Rick is the best! I moved to New Haven for grad school with an older, out of state vehicle and was informed by the first shop I took it to for an oil change that I needed a ton of work done. In search of a second opinion, I asked my favorite bartender (a local!) for a recommendation of trustworthy mechanic. He referred me to Rick, who was just opening his own shop, and I couldn't be more grateful. Rick is honest, friendly, and down to earth. He's the first mechanic I haven't been wary of as a single female getting work done on my car - I always felt like I was getting the run around and "recommendations" for things I didn't need. Rick gave it to me straight, told me what was absolutely necessary, roughly how long I could go before replacing other parts and doing additional maintenance work. He took into consideration that I'm on a student budget, and told me what he would do if he were in my position. Rick gave me an estimate of what the cost would be, and honored that estimate once all repairs were finished. His shop is a little off the beaten path, but I wouldn't take my car anywhere else. If I'm just getting an oil change and waiting for him to finish, his wife Keri is a riot to visit with. If my car is going to have to stay at the shop overnight or over the weekend, I take my bike along and bike back to New Haven on the Farmington Canal Trail. I've referred many of my friends to him and thy all say the same thing - Rick's the best! read more

I have nothing but good things to say. I have been so impressed that I've never felt pressured to get something done (like at other places who come out with a list of $2,000 your car "needs") and they always explains what is up with my car in terms I can understand. Granted I've only been 3 times, once for an oil change and two other because my car is old and not used to Connecticut winters, but I've had very good experiences. Costs are competitive, compared to Louisiana because that's where my last mechanic was. Also, love that they are part of UPromise so I get credit on my student loans for using them. I enthusiastically recommended Rick to my uber driver during the repairs and would readily recommend him to anyone who asked. read more

Arrived here first thing monday morning without an appointment. A screw on my heat shield has come loose and was knocking against my exhaust pipe. The mechanic attended to me right away and was very polite. He told me what was wrong and went ahead to fix it. The repair took longer than the estimated time he gave me but overall, i was pleased with the service here. Also, i thought it was strange that i didn't get a receipt.... i guess i should have asked for one before leaving. read more

Rick's is great. Everyone there is extremely professional and polite. They take the time to explain what your car needs and when it may need to be fixed. I have found them to be very reliable and honest. A few weeks ago, they spent time to check out a noise coming from one the wheels. They took a great deal of time to find out what the problem was which was just a small amount of rust on a break peddle. It did not affect the safety so they said that it didn't need to be checked. Other mechanics may have seen it as an opportunity charge you money for work that didn't need to be done. Rick didn't. I cannot recommend their service enough. read more

I have been going to Rick's for several years now (now on my second car). I count myself extremely lucky to have chanced upon such a knowledgeable, helpful, and honest mechanic. Visiting him feels like visiting your friendly super-knowledgeable car-buff neighbor. To be honest, I am worried that I might never find someone like him if I leave the area. A few things in particular have won me over: 1) Rick has never pushed a repair on me. He tells me the state of my car in detail, patiently answers all of my questions, helps me to understand what repairs I might need sooner, what can wait, what the pros/cons of waiting are, and what cheaper alternatives might exist. He's very good at explaining his thinking and the diagnostic process. As a student, I was particularly grateful that he even once showed me how to fix something myself to save money! 2) I am very impressed by his level of knowledge about cars. He almost always has an answer to my questions, and his answers always make sense. While out of the area in June 2015, I received a recommendation from a repair shop in Maryland (which was featured in the Washingtonian's list of top repair shops no less!) to get a transmission fluid flush on a car I just bought as opposed to a drain and fill. I spoke with Rick about the recommendation when I returned, and he counseled me against it because of the potential for creating a leak in cars that have not consistently had their fluid flushed. From the way he explained his reasoning, it was clear that he knew a *lot* about transmissions, and more about transmissions than even the Maryland shop's mechanic. What really touched me though was that he even gave me a detailed explanation at the whiteboard in his repair shop! Next he counseled me not to do it immediately, basing his conclusions on the fluid's appearance and service interval information for my car he was able to pull up that even the Honda dealer I visited in Darmouth, Massachusetts couldn't pull up for me. read more

The best auto service! Friendly, Knowledgeable, Courteous!

I trust them. Not something I say regularly, especially concerning a mechanic. I will return in the future and recommend them.

Rick and his staff are great to work with and don't charge for unnecessary work or repairs. They are honest when working on a students car when your far away. Thanks to them I feel comfortable. read more

The staff is friendly, honest, and knowledgeable. I came in this morning to get my spark plugs changed and I had a very pleasant experience. Go here and you won't be disappointed. read more

Amazing! I had a problem with my exhaust system, and Michael diagnosed the problem quickly, gave me a very reasonable rate (a third of what another place charged me) and fixed it quickly. These people know what they're doing and care about doing good work. I highly recommend this place. read more

Good honest mechanic. He won't sell you what you don't need.

We took my wife's 12 year old car to Pep Boys and the estimate for repair work was over $5,000, a friend suggested Ricks, he did the work for $2,600 because he said that I did not need most of what Pep boys said I needed. I don't mind paying for things I need, but I do mind being taken advantage of. Rick is a honest business man. read more

We were concerned about our engine and brought our Toyota to Ricks Auto Center. They took the time to hear our concerns, road tested the vehicle, and talked us through everything they had done. Both employees we encountered were extremely friendly and helpful. They answered all of our questions thoroughly. After concluding that nothing was wrong with the car, they very kindly waved the diagnostic charge because of the limited scope of the road test. Highly recommend Ricks Auto Center for car care! read more

Great service! Rick was really helpful, explaining all the maintenance he was doing on my car. Very reasonable prices. Place is a little hard to find. Just make sure you drive all the way to the back of the parking lot behind CarQuest. read more

Rick's is the only place I trust. A chain oil changing place told me I need to pay them 550 for new brakes asap because I had "35% braking power." They also put twice as much oil in my car as they were supposed to. Took it to Ricks for a second opinion and told them I knