I came here on a coworker's recommendation, and I was NOT disappointed. Brought the car in with AutoZone codes, they gave me an estimate and got the car in and out for a timing belt and system in less than a week, and actually under the estimate price. I'll definitely go back for regular maintenance. read more

Had a last minute repair that urgently needed to be done and they fit me in with no appointment. This is without a doubt the best service shop in the area! Great people, reasonable prices, local business, excellent work. They charge less than the dealerships and get to you sooner. I would not go anywhere else. read more

Bewildered by the Communication Breakdown I'm not in the habit of writing negative reviews. If you browse my google profile, you'll find countless positive ones for businesses across Detroit and its neighboring areas. But I feel compelled to share my experience here because I'm left completely confused by my recent transaction. I brought my 2016 Transit Connect in due to occasional issues with gear shifting while accelerating--especially on hills. The engine would rev, but the van wouldn't gain speed. Initially, the business offered a free diagnostic, which turned up nothing. So I scheduled a follow-up and dropped off the vehicle overnight. Two days later, they contacted me with a laundry list of issues that didn't align at all with my original complaint. They claimed the brakes were locking up, the parking brake felt engaged while moving, the wheel couldn't rotate, and that it was difficult to even get the van on their lift. They said they bled the brake line to release it and advised me to call my insurance company because repairs would run into the thousands. None of these issues had ever occurred prior to drop-off. Alarmed by the sudden and severe diagnosis, I asked them not to perform any work until I could see the vehicle myself. They insisted it was unsafe to drive and that I'd need to pay $100 just to pick it up. When I arrived, that fee mysteriously increased by $25. Frustrated, I paid and took my keys. Here's the kicker: once I got in and drove off, NONE of the issues they described were present. I made it from Ferndale back to Detroit with functioning brakes, freely turning wheels, and no signs of the chaos they painted over the phone. It felt like either a massive miscommunication or something far more concerning. After driving with intermittent transmission issues for years, this experience left me deeply disappointed--not just because no repairs were completed after a two-day wait, but because the proposed repairs didn't match reality. Spending money over misleading claims is enough for me to never return. I'll absolutely be sharing this story with others. read more

Very good customer service. My brake pads and rotors were worn out, and needed to be replaced. I called them up, and they got it taken care within the same day. They also fixed an issue with the dash lights flashing on and off. They only charged me about $700.00 for the whole thing. Excellent service, really good people. I would definitely recommend O'Brien Services to my family and friends. 10/10! read more

Man how can anyone have a single bad thing to say about this place or Frank. He bent over backwards with ideas and advice in regard to my project. He even let me help on the final stages, which was mounting the tires on the car....I felt like a macho man for sure since I do not work on cars. Frank and his crew are top notch, definitely check them out for any and all auto repairs or projects. If they cannot do it, they will say so and recommend somewhere that can. I hope have to go there again to check out all the personal projects Frank has going on in the yard, such a cool place. read more

Thank you so much for taking great care of my car and treating her like she's a diamond. She means the world to me & my dog couldn't be happier! read more

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I haven't actually had work done here but they've treated my fiancée very well when it came to her repair needs. I did bring my car here for a sidewall tire repair but they referred me to Wetmore's. I like the owner (Frank?)....he's honest and forthright. The staff all around was polite, genuine and straightforward too. I plan on bringing my car here in the future for sure. They're, now, only the second place I actually trust when it comes to vehicle repair. Bob's Tire in Brighton being the first. A quick recap...we took my girl's car in for evaluation and when they couldn't find anything wrong with it they didn't charge us an inspection/labor fee at all! I was impressed since I've never seen this happen before. read more

O'Brien Services is a nice little automotive repair shop in Ferndale Michigan. It has a family owned, mom & pop air about it. I took my car here on recommendation of my old boss, who is a loyal customer. O'Brien specializes in 4x4 trucks and muscle/classic cars, but I brought my 2003 Mazda 6 in here, and they serviced it beautifully. There is a large crew of mechanics working full time and a really nice, motherly receptionist lady. They do good work at fair prices, and have a quick turn around. They will check your car out and tell you what needs to be done before doing it, quote you a price, and stick to it. I've been there twice now, and each time when I've gone to pick the car up, there is the mechanic there who worked on it to talk to me personally, and explain thoroughly what he did and why. Also, they gave me advice on how to handle future problems with the car that I may encounter, as it's getting a little bit older now. Fast, friendly service. Quality job done. Not too pricey. I'll be back again. http://www.obgarage.com/ read more

