Hollenshade's, what happened? I've been a solid customer for 20+ years, I take good care of my cars, and I've always trusted your shop to do honest work. Like everybody, I waited patiently in your thimble-sized office, navigated your comically undersized lot, and quietly appreciated the humor of your staff through the years. Thank you for that. So why today was I met by two new faces at the service desk with such a strikingly different attitude? I was surprised to hear oil changes require advance appointments, and you now prefer online. I mean, sure, I can do that. But when did that change? And why was a technician I've never seen before so condescending about it? He was downright hostile. Then the other guy chimed in and accused me of interrupting him. Honestly, gentlemen, I asked myself, "Is it worth it to schedule an appointment with you, if I know it's going to be you calling me to tell me any additional work that may need to be done? Do I trust the two of you?" The answer in that split-second moment was no. The arrogance, sarcasm, and belittling behavior by this pair made me realize I wouldn't trust these two to be the communicators of my mechanic shop. When I asked where the two old guys went, Kyle said with a smirk, "They went where all old guys go." Um, did they die? No, they retired, thankfully. Old guys from the desk, you are missed by your customers! Maybe it's the same great mechanics working behind closed bay doors at Hollenshade's, I don't know. Two guys I've never seen before told me things about how the business works that I've never heard before and treated me in a way no one at Hollenshades ever treated me before. Which leads me to the conclusion that this is not the same Hollenshade's I've trusted for over 20 years. I'm genuinely disappointed that I need to find a new mechanic. I honestly don't know what's happening at Hollenshade's anymore. read more

Hollenshades is an honest auto service. I recommend them highly. They only fix what needs to be fixed.

My wife and I have been taking our cars here for years. Typically just for oil changes, regular maintenance and tires. We purchased a '99 4Runner that need a valve cover gasket job to pass inspection. They charged what was a relatively standard ~$900 for the job. This vehicle gets occasional usage, maybe 5k-7k miles per year. Two years later and the valve covers were leaking oil worse than before they performed the job. This kind of job should have lasted 5-10 years at the frequency that this vehicle is used. I decided to do the job myself. I kept the Hollenshade receipt, which included the price for the OEM Toyota valve cover job 'kit'. I ordered my own Valve Cover kit all OEM Toyota parts (from Toyota, which was cheaper). Once I dug in to do this job I found: - After market 'blue' valve cover gaskets. - Aftermarket intake plenum gaskets. - Spark plug seals were NOT changed, were hard and brittle - Valve cover bolt washers were NOT changed, were hard and brittle - Genuine Toyota FIPG (black) was NOT used, they used some gray seal which is where the leaking was occurring. For the ~$900 price I paid, I thought I could trust this job to be done professionally, it was not. I suspect Hollenshade's would offer to redo the job....but how would I know it was done right if the only way to confirm this is to essentially perform this job and tear into the valve covers so that I can determine the proper OEM equipment was used and all the recommend wear parts were actually changed? In the end, I 'might' use them for tire rotations, balance and if I get new tires. But I don't think I can trust them to do professional complex work w/o charging full price for OEM parts, yet using after market parts and not even replacing all that is standard. read more

I took my wife's Forester here for brakes on advice of a friend. They charged $600 for just the front brake job. Then a couple weeks later the new brakes started making noise so I went back to them. They refused to fix the problem. They told me some brake squealing was to be expected. I ended up going to the dealer who said they had installed cheap, low quality brake pads and ended up machining rear rotors and replacing all 4 brake pads for less than what Hollenshades charged for the just the front brakes. No more noise. So yeah, if you want to pay higher than dealer prices for cheap parts and terrible customer service, you found the right place. My friend who originally recommended has since also stopped using Hollenshades, but I'll let him share his own story. read more

I'll never forget an experience I had here. I brought in a vehicle that technically could have been repaired, but the cost would have practically exceeded what the car was worth. Instead of taking my money, the owner honestly advised me to donate it. That level of integrity stuck with me. I've always appreciated businesses that put people over profit. Experiences like that are why I've confidently recommended Hollenshade's Auto Service to friends over the years. read more

Very professional. Service was excellent and I had my vehicle back within 24 hours as promised.

