After spending several thousand dollars over the last 2 years at Cardinal Plaza Shell, I will never let them repair my vehicles again. Over the past year, they always seem to be trying to sell me unnecessary repairs and parts. Now I have proof that this is absolutely true. I used to be a Fleet manager for 60 Delivery vans, because the vans routes involved considerable stop and go driving, we had to change brake pads every 20-25,000 miles, but we did not have to change the rotors until at least 50K miles. These vehicles were on what as known as "severe duty maintenance schedules". A year and a half ago, my Toyota Highlander, needed new brakes and rotors, this was after 106K miles. Cardinal Shell did the work. I asked them to replace the front brake pads, after 45Kmiles on 8/3/13, but this time I measured the rotors to make sure that they were in"Spec", which they were. Cardinal Shell tried to sell me not only front brakes, but also rotors, when I told them not to machine the rotors and just replace the pads, they refused. Why ? because machining would have put the Rotors slightly below "Spec", this way they could sell me $ 320 of rotors. It is not necessary to machine the rotors each time you replace the pads, unless you want to put the rotors out of "Spec" and sell additional parts and labor. Two months ago I had my 2010 Toyota Corolla in for oil change and tire rotation, the car had 25K miles on it. The car was hardly driven over the last year, but Cardinal Shell told me the Transmission fluid was dirty. They then proceeded to sell me a Transmission service for $240. When I checked the Service manual, Toyota does not even recommend replacing the Transmission fluid until 100K miles. NOW I KNOW I WAS RIPPED OFF ON THIS SERVICE ALSO. Cardinal Shell at one time used to be an honest shop, it is not anymore, the owner does not seem to care that the people he has running service are now in the business of RIPPING OFF UNKNOWING AND UNSUSPECTING CONSUMERS. read more

Had my Toyota minivan serviced there in an emergency (replaced radiator and coolant hose). Let's start with the good: - very friendly - offer free shuttle service so you can drop your car off and they will drive you home. Now the bad. On my way home from work (26 Oct), my car blew a coolant hose going into the radiator. Had to be towed since the engine overheated and went to the closest service station (Cardinal plaza shell). The next morning, I got a call with all the things wrong with my car and the cost for each - which ranged from $1,100-$5,000. I chose the cheaper end just to get me back on the road - replace the radiator and hose. Picked up the vehicle later that evening. Everything was fine until two weeks later. Engine was overheating again - all the coolant had leaked out. Have been refilling it in the morning before driving to work and again before heading home until I could get some time away from work to fix it permanently. This morning (18 Nov), the engine overheated and the coolant hadn't leaked out. So my take on Cardinal shell: - extremely overpriced. Radiator ($443) / labor ($584) - temporarily fixed the problem and wants to charge again to fix the "new" problem. Recommend going elsewhere for car services. I will not be back again. read more

Need an honest quote for your car? Then come visit the Cardinal Forest Shell Gas Station. The service department did not pass my VA state inspection. I was not surprised as I knew there were a few issues to my car. They recommended that I fix my rear brake pads / rotors. However, the repair quote (parts and labor) was expensive! Given the simple DIY fix, I was able to resolve the issue myself and save money! As a result of their expertise my car is safer and I passed inspection upon re-visiting the Cardinal Forest Shell Gas Station. read more

Brought car in for state testing. Station was highly efficient in the process and accomplished testing quickly and correctly.

Great, easy to pump gas and helpful employees. This location is compliant with the GetUpside app, to save money on your gas. There are lots of fun seasonal and year round decorations like inflatable snowmen in the winter, cardboard turkeys on thanksgiving and a gazebo decorated with fresh flowers. read more

Finding a trusted mechanic is one of the biggest challenges when moving to a new town. I had lived here for about 4 years before my neighbors recommend this shop. I've been a customer now for 8 years. What I appreciate most is the absence of pressure. They are well versed in the recommended maintenance checks for my cars and never charge me nor try to sell me work I don't need. Together we've shared heartfelt discussions before easing 3 cars into the great "parts yard in the sky" along the lines of "we can fix this, but next month it will be something else. I've reached the point now where I only need say: "I want to drive this car for 5 more years. Fix what you must and tell me what we defer." Best mechanic I've ever had. read more

I had appointment 7am today for alignment but they tell me waiting about 3 or 7 hours maybe all day.what for my first early morning appointment.please not come here for any service this is first time in my life complain for this Cardinal plaza Shell read more

