Predatory upsell at Signal Ave location: Refused single spark plug fix on my stranded 19-year-old daughter's car Review (1-star): This is a serious warning for parents, students, and anyone driving in/around Albuquerque--especially near UNM or the northeast heights area. My 19-year-old daughter was on her way from Farmington to the University of New Mexico when her check-engine light began flashing early one morning. She pulled over safely about 30 miles from campus--alone, scared, and hours from home. I called Brown's Automotive Experts and spoke with a man named Chris (at the 6401 Signal Ave NE / Far Northeast Heights location). Chris mentioned he has four daughters of his own and assured me he would "take care of her." That reassurance meant a lot in the moment. He called back with the diagnosis: one cracked spark plug causing the misfire. He then immediately recommended replacing all spark plugs plus a fuel-injection service--totaling $1,800. I asked for the price to replace just the spark plugs; he quoted $1,300. I explained we couldn't afford that and requested they replace only the one cracked plug so she could safely reach school and we could plan the rest later. Chris refused. The shop would not do a single spark-plug replacement. It was pay $1,300 for the full set or just the diagnostic fee--and they'd send her back on the road with the flashing light and misfire still active. They were ready to release a teenage driver with a known engine issue rather than perform the minimal, diagnosed repair. This felt like blatant upselling that took advantage of her vulnerability and my concern as a parent 150+ miles away. I've never posted a review this strongly, but I won't stay silent when a business exploits a young woman's roadside emergency to push unnecessary $1,300-$1,800 services. If you have college kids, teenage drivers, or travel through Albuquerque's northeast side, avoid Brown's Automotive Experts - Far Northeast Heights (6401 Signal Ave NE). Choose a shop that does honest, needed repairs without holding safety hostage. Brown's Automotive Experts - Far Northeast Heights 6401 Signal Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113 Phone: (505) 857-0868 You've lost any future business from our family--and I hope others see this before they're in a similar spot. read more

took my 2003 ford ranger 4x4 in to re due all underneath of truck. that was making squeaking noise from front back of truck. was in 3 days got call saying say done. All work was done timely at good price. cant forget the shuttle service from shop to house. read more

Brown's Automotive Experts - Far Northeast Heights - Auto Repair Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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This business was recommended to me by a friend who sang their praises (and also said the Dearholts were personal friends). They have a long wait to get an appointment, so I had to wait weeks to have them look at my vehicle. For my first visit, I needed an oil change and a thorough inspection of the whole car. They did several repairs and, while I have no reason to believe they are dishonest, I was shocked at the labor cost of nearly $200/hour. I knew more than two months ago I would need another appointment this week and put my name on the waiting list for an appointment as it can take 4-6 weeks. We agreed several weeks ago that today would be the day. They do not allow night before drop off, so I got up much earlier than usual to be there at 7:30 am. I was told right off that they were backed up -- current work taking longer than predicted -- and that they couldn't service my car until next week. I was stunned. I asked why no phone call and was told they had just figured this out. How could they not have known at closing the night before that they were behind but know it at the moment they opened? There were several "I'm really sorry" and "any day next week", but no acknowledgement of the inconvenience they had caused me. I have never had this experience at any business or service provider and felt very disrespected. All that was needed was a quick phone call last night. I would have been fine with rescheduling. This situation makes it clear that this is a badly managed business, even if the work is good. Anyone, anywhere gets to seriously screw up my schedule without warning once. With a recommendation from someone else, I found another place that was able to provide the service I needed at very reasonable rates. They were also able to diagnose an issue that had mystified the folks at Dearholt (though it was easy to find on the internet). I ended up spending less money without having to spend the whole day without a car. read more

I have used Dearholt since a friend recommended them for repairs. They are booked up frequently but they have done excellent work the many times we've taken our Yukon and Suburban in for service. It's so nice to find honest, thorough, knowledgeable and professional folks to rely upon for auto repairs. Keep up the great work! read more

Hearholt AutoCare is an extremely professional and thorough auto care shop. They take the time to fully understand the customer's concerns and care about ensuring an automobile is fixed right the first time. They don't over-bill and are actually a better value than the majority of other auto care places in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho (especially dealership services!) I will continue to use them for all of my vehicles. Thank you so much to Jim and his entire staff at Dearholt AutoCare! read more

These people are wonderful! Very kind , attentive and professional. I use this garage whenever I have major or minor repairs that need to be done and I have never been disappointed. They get it done when they say it's going to be done and the estimate is always accurate. Great people here at Dearholt read more

Amazing service!! We had a little mystery on our hands. We tried this... and it sort of worked, then we tried something else and that was better, but didn't solve the issue. Finally after a bunch of thought and exploration, we came up with the solution and my car was repaired in half a day. Interesting scenario, but now it is over! Thank you Dearholt! read more

This a great auto repair service shop. If you interested in: an honest, highly trustworthy, fair priced, competent and a family owned business which stands behind their work...your search is over. We have used Dearholt for over three years and they are the ONLY shop I trust to repair my 4x4 pick up truck and my wife's SUV. They are endorsed by AAA too. Cheryl is their scheduler, Jim is the owner, his son Jimmy, and Kelly all will ensure they inform you about your repair work and will keep you informed on repairs and price. They are a pleasure to do business with. read more

Everything you want from a mechanic. Honest, fair, fast, friendly, and they always do the job 100% right.

