Extremely helpful & knowledgeable; Lake & Thatcher auto repair shop . Accurate in accessing the Honda CRV issue & fairly priced in repair. In short , a winner ! read more

I can't say enough positive things about Pete at this shop... I am a parent in Texas trying to get my college student's car fixed in River Forest, IL via phone! I found Lake & Thatcher through the positive reviews on here, and since the first phone call, Pete was extremely helpful and attentive. He even made arrangements to pick up the car from the student lot and bring it back to the shop. After finding out the repair was too extensive for them to handle, he made recommendations for where to take it and let us keep the car there for an extra week while we found a way to make it happen. I appreciate their honesty, competence, and goodwill in helping out a stranger out of state! I will definitely be using them in the future. Thank you Pete for everything! read more

Lake and Thatcher Auto is exactly what you'd want from a neighborhood auto repair shop. They have reasonable prices for fast and quality work. They work flexibly and reasonably to meet our' needs, and they honor their agreements. read more

I came in to have my catalytic converter replaced after it had been stolen a few months ago. Pete and the team here were great! They replaced what needed to be replaced, the turnaround time was very quick, and they charged me a fair price (instead of up-charging as some other places might). They also put on a cat shield for me that I ordered myself and dropped off to them. I know some places don't put on cat shields so it was great that they were able to. Also, it looks like they fixed my tires for me. I can't recommend them enough and will be back for any other car needs I have! read more

They looked at my car's problem even though they were fully booked for two weeks. Solved the problem with the reasonable price. The car came back in the excellent condition and cleaned inside out. read more

These guys are great. I'm new in the area and needed some maintenance work, so a friend recommended them. I've been back 3 times now and feel confident someone is taking good care of my car and, more importantly, not ripping me off. read more

Been using them for regular oil changes and non-milestone maintenance since moving to the neighborhood and couldn't be happier with the customer service and quality of work so far. They're easy to schedule with either online or over the phone. They've been super helpful catching obvious work that should be done. They don't upsell me earlier than I need. They've also let me know what to expect for next time so I can do my own research, teach me about my car, and save for the work. It's the perfect shop for me! read more

Have been going to this mechanic for several years for all of our family vehicles. L & T Automotive provides good service in a timely manner. They explain in detail the services needed. Answer all questions no matter how small. Pleasant shop. read more

My car had a lot of problems with it and they were kind enough to fit me in when they were really busy. They got my car done great and had it running like a brand new car. I will continue going back here from now on and there workers are so kind and do an amazing job. read more

They allowed me to drop off my car while they were closed which is great for me because I have to get to work early, came in for an oil change and an inspection the prices were reasonable and I felt they were very honest will be going again read more

I have been going to this shop for nearly 30 years. They have done a great job for me, scrupulously honest, great at explaining what has to be done, what can wait, and what is really not important at all-- they don't talk down to me, if I don't understand something, they explain it, and they seem just as happy to take care of my run-of-the-mill SUV as they are fancy sports cars. Yesterday, I went in for a flat tire, they were super busy, so referred me to another shop for the repair, which I appreciated. The other shop refused to patch the tire because the tires were over 5 years old (with only 18,000 miles on them), and instead quoted me a price for 4 new tires (to be fair, with all the supply chain issues, just having a set of tires at the right size in stock was good). But I have at least a year left on this set of tires. So, I called Lake & Thatcher back, they fit me in, got the tire repaired, and sometime next year, I'll buy the new tires from them. They are they best! read more

Very good customer service and honest appraisal of needed work. A little more expensive than other places but the location was a convenience feature for me. read more

If I could rate this place any lower I would. I went there because it was close to work to have a tire patched. Patched, not a tire replacement mind you. And they charged me $79 after the fact. Being gouged because I had not other options, talk about great customer service. I would recommend this to someone if they have extra cash they were thinking of either flushing down the toilet, or giving it to the prince of Nigeria based on an email for a desperate plea for help. If you value your money then stay away from this place. read more