O'brien Services - Auto Repair Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

I've been a Ferndale resident for many years. I've lived walking distance from O'Brien's for more than a decade. It would only make sense to use them for my car care. Unfortunately I haven't had any luck when I've tried to use them. Instead I've been talked down to and made to feel disrespected. I've literally been told that I should try another shop when I called about pricing on repairs for my vehicle. The staff don't respect the other vehicles or pedestrians on the road. As a pedestrian I've had to jump out of the way on more than one occasion to avoid getting hit. They've also added a thin blue line sign in response to the black lives matter movement. That speaks to the type of people they are. read more

I cannot say enough about great the kind people of O'briens auto are! We our a touring band and our rv broke down at the venue, we were stranded without any help. EVERY mechanic in michigan turned as down and we seeked out O'briens walking to them asking for help as our last resort. On a Saturday (Their day off!) they came and helped us get back on the road! They saved our tour. We can not say thank you enough to Frank and the amazing people at O'briens, the BEST in the COUNTRY read more

I've been taking my cars to O'Brien's for a few years now. Frank and the crew always take great care of them and do great work. Frank is an honest guy to work with so I trust him with my babies. read more

Been going to Frank for over 30 years - he gets ALL my business unless I absolutely have to go to a dealer. They do it all there - shocks, struts, brakes. tune-ups, everything. He's worked on my trucks, my Jeep, my wife's SUV, and even came to the shop after dinner one night to help my son out of a jam (frozen lug nut on a flat repair - NO charge)... this is the type of personal service others would do well to emulate. The place is kinda cluttered with antique automotive stI currently drive from New Baltimore to Ferndale to have him do our repairs and maintenance. That should tell you something, right there. read more

WOMEN BEWARE! I was charged $320.00 for a battery, they said it was difficult to install but every other place in ferndale including the dealership was 180$ Including installation. My husband has been going there for 13 years and neither one of us will ever go back. I cannot believe how taken advantage of I feel. After my husband called they lowered the price but not all of us have husbands or someone to do that! Just ridiculous! read more

We needed a lot of work done to our 81' vanagon and after shopping around we were happy we chose o'briens. They explained everything the job entailed, kept us updated throughout the service, and let us know what needs immediate attention and what can hold off a little. They finished the job in a timely matter and their front desk staff was great! We are so happy we chose to go with them! We will be back for all of our van needs!(: read more

O'brien Services - Auto Repair Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Original Review: 12/6/11 I have been going to O'Brien's for my car repair needs for the last ten years. They are a family owned business and have been around since 1993, which I guess has given them enough time to forge some good relationships with local suppliers, because when I need a part, they can get it. Here's how a visit to O'Brien's typically goes... Step 1) I drive, drag, push or tow my car to their lot and speak with Carolyn, the very firendly receptionist. Carolyn knows her stuff. Step 2) If I do not have a ride home, they will offer me one, which is a treat, since it invloves climbing into the cab of an old Dogde pickup truck that has over 250,000 miles on it. I enjoy the old Dodge. It runs rough, but fine and it is testament to the fact that these guys can do some crazy mumbo jumbo to make a truck last that long. Step 3) Carolyn will call me with a detailed explanation of what is wrong, how much it will cost to fix and how soon it can be done. Sometimes, I wait a day for this phone call. But, that is never a surprise because Carolyn will warn me that they won't be able to get to my vehicle until first thing the next morning. Step 4) The car is done. They call me. I come pick it up and pay. "Why 3 stars?" you may ask. Well, in the last two years, the turn-around time seems to have gotten longer. Also, there is a new receptionist man (not Carolyn) who is brusk and unfriendly and sometimes omits some of Steps 3 & 4, such as not calling me when the car is done or asking me to make an appointment to fix my broken car because they are so backed up. That is particularly frustrating because, had I known that my radiator was going to explode at roughly 3:30 on Tuesday, clearly I would have made a 4pm reservation for radiator replacement. However, cars break at unexpected and often inconvenient times and I rely on my mechanic to fix mine quickly so that I can go to work and stuff. The reasons for my frustrations with O'Brien's, I think, are largely due to the fact that their business is growing, which must mean that others have come to realize that these (usually) friendly people do good work on cars for cheap. The mechanics are top-notch. Despite my frustrations, I will suck it up and continue to go there. For now. Review Update: 2/28/12 The receptionist man's name is Ray. He continues to be brusk and unfriendly and mostly unwilling to provide straight answers to questions, such as "When will I get my car back? And how much does this cost?" He misquoted a repair job and when I found out that Obrien's intended to charge me $200 more than what was agreed upon, he pretended that I misunderstood, not that he miscommunicated. He also asked me if I would like to have my father call him so that he could explain the situation to him (insinuating that my dad would better understand what was going on than me). This, I found to be extremely demeaning and I had to remind him that I am an adult and I pay for my own car repairs, which I hated doing because part of being an adult is not having to remind people that you are one. read more

