Really good mechanics may seem like geniuses to us mere mortals, but Raffy most definitely is an absolute genius. That's reason enough to bring him your most troubling automotive puzzles. But if that's no enough for you, I can personally attest to this man truly being a genuinely caring individual who actually wants to help his customers. Raffy will solve your vehicle problems in a way that will make you feel very glad you met him, and really smart you chose his shop out of the dozen or so good ones in Iowa City. He's completely honest and open about your issues and what it will take to fix them, and the price he will charge you is verifiably fair. He works fast, his repairs are accurate, and if you're a DIY'er who normally does your own work, he will take the time to educate you and show you what you missed, and how to do it better the next time. And on top of all that, Raffy is seriously a nice man who will treat you with kindness and respect, while doing his very best to get you back on the road. I would highly recommend you make his shop your first and only choice for any and all automotive repairs, whether you live in Iowa City Iowa, Fort Worth Texas, or anywhere else in between. Thank you So Much Raffy! read more

Police intervention was required. I had an extremely upsetting experience at #1 Auto Repair while traveling from out of town with my 9-year-old son. I got a flat tire and went to the nearest repair shop, as I have run-flat tires. After agreeing to a price for four tires, I left the shop and spoke with family, who thought the price seemed very high. I later contacted two other area businesses, and they quoted $800 less for the same tires and a fully completed job. When I asked the owner, Raffy, if I had been accidentally charged for the wrong tires, he shouted, used profanity in front of my child, called me "you people," and threatened that he knew where I lived. My son was traumatized -- he had never seen anyone speak to me like that. He also refused to release my car unless I paid in cash, despite advertising credit cards, Venmo, and other payment options, so I had to call the police. I was initially refunded the full amount by my credit card company after questioning the fees. However, I ended up paying the shop directly because of a small claims dispute. In court, it was confirmed that the hazardous materials and shop supply fees he charged were not actually used or standard practice, and he had to refund those fees to me. Many other reviews report similar behavior overcharging, shouting, and blaming the customer. read more

I had a wonderful experience here! There was something wrong with my key battery and I called tons of places that were just trying to up charge me. I then found this place and called them, they told me to come right in, fixed my battery, showed me how to fix it in the future all within 10 minutes. I would most definitely recommend this place to anyone having issues with their car. read more

Excellent experience working with Rafat! Not only was he responsive, reliable, and skilled but he treated me like a valued guest. He offered to start working on it right away. He gave me a ride home because the job was going to take a while. He also picked me up in my car when it was finished and it only took him a day to get it done. He offered me some free supplies too so I can detail my car on my own time. Basically he is everything you want in a mechanic. I came to him with one problem and he ended up working miracles that I didn't even know were possible. He fixed things I had learned to live with and now I remember how nice it was to have all the little parts working again. Rafat saved me at least $5,000 and did it in a crazy fast time line. He also does body work and has a collision center. read more

Number One Auto - My car - Auto Repair Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

I brought a car in to have the brakes inspected as they were squeaky. The car was on the lift and wheels removed. I was told by the tech "the pads are good" the rotors need to be replaced. I was then told I need a complete brake job, front and back. Cost $1277. It did not pass the sniff test for me. I took the car to the dealer who did, also, a full inspection. Brake pads and rotors are fine. Cleaned some rust of the rotors, car is fine. Buyer BEWARE. Get 2 opinions - always! read more

Great service! I needed new tires and they got them in fast. Will be doing business here again! read more

Number One Auto - Auto Repair Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

Raffy is an honest and good man. Hard working business owner who does great work at a fair price.

