I came here with an A/C issue -- warm air, no cooling. They didn't confirm what the actual problem was but went straight to performing a refrigerant recharge for $235.86, without checking whether the system could function properly. I mentioned that the system had pressure, but no one explained that a recharge wouldn't help if the compressor wasn't working. As a customer, I didn't know the compressor status -- that's what I expected them to diagnose first. After taking payment and completing the recharge (which didn't solve the problem), they told me I had a refrigerant leak. But how was that diagnosed? With the compressor not engaging, there was no circulation, no dye test, no vacuum hold -- just a guess after the fact. They later explained that the recharge was done "to see if the compressor would engage" -- but I had already told them there was pressure in the system. Skipping basic electrical tests and charging for a recharge first is not professional diagnosis. What I received was uninformed consent: I agreed to a recharge without being told it was unlikely to help unless the compressor was working. As a customer, I relied on their expertise to guide the process -- but they failed to explain this critical limitation. I wasn't given a service report or receipt during the visit -- both were sent the next day, after I posted a review. Their mention of a refrigerant leak was never documented, and no leak detection tests were performed. It felt like an after-the-fact explanation when the recharge didn't solve the problem. Their process seems designed to create more work (and more charges) instead of solving the actual problem from the start. Rather than diagnose the issue first, they sold a service that couldn't fix the underlying fault -- leading to more expensive steps later. Professional mechanics explain what they are doing and why. In this case, I paid for a service that couldn't address the actual issue, and was told I'd need to pay again for proper diagnostics. If your A/C isn't working, ask exactly what they'll check before you agree to anything. I won't be coming back. read more

Recently needed a yearly maintenance for my 2010 Ford. Was recommended here by an old buddy of mine. Despite fears of shady shops I dropped my car off and I was pleasantly surprised with the entire operation. The team at Essential heard all my requests and complaints with regard to the vehicle and went above and beyond. Had a CE light. cracked windshield, and a few minor work (it's a 2010!). The team not only kept me in the loop daily, they had a live web thing that showed you their progress status as well jobs done so far. Any issues that came up had clear pictures to support. Kelsey was super kind and courteous letting me know if there were any changes in status. Their projected parts delivery times were consistent. They even cleared out a rodent next that lived under my hood rent free. Their pricing falls in line with industry. Their services was definitely above industry. This shop is headed by solid people. And as a new customer it's a breath of fresh air to see. I hope to not visit mechanics shop ever again but if I have to I'm coming back to Essential Auto read more

They're very accommodating- easy to get in last minute. I've dozed off on their comfy couches. They are transparent with your cars condition and thorough though the send a bit extra info that makes you think you need to make repairs a little too soon sometimes. Kelsey is the warmest receptionist, and the mechanics do a good job . read more

I bought my family Honda Odyssey here for an oil change and broken tail light. They were nice enough to offer a pick up and drop off service for that my schedule is very hectic. A digital report was sent to me to show me the health of my car and they also set me up with a maintenance schedule. It seemed like they genuinely care for me and the car. We will definitely be returning back for brakes. Overall great service A++ and great communication read more

Essential Auto Care - Auto Repair Near Me - Queens, New York

I needed someone work done on my 2008 PT Cruiser which was low mileage, 65580 to be exact. I had it for five years with no issues but the issues were beginning, such as electrical problem, overheating problems and suspension. I needed professionals to work on my vehicle. I found them at Essential Auto. The service was excellent and the work outstanding. the mechanics took their time and resolved all my issues to my satisfaction. The vehicle runs like a new car. Kelsey the receptionist was great in assisting me in getting all the issues resolved. God Bless her, She is the best. Joe Y. read more

Mark was totally awesome and explained everything to me with a smile on his face. When you are a single woman going to an auto repair shop you feel like you are at their mercy. These guys are real nice and do a good job and that's what matters. They are my shop for life now that I paid off my jeep. Mark deserves props, Phil is super nice too. read more

Came here for the first time and the job/staff was fast, professional, and efficient. Will definitely be coming back here for any of my future needs. Highly recommend! read more

I used to bring my M5 into this shop all the time to get worked on when I still lived in New York. Now that I've moved to Florida, I miss having a reputable shop that I can trust to take care of my pride and joy. Not only that, I miss having a shop whom I can trust is giving me the right info, fair pricing, and most of all...stellar customer service. Any time I had a question or concern, the owner (Adam) would always take a minute to explain things or answer any questions I had. It's really comforting when the owner of the business takes time out of his busy day to speak to a customer about little things. read more

