Great, was able to get an appointment the same day. Needed rear brakes and paid a little over $500

Chuck did a bunch of work - bill came to $2200. A week later I started to notice intermittent A/T shifting problems. After 2 months and reviewing the service manual I discovered that he didn't refill the ATF after replacing the A/T cooler hose to the radiator! After I put in a quart of ATF everything worked great. The bill shows the repair wrong as "engine oil cooler hoses" (which I don't have) and doesn't show a charge for ATF either. Asked for a partial refund and he said no. He said you should have brought it back sooner - that's a joke since mechanics never find intermittent problems! Plus, I'm not going to waste more of my time there - professional mechanics are supposed to do it right the first time. That's what I'm paying for! Pretty sad that a "professional" mechanic wouldn't refill the ATF after losing some during the repair. read more

Century Auto Service - Auto Repair Near Me - Germantown, Maryland

So thankful to have been referred to this shop. The one I'd been going to for years changed hands and it was a traumatic loss! These guys are patient and clear, and only sell you what is necessary. They were super accomodating and communicative. I will be back for future service. read more

New in town, decided to give this place a try after seeing good reviews on yelp. My Lexus started to make noise and started to rumble every time I step on brakes. I thought, damn they're gonna make me replace all rotors and pads as usual... Tom and the guys checked it out and gave me an honest assessment. Turns out front still had 50% pad left while rear brakes were ready to be replaced. I look for this type of honesty and was able to save half the cost! They were also able to replace both of my rear brakes (both rotors and pads) in just two hours then promptly called me back! They did a good job and answered all my questions professionally. I found a good and honest shop, folks! read more

Didn't get the work done on the car I brought in but the staff is very responsive and I am giving them another vehicle to work on next week. Highly recommend. read more

Determined that Century Auto was the right shop to switch out a starter on my 2005 Infinity G35 until they quoted me $700 !!! HIGHWAY ROBBERY !!! I walked over to the neighboring shop and they did the job for $200 !!! Much better and fairer !!! read more

Never again... My SUV was stalling so I had it towed to the shop at 8 am. A little after 1 pm, I get a call from Chuck saying that all it needed was a throttle cleaning and a gasket replacement, and that it would be ready at 2:30. I requested a ride from the shop's "shuttle" so that I could retrieve my truck at the appointed hour. At 3:45, the shuttle arrives and the driver informs me that while it was ready at 2:30, he (the driver) confused my Lexus with another on the lot (whose repairs had not yet been completed), which is why he was late picking me up. He also told me that both the phone and internet were down at the shop (thanks, Comcast!), so the staff were making calls to customers using their cell phones. I pay my bill, hop in my truck and... it stalls again. They take it back into the garage to see what's going on. About 10 minutes later, one of the guys comes out telling me I need a new part, adding, "Well, we *thought* we fixed it..." You "thought"? Did you even test the car to make sure that it was working properly? He goes on about the truck being fine when it's warm, but when it's cool.... blah blah blah. The fact is it's NOT working properly. It's fascinating how they had my truck for almost 8 hours and were unable to diagnose and fix the correct problem, but then they take it back to the garage and in 10 minutes they can suddenly pinpoint the problem. So what were you doing for those other 7 hours and 50 minutes that my vehicle was in your possession? I tell the guy that I am extremely unhappy that the work was not tested before I was told that my vehicle was ready. At this point, he starts launching into a barrage of excuses. First, he says, "Well, you know, this isn't a perfect business..." Are you freakin kidding me?! So if you don't do your job correctly and my car leaves me in a situation where I'm either injured or killed on the road, it's okay because, welp... we can't be perfect, right? If you're not going to identify and fix the correct problem, then what am I paying you for? That's not perfection.. that's doing your damn job. Then he tells me, "Our phone and internet is out". What does that have to do with anything? Unless you are Googling "How to fix a car correctly", a phone or internet outage should not matter. And, as I mentioned earlier, the shop's employees were all using their cell phones to make calls during the outage. Next, he tried to blame the age of my truck for their mistake, saying, "You know you have a 17-year-old truck..." Oh, so there is a limit on the age of vehicles that this shop can correctly and effectively service? What does the age of my SUV have to do with failing to properly diagnose and repair it? I bet if I brought a 'classic' car in here, they'd be chomping at the bit to get under that hood. Finally, the guy kept saying, "What do you want me to do?" What do I want?!? I want you to figure out what's wrong with my truck and fix it!! Like, what do you think I'm here for?! He offers to have the shuttle drive me home. Great...so I can be stuck at home without a vehicle! Situations like this are EXACTLY why women do not trust mechanics. I wonder if the guy would've offered all these same excuses to my boyfriend had he been the one to pick up the truck instead of me. At this point I was beyond through with this foolishness and told the guy to have Chuck call my boyfriend and explain this whole mess to him. In addition to the numerous illogical and irrelevant excuses, the fact that this guy was not at all proactive in helping to come up with a solution to a problem that *they* caused only infuriated me more. I'm ok with a mistake, but don't insult my intelligence by blaming my SUV, Comcast, the internet, or anything else for your shop screwing up. Admit you screwed up, fix it, and offer solutions to the customer that will minimize their inconvenience in the meantime. That's what a good business does. It's called "customer service". Some people at this shop have a lot to learn about that concept. I wasted a vacation day sitting around and doing nothing because of their nonsense and all he could say is "What do you want me to do?". Had they diagnosed the problem correctly the first time, I could have rented a car, headed to the office, and gone on about my day. Instead, I wasted a day of PTO and needlessly lost an entire day of productivity. I appreciate that the shop agreed to cover the cost of my rental car, didn't charge me for the first mishap, and knocked a few dollars off of the labor cost for the correct repair. However, it shouldn't have had to come to that. Being thorough and testing my vehicle to make sure that they'd resolved the problem would've avoided this whole mess. Truthfully, I'm more annoyed by the excuses than I am about the car. While I appreciate the goodwill discounts after the fact, it's too little, too late for me. I'll be taking my business elsewhere from now on. read more

I have been coming here for years. When I dropped by to pick up a friend, I saw two customers effusively thanking the man behind the counter, as though he were the surgeon who had saved their mother's life. My visits as a Century customer have confirmed what others here have commented on: reliable and honest service, no upselling. It's clear they know their stuff and have respect for their customers. I feel confident recommending them to friends. read more

Quick and friendly service. Went for an inspection. Dropped my car off and had it back within 2 hours.

Thank you, Century Auto! I recently moved to Silver Spring, MD from Massachusetts and needed to get the MD state inspection done to register my car in Maryland. First I went to Beltway Car Care in Silver Spring because it's close to my new place and it got great reviews on Yelp. Beltway Car Care failed my car. They said I needed new rear signal lights, new rear brakes and rotors, and I possibly had an oil leak. My rear brakes and rotors were replaced not too long before that inspection, and I had just had an oil change, so I was pretty certain Beltway was trying to pull one over on me. Thankfully, one of my closest friends has been going to Century Auto for years and had nothing but great things to say about them. In her words, "If Marty tells you there's a problem with your car, then there really is. You can trust them over there." I had my friend make an appointment for me, and what do you know...my car passed with no issues. I didn't even need new rear signal lights! Another thing I noticed, while I waited for my inspection to be completed, was how genuinely friendly and helpful they were to absolutely everyone who walked in the door. Century Auto is pretty far from Silver Spring, but I'll definitely be making the trip back whenever my car needs anything. It's hard to find a trustworthy mechanic. Even if you don't live that close, it's definitely worth the trip. read more

Super Awesome shop! I highly recommend them. I have been going to this shop for many years and I trust them 100%. I have recommended friends and family and they are very happy with Century Auto. Everyone at the shop is friendly, honest, and very knowledgeable. read more

The only repair shop I trust. Marty, the owner, is full of integrity and genuine kindness. He remembers my name, even if it's been a year. He remembers my history. And he sets a great example for his staff, which is also stellar. The people at this shop really know cars, and they do not try to upsell you. There's a reason why it's almost impossible to schedule next day service... The shop is almost always booked several days in advance. People trust them. And they keep coming back. read more

