We live in NW Philadelphia and my wife and I have taken cars here for some years. They take great care and can save a mass of money, for example, An exhaust bracket failed on our Volvo S60; Our Volvo dealer wanted $900 to fix it. Carpenter Lane Garage cost to repair was $65. Four-five years later, the repair is still great. They NEVER rip-off women with unnecessary repairs, as some garages do; this opinion is based on neighbors who we have sent to the garage (due to high quotes they had for numerous 'needed work' on their vehicles). All have been surprised and delighted with the quality of care, work and pricing. read more

DO NOT GO HERE Honesty and integrity are two values this shop and its employees are seriously lacking. Don't let the quaint neighborhood storefront fool you, this is no friendly neighborhood mechanic. If you want to pay $160 for an oil chance and inspection, this is the place for you. But who wants to pay that when everywhere else charges $100 at most. BEWARE OF SCAMMERS read more

I've been bringing my car to Carpenter Ln garage for 7 years. It's a 2000 Toyota Corolla with 240,000 miles on it. About 2 years ago I started having combustion problems. I didn't live near the garage at that time, so took it to 2 other mechanics closer mechanics that said it's not worth fixing, it would cost too much- and to let the car go. I decided to take it back to Carpenter Ln garage, and TJ and Mike figured out what was wrong and brought it back to life. It continues to run great. That only cost me about $700. Why didn't the other mechanics see this? I think because Mike and TJ have great diagnostic skills. Like any profession, you get good at your craft by doing it. TJ has been there forever (owner) and Mike has been there a long time too. About a year ago they hired Shannon to handle all the invoices and billing, phone calls, scheduling, so it's nice when someone answers the phone every time. In the past TJ was doing both. It's a smoothly run clean operation - another indication a mechanic shop has it together. read more

This place is fantastic! TJ is as honest as the day is long and Mike is an absolute whiz when it comes to diagnostics. You owe it to yourself to take your car here. Bonus: they also work on hot rods and muscle cars. They are really "car guys" at heart. It is cool to find a place where the guys are working with a passion for what they are doing, and not just a paycheck! read more

Had a vibration that I just couldn't isolate. Went to three different tire shops to have rear tires re-balanced but none of them did any good, some made it worse. Found this place while shopping for tires online. They're a recommended installer for Tirerack.com. Dropped off both rear tires in the am for roadforce testing and dynamic balancing, had them back early afternoon with a simple explanation about what was done. The vibration is gone. Dropping my front tires off tomorrow for the same service. Found this guy to be professional with none of the usual car mechanic double talk or sales pitches. Will definitely use again. read more

I highly recommend Carpenter Lane Garage. TJ runs a fabulous business. I go to him for regular maintenance and problems that my car experiences. But TJ has also been helpful in a pinch. Today I called at 5:00 and asked if I could stop by to put on my donut because I had driven over a piece of metal and AAA quoted me a 2 hour wait. Instead of putting the donut on, he patched the tire right then and there. No appointment! He provide last minute service to a valued customer. Great customer service! A great local mechanic! read more

While I can only speak for myself and my experience with Mr. TJ and his business, I can most definitely say that he is the only mechanic I've found since moving to Philly in 2009 who I trust and consider a "neighborhood mechanic" like I experienced back home. He will level with you about price options, is considerate about trying to work with you on scheduling, doesn't try to upsell you on things or generate additional potential things in need of work, and has never left me wondering if I got screwed over. I recommend this location and Mr. TJ to everyone and I will continue going there for as long as I live in the area. read more

I have a 2004Jeep Liberty and of course as soon as I pay it off it starts having all kinds of problems. My heater quit working in the middle of winter last year. I took it to several different places and no one could figure it out. Needless to say after several hundred dollars and still no heat I got frustrated and gave up. I ended up at Carpenter Lane for an oil change after a friend recommended them and I just mentioned the heat issue. He said he'd take a look while he was working on it anyway. I was so shocked when I went to pick up my car...he got it working again!! I finally had some heat and just in time! They are seriously miracle workers! I couldn't have been happier and I can't say enough good things about this place. It is true that they aren't the cheapest place around but you get what you pay for. I spent more at the "cheaper" places trying to get my heat fixed. It took a quality shop with experienced technicians to figure out my heat issues and it was well worth it! read more

This place is the best in town!! I live in Philadelphia and when my car broke down out in Coatesville, I called Carpenter Lane and they came right out to help. They happened to have the part my car needed on their truck and fixed it right there on the spot! Since then I kept going back to them and each time they worked to keep my car going - longer than it should have. I have a new car now, but still go to them for inspections and regular maintenance. The prices are fair and consistent and their level of professionalism and expertise is unmatched. They are friendly, honest and truly care about what they do. I recommend them to anyone. read more

Boy, what a racket. I guess it was my fault for not asking how much an oil change cost but I figured "How expensive could it be?" $70! Then they told me that I needed rear brakes when the brakes had just been put in about 3 months ago. Outrageous. read more

I've been going to Carpenter Lane Garage for about 10 years now. I've never been anything but satisfied. I have used them for things as simple as oil changes and state inspections to things like brakes, tires, tune ups etc. Recently I developed a nasty driveline vibration in my BMW 740i. I had taken it by a "BMW Specialist" as well as a BMW Dealer. Both wanted to clober me over the head just to even look at it. I know the owner of CLG also has a BMW 740 so I figured I'd run by. I was super impressed with how friendly and talkative he was with me about diagnosing the issue and what he thought some of the possible culprits might be. He even went as far as to have another guy come in from Cardone (an engineer who builds auto parts) to look at the joints in the driveshaft. Sure enough the isolated it to a dried up joint in the driveshaft, repacked it and had me on my way for very little money. I have since had the car back to him for some other preventative maintenance thigns I wanted addressed and again, the prices were great. It's very refreshing to find honesty in this business after eharing so many horror stories about people getting taken by mechanics who are just out to line their own pockets. Definitely an A+ in my book. Very professional, friendly, knowledgable and most importantly, fair! read more

Thanks to his full service oil change, my wife's truck no longer has squeaky doors, and I know I need to save some money for front brake pads in next couple of months. I definitely appreciate his approach of just letting me know and not pressuring me into anything. Could be me, but my car always feels like its running better after I pick it up. I def recommend this shop to all my family and friends. You definitely get your money's worth. read more