I've been a loyal customer of Mspec the mother business of Essential Auto (same ownership) I've always brought my bmw's to Mspec because of their honesty and workmanship . I would recommend essential auto to anyone looking for quality auto repair in Queens / Brooklyn . These guys are the real deal . Fix it once . Don't spend the next 2 weeks going back complaining . Do it right the first time . They take pride , are honest and have excellent workmanship . That's the trinity ! read more

Every time I have to have my car serviced, I know that I am in good hands with Essential Auto. Today, Jason was extremely helpful in explaining the service required and talked to my husband on the phone. The shop is clean and the communication is swift. If you are in the local area, I suggest that you give them a go! read more

Can't say this business is even still operating. Called numerous times on numerous days and no one ever picked up. Sent an email through their own website and never got a response. I pass by this shop every once in a while and the front of it is totally blocked with cars (that may belong to the shop next door) and it appears it is always closed. Not sure what's going on here. read more

This place is fantastic! First and foremost, the people are really professional and the shop is very clean. First impression is kinda important when selecting shops and this place nails it. My Charger Scatpack takes 0W-40 oil that basically no shop carries besides the dealer(refuse to bring my car to any dealership). They were OK with me bringing my own oil and filter because of my dilemma. Think I finally found a go-to shop in my area. Highly Recommend!!!! read more

Its nice to see a car repair shop that actually still cares about getting things done the correct way. Went to Essential after a botch job from another place and they got it right the first time. read more

Congratulations on expanding your business. I'm so happy that M-SPEC expanded their services to all car makes n models. I own a Dodge Journey now and am super excited that I can continue coming to service my car with Essential Auto Care. They truly are amazing. This time I forgot to ask them to fill up my windshield washer fluid and when I came in they did it with out me asking and did this as a courtesy. Walked me to the car and even opened the door for me. Very polite and genuine people. They give their 100% to make sure the customer is satisfied with their performance. You will not regret working with them. I wish you all luck and lots of business. Please continue being awesome. read more

I highly recommend Essential. Mike, took the history on my vehicle (2015 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid) like it was a new patient. He identified the cause of a problem that 3 other mechanics were unable to (catalytic converter going). Then, he said, "let me call Subaru because I think it's under Federally mandated extended warranty" - and it was! He did this for me. I had a wheel alignment and other necessary maintenance done, but my biggest issue he solved with no expectation of getting the work. They have themselves a new loyal customer. It is a real pleasure to find an honest, knowledgeable, and professional mechanic like Mike and his team at Essential. read more

These guys are a class act! A few weeks ago at my shop one of our tools (fuel pressure gauge) broke in the middle of diagnosing a car. Call up Michael to see if I could borrow theirs. His response... "sure no problem come pick it up". Awesome!!! Love working with these guys. Local business working together is never a bad thing. Also stopping by to chat every once and a while is always a blast. Keep up the good work guys! read more

I came here to get my car inspected and my car serviced the following day. When I got the car back from inspection, I saw damages on my rims that I pointed out right away. I told them I had before pictures we can look at to resolve any misunderstanding. When we reviewed the before pictures, it was clear the damage wasn't caused at the shop, so I peacefully let it go and decided to schedule my follow up service with them the next day. They decided to deny me service simply because I was concerned over my car. If you're thinking of coming here, don't even bother. Management here is extremely rude and won't even listen to the customer when they voice a complaint even if it's not to resolve but to actually listen and acknowledge. Even when I reached out via social media to speak to management, they told me their service manager Mike has glowing reviews and that "Mike's right, you're wrong". Phil (I think he's one of the owners) literally kept talking over me and chanting "Mike's right, you're wrong" over and over when he got on the phone on the phone with me in response to my message to him on social media. That's really alarming that any member of management would act so undisciplined on the phone. They denied me service because they learned I take pictures of my car before I hand it over for service. They felt it was a violation of their trust that I would take pictures before I handed over my car. I don't understand how that makes any sense. I'm taking pictures of my car away from the shop with my own personal camera for my own personal protection. Go to any respectable dealer and you'll see a member of staff will always take pictures of your car to protect themselves and to protect the customer in case any damages either occurred or didn't occur at the shop. To tell a customer they are breaking terms of trust because they are simply doing something to help themselves and make business go smoothly is very disrespectful. This just goes to show the business cares about themselves and not the consumer. Denying a customer service without a valid reason but personal whims is very bad business. Please avoid. Management isn't there to help you either. read more

Rarely do I write a review for a restaurant, let alone a body shop, yet here I am making an exception for Adam and his crew. The moment that I stepped into the shop I was met with professionalism and care. No one is condescending, yet they take their time to explain the problem you want to be addressed and have a thorough breakdown of the cost.These are honest and hard-working people, whom I know will do an honest days work! read more

Have been to many shops for repairs. No matter where Ryan goes I follow him. Very knowledgeable and always honest! The staff @ essential is great! Highly recommend them! Customer for life! read more

