, he kept all the parts he had to replace and showed me where the damage was and how to prevent the same in the future. Working with Jimmy is like seeing a great physician - he listens, asks insightful questions, diagnoses the problem, then explains the fix and future preventive care. Oddly, the cost came in hundreds below what I had expected. read more

Great service. I called and received a quick reply and was able to get in the same day. I was also given a thorough explanation of the issue and the steps taken to resolve it. Also, well and fairly priced. read more

My battery and alternator died and after a call to Alba, they towed my car to their shop. Courteous service at every point, and swift work. Picked my fixed car up the next day and it runs like a champ. Jimmy helped us from towing the car to fixing it...very nice guy and I will plan on bringing my car back there when additional service is needed. read more

Jim is the best mechanic I have ever had. He's fair, fast, and honest. On a recent repair appointment I asked him to look into 5 things for me. He determined three of the requests didn't need action (or could be as simple as cleaning parts instead of replacing them), saving me a lot of money. On a recent road trip, my car conked out at a rest stop. I called Jim and he walked me through what to do to determine root cause. Not only that, but he called me back later to make sure I was doing okay and see if there was anything he could do to be of further help! read more

Jimmy looked at my car when I was having some strange electrical problems. He said he was busy and to bring the car back the following week. I brought it back when he said and then he said he needed another week. Before driving it over this thirds time, I called to confirm he had availability. Over the phone he told me that he didn't have time. I was sure glad I didn't waste my time driving over again. As a guy who does most of his own repairs, I understand not wanting to deal with electrical problems. They can be a nightmare. However, repeatedly asking me to come back a week later is just wasting my time. Jimmy was kind enough to take a quick look the first time I went to him (at no charge) so I will give him that, but he should have just told me that he can't or did not want to do the work and I wouldn't have wasted 2 weeks waiting for him to be available. Edit in response to owner comment: I did not "just arrive" in front of your shop unexpectedly. I called on Saturday, and you said to bring it in on Tuesday. Then you said bring it back next week. I get it, you weren't interested in doing the work, which is fine, but just tell me instead of wasting my time. read more

Every single review (except for the 1 Star one!) is true. Jimmy was so helpful and kind before, during, and after my repair. Admittedly I had a fair amount of anxiety when my trunk latch broke, how does that even happen......? Having been screwed over before with pricey car repairs, and just generally having terrible luck with my 2011 Mazda, I was hesitant to try a new mechanic, but Jimmy's reviews speak for themselves. You will get a fair, honest quote, and repairs done quickly and accurately the first time. Though I'm not hoping for more car trouble any time soon, I'll definitely be back, and will be passing his name along to my friends! read more

He fixed my car one day earlier than expected. He also gave me knowledge about what was going on with my vehicle instead of just servicing it. The way that this man multi tasks is amazing. He gets things done. read more

This place is fantastic. Jimmy was so helpful and nice and explained everything I needed to know about what might be wrong with my car. Super patient and friendly. I highly recommend this place. read more

Alba auto service is amazing. They are always looking out for your best interest. The owner will let you know what needs to be done on your car and the most cost effective option. For example, my mirror was knocked off my car. Jimmy called around to a few places and found the price of a new mirror but also told me to just check on Amazon for a mirror. It was less expensive on amazon, so I bought the mirror and had him install it. Very honest people. Highly recommend!!! read more

Jimmy is hands down the nicest and most honest mechanic I have ever come across. I HIGHLY recommend him to everyone I know and am committed to staying loyal to him as long as I have a car! He is always efficient in his work and fair with his pricing. You will not be let down if you take your car here! read more

I cannot recommend Alba's Auto Service enough. They have done an amazing job fixing my car time and time again (usually fixing mistakes that the dealership service has left. And most importantly, they are always incredibly honest and upfront. If you need car repair, you should go here. read more

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME This place is built on customer service, honesty and integrity. Getting a car serviced can be a stressful thing, especially when you're a girl and most places try and take advantage of you. Jim provided extremely fast, quality service for an unbeatable price. I am happy to say that I have found "my mechanic" in Chicago and will be highly recommending all of my friends here. To make things even better, I also had the pleasure of meeting Sal and his two sons. How cool is it that Sal spends the weekends teaching his sons his trade?!? He too had great customer service and is just a good guy. This place is great and I really wish that other businesses could withhold such a high standard. THANK YOU SO MUCH! read more

Someone else mentioned how cheap the work is, how great of a guy Jerry is, and just how honest he is-I couldn't agree more. My car was making a lot of noise, so I had taken it to Midas. Being a young female, I'm sure they thought I was a total idiot and came back with a quote for $1,200 to fix it. I did some searching online to find that they had quoted me almost a thousand dollars for a part that I could find online $300-$400. So I immediately picked it up and called Jerry and Alba Auto. He listened patiently and told me to bring it right in and that he'd look at it for free. (Midas had charged me $30 just to look at the car) so I made the drive over. The place is pretty tiny, so you've got to be on the lookout, but I'm so glad I found it! Midas had told me that the catalytic converter was broken in half. They were making it sound as though the two pieces were disconnected and hanging on by a thread. I asked if it was urgent to get it fixed, since they had quoted me $1,200 for repairs, and they said "I would say it's pretty urgent. It's technically illegal to drive it since it wouldn't pass emissions, but more importantly, it's broken directly below where you sit in the car and is leaking toxic fumes that you're breathing in." I asked if I could drive it still (I'm a poor college student) and they said "I wouldn't. You really shouldn't drive this until it gets fixed." Jerry took a few minutes to look at my car, came back and asked why I brought it in. He asked if it was just the noise that concerned me and I told him that Midas had basically said the car was poisoning me, which he laughed at. Jerry walked me to my car and pointed out the small crack in my secondary converter, near the back of my car. He said if the noise bothered me, he could fix it for $200 and I shouldn't have a problem again. He was so refreshingly honest and I didn't feel like I was being swindled. I will never go to another auto shop in the city again! read more

Jimmy is the man! Sooooo nice. Also, he has saved me loads of $ on multiple occasions.

Very fast and reasonably priced. I needed some work done and decided to come here after calling around the neighborhood shops. I think I've found my go-to guy. My ancient lil Civic got fixed up real nice and fast, for less than I was quoted from other shops. A few weeks later I needed a tiny little repair, and stopped in, got it fixed on the spot, no trouble at all. I'll definitely be back as long as I'm in the city, even if I move away from this neighborhood! read more