$200 to be told they can't inspect my car!!! It needed a factory update that could have been diagnosed for way less! I've been told this is not uncommon so I'm sooo disappointed. read more

Wow! I can't believe I never posted a review here, and I can't believe I'm only the 15th one to review. When I lived in Ithaca a few years ago, Diane's was my go-to mechanic. They tend to be super busy and getting an appointment can be a wait, and their waiting room tends to be full. But they're very personable and you get the sense that they really care for their customers. If I was still in Ithaca, I'd still be going here. read more

The receptionist on the phone was super sweet and accommodating! It was really easy to dispose my winter tires--simple and quick drop off.

We took our 2011 Toyota Venza to Diane's for a second opinion after it didn't pass inspection at another business. We were told it needed a catalytic converter. After doing diagnostics and replacing the old battery we were happy to hear the converter wasn't the problem. It needed other repairs which we were prepared for but thankful Cathy and the mechanics took their time to let the cars computer to reset and complete needed repairs at a reasonable price. Cathy kept us informed on their progress and we are very happy with the outcome! read more

I wanted to support a women-owned business, especially one in an industry dominated by men, and I could not have made a better choice! I came in for a state inspection, and when I said that I lived a 40 minute walk away and had been planning to just sit and read in a nearby park, they moved my appointment up in their busy schedule. (They were going to keep my car until end of day and work on it slowly, but they got me in and out in an hour. I'd been prepared to wait at least 3!) As a cherry on top, the inspection only cost $21. read more

One walnut. $145 later, I now have use of the active shutter grill on the front of my Subie. It had wedged itself good in the grill and caused six months of delays in repairs. The dealership's service department said the entire mechanism needed replacing while another said they couldn't work on it after stating they did. And my crawling under the car couldn't find it. It was only after I took it to a local shop (Dianne's Downtown Automotive) that they nabbed the culprit. The mechanic and owner now refer to me as That Nut Guy. I kind of find it fitting! -- I've had nothing but exceptional service at Diane's, whether it is for an inspection or to remove a nut from my car. read more

We moved to Ithaca about 4 years ago with two older cars at around 100k miles each. We tried 3 auto shops before ending up at Diane's. I'm one of those women who thinks every mechanic is out to get me, and I was especially skittish when we first brought the car in but hoped I'd feel better with a woman-owned shop. Our previous mechanic had failed to diagnose a problem that resulted in completely destroyed brakes in January and a $1500 bill. Diane's got our car back on the road in no time, consistently keeping us updated as they had to adjust the project. Two years and lots of Ithaca hills later, Diane's has fixed the brakes twice. First they replaced a faulty part for free, and then just this week they replaced the rotors and pads at a labor discount. Their service has been consistent (they even text, which makes managing this so much easier during a busy work day!) and Diane herself took the time to explain to me why our brakes needed work (again). I'm grateful to finally find a shop I can trust! read more

Great service you can trust! We've had Diane and her staff do many different repairs for us. If it is something they can't do on-site, they make good local recommendations. In 2010, Diane's tied for "Best Car Repair Shop" in the Ithaca Times' annual reader poll: http://www.ithaca.com/visit_ithaca/best_of_ithaca/article_edf921ce-5659-11e0-a9bb-001cc4c03286.html read more

On my first visit to Diane's in August 2018, I found the entire staff to be very competent, efficient and friendly. I've already recommended this place to people and will definitely be going back. read more

Great service! Very nice people & were helpful with quickly figuring out what was wrong with my vehicle. Inspected it immediately & fixed the problem relatively cheaply. read more

When I moved to Ithaca six years ago, I was thrilled to see a woman-owned-and-run auto service and wanted to support them - which I did, until last year. However, ultimately, I left. They were never fantastic to begin with - lots of waits for appointments and pick-ups, not really any less expensive than the dealer, not always the nicest, etc. - but they were OK enough, and as I said, I wanted to support them. Then, last year they made a mistake that revealed itself when I was on a highway in Michigan - it was definitely a result of what they had done. OK, people make mistakes. But when I got home, they would not give me an appointment short of two weeks in the future (there were safety issues involved here - and I was a longterm customer - but those points did not move them). So I took it to the dealer, who fixed things and showed me what had gone wrong. When I went into Diane's to talk about it (and showed her the bill for the repairs due to their mistake), Diane went kind of berserk. She yelled and denied having any responsibility for it, and blamed everyone else she could for it - including the dealer, who had had nothing to do with it until they helped me out - and me, for not having brought it to her sooner, even though they had refused my request to do so! (In fact, NOBODY had been under the hood since Diane's had "prepared" my car for a long road trip - there was really no ambiguity here.) I was pretty shocked; I really didn't expect this from them. (Her partner was sitting there through the whole interaction and affirmed everything I said, but Diane wouldn't take it in.) I said, "So it's worth it to you to lose a long-term customer over this?" and Diane said, "Yes." So she did. And that's that. Yeah, the dealer is a bit expensive, but they have been consistently terrific, helpful, prompt, and good at communicating, and I didn't seem to ever save money by going to Diane's anyway - so that's mainly where I've been going ever since for anything tricky. Plus, I've discovered a couple of other good auto shops in town whose prices and practices are a lot more reasonable for more routine needs. read more

