I love this place! The staff are always kind,the waiting area is comfortable ,they have always been clear on waiting times and cost estimates even while I am working to get my car to the 300,000 mileage mark-just because:). read more

When living in burnt hills some time ago, I owned a VW Westfalia. I took it to Gil's as they did work on foreign cars. When I went to pick it up, it no longer had hydraulics in the hatchback. The vehicle was locked at night so I knew noone took them except one of the mechanics or Gil's needed some. I truly resent that we were so low on cash and were taken advantage of. read more

I have been a faithful customer of Gil's for years now. It is a Burnt Hills landmark. It has been family owned since it opened, the original owners children and grandchildren are currently running the show. They are always kind, helpful, professional, organized and fast! They have given me advice that has saved me money. They do not price gouge you. They have even gone out of their way to help me lower my auto insurance! I always recommend them to all my friends and family. If you aren't from Burnt Hills or the Halfmoon area, I would still recommend Gil's over anyone else in the area. Even if the drive is a bit longer. I promise you won't be sorry! I hope they remain with us for many years to come! read more

See all

Forget about it! Prima Donna doesn't begin to tell the story. An attempt was made to charge me $800 to install 4 spark plugs priced at $33 each and one coil pack priced at $195. read more

Very easy to make an appointment, fast, efficient & honest! I always feel like I have been treated fairly and friendly when I go to Gils!! read more

They are considered a local, family owned, and trusted company in our town. When the service we needed for our vehicle was too much to handle for the smaller shops like Monroe or Midas; we brought it to Gil's. In any auto repair there are small tiny little things that need to get done in order to reach the bigger things or the more complicated issues. Then when the car is put all back together, you start with the big things and then you end with the little tiny things. Gil's repaired the larger more complicated issue we needed help with and they did a great job. However, one small glitch was they apparently put a lug nut back on our tire incorrectly when reassembling. We found this out when we had to go to one of the smaller shops like Monroe or Midas to have our brakes replaced. The guy at that shop pulled us over and wanted to let us know that whoever fooled with the tire didn't put it together correctly. We didn't name names, but the last person to touch it was Gil's (unfortunately.) Maybe it was a new guy...?maybe the machinery or tools didn't work correctly... ? I have no idea what the reason was but it happened. Luckily, nothing resulted of it. We were not injured in anyway and we were not "put out" in anyway. Would we use Gil's again ....absolutely! We have no objections about them whatsoever. Tip: I would say that there is a need for loaner cars at this location or perhaps a way to rent out a car at/or nearby this location to make it perfect. As a local company they could mitigate their risk by offering loaner cars to perhaps local residence of Charlton, Ballston Lake, and Burnt Hills area, for instance. Tip: Shop is in high demand and is very busy, therefore you could have to wait a few days before getting your car in to even being viewed. Then your car has to wait for the parts to be ordered. Then your car has to wait for the repairs. However, this is not very different from other shops other than it is very busy so the wait time might be a little bit longer perhaps. Our car was completely dead and we couldn't have the tow truck bring the car to the shop without its permission to leave it in the parking lot and Gil was not open so we had to wait until they were open then we had to wait until there was space available then we had to wait for The car to be looked at then we had to wait for them to order the parts then we had to wait for the repair. We were without our car for quite a while. read more

I'm very stingy with 5's. Gil's Garage is wonderful: personal service, quality work, good prices, clean and comfortable waiting room. I recently ordered snow tires online (Tirerack.com) and had them delivered directly to Gil's. They did a great job, once again, and less expensive and more convenient than my Volvo dealer. read more

Gil's Garage - Snow tires! - Auto Repair Near Me - Ballston, New York

If you don't mind taking a second mortgage on your house, these people are right for your car repairs.

