Long story short- I needed an AC repair that the dealer quoted $2400. Firestone quoted $1600. Pinellas Auto quoted $600. They did a great job and my AC blows cold. 2 weeks later I bent a tie rod hitting a curb hard. They repaired and aligned and did some other odds and ends for a fair price. I have a new mechanic in Tarpon Springs! So far, I'm super happy with this locally owned business. read more

Yesterday, I had an unprecedented experience of cruel, unprofessional behavior by Pinellas Auto. To preface this review: 1. I mistakenly chose this auto shop because of positive online reviews and a seemingly inviting dropbox. 2. I have never written a Yelp Review (observe blank history) and I don't like disparaging a small business. 3. The 5-star review conveniently posted right below me, right after I left, is from the manager, Shannan T. Please, these people are not worth your hard-earned cash. Last night, my car shut down while I was driving. I have not had any major issues with my vehicle, and I've owned it for 9 years. It has served me well, but of course, these things start to happen at higher mileage. My car was stranded on the side of Alderman, in the midst of moderate speed traffic, just off of US 19, for approximately 2 hours, while I waited for AAA. When they arrived, they were extremely helpful and I asked the driver to take it to Pinellas Auto because it was convenient. The driver told me he suspected it was the fuel pump and later, when I filled out the drop-off form, I mentioned this. At 8 AM, I received a call from the receptionist and she stated that the diagnostic would be $40. She said they would remove it with service, and I acquiesced. An hour later, she said the mechanic could not find the issue and it would be another $85. Later, they told me that they meant it would be a *total* of $85, not $125. Because she did not communicate that their diagnostic test is not a flat fee, like for example, Tires Plus lets you know up front, I was more than perturbed, I was livid. It sounded as if I were being penalized, baited-and-switched for their incompetence (It took Tires Plus one hour to find the problem following this incident). I left the drop-off note as a trail of bread crumbs for what should have been an easier diagnosis. So why should it take this mechanic longer? They apparently milk it and charge for a diagnosis by the hour; they might want to let the customer know that up front, instead of dropping the financial bomb on them after they were already uneasily biting their nails in the diagnostic stage. I admittedly yelled at the receptionist with an, "Are you f****** kidding me?" and she remained silent. I asked again. She still remained silent. I said, "You are silent right now because you KNOW this is wrong." She still remained silent. I said I was coming to get my key, I said god****you, and I hung up. I had a Lyft take me to the auto repair shop and when I arrived, I found my vehicle as is pictured: with the hood up, window open (I don't know why or how it was open because the car had no power to get it open and I couldn't close it afterward), a hose exposed and other assorted parts like my filter gathered into my passenger seat. The Lyft driver was appalled at the scene. I requested that the receptionist take a look at how my car was left and I asked her what kind of place it was. The manager, Shannan, followed her out. Shannan smiled the entire time I expressed distress over the situation. I asked her if she felt it funny, and while she said no, she continued to facially express it with an even bigger smile. She said, "Well, you were rude to my receptionist." Emotions can get high when you bait-and-switch a customer with something as serious as their vehicle, which for most of us, is the vessel for our livelihood: work. While I should not have yelled at the receptionist, she knew that not telling me their diagnostic fee could increase was wrong and at least looked and sounded as if she acknowledged this. We know when someone understands us and she did understand why I was upset. I actually want to apologize to her because I should have saved the full breadth of my insults for Shannan, who smiled smugly while exclaiming: "It's your problem because it's your car." Obviously, it IS my problem; however, I should not be told one fee and then another. Shannan stood there with a verbal shrug: "We've been in business for thirty years," while I asked her how they could be so unprofessional to leave parts of my car in literal pieces, IN my passenger seat, with the hood up and car open in the middle of their parking lot. Anyone could have robbed my car of parts while it sat there, open and abandoned. They never even took the car inside their garage. They may have been there for 30 years, but I've been here for 33 and this is not how you run a business. The mechanic never showed his face and he never spoke to me. He sent out his two receptionists to gloat at me while he cowered inside. I had to waste another AAA tow to move my vehicle. I would be saddened to hear this happen to someone else. Don't let it happen to you. read more

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I had a radiator that the junk yard sold me.. I was in dire straits. Pinellas Auto were kind enough to get me the correct one and install it, and charged me bare bones. Waited till the money I had to borrow was in the bank before charging my debit card. It was a gift from God! The greatest people in the world. And thank you again Pinellas Auto, you truly saved my life. read more

Brought my 4-year-old F-150 truck in for oil change and tire rotation last week before taking it on a long trip. I lugged along my laptop so I could work, expecting to be there for hours while the work was done. Anytime I've been to the Ford Dealership I have to take the day off work because they are never fast and it always takes hours for the simplest thing like an oil change. To my surprise, at this shop my truck was done within an hour! The mechanic met with me after the truck was done and advised everything looks good and there were no issues with the truck and a long road trip. He did recommend changing my cabin air filter, I drive a lot of dirt roads and it was nasty, so I agreed to having this changed. He also pointed out my rear tires were going to need replacement soon, tread was getting worn, but he didn't try to up sale me on new tires which was good. Fast service, no surprises, honest mechanic. No more dealership for me. read more