I've now been coming to Diane's regularly for all my car stuff for a couple years. They're great: always friendly and knowledgable. I'm always happy after stopping in. Highly recommend them. read more

Diane's is a great garage to have your regular maintenance done. They are always competent, courteous, friendly, on-time, reasonably priced, and happy to help. If it's more than routine maintenance, they always know who to send you to for the kind of repairs you need. read more

I used to take my old car to Diane's Downtown Automotive a few years ago (2007-2009). I was able to get an appointment within a reasonable time-frame, higher priority requests (like a check engine light) getting appointments sooner than a lower priority request (like a scheduled oil change). Diane was very good about calling me to tell me what was going on with my car and provided very reasonable price estimates for repairs. As a woman, I appreciate that she treated me respectfully. Just to be safe, I always checked her recommended repairs and prices against the advice of people who know cars better than me, and she was always spot-on. I never had a "repair gone wrong" and the quality of her garage's work was very good. Now (2011-2012), my boyfriend and I are sharing his car. We've tried to get appointments at Diane's a few times (at least twice), left messages, and never received a call back. I wonder if her services have become so popular that it's getting difficult to manage the business. Or maybe I just called at a really busy time. Too bad, I had to take my business elsewhere. A few years ago, I would have given Diane's 5 stars. Now, because the customer service side of the business seems to be slipping, I would give it 3 stars. BOTTOM LINE: If you can get through the busy signal and get someone to call you back for an appointment, you won't be disappointed with the service or the prices. read more

The staff was absolutely incredible and Diane kept checking on the progress her mechanics were making on my car. It was an unknown problem with the headlights and it took a while to resolve. They really know their stuff, and the charge was unbelievably reasonable. I have definitely found my mechanics in Ithaca, NY. I highly, highly recommend them!!! read more

Started servicing both our cars here based on a recommendation from a friend. Turned out to be very costly, not just from a money perspective, but also in time. One of our vehicles was dropped off on a Friday evening, and 10 days later (one full work week and two weekends later), they informed me that I was going to have to take the vehicle elsewhere and they hadn't even started the service yet. And I had been calling throughout the week checking in. They kept saying, "we're getting to it soon", even promised to call me on that Wednesday. Took another 4-5 days from there to hear back again, which once again was because I called them and not the other way around. Until that particular episode I had found them to be very friendly people, and the service seemed fine, but a little pricey (keep in mind their location is right downtown, so hourly rates are a tad higher). But I do appreciate kindness from auto repair shops. So they get an extra star for that. Three stars. read more

Could not be more helpful! Whenever I bring my car in they ensure it will be ready at a time that is convenient for me. They also check in to see if there are any other problems with my car and will offer reasonable prices to get those fixed in a jiffy. I recommend Diane's Auto to all my friends! read more

Diane's might be a fine place to get your oil changed or tire patched but I had a terrible experience with them where they told me there was a catastrophic problem with my hybrid car and that I would need to spend thousands of dollars to fix it. I asked them if they could be wrong- I had just purchased the car used and had it inspected before I bought it. They said no, their mechanic was sure but that I should have the problem fixed somewhere else because it was a bigger job than they like to do. They were 100% wrong, there was nothing wrong with my car. read more

Diane's is great! I am pretty sad that I'm selling my car because my last visit to Diane's was exceptional. Personal care and great customer service. Diane went the extra mile. I think it's important to remember that no one has ever said "man, they just don't charge enough, I wish I could unexpectedly pay more" So, big fees happen, but at Diane's they'll explain everything and don't make you feel like a jerk like other places might. They are really nice and try to help you make affordable and safe decisions for you, your car and your passengers! read more

I've had my car fixed by them a couple times. One time I had a bad distributor cap. The other time a broken muffer. They did a good job.

They have been very polite but I have now had three experiences where I have called ahead, made appointments and then either had the desk staff been unaware about my appt, or had the appt confirmed correctly but the car sit all day waiting to be seen. One time they confirmed they could fix something if we left it all day and then didn't look at the car until 2pm. We ended up picking up the car with nothing having been done. There have been multiple times they have not been able to identify problems, even when unusual steering friction, knocking sounds, and warning lights have been obvious to others. It seems disorganized and ineffective at solving problems, but fine for regular oil changes if you aren't in a rush. read more

I bought a Subaru Forester from Diane. Within the first couple of months, I ended up visiting Diane for various fixes and a complaint about overheating. They charged me $130 and told me that there is nothing wrong with the car. They even told me that they checked the head gasket and there was nothing wrong with it. Guess what, after 4 months of my purchase, the car overheated due to head gasket problem. I had no choice but to sell the car for the half of the price that I paid to Diane because the motor had to be replaced. All the mechanics who saw the car told me that head gasket problem is well-known with Forester's and Diane should have known better. I felt cheated; nothing less. read more

Great service, however every time I go there they seem to be incapable of letting you know your car is ready so you might wait longer than needed because they have not yet mastered how to use a phone. read more