They claim to be "the one stop shop for all things Jeep" and that their "ASE certified technicians have years of experience and are able to diagnose any issue you're experiencing". Blatant LIES. We went to them as they're recommended in the area, come to find out a month after, that the recommendations come from oil changes. They advised us we needed new spark plugs and a filter as they did a DIAGNOSTIC on our Jeep, and this was the problem. We paid their $1500 cost including their diagnostic fee and the next day had NEW issues with our vehicle. We brought it in that same day to be told a few days later VIA text message that we needed to shell out another $2000 for a head gasket. After speaking to a mechanic at the Jeep dealership, he said none of this sounds right, they either MISDIAGNOSED the issue from the start or created a new issue when fixing the spark plugs. We refused to use their services for the second time and had our car towed to the Dealership to be told we need a NEW ENGINE, and this was the issue from the start and what Essential Auto did was useless work that did not solve anything for the vehicle. The dealership head mechanic advised us these "Jeep specialists" are nowhere near what they say they are and took us for a run with their bullshit diagnostic. If they were actual specialists and knew Jeeps, they would've gotten to the real issue from the start, not waste our time and money. LESSON HERE: DO NOT trust them with your vehicle. And go-ahead Adam, comment back what you advised me of through email, that my husband doesn't seem to understand what your mechanics are telling him or what the issue is and that they called ME numerous times (I had 1 missed call from Phil who is real tough when writing his "notes" but wasn't tough enough to admit there may be an error on their end.) If you have a jeep best place to go is the dealership yes, you'll pay a little more but they know your car best and wont dick you around. read more

Best experience that I've had with an auto repair shop. The process was smooth from start to finish, and every concern was addressed thoroughly. read more

I've heard of Essential Auto Care through a buddy of mine and decided to come in for an oil change. Adam and his team were very courteous, friendly and quick. They had me in and out the door all while doing great work and providing excellent customer service. Will come back and highly recommend! read more

My family and I have been loyal to Ryan as our mechanic for years. He's a genuine neighborhood guy and straight shooter. The services and work we've had done have always been accomodating and thorough. read more

These guys are really high end and a great value. They have been running a BMW shop next door that rocks.

There isnt another shop out there that truly cares about your vehicle like Essential does! Mike is great A++++ customer service and the work done here is outstanding. Uncomparable prices, work, customer service and honesty! Stop your search here because Essential is where you and your vehicle need to be! read more

Definitely impressed with their work. Spoke to Mike and Ryan. I brought my car (2015 Subaru wrx) to swap brakes (rotors, calipers, lines) and they did a great job. Took less than 2 hours. Great customer service, handled myself and my car professionally. I highly recommend this shop. read more

I've been ripped off so many times by mechanics...it is so refreshing to finally come across a good shop. My experience with essential auto care has been awesome. They're a bit more expensive than what I'm used to, however, all the work I've gotten done comes with a 36,000 mile/3 month warranty. Like, what?! The other places I've been to, they take my money and pretty much shoo me out the door. Then I realize either I have another issue or my initial issue is still there...the amount of money I could have saved if I started coming to Essential earlier makes me so sad that's how I found essential auto. I went to a shop for an inspection, passed inspection but started getting a wobble whenever I braked at high speeds. So I went to a different shop, they told me I only needed my front rotors and brakes replaced. Had that done. There was still a wobble...came across a flyer from Essential and as a last ditch effort (after looking at the reviews) took my car there. They performed a full diagnostic and provided me a report with pictures (for free if you're local!). Showed me that I pretty much got duped and that I would need to get all four replaced. They also didn't push any other repairs that weren't pressing which I appreciated. Also, the customer service there is great. Mike is quick to respond, and is always willIng to explain and answer any/all questions you have. My brother likes this place too and he's SUPER pessimistic about auto places cuz he's been ripped off many times as well. Overall, I'm glad I found this place! read more

Finally great service and knowledgeable too! Have used their services twice and are so professional, they even alerted me to an important recall on my car that the dealer neglected to inform me about. Will definitely continue to use them and spread the word! Outstanding! read more

I brought my Lexus in for an oil change and a wheel alignment however Ryan the mechanic was able to catch other issues with my car and quickly resolved it. He did an amazing job on my car and now it drives even better than before. All of this however wouldn't be possible without the help of Mike. Mike was very professional and friendly when I came in. He walked me through all of the procedures they did on my car. He even ordered top knotch parts for my vehicle in such a short time. Essential auto care is a hidden gem in Queens! Anyone who needs auto work done on their car this is the right place for you. I will be bringing my car here from now on. read more

Had tires replaced and tune up done. Great price and done in timely manner. Highly recommend this shop