My experience started good -- My car wouldn't idle in the extreme cold so each time I reached a stop sign or red light it would stall. One morning it took too many tries at starting and I quickly wore the battery down. My regular service station doesn't offer battery charging so I called O'Briens. I expected to pay $50 for the service but the guy who came out (I just live a block from the garage) charged me up for free and said it wasn't the battery, that he could hear some other issues in there and gave me ideas what needed repair. He said get to your garage to ck it out. (Well I already knew I had a leaky head gasket and my regular garage suggested I replace the timing belt while they do that cuz the engine would be apart. They estimated $1200 and said I could wait a few months till I saved up cash rather than putting on credit card.) I figured I'd let O'Briens look at my car this time for this smaller fix. I entered the office. There are two clerks, for lack of knowing what their titles are. The woman is great. Friendly and personable and know her stuff. But she was already with another customer. :( I got the man. He was like a machine. I could have gotten more enthusiasm from sucking a dry tea bag. He asked a Q. I'd try to answer as consisely as I could. He would interrupt, cut me off or talk over me at the times I refused to be polite and stop talking. I was shocked but I said that's just how this guy is, its not on me, it's over there w him. Here is what really was/is the reason for my low rating. I told them I already knew I had a leaky head gasket but my trouble I was there for was the car failing to idle. So he wrote me up for inspection $47.50 charge for the car failing to idle and $47.50 for the leaky gasket. ??? Why did they charge me to check out sonething I told them I had already?!?! They said I needed an ERG valve and charged me $600 to replace it. They then wrote up an estimate to replace the leaky head gasket and timing chain plus water pump for $2300. Double th cost of my regular service station. $50 for an oil change too on my little 4 cylinder. !?!? Wtf? To top off my experience, my car continues to have the same idling issue in cold weather and when I called O'Briens back immediately to tell them it was doing the same thing, the woman quickly spouted off that I was told I needed to repair the leaky head gasket too but I refused that service. I told her I had that issue for a bit and never had trouble the car stalling. She said that they car would continue to idle poorly because of the gasket. So I asked her why they bothered to change the ERG valve if it wasn't the issue. She merely answered that the engine sensor report said it was mis- firing. !!!! So maybe it was only mis firing because the head gasket leaking on it??? Who knows! I'm not knowledgable when it comes to engines so I'm at the mercy of my mechanic. But I tell you, I'll never be back there again. I love my regular garage, The Tire Outlet, on 9 mile. read more

Been coming here for nearly 20 yrs (they are 2 blocks from our house). Reliable, reasonable prices and will tell you what work is really necessary. Always busy. read more

I recently got into an accident with my parents' car while visiting Michigan from out-of-state. O'brien Services helped me tremendously. The owner, the staff, were just incredibly kind, honest and caring while assisting me through insurance procedures and housing the car until a collision shop they work with took it in for body repair. The car is great now. I felt like I could really trust them and their recommendations. Moreover, I witnessed how they answered all of my family's questions with patience and respect. This is remarkable as my parents are immigrants who have a great command of English but aren't always treated as such by professionals whom they seek service from. The way they handled their queries was just stellar. This is a shop that will help you get back on the road and never take advantage of you. read more

They are the best. Fair honest do exactly what they say. There's an obvious reason why they've been around for as long as they have and have such a loyal customer base. read more

I came very last minute to O'brien's and was lucky enought to speak with Frank. I needed immediate help with my scratched and dented bumper very last minute because I was in town just for the weekend. Frank connected me with John and they took care of me the next day, a Saturday after closing hours. It was ready the next morning and the job he did was absolutely incredible. Super nice and helpful staff! This is exactly why I don't go to corporate places! At O'brien's they treated me like a person and understood I was in a tight spot. They really took care of me and I can't thank them enough. Keep it going y'all! read more