Any time my family needs car work, we give Hollanshade's Auto Service a call. Why? Well, for one, Hollanshade's does it right. We've been there when we've had issues with our cars and when we were just being proactive and doing some preventative things. Each time, we've left Hollenshade's pleased with the result. Value. Hollenshade's has very reasonable prices. They charge what they say they will and their estimates always come in lower than what I had in mind. If something comes up during their repairs, they call before doing the work. There is no final bill shock here. Ease. Hollenshade's offers late night/early morning drop off. You can schedule appointments online or by calling. You can also drop in if you are having an emergency. Years of Service. Hollenshade's has been doing it for a long time. If they can't provide the service (we needed our window tinting lightened and they don't do that) they can offer recommendations for who can. Crowded. Hollenshade's is always crowded. Their parking lot and street beside the business is full of cars that are being worked on or have been worked on. When I called for an appointment, they informed me that it would be three days before I could get in. Why is this a good thing? People are showing up and returning when they need help. Hollenshade's must be doing something right then. My family and I will continue using Hollenshade's. If you want a place that is easy to schedule appointments for, reliable and provide good value, perhaps Hollenshade's should be on your short list as well. read more

I decided to scrap the remainder of the alphabet series I was doing for Yelp. I got stumped on the letter V. Been meaning to give a shoutout to Hollenshade since October 2022. Throughout the summer 2022, I kept hearing & reading on Nextdoor about thieves stealing catalytic converters from Toyota Prius. Then, on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, I read on Nextdoor, it happened to a Prius in my neighborhood only about 1/2 mile from where I live. I talked to my dad that afternoon, and he agreed it'd be a good idea to get a Cat Shield. I called Antwerpen Toyota in Clarksville, and they said it'd be 1.5 hours of labor to do that, which I didn't love. I ended up ordering one off eBay as the Amazon delivery times were longer. I went to Antwerpen on Tuesday, October 18. And they said it was 2.5 hours of labor or about $400 to install. I said that was ridiculous and they had told me it was 1.5 when I called. They said the Cat Shield I got was a different model. Not that many vendors do installation of Cat Shield. I had called around to a few places including as far as south Bethesda or about 30 miles from my home. Ultimately, I called Hollenshade, who was nice on the phone and said it's not even 1.5 hours of labor, but if they are busy then might have to wait of course. And they would only charge for the labor they actually do. They strongly suggested to come before 9 AM, otherwise they can get very backed up. I said I'll come by tomorrow before 9. So, I set my alarm early on the morning of Wednesday, October 19, and I drove the 39 miles from my home to Hollenshade dealing with bad traffic on 695 on Wednesday morning commute about 1 hour 5 minutes to get there. They were nice in person and got me in quickly. About 45 minutes later, they told me my car was ready. I was little surprised (& pleasantly so) to hear my car was ready that quickly. I got to see what they did while the car was still up, and it seemed like they did a great job. I paid for the approximately 45 minutes of labor, which ended up being about 1/3 the cost of getting done at Antwerpen Toyota (or any Toyota dealership frankly). I definitely made the right decision to come here! Furthermore, about 3 weeks later, a neighbor in another building in my condo had her Prius catalytic converter stolen. And I'm sure at 3 AM or whenever that morning while I was sleeping, they would've looked at my Prius first as I'm by the entrance the vast majority of people would come in. So, I feel good I took action, and that I choose Hollenshade to do this job. If I'm ever in the Towson area and needed their service, I'd definitely come back! read more

i went in with my car not starting and had no idea what to do next. hollenshades was incredibly kind and honest, telling me exactly what was wrong, multiple methods of fixing my car, and detailed pricing that was transparent and fair. As the oldest auto shop in the area they are reputable and have an amazing customer service team who works fast and with fair pricing on any issue. would recommend them to anyone looking for help with their cars read more

Hollenshades saves the day yet again. Both my headlights went out together so I'm in a tizzy thinking electrical problems and worrying about sundown but they had me come in on a moment's notice and replaced two bulbs. That's all it was. Two bulbs. Two expensive bulbs but it was well worth the money to be back on the road in no time ready to get home safely and have a ginger beer and calm down. They're really great and super helpful! read more

