Went to have my omissions tested. Amazing service, clean waiting area and friendly staff. Would absolutely recommend!

If you don't DIY, or want to be over charged, Pick Personal Auto Care. They're a AAA approved repair shop. I got a 24 month warranty And a 10% discount off the repair cost of my last service. That saved me hundreds, from the National chains, and thousands from the dealer. John Christopher read more

People working there were very nice. Unfortunately they turned out to be dishonest. Brought my vehicle there because of a broken hoodlabs cable. Easy to get the hood open with the right tool which turned out to be a very long screwdriver. Once they open the hood which I assume took about 10 minutes I had asked them to install the cable that I provided. Shortly after they started working on it I received the call telling me that the table I provided was too short. And that they could get a new cable for the price of $95 plus labor for installation. Since I only paid $15 for part I provided I've decided they were overcharging me and sold them no. I would order another one and install it myself as I know it's not a difficult job. So I go to get my car and they give me a bill for $161. Ended up ordering another cable from a different supplier. The next day when I had some time I looked at both the cables and realized that they were the same size. Meaning that the cable I ordered because they basically lied to me I was not needed. I installed the cable that I had given them and they told me was incorrect and it worked perfectly. Now I have to return the one that I ordered because of what they told me. So they ended up charging me the full hour it would have taken to open the hood and install the new cable. read more

I had a set of tires on my car that caused me a great deal of headaches. They did not cone from Personal Auto, so I do not put that on them. I mention it because it's what brought me in there. One day one of the tires started making a weird noise that I recognized to be possibly the early stages of a flat with a slow leak. I decided to call AAA just to be safe. One of Personal's tow trucks came to pick up the car, and he was personable and professional. Once the car was there, Rhonda helped me with the paperwork and got a ride for me back to work, which was great and not expected. But then the problems started. I got a call later that they had checked the tire I suspected to be flat and found no leak. Okay...that's good, I guess? But something was up with the tire, and you guys are the mechanics, so they said they'd take it for a road test and check the other tires. A call back later and they tell me it's a tie rod on the front drivers side tire (not the one I suspected of leaking), but which may have accounted for the weird noises. I was told $350 for the parts and labor, and agreed to the service. As part of replacing the rod, I was told that the tires were going to be rotated. Lastly, they told me that I might need to consider replacing two of the tires; one was worn a bit on the inside and another was a bit noisy as a belt was loose inside it. I figured these were new tires (less than 2 years), and although they had given me problems it seemed premature to replace them. I asked if they needed to be replaced immediately, and was told no, they'd be good for a while, but I should be aware of the issues. Fine and dandy, I said, let's do the tie rod and rotation and that'll be a day. The next day I go in to pick up the car, and it goes fine. Rhonda rings me up and makes friendly small talk. I leave thinking that it's good to have a place so near to where I work that I can bring my car to in an emergency. I drive down deKoven towards Route 9 South. The on-ramp is less than a mile from the shop. I am literally at the bottom of the ramp merging into traffic when I hear it. BOOM. Car is immediately bouncing around and making a ton of noise. I pull over and get out to see the left rear tire is COMPLETELY flat. Not a slow leak. Immediately flat, like it had been stabbed with a blade. (See photo) I see from some other reviews that this sort of thing has happened before with Personal. I'm not a mechanic. I'm sure it's possible to miss something, like any job. But this brings either their competence or their trustworthiness into question. Perhaps both. You cannot tell a customer that they are fine on the tires they have, and then have one of those tires EXPLODE less than a mile from the shop. That simply can't happen. So despite the friendly service, I won't be returning. read more

Personal Auto Care Service Center - Towing Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

