Their warranty is useless. They won't honor it. I had nearly $20k worth of work done on my 2016 BMW M5 there, Nov. 13, 2025-Jan. 10th 2026. Complete replacement of cooling system, engine seals, differential seals. Supposedly a 36 month warranty. Early July, I noticed the turbo expansion tank was nearly dry of coolant. Refilled it to max level. two days later, the level had dropped to minimum. On July 7th, 2026, went to another shop for a quick oil change and very coincidentally they found oil leaks, differential seal failures, and coolant leaks from turbo expansion tank and lines. Photos provided. Returned car to Charles at Carrsmith on July 8th, and he claims not to find any leaks, though the turbo expansion tank level drops dramatically after only a few miles (less than 50). BMW Master Tech says from photos, turbo coolant hard lines were installed incorrectly and should be replaced. read more

Carrsmith - Auto Repair Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

See all

This business will not disclose any pricing for services. I was also told that they are booked with work until the end of the year. That is a black flag for me. Too bad,since most people tend to stay with a good mechanic for a long time. read more

Was charged $178 in inspection fees. $98 to figure out what was wrong(a bad starter) and then $80 to test that it was fixed. They nickel and dime you on everything. To change a starter cost $803. AAA recommended them. Do not waste your money. read more

Poor communication and expensive. When you drop your car off you fill out a sheet asking if they can do repairs with or without it being communicated to you. I wanted to know estimates before repairs were done. I didn't know this meant they could run a full diagnostic test which cost over $250. I should've just went across the street for a free diagnostic test from O'Reillys and/or trusted my internet research and saved the money. They're estimate for the repair was $1100 which I plan on doing at home as parts cost less than $100 and the repair is relatively simple. Also offered new tires and cheaper were over $600, I found similar tires at Pep Boys for $330. I wish they would communicate how much diagnostic would cost before I was stuck with such a large bill. And they had my car for 2 days before even doing the diagnostic. Would not recommend unless you have money to blow. read more

Took my car there a couple times did a decent job - car not well cleaned when delivered back to me - left paper on floor. Did not reset service computer and I had to take it back on one occasion since the repair was not done correctly. Also prices seemed very high. read more

Porsche 911, joey was extremely helpful for my car. Thank you joey. Regards, Robin

Crooked as hell. Not only was that 8 minutes of my life I'll never get back being interrupted, belittled, and "mansplained" the extended timeline of a land rovers origins, but the employee I spoke with refused service for an appointment for a basic diagnostic test. Shortly after, my partner called and the employee said it will cost $500 "just for him to look at it" and "most customers don't ask how much it'll be they just drop the keys off and pay". I've had my land rover successfully serviced at multiple establishments in Colorado and Jacksonville, respectively. Never before in my life has someone hands down, verbatim, refused service over the phone in such a brash and disappointing manner of professionalism. I'd shop around prior to wasting time, money, and energy. They'll never retain any business with that lack of decorum. Good luck! read more

Older gentleman at front counter, ranted to me about Trump and how suspect are liberals...Mind you, I did not initiate or engage...I wanted a quote for an exact action, replace alternator...I was told, our customers drop off the keys and do not ask for quotes....I slowly walked backwards out and left....avoid this place... read more

I brought my vehicle in because my car had a warning sign stating battery not charge, and I asked for a quote on TPMS sensor. the first day I brought it in I explained my family situation with two vehicles and I couldn't drop off. I waited from 11-4pm and Charles stated they couldn't find the issue and when could I bring it in and leave it, they would need it for 3 days max due to shop time. We scheduled two weeks out. I dropped my car off on May 5th explained I needed by Friday at the latest due to family trip. On May 9th Friday, I called and they said the battery light was off but the emergency light for the hood would not go off. This was never an issue with my vehicle before this. They asked if they could keep overnight and I pick up on Saturday. I agreed reluctantly. Come Saturday, the issue was not resolved. I explained we only have two vehicles again and I would need to bring it on Monday so they could fix the issue. The ride in my Mercedes was horrible because this issue they created now my car constantly dings saying the hood is open when it's not. May 12th, I bring the car in sit from 8am - 5pm just for them to tell me, we can't find the issue and it may be that the computer needs to get replaced. They would call to get quotes from my warranty on if they would cover and get back with me. It is now May 25th and I've not heard anything back and my vehicle is damaged due to the work performed by Charles and his crew members. I was previously happy with Carrsmith, they serviced my Land Rover, Jaguar, even my Toyota but this last experience has left me in a hole. I no longer recommend this company. read more

