I've been taking my cars to Don's Automotive for well over 20 years, which probably says everything on its own--but they've absolutely earned it. Early on, I had another shop tell me I needed thousands of dollars in work. I brought it to Don's for a second opinion, and they walked me through what actually mattered--what was essential for safety and the health of the car--and it ended up being under $1,000. That level of honesty is rare, and it's the reason I never looked elsewhere again. They've always been straightforward, never pushy, and consistently focused on what's truly necessary--not what pads the invoice. It's hard to find an "honest broker" in this space, but that's exactly what they are. If you want a shop you can trust long-term, this is it. read more

Honest, kind, trustworthy and... whimsical? Never been to such a groovy auto repair shop. Highly recommend as an Austin native. read more

Don's Automotive Repair - Groovy - Auto Repair Near Me - Austin, Texas

They are fantastic! Jimmy is a really down to earth guy and Don's has the best pricing in town. Really straightforward and transparent.

I truly cannot say enough good things about Jimmy and crew. My car is twenty years old (I love it) and I think over the years despite the headaches Jimmy has taken a soft spot to it as well. That being said, a lot can go wrong when a car has about 185K miles on it. Jimmy has taken all routes with me. Talking me through the expense of maintaining a car this age and since I constantly insist I want to keep it, he presents the best and most cost effective options when things inevitably come up. Don's is so reliable, trustworthy, and a place I hope never goes anywhere. I always think that I'm probably their favorite client but then I hear him on the phone and realize that Jimmy just has a heart of gold and gives everyone grade A service. One thing to note, it's a drop and leave situation. No waiting room, so plan for that. read more

The guy up front is rude. He acts like he's doing you a favor to speak to you. Misdiagnosis, no ownership of bad service. Don't go here. A mimicry of "old Austin" read more

When unexpected car troubles arise, finding a reliable auto repair shop can be stressful. Thankfully, Don't Automotive proved to be a beacon of old-school customer service and automotive expertise. Walking in without an appointment can often mean long wait times or being turned away. Not at Don's Automotive. They seamlessly accommodated my unscheduled visit, demonstrating a commitment to customer care that is increasingly rare in today's fast-paced world. ALL WELCOME HERE, and that makes me happy to support them! read more

The quality of the repairs at Don's Automotive is excellent. I have used the shop for many years. The pricing is fair and Jimmy is friendly and helpful. I recommend this business. read more

Hands down, Don's is the best automotive repair shop I've ever used. They are professional, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable--with great prices. They successfully repaired parts of my car that others couldn't. Beyond their expertise, Don's is a true local business with a down-to-earth team that genuinely cares--not just about your vehicle, but about you as a customer. They go the extra mile to help, making the entire experience less stressful. I can't recommend them enough! read more

I very much appreciate the professionalism and under-promise, over-deliver approach to business that Don's employs. Back in the day I interacted with Don directly and more recently with Jimmy and they are both "efficient" and business-like. As a tip - never tell them that you looked up something on Youtube and have an idea based upon that. :) They are very interested in the "user story" though, since that helps them know where to start looking. Sometimes it's hard to get on the schedule - like 'next week', but I suspect that planning out the work makes for a happy team and it keeps delays to a minimum. 100 percent would recommend. read more

Jimmy was very helpful and diagnosed a problem correctly which saved me both money and time. Friendly and responsive. I will be coming back to Dons for any future concerns read more

I could not be more happy with an auto repair experience. Drove in from DFW for a conference on Sunday, had wheel trouble on the way in. Took it to Don's first thing in the morning on Monday and these guys went above and beyond to get the car fixed by the time we had to drive back on Wednesday. Thats unheard of. I would have paid a lot more for what they did, but the price was fair. Great guys. Wish they had a shop in DFW. read more

Over many years, I'm now on my 4th and 5th vehicles that these guys take care of. Don and Jimmy and the crew are excellent. They consistently take the high road and make careful choices about what to do. I've never had a doubt about the work done or the bill. Highly recommended. A+ read more

We've seen the light. We're converts. We've lived here almost 50 years now and how did we not know? Don must be Jesus. Or at least some kind of an auto miracle worker. After try after try of getting the 20-year old clunker diagnosed and being told the car needed a whole new computer system, we called Don's. Jimmy gave us undivided attention and listened to our explanation of our car's symptoms, and previous repair attempts. He suggested we bring it in, because the holidays were fast approaching, and declared he'd do his best. His best turned out to be three items that our previous repair shop had completely overlooked. The work was fairly priced--a system diagnostic costing 50% of the same diagnostic at our former shop--and what's better, seems to have cured our car of it's ills. And all by closing time before the holiday break. I fail to see how our car could have been more skillfully serviced. Moreover the staff was respectful and polite. They don't mind sharing their knowledge either. If we could get our money back from the first mechanic, we'd give it to Don's. They deserve it. Now the old car with only 87K miles is humming along. With each additional mile, we silently give thanks to Don's for resurrecting our beloved clunker. read more

Jimmy is the best! Don's Automotive provides excellent customer service, accessible communication and stellar repair work. I have never been disappointed with any repairs they have completed for me since 2022. Rock stars! read more

I'm reviewing before I've ever used their service! I made an appointment to look at a car with bad brakes. They were very concerned with my safety and wanted to confirm I would not be driving the car. But then with everything that was wrong with the car we decided to get rid of it and get another. I called to cancel the appointment and again they were concerned with me driving and gave me a couple of local places to call that would purchase the hunk of junk. I'll be bringing our new to us car to have them take a look and see what to expect with it. Very caring and helpful even knowing I wasn't coming in after all! read more

Jimmie at Dons was great to work with and resolved the issue in my car in a timely manner. Will definitely be using this business again.