I've been going here for emissions and other work like brakes, rotors and calipers o and an alternator for a year now. They are professional and honest. Ronda is nice and their work is grade A in my book. Even if they make a mistake which only happened once they fixed it free of charge. I dropped the car off early and got it back before the day is out always. Their prices are the best around and they care about the customer. I trust them with my ride. I can't say that for 99% of the garages around here. They do the job right and don't use backyard tricks. In 2023 almost 2024 if you want a job done right and save money come here. I give reviews on my experiences and this is the first one I ever gave 5 stars to. Also any service I need they will do no matter the job for a low price. Going here is like a breath of fresh air without anxiety like Midas or other chain garages I've went to. I could tell you horror stories but NOT here. read more

I had an awful time with AAA and of the driver hadnt been so sweet and efficient this day would have been torture!.. thank you miguel for the coffee the conversation and your absolutely great service after a rough rough day read more

I'm torn on this place. Allow me to explain: First off, the tow truck guys at this place are tremendous. I've dealt with two of them (I'm not sure how many they have on staff), and they were both personable, helpful, and very friendly. Had this been the only criterion which this review was written, it would be five stars hands down. Their mechanical staff (I dealt with "Dave" mostly) was very professional, and even though my car broke down 120 miles from my house and I couldn't get to it for two weeks, they didn't charge me any storage fees and only charged me a nominal $40+ diagnosis fee. That was very fair and as another reviewer pointed out, that's the right way to do business. However, one key component to any successful professional is competency, getting your job right. Personal Auto Care failed at this, and failed in a big way. My car had caught fire several weeks ago. When they assessed my car they looked only at the brakes, yet any mechanic would have noticed that the brake lines were not burnt (being made of rubber, they would not have survived long had they been), and that the fire had originated from the middle of the rear of the car, whereas the brakes are on the sides. Working strictly off of their expert diagnosis, I had the brakes completely replaced, only to find out about 100 feet from the repair shop that it was the transmission, not the brakes, that caught fire. The car was worthless. Had I known this, I could have saved myself the $500+ in brake work I had just done. I would have preferred they be rude and gotten the diagnosis correct. 2 1/2 stars. read more

Do NOT go here for anything more complicated than an oil change. I took my car here because it came recommended to me by couple of my friends. I have had my car serviced here twice, and both times, they tried to rip me off. First, I was getting a 60,000 mile service done. Everything was going ok until the mechanic told me that I needed to change my tires. This sounded reasonable, as my two front ones were kind of worn out. However, they tried to convince me that you can't just change TWO, that you needed to always change FOUR on my make/model of car. Otherwise, the car "will become unbalanced." Who the hell says that? I felt like because I was a girl, they just assumed that I was an idiot when it came to cars. Second, I brought my car here after it overheated. I told them the usual--it could be the thermostat, the radiator, etc. They told me there's nothing wrong with those things or the engine, that the car should not be overheating (um...hello? it's why I brought the car in in the first place...), but that the problem was the brakes (see the other guy's review down below--this appears to be their default answer or something). True, my car had some brake problems, but hello, my car was OVERHEATING, which usually does not concern brakes. They refused to listen to me, and they showed me what was wrong with the brakes. The brakes certainly needed work, so I decided to give them a chance. Sure enough, after paying 900 for the brakes and picking up my car, my car overheated after driving 3 miles. They hadn't fixed ANYTHING. Plus, 900 for a brake job anywhere is completely OVERPRICED. Bottom line: The customer service may be nice, but the mechanics here are IDIOTS. read more

I've unfortunately used Personal Auto Care twice. 1st experience was a tow with a repair. I was up charged 300% according to two other mechanics. 2nd experience was a battery change. They improperly installed the battery causing my remote car starter to break. When asking what they would do about it, the woman recommended another shop to fix the starter as they don't deal with it. If you don't mind inexperienced mechanics with very high rates, stop by Personal Auto Care!! read more

They've got multiple things going for them. The woman at the front has a fantastic memory, they offer free rides from and to the shop, fair prices, and they haven't tried to rip me off the few times I've dropped my car off there. I'm new to the area and I'm absolutely thrilled I found a trustworthy and quality shop on my first try. Keep doing what you're doing! read more

Highly recommend this place for oil change! Staff is extremely nice and funny. The oil change itself took about 40 minutes! Price is competitive! read more

