Rude and incompetent. Extremely overpriced. 550 in labor to change an easy to reach O2 sensor and a valve cover gasket. Then there's the mandatory 150 for the computer scan. This place is a complete ripoff. Oh and the check engine light came on right after I left and the misfire issue wasn't corrected. Highway robbery. Avoid these crooks read more

I had called them and made an appointment to get my front brakes done. The day of the appointment I dropped off the car and went to work. When they called they said both front and rear needed replacement, which I suspected, but I told them I only wanted the front done because I couldn't afford both and the front are more important. I picked up the car after the shop was closed and discovered they had completely disregarded what I had asked them to do and replaced the rear brakes. I called to complain and the manager told me they did what they thought was more important and what I asked for didn't matter. Never again. read more

We had broken down outside of town while traveling. This garage was recommended to us so we had our car towed here. They were courteous and promptly had a technician check it. The problem was identified and the repair made. We were back on the road in less than an hour. read more

Overpriced and arrogant. Was quoted an "estimate" of 2 hours work at $100 per hour. They had the car in the back for 45 minutes. Told me the car was done and then tried to charge me 200. Since that was the estimate. Only after insisting that they only had the car for 45 minutes and listing to them complain that their mechanics work on commission and that he won't make any money did they finally relent and only charge me $100. And they weren't at all nice or regretful they they were going to overcharge me!! Never going back. read more

Being a former garage owner and mechanic, I'm fussy about whom I take our cars to. My first experience with Marathon Automotive was with a lack of heat problem which proved to be particularly difficult. They stuck with it and finally got it fixed. At first, I thought their prices were too high, but I had to adjust my thinking to current day trends and realize that quality service doesn't cost, but it pays. They stand behind their work, the shop is clean and well equipped, their staff is always polite and professional and the owner is often on the premises. Their technicians are well trained and their diplomas are displayed in their office. I would recommend this shop. read more

I really want to like Marathon, but I won't go back. In 3 words, "Inattentive to Detail" Having recently moved to Traverse City, I heard Marathon's sponsorship on the local NPR station and said, "There's my new mechanic". After 3 trips to Marathon, I'm looking for a new mechanic. What set me off? 1. After having $1,000 of exhaust work done, my car immediately had a burnt smell. I thought it was protective oil burning off the new pipes, but it turns out I needed new brakes as some had "frozen". OK, that does happen if a car sits so that just might be one of those things, so I won't blame them. Nevertheless, having a problem show up immediately after a service call moved my BS meter to idle. "I'll be alert on my next visit", I said to myself. 2. Next visit, I have some tires put on my 2nd car and an oil change. The 2nd car sits in the my garage for 10 days and I notice a large oil spill beneath it. I check the dipstick and I'm not down more than a pint and call Marathon. BS meter is now solid yellow. They get me in right away and see that the oil pan plug didn't seat properly. So they torque it to correct setting. Why didn't they do that the first time? 3. Driving home from my wrenching experience (pun intended) the dang hood is not closed properly. BS Meter now solid red. Bottom line: If they can't do the small stuff, why should I trust them with the big stuff? read more

Cannot recommend enough. Been going here a few years and always have had outstanding service. Today I dropped off my car for brake service and an employee overheard me telling my dad that I would order an Uber for us to get back home while they work on the car. The employee jumped in to let me know that Marathon has shuttle service and to cancel the Uber. The driver (a mechanic filling in for the usual driver, who had the day off) was extremely courteous, friendly, and professional, and he made sure to pull over when my dad (who has Alzheimer's) was having trouble in the backseat adjusting his seatbelt). This was the tipping point for me to go online and leave a review. Have always had phenomenal experience with Marathon and this last experience was so above and beyond. Can't recommend Marathon enough. read more

No price hassle, just best tires, personal service and some of the best advice in the business .

I arrived in TC with a small problem with my 2012 Toyota Camry. The splash shield under the front had come loose. When I pulled into the rest stop at Grayling, it was dragging. Here I was in a new city with a car problem. Ripe for the picking. I looked for Toyota repair on Google. I liked what they said on their website. I decided to take a chance. Glad I did. They heard my concerns, were really nice and fixed the problem. They were honest and were not going to recommend an expensive repair or replacement for an inconsequential part. I wasn't picked over: I was picked up. Finding such good people in a new town is the best experience. Thanks, Marathon Automotive. read more

Great and friendly service! They got me in early and gave my car a quick check for other issues. Didn't press me to get them done now or any fear tactics. Will continue going here for my automotive service. Much appreciated! read more

Last week I took two of our cars to Marathon in Traverse City, one for bearing and brake issues and one for no heat. The service they provided was exceptional. Everything was fixed, timely completed and reasonably priced. They even sent me a thank you note. I recommend this place to everyone even if you have to drive 25 miles like we do to get to it. read more