After they saw my 4* review, a long with my complaints, they called me, and asked if I would change my review if they were to refund the $81 additional charge for rechecking the work they had done. I agreed, but indicated I would only add onto the prior review this change (keeping the same comments) as I changed the *# issued. Since they did refund the $81 additional charge, as per "my word" (which I refuse to compromise as a matter of honor in honesty), I am assigning the 5* as I promised. There is a huge "however" though. When I complained that they charged $81 for a 1/2 hour test drive and didn't even put the car on the lift, they answered they did in fact put the car on the lift when they were rechecking the work they had done previously. One thing they told me is that the rotors are a bit warped. My logical question is; since they had the car on the lift for the repairs, why didn't they check for this then and note it on the bill!? Another Mechanic I used to go to always did this; and even noted any additional concerns (actually showing me the items so I could see it with my own eyes) before completing any repairs. Be that as it may, as I promised, I am adding an indication that they returned the $81 I complained about in my comment and changing the rating from 4* to 5*. As I told the Gil's person, I am keeping my prior comment, but adding their positive response to my complaint, and changing the 4* rating to a 5* rating. Below is my prior review; which I still stand by; with the addition of the above. I still don't recommend this garage. I don't recommend this garage;and recommend avoiding it. Over priced, takes a long time (a week or more) to make repairs, and even charged $81 for a 1/2 hour "labor" to "test drive" the car after I indicated I had concerns about the repairs they made when I drove the car afterwards. They did the job! But a rip off in my opinion. (1) Found out, as part of the last bill I received for a "diagnostic" of the work they did earlier, they charge more than $160/hour. Ludacris to say the least. The "diagnostic" involved a "test drive" for 1/2 hour. (2) After I paid $1,200 to fix an axle, they were nice enough to text me to tell me to contact them if I had "issues" that might be connected to their work; BUT... (a) finding a bit of vibration, I was concerned because repairs were on axle and required "alignment" (b) they charged me $81 for this 1/2 hour "diagnostic" that was supposed to only double check the work they previously did (reason I found they charge $160/hour in "Labor"!). (3) I have to give 4* ONLY because they actually did the fix to the axle ok; as "honor" requires me to acknowledge this. They also appropriately contacted the insurance company to pay for of the $1,200 original cost. BUT:(a) OVER PRICED labor cost,(b) charge me to recheck their own work(after they said I should contact them about it)!? Definitely would not go back to them!!!!!!!! read more

Gil's Garage has provided my family's entire fleet of cars and trucks with top notch service for over thirty years. In doing so they've extended the lives and trade in values of all our vehicles. read more

The staff and quality of service at Gil's is simply put, excellent. I never have an issue getting an appointment or my vehicle's work being completed on time. They do not try to upcharge/sell me any unnecessary repairs or products. A family run business with customer care as their #1 priority. read more

I drove 40 minutes to have my car worked on here and am happy I did. They were professional, friendly, honest, did good work and charged reasonable rates. When I dropped off my car I asked if I could wait for it to avoid a second long trip there. They were caught off guard, indicated it would be at least four hours, but said they could make it work. Even steered me to the local library and a diner to help me pass the time. Both great recommendations. As I was walking out the door I saw a mechanic pull my car into the garage. Promising! The time flew by and my car was done in a little over four hours. Give them a try! I'm confident you'll be impressed! read more

Woke up to a flat tire. Gil's Garage got me a tow, got my tire repaired and even fixed a bad patch job someone else did. Thank you Gil's Garage! read more

Several weeks ago I had two cars on their respective death beds. I dropped them off at Gil's expecting the worst. I now have both cars back on the road working better than ever. Throughout the process, from initial diagnosis to handing me the keys, they made me feel like they were treating the car like it was their own. Bottomline: Quality work at a reasonable price! I highly recommend the Gil's Service Team if you need work done on your car! Mark Williams Guilderland read more

I had my custom Camaro inspected this morning and they did a great job taking care of my pride and joy. Thank you again.

After brining my car to Mangino buick gmc for years I will no longer be brining to my car to any dealership after dealing with Gils garage. They took the time to explain what was going on with my car to me, not only to take the time to talk to me but to actually figure out what was going on with it. Was not happy with the labor portion of it , it was double the cost of the parts but they really are wonderful and in today's day it is what it is. I will be brining my car there from now on and will refer anyone there that needs a place to go. read more

I've been bringing my cars to Gils Garage for the past 2 years. Their service is excellent and they stand behind their work. The front staff are also very friendly. I highly recommend Gils for your auto repair work read more