Hollenshades is the absolute best. I drove in without an appointment last week with a slow leak in a tire. Sadly, all 4 tires needed to be replaced. Happily, this made me and my car Very Ready for the impending snow in the region. Part of me is grateful for that nail that nudged me to have a safer vehicle. They also changed my oil (synthetic), gave me new windshield wipers, and balanced the tires. I was able to pick up my car the same day. I am always impressed with the upfront honesty and professionalism of Hollenshades and happy to support a family-owned business in my neighborhood. Thank you, Hollenshades! I'll be back. read more

I requested help with a dead battery and when driver finally came he just turned around in lot and was leaving so I called him and he said no he would not turn around and help me after I waited four hours for hotshot! he was so rude and very ignorant to leave someone stranded out in nowhere land . He sent a message st he was ten minutes away and drove off two minutes into the ten minutes while I stood watching him at my car read more

An older man was extremely rude to me. My car had broken down earlier that day and I was stuck in an intersection for three hours (obviously a stressful experience). After getting towed to hollenshades I asked an employee a somewhat silly question but to be fair I had had a long day. This man proceeds to angrily tell me that I should think before I ask questions like that. EXTREMELY unprofessional. read more

Tim ensured I was happy with the service and went out of his way to take care of me. He cares about his customers.

Accurate diagnosis and quality repairs If you drop off your car the night before, it normally is ready before noon the next day. Fifty years of experience in the field read more

Went to this repair shop several times over the past year. A few months back they told me I needed to replace front and rear brake pads AND all rotors. They charged me somewhere around $1600!!!!! This is much more expensive than most local repair shops cost. I bit the bullet AND put it on credit here because I thought they had an ok reputation. Fast forward maybe 6 months later all brake pads and rotors are grinding and need to be repaired ALREADY!!!! I came in assuming they would uphold their integrity and at least honor their warranty or at minimum give some type of discount.....right??.... By the way, I failed to mention I've spent thousands with this repair shop at this point!!!!!! So they quoted me with their same ridiculously high rates.... umm No thank you!!! I have now learned my lesson & I felt it only right to pass my wisdom & my negative experience along. If you choose to go here just please be careful!!!!! read more

I had a heck of a time at another mechanic. Hollenshade's character and honesty will have me coming back for life! I had a very poor experience at another mechanic shop. They incorrectly replaced a tire and broke off the sensor. How did they fix it? Duct tape (see photo below). I went to Hollenshade's because I knew something wasn't right. I didn't know the tire looked like this until Hollenshade's took a look. John and another mechanic showed me the previous mechanic work. This is where Hollenshade's character shined. While John and the mechanic were showing me, at no point did they bad mouth or accuse the previous mechanic of crappy work. They could have. Honestly, the mechanic probably deserved it. But they didn't. They remained professional and respectful, even in the little things. I cannot day enough about this business!! Thanks for always demonstrating professionalism, respect, and honest work. read more

Hollenshade's Auto Service - Auto Repair Near Me - Towson, Maryland

Wow! Where to start? Exceptional all around! First time not using a dealership. Audi was towed in with front lower control arm concerns, severe front brake issues, needing an oil change, and driver side rear tire flat. I was called the next day after having it towed in with honest and positive feedback about the car. front lower control arms were not the cause of excessive vibration at highway speeds, it was the brake issue. They did not try to sell me on the control arm bushing repairs. They gave me an honest timeline of when to get them repaired and what the expense will be to save up to. The amount for front brake pads, rotors, calipers, hoses, and fluid exchange came in $2,000 UNDER what the dealership wanted. Hollenshades not only did an amazing job on the repairs but they were unbeatable on cost. Dealership was $160 for oil and filter change. Hollenshades was $80.00 for oil and filter change with the same oil! Amazing! Also, there was no fluff-n-stuff from Hollenshades. Honest hard work. Dealership quoted nearly $3500.00 for all the work that Hollenshades did for 1/3 of that. Dealership also attempted to add junk into it that wasn't truly needed. Towed in Tuesday night, diagnosed and repairs beginning Wednesday, had back on the road Thursday midday. This was my first time away from the dealership. I will be happily returning for remainder work as well as all future servicing needs. read more