I am so pleased with my experiences at Don's. Jimmie in the office was great to work with and they did excellent and timely work on my vehicle. I cannot stress enough, they are truly trust worthy. The employees of Don's went above and beyond to go to bat for me when I was being mislead by another shop. They not only helped me fix the problems with my car, the explained everything to me, and advocated for me when I needed help. I cannot recommend Don's more! Truly, a great shop. read more

We've been taking our cars to Don's Automotive for twenty years now. Every time these master mechanics make the right diagnosis and execute the best repair. So I always expect excellence from this shop, but my last repair exceeded all expectations. For the second winter in a row squirrels have taken to nesting under the hood of my 4Runner and gnawing on the wires. Don's fixed the wiring problem fast and cheap. I asked Jimmy at the shop how I might stop these meddling rodents in the future. We discussed fox urine. Tony said the smell would be too awful. Jimmy suggested snake poop. I left the shop wondering how to get my hands on some. The next day Jimmy calls me and leaves a voice message that he had a ziplock bag of python poop for me if I wanted to swing by the shop. Does your mechanic go to these lengths? Does any other shop on the planet? read more

I CANNOT RECOMMEND THEM ENOUGH. I honestly am hesitant to write a review because they're always so busy but they deserve some accolades. Last week I was on my to drop my car off and it died on South First. I was on the side of the road trying to figure out what to do and I call them and Jimmy and Tony CAME AND GOT THE CAR AND JIMMY OFFERED TO DRIVE ME HOME!!! I am so beyond thankful for their help and kindness. It should also be mentioned that this happened at closing time, so they could have easily just gone about their evening and had me have AAA come but instead they took the time to come to my rescue. I have been big fans of them for years, they never try to oversell me, and I trust them 100%. My car is twenty years old so it's needed things over the years but they never try to make me do more than needed. Can't recommend them enough! read more

Long review, but I'm now an enthusiastic supporter of Don's Automotive Repair. I had been taking my 2001 Honda CR-V to a commercial shop for about a year, (having no family here and not knowing anyone with car knowledge) and every time I got work done, I felt like my car was in worse shape-- even after doing the ~$1500 of work they scared me into every time I got an oil change. I just couldn't bring myself to go back there anymore and was super stressed out about a problem my car started having after one of their repairs. It kept getting worse-- and so did my stress about it, so I kept asking around, searching the internet and prayingggg for an honest mechanic that didn't see me as an opportunity to make easy $$ and was willing to work on older cars. I finally found Don's and gave them a call. Right off the bat, Jimmy was professional and attentive to the issues I was bringing up and scheduled me an appointment. When I called back with questions (stemming from my anxiety about bringing my car in) he was super understanding, kind and reassuring. They were so quick with their evaluation, yet so thorough. I thought it was going to cost me thousands of dollars but to my surprise it wasn't! I'm convinced the same work would have been astronomical at the commercial place I was going to. Jimmy was so considerate, kind and knowledgeable about my situation and wallet. They did a full evaluation of previous work done on the suspension and corrected the mistakes made from that mechanic plus other issues they noticed. He did not make me do repairs that weren't necessary quite yet and told me what to look for to know when to come back to get that issue taken care of. I cried on the way home because of how great the experience was, and I forgot what it felt like for my car to actually work correctly. There were no scare tactics or any dismissive vagueness about my car, just sincere, honest and SO compassionate. Don's is the ONLY place I will go from now on, even for just an oil change. The only mechanic I trust. Thank you so much Jimmy! Y'all are a blessing!! Anyone looking for a mechanic PLEASE get your car down to Don's!!!!! read more

I wish I could give this place more than 5 stars. Awesome service, reasonably priced, fast, and great communication!

I like to thank this shop for fixing my car right. I did not felt I was taken advantage of. I am very happy with the whole service. My car has naver run this good Thank you so much !!! read more

Jimmy was really helpful with refilling my tires. Plus all the guys have very impressive beards! Keep up the hard work guys.