It absolutely baffles me that this place has such high ratings. I'm almost convinced that the majority of them have to be fake after my experience here. This shop should not even be in business. Like most shops that do bad work and scam their customers, they are counting on you to not have much knowledge about cars. Unfortunately for them, I do. It's a bit of long story, but trust me, you'll want to read it. I was having issues with the starter on my truck. I watched as the owner lifted my truck up on the lift and attempted to take out the starter WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. Ask any competent mechanic. That is something that you just do not do. I ended up calling several others around town. They all said the same thing: that it was unheard of. Entirely too risky even when there are no issues. So sure enough, he starts taking it off, has a bolt fully removed and suddenly a horribly loud, deafening grinding noise started coming out of the starter. Sparks flying and smoke coming from it. This went on for probably 10 full seconds before he could get the truck down from the lift to cut the engine. And before he could, the sound suddenly stopped. Once he turned off the engine, he finished taking the starter off completely. Of course it was chewed to shreds. But when I looked inside, and it had also completely ruined the flywheel. The teeth were ground down to nubs. It may not look like much, but it is a huge deal. With a ruined flywheel, the car is unable to start. Period. And it is WAY more expensive to get fixed than just a starter. Over $1000 fix. He absolutely refused to own up to what he had done and fix it. Said "it probably came in that way"... I may be a young female grad student, but what he wasn't expecting is that I actually know my shit about cars. I have worked on them since I was a kid. I had taken the starter off myself just 2 days before, and it just so happened that I had taken a picture of the flywheel. Clearly in perfect condition. Oh boy, he was notttt happy about that. He left the starter off of my truck, pushed it out of his garage by hand, and then demanded I get off his property. Which of course I was unable to do since the truck that I had drove in working was now completely broken. He kept asking me "are you a mechanic?" And of course I'm not, but clearly neither is he if I was able to take the starter off of my truck myself probably 5-6 times in the days before without breaking anything, whereas he couldn't even properly do it one time. Angry that I knew what he had done and called him out on it, he persistently berated me and tried to intimidate me. Calling me poor and cheap, said I was a "fucking bitch", asked me for my home address (which of course I refused to give him), and twice threatened to push my truck into the street with oncoming traffic as I was sitting in it. I had to pay $150 for a tow truck to bring me and my truck home. And did I mention that he had gotten me to come to his shop by telling me on the phone that he was going to "just listen to the sound the starter was making" and tell me how to fix it myself? Mhm. I have filed a complaint with the state and will be taking him to court to get money for the towing expenses and all damages. Long story short, do not let this man or anyone in this shop touch your car. The level of incompetency and unprofessionalism is astounding. And if you have any question about that, look at how he responds to the negative reviews. Just as I'm sure he'll respond to this one with an equal amount of lies and "charm." Save yourself the pain and money. Take your car to any other shop. I guarantee it'll be better than this dump. read more

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I took my son's cars there and I'm so happy, no hidden fees, you can tell they take pride in their work..super nice, super good at what they do.. will definitely recommend them to my family and friends and I'm pretty picky especially when it comes to working on my son's vehicle... thanks guys, keep up the good work... next time my car needs serviced I'm coming directly there...​ read more

Me and my boyfriend are driving cross country and had a couple major issues with our jeep. We stopped at the one place that would take us in and help us out. We didn't know anything about the area and they made us feel welcomed and safe. We are forever grateful for there service and how quickly they were able to get the job done. 10/10 recommend Number One Auto we had a wonderful experience and are back on the road with no issues. Thank you!! read more

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE!! The worst ever car shop!! This guy is a scammer and he will eat your money. Avoid his shop at all cost. He sold me a broken car and lied that the car was fine. And I trusted him, because he said he doesn't sale his cars if he know that they have problems. Before I purchased the car, he deleted all the codings on the car so that I wouldn't see what is wrong with it. 3 days after I purchased the car the codings started appearing. The engine, transmission, oil and battery lights came on signaling that they are in need to be fixed or maintenance. I took the car to this guy to fix it as he promised to fix the car for free if there was anything wrong with it after a few days of me purchasing it. When I got to the shop, the guy denied to fix the car and called the police on me to get out of his compound. I wanted him to take his car back and give me my money, but he did not want to take his car back and give me the money that I wasted on him. Mind you, I am a college student and all I needed was a reliable car for school and work, but now I have been scammed. And I'm here with no car to depend on. My money has gone to waste, sadly. God will deal with this man named Raffy! read more

Number One Auto - Auto Repair Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

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He is such a big liar, and does not respect any body. Do not go to him, just to change the wipers he took 400$ from me. Most annoying and disrespectable person. I am very sure all the good ratings were fake. read more

Very genuine auto mechanic. Will stand behind what he sells, and if there is an issue he will fix it! Very easy, fast reliable service. I live in Cedar Rapids and will go out of my way to have Raffy and his team work on my car. I feel blessed to have met Raffy and his team. Highly recommended! read more