Obriens is right down the street from where I live, so initially, I thought to try them out because I could walk home from the shop after I dropped my car off. But if you don't live close like I do, they will give you a ride home and if you need a car for a few days, there is an Obrien's discount at the enterprise car rental at the end of the street on Woodward. This is one of my favorite auto repair shops. There are only a few things an auto repair shop needs to be. Here they are in order. 1. Honest 2. Honest 3. Honest If your car repair shop people are honest you can probably assume that their prices are fair and that they have competent mechanics. Otherwise if they were just honest they would be out of business. This is why Obrien's does so well. If have been a gearhead my whole life, growing up working on my own cars, building project cars, doing restorations, etc. At one point, my Dad owned a busy repair shop for some years and I spent a lot of time in the shop with the techs and learning the ropes of the business. Since I do a lot of work on my own cars, why would I need a trusted mechanic you ask? Because there are always things that someone else with the proper tools and experience can do a lot better and faster than I can, so it is worth it. I have now been taking my family's various cars to Obrien's for nearly 7 years and couldn't be happier. They are not the cheapest shop out there but they are reasonable, and you know the saying. You get what you pay for. Properly maintaining a good used car will always be more economical than making a car payment on a new one. read more

I absolutely LOVE the people at O'Brien's! They take good care of their customers, and are straight shooters. I have been using them for my auto repairs, and there have been PLENTY of them) for almost 5 years now. They always follow up with you, give honest feedback and choices, and provide quality customer service. It is a real mom and pop shop feel, and that is what keeps me coming back. read more

I find them to be the best in the area. Honest, efficient, fair prices and good work. Bonus, it's a small local business. There you go, meets all of my criteria. read more

I just joined Yelp so I could publicly endorse O'brien. I've been taking my cars there for years and they always provide great service and work with me on the best price, only advising me to move forward on what my cars need without adding overhead services that aren't necessary. Most importantly, O'brien's actually cares about it's customers and goes out of their way to help. Just this morning, Frank stopped by my house to help give my car battery a jump after I had foolishly left the key in the ignition the day before. He didn't charge me a dime. Gestures like that will keep me coming back to O'brien for every car service I need. I wouldn't let a friend of mine go anywhere but O'brien's for car service. Frank, Carolyn, Marv, and the whole team at O'brien's are fantastic. There are few business I would recommend more. read more

Awesome experience! First-time customer. Unfortunately towed my car to Northern Auto when it wouldn't start (seems to be a common thread). NA replaced the crank shaft position sensor for $350, which didn't fix the car, and then wanted another $250 for "electrical system diagnostics." $600 and that was only to figure out what was going on! No thanks, called O'Brien's & Carol at the front desk got the owner Frank involved. Explained the symptoms, what I was being told at the "other" shop & bottom line was I got another tow to O'Brien's at the end of the day, and they called me by 11AM the next morning to say my car was fixed for $190. Turned out there was a broken wire, which they replaced & did some cleanup to make sure it didn't happen in future. Hooray! read more

Every time I have to visit this place they take excellent care of me. This time I had a relatively major repair done, and they took care of the problem very quickly. When I picked up my vehicle I was met with a surprise! They had also taken care of a minor repair, but didn't bother to tell me about it or charge me. It was wonderful that they were so willing to go above and beyond!!!!! Please give them your business. read more

Despite what is under my name, O'Brien's is in my neighborhood in Ferndale 2 blocks away. After getting no satisfaction whatsoever from the Subaru Dealer in Ferndale's Service department with recent problems with my 2009 Outback, I finally took it into O'Brien's and am I glad I did. For a few months from October 2018 my Outback check engine light kept coming on with the 0420 code coming up on my OBD code reader. The Subaru dealer service dept kept telling me I needed a new catalytic converter and tried every lie possible to get me to take the plunge for $2000.00+ as they quoted me for the part replacement. I asked them to do a heat test and scope it to verify that the catalytic converter was indeed the problem, like most honest places would do before recommending a replacement of that cost, but the Subaru dealer refused to do this. I suspected a vacuum leak was causing the problem so I let O'Brien's look at it. It was such a completely different experience from the dealer it was like landing in an alternate reality. The OWNER, Frank, dealt with me directly. They tested the catalytic converter and scoped it and found it was still working. properly. They then quickly found a cross pipe crack that was the likely problem (anyone could smell it was an exhaust leak), and fixed it for about an eighth of the quote from the dealer. I then asked Frank to look into some problems I'd had with a previous (expensive) drive shaft repair the dealer made that resulted in no improvement and he said he noticed a big problem right away when he drove it. He advised me to take it back to the dealer, which I did two more times. After failing to make any improvement, I finally asked Frank what he could do. He sent my drive shaft to a specialist who determined the part was out of balance. They balanced the shaft, Frank installed it and it made an immediately noticible difference in the car's driveability and road feel. The repair was almost a tenth of what the dealer quoted, who was now recommending other expensive parts replacements and wouldn't touch the out-of-balance shaft. The honesty and integrity of the people at this business is a real pleasure and worlds better than what you get at most dealership service departments. Frank even allowed me to look for a cheaper part on the first repair than the one they found, then expertly installed it no questions asked or labor warranties changed. Frank keeps close communications with you while he has your car, and always answered my texts. They are great neighbors and they value that. Frank and his staff went the extra mile for me and never tried to make me feel like just another stupid consumer. They will give you a very honest service recommendation and are not just looking to upsell. Their kind of honesty is rare these days but more valuable than ever. They all are just good people, period. They'll definitely see more of my business. read more