My wife brought her vehicle here to get new tires mounted and balanced on her newer vehicle, also planned on having a front end alignment done afterwards. Service advised her that it shouldn't take long to do but drop it off early in the day and they will call her to pick it up. We dropped it off first thing in the morning (around 7:00 AM) assuming that a job of this scale shouldn't take more then a few hours to do. She gets a phone call around 5 PM that the tires have been mounted and balanced but they would not advise a front end alignment because the two front ball joints should be repaired due to the amount of "play" in them when they were up on the lift. Considering the car has been meticulously maintained throughout its life I was shocked to hear that there was such an issue with the vehicle. Went and picked the vehicle up and decided to hold off on replacing the ball joints and get a second opinion instead. Brought the vehicle to two separate reputable repair shops and neither of which suggested the ball joints should be repaired and that there was zero "play" in them as Gil's had stated. We actually ended up bringing it over to Fogg's Automotive and they said that there was no issue with the ball joints and proceeded with a front end alignment. I decided to call management know that I was disappointed in how this whole thing unfolded and that they were going to lose a customer who just moved to the area. I explained that two other mechanics strongly disagreed with their assessment of repairing the ball joints and there only suggestion was to have us bring the vehicle back to put it on a lift so they could look at it again. Last I checked us taking time out of our schedule to bring our vehicle to be put back on a lift isn't really a form of compensation, more so another inconvenience. read more

I drive a 2001 Eldorado with the Northstar V8. This is reputed to be a hard engine on which to work. I needed an oxygen sensor to pass inspection. The car was originally at a chain repair shop that I patronize a lot (I have 4 cars). I was told by the chain shop, several times, that the sensor was in a hard to reach spot (it is) and they were not sure they could install it. I was told that their "top mechanic" was not scheduled to work for a few days. Several techs looked at the job and were perplexed about how to change it, even after I offered to lend them my GM factory repair manual for the car. Long story short, I picked up the car, brought it to Gil's on Rte 50, and it was done within 48 hours, for $35 less than Gil's estimated maximum price. Matt spent at least 10 minutes (probably more) explaining the job to me, asking questions to be sure the diagnosis of the bad sensor was correct, and assuring me that he was totally familiar with the car, the engine and the job. Everyone with whom I came into contact was professional, proactively friendly, and courteous. If you want a no BS competent mechanic working on your car, a bill that is less than expected, and to be treated as their only customer, with all the respect that that implies, Gil's is the place to go. Five star reviews are nice for a business I am sure. But for me, money talks, and when I picked up my Eldorado I dropped off another car for transmission service and problem diagnosis. When I pick that one up I will be dropping off a third one for strut replacement. I believe in supporting as much as possible good local businesses and this is my way of showing it. read more

Wow. Don't waste your time. I made an appointment for an oil change and tire rotation as well as a NYS inspection. I figured I would try Gil's because of the good reviews online. Big mistake. My appointment was at 4pm and I was exactly on time. It is now 5:55 and the jeep isn't ready. I get the same service done at jiffy lube in about 45 minutes. I most certainly won't be back here, and I strongly suggest that you avoid this garage. read more

Great customer service and experience. Matt answer the phone and make you feel better that they're there to help. Thank you very much for your service. read more

$120 for 20 minutes of labor is insane / egregious. Otherwise, job was good. Team was communicative and efficient.

Gils has taken care of all my cars for over 35 years since I was a teenage driver. It's always a good experience when working with them. When the repairs are complete I'm confident they are done right and my family will be safe in all of our vehicles. Thank you for all the years a great service. read more

Having driven by Gil's Garage a countless number of times, I recently had some mechanical issues and thought to give them a try. When I called, they got me right in. After looking at my vehicle, they informed me of the problems and what needed to be done to correct it while explaining my options. I had a few questions and they where answered very politely and professionally. I had my vehicle back the next day and everything works like new again! Professional and customer service oriented from start to finish. GIVE THEM A CALL!! read more