These guys saved my ass a few months ago! I had a battery on the precipice of death, and didn't know that was the problem. I brought it in the same day I called them, and they were finished within 30 minutes, with a FULL LOT, seriously impressive and efficient. When I called I was greeted with an incredibly pleasant attitude, word for word: "the sun is shining, the birds are singing, can't complain!" They were so helpful and really got a laugh out of me even though I was stressed out about possibly not being able to make it to work the next day. Thank you! I highly recommend taking your vehicles here. I will 100% be returning if any more problems arise. read more

Hollenshade's Auto Service was stellar. Highly Recommended. They took care of my brakes & rotors, oil change and my bumper was slightly pulled off from the recent snow. Not only did they handle the service requests. They were even able to reattach my bumper. Price was reasonable and service was fast. In by 8am and done by 1:15pm. I recently located from the DC area and happy to say that I have found my new Automotive Service Shop. ~Mr. Turner read more

Hollenshades is the best. Whether for simple oil changes / tire rotation or more complex and high tech jobs, all of their mechanics and professionals are fair, honest, qualified hard working people. I have been going there for years and have never been disappointed. If they can't do the job they'll gladly tell you and recommend a potential competitor. I am 100% confident that if they tell me I need some service performed than I truly need the service performed. Also, they give back to the community they serve by sponsoring the annual Thanksgiving morning Loyola / Calvert Hall Turkey Bowl Football game. Tom, Tim and Tim Jr. Hollenshade and Avon and John are the best. Ron Brown read more

instead of just doing a repair, you told my daughter in law about a recall that would potentially cover the cost of the repair but would have to be done at a dealer. Unfortunately the vehicle wasnt covered and we had you do the repair. We were so impressed with your honesty and integrity. your customer care is top notch. in a world where so many auto repair places take adva rage, you guys truly care about the customer and doing what's right. you have now gained a loyal return customer! read more

I had a very good experience with this auto shop. I was kept informed throughout the process. I was able to get estimates from the service advisors before the work was performed. The mechanics seem to do good work. This is my first experience actually having car repairs at this shop but my vehicle seems to be in much better shape now. A few months ago I brought my car here for a diagnosis based on a recommendation because other car shops including the car dealership were not able to diagnose my issue for several months. The mechanics here diagnosed my issue within just a few hours. They listened to all the car issues I had been dealing with and they also read through all of my paperwork from the many car appointments that I had had for months up until that point. I appreciated all of the effort that they put into diagnosing my issue. The repair prices were not inexpensive but it was worth it to get the repairs completed in a timely fashion and without any issues. Hopefully I will continue to have good experiences here so that I can have a reliable trustworthy auto shop for future car repairs and maintenance. read more

I have been coming to Hollenshades for over 12 years now. I had my car towed to their shop with a transmission problem. Instead of taking advantage of me they recommended a transmission place that was just as honest as they was. Being a female sometimes service stations tend to take advantage of you because of your lack of knowledge regarding auto care. But Hollenshades Auto Service is full of honest technicians that really care about you. They explain what needs to be done in terms that you understand and they do not take advance. From the moment you walk in the door you are in good hands. I would recommend you go to Hollendshades before you spend all your money taking your car back to the dealership. Thank you Hollenshade's for you excellent service through the years. I will be seeing you! Andrea J. read more

Hollenshade's is the only place I trust with my car. The quality of their work is outstanding and they've always been fair and honest. In addition, they've gone above and beyond to make us feel safe during the pandemic. read more

First time customer, who will go back anytime I have problems with my car. I worked with John, who was very honest, transparent and also made me laugh! In fact, my actual repairs were LESS than the original estimate. There was a delay in the shipping of parts ( supply chain issue, no fault of John's) and he called me daily with an update and somehow managed to get the parts in earlier than expected. Even with that daily my car was ready in less than 4 days. The few bad reviews I have seen on Yelp are not legitimate reviews from actual customers. One lives in GA and has a history of negative reviews ( apparently had a run-in with a eye dr. who is a communist) and the other is in CA. read more