Overpriced. I went in for a safety inspection. Turns out I needed a new master brake cylinder. Reasonable a my Honda has 125k on it. The price, however, was unreasonable. $550. I called a dealer to see how much they charged for the same, they quoted $340 for parts/labor. I should've called them first but always thought a dealer would be more expensive. A $200 diff is unacceptable. I will never return to this shop. read more

Horrible service. Employees intentionally slow, morale is miserable. The employees want to punish management by screwing the customers. The customer will suffer. I strongly recommend you avoid this trap. read more

CON-ARTISTS! My vehicle was towed here three times! Everyone the tow company advised they should replace the alternator. Instead the service staff added on other "repairs" but never fixed the problem. "Their computer tells them the alternator is fine" bit if you drove it 4 blocks the vehicle stalled and wouldn't restart! Took the vehicle to a small businesses owner and he confirmed it needed a new alternator. Cardinal wanted over $450.00 for a part not including labor. Small shop did the repair for less than $200.00! Don't bring your vehicle here if you need a repair. You will be cheated and left with a dent in your bank account! read more

Cardinal Plaza Shell - This is what happens when you bring your car here! - Gas Stations Near Me - Springfield, Virginia

THANK YOU Cardinal Plaza Shell gas station and auto repair employees for your help. You guys were awesome. I have a broken gas gauge on my car. I ran out of gas in front of the Bank of America at Cardinal Plaza. I went into the Shell gas station asking if they have a gas can that I can barrow. The guy behind the counter told me they did not have a gas can. He offered to help by pushing my car to the Shell gas station located at the same plaza. I pulled in front of the the closest available gas machine and got ready to put gas. To my dismay, the gas tank was on the far side and the nozzle could not reach it. This time, I went into the Shell Auto Repair asking if they have a gas can I can barrow. They did not, but four of the employee helped pushed the car up and back down, close enough for the nozzle to reach the gas tank. I live in the neighborhood and a Cardinal Plaza Shell customer. It was so great to know that I can count on them in my time of nee. Thank you so much for your kindness. I am forever grateful. read more

I've used them for all of my repairs on 3 cars for 4 years now and have never had a problem. They will call before doing extra work as well as make recommendations, but if I chose not to have it done they are fine and don't pressure me. I use them for xx mile work on my Honda van and it now has 200,000 miles on it. read more

We know the owner to this Cardinal Plaza Shell, they always keep the place cleaned up. For most holiday season, he goes all out with decorating the station. The Halloween decorating is cool and the better one is the Christmas time. He goes all out with decor, lights and even have a radio station for Christmas tunes that is followed by the lights of his decorations. So awesome!! If you are in the area during Halloween or even better, Christmas time, stop by and check out the place. read more

Don't bring your car to this place for service because there is the man work as the car inspector is a very inpatient and angry man. I brought my car for inspection and I was looking for the wheels'lock and it was take him 1 minute to kick me out the line because his unprofessional childish manner. Why people can wait at the line for inspection and he can't wait for a minute? Be a growth up and act like you love this job because your choice your own career! Otherwise go home drink your alcohol and retire young. read more

I used to live one mile from this place. I brought my car there to have it looked at. They removed the battery and told me I needed a new one without giving me the opportunity to have the old one back. It was not a battery problem. I was not treated very respectfully and was blown off by the management/owners. Do not go there. I WONDER IF THEY STILL CHARGE A $10 FEE IF YOU LEAVE YOUR CAR FOR AN INSPECTION TO DRIVE IT FROM BEHIND THE STATION TO THE BAY AND BACK? That gave me an idea of the type of operation they were. read more

I came in for an oil change and ended up paying an extra $650 for two new tires, a new oil filter, and a power steering flush. When asked what I really needed to get done of the three things one employee didn't know and another said the tires were a 7 on a scale of 1-10, 10 being most dangerous. I even asked about the power steering flush and was told it failed a check. I've been coming for over ten years I'd guess but I think this was the last time. In the past someone would always say you don't really need this or that, but keep an eye on it. This time they recommended everything. The first employee quoted me around the $450 range which already seemed like a lot - I certainly never heard a $650 estimate. Since they had to order the tires, I had to come back a few days later. The employee told me to drop off my car by 7:00 pm to get a ride home. I came in before 6:00 and was told no one could give me a ride because they all leave at 6:00. I called the next day to talk to Cam Carter (the manager?) because the employee who rang me up said the girl should've gotten the time right and quoted me the full total. Cam called back after asking around and no one remembered the details. He said they were standard charges and reiterated that the power steering flush was a safety issue. But he offered a $200 refund for the power steering flush because I said I had a "bad experience". He sounded annoyed, but at least I got a refund because I complained about it. I'm guessing most people wouldn't, which is why I want to warn others that might fall for the good reviews and end up also getting upsold. I also noticed that a valve stem cap was missing that was definitely there before I dropped off my car. It's disappointing because I've never had these stereotypical auto shop problems with them that I can remember. It's unethical because who wants to jeopardize their safety? They used to be friendly too, now none of them smile or anything from what I saw the three times I was there this month. I'm guessing management has changed in the past year? All in all, not worth the headache, time, and money. read more