We have been Gil's customers for over 22 years. Because of their honesty,knowledge and well educated mechanics,we would not consider a different establishment. Doug&Linda read more

we own a prius. would prefer a buick, but we own a prius. anyhow, we needed two, tiny little headlight bulbs to pass inspection. one little tiny bulb...for a PRIUS! is 150.00. and once one bulb "goes," the other is right behind it. since "gil's " is very nearby, i popped in to see what they would charge for the job, an estimate anyhow. i had been told elsewhere, that along with labor- the cost would be 600.00 total. JUST BECAUSE IT IS A PRIUS, and it is a pain in the *** to swap out the bulbs... it involves removing the front bumper, etc.; so i popped in to gil's. the guy at the counter says "can i help you..." i tell him i need to know how much it would cost to have them replace the bulbs....he says "how do you KNOW it's the bulbs?" i barely got a few words out, was going to tell him someone had already looked at the car, and he roars 'I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!!" wow...REALLY?? i was ....shocked. he then proceeded to INFORM me that it COULD be ballasts, and NOT bulbs, and tells me to bring the car IN. i asked what the cost would be to have them look at it. (i was actually fuming, but had to go into "actor mode" to avoid a melt down here) can't remember what he quoted me then, but i was again shocked, and suspected at that moment, that if i drove the car into gil's that day, that i would get $crewed....i told him i would let him know, would call. his customer relation skills seriously lack-or maybe he didn't take his meds that day..i wouldn't even give them $$ toward a simple oil change after dealing with this guy. he has no business dealing with potential customers. i ended up at "ericks' garage" in schenectady, a lot less fancier, but the guy truly cares about his customers, and is very fair. he charged me 45.00 for labor, for which i was and will always be grateful. there are plenty of other garages, such as MONRO, who will happily look at a vehicle to figure out what is going on with it, and won't charge a dime to do so.. and the people are professionals. read more

I cannot get over this garage! Purchased snow tires beginning of November, did not like them. At the end of December they reimbursed the full cost and applied toward studded snow! I was shocked as i thought i had to sell the tires and buy new studded tires separately. They are very concerned about customer satisfaction. Very pleased, as a female i feel i can trust their estimates. read more

We've used Gil's for repairs and maintenance on our vehicles a few times in the past year. Until today, we believed they were one of the best garage's in the area. And while their mechanical abilities seem just fine, we are disappointed after being socked for services provided without attempt to contact or discuss with us prior to performing additional repairs as they stated they would. The work may have been necessary and we most likely would have given the okay, but the lack of communication and their behavior beyond is unacceptable. We are seriously questioning whether we'll bring our vehicles back there... as of today, my vote is never again. read more

This is a review for the Clifton Park location. I was going to purchase tires online and have them drop shipped to Gil's. I called and spoke to s gentleman named John about 2 weeks ago. We talked about what I wanted to do. He was extremely polite and helpful. He offered to do a little research and see if they could beat the online price for the tire u wanted. I was a little hesitant I suppose because I've been ripped off in the past by other places. Long story short, Gil's (John) beat the online price by quite a bit. So I paid less for the tires that I wanted, didn't have to pay for shipping, and I get all the benefits of buying from Gil's should something go wrong. I had the work done yesterday while I waited knowing it would take some time. Waiting room was clean and comfortable. Same with the restroom. Free coffee and water. A big pet peeve of mine is when I have an appointment and they don't start working on my car for an hour. I no sooner handed my keys over and the mechanic went out and got my car. I observed how they were working on other people's vehicles and how they interacted with the customers. Each person was polite, caring and seemed to make each customers experience personnel. Everyone had a smile on their faces. 4 tires, alignment check, full service including synthetic oil change was about the same amount of money if I bought and shipped from online retailer (not including the cost to mount, balance, align, and service) I saved over $200 going to Gil's. They even took off $30 because I was a first time customer and they mailed out a flyer that I brought to them. They have a customer for as long as I'm in the area. They could've soaked me for brakes or alignment or something to make some money but the obviously believe in fair business and treating the customer perfectly. They make money from repeat customers. I can't recommend them enough. I have to add. A couple people broke down and came in for help. The staff got right on it and it didn't impact my wait. They genuinely care. Thank you Gil's Garage. Raising the standard of customer care! read more

After getting screwed over by several mechanics in the Saratoga area, a friend directed me to Gil's. Several years of inspections, oil changes and various repairs later, I have got to say that I will go nowhere else but Gil's! The staff is very friendly, knowledgeable and not at all pushy, and does not talk down to their female clientele (as I have experienced at other places). The waiting room is modern and clean with free coffee and wifi. Overall, totally worth the 1/2 hour drive from Saratoga! read more