A+++++ all the way. WoW, Great service, Friendly. replacement repairs were done at a very reasonable price. Everyone can use a great mechanic and service place, this is it ! read more

I've been going to O'Brien's service for years. Frank the owner is as honest as they get. You'll be treated fairly and Frank is the best, he can figure out anything, fix anything. If you're looking for shop you can trust, this is it. They have fixed multiple vehicles for me over the years and I've always been happy. Plus enterprise rental car right down the street has an O'Brien service discount if you need it. Just ask, Caroline will call down there to make sure you get it. read more

when my alternator went out one late night at the comet bar, i had to find a place to tow my car to. unfortunately, i towed my car to northern auto in royal oak. they checked out my car and told me that yes, the alternator was bad and also a ball joint. the cost would be 900 dollars. i decided to try a couple other places and called obriens. they said they could fix the two problems for 650. i push started my bug and was on my way. the receptionist was the nicest little old lady in the world. her quotes were right on and she was always super nice. she even gave me a card to have my car towed anytime within 5 miles for free. fast forward another 6 months and i went back to have my timing belt replaced. same good service and they fixed the car for 150 less than the original quote. i like obriens because i never feel like they are trying to rip me off. they offer quotes, and fix exactly what they say they are going to. its even better that i can walk there. love, juston read more

All I can say is WOW! Very impressed with the service I received at O'Briens yesterday. My brake light had come on and I noticed that the pedal was requiring more and more force to get my VW to stop. Initially I had taken it somewhere else in Ferndale and they quoted me $800 for the repairs. I was told I needed new brake pads and rotors all the way around and the sensors replaced. Obviously I wasn't pleased and decided to shop around, as it was twice what I expected to spend, especially since my rear brakes seemed fine. I took my car to O'Briens and made an appointment for 3 days later to have the brakes looked at. Dropped the car off Sunday night for Monday repair. Karyn called me with an estimate about 40 minutes after they opened. I was surprised and pleased to know that my rear brakes were fine, and the repair was only $350! And it took just over an hour! They did an outstanding job and I was really pleased at how kind and knowledgable everyone I interacted with was. Now my light is off, I feel safe, and I didn't get ripped off. I will be taking my car here for all repairs from now on. read more

O'Briens..I've been going there for 10 years when i lived in the area and when i moved away to a2, I would get my car towed to them. They have affordable prices for phenomenal work and staff. These guys know there stuff. Frank and John really great guys and friends. read more

I live in the neighborhood so I took my car to O'brien's for the first time to get my ball joints replaced. They charged me significantly less than quotes from other mechanics, finished it quickly and even delivered it to my house when it was finished. Everyone there was friendly and knowledgable. I will definitely return I'm the future. read more

When your a female 99% of the time you feel a car place will take advantage of you!! I have never felt this way at O'briens. I trust them 100% with my car. I always tell people I know when there having car problems to take there care to O'briens. read more

I took my Car in to Frank and Joe and they were able to figure out exactly was wrong with in a few minutes. They were even able to fix in just a hour and a half. They're great and I'll make them my new repair shop for everything. read more

I left my car at O'Brien's after 10pm, Friday night before Labor Day, and Frank fixed it Saturday, even though the shop wasn't officially opened. Beautiful!! Had it returned to my house, down the street from the shop by 3pm. Thank you, as always, Frank and company. read more

ive been a customer with o Briens for yrs,Ive taken so many of my jeeps there,and believe me Frank got em up and runnin,even if it took him all nite to figure out the problem,i promise u ,you ll be happy with the service,as a matter of fact i just bought a 83 full size jeep which i am taking up to O Briens in the near future,cuz i trust no one else with my vehicles read more