Dragon got me in last minute and diagnosed my issue. He had some time the next day and made it…read morework. Ordered the part and did the install. I was a little early for my appointment. He moved my car in and performed the repair. His labor estimate was very well done. He came in $50 less than his previous estimate! If you live in Nanaimo and need a mechanic, I strongly recommend Cam at Dragon's Auto!

Needed new Breaks and routers for my Jeep they did an amazing job 500$ and Dodge wanted a 1,000$ so…read moreguess where I'm not going anymore!!

I rate him a 1 because there's no 0 . My daughter saw a car at his location on Bowen Road in…read moreNanaimo that she was interested in purchasing, she and I test drove the car and within fifteen minutes the car died and wouldn't start. When contacting the owner he said the problem was she drove too far and began blaming the way she must have been driving the car. This was on a weeknight he began by saying she would have to pay to get it tow back to his shop when she refused he reluctantly agreed to have a tow truck pick the car up. A couple of days later he called and asked if she was still interested in buying the car NOPE. Honestly I don't know if he's a crook or con man but he sure acted like one. Looks like he has shut down his shop hope he isn't operating somewhere else Ray McDonald

I am glad to see him Gone. He May be a Nice Guy to talk to, however, my personal experience is one…read morewhere i gotta say, i have never had dishonest BS spoken to me and at such a blatant level in my entire 41 years having my vehicles repaired. Watched His staff mess up from the start, while putting my vehicle on the hoist, apprentice crushed the rear heater lines, Dave tells my at bill time, my vehicle just started to leak anti frozen while there. A lye. Later after vehicle back in my possession i driving a friend home, heard something hit vehicle under front middle and rear underside of vehicle. Two stop signs later my brake pedal goes to the floor. And my eyes go wide. Front Wheel hub & bearing job was just done by them. Took it back that night. Following day i go to pick up and i get told the rear drum brakes, the brake Adjuster fell off. Really, another blatant lye. Brake adjuster not able to fly out of brake drum if it came off. Heavy grinding noise and grabbing rear brakes would have been apparent. It was not. E brake and brake pedal would have been different upon returning to me. E brake no diff. Did not hold, no change at all! Neither was there a change in brake pedal travel. So whatever had happened was hydraulic in nature, not mechanical. So as the front calliper was just re and re'd for the hub n brg, obvious it was a Front calliper support bolt that was not installed / tightened correctly. Thus allowing for one to fall out, go bouncing under the vehicle, hitting undercarriage and causing the noise heard just prior to the brake pedal catastrophically dropping causing no brakes. The Gripe is that In both those instances Dave charged me for their Blatant mistakes. Adding together it was over $550.00 in parts and labour for those two Mistakes they made. I guess The lyes he told me happened to be the free part!! Ha! I could go on and on, because there is more. However i will not! I will however Finish by saying again, i am ecstatic to finally see that business gone from Nanaimo. I feel we residents of central Nanaimo are far better off without those smug, nice smiling, ohh so easy to bill high, lye and overcharge people.

These guys helped out my boyrfriend when in a serious crunch getting towed from BC ferries lineup…read more They've been considerate about repairs needed and not needed just yet, consulting in detail, considering cost and quality. Appreciated their communication and repair skills, and kindness. Many thanks!

RON IS THE BEST HANDS DOWN ! I am constantly overcharged from other places , recommended services i…read moredon't need , am told to do maintenance wayyy before maintenance is due , waiting forever , sometimes days to get my vehicle back, etc etc etc . Ron got me in for my brakes that needed hours within me calling about it , I normally would have to arrange a ride home and wait a full day if not multiple days for basic things like coolant flush and oil changes at laird Wheaton , at Mid island automotive I was in and out so quickly I just sat in the lobby and chatted with Cammy the lovely woman that works at the front desk and was treated to coffee and a Christmas chocolate while the men worked their magic , I was shocked at how quickly the service was . The price was very reasonable and I left there happy and not feeling ripped off like every other place I've been in Nanaimo , they topped off my fluids as well . Ron and his team were extremely accommodating, kind , informative and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend Mid island automotive to friends , family or anyone needing some work done on their vehicle , I'm sure you will be as satisfied with their work as I was . Thanks so much to all the staff at mid island automotive!

Took my vehicle into Bavarian for routine service and brakes. While there they identified a…read moresignificant repair was needed and were diligent in contacting the extended warranty provider to arrange cost free repair. A month later another related concern arose and the were able to address the issue right away -- they even arranged for a local business to detail the engine to ensure all was satisfactory. Awesome service.

The tall mechanic with the beard scanned my car when the shop was very busy (I did not even have an…read moreappointment) and explained to me what was going on, and that I was safe to continue driving for the day. He was being rushed by his boss but he still stayed and explained the code from the computer to me, all while calming me down and telling me my car wasn't to break down! They were able to schedule me in and the car was fixed two days later!