I'm not sure what the deal is with some of the other reviews, but I have only had good experiences at Personal Auto Care. I began going to them first for my regular emissions testing. Then I had very pleasant experiences with them when they came out for my various AAA calls over the years (unlocking doors when I got the keys locked in, flat tires, dead batteries, etc.). Finally, when my independent mechanic retired, I had to find a new place for my maintenance and repairs. Because I was always treated courteously and waited on promptly at Personal Auto Care, I decided to give them a try. I've had oil changes, tire rebalancing, brake work, and I'm sure some other things that I'm forgetting about, and I've never had a single problem. All of their workers are friendly and professional. The mechanics and their work area is neat and clean, and this instills an additional layer to the confidence I already have in them. Sometimes I stay and wait for the work to be done, and they have a nice clean waiting area where you can watch t.v. or read a magazine and have a fresh cup of coffee. Other times, when the work is more involved, they'll shuttle me home or to work and fetch me later when the work is complete. This is very convenient. I'm not one to nickel-and-dime on my auto maintenance, so the professionalism, kindness, and special little touches more than make up for it if the tab is a couple of bucks more than somebody else. read more

If you need emissions done, this is the place, They'll do it for cheap at a very quick pace, Repairs may cost a bit more here, But the service is fine; always lots of cheer. I got emissions done here when I first moved to Middletown. For this service you cannot make an appointment. They took my car right in, I was able to watch it on a small monitor from the waiting room, and I was out of there in 10 minutes. A few months later I went back to get my snow tires put on. I had an appointment but it still took over one and a half hours. Alright, whatever. They had to mount the tires which takes a bit longer. The price was higher than other places I've had the service done. However, the lady at the front desk made a fresh pot of coffee while I was waiting, which cheered me up a bit. The waiting room has comfy couches and the place is in a convenient location. I'll still scope out my other options in the area given the cost and the time to get work done. 3 stars for the good emissions experience. read more

Thanks for getting me back on the road fast! Repaired tire and balance and mount drive up service under 1 hr mid-day thanks much appreciated. read more

I made an appointment to drop off my car for emissions repair "between 7:30 and 9" for the next day. I dropped it off at 8:00 and it wasn't until the very moment I handed over the key that I was informed about a $100 diagnostic fee. I know a diagnostic fee is pretty standard, but $100 seems steep and I didn't appreciate not being told about it over the phone. So after I agree to the fee, I'm told that it will be about two hours before anything can get done on my car. It seemed like a rather long wait for someone who had made an appointment, but I didn't mind. My son and I walked around Middletown to pass the time and headed back to the shop around 11. My car was still sitting out in the parking lot, and I was informed that no one had even looked at it. I waited around for another half hour or so before deciding that their diagnosis (just a diagnosis! No actual service!) was worth neither the time nor the money they wanted from me. When I asked for my key back I was told that my car would be next to go in (even though there was a Toyota blocking it in). Unacceptable. read more

Wow! Personal Auto rescued me from a failed transmission on rte 9 in Middletown during rush hour! Andy was so helpful and friendly!!

Very bad experience. I went in because I needed an emissions test done for out of state. On the phone, they said they could do a test for my state. Everything was fine until I handed over my payment, and confirmed that my test results would be valid out of state. At this point I was told that the test was ONLY good for Connecticut. I asked for a refund, and they refused. I later spoke to the manager on the phone, whose childlike attitude made the people I had dealt with earlier look like saints. He hung up on me before I could even explain the situation. Would not recommend this place to anybody, there are plenty of better mechanics around who aren't looking to manipulate their customers. read more

I've heard horror stories about this place, so i refuse to bring my car here for service, but they do get dispatched quite a bit when i call AAA, and their tow drivers are always knowledgeable and courteous. read more

Dropped off my 2004 Jeep for tire rotation balance one tire and align the front end at 9:00am. At 4:45pm I paid $74.39 for the tire rotation and single tire balance. The alignment wasn't done because they couldn't loosen the control arms. The control arms upland lower were replaced 4 years ago. Reasons why Personal Auto couldn't loosen the control arms: "The nuts weren't greased when replaced." "The winter salt corroded them." We spend the winter in Florida. The Jeep spends the Connecticut winter in the garage. "We have to charge you something for our time." $39.95!! I wish I could fail at a task and charge 40% of the cost fa successful completion. By the way they didn't HAVE to charge anything. I wouldn't go back here for an emissions test. read more

Great place. The owner is a good man and knows what it means to do business the right way.