My wife and I where visiting TC from Virginia when we developed a knocking sound coming from the front end around the wheel base of our old Toyota Corolla. This was a problem that needed fixing right-away and I was in a bit of a rush to get it fixed asap and get back on the road for home. Not being TC, I was uncertain of where to take my vehicle to be serviced, so I turned to Yelp, and after reading the reviews I decided to take my car to Marathon. My fellow Yelpers did not disappoint me. Marathon was able to diagnose the problem (within 2 hours) reconfirming my belief that it was the cvs joint, and provided me with a price estimate and determined the availability of parts. I thought the price was fair and gave them the green light to move ahead. Marathon was able to fix my car the same day I brought it in and the price ended up being a little less than the original estimate. I also especially liked that they showed me the bad cvs joint, so I could see the wear with my own 2 eyes. I found everyone that I dealt with at Marathon to be honest, educated, and communicated well both over the phone and in person. I'm thankful that they didn't try to take advantage of me being out of state and during a time of need. I hope this review encourages others to use Marathon for their auto services. I certainly appreciate their professionalism. Great job guys, thanks! read more

I have taken my Saab 9-5 to Marthon for a few different needs and oil changes. They are very friendly, run a customer focused shop and seem completely above board. Most recently I asked them to diagnose an engine problem. They used their computer based diagnostic tool to generate error codes to locate the most likely source of the problem. Then they tried to fix it by resetting the codes, took it for a test drive and the error came right back. They then concluded I needed a new 900 dollar part, which they would not be able to install because it needed to be installed by a dealer. So the recommendation for the part was NOT about generating unnecessary income for their shop. I did some research and found that the fix for the problem was a simple mechanical procedure which I did myself in about 15 minutes after watching a You Tube video showing how to correct this common problem. So I returned to Marathon and asked them if they felt their 100 dollar diagnostic charge was something they wanted to revisit since they got the problem figured out but the suggested solution was wrong and would have cost me big bucks if I took their advise. They were willing to reduce my diagnostic bill after a short amount of friendly back and forth. So the upshot is, I would use them again. We all make mistakes but those that are willing to accept some responsibility for their errors are worth continuing to do business with. read more

Really great service. I've never had an issue with them and the Honda always runs great. They seem expensive but probably not more than anyone else in town. I would say some of their product prices can be high-like wheel rims for snow tires, so things like that could be bought at other places, but they do a great job with servicing the car. read more

I recommend Marathon to everyone I know. They are super friendly and courteous. I went in there to get my window fixed (the motor went bad on it). I called and they got me in that same day. It was fixed promptly, and I picked it up a couple hours later. My only complaint is that the next day, my window came loose because they didn't bolt it in tight enough. I was able to take it back there though and they fixed it on the spot and apologized profusely. Since they were so nice about it and took responsibility for it, it made the experience just that much better. I'll definitely take my car back there. read more

I had always heard great things about Marathon Automotive, so I went there for the first time today for their $39.95 synthetic oil change special. I had an appointment, and was told it would take 20 to 30 minutes. It took almost an hour. First he thought my Camry took 5w30, when it's 0w20, and then tried to charge extra for 0w20, even though it was clearly listed on the offer. When I got home I noticed that they had the wrong oil filter part number listed on the receipt. I immediately called and was told it was just a mistake on the receipt, and that the correct filter was used. I crawled under my car to confirm, and it is the WRONG filter. I checked the oil, and it's at least half a quart overfilled. So lets see, didn't know what kind of oil to use in the car, tried to overcharge me, used the incorrect filter, and overfilled the engine. Not impressed. This was just a simple oil change, I'd hate to see what they could do with an actual repair. I sure won't be back. Why was this review filtered? It was an honest review of the service I received. read more

These have been my "go-to" mechanics for over a decade. I've NEVER had bad service and they've always stood behind their work and provided sound advice. It's rare to find a auto service center that offers recommendations on how to save you money and avoid repairs. They maintain a very high standard and cultural around service to the customer and it shows. read more

Best auto service in town, besides being unfailingly honest. When they replaced my alternator and a relay in my electrical system, they noticed the noise in my exhaust system. They could have easily sold me a muffler system for the pretty loud rattle, but instead they tightened the loose heat shield for no cost. THAT IS HONEST! They called with estimates as they finally figured out my electrical problem. My 2001 Subaru Outback has required very little in repair bills, but these issues were MUST FIX issues! Thank you, Marathon Automotive, for your excellent service. read more