I've been avoiding finding a mechanic for year, but I finally had an issue that required me to see someone. As a lot of people (especially women) will attest, it's a challenge to find an auto service place that isn't trying to rip you off, constantly up-sell you, or is rude/condescending. That's why I picked Century Auto-- several reviews from women saying that this was a good place to go. I was really happy with them. Every staff member was very friendly and took the time to explain the issue and my options in detail, without a hint of condescension (it was like they realize that we don't all have time to learn everything about cars...that's why we pay professionals to patiently explain them to us). They changed my oil and did diagnostics on my emissions issue. Marty outlined several choices, ranging from very expensive to absolutely minimal, and wasn't pushy about any particular one. It is really nice to be able to talk to someone knowledgeable who I actually felt I could trust to be honest. Oh, and when I told my friend where I ended up, she smiled and said her family has been coming here for years because of the honesty and friendliness. I highly recommend! read more

I have been going to Century for over 25 years. They are the best. Extremely honest and they stand behind their work. How honest? 10 years ago I needed some work done on a car. Marty looked me straight in the eye and told me to take it to the dealership because the particular work I needed would actually be less to have the dealer do it versus Marty doing it...and he was right (a first for a dealership as they are usually way higher than a third party garage). Century has done just about everything for me from brakes to wheel alignment and everything in between. They've even done some mods on some of my cars. Honest, reliable auto mechanics are hard to find, and when you do, they are a sparkling jewel. Century Auto is a diamond. read more

the highest prices around they quoted me 5xs what any shop in the area charges even there mark ups on parts are extreme a can of brake clean they charge 7 dollars and charge a can for each brake caliber a can of brake clean is 4 dollars u can do a couple brake jobs with 1 can i took my car to the dealership and saved money as well as re did my inspection and they said that who ever did the inspection before was a liar and a cheat don't trust them there rip offs and high way robbers read more

I had a very positive experience! I came in for an oil change and a Maryland State Inspection and couldn't be happier with the service I received. They greeted me when I walked in and serviced my vehicle as scheduled. After I received the inspection they even offered to put my new plates on for no extra charge! They really went the extra mile to provide exceptional customer service. I also feel the price for the oil change was the best I've received in the Germantown area. I will definitely be returning for any future work needed on my vehicle. read more

I first found Century Auto several years ago through checkbook.org. Readers were giving it a great evaluation. I never had to look for another shop since. I like Century Auto for several reasons. 1) They have a front counter person who is nice to people. You don't have to talk to a gruff mechanic who is too busy working on cars. 2) They will put you and your car in their computer to keep track of what maintenance items may be coming up, and what repairs have been done at their shop. 3) They don't pressure you into getting a repair or scheduled maintenance item. 4) If you don't understand something, they will explain it to you very patiently. And of course, they will repair your car, do it well, and do it on time. Sorry if this sounds like an advertisement!!! read more

Very pricey! I had visited this business for estimates on vehicle repairs unfortunately, this business had the highest quote among the many quotes that I received. read more

Have been going to Century Auto Service for many years now and I highly recommend them for their integrity and workmanship. We have always received exceptional customer service and they are the "Go To" mechanics if you ever need a garage shop you can trust. Ask for Chuck and Tom for an honest assessment and advice if you have questions on your vehicle. read more

We have used Century Auto for over 20 years, they are honest, caring, do a great job and we would go no where else!