Raffy tackled removing and reseating a huge windshield on my camper immediately because of forecasted heavy rains. They did a great job and had it finished before they promised. He was never anything but polite. read more

My 2011 Nesan Ultimate just bought for $6200 ENGINE PROBLEMS and light came on AS soon as we got home. DONOT buy a car here

My dad's old Expedition had a flat and we needed a cheap replacement. $83 installed and we had a practically new tire mounted while we waited. High value, and honest service! read more

My car battery had finally given out and within 20min of my phone call Rafat was at my place with a new battery. He was nice, knowledgeable, and efficient getting the battery changed out! read more

Resurected my 20-year old truck. This turned out to be not simple, but they were very transparent about what they encountered and what needed to be done - showed me the damage as it became apparent. End result: truck is running smoothly and reliably. These guys work hard, and they have Saturday hours, as well. I will continue taking my vehicle to them. read more

The guy was incredibly rude. Berated me over the phone and in person because I was upset over the $400 estimate price he sprung on me on top of the 185 for the tow. Found out engine was seized immediately he said, and then unasked took my car apart to find out why. The engine was ruined at that point. At least ask someone before taking $400 worth of unnecessary work. I mentioned him to the tow truck company and the driver said the guy was such a pain they wouldn't even take cars there for awhile until he apologized to the owner. Stay away. read more

Came in needed to get some stuff done on my car replacing the control arm on a Saturday with two hours left of business time they were able to get me in which by my account was amazing and save me money. Will definitely be going back. read more

Very helpful people! I was passing through town to see if my oil needed to be changed and they did a free check up on the car & fixed my bumper! No cost. Super friendly and kind. Highly recommend read more

THE best automotive service in Iowa City. Comprehensive, quality maintenance and transparency you won't get anywhere else. Fast service when possible, and very accurate timing estimates. They were very clear about what they were doing and why, gave me a detailed service report, and let me know of future potential needs. Just all around friendly staff as well. read more

My friends and I attempted to jump start one of our cars using my car, and due to the cheap jumper cables they began to melt. As they melted, they melted onto the hood on my BMW and stuck there, while also melting the paint on my hood. I needed a quick fix before I headed home for winter break and stopped by number one as it was closest to us at the time. Raffy looked at my car immediately and had an estimate ready in a couple minutes. I left my car there that night and came back the next day and it was done, looking brand new! VERY reasonable prices and honest work as well as quick and efficient, I would 100% recommend going here for anything you need done. read more