Finding a qualified BMW mechanic outside of the dealership is hard. And service that is honest, well explained, as a female can be just as challenging. At marathon, I've found both a actual BMW mechanic for my car, and service I can trust. Car repairs are stressful by themselves, but the staff here stand behind their work, and really give you the feeling that they care . read more

I am writing this review under my husbands account, but last week, I was visiting Michigan with my mother and grandmother. On Tuesday night, we noticed the car making a noise and had a low tire we had to fill with air. I looked on Yelp, and contacted Marathon Automotive early the next morning and they told us to come in. Once we got there, we waited for approximately a half hour while they assessed our car. They could not find anything wrong with the tire, but did find two other issues (one which was not a safety issue and could wait if we wanted, but the other would probably cause us to break down on the way home). While they were fixing everything, their driver took us in to town so that we could shop around and eat some lunch. Our car was then ready much more quickly than anticipated, and the driver returned to pick us up. Overall, our experience with Marathon Automotive was excellent. The reason I gave them a 4 instead of a 5 was because on our way home Thursday, we did have another issue with the tire and had to have a hole patched at a gas station. I feel that this was something that had to have missed when inspecting the tire since we already had to fill it and were concerned with a hole. read more

Marathon gave me a free oil change when I came back!! Kudos to them for their honest concern and making things right.

This is the luxury version of an auto repair shop. You'll pay a luxury price. If you can afford to pay you'll get good work. But shop around if you want value. read more

Thank you so much Marathon Automotive! I was going on vacation for my fathers and my boyfriends birthday and I lost my brakes in my car. I called marathon up when they opened they took my car immediately fixed it and got it on the road like nothing happened! Thanks again guys for the awesome fast service! My vacation thanks you! read more

I had all of my spark plugs replaced early last year. In May of this year one of my spark plugs cracked and damaged a coil boot. They replaced the spark plug and the boot at no charge since they felt like that shouldn't have happened given that I got new spark plugs last year. In my opinion they did not have to do that but they made it right and this is not the first time that I feel like they went above and beyond to be honest and trustworthy. read more

Purchased a sweet 4Runner and took it to these guys for a full-inspection. I've been chipping away at my list of things to take care of. I am at about 4/5 visits with one more to go. I have been very pleased with the quality of work and the customer service has been on point as well. Also, having a shuttle car to drop me off and pick me up is huge. Good place read more

Im not sure what is going on with Marathon. Maybe there is a new owner? We took our jeep there for new tires and it was making some weird noises after driving a little the same day. We thought the lugs might be loose and called them at 5 minutes to their closing time and they wouldnt take us back in. We told them we were on Garfield by Olesons and they wouldnt do it, knowing this is a safety thing to boot! We then pulled in to the Tire Factory and they took us in, even closing at the same time- found loose lugs from Marathon and tightened them all for us and then didnt charge us a dime! Son recently took his car to Marathon and he got it back with missing and broken parts to other things on his limited (very few in town) car. Management needs to step up the game, couldve been way worse if our tires flew off after having the new ones put on!!.. They should be thanking Tire Factory for saving them! read more

A couple of years ago I had over $4,000.00 worth of work done a Marathon Auto. First I was charged for discarding of a tire, no tire work done. Second a couple of weeks after the work was done a oil leak started, found out after tearing front of motor down it was a three minute and approx. .04 material cost to do. It was a common problem with Subaru, a quality shop would have for seen this and fixed at time of teardown. Now I find I need to replace the O2 sensor, however when Marathon auto put one in, it was cross threaded, head on sensor messed up and in so tight unable to remove. Will never use or recommend Marathon Auto read more

We've had our cars serviced at Marathon Automotive for 16 years. I wouldn't consider going anywhere else. They are good people -- competent, friendly and honest. I never have to worry about whether they are dealing with me straight. I've learned that I can really trust their advice on what repairs are needed, which ones I can wait a while on, when my car is getting to the point where it's time to seriously consider replacing it, and what cars I should definitely consider or should avoid when it comes to buying a new one. I wish all businesses were run the way Marathon is. read more

Ron and the crew are honest, straightforward and extremely professional. They helped me to facilitate a complex pre sale inspection from out of state, and everything was handled perfectly. I wish I lived less than two thousand miles away, because id take all our cars to Marathon! read more

Very thankful for these guys! We were vacationing in Glen Arbor when our parking brake got stuck. They were so nice and helpful doing just what we needed to get done to get us back home (and not taking advantage of our situation). I felt they were honest, professional and easy to talk to. We weren't sure what we were going to get when choosing where to have our car towed but we definitely lucked out! read more

After Marathon working on my Subaru, replacing timing belt and several other repairs. I now have a oil leak, car has only 89000 miles. Also was charged for disposal of a tire, nothing done on the car was related to the tires. read more