Doc was my mechanic for many years. At first, I was allowed to be with the car as his son worked on it he would chat with me. But later even after covid lifted he stopped letting me be in the waiting area. The last oil change as I was driving had the oil filter fell out and all the engine oil spilled onto the streets. I brought the car back and told him the engine is really loud. It sounds like metal grinding. Doc took a look and filled it up with engine oil and installed the wrong oil filter and told me I would be good for another 6 months at least. I listened to the engine and it didn't sound right. I brought it to the dealership that then diagnosed it as a failed engine block. Metal was inside the engine and it needed replacement. In addition, the second oil filter wasn't even the correct filter for my car and was two turns from falling out. Oil was already leaking from it. The bottom of my car was coated in oil, and it could have caught on fire. Fortunately it didnt, and Doc owned up to his mistakes and his business insurance covered the repair. However, that was another hurdle to over come as it got delayed for months. It is very difficult to find a good car shop. Bless you if you have one. read more

Most honest person I know! When I moved to the east coast I had trouble finding people I could trust. I was so hesitant to get my car serviced but when I met Doc I instantly felt like I was back home in California! I have been coming here for 6 years now and only recommend Doc as a mechanic!! read more

Doc & Friends Auto Services - Auto Repair Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

Had an excellent experience with Doc. I called and spoke directly with him. He was a very nice man. I told him I needed an oil change and tire rotation. Doc was able to see me immediately, and said it was $65 for everything including fluid re-fills, brake checks, and some other stuff. Now the place isn't exactly a Jiffy Lube with a decent lobby area to wait in but I didn't care. It was a two door mechanics garage with a desk, sofa and a few chairs to sit and wait. It was a little chilly but worth it to see Doc in action. Yes you get to see him do the work on your car. I felt better seeing him do the work, he took his time and didn't rush. He looked underneath the car in the motor and made sure everything looked good, then he proceeded to do the oil change and tire rotation. Took him maybe 25-30mins. He was very polite and is very knowledgable on Japanese cars. Every review I read about Doc has been on point. Great service at a great price, I recommend Doc because he's simple and does the job you need done. I will deff be coming back to him for my next oil change or any other work I need some on my car. read more

Doc & Friends Auto Services - Doc on the task at hand. - Auto Repair Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

Doc is quite simply the best. Completely agree with prior Yelpers -- this gentleman is trustworthy, kind, and brilliant. My friend had driven from upstate NY to Baltimore and realized once she was here that the folks who had changed her oil in NY, uhm, forgot, uh, to put the oil cap back on ------- by the time she'd gotten down here, her oil had completely spilled out along the way and her engine was likely a few miles away from exploding. We took her poor limping Subaru to Doc and he fixed her right up. He was extremely kind and resolved all issues very quickly and thoroughly. She made it back up with absolutely no problems and is singing his praises wherever she goes! Only sadness: he specializes in Japanese & Korean cars, so he can't be our go-to guy for one of our more needy fixer-upper vehicles. Oh well -- we will definitely be back! THANK YOU! read more

It's a little hard to find, but he's very helpful, honest, explains things well. I've been to visit him a few times over the years and it's always a good experience. His accent is ok for me, we figure it out. His prices have always been reasonable read more

I took my car to Doc's to get new tires. Both Donna (service consultant) and Doc were both polite and professional. I felt that they both honest, knew what they were talking about, and are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you are a satisfied customer. The tire installation went well with no gotchas, and the price was right. I am very pleased with their service. The actual service center is a large building with 1 big room where all the work is done and all the papers and contracts are signed (e.g. there is no front office room or anything). That was a little strange at first and very barebones, but not a big deal and don't let it deter you. They mentioned that the service center will be moving to Ellicott City (close to Shanty Grill) in early 2013 or so, which is supposed to be a nicer building. read more

I called Doc and told him I thought my brake pads were worn down since my car was squawking whenever I hit the brakes. The day I called him I started to hear grinding so I knew I had to get the issue taken care of ASAP. I called five minutes before he closed the shop and he told me to bring my car in the next morning. He promptly called my husband after he ran the diagnostic and gave him a price to fix the problem. Turns out my brake pads were totally worn down and I had to get the rotor replaced as well. Doc fixed the issue at a reasonable price and got it done by the end of the day. He was very friendly and very trustworthy. I'm glad he's right up the street from me in case anything else goes wrong with my car. Doc's shop is a little tricky to find. Follow the tip on this Yelp page and you shouldn't have any problems! read more