Came to change a few fluids. They are nice and work is good and additionally adjusted the plastic banner above front bumper for me, which is very nice. A little expensive though... overall, good. read more

The workers seem hard-working people but the bad economy has piut too much pressure on the BS machine. They quoted $1,800 for a catalytic converter; $300 "diagnostic fee" and wanted more that $100 per tire for my small, American made car. It's too bad, but beware. read more

I honestly can't think of another business that I would slap a 5 star rating on; Century Auto is just that good! Finding a mechanic you trust is a difficult proposition, but once you've found them you don't stray - Marty and his team are honest, communicative, and invested in providing their customers with the best possible service. I first started going to Century a couple of years ago, on the recommendation of a friend, and was a bit hesitant to try them at first because the drive from Takoma Park to Germantown is a bit of a trek. I will never regret the decision to trust them with my cars. At the time, I had a ten year old Jeep Wrangler that I will lovingly refer to as a "death trap." It's the first car I purchased on my own, and the car I always wanted, so there was significant sentimental value attached to it. What I love about Marty is that he understood that attachment, and helped me nurse the car along for several years by keeping me informed of what absolutely needed to be fixed, and what I could probably get away with for a few thousand miles. There's no pressure or up-sells at this place, and they've always called around to see if they can get quality used parts to shave some money off the repairs. As time wore on, I was having some real reservations about keeping the Jeep (gas mileage was atrocious, and the transmission was starting to fail). Marty took the time to help me weigh the pros and cons of future repairs vs. selling the Jeep and was really an advocate for supporting my decision either way. I now have a newer automobile (sigh, I miss that damn Jeep), and continue to rely on Century Auto for my repairs and maintenance. You honestly can't go wrong with these guys, and I would encourage anyone shopping around for a reliable and friendly mechanic to head on over to Germantown and check them out for yourself! read more

I e always taken my car to dealerships because hey they know what they're working on and I've had bad experiences at other places. But finding this place and taking my car here was a complete surprise in an excellent way. The guys were super helpful and I didn't feel any pressure for anything outside of why I took my car there. They delivered my car back a day early and honored our military discount. Super happy to have found this place and I'll be taking my car back here for any future services! read more

I love these guys. They're honest and they're good. Marty has taken care of our three cars ever since we moved to the area, and he's always done a great job. The only drawback is that they're busy, so sometimes I'll leave my car a little longer than I might in some other places. However, I still go to them and I'm still giving them five stars because they do great work and are reliable. read more

I have posted before and I'll post again. These guys are the real deal. They are competent, honest and good people. I can't say enough about them. We're sold on Century Automotive. Marty and Chuck and the guys definitely have the best in mind for our cars. We have a '03 CRV that I swear my goal is to get to 200K and I know I will make it and farther. (at 165K right now) But the thing is that they don't try to up-sell. And if there are more miles to be gotten off the brakes or tires or whatever, they will say so! Marty, Chuck! You and your guys rock!! read more

I've taken my Camry and Trooper to Marty and his team for 18 years now. They are both still running pretty much like new. I hope and expect to get many more years from them. I can not imagine finding more honest, capable, and just all around great people. There have been many occasions I would expect a serious problem and a serious bill only for them to tell me it was something simple and inexpensive. They are always looking out for me and I cannot say how much I appreciate that. I would never consider going elsewhere, and I don't. ETA I just read a "not recommended" review below of a customer saying he paid for a repair, but Century Auto had not fixed his car. This also happened to me once where a repair did not completely fix the problem, but Marty and his team made it a first priority to finish the job. They did additional work, replaced an additional part or two, got it fixed, and did not charge me when in all fairness they should have. They were making up for the fact I had to come back. Now that's priceless. I've been to many other mechanics before I moved to Maryland. Nothing ever came close to the experiences I've had at Century Auto. Yes this is a spectacularly glowing review, but it is fully deserved. read more

Century Auto has always provided top notch service. I've been coming here since 1990. Marty and his crew have saved me a ton of money compared to a dealership. Once again , thanks for the superior work and service! read more

I have been going to Century Auto Service for several years and they are always very helpful and friendly. Just the other day they went way above the call of duty, which prompted me to write my first yelp review. My oil pan cover had fallen off 30 miles from Century Auto and home and the man at the gas station would not help me with it. I drove to Century after tieing it up and got there just before they closed. There was one mechanic left and he put the car up on the lift and fixed it for me immediately. He was done in less then 15 minutes and did a wonderful job! I just want everyone to know how wonderful, friendly and good at their job all of the people at Century Auto Service are. You won't be disappointed. read more