Racist, misogynist, possibly dishonest, and incompetent. *update: It was brought to my attention that calling someone racist or misogynist over my personal experience can be unfair and detrimental to their business. I was in line after a white male customer and he was talked to with a very different tone.* So my car broke down on a Saturday and AAA towed it there because they were open. I arrived with my car and the person behind the front desk (possibly the owner) was a complete dick. He was rude and extremely condescending. First, he was trying to take a detailed history of my car problems, which wasn't bad in itself. However, the way he talked to me was as if I was stupid and kept going over the same thing over and over again in the most infuriating way. For example, I said, "the car suddenly stopped," and he said, "oh, so it stalled" but his tone was more of correction than clarification. Next, he told me to sign a piece of paper saying if I wanted a written quote or an oral quote. Without missing a beat, he proceed to explain that "oral" mean "by talking, not written". I hadn't said a word to warrant that explanation. Then he said that if I wanted an oral quote, I should write down under what dollar amount I wouldn't require prior approval. I said I needed to know what was wrong with my car before I could approve a certain amount. The person said, "that's what you're signing" and i said, "that's why I'm asking you what the numbers are like" to which he replied"well, we'll have to look at your car before we know" and proceeded to explain what looking at my car entailed. And I said that I got that, but I wouldn't be comfortable about writing an amount if I didn't have any idea of how much things were. So, this person told me it was $125 to look at my car and then they'd charge for parts and labor on top of it if they ended up fixing it. Then he asked if I went to UF and I said that I did. Then he said they were gonna give my car a free health check, and proceeded to explain that if i went to a doctor when I wasn't sick, and they'd weigh me and take my pulse. And they'd do that for my car. I don't know if he was so rude and condescending because I was Asian or female. But either way, I could tell that he wasn't explaining out of concern. Anyhow, they didn't look at my car until late Tuesday afternoon. They said that my car had nothing wrong with it except for the check engine sensor. Well, I found it hard to believe because my car stalled in the middle of the road and had smoke coming out of the hood. I picked my car up Wednesday afternoon after school. The only redeeming quality was that the staff (different person) was friendly and bothered looking up the notes about my car to tell me what was wrong with it. Apparently, I also had a leak that had to be dealt with when I next changed my oil. But he assured me that they drove my car 4 times and nothing was wrong with it. I was planning to take the car to a different mechanic Friday after thanksgiving but I drove it (carefully and gently) out to dinner and made a grocery stop. I almost didn't make it home. I couldn't have driven more than 10-15 miles!!! The car stalled and smelled of something melted. Fortunately, I manage to restart it and park it at home. Basically, I paid them $125 to do jack! Together with his "Scientific Method" sticker on the wall, it seems that this person really wanted to go to medical school or a PhD program but failed and it shows in the way he treated some customers. I hope to find out what's wrong when I take my car to another shop Friday. Bottomline: Stay away from this place! Update: went to AutoER on archer and they showed me the crack in my radiator and serpentine belts. Here's a pic of the crack Carrsmith couldn't find. read more

Carrsmith - Crack causing the leak - Auto Repair Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

My friend and I broke down and had to be towed to the shop. The owner or whoever was at the front deck was so rude. He literally looked at us like we were idiots- however when we tried to explain what happened he did not understand it correctly. He kept saying it slightly wrong- he was incompetent. Also they charge $125 for your car to get looked at- which 99% of shops then use as credit for future work. Not here. Also, they never found what was wrong with the car and well- it's still not fixed. Do not go here - useless and waste of money. read more