We were so happy to find Doc a few years ago. We were finding that we couldn't trust what the dealer or national chains were telling us. We had several successful visits with Doc. He is very friendly. Also, he works on your car while you are in the garage with him. There is a sitting area right next to the car lifts. He calls you over to point out any problems. He instills a sense of trust. He even throws in a few services for free (like lubricating the door hinges). We have sadly stopped going to Doc for several reasons. On a few occasions, there was a lack of clarity about the bill cost. Some of it was a language barrier as I personally have difficulty with heavily accented speech. On those occasions, I ended up feeling that the cost was not much different from the dealer. However, that's still fair as Doc was better to deal with. But then Doc misdiagnosed an A/C problem. He said it was one part, replaced it, and when that didn't work, he replaced another part. The problem is that I paid for two repairs, wondering if the first repair was even necessary. I was still OK with Doc, but then he worked on my wife's car and didn't tighten a battery connector (he had taken out the battery as part of the repair), and her car died 5 minutes after she left. AAA reattached the connector. So, I'm actually back with the dealer/national chains, where I feel I can take issues up with corporate if they arise and not have to feel guilty about telling this kind person that I'm unhappy with his work. read more

This is auto services place who can cater to all the problems related to cars and any brand of car. It is located in Elkridge. They are the best! Their services are better than dealer services. My muffler broke on my old Honda, they gave me the best price for the part and installed it also at great price. Now I got my new mazda and I do my oil change here itself. Its like almost giving your car to a family friend and getting it fixed. read more

Doc is a sweet Thai-American man and capable car mechanic who aims to please his customers! He told me he worked many years as a mechanic for a dealership and has since retired. He now works in his own shop for fun. I went in for an oil change and automatic transmission fluid change. He was very knowledgeable in explaining whether or not I actually needed the latter and left the decision up to me. He also helped me fill up on car fluids that were running low (e.g., windshield wiper fluid) and used some sort of aerosol spray can to clean the door hinges -- free of charge. He definitely goes above and beyond! I went in on a weekday morning a little after 8 AM, and he finished everything by 9 AM. The shop is a little hard to find; it's hidden behind the Verizon Wireless store facing the street. In short: terrific customer service, fair prices, and terrific customer service! (It's worth repeating.) read more

This is my go to mechanic. I live in Virginia but come here to get an honest assessment. For example, Toyota does there diagnostics and takes me on test drive for an abs problem. The mechanic says you'll need to leave it here all night while I figure it out (they charge $60 every 30 mins of diagnostics). I pass bring my truck to doc, plugs in his machine tells me its a right rear passenger side abs speed sensor problem. Shows me where its at and how to replace free of charge. I go home, order the part from amazon cuz toyota shop #1 says its $120, Toyota shop #2 says $260, and Toyota shop #3 says $380. Can't get an honest assessment anywhere read more

I found Doc on Yelp a few months ago and have taken my car here at least 4 times and receieved exceptional care. I've had an oil change and my brake pads and rotors replaced, along with a couple other minor issues. Over the summer I had a weird noise coming from under my hood when I accelerated, which turned out to be a leaf! Doc removed the leaf and didn't charge me a penny. Then today I brought my car in because it was making a horrible noise when I put on the brakes. I was so paranoid something was majorly wrong, but it turned out to be a rock stuck in the carburetor. Doc again wouldn't take a penny for removing it. He's an honest man, provides quality service, convenient, and I will never go to a dealer again for auto repair. read more

Yelp was so helpful with finding a great mechanic!!! Yay Yelp! My car had been leaking antifreeze for a few weeks and I really needed to get it fixed because my husband needed it to make some money. Anyway, I called Doc because of all of the great reviews and a bad experience with another mechanic on the area. It really is hard to find a good mechanic! He said bring it in and he could tell me a fair price to fix it. While it wasn't cheap, he explained everything. I understood what he was saying and felt I could trust Doc from the beginning. I left my car and waited at home until the car was done. When I went back, my car was done and Doc took his time to explain it all to me. I could explain the fix to my husband by the time he was done explaining it all. I even noticed that my yellow tire pressure light was off and am sure he took care of the air in the tires. Do I recommend this business to people of Ellicott City??? ABSOLUTELY!!! Best mechanic (other than my Dad) I ever met! read more

Sooooo happy I found this fantastic guy!! He was recommended to me by a friend and I'm so glad I went to see him. He's funny, friendly, professional and he really loves his job. He doesn't over-price his services like dealerships and chains, he charges fair prices and provides warranties for all his work. He's a little tricky to find once you pull in from Baltimore Nat Pke, but just head for the sign in the back for the crossfit gym (his sign is under it; it's smaller but it was there way before the gym!). From now on I will only service my car with Doc - he's awesome!!! read more

By checking Yelp review I visited for one service.. It was a BIG MISTAKE and I have paid for my mistake here. Please help yourself by NOT taking service from this location... This guy rips you off for nothing ... I had a very bad experience recently... He talk nicely and will tell you about him and his post retirement job and assures you with reasonable price. But actually he charge you almost double... Suggestion is to STAY AWAY from this center and go for nearby center where I got the quote for half price of the charge that i paid here later on. read more

Love this place. Not much else to say. 5 year customer. I drive 70 miles to repairs here.