REVIEWS PHOTOS 1 review · 1 rating Number One Auto 525 Southgate Ave, Iowa City, IA 52240 11-21-22 we purchased a 2013 Ford Focus from Raffy at 7 pm. Was told on ad but in person that the vehicle had no issues and a 10 year warranty didn't expire until June of 2023. Was told that if we had any problems call back. 11-22-22 4 am on my way to work check engine light came on and car started shifting weird. 11-23-22 Car scanned P0420 catalyst system and also P0805 Clutch Position Sensor. Called Raffy told him about codes. He said clear codes. Had car rescanned at a different location and had codes cleared. Check engine light came back on. We decided to take the car back to have him look at it. Now the car won't start. 11-24-22 Car finally started had it delivered to #1 Auto Repair. 11-26-22 Had family stop to check on car because we were out of state for holidays. They were informed they just got car in needed a TCM module replaced and would be a few days. 12-1-22 We picked car back up from the # 1 Auto. Was informed if any more issues that it needs taken to a ford dealer. Drove car 33 miles home and transmission failure happened and stranded us along Hwy 218. Called Raffy asked if there was anything he could do refund or trades. Raffy told us no there is nothing he can do but he would cover what the warranty didn't cover. Called local dealer they informed me it was a 4 - 6 month wait on part. I messaged Raffy back. He informed me to contact someone he knew at the Ford dealer Deere Brothers in Iowa City. 12-2-22 Deere called and informed me that the car's warranty would cover the TCM module and that they would also do the recalls as well. However, the warranty expires on 12-3-22 and not June of 2023. * #1 Auto sold it telling us car warranty was still good till June*. Deere states that 10 engine codes popped up when they scanned it. P0896, P2831, P2836 were codes they found. 12-6-22 picked car up that evening from Deere. 12-9-22 check engine light came back on. Called Raffy and informed him we were taking it back to Deere to have it checked. 12-13-22 Deere calls and said the Purger Valve recall didn't clear the codes. The same codes which showed up on 11-23-22 when we had it scanned. They said they tested the catalytic converter, and it will need replaced quoted me $1,750. Messaged Raffy at # 1 Auto. Local mechanic said he could do an after market catalytic for $ 525 and labor for $100. 12-15-22 Picked car up from Deere. Called Raffy back since he was ignoring our messages. Raffy states "Ford fixed all issues and that we were being dishonest about the car engine codes. That he scanned car and no codes showed up. * Not sure how that is possible since we have had the car scanned at multiple locations and even at a Ford Dealer. * Offered to replace car for a 2012 Fiesta." We declined since it wouldn't have any Manufacturer warranty and the last car we bought gave us transmission problems right away. Raffy then states "that he will do the repair for $350 if we buy the part." Which is $250 dollars more then the local shop said they would do. Also, last time Raffy worked on it we were left stranded on the side of the road, with in 30 minutes of leaving his shop. So, after a lengthy 40-minute phone conversation about how when you buy used you should expect to pay money to have it fixed. Raffy hangs up on us and now is avoiding our calls and messages. We have messaged him all the diagnosis reports from the dealer Raffy recommended. We are $5,200 into buying a car that we were told had no issues and a manufacture warranty that didn't expire until June 2023. Both of these statements turned out to be false advertising. We are 24 days into owning this car with 18 of them days being at mechanic shops. On top of $600 to $1750 to have car repaired. Raffy has not been a man of his word on the original sale of the car or the compensation of any repairs we will need done to have the car be a daily driver. Even though he stated he would cover costs with a car he sold that he states had no issues. We will be filing an official complaint the state and possibly looking to take legal action. read more

Best car buying experience we have ever had. We were looking for a good car for our teenage son and not spend a ton of money. We came to this location and found a couple we were interested in to possibly purchase. The owner took the time with my husband to speak of the cars, make sure they had the right repairs needed before selling them and gave us a very reasonable price. Absolutely NO misconceptions, upselling or anything like you would typically get when buying a car. We are planning on buying more cars from this location as they are the most honest and fair place to do business with to purchase a vehicle. These guys really know what they are doing when it comes to car repairs as well. This car looks practically new after they worked on it and it is 13 years old. Absolutely no buyers remorse and the owner was the nicest guy to work with for this purchase. Thank you for putting our faith back into buying a used car at a good price. We will be back for sure!!!! read more

Saved me in a pinch! My truck broke down suddenly after work and the dealership couldn't get me in for 2 weeks. Raffy got me in that same afternoon, and even set me up with a loaner vehicle so I could get to work the next couple days. He got my truck done exactly when he said he would, and for the exact price he quoted me. No BS, no hassle, and no issues with my truck the past couple weeks since getting it back. Excellent and friendly service, and fast too. Raffy is a genuine guy who really took a lot of the stress out of the process. Would highly recommend! read more

took my car for repair it came back even worse

My name is Josh, and I went in to have an AC blowing hot air issue diagnosed by this repair technician, to which I was screwed by colon being charged $176 for a AC recharge, then proceeding five minutes later after noticing he did not fix anything, it starts blowing hot air again, and I contacted him on the phone to ask him what the issue could be and all he could say is I'm sorry, that's the only solution that I thought would work. He did not offer to compensate me or partially refund my order or transaction amount of $176. Instead he was concerned about me paying more money to him than fixing the problem. Most unprofessional Arabic run repair shop, most likely unlicensed, and very nosy when it comes to your personal life details, for example he asked me if the license plate I had on the vehicle with my license plate. Along with asking other personal questions about employment, and unnecessary subjects regarding the repair I desired. Stay far away from this creep!! read more

If you want excellent, timely service for excellent prices, this is the place to take your vehicle!! Raffy is the best and will personally walk you through and explain exactly what is wrong with your car for those of you who are like me and don't exactly understand all the terms. He also treats his customers with amazing hospitality like you were a family member. His team does an excellent and thorough job of fixing your vehicle in a timely fashion so that you can be on your way. Highly recommend to anyone and everyone in or around the Iowa City area!!! read more