I've been bringing my vehicles to Carrsmith for 15 years, and have been working with Ray directly for that entire time. I've always had excellent experiences here, and would highly recommend this shop. 3 different vehicles I've owned have been reliably serviced by Carrsmith. I saw a few comments here regarding racism - I have not experienced this. I'm not a white male, clearly am from an immigrant background and have not experienced any negative words or conversations. This may have been an isolated incident, or perhaps has already been addressed by the owner. In my experience with Carrsmith, the owner always takes his time asking detailed questions regarding the vehicle's status, and usually repeats questions for the sake of clarity and thoroughness. This has been the norm with me and everyone I have recommended to this place. Also highly recommend Carrsmith for pre-purchase inspections of used vehicles you're considering buying - i've saved myself the hassle of buying a lemon more than once. read more

slow, but over priced. broke down on I-75, had it towed bc of AAA. It took 3 days before they looked at it and another 4 days to finish. Charged full price for a rebuilt alternator, which probably did not cause my belt to break. I checked with my mechanic. His quote 1. $549 alternator 2. $45 for belt 3. 2 hours labor. Add that up $794. He charged $1180. He came down a little after complaining and if I would write a good review. lol. read more

Hello from Darryl Williams have been SCAMMED,SCREW AND RIPPED OFF by Car Smith I took my 2002 VW diesel beetle a car that they worked on before I took it there for oil leak on turbo both low beam head lights were not working and AC not working. It took several months to get car fixed this time when I got it back the AC was not fixed and work was done to car I did not ask for they charged me for two new tires that I did not need I had tires at home anyway I got car back it lasted a week and a half then broke down again took it back same crap they could not fix it found out they were watching U tube trying to figure out how to fix car boy talk about getting screwed at that point I knew I had to walk away from this I gave them the title and left car at shop boy they were mad from the time I bought car spent money at Car Smith over 20,000 bucks total all I got to show for it is hurt feelings stay away from Car Smith you could get screwed to! read more

Took my 1995 Honda Accord here for a malfunctioning transmission. The car was shifting fine, but the speed sensor was broken so my speedometer and odometer were not working at all. They quoted me at $579 for a replacement part and the labor to repair it at 100/hr (standard charges for an auto mechanic). However, after a quick internet search I found the part for $20 on Amazon and a Youtube video to repair it in less than 1 hour. When I told them that I would do it myself and no longer needed their services, they told me that the part was expensive and required a special order that was unavailable to me. They also tried to scare me into not driving it home even though the malfunction was an electrical one and not a mechanical failure. They charged me $140 for diagnostics (for "problems" I did not ask them to diagnose). Fast-forward $23 and an hour of work, and I was able to fix it myself. Car drives well and speedometer/odometer are accurate when compared to GPS calculations. read more

I went to this place because it is close to where I live. Here is my experience with them. My engine light was on, they replaced a vacuum switch valve that cost me a couple of hundreds bucks (part+labor). The light went back on again the first time I drove it after I took my car back. So I went back to Carrsmith trying to find out why. Same engine code was read as last time. After 2 days of diagnosis, they told me the EGR valve needed to be replaced and it was hard for them to find the valve so they needed more time to ask around. I googled the EGR valve for my car and found two places from which I can order the valve in 10 seconds. Not to mentioned that the online price is only a fraction of what they charge (~$50 compared to $185). Their price for services seems to be more expensive compared to other mechanics. I started to feel that what they said sound really sketchy, so I did some more search on a car forum about this engine code. Guess what, professional mechanics recommend the first thing to check is the EGR valve. I have no idea why they didn't find out about this EGR valve problem in the first place. I wasn't even convinced that the vacuum switch valve needed to be replaced at all because the replacement obviously didn't stop the code from showing up. In addition, when they say they will call, they rarely do. I have to call them in order to get an update. When I told them that I needed my car back by the end of the day, the car was dismantled and not ready when I was there. I am not going back to this place again. read more