An update on this place: My first couple experiences have been awesome. I recently purchased a 2008 Mini Cooper and the air tire monitor light came on so I decided to put air in but when I looked at the valves, they were metal and couldn't get them off. I decided to take it to Docs and he helped me out with it. He put my car on the lift and asked him to change the oil as well, which he did and he showed me everything that he did. He told me that he doesn't specialize too much in other makes besides Hondas and Toyota but he's such a nice guy. He walked me through the car and checked underneath and inspected the frame, breaks, rotors, pads, everything. He told me that the tire valve caps should never be metal. He was able to take 2 off but one broke in the process. He kept apologizing but I understood he was trying to help. He even greased it up prior to trying to take it off so he didn't bother trying to remove the other. He said that the sensors could be up to about $200 so he wasn't going to risk taking the other off. After the oil change he walked through the car and oiled my car doors and everything. I know that his shop is limited to how many cars he could work on and he could only do so much but the whole time I'm living in Ellicott, I will take my car to him first. If you are looking for work on your car that Doc is not able to handle due to not having the right equipment, I would go to Dobbins auto center in Columbia... but go to Doc first! read more

In need of an oil change and having been burned by my previous mechanic and a local location of one of the big lube chains, I turned to Yelp for a recommendation on a place that would finally treat me right. Let me tell you, the reviews of Doc's shop are 100% on the nose. I called yesterday to see if he had time to fit me in, and the man (who I figured was Doc by the accent) told me to come by at 3. Good deal - I had some errands to do, so that would work fine. Despite my errands I got to Doc's shop a little before 2:30. As mentioned, the reviews were right - his shop is a bit tricky to find at first. You cannot see it from the street, so don't bother looking for it. The landmark you're looking for on Rt. 40 is the Verizon Wireless store. Pull into the parking lot, and drive up the left side of the building. At the dead end, turn left and you're at Doc's shop. Anyway - got there a half hour early, and went in to let him know I was the guy who called and would be fine with coming back if he was busy. Instead of sending me away, Doc put down his lunch and pulled my car into the garage. Half an hour later, my oil was changed, my car was inspected for other possible issues, the door and hatch hinges were lubed and the tire pressure was adjusted because it was too low and I didn't realize it. The price was fair, and worth every penny for the level of service alone. Long story short, Doc loves what he does, and it shows. The entire time he was working I was sitting there chatting with him and he said the same thing that others have mentioned hearing him say in previous comments - he used to work for years in a dealership, retired, and now does this "for fun". Not a bad way to run a business. Two big old thumbs up for this place - I'll definitely be back. read more

I found this place on Yelp after looking for a quick place to get my oil changed. When possible, I try to keep money locally in the community. I called and they were able to fit me in within 10 minutes. Another 35 minutes and it was done. Service was prompt. Doc and Donna were professional, friendly and most importantly - *honest*. No upsells, they let me know the condition of my vehicle and I appreciate that. Would recommend them without hesitation. read more

I have no idea how Doc & Friends have 5 star from many people. Don't fall for his friendly talk and his "don't care about the money" attitude! Its a trap! If you have the time and are smart enough to find a mechanic elsewhere, you would not lose your hard-earned money here. Asked $200 and I did with another one for $50. not illegal. read more

Just moved to the area and selected this place because of all the 5 star reviews. The reviews are all 5 stars for a reason. He was fast, friendly and efficient. I only had a 100 dollar bill to pay which he couldn't break so he was going to let me drive away in my car and come back. I refused and walked to the Dunkin Donuts to get smaller bills. He is also honest. He said nothing was wrong with my car. He mentioned that my rotors were showing some but I dont need to replace them unless I am noticing issues with braking. He took time to write a detailed invoice since my car is still under warranty. I didn't ask, he just explained that I need to keep it to show that I was taking care of my car in case something happened. I will only take my car to him as long as I am living in Maryland. read more

This place is great. The owner and staff are friendly and honest. You can tell they're good people. I bring my 2012 Ford F-150 here for oil changes, and I bring my girlfriends Mini Cooper here too. When I first started coming here we had an older Volvo and Doc did some front end work that I was super happy with. Great price and great service. read more

Doc was great! Although I didn't actually get any repairs done, I came in worried after my car began making loud roars after a 15 hour trip and Doc checked everything out himself. No only did we take it out for test drive but we brought it into the shop and had it lifted to confirm his theory on the root cause of the problem. He clearly explained to me everything every thing to me showing me exactly what the issue. Although the shop wasn't equipped to handle that particular issue due to costs certain equipment costs, he guided me with recommendations to other places in the local area. Will be coming back for routine maintenance! read more