Called AAA for a flat. After an employee made my finances car fall off the jack causing the shield to rip off underneath the car I called and spoke to the manager who had us come in immediately and had us seen and the issue fixed for free. Although it did happen Personal corrected the issue and didn't give us any issues. Great customer service read more

I would give "this garage" less than one star if I could. I feel sick at the thought of even saying or typing their name at this point! My exhaust system fell off my car at school one hot summer day and I did not have any rope or wire to secure it to my car to drive home. I called AAA who dispatched a tow truck from this garage to come help me. The tow truck driver was very nice and answered my questions truthfully; he was also very comforting to talk to being an alumni of my college. I wished I remembered his name so I could give him the credit he deserves. Because I did not have a AAA gold membership and could not afford the tow home, he brought me to their garage and dropped my car in their lot. When I went to the front desk to inquire about having them fix my car, Al shoved papers in my face and told me to sign them, refusing to explain what they were. As a nervous college student with limited money to fix my car and tears in my eyes, I signed the papers, wrongly putting my trust in them. They put my car on the lift and told me that I would need to replace my car's entire exhaust system. I inspected the car myself, and saw that only the flex pipe was broken, which would be an easy $30 fix. They wanted to charge me $1600 to replace the whole system, so I obviously refused their service. Here's where the fun starts. After being yelled at by Al over the phone, telling me I am making the wrong decision, I requested that they tow my car to one of my friend's garages where I would get my car fixed. I could not get them to tow my car so I submitted a tow request to AAA. I changed my AAA membership from basic to gold so they had to do it for free. I requested a tow after I got out of work and had my boyfriend's mom pick me up from work in Hartford and bring me to the garage to meet the tow truck driver, Doug. He called me for confirmation that I was coming to meet him, and threatened that if I wasn't at the garage by the end of his shift in 15 minutes that he would cancel the request. I was in Hartford at the time of the call and there was no possible way I could get to the garage in time. I started to cry because this is no way that a AAA customer should be treated and could no longer handle the hoops that this garage was making me jump through. I handed the phone to my boyfriend's mom to see if she could convince Doug to calm down, but he hung up the phone on her! We had to call my boyfriend's dad to go confront Doug at the garage to try to make him stay. We arrived at the garage and Doug reluctantly put my car on the tow truck. He drove it in an obnoxious manner to my friend's garage, taking his sweet time and racking up miles to charge AAA for. I was finally able to get my car out of the hostage situation they held it in after four days of it sitting in their garage's lot. It was fixed in a matter of hours at my friend's garage and only cost me a total of $30. My car has broken down plenty of times since this episode, and every time I have called AAA for a tow I have requested for a company other than this garage to be sent. I have also submitted multiple requests to AAA to have their contract with his garage to be examined and hopefully revoked. I tell people about my experiences with this garage every chance I get, and always send a middle finger in their direction when I pass it on DeKoven Drive. read more

Not sure about the bad reviews but I've had nothing but great experiences here. Moved to the area a year ago and have been coming back since. Everyone is always very friendly and explains exactly what needs to be done and why. read more

I have used PAC for years for all our vehicles. I have found everyone to be friendly and honest, and they do great maintenance and repair work at fair prices. Rhonda has given me excellent advice over the years, and she can be trusted to recommend just the service or repair you actually need. They really work hard at getting to know their customers and the needs of their vehicles. read more

