We've been bringing our cars here since the mid-80s, back when they were downtown. Even when we had five old cars at once, they kept every one running perfectly. Repairs were always done right the first time, which is rare nowadays. The staff are friendly, hardworking, knowledgeable, and honest. Our kids still bring their cars here even though they live out of state. Truly a business you can trust, highly recommend! read more

I need of a battery, we are from the Pittsburgh area, visiting family in Iowa City, when our battery failed. We called their office at 2:30 and they were able to secure and install a battery at a reasonable price. They have worked on my daughter's cars previously and we knew she was pleased with the service and value. I would highly recommend them. A big thank you to their team of professionals. read more

Since 1965 Harapat has been around and that's saying something! Let me do the math for you-- FIFTY FIVE YEARS this Iowa City gem has been in biz. Locally owned, this is my go-to for auto repair. They do it all. From brakes to tires. Oil changes to transmission services. Electrical and engine repairs. They're reliable, trustworthy, reasonably priced, skilled and super professional. Over the years they have put in a new battery in our hybrid, serviced our transmission and more! We've always left the repair shop satisfied. Our last visit we dropped our car off at their super convenient, just of Highway 1 west side location, on a Thursday evening before closing and it was ready to pickup Friday afternoon! (My only knock is they're closed both Saturday and Sunday.) Car repairs stink. They're expensive or inconvenient. But go to Harapat for a trustworthy and professional auto service! read more

We have received excellent and honest service here. Friendly and responsive.cub better than a dealership experience. We will be back.

I went to Lovetinsky Harapat based on the two positive Yelp reviews. My car had a few issues -- a broken antenna, missing support arms for the trunk, and the presence of a chirping sound at startup. I called about a week ahead and was told to bring the car by in advance, so that the needed parts could be ordered. Later, when I brought in the car, this ensured prompt and speedy repair work. Unbelievably, my total labor charge was a whopping $37.00. There's no doubt that they could have charged $100 or more and I would have assumed that that was a reasonable price (I know zilch about cars), but it looks like they are very honest. In light of the fact that they took a look at my problem, quickly fixed it, and then humored my dumb car questions when I picked it up, I feel like I got an extraordinary bargain. This will be the first place I will go whenever I have car issues. Also, a side note -- a ton of city buses and university buses stop at Iowa Ave (just a couple blocks north of Lovetinsky Harapat), so it should be very easy to get to wherever you are going if you are dropping your only car off, as I did. read more

This has to be the best auto-repair place on earth. The mechanics are: 1. Good 2. Honest 3. Knowledgeable They stand by their work. If there happens to be a problem with a repair they made. Just bring it back. They will take care of it. The only problem is this place is VERY popular. So, unless you tell the shop owner it is an emergency, it may take a couple weeks for your car to be taken in. Want your car fixed... bring it here. read more

We've been using them for many years. They are HONEST! We were so glad to have found them. We recommend to everyone we know for many reasons -- but above all they are honest. How great to have a business like this in Iowa City! I never had a "mechanic" before -- now just like a doctor or a dentist, I have a mechanic. It is a great relationship to have. read more

Solid work - I went to Lovetinsky Harapat because I needed someone in the area that could service a Subaru (sometimes not an easy job), and based on their positive Yelp reviews, I decided to give them a try. For a headlight replacement, they didn't charge any labor, and to check out another problem (that ended up not being a problem), they didn't charge anything! Last week, my car was leaking coolant, and I brought it to them on a Friday and they told me it was a bad head gasket - a 10.5-hour job on my car. I needed my car back by Wednesday, and they told me it might not happen because it was such a labor-intensive job, and to make alternate arrangements just in case. I was completely taken by surprise when they called me at 3 pm on Tuesday to tell me the car was ready, they had driven it around town and everything, and it was fine. It even cost over $300 less than the original estimate. Would recommend to ANYONE looking for a good mechanic in Iowa City. They are knowledgeable, honest, and quick. Only drawback is that they're so good that sometimes they are kind of backed up due to popularity! read more