I'm really happy with Pinellas Auto. I've brought my SUV here twice in the past month for two unrelated issues. Both times they were done in an hour or less, they didn't upsell me, and the prices are fair. I actually trust them with my car and really appreciate how friendly they are. I highly recommend, especially if you know nothing about cars and prefer to support local businesses. read more

After having a bad experience with the transmission shop up 19, I was wary about taking my vehicles to anyone in the area. I'm down from PA for a few months and needed brakes really badly on my Camaro so I looked around for reputable shops that were not part of a chain. After calling around a little bit, Pinellas offered me a great price on a brake job and slid me right in for an appointment the following day. Very friendly. The shop had wi-fi and a nice waiting area, which was nice. I ended up going down the street for lunch but I did spend a few minutes in there. The important part is that they did a great job on my brakes at a fair price. Not much more to be said. Based on this single experience, I would recommend them. read more

I have been using Pinellas Auto since I moved to Florida in 2005. After being ripped off at other shops, I was referred to PA by a friend. They are always courteous and knowledgeable. I trust them and I feel that their prices are fair. I live in Holiday and have to pass many other service shops to get to them and it's well worth it. I'm so glad I found them. read more

I am SOOO happy to have been referred to Pinellas Auto! The customer service is the very best you will find. We've had others look at our car and not be able to fix the problem. Paul kept digging until he finally found the answer. I won't take the car anywhere else. Ellen at the front desk was amazing as well. Wait till you meet the adorable puppy, Chase! What a love. Thank you everyone at Pinellas Auto. read more

I have been looking for an honest, efficient auto shop! I found it! This business was not only courteous but honest. I already knew what was wrong with my jeep. They didn't try to throw made up recommendations my way. They took care of the problem and off I went. It helps that their shop is in downtown Tarpon. Great location. Lots of shops and the library is across the street. Will definitely go back to Pinellas Auto! read more

This place is amazing! It's so hard to find an honest quality mechanic and this family owned business is the place to go! The manager is a woman - which is a HUGE plus - since you don't feel like you're being talked down to, and you don't feel like they are going to try and rip you off because you're a woman bringing in a car to be fixed. And the owner is her DAD so you KNOW if a daughter chooses to work with her father every day he must be a pretty awesome guy. The first thing you notice is how clean it is. Even the bathroom! And the women in the front area are very friendly and helpful. The mechanics have no problem answering questions and will let you know what's wrong and what's NOT wrong so you don't feel like they are trying to get you to fix things that aren't broken.. I will never take my car anywhere else! They are full of useful tips and are a local gem! They help me to save money when needed and help get me in quickly and even offer up a loner car! Trust me you'll never find a better place to get your car fixed in this area! read more

Please do not use that service. It is overpriced and overlooked many damages which I found out through another shop. It wasted my time.

Having problems with shaking in the front end of my car. Called and got an appointment the same day. Very friendly, courteous staff. Great comfortable waiting room with free wifi. Took under an hour to diagnose and take care of. Would use them again in a minute. Couldn't ask for better. read more

AVOID THESE SCAMMERS! I purchased a Chevrolet Express van from Paul that he listed on Craigslist. He told me that a regular customer of his traded the van to him for work that had been previously done and let me test drive it. The van drove perfect for two weeks and while driving across the Courtney Campbell bridge the van began to have a misfire almost stalling out. I didn't know why the van was driving poorly with no engine light and realized the ENGINE LIGHT HAD BEEN COVERED WITH BLACK ELECTRICAL TAPE! That is when I realized I had been taken advantage of by Paul. When I got the van home I began looking for an issue that would cause the problem. The entire left bank of the motor was lacking power due to an electrical issue causing a misfire. I pulled the center console off to get to the motor and immediately realized there was an electrical issue with the van. The wiring harness was completely undone and wires were all over the place. I looked under the van at the exhaust and found an extra power wire and ground spliced into the vehicle computer where Paul was trying to bypass the codes that were causing an O2 sensor to throw a code. It took me 3 months to figure out the real problem and an additional $4000 to solve the issue that a good mechanic would have been able to solve. Instead of fixing the underlying issue Paul got the van running well enough to sell and become someone else's problem. Don't be taken advantage of by this shop and end up like me with thousands of dollars in additional repairs due to shotty workmanship! read more

I have always been wary of using any auto mechanics, other than the dealer. Yes, I've thrown away $1000's of dollars! I think I learned my lesson this Holiday season. Everything that has been bugging me about my car for years, was fixed for sooo much less at Pinelles Auto! I drove away feeling like I got away with something! read more

My husband and I have been taking our cars to Pinellas Auto for nearly 20 years. This is a shop you can trust. They do excellent work, they're honest, and they offer after-market parts when they're suitable to help you save money on repairs. We appreciate their consistently friendly and prompt service. They've even helped us by checking a car we were considering buying and by telling me if I was getting a good deal from another shop when my car broke down in Tampa. We can't say enough good things about this long-established family business. read more