An auto repair service with a heart is a great way to describe Carrsmith. I've had awful experiences at the Jacksonville Mini Cooper dealership and really wanted to deal with a shop in Gainesville for my repairs. They helped me through every step, giving me a ride home each time I had any trouble and even calling me following my car being returned just to see how things were going. I love, love, love Carrsmith and I'm sad I no longer live in Gainesville because these guys really helped make my tiny small town home feel even more like home. read more

My son goes to college in Gainesville, while driving him the 4 hours up to school, the car air conditioning system failed. Between the hours spent getting my son set up for his freshman year and the fact that it was over a weekend didn't leave much time to get the AC repaired. Luckily I was staying at the hotel next door, so I brought it in for an estimate. It seemed to me, because they knew I was not a local, and it was really hot that day, I would just get the AC fixed without any questions asked. After the $75 diagnostic fee, they told me the AC repair would cost $1,800, which is absurd. I waiting until almost dusk on Sunday and drove the 4 hours home with the windows open, I survived. Because my job is walk able from the Acura dealership, I brought in in there on Monday morning. Lo and behold after spending $700 at the dealership, my AC is now working perfectly!!! read more

The owner of this company spent 40 minutes explaining in detail on what was needed for maintenance on a Porsche 911 that I just purchased. Super nice person and I feel very conformable about recommending them for car service. read more

Just got off the phone with a gentlemen at Carrsmith who spent 20 minutes finding information on a used car I was looking to purchase. Absolutely above and beyond what he had to do, and not only that but the information was absolutely critical to whether or not I purchased the vehicle. After he found the information, he further gave me advice on what to do with the car (2000 Volkswagen Passat) and advised me on how to go about purchasing the vehicle. One of the best experiences I've had with a company. read more

My son's car was directed to this Auto Repair Shop by AAA (the car would not start). This occurred on a Friday. I did not receive any notification from the shop until Monday with a laundry lists of suggested charges including starter, battery, oil change, maintenance, etc. The estimated amount of the repairs was over $800. What would be your response? I wanted to take to another repair shop to get another opinion and they would not release the car until a $29 and change diagnostic charge was settled. NICE TO KNOW!!! I heard that via the AAA driver, not the repair rep...... To expedite the process, I paid the bill and took it to another shop. The suggested repair was $120 and change for a starter which was fixed in less than a half day. That is what happened.....you be the JUDGE!!! read more

Kind, honest, sincere, hard working. The most trusted mechanic I have ever had. I only wish we had never done any work with anyone else in town (some of it was beyond our control/out of town). Ray, Ken, Lisa and team have always felt like trustworthy friends, and we've only been coming here for maybe 8 months. I wish we weren't moving, or that we could take their garage with us. If you have a European or Japanese car, you should not go anywhere else. These guys will give it to you straight and if it's an emergency, they'll drop everything to check out your rig and help you out. Seriously some of the best service and customer service we've had. Carrsmith ROCKS. read more

Excellent service there. I went in just for an oil change and they were totally booked but they squeezed me into the schedule anyway. They not only changed my oil but gave my whole car an inspection to make sure everything was working before my trip. Will definitely be going there for future repairs ! read more