Mark helped me and my mom on our big road trip, 30 minutes before closing and with 1000 miles left to go on our trip. We called ahead of time when we started hearing a rattle, he fit us in right off the highway, and fixed us up within 15 minutes! Great service and so nice to work with. Such a lifesaver! read more

Gary and his son are great honest mechanics. My truck broke down just coming off the interstate. I called Whitedog auto services, unfortunately the don't work on domestic vehicles. I asked for a recommendation and they without hesitation said Harapat The tow truck driver even said he never hear a bad word about them. Gary had the truck up and running before the weekend Professional, friendly, down to earth Wish he was in Illinois read more

Best service station in IC. I do not know what they did with my 94' Dodge Grand Caravan, it runs so smooth now. Friendly and efficient. Would recommend them to all. read more

Hhmm.....what did I missed? I live in Iowa City for almost 20 yrs we never knew this auto repair did excellent job. Made an appointment a week in advance for my car because AC didn't cool anymore and need oil change also. They gave us ballpark estimate and depend what's the problem. So, I dropped my car in the morning the gentlemen name Gary told me around 2pm will be done. At 11:30 am the called & said my car is done. Super fast service, especially for first time customer this was made a good impression. They also have shuttle service that will drop you & pick you. Now my AC works perfect after added new freon in it. Talked with other folks, they said this place the best place for taking your car their. They have a good reputation and also well respect because of their job was done correctly & honest. I'll be back if I need more car work done. Thank you for a nice service. read more

Harapat is a wonderful place to take your car! They're usually busy, but they're always able to work your car in fairly quickly. If it truly is an emergency, just let them know - they'll do their best to get it in right away. They have proved their honesty to me on more than one occasion, so I feel like I don't need to second-guess what they say, and I know that they will not exaggerate, or add on unneeded repairs just to up the bill. The mechanics are all very friendly, and will take the time to make sure that you understand whatever problems your vehicle may have. If something (such as brakes) will need to be replaced in the not-so distant future, they'll try to give you an estimate on the life that's left in them. To quote Christopher M.'s review, the mechanics are good, honest, and knowledgeable. I've never regretted taking my vehicles to Harapat, and I'll continue to take them there. :) read more

Moved to Iowa City in 2015. I had a mechanic before I moved because my sister attended Iowa. She found Harapat and she (and my Dad) found out real quick 5 stars isn't enough to rate them. These men are worth their weight in gold. So reliable and amazing service. read more

I called them on the phone and described the problem (brakes I thought) around 9:30 a.m. on a Wednesday, then dropped the car off about noon. The problem was diagnosed (brakes indeed and I was offered several options for repairs) by around 3 pm. It was ready to be picked up the next morning at 9 a.m. for a very reasonable price. They test drove the car to check the brakes before I picked it up. Their shuttle service drove me from the shop to my home when I dropped the car off and then came to pick me up the next morning so I could drive the car home. Great, fast, friendly and convenient service, and the brakes work great now. I will be going back next time I need some car work done! read more

I bought my first car (an older Audi) in my 30s -- a bit late, and lacking plenty of automotive clues. After a few months I noticed that it wasn't sounding as happy as it used to, so I took it to the dealership. I asked them to check the fluids and give it a once-over to see what might be the problem. They told me that the hydraulic valve lifters needed to be replaced, and that it would cost a few hundred dollars -- but a friend of mine *insisted* that I should get a second opinion from his mechanic -- Gary Harapat. So I took it to Gary over lunch, he gave it a quick look on the spot, said "You're out of oil." He popped open a new quart, filled 'er up, and said the engine would probably be running smooth before I got back to work (and of course he was right). I asked him what I owed him, he said nothing. What?? And I've been a customer ever since. Every interaction with Gary and his team has been positive, they do solid work, and there's no price gouging or selling unneeded services -- even to people like me who walked in wearing a "kick me, I'm clueless about cars" sign. read more

This place is just as solid as everyone says. I had a minor issue- needed a headlight bulb replaced. (Coralville police pulled me over for it!) The gentlemen at Lovetinsky Harapat got me in right away and were done in less than 10 minutes. They only charged me $16. Will go back for any other work! read more

Really like this place. Seem honest & don't BS to try to tag on unnecessary items to repair.