They were honest with me about what repairs my car needed and did a much needed leak repair.

I called yesterday to get an estimate on my Kia Sorento, but it would appear that they don't have the expertise to work on imports. They said they could not find the parts in their system(?), but would research and call me back, they never did. I sure won't be taking my GMC truck to them since they can't work on the Kia. Side note, don't know why Yelp is showing me in Calif, I am in Albuquerque. read more

This is the best place in Albuquerque for car repair. I only take my cars here for maintenance. My Dodge Durango before I traded it in, a Honda Pilot, and a Chrysler 300. The service is top of the line, they will back all of their work. Any trouble with the repairs they take the keys and make it right at no charge. Price is resonable, but it's the work they do that makes the difference for me! Thanks Dearholt. read more

Brown's Automotive Experts - Far Northeast Heights - Auto Repair Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I recently had to have a lot of major repair work to my vehicle. Dearholt has taken care of me and my vehicle since I drove it off the dealer's lot brand new 8 years ago. I've never taken it to the dealer when I needed any maintenance and repair. Dearholt did some research on my behalf and found out my defective high speed fuel pump was part of a national recall, and that the dealer was supposed to fix/repair it as such. The Dealer refused to fix the problem, but Dearholt fixed it and made it affordable for me. I wouldn't ever go anywhere else! read more

I always take my car to Dearholt---they are fair with their prices and always do a great job on whatever I need to have fixed.

I have been taking my 2004 Isuzu Rodeo to Dearholt since I drove it off the lot in May of 2004. I never took it to the dealer, always to Jim Dearholt and his amazing crew. I'm still driving the Rodeo thanks to Dearholt Autocare. Any future vehicles I purchase, I will have Dearholt give the "once over" and will take the vehicle(s) to them to maintain. Not the cheapest in town, however, they do very good work and provide excellent customer service - they really do care! read more

"An intermittent squeal" - Deerholt has had my daughters Durango many times there before she bought it, or the"squeal" developed, but when they recently completed the $500 repair the fault remained. The team at Deerholt invited the truck back for exhaustive testing and decided on a way forward. After a couple of ideas fell flat they fixed the problem and then refused to charge us - for either parts or labor. In short they may have replaced the wrong parts initially but were quick to make amends and deal with the issue at zero inconvenience or cost to my daughter. Great customer service from a local family owned business who treated us with honesty and integrity. When we collected the truck we took our son's car in for regular maintenance. read more

Employee was rude to my mother in January 2012. I am still mad about it! Also, they don't seem to know very much about german cars.

After the dealership declined to honor the warranty on the a/c because the vehicle was 1,500 miles beyond the period, I took our VW to Dearholt. They were great! From their willingness to try a less complicated (& costly) repair to their initiative in completing the repair quickly for a scheduled trip out of town, they were fast, courteous, responsive & reasonably priced. If I have car problems in the future with any of our other vehicles, I'll see them first. read more

The team is very nice to myself and my wife. We brought in 2 cars that needed different repairs. They treated us honestly and respectfully. They offer an excellent warranty that is covered nationwide. With us doing road trips with the kids, that is a big deal. I'll be back. read more

I will NEVER take my car in there again. I have taken my 2006 Infiniti 35X in their twice to get my fuel gage worked on and they have caused more problems and have fixed nothing. Ive payed upwards to almost 1500 all said and done between to trips to the shop and they have fixed nothing with my gas gauge....they are a JOKE of a business creating problems to make you continue come back and pay their bills....very, VERY disappointed in Dearholt Autocare facility.... read more

If you want to keep your hard earned money in your account do not take your automobiles here. I had my car towed to Dearholt because I was recommended from a friend, they knew a former worker. First of all, when they diagnosed the problem of $940 for an alternator and battery, they stated that it "may" be a start to the problem for why my car had died. When I requested them to break down the numbers, it cost $410 for labor and $230 for an alternator. I'm sorry but it does not cost $300 for a battery people! In which, my battery was under warranty, so it should be COVERED until June 2014! I took it upon myself to take the battery to Auto Zone and Ta-Da the battery was perfectly fine, Auto Zone even charged it 100% just to prove it. Dearholt's response was that their machine may be broken and thanked me for bringing it to their attention (BS). This company is shady and will cheat you out of whatever they can get away with. It's stressful enough when our vehicles break, why take your car to a place that makes your life havoc just to make an extra dishonest buck. read more

Not my best experience. They charged $99 every time they hooked up the OBDII reader to the car, so I bought one for $21.95 on Amazon. They always took the most expensive to repair approach from the diagnosis code. For example, a P0171 code can be a MAF sensor (expensive) or a loose vacuum line (cheap). They stuck the most expensive MAF sensor in the car, and didn't test it. They then stuck a cheaper MAF in the car which was better... but never refunded the difference. The actual problem was a vacuum hose that DOX found in about 10 minutes and fixed for very little money. read more