this place is by far the BEST shop we,ve ever been to. joe and lance are great mechanics along with…read morebeing fast and you can always count on their work being done right which is so important to the customer! i,d highly recommend these guy,s for any of your automotive needs. they fixed our car for half price from what five different shops wanted and did an excellent job at that. so glad we came to know them for now our car breakdowns seems so easy to get fixed compared to how it used to be getting ripped off by every where we went. take my wife,s and i word you won,t find a better place to go, give em a try and see for your self! from tommy spencer in des moines,iowa i,ll vouch for them ANYTIME!

I'm a marketing copywriter by profession, so forgive the length of this in-depth review. I'm…read moreshocked these people don't have a million amazing Google reviews and I'd like to do them a favor by telling the world about my experience. We recently purchased a van and had a Used Vehicle Inspection performed by Midas. The Midas estimate came out to about $2,500 in repairs. Before I told them to go ahead with the repairs, I remembered something. A year ago, I was checking out potential daycares for my newborn and I met a woman named Kim. I ended up getting an in-home nanny so I didn't need Kim's daycare services, but she had told me that her husband was a mechanic and encouraged me to contact her if I ever needed any work done. I remembered this brief interaction I had with Kim a year later and as I was standing in Midas, I texted her. She immediately responded with her Husband, Nate's, information. I asked Nate if he would be willing to look over the Midas estimate and give me his thoughts. He promptly responded and I emailed him the estimate. After looking it over, he let me know that he was certain we could get all of that work done for well under $2,500 and he gave me the address to this shop. I brought the van into the shop on Monday morning and that's where I met owner Joe Frazier. Now, let me be honest. I have a cushy job, I work from home by day and I take bubble baths and drink wine by night. I still cringe when I have to go into dairy barns for work. I am not "at home" in any auto shop and this one is a far cry from the corporate feel of the Midas I'm used to. There is no sign outside, and inside is filled with concrete, oil, smoke and a cute dog named Scarlett. I was a little nervous on my first trip in. Especially since Joe was sitting at his desk with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, totally looking like Carface Carruthers (the bad dog from the movie All Dogs Go to Heaven). All of the above being said, the aesthetic of the place sort of put me at ease. I could get behind the logic of no fancy waiting room equals not going to charge me $2,500 for $400 worth of parts. And that's exactly what happened--I saved a ton of money. While my car was there, Nate kept me updated via text (which I really appreciate because I'm busy and texting allows me to continue multi-tasking vs. having to stop for a phone call every question I have). I came in to pick up the van on Wednesday and Joe was wonderful about carefully explaining everything to me. He let me know that one of the repairs that Midas quoted didn't even need to be made--the part wasn't even leaking. He wrote down everything that he did and explained why. He didn't treat me like I was incapable of understanding mechanics or try to gloss over anything (which I've experienced in the past). He was just straightforward and patient. In the end, that $2,500 estimate from Midas cost me around $700 and I didn't have to sacrifice good communication or anything. I had to pet a cute dog for like 5 minutes in a dirty shop--totally worth it. After Joe checked me out, a mechanic brought out my keys and he was the friendliest, scariest looking man covered in dirt and oil that I've ever met. All of the warning lights were off in my van. It felt like it was driving a million times better. I'm super pleased. We have a mandatory inspection scheduled next week for ride-share, so I guess we'll be for certain that all of the repairs were made. I'm not oblivious to the potential scam behind the great deal I got, but I really doubt that's the case here. Everything felt legit. The Handy Helper has us for life now. They are a truly authentic and trustworthy neighborhood shop. If you go anywhere else, you're wasting money--and missing out on petting Scarlett the dog. Do the right thing.

Had some tricky problems with my vehicle that another shop (a very reputable one) did not want to…read moretackle. I was referred to Moen by a guy who works at a dealership. I could not be any more pleased with how Moen handled my situation! The process was extremely transparent, work was done in a timely manner at a reasonable price and my truck now runs better than it ever has. This place is top notch. I will refer anyone here.

Amazing people. I spent most of my life in customer service roles and have never seen a more…read morecustomer-centric business. They do everything possible to see that their customers are treated fairly and honestly. I would trust Cody and his team to work on anything I have, and he is always ready to help with meaningful advice. They can be hard to find tucked away on 2nd Ave, but it's worth your trouble. From simple maintenance to complete rebuilds, you can count on these people to get the job done right. By the way, Choi does a wonderful job handling the front end and all the customers. You'll never find a better place to solve your car issues.