An unstoppable force of automotive prowess. These guys have saved me so much money through their honesty and hard work. My dedication to these guys is such that while living in Kansas City, I actually drove back to Iowa City, exclusively to bring my car in here for maintenance. read more

I went there because I saw all these five star comments. However, I didn't feel like the same experience there. One of my front lights was not working and it turned out the control module was bad. They would charge $480 to fix that, which was too expensive for me as a poor student. So I said I need to consider it. Then they charged me $50 just for the diagnostics, which was such a shock to me. Because other auto repair stores never charged me anything when I decided not to have the repair done. I paid the $50 and appreciated their diagnostics. But I think it would be better if they could have communicated the fee with me when I drove in and before they did any diagnostics, thus I could have made an informative decision not to have the check there. Because I just wasted $50 without getting any work done. read more

Literally the best mechanics in Iowa City. Honest, highly knowledgeable, friendly. You can't ask for a better auto shop in town.

I haven't been in the shop or had anything done here, but a phone conversation I had with them warrants five stars... I went in for an oil change at a dealer and was told that I needed over $700 of work done on my three-year-old car. I started shopping around for a lower price and called Lovetinsky Harapat's because of their stellar reviews. Their prices were lower, but they also informed me that ALL of the dealer's recommendations were unnecessary. He took the time to explain everything (in layman's terms), which is pretty impressive considering I haven't spent a cent there. I sincerely appreciated his honesty and I will definitely be going there for any future repairs. :) read more

Had 4 other shops and a dealership try to sell me on a $500 repair. These guys did it for $170ish and it was totally something different. They actually read the computer and knew the problem. I'll be taking my car here from now on. read more

Wow. It's always been cheaper and faster than expected. My car was shimmying and pulling to one side; I thought it was something mechanical (since the tires looked OK visually to my naive eyes), but they diagnosed it as tires (for free). I let them do the tires, figuring I'd be spending a little more, but what the heck, be supportive of local business. Nope, was actually cheaper than a set of tires at WalMart. Next, my battery. I left my lights on, and after jumping, it didn't seem to hold a charge. Figured that my ten-year-old battery just had given up, that the complete drain and jump had put it over the edge. Nope, Harapat's tested it, declared it good, and that it was a loose cable that had probably gotten extra-loose when jiggering the jumper cables. $5.00 or so, and the battery has been good ever since. Then the leaking oil. Well, they fixed the leak and did an oil/filter change, all for $30, which is slightly more than using Jiffy-Lube, but not that much more, especially since they actually *fixed* the car as well. Awesome service. One little quirk. They are so popular and busy that scheduling is difficult, usually at least a week away. However, I've found that if I just leave the car and say "well, don't need a set date/time, just get to it whenever you get around to it" they generally get to it the same day or next-day. Kinda like Scotty on Star Trek -- he'll *tell* Kirk it will take five hours, but get the job done in one. In Scotty's case, turned out that there was a bit of deception to keep the miracle-worker image going, but you've still gotta love Scotty. And I love Lovetinsky Harapat. read more

I am not from Iowa City so I didn't know where to go for service. I read some reviews for this shop and was impressed at what other folks had said. I took my sons truck in because the brakes failed. The personal service was great and the repair was fantastic. I will recommend this shop to anyone needing auto service. read more