Doc is a super friendly place. My favorite part has to be the fact that I can see the whole process and Doc was happy to show me what he is doing. He also gave me tips on making sure that every time I get my oil change, I get lube for my doors and filters change. He is very knowledge and friendly. I would highly recommend if you are looking for some trustworthy for your car (but he only works on Japanese cars). I found him on Yelp, so I want to make this my first review since I had such a good experience. read more

I needed break service on my 2011 Mazda Miata, and I was a first time customer. I have to say Doc did an excellent job! Even though he told me had 30+ years experience and used to teach car repair, I found him to be very humble, trustworthy and sincere. He finished my car in under 2 hours by himself. He even showed me the old pads so I could see what he replaced. He wanted to charge me less, but the Mazda parts themselves were most of the bill. I had gone to the dealer first, and they wanted to charge 3x as much for the exact same service. I'm so glad I passed on them. I would definitely recommend Doc. Great job! read more

I drive a performance Infiniti and i am very cautious with mechanics, especially because i am new to the area. Doc was great, fixed my electrical problem with no problem and was really honest about the work and assessment. Doc use to work at a Nissan dealer, so for all you that drive Japanese performance vehicles, Doc is the tech you should trust in the area. I am new to the area, and i trust Doc with my car. read more

Doc is fantastic. I would take all of my cars to him, but unfortunately he only works on Asian cars. He is honest, dependable, and his prices are cheap. Far too cheap. I have told him that he can raise his prices by 20% and still beat all the competition, but he seems to prefer making people happy over making enough money to pay his rent. You will not regret leaving your car in Doc's hands, and neither will your wallet. read more

Doc is an experienced and trustworthy auto mechanic. When I went to his place I felt relieved. I felt relaxed leaving my car to him. He is honest, never tryng to sell you something that is unnecessary. Sometimes even if he suggested you to do something in the next check-up, he might delay that until a further date, if he felt the car could still run for some extra miles without the change. He is quite considerate too. Once I had to stay there to wait for my car. It was lunch time. He even bought me the lunch. I was really fortunate to have found him. Will definitely go to him for my car. Highly recommended. read more

Doc gave me a free diagnosis and when He told me it would cost over $2000 he also told me it wasn't necessary to fix the car because it wasn't essential for it to run and also that I could drive the car fine "forever" without getting it repaired. He showed me how to maintain my car now with the problem it has until I decide to get a new car. Very helpful & honest... I tried to tip him but he wouldn't let me! read more

great guy and shop. honest, knowlegable, quick, oh and did i mention honest?? has a bit of an accent but if you can manage, id definately recommend his place for all Japanese/korean cars and trucks. read more

Super friendly man with a great sense of humour. He is almost always booked but I trust him to take care of our needs rather than continuing to go to dealerships. read more

My car was having severe issues and Doc was able to fix all of them for a great price! Donna (service consultant) was extremely professional and very helpful. My car needed a new belt, pulley, and radiator and Doc and Donna explained exactly what needed to be done. Usually car mechanics have a negative stigma for being dishonest people, but they are the complete opposite. I would highly recommend these guys to everyone! read more

Wonderful experience across the board. Knowledgable, friendly, easy, appropriately priced. I will definitely be returning for my next oil change. Tip: Turn as though you are turning into the music store parking lot (on the checkers side, not the blue/white shopping center side). Follow the road back, and take the only left you can. Doc will be on the right (across from crossfit gym) read more

Doc has keep our 2004 Honda CR-V (180k on the clock) on the road for the last three years. He is always friendly, fast, and honest. We've visited three times, a new starter, frozen brake caliper and most recently to repair a busted radiator and AC as a result of a parking lot incident. Each time Doc is clear on what the problem is, what it'll take to repair, and when it will be ready. Thank you very much, will definitely be back. read more

Came here to have my rotors and breaks replaced. The Infiniti dealership wanted to charge me more than double the price that I was quoted at Doc's. Doc used to work at Nissan so he was great with my Infiniti. Overall great work by great people. Will definitely be coming back here in the future! read more

The way we found out about this place is like a story from a book. I was i the middle of my pregnancy, it was super hot outside and my car decided to die in the middle of the highway. After I somehow managed to move it to a lot, my boss picked me up to take me to work. My boyfriend found Doc's number online and called them to see if they will be able to fix the car. Donna drove all the way to the lot, picked up my car and took it in the shop. They fixed it and didn't charge me extra for having to pick it up(somehow it made it to the shop). We were sold after that, so my crappy Hyundai has been there 2 times after that I think - she gave me a ride one time so I can leave the car overnight. Not only they are super friendly and good people, but also Doc is the absolutely best with Asian cars, he knows them in and out! I went to the new location the last time and it was again a great experience. I really hope they get more business since it is such a better service than most places! read more