Midas (Departure Bay Location Only):…read more I only went to this location because of the close proximity to my house. While the front end staff are friendly and accommodating. I will never go here again. After spending lots of $$$$ and giving them multiple chances; here is what has been consistent: -The Quality Control and Checklists of their work is well below par with each visit, I found parts paid for but not installed. -Each visit resulted in missing OEM parts, or parts not completely installed or parts even coming off my vehicle. -The owner is an absolute condescending, arrogant, person. -They overpromise and never deliver, I'm still waiting for a return/follow up call after I have reached out to them 4 times. The Hammond Bay Location; however, does deliver.

I was on a road trip from California to Vancouver and on the ferry to Vancouver Island a man…read morenoticed that there was a piece of plastic hanging down from the front end of my car underneath. It is a low sedan and it was scraping the ground. I did not know what to do , I could not refasten it or tear it off. I called a Lexus repair shop and they were busy for days. I called Midas and ask them if they could look under and fix it and they squeezed me in in about an hour from when I called. They fixed it immediately and did not charge me. There is a woman that's running the shop there and she seems very efficient. It really was a good feeling to be taken care of so soon and not charged. I haven't had the best experiences with Midas back inCalifornia.

Rambler on the Runway…read more This ride may not be your typical "eye candy" with its factory corral cordovan brown paint job, but it sure gets your heart pumping as she screams down the runway in the eighth-mile! At 98.25 miles per hour, it only takes her 7.2 seconds to reach the finish line. Most people associate drag racing with the quarter mile, so to be fair; 7.2 seconds in the eighth mile translates to 11.3 seconds in the quarter mile. Although she's rather plain looking, it really is what's on the inside of this baby that counts. This muscle car pumps a good 400-horse power even before she swallows a one-seventy shot of nitrous to the AMC 401 V8 engine. It's not what Richard A. Teague had in mind when he designed this third and final generation Rambler American. At a time when the "Big Three" domestic automakers (GM, Ford & Chrysler) were the dominant car designers, Dick Teague brought this non-conforming competitor on board as the lowest priced car built in the US with the best fuel economy proven through numerous wins in the Mobilgas Economy Run championships. Gord MacKay purchased this pre-cut gem in May of 2009 for a mere $800 ready to run at the turn of a key. This was not good enough for Gord. He wanted more power. Gord ripped out the stock 232 cu in (3.8 L) overhead valve straight-6 engine to fit his new 401 in preparation for drag racing. The Rambler won second place in its' first race at Rumble on the Runway in Port McNeill of 2010. This was before she even started using nitrous! Gord still holds the crystal trophy on display, but the winning payout has long since been re-invested in the car itself. When we imagine a hot rod, the Rambler wagon isn't a typical one that comes to mind. Perhaps this is because of its rarity. There were only ever 313 of these produced in 1965 and one is right here in Nanaimo! Interestingly enough, this particular Rambler was born and raised in Vancouver, B.C. and even passed air care in 2008. The rear Mickey Thompson ET Street Slicks work just as well on Nanaimo's city streets for use as a street legal grocery getter as they do on the track as a racing machine. I personally benefited from a ride down the runway as a passenger in this powerful beast. What a rush! I tried to video tape the event, but as smooth as this unibody on front coil springs with soft rear leaf units is, I really only caught the ceiling after we launched from the start line. I was lucky to ride in that race because it was apparent that the Rambler went beyond the limit of allowable speed for passengers to be safe by the racing liability guidelines. So, needless to say, she has a few secrets hidden under the rear chassis...Gord made some good ol' handmade custom modifications: Sub-frame connectors stiffen the body, traction bars to prevent axle wrap, the addition of a 4.56:1 posi narrowed rear end and 50/50 rear drag shocks. All this allows the car to perform a 1.57 second, zero to sixty foot launch. AKA, head snap! This last race, Gord won a perfect light meaning he launched on the green light at exactly the right time. Not bad for a 46 year old station wagon. View this car at Active Motorsports on Bowen Rd. in Nanaimo as I can't add pictures here. :(

Thank you Gord and John for the awesome service! We were about to board the 12:30 ferry to…read moreVancouver when the crap hit the fan and my car wouldn't start. Fortunately, our in-the-know tow truck driver referred us to Active Motor Sports and they made getting us back on the road their priority. Gord and John both worked on the car for over an hour, found and fixed the issue and had us happening in time to make the 3:00 boat! They could have taken advantage of us and charged large, but the bill was a very reasonable $60. Thanks again John and Gord!

I brought a vehicle to MTB Auto for a pre purchase inspection and they did an amazing job finding a…read morefew overdue maintenance issues while also giving me more confidence in purchasing the vehicle. Mike and his son were friendly, thorough and professional. The appointment was prompt and for a very competitive price. They also provided a detailed report I could show the car dealer. Thank you!

Have been using this garage for years with multiple vehicles. By far the best in Nanaimo, and…read moreprobably the best I've ever used, anywhere. They find the true source of the problem that others have missed, and don't default to replacing expensive parts because they can't find the real issue. These guys know cars! They are great with domestic and imports, big trucks and small cars, whatever. They are thorough, yet efficient. They also don't talk down to me, and assume that women can't understand, which has happened before. Nice guys who care about customers and doing it right. Pricing is more than fair. Easiest to approach the shop from the alley, and parking is right in front of their door.