I used to take my car to the Mazda dealer for maintenance and stopped because I realized I was getting ripped off. Every month there was something terribly wrong with my car (2010 Mazda) that required thousands of dollars worth of repairs. I did my research and found Century Auto and decided to give them a try. Long story short, I've been bringing my car here ever since moving to the area and have not been disappointed. Quick service, honest pricing and quotes as well as overall great customer service. My only complaint is that they're not open on the weekends. read more

I've been dealing with Century for almost 20 years and wouldn't think of going anywhere else. You get quality work and an honest treatment . That's something hard to find these days. These guys are the best. You don't have to just take my word for it. Year after year Washington Consumer Checkbook has rated them the #1 auto service shop in the area. read more

I have been going to Century since I moved to Germantown. I found them through word of mouth. What I love is that they treat you with respect, keep you informed, and do not pressure you for services that you can wait on. I took my car in for brake work and they said the front brakes were ready for work but I could wait on the rear. They are right next to the Germantown Transit Center, so you can easily get on a bus to/from work or home. I do wish they had a courtesy shuttle, but I think they are too small, but that would be great if they could offer one. read more

I don't know why people are rating this place high - they must own the business or work there. I took my car in for a noisy muffler - they charged me over $800 for a muffler and tailpipe only, and my car is just as noisy now as before. Also, my cruise control no longer works, so they must have disconnected something. This is just another way overpriced, dishonest car repair shop. I will go elsewhere from now on. read more

I have been taking my car to this place for over 15 years and never once have I been disappointed! When I was living far from this place, I took my car to a different mechanic and let me tell you that it was the worse experience ever. My car at kept stalling so they told me it was the clutch. I paid 1200 for labor and a new clutch but that did not resolve the issue. They also kept my car for a month because the tech that does the replacement was on vacation!!! So I had enough and took my car to Century Auto. They figured out what the issue was (one of the spark plugs was bad). Now if I would have taken my car to Century Auto in the first place, I would have saved $1996 since the spark plug was only $4. They are loyal and up front with you. They will never tell you things that don't need fixing yet but will give you an estimated time when it should be. Just to add, their customer service is extremely excellent!!! Best mechanic place in town. read more

Great, friendly service. I appreciate that Marty discusses and explains issues with your car and options. Being a woman I am used to car mechanics and contractors treating me like I have no clue and not bothering say much. Marty explains things in detail and I've learned a lot about cars because of this. Always prompt and efficient. Today I had a nail in my tire and they took my car on the spot and were done in half an hour and it was a very busy day. read more

Honest , dependabie a breath of fresh air -- these guys don't try to pressure you into unnecessary work -- did not try to cheat me as a woman going into the shop (ladies know what I am talking about!) Gave me options that were less costly and even referred me out to a place that could do a specialty item cheaper. Definitely will return for all of my service!!! read more

I just called because of a transmission issue that I'm having and Marty answered the phone. He was so helpful and so honest about what might be going on with my car and didn't try to bring me in to charge me for just looking at the car. He let me know that it's probably not something they're going to be able to do and recommended what I should do instead. This is the first issue I've really had with my car but if anything else comes up this is where I'll be bringing it. read more

Best service center I've found. Honest - they do what they say, and well. They also will tell you when something doesn't need to be done - or offer a better alternative (e.g. for a leaky headlamp assembly that was filling with water, make it drain rather than replacing the entire $700 assembly) read more

It is rare to find an auto repair shop that is so friendly, trustworthy, and reasonable. I have brought my car here for service twice, and will continue to in the future. They have always been fast, don't treat you like an idiot, and very communicative. read more

I totally agree with the previous review. Marty and his crew are top-notch. They are knowledgable, friendly, reasonable and trustworthy. Marty will take the time to listen to your issues and discuss possible causes and options. I have been taking my Honda there for over 7 years and not once has he tried to upsell or talk me into unnecessary repairs or maintenance. My car is always ready when promised and problems have been diagnosed and repaired on the first visit. They stand behind their work and their reputation, so they make sure their customers are satisfied. read more