I drove my daughter's 2012 Subaru Forester while in Austin helping her deal with medical issues and multiple warning lights came on -- over Memorial Day weekend. My call was returned over the weekend. Jimmy worked in a full spark plug replacement despite being fully booked for the whole week, was super communicative and straightforward, and the car was ready in 2 business days. I could not be more grateful for their responsiveness and professionalism during a very stressful time. read more

These guys are amazzzing! If you need work done on your car and you live in Austin then please trust me that you are in great hands here! They took care of the blinker light that I needed fixed on the same day I dropped it off and did it for half the cost of a competitor! Thank you again!! I will bring my Jeep back anytime something is wrong because I know you guys won't jerk me around and you will get the job done! read more

Great service had been looking for a gas line for my 79' chevy that they no longer make for about 3 weeks they solved that issue in minutes Don's for the save will definitely be back for any service needs in the future. read more

Don's Automotive Repair - Vent hose - Auto Repair Near Me - Austin, Texas

Dons automotive has been the best spot I've been to in Austin Texas the guys that work there have been efficient and always take care of me and love what they do. I live in the neighborhood and they also saved my dog from first street traffic. Thank you jimmy abd dons as a whole group. I highly recommend taking your car here if you need anything done. read more

I have used Don's for years and always have a good experience. It helps that it is on a bus line so I can drop off and pick up. They have been on the up and up with me and make good recommendations for various related services such as buying a car, getting some tires and so forth. I don't want to use any other car repair service. Jimmy is a great guy and he helped me put my bike in the car when I picked it up. read more

These guys are the best, hands down. I've taken my car here for several years and I won't go anywhere else. They are honest, trustworthy and fair. As a female who knows nothing about cars, I know they will not try to take advantage of me. The customer service is friendly and funny. I am so thankful to have a shop like this in my neighborhood! read more

Absolutely the best! I had my Prius towed to Don's when it had a breakdown and strangely would not go more than 25 mph. Codes showed it was the battery, but Jimmy and I kept searching because of the weird symptoms, and discovered the inverter had failed. Turned out Toyota had issued a quiet "warranty enhancement" on Prius inverters as part of a huge class action lawsuit. Toyota covered the tow to the dealership and the fix for free! Jimmy went above and beyond and saved me $$. This is a real old-school, customer-focused establishment that will treat you right. read more

We've been taking our cars to Don's for more than 30 years and have never been extremely happy with the work, the prices and the attitude of everyone there. In my experience, the staff here is knowledgeable, and they are one of the most honest businesses I've ever dealt with. This is one of the few places I don't resent spending money, because I know it's always money well spent. read more

Patient explanations, fair prices, stellar work, honest assessments, helpful referrals, and a good sense of humor. It took me years to find a mechanic shop that I had complete confidence in, that I could completely trust. This is it. Have been going here for several years now, and always walk away with a car in good shape and feeling like I have been treated fairly. And maybe chuckling at Jimmy's jokes... read more

Don and the team do great work and are honest. I've been taking my car to them for two years: engine mount replacement, new timing belt, and a new starter. Great work. Good team. read more

im a disabled guy who uses a hydraulic lift to get me and my chair in and out, tonight the door got jammed and I couldn't get out! drove to dons after 6 pm and Tony and his guys sweated over this thing for 40 minutes but got it open..and then refused payment!...thank you so very much guys I'll be using you more often. read more

I cannot say how great this shop is. They've helped me twice now with my old ford ranger and are the only shop I will ever go to. Honest work, great communication, super fast, and fair pricing. read more

My van had a strange jingle underneath, and I didn't know where to begin to address it. A friend recommended Don's, and when I called I felt befriended right from the phone, and they made space for me on the same day. They listened, brought their expertise, and showed genuine care and kindness. In the end, Jimmy solved the issue like a pro, just by tightening a loose bolt. Wow. Surprise. What a champion. read more

The inverter in my Prius died after 110,000 miles, missing the 100,000-mile limit for the warranty. I took it to Don's, and they let me know that Toyota extended the warranty on the inverter for certain Priuses, including mine, and that if I took it to the dealer they'd fix it for free (which they did). Let me underscore: Don's lost the $ they would have gotten from doing this repair themselves, by looking out for me me and hooking me up with a free repair at the dealer. There are still good people in this world. UPDATE, 5/29/17 ----------------------- When I picked up my car fro the dealer for the extended-warranty inverter replacement, the service rep recommended I have the following done: $249.95 Fuel Kit $316.99 Tune-up $149.95 Brake Flush $169.99 Transmission Drain & Flush $229.99 Engine Coolant Flush That's over $1100 worth of work. Of course if I had it done anywhere I'd have it done at Don's, so I showed Don the list but he said that none of it was warranted, it's just the dealer trying to sell unnecessary service. Don has saved me so much money, over multiple occasions, it almost makes me hope that my car breaks down so I can give him some more business. read more

I've been taking my Nissan truck to Don's for many years. He runs an honest business with knowledgeable mechanics and his shop has helped to keep my truck in great shape. Jimmy is running the shop now, and he and Tony are both great mechanics as well as being friendly and nice to customers. I appreciate knowing that when I take my truck to Don's, I can expect consistently great service. read more

This is where you go when you want the auto-whisperer to work on your car. Don has an intuitive feel for electronics and Tony totally understands the mechanical side of car repair. In fact, they are both good at both and so is Brandon. They've done some serious engine repair and transmission work on my cars and I am always impressed with their speed and pricing. read more

They do not do inspections but the guy jimmy was really nice and made a few suggestions.