You won't find better service in town! I'd venture to say this place is top 10 in the state, too. I have several stories about how Gary has bent over backwards to make sure I am driving (and parking) safely. If it is a desperate situation, they make sure to get you in if they can get the part in time. This example is by far my favorite. My husband and I were new to town. My husband needed a brake caliper (I think) to be replaced. Plus he needed new brakes. He had replaced one of the calipers himself a one a few years ago. Got a few opinions. The estimates ranged from $800-1,200. -One company vacuumed out the car and filled fluids and told him it costed $50 even though he only asked for an estimate. Who does that? -A national company told him since both the factory calipers were on there, he HAD to have both replaced. My husband waited patiently until the end of the sales pitch to tell him he had actually replaced one a few years ago. I'm sure it's no fun to be caught in a lie as a salesperson... -Finally, he found Lovetinsky Harapat. Gary said he could get him in early next week, but my husband needed to drive to Des Moines over the weekend and there was no way he could drive on the interstate without brakes. Gary said if I can get the part in, I'll fix it tomorrow. At half the cost. So there you have it - you decide which mechanic to go to. read more

I highly recommend Harapat Auto. Excellent service, friendly, and honest. I took my vehicle here for the first time because it was making an unusual high pitched sound. As someone who knows very little about cars, I was wary of being charged for unnecessary services at jacked-up prices. The employee at Harapat Auto took the time to explain what was going on with my car, which ended up being a simple fix that they took care of at no cost. I will gladly be bringing my vehicle back here my future automotive work. read more

What everyone else has said about them being knowledgeable and honest and well priced is all true. I just wanted to add that they certainly know Suburus, so if you have trouble with yours this is a great place to take it. read more

Honest, timely, friendly, and professional. They are pretty busy so call ahead. Gave me a ride to work at the hospital in the morning. and were willing to pick me up after work. read more

I took my car based on 5 Stars rating nd referenced. There was oil leak. They just scammed me with bill of $2100 and broke my AC and another $300 afterward a month letter still leaking. When I took my car there, Owner said if I gave him $10000 then he will give guarantee no leak. What a drama shameless scammers? Most disturbing they said they replaced the parts...that part/hose still leaking. I wasted my 3-4 trips and $2400. I will never recommend this autoshop. If you give them blind check, they just squeeze you. read more

From out of town and dire need a second opinion. They were very responsive and also took the time to make sure I understood everything. When people are able to break things down so simply, that's when you know they know what they are doing. I've called multiple places up and they were by far the friendliest and seemed extremely quick and knowledgeable. In the future, I would definitely use them for car repairs! read more

I've taken my car there for 15 years. They are very honest and tell you straight up whether repairs are worth doing or not. The work is uniformly excellent. Once on a complicated disc wheel rubbing issue some years back the mechanic told me to drive it for a few days and then come back and pay if i was satisfied with the repair!!! The repair was great, and i gladly paid. this is really a special place. read more

Looking at 5 stars I went there and then they scammed me without fixing oil leak $2300. DONT GO THERE. Owner stated pay $10000 then he will guarantee for oil-leak. It was wasted money and time. read more

I have gone to quite a few auto dealerships as we have bought our children cars to drive and I have been so impressed with this business. They are nice, honest, responsive, ethical and hard working. I will never want to go anywhere else. In addition, if you have college students that are far away from home, it is really great to have a place and people you can trust. I can't say enough good things. Thank you for your great work! read more

The BEST auto repair shop around! After several years of searching for a reputable repair shop, I finally decided to check out Yelp reviews. Harapat had the highest ratings and for good reason. Gary Harapat will go over and above to make sure the job gets done and gets done right. Highly recommended! read more

Very nice to work with. Owner goes out of his way for customers: once drove my car home for the weekend to see if he could hear the sound I was complaining about. Stand behind their work--if something not right no charge and fix it right. If big ticket item, they will work with the customer. Honest and knowledgeable. If you have an emergency, they make every effort to get you squeezed in. An Iowa City jewel business. read more