They quickly diagnosed the problems. Kept in touch with me. Able to solve my problems quickly. I…read morefeel their fees were fair.

Our older vehicle (1977) had engine issues while we were traveling through Des Moines. Trevor and…read morehis crew were AWESOME - thorough, professional, personal, and super communicative. Trevor and his team stayed late, went the extra mile, and even helped with parts that had to be sent out for machining. We got great service and in a timely manner. We would HIGHLY recommendJ Town Auto. Kudos, guys! And Eddie says "hi"!

I trust them to do all the little things we don't feel like doing ourselves. Oil changes, check all…read morefluids, service of anything. They have all the tools. Em is super friendly and knowledgeable. If you ask for estimates, they have absolutely no trouble giving them to you. If it is something they don't feel comfortable doing, they will let you know up front.

"Emilee and staff are wonderful! I have been taking my vehicle to them for over a year now and have…read morehad nothing but superior service. Being a single woman it is comforting to know I have a place to take my vehicle to be serviced or have repairs done and not be taken advantage of. I have taken my vehicle to other repair centers in the past and was charged for unnecessary repairs, and it happened on more than one occasion. At AJ's, Colton keeps my vehicle running in tip top shape without any unnecessary repairs etc. If you want a place that you can trust and has fair prices, AJ's is your next stop!"

I've been going to Chamberlin automotive for over six year's now. They will always take care of you…read moreand your car. Donnie is the best, always helpful and kind. They will always call and let you know what the issue is and what the cost will prior to working on your car. If once you leave there is still an issue they will look into it and make it right. They are honest and the service is fast and the best. Tell your friends and family this is the place to take your car. Thank you Myra Gipson

Donnie does exceptional work. Very knowledgeable and very trustworthy. What else do you need from…read morea mechanic? Oh yeah, he's a nice guy too. Great service, fair rates!

Rex at performance is one of the most honest and straightforward mechanics I've ever met I will not…read moretake my car anywhere else

I only wish that I could give Bullard Performance more than just five stars! I can't say enough…read moregood things about Bullard Performance. We were travelling through the area when we had a total engine shutdown in our 1955 Chevrolet station wagon. It has a 383 stroker under the hood with an MSD high performance ignition system. We were 30 miles south of Des Moines and I was afraid that we wouldn't be able to find a shop to get us back on the road. I did a Google search on "Performance Auto Repair Des Moines" and Bullard Performance was one of the search results that popped up. I called the number and got hold of Rex Bullard. Wow, did he ever know his stuff! He asked me a couple of questions and had the car diagnosed within 10 minutes. By the time we got the car to his shop, he already had the repair parts in hand but we arrived beyond the end of his regular business hours. Since we had already made a hotel reservation in Des Moines Rex was going to work it into his busy schedule the next morning. Then, Rex and Amber gave us a ride to our hotel! By noon the next day, the car was not only repaired but a number of other issues were also addressed! We were treated so well by Rex and Amber and I'd never hesitate to use them again! My only complaint is that we live in Lexington, KY and can't use Bullard's on a regular basis! Thanks Bullard's!!!

Silzer is definitely a "quality operation". Honest, knowledgeable, quite capable of many automotive…read morechallenges. They have worked on our company trucks & our personal vehicles over the past 30 years. They may not be cheap, but you will be happy with the outcome. I give them 5 stars. American Lawn Care, Inc.

These people were very helpful at the time I needed, my issue cannot be repaired, but not their…read morefault could not get the parts I needed for my sunroof however, they fixed everything for me the best they could to be sure it was up and tight and no leakage so I wouldn't have to worry that way with it. They explained everything to me and what was wrong when I picked it up so I appreciate that and I appreciated their time trying to repair it. I would definitely return here.

I have used Livingston Automotive in the past and have been very happy. They are well known on the…read moresouth side of Des Moines as professional, knowledgeable and honest shop. I brought my 2017 Nissan Murano in, thinking the CV joints were bad. Replacement can run several thousand dollars. The tech inspected my vehicle and found a simple fix. What did they charge me? Nothing. Just asked to me remember them for future service. These folks are from days gone by type of business. Proud to be of service and a great local business. If you ever need service for your auto and worried about who you can trust to do the work honestly and a reasonable price, try Livingston Automotive.