We recently had our car serviced here for a standard oil change and such. Oil change went fine, but they they alerted us that they found a few issues with the car that should be fixed. They said the car needed the tires rotated, and that the car was leaking transmission fluid and antifreeze that would require fixing two parts. The total estimated cost would be $500-$700 (as the repairs were supposedly outside the warranty). Given the size of that expense we sought a second opinion. I took our car to the dealer today for a "general check up" and purposefully avoided telling them about the specific issues cited by Lake and Thatcher. They also suggested the oil change-- charged me $25 for it. They found one of the same leaks and made the repair-- no cost as it's covered within our warranty. They found no other issue. I then specifically asked them about the other cited leak and needed repair per Lake & Thatcher (they said we needed a new water pump). The dealer said they had checked it and it was perfectly fine. So, by NOT going to Lake & Thatcher, we saved $500+. Suffice it to say we won't be servicing our car at Lake & Thatcher anymore. read more

I work nights. I had to work the July 4th holiday weekend. Coming home from work Monday morning, I had the misfortune to have not one, but 2 flat tires. My normal place was closed because of the holiday observance. So, I had to look for someone near my apartment that was not only open, but could complete the work in time for me to go back to work later that night. Sadly, that led me to Lake and Thatcher. I do want to emphasize, they did successfully patch one of my tires, while the other was beyond repair. So they did that....at a cost of $59. And....they gave me the option of having a new tire put on the next day, at a cost of over $150. I passed on that. So, my gripe isn't with the work that they did, it's with the extortion charge for what's normally a pretty simple and cheap procedure. I could have had the work done for far less money and time had my normal place not been closed. This place gets 2 stars out of 5 from me mostly because of the amount of time and because of the insane charge for a simple fix. Maybe it'd be worth it if I drove a higher-end vehicle, but for my car, no way. read more

I use L&T for more serious car needs (outside Oil Changes or Tire Rotations) and while the Owner always leaves me more than satisfied..... it is his "right hand" man, Pete, I want to spotlight. My son was home from College over Christmas Break, experiencing car problems and on time constraints. Pete not only got the car in the day I called but it was ready the following. No small feat considering the Winter we are experiencing. He made it a priority and my son says it is now running great! The reason I'm taking the time to write a favorable review is for the EXTRA touch.....my son told me that Pete took the time (without charge) to fix the latch on the trunk. I love when people go above and beyond. Thanks for great work. read more

Once again a 5 star experience. Resolved a nightmare repair issue another shop nearby couldn't. Great communication and the team there seems incredibly honest and very helpful. Don't hesitate to use or just go by for a diagnosis / estimate. None better in Oak Park/River Forest area imho. read more

I have been using Lake & Thatcher Auto Repair for over 22 years and this entire operation is just amazing. Over dozens of visits across multiple types of vehicles, from my foreign muscle car to ordinary sedans, I have always received SUPERB service. Pete and his crew consistently provide polite, reliable, timely and excellent maintenance and repairs. If they say it needs to be done, it really does and when it doesn't, they don't hesitate to tell you that either. I enthusiastically recommend this company! read more

I have found this to be a very professional repair shop. They explain everything thoroughly, work quickly, and while they are not cheap, I don't think they overcharge or gouge. I happened to be waiting for an oil change one day and overheard a conversation with another customer. The mechanic was explaining that the work requested was for something still under warranty, and that the customer should go to the dealer to have it done for free. The mechanic recommended a dealer to go to, and even called the dealer's shop to explain the situation and have them ready to go with the warranty work when the customer arrived. That's great, honest, customer service. read more

I have been going to Lake and Thatcher for more than a decade and can highly recommend them for their reliability. I have referred many friends over the years, who remain very satisfied with the repair work they have received. What I like the most is that the mechanics are knowledgeable, honest and reliable. They take the time to explain things to me, to problem solve at the most reasonable cost, and to make good on what they promise! For instance, I took in my fairly new car yesterday for an oil change and asked about a clear coat issue. They took time to pursue options with addressing this issue and did not charge me for this consultation. In addition, auto safety and reliability are huge concerns for me, which Lake and Thatcher delivers on. I would not take my car anywhere else! read more

This is the best auto repair place I have ever used, hands down. Compared to dealership, other local places, even AAA doesn't come close. They are smart, honest, superb diagnosticians, efficient, keep me totally well informed about what is happening, and to top it off they are courteous, articulate, and kind. Thank you PETE most recently for finding a very weird problem with my car - misdiagnosed by others - and fixing it quickly, efficiently and at a reasonable cost. They are a little more expensive than another local shop I have tried, but then I don't have to have things fixed twice, or feel that the wrong thing was fixed. Too many bad experiences elsewhere have taught me to come back to Lake & Thatcher and I always will. This is really a local gem and I am glad to have found them. read more