I have now used Carrsmith Auto Repairs several times over the past 18 months to work on my six year old Honda Accord. I had a terrible experience at Honda of Gainesville (formerly Wade Raulerson Honda) and vowed never to go back. I was seeking a mechanic I could trust to be honest and fair priced. I work nearby (off Archer and 13th) and Carrsmith was recommended as a AAA certified mechanic and through word of mouth so I gave them a try. Since becoming a customer I realized I know many people who are also satisfied and long-term customers with different makes of cars (they have Hondas, VWs, Toyotas). The Carrsmith team is very knowledgeable and good at quickly diagnosing issues (my Honda had an issue another mechanic couldn't diagnose or fix and they were on it immediately on my first visit and solved the mystery.) All their recommendations and prices are reasonable. They explain everything clearly and welcome your questions. You get all the prices up front, they confirm before doing any work, and I've never been surprised by anything. They let you know what routine services are recommended and help you prioritize them without unnecessary pressure. They always call to follow up after repairs and again encourage your questions. Lisa in the front of the shop is friendly, customer focused and also very knowledgeable. She really sets the tone and you feel like a valued and welcomed customer. I plan to keep my Honda for a while and it's a relief to know I'm in good hands. read more

I do not recommend this place for anyone. Up until a few months ago I had my car fixed there twice, with over $1500 worth of repairs. Last week I went in to get my breaks checked, as they did a $900 break job for me in December. I was immediately met by speculation about the noise I was hearing. Ray took a ride with me and talked the ENTIRE time, instead of listening to my breaks. He then said there was no sound, so we had to drive again for him to hear it. He stated the sound wasn't anything. I told him that the squeaking he was hearing has been consistent for over 3 weeks and therefore it needed to be checked out, especially since my breaks had never squeaked prior to them working on them in Dec. He refused to check out my car (except for checking my break fluid,). I thanked him and asked for a "no charge" receipt, which I've gotten at tons of car places. This is when Ray went from kind of dismissive towards me to angry. He huffed, stormed inside and made me fill out an invoice form (which I was fine with) but rambled about how he "has never printed a no charge receipt for anyone and this was just ridiculous." I happily filled out the form and then he stomped out to look at my car. Only then WITHOUT ASKING ME, did he drive my car into the shop to bring it up and take off the wheels. Mind you, I have now been at Carrsmith for over an hour and had called ahead about my breaks needing to be checked, but 0 actual work has been done to check out my car. Another hour passes and Ray takes me out to look at my breaks (and explains a disc break to me like I am a literal child) and says that he found nothing that would cause squeaking except for the metal shield behind my rotor was a little bent. He bent it back right in front of me, no big deal. But, he said this would not cause squeaking. The next part of our interaction is why I am writing this review. I do not want ANYONE, woman, man or anyone to have to go through the bullying that Ray then subjected me to. When we got back inside to the front desk, Ray printed out my receipt and there was a charge for the inspection. I kindly reminded him that I have the insurance for their break job and only brought my car in to get checked because I had my breaks done at Carrsmith in the first place. He began yelling at me saying "You don't think my work is worth anything? You think you shouldn't pay?" Then he took his certification off the wall and began rambling about how good at his job he is and that I was questioning his ethics (I was literally just asking to not be charged since I had used 2 hours of my time getting them to check a problem that was covered by their break job and insurance). He continued on yelling at me and being dismissive. I was appalled. Took my receipt and left. Never have I experienced such unprofessional behavior. This is my first yelp review I've ever written, and it's because I never want another person to have to feel dismissed and belittled because they go in for a simple break check. read more

Called Carrsmith to check out my front headlights after being stopped by a patrolman on the way to work for a non working L headlight. Once I got to work, I noticed the R headlight I had replaced just a couple weeks earlier was not working either. Even though it was a Friday and they were very busy, Geovanni made room in his schedule to take a look at my car. Not only that, he came to my workplace and picked up the car that Friday afternoon, delivering it back to me before I left work for the day. I was thrilled with the prompt service and genuine consideration for my dilemma, as I wouldn't have been able to drive home after dark with both headlights out. And even more; the guys at Carrsmith provided a courtesy inspection and rotated the tires for free! I have never had a repair business do so much for me as they did there at Carrsmith that day. Happiness with their professionalism and workmanship is an understatement. I would highly recommend them to anyone. read more