Professional, honest, thorough, and funny. I only trust Hollenshade's to service my vehicles. read more

While driving from California to Maryland in January 2021, my lexus CT200h ran over a car bumper that was dropped on the highway in Oklahoma. I discovered that the condenser was damaged when I tried to use the AC on a warm spring day in March 2021. Took the car to Hollenshades for an estimate of the repair. That's when things got interesting. They put the lexus on the lift, and the shop foreman showed me the damage. I really appreciate that they showed me the damage to my vehicle. He then proceeded to give advice, which in my opinion was not worthy of the reputation that Hollenshades has earned in the local community. Here is the advice that I was given: I was advised to go to a body shop to have the condenser/radiator removed, so that the front end assembly support bar could be bent back into shape. I was shown where the support bar was bent, and how the impact had also bent the radiator, and that a lot of plastic body parts should also be replaced. Ostensibly, Hollenshades prefers not to work on a vehicle that has some damage, such as a lexus that ran over a car bumper. I advised the foreman that the vehicle is worth only $10K max. So it wouldn't make sense for me to pay a body shape at least $2500 to repair the support bar, and then to pay Hollenshades at least $2500 to replace the condenser/radiator and recharge the AC system. Throwing $5000 to $10000 at a car that is worth less than $10000 doesn't make economic sense. I asked if he could simply replace the condenser and recharge the system. After all, nothing had fallen apart, and the vehicle was still operating just fine apart from the AC system. However, the foreman would have none of that. He insisted that Hollenshades was not interested in working on my slightly damaged lexus ct200h. Ostensibly, my 2015 lexus CT200h doesn't meet their standard. Or, perhaps Hollenshades just doesn't care about the economics? Sometimes, a car just needs to be patched back together. Jury rigged. Whatever it takes to get it back on the road, right? Wrong!! That's not the Hollenshades way!! You either fix it their way, or take the highway pal!! Begrudgingly, I started the repair myself. I didn't bring any of my tools from my home garage in California, so I had to buy a few hand tools, in addition to a vacuum pump, AC gauges, refrigerant, condenser, and radiator. All in, it was less than $500, and I get to keep the tools and equipment for future projects. The condenser and radiator came to $110 on amazon and arrived within 2 days. I had no experience with AC systems, and hybrid systems are a bit trickier. After some youtube videos, I learned that the radiator must be pulled to get to the condenser, so I bought a replacement for the radiator: A prescient move, since it probably needed replaced anyway. The actual repair only took about 6 hours and was not too difficult to accomplish. However, recharging a hybrid AC system has a few caveats. For example, a hybrid AC system uses a special synthetic oil. When replacing the condenser, you must add 1.5 ounces of this very expensive oil to the condenser; otherwise, you run the risk of a seized compressor due to a lack of lubricant. With planning, you can find this lubricant for only $20, but the local parts store will charge $100. I don't know what Hollenshades charges, but I doubt that they will use the correct lubricant. They will probably add the incorrect lubricant, which is the fateful mistake of most shops that do not specialize in hybrid vehicle AC systems. It is fateful because using the wrong lubricant will immediately burn your compressor out. Unfortunately, this happens a lot, despite the warnings that appear in the Toyota repair manual for hybrid vehicles. Another caveat is that hybrid AC systems cannot be contaminated with the oils from other "standard" ac systems. This means that a shop must have a set of dedicated equipment that is used only for hybrid ac systems. Most shops do not understand this, and they inadvertently contaminate their customers' ac systems, resulting in the premature and needless failure of many compressors. I do not know if Hollenshades has segregated equipment. But I doubt it. If you go there for AC service, you better ask!! There are many reasons that I'm writing this review. What you see on the surface is not always the total picture. I would have more respect for Hollenshades if they were more helpful to the average motorist. My car had a little bit of damage, but it still functioned very well. Who cares if the support bracket is perfectly straight or some of the plastic air flow guides are broken? I only care that the car gets me from point A to point B safely and with the AC working. The bottom line: I'm not a mechanic, but I did a simple repair job that Hollenshades refused. Whatever their excuse, Hollenshades is a lame repair shop. But if you have a new car, and want an oil change, I'm sure they can handle that!! read more