Recently, my car broke down on Route 9 South near exit 16 in Middletown during rush hour. I had to walk just over a mile (down the highway, up the long winding exit ramp and into town) to find a phone to call AAA. My iphone had died as well! I was exhausted and beyond frustrated by the time I connected with a AAA dispatcher. Thankfully, she connected with Personal Auto Care Service Center and requested a tow for me. While I was walking back to my car to meet the tow truck driver, my cell phone rang (after a very kind woman at Metro PCS in Middletown charged up my iphone) and it was a tow truck driver from Personal Auto Care Service Center. I think his name is Curtis. Terrific guy! So nice! Very professional! He found me walking back to my car, picked me up and drove to my car. It was getting dark and really cold. I was so grateful to have him find me and deliver me safely back. Curtis quickly loaded up my vehicle and drove me just over 80 miles to my dealership in Guilford. On our drive down he helped me narrow down what the potential issues were with the car and was reassuring that it wasn't the end of the world! Having just moved to CT from VA only a month ago, I was pretty overwhelmed. I should note that this was the read more

Here's my experience on my first and last visit.... I first called the shop to get a quote for tire mounting and balancing and got Dave in service. I was first told $13 a tire and on a second call to book my appointment I asked again and was quoted $15 a tire. Ok. I assumed that did not include valve stems or tire disposal... and I was right. So, I later came in to have 4 tires mounted and balanced for a friend. At the desk I was asked if I wanted the value stems replaced, and yes I did. Then I was asked if I wanted the tires disposed of for $14. No thank you, it's free at the Cromwell transfer station. So, total estimate to mount and balance 4 tires with new valve stems was $75.71 and I lug away the old ones. The mechanic who got my car came out while I was waiting, was polite and curteous and asked me if I wanted the raised white letters mounted in or out. That was thoughful. I asked him to please look at the brake pads to let me know how they were looking. Later Rhonda came to me with the mechanics observations: first, they stated my rims were really "rusted and corroeded" and needed to be grinded with a stone or something or the tires may not mount/seat properly. Never heard of such a thing in my entire life (25+ years of car ownership) and especially on an Aluminum rim - aluminum may oxidize, but it does not rust! That was an extra $40. I understand that there may be some cleaning of the rim that is needed(especially if it were a steel rim) , but aluminum rims and $40? They also stated my rear drums had a lot of brake dust and could use to be adjusted. Another $40 to clean the dust and adjust the tension. I passed on that. Also recommended a front end aligment which is likely possible. Pass. I'm here for tires to be mounted and balanced. I get the idea of up selling and cars often have other problems then just the ones we take them in for. Any business man wants more business, I get that. As a consumer, you would want to make sure that the things being done are "necessary" and not just an attempt to nickle and dime you. If there were real safety issues I would want to know about them and having them pointed out by a mechanic is always welcomed. However, we don't *have* to have the work done. Also, it is our responsibility to verify the claims if we are doubtful (in hindsight I would have liked to have seen that rust!) I find it odd to pay $40 to have your rim lips cleaned to ensure proper mounting. Total price was $120 to have 4 tires mounted, balanced, new valve stems, and the all important rim-lip cleaning. That's NOT a good value in my mind for that service item. I had called them back subsequently that same day to ask about a tire rotation on the vehicle (admitteldy, this one was my fault as I did not realize my friends car was front wheel drive and had the better two tires mounted in the rear) - but I was told that there would be a charge for that. So, no curteousy tire rotation after the $120 spent on the mounting and balancing. Not a way to win a new customer in my opinion. This was my first experience with them and I am of the mind to not have any further experiences with them. I can recommend another mechanic I have used and find them quite good - Cromwell Automotive. Give them a try. Hope this helps you make your decision. read more

TERRIBLE..STAY AWAY! They tried to take advantage of my daughter who brough her car here for a flat repair. When she told me the price, I directed her to another repair shop in order to saver her $47. They had just brought her vehicle in and had on the lift and I told them to stop. They responded by cracking her passenger side mirror, smearing the windshield and cup holders with grease and throwing her keys at her. This place is as bad as it gets! read more