You either do the work right or not right. Brakes weren't lubricated when they were put on. Had to have them fixed by another place who had done my front brakes. Wasted all my day doing this and had to pay for it. Changed my thoughts on this place. I will go elsewhere. read more

I've been using this station for 20+ years and it's always getting better. They don't insist you have very expensive work every time you go in. They partner with Giant to help you save money. They have a driver who will take you back home after you leave your car and pick you up when it's ready. I dropped off my car around 4 pm for work the next day. At 6:30 pm they called to say it was ready ! WOW!! Now they have Concierge services you have to check out. They also have a mini mart if you need a snack or drink. There is no downside. read more

Cardinal Plaza Shell has been a strong performing fixture in Springfield for 45 years. It is conveniently located at the intersection of Old Keene Mill Road & Rolling Road. There is a low turnover rate among the staff ; Cameron, the Mgr., John & Chris have been there several years. Work performed for me the past 15 years has uniformly been of high quality and delivered on time. A "White Gloves Courtesy Service" is a new addition which offers car owners the option of having their cars picked up at the house for servicing and returning them to the owner upon completion, at no extra charge. In addition to excellent service, Cardinal Plaza Shell has year round, seasonal decorations which help beautify a busy, commercial area. The station also has a well-earned reputation for actively supporting local and national worthy causes. read more

HONEST, DEPENDABLE, and CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTED Cardinal Shell is fantastic. The staff is extraordinary friendly and courteous. Cardinal Shell always provides me options for service or parts (where possible) to ensure the repairs are within my budget. They are very responsive, honest and efficient. CardinalShell is my choice for car repair in NOVA. read more

For minor service, this shop is good and fast. Their repeat customer oil-change discount is good, and they won't charge labor for super small jobs (EX: bulb replacement) unless it takes awhile. For other services, their pricing can be very high, almost dealer-like - for example brake pads. Based off a car I brought in and a friend's vehicle, they will always recommend rotor replacement with brake pads. Many shops will say this is unnecessary. I had this done once for around $600 (for one pair) because they absolutely would not replace the pads without the rotors. I later took the car to another local shop for the other pair and they did the replacement for around $250 - apparently the rotors aren't as expensive as advertised. In their defense the cost does vary on front vs rear, but still this shop is definitely overcharging. For my friend, they also pulled another dealer-like move and charged for a full alignment, which was unnecessary for his service. The bill on his 2 year old civic for an oil change, brake pads/rotors and alignment was several hundred dollars more than it should have been, and he's been going here over 10 years. read more

At a recent visit I was filling my tires (they have a free air pump that automatically cuts off when you hit your recommended PSI so you don't even need a pressure gauge) and wasn't able to get one of my valve stem caps off. Asked the station attendant if he had anything I could use to try to twist it off and he came out with a pair of pliers to help me himself. Nice to know there's a spot like this in town. read more

Do not come here for any car repairs....very unprofessional and overpriced. In the process of fixing an electrical issue with my power window, they scratched off a chunk of the window tint and did not issue any refund or compensation for their mishap. Furthermore, after one week that my window was repaired, it did not function again. They charged me addtional $$$ to have this repaired even though it should have been fixed the 1st time. STAY AWAY read more

We have been taking our cars here for years. They have always been honest, efficient and timely with our car repairs. They will offer you a ride home if you drop your car off for repairs, and they let you drop your car off for the safety inspection so you don't have to wait in line. During the holidays, they have elaborate, eye catching decorations. All in all a reliable, honest place for car repairs. Oh yeah-they also have free tire air so you don't have to dig for quarters. read more

I have been serviced by Cardinal Shell for a myriad of vehicle repairs and maintenance. It's nice to find a place you can trust that supports the community like Cardinal Shell! read more