I've never been to a more dedicated car shop. These guys always put the utmost concern into doing the best work they can. I brought my car in just to get the starter replaced and they went above and beyond. They looked over recent service records and found issues in the workmanship of the previous shops. They proceeded to take pictures of the issues with the work and emailed them to me so that I would be able to talk to the previous shop and have the mistakes fixed. If you need your car fixed in Gainesville, there is no reason to go anywhere else! read more

My daughters car had a leak in the power steering fluid hoses. We knew this as AAA had told us they saw the leak when they replaced the battery a few weeks earlier. Anyway, $96 and 3 days later they tell me we have a leak, which we already knew, quoted $1,075.00 to replace 3 hoses. Filled it up with power steering fluid, had my husband come up and drive it back to Port Charlotte where we got it fixed for $460.00. Same exact service. So my experience is they are very overpriced but they were very polite. read more

Got a great deal on a used car from Eddy today. Easy transaction and no problems with taking the car to MY mechanic down the road. Highly recommend this place! read more

I used Carrsmith once and it was the worst auto mechanic experience I have ever had. I knew the problem with my car before I brought it into the shop, but somehow the crew managed not to inspect my vehicle for a full five days. It was only after multiple phone calls that I was able to motivate someone to take a look at my car. The mechanic who was in charge of my vehicle called me to deliver a verbal estimate of the price, and I was surprised to learn when I returned to the shop to pick up my car that the price had somehow tripled. When I came to Carrsmith to pay the staff could not find my paperwork and I had to wait for an hour for them to find it. The staff (except for the owner, Ray) was cheerfully condescending. I think this shop does a decent job of fixing cars, but if you are going to use their services, MAKE SURE you request a written estimate, because this is not the first time that this shop has misled its customers about the cost of their services. I would not recommend this shop to anyone. read more

I traveled to Gainesville, FL to do some last minute things for a new job offer and I got a flat tire because someone ran me off the road and I hit a huge pothole which caused a flat tire and a bent wheel. Called AAA and they towed me to Carrsmith. These guys were awesome! They told me all my options and were really nice and informative! They fixed my car very quickly and I was able to get home in a timely manner. I would definitely recommend these guys to anyone! read more

I've used Carrsmith over the years with two very different vehicles ('96 Ford Taurus Sedan and '09 Hyundai Accent) and have had consistently positive experiences. Staff is friendly and makes a strong effort to make you feel genuinely comfortable. read more

We bought a used car for our twins going to UF last summer and I looked for a place that I could feel comfortable taking it to. The car is a Saab, which many of you might not know much about and apparently neither does Carrmisth. I took it to them for the first oil change after being up there for a couple of months, they gave a price of $69.99 with Mobil 1 synthetic oil and filter, and said that since I was a new customer they would do a free check-up, to what I happily consented. Well, after waiting in the office for about 30 minutes while they printed their report, the bill came in at closer to $100.00 than the $69.99 or whatever it was but I did not complain since it seemed they were very thorough with the report they handed me (4 or 5 pages long). The person taking care of me went over the report with a fine tooth comb. I thought they had done an MRI, an EKG, and a full body X-ray o the car after listening to everything they had done and the recommendations they had to fix the "problems" they found. First problem: a little moisture in the brake fluid, $165.00 to flush and refill, did it myself for $20.00 in under an hour. Second problem: main oil seal has a small leak, nothing to worry about now, but it should be fixed, they estimated about $650.00. While the car was in Miami a couple months ago, I decided to do another oil change myself, put the car on ramps and when I get under it, I could not take the oil pan screw out because i was STRIPPED, now, with such a comprehensive test (and supposed oil change) didn't they see that? I truly and honestly believe they did not change the oil, or the oil filter (I don;t think they even know where it is). And get this, two weeks ago I took the car to a Saab mechanic in Hollywood to replace the serpentine belt (nothing wrong with it) just for preventative maintenance, so while the car was up on the lift, I commented the main oil seal issue to the mechanic, who proceeded to show me where the seal is which is clean as a whistle and NOT LEAKING. My advise is stay clear of this place, I rather push the car back to Miami for repair than go there again. read more