I had coolant leak in my son's Mustang. Dropped it off in the morning and it was diagnosed and repaired by 2pm. Could not ask for more professional service. Communication was excellent. I would highly recommend. Additionally, we have AAA and this is the service center that services our area, always on time and professional. read more

I wouldn't bring a matchbox here, the mechanics don't know what there doing at all and come to find out non of them are ASE certified. This place is crooked and so are the people that work there. Worst auto care place AROUND. Don't bring anything here read more

If I could give 0 stars I would. Called triple a because when I pulled into my job after lunch my tire was completely flat to the ground so they sent Curtis from Personal Auto to come out and out the donut on. I came outside to get the spare out of the trunk and told Curtis that I needed to go back into work and just leave the tire on the floor of the passenger side. He called about 10 min later to tell me it was a screw that was in my tire and that he couldn't fit the tire on the floor so he put it on the seat. When I went to my vehicle all of my personal items that were on my seat were now on my console minus one very important item, my prescription medication. So I will be calling personal auto today and chalk it up as a loss but I need to let them know that they have a thief working for them. And I will call the BBB as well. read more

ok, ive only been here for 2x my mandated emissions testing but had a chance to look around the shop - talked to some of the guys behind the counter and they were friendly, got a quote for some work i need done in the near future and they were helpful figuring that out .. ive heard good things from people who bring their cars in .. nobody in the waiting area was unhappy. read more

I had a great experience with this tow company. My car wouldn't start, called AAA and they sent Sean from Personal Auto Care. Poor guy had to take my car from Higganum to Groton. It was in a driveway on a small (size of a driveway) road and he had to do some major maneuvering to get it loaded. We then had to fight beach traffic on I-95...not fun in the summer. The whole time he was so pleasant and made the experience so much easier for me. I can't say enough how much I appreciated Sean. No complaining, no bad attitude....just there to help--thank you Personal Auto Care for sending Sean!! read more

Yesterday when I called AAA to help me out with a flat tire, they sent me Mike Fitzpatrick from Personal Auto Care in Middletown. He arrived in what seemed like no time at all; probably about 30 minutes after I called AAA. He swapped out the damaged tire for the spare in an efficient and professional manor. Before leaving he checked the pressure on the other 3 tires and when he noticed that I have jumper cables in the car gave me a quick lesson on how to jump a hybrid safely since it runs partly on self-generated electricity. What could have been a disaster was just a minor inconvenience and Mike exceeded expectations. I plan to recommend Personal Auto Care to friends living in the Middletown area. read more

It's a great experience bringing my car to Personal Auto Care. They do it all here, including AAA service.

In regards to my most recent experience, based on one employee, (Curtis) if possible, I would give a rating of 0. I have had AAA for years and in using Personal Auto Care for their towing services, I had always thought of Personal Auto to be efficient and professional. However, this time, their driver Curtis flew into the gravel parking lot of the small business that I had broke down in leaving a trail of dust and after putting the tow truck in reverse flew back so quickly near our vehicle, I thought he was going to crash. Needless to say, he caused quite a commotion for the poor small business and their customers, which was not only dangerous, but also VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. When I walked over to his vehicle, he jumped out and immediately was very aggressive and unprofessional in asking me questions about the vehicle. When I told him he was being unprofessional and that I didn't appreciate the way he was speaking to me, he became argumentative. I stated that I would be calling his supervisor to report this and there was no need for him to be a jerk he said, "go ahead, my name is Curtis and the number's on the side of the truck." Not a great representation for Personal Auto. Though I'm quite sure he would not have acted this way had I been a man, he should not be working in a business that requires customer interaction as he obviously cannot handle managing a friendly or even minimally courteous demeanor when dealing with a customer. Not a great experience after waiting for a tow in the same town that Personal Auto is located on a 95 degree day for over an hour. Sadly, a business that I thought of as decent, has been marred in my opionion by one extremely unfriendly, extremely rude employee. read more