In & out within an hour, without an appointment, on a Saturday :). The 'check engine' light was on. Raffy checked the code and was very informative as to what needed to be done and took care of it quickly. It was our first time there but we'll use them for any future problems. read more

I was unable to get my van out of the "park" mode and the owner of this shop was willing to come to my home driveway and attempt to fix it. Although he wasn't able to fix my van immediately, he was able to get it out of the park mode so that I could drive to his shop. He fixed it within the day and was helpful in showing me the issues so that I better understood what was going on with my vehicle. I very much appreciate his efficiency and knowledge. read more

Super easy to work with!! Great deals on cars, best car buying experience I've ever had. Love my new car, very happy with my purchase. Very honest people, they really go above and beyond for their customers. I will come back for sure, even recommended him to my friends! read more

Number one auto is the best deal for used cars in town. Last September, I bought a car for my daughter from number one auto. The car interior was in good condition and the body looked shiny new. Not a single trace of rust. Raffy offered a good price and on top of it a 4 months or a certain amount of miles warranty. That was the deal maker for me. Also, he upgraded the stereo system with a touchscreen unit for free. Sometime after buying the car, the engine light came on and Raffy fixed it at no cost. He also changed a leaking oil gasket that I didn't know it needed to be changed. I feel like Raffy is a great dealer that stands behind his cars and he will take care of you. My experience was totally positive and I would raccomend Number One Auto to anyone. Great price, great car, great service, the whole deal! read more

Had a battery issue late on a Saturday afternoon. Raffy was accurate in his assessment and quickly replaced the battery, checked the codes and got me on my way. Highly recommend! read more

Has been a lifesaver for me more than once when I needed costly repairs done! The owner, Raffy is excellent to work with and will always go above and beyond to help you when he can! read more

Very unhappy! My husband dropped off my daughter's car (who purchased her car from him to begin with and who indicated at purchase he had put brand new brakes on it) to have break pads and rooters done on the rear and to look at the front pads and if need changed go ahead. My husband is a mechanic for over 30 years but all his tools are in storage as we are moving out of state and so thought we would have #1 do the repair. Was quoted over the phone $349 for the rear. I picked up with my daughter and the bill was $863 WOW! REALLY!!! He attempted to say it was rusty and had to be heated up, took longer, etc. etc. Bottom line my husband was livid when I told him the amount of the bill, which we covered as daughter is a single mom of three kids and did not have even the $349. Next day went to two different auto places to price parts for lifetime warranty on brake pads and rooters and we were charged over 300 more for parts at #1 Auto. My husband confronted the owner on Monday with no resolution. Still can not believe how much we were charged. Unbelievable price for brakes and rooters! Have definitely lost our business!!! read more

We had a transmission problem minutes before the shop closed but when we called they said they would be there for us to help. The problem was resolved quickly and the mechanic was incredibly helpful and kind. I absolutely recommend coming here and trust the good work done. read more

Man my experience was a amazing ! My car broke down while I was traveling through town and Raffy took care of me. Very professional and he took his time to find the problem. As was able to get me back on the road as soon as possible. This is the place to come if you want your car fixed correctly and in a timely manner read more

DO NOT GO!!!!! The day before yesterday I brought my car because it has a squeaking belt and the engine was jumpy and even fully stoped at traffic lights a couple of times. They wanted to go for a reparation of $1,200. I asked them to do just what was required to solved those two problems. They charged me $340 for changing two sensors, a pulley and a belt and my car is exactly as it was. I just got stuck in a traffic light!! It is not only their inefficiency but also the way that the owner treated me like I was stupid. DO NOT TRUST THESE PEOPLE!!!! Update (two days later): I took it to Midas. The car has a problem with the Power Stearing Pump and a sensor different from the two that #1Auto changed. Happy not to take for the full repair with #1Auto (more than $1,000) because they were completely wrong!!! Aficionados. read more

These people are the best! I brought my car in because it was making a worrisome noise. He fixed it right away- I was in and out in under 30 minutes. AND he fixed it for free! I really appreciate his work. I feel so comfortable going here for anything because I know I'll get taken care of. Most places would take advantage of a young, college woman who knows nothing about cars, but not this place. This will always be my first choice of places to go for my car needs. Thank you so so so much! read more