I love this place. As advertised local great place. My only regret is that it has taken me this long to find this place. The guy at the desk helped me out with tires and an inspection. Worked with my budget and was honest about pricing and ratings on tires. Didn't try to sell me on anything I didn't need. Definitely worth coming back to. read more

We had a car emergency while on a road trip and Gil's was nearby. We're so glad we stopped there! They were able to squeeze us in on short notice, everyone was amazingly friendly, and they fixed our problem quickly. The waiting area is very nice as well. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Gil's to anyone and wish they were in my hometown! read more

The only place around to get your vehicles fixed that's worth the trip. Always polite friendly and professional

My boyfriend and I were coming from our home in North Carolina to where we grew up in Vermont for a wedding. 2 hours into our trip the air conditioning stopped working, which we shook off and just opened the window. On the second day of our trip around Albany we smelt a burning smell, but kept going since no other indications were on saying anything was wrong with the car. Around the burnt hills exit on 87, the battery light started flashing and the car started overheating. The power steering also went. A quick Google search later and we were on our way to Gil's. This happened on a Friday afternoon and the wedding taking place in Vermont on Saturday. We spoke with Matt who not only promised to have the work done as soon as possible (and done right) but also helped us find a rental car place who came and picked us up so we could get to the wedding while our car was being fixed. Matt called us Friday night saying the work could be done by Monday afternoon (closed on weekends) and Gil's was able to replace the parts we need and did so with an incredulous customer service. Highly highly recommended for their customer service, quick work, and friendliness!! read more

I have a modified Jeep Cherokee that I have taken to Gils on three separate occasions. I brought it here the first time because I had stuck front bumber bolts that I needed out in order to put a new one on. I figured it might be an odd request, but I brought it to them anyway. Not only did the technician get the bolts unstuck but they basically did it for free! The second time I bought four new Goodyear MT/R tires (not cheap!) from them and had them mounted at a price that was reasonable($15 per tire). Recently, I needed rear bump stops welded to the frame and a transfer case drop kit installed because once again my 20 year old jeep had stuck bolts so I brought it over to them. I was satisfied that not only did they did the get the work finished quickly, the cost was reasonable at $250. The technicians that I interacted with are great, however, the older gentleman that works the front counter can be a little hard to deal with, only because he seems like he is just there to sell...Be aware of this and I'm sure you'll have as stress free an experience as I did. read more

Gil's is great. Never a problem. Amazes me the complaints people have sometimes. Cars are incredibly complex machines. Mechanics performs miracles. Far more difficult at times than being a medical doctor. Cars can't tell you where it hurts. Granted there are sensors all over newer cars now with computer readouts but strange sounds and vibrations are the toughest and can take forever to diagnose. read more

This garage came highly recommended. However we droped off a VW Bug convertible for repair and after two days we still did not have an update/diagnosis for repairs. My husband called and was told someone would call back. On Tuesday evening he had still not had a call back. He drove to Gil's to find out what the problem was. The service manager had no explanation of why repairs were not communicated. She apologized but commented that typicsl estimate/repair turnaround is within 24 hours. The car was there 4 days and after $1500 of repairs we won't be returning. We would recommend a repair facility that isn't backlogged. Pick a lot with fewer cars and expect prompt service. Rapair costs are high. read more

Gil's is a family owned and operated business. They don't overbook to short change on quality and timeliness of service. You always get honest service at a very good price --how do we know? Because we made the mistake of going to the Chevy dealership (in albany) where we purchased our cars for some repairs and oil changes and it was a fiasco --so overpriced and bad that we even had to bring one of our cars to Gil's to fix what the dealership had overlooked. . We highly recommend Gil's garage for all your repairs and routine services --we will not be going anywhere else. read more

My F350 has had a vibration for about 18 months. I tried new tires, and brought it back to the tire guy twice - no improvement. I brought it to two different Ford dealers - no improvement. I mentioned this problem to Gil's while they were performing other service on the truck and they fixed the problem - the truck rides like new. read more

I had a written quote for how much it would cost and the time frame that they would honor it within, yet when I attempted to get the work done for that price within the time stated they said it would cost more and that was the last time I went to Gil's. When they say something it's meaningless even when in writing by their own hand!I know that the Suzuki Corp.was no longer in business, but parts were still available. I will say this for them they were the only one that would offer a written quote but what good is it if they refuse to do the work for that price? read more