I drive over to Hollenshade's from Cockeysville for all of my auto maintenance and repairs. Been doing it for over a decade. They've earned my trust and business over the years with their clear-cut honesty, earnest service, good nature, and fair pricing. Tom & John at the front are fixtures who I've come to rely on, through and through. Highly recommended. read more

John at service desk is extremely rude and offensive. Quality of work on my car by the mechanics was good. I wouldn't recommend the place due to this one individual at the service desk who is disrespectful. It costs too much money to be treated poorly. read more

We have been loyal Hollenshades customers since 1981. Several of our cars have run over 300K miles thanks to their magic touch. I trust them without reservation to do the right thing. There is seldom any rework required, but if there is, they handle things quickly and professionally. Their staff has been with them for years. They are in their 3rd generation of family ownership. I wish the rest of life worked as smoothly and faithfully as the Hollenshade team. Randy B., Towson read more

Professional service. Work completed properly and in a timely way. We've been going to Hollenshades for our car maintenance for years. Excellent advice on more involved service issues involving warranties, service notices, transmission issues read more

A Neighborhood Landmark! My Daddy took his car to Hollenshade's from the time I was a little girl in the 1960s & 70s. I continues to use them as an adult. I moved to Nashville a few years back and I WISH they were here. So hard to find good work, honesty and great service any more! read more

Even though Hollenshade's Auto Service is farther than I was hoping to travel for car care, I will be bringing my car there from now on. They resolved the squeaking and chirping noises that started after taking my car to a shop in my neighborhood. Most importantly, Hollenshade's respectfully listened to my concerns, and were upfront, honest, and fair. read more

It's not often that you come across a friendly and honest mechanic at this level. These guys are always very responsive and straight up. The shop is clean and COVID safe. I highly recommend them. read more

on Joppa Rd, for over 30 years best shop around and I have been a customer for 30 years will not go anywhere and i live in Perry Hall and still rake my car to them Milton Webster read more

Hollenshades is nice is costumer service and quality assurance. The reason why I'm rating them pretty low is because THEY ARE A RIP OFF!! I can honestly say this because my father is a mechanic and doesn't charge people the prices that this place does. They tried to charge me almost 1k for replacing my break pads, rooters, and possibly putting back on parking break feet (because they tend to fall off when you take apart the rooters to replace them). My boyfriend also took his car here to get it checked out because he was experiencing "squeaking breaks". He specifically told them to just check the breaks and fix them and that was all. Unfortunately they did more than that and charged him wayy more than was need to be charged. This was BEYOND not needed. Hollenshades Wanted to replace rotors, shoes, overhaul the whole braking system at the front wheels for like $600. They had already had everything apart when they called my boyfriend and told him what they wanted to do. Overall, it wound up costing $250 for resurfacing the rotors and lubing the system. WE WILL NEVER GO HERE EVER AGAIN! I'm being generous when I gave them two stars. read more

Hollenshade's Auto Service - Hollenshades - Auto Repair Near Me - Towson, Maryland

we have been here a few times. they are pretty reasonable. when we had a car broken down, we had AAA to tow our car here and found a lot of people having their car towed here for repairs read more

Hollenshade's recently replaced both of my front axles and while there, I mentioned we were headed on a road trip. They checked my oil and tires among various fluids and completed an overall preventative maintenance check. I had the oil changed and I was out of there within 2.5 hours. One can tell they take pride in their work with a a high degree of integrity which is difficult to find these days. I'm definitely headed back for future auto service needs read more

Hollenshade's Auto Service - Auto Repair Near Me - Towson, Maryland

Hollenshades service techs and mechanics are the best in the business. Very knowledgeable mechanics, excellent customer service, and fair pricing. What more could you ask for? Been going to Hollenshades for 10 years and will continue for many more I'm sure. read more