This place tried to rip me off with a $600.00 unnecessary repair to pass state inspection.. Had my bellows boots checked at 2 other places and was told they are fine and my car did pass state inspection.. Be wary.. They give good service to make you feel good so you believe them when they try to swindle you.. read more

Cardinal Plaza Shell's smart crew delivers prompt service w/ good communication- yet no unsolicited "fix-its." Feels good driving a freshly tuned car away from here. 5/5 Strongly recommended. read more

When we moved from West Springfield to Accokeek, MD a few years back we attempted a few local places to service our vehicles. We travel 28 miles to have Cardinal Plaza Shell service our vehicles...enough said. read more

Thanks for taking good care of my car! Confidently set for my trip! Always quality customer service.

1. They quoted us a price on a timing belt and ended up charging us double (older car) 2. They put the WRONG transmission fluid in our car. 3. For our other car they said we needed a new timing belt. That car has a timing chain. Don't be fooled by all the decorations, lights, and inflatable crap that you see. I don't even buy gas there anymore. read more

We have used Cardinal Plaza Shell for many years for all of our family cars. They have always provided prompt and excellent service. The staff are friendly and call you with any questions or concerns before they start to work on your car. They give you an estimate and the cost is always right where they said it would be or less. Our cars always run better and we trust them. We used to take 2 of the cars to the dealership (VW's) but every time we went it was $1000, and twice in a row we had to bring one of them back after a week because something else went wrong. That never happens here. We no longer use the dealership for any of our vehicles. Cardinal Plaza Shell is not out to gouge you. They are honest and fair read more

I have stopped using Cardinal Plaza Shell after a couple of less-than-satisfying experiences with them. Without going into a lot of detail, I will say that the last couple of times they seemed completely uninterested in trying to figure out what was wrong with my car. More than that, though, I have stopped using their services because they are just not very friendly (they used to be years ago - we had been using them for a long time). They don't smile when you come in, they don't make eye contact, they don't seem interested in hearing explanations about issues with the car. It's as if they are thinking, "Just give me your key and get out." Friendliness is a big issue for me and these guys just don't have it. I know a lot of people who use them and love them and that's great. For me, it's time to move on. They do put on an awesome light show at Christmas time, so there's that... read more

My review is for their safety check service. There is a pull up on the side specifically for safety checks. If there is already a car in there you are supposed to drive to the Giant side parking and form a line next to the shell building. You can either wait in the car until you're next or wait inside the waiting room. When I visited there were two cars ahead of me and I waited less than an hour for my car to be done. I got charged $16 total. All in all I would come here again for my safety check. Everyone in the waiting area was nice and they do have a Pokemon gym there to kill time when waiting. I do love how festive this location gets during the holidays and the fact that they advertise that they have a Pokemon gym too! read more

Cardinal Plaza Shell is one of the best automotive shops I've ever been to. I've been going there for about 8 years with two different cars. They're honest, always nice, and the guys working there really seem to love what they do. They also take the time to provide thorough explanations regarding repairs, and ensure a quality job is done. Automotive issues can be a pain, so it's good to know Cardinal Plaza Shell is a reliable place go. read more

Fast friendly honest service with great extended hours. Only issue is their gas pumps reject debit and credit cards at the pump. Then you have to go inside and pay. Hope they can fix this! read more

My car broke down near the station. Cardinal Plaza Shell fixed my car free of charge. Cameron was absolutely wonderful, professional, and helpful. I highly recommend this station. read more

Pumps look well maintained,quick service, but what really caught my eye was the well maintained surroundings. Landscaping looked pro and was beautiful - really made it stand out. read more

Im here to rave about their new BlackCard Service and George who got hired for this job. Basically, they will come and pick up your car to get it fix and will drop it off for you when its finish. This is awesome, i dont think even highend car shop will do this for their clients. Overall, they did a normal job on small services that i needed but their attention to custmomer services is better than most out there. read more

This is the top car repair location in the Springfield and Burke areas. I have heard folks complain about the prices they charge, all I know is their mechanics do great work, and get things right the first time. They do not do anything that is not needed, and give a fair assessment of what is needed and what could wait. Been taking my cars here for past 6 years, and have no complaints. read more

The team at Cardinal Plaza Shell are always friendly, honest, and efficient when it comes to maintenance and work on my car. They always recommend the best services and times to get things done and care how the work is being produced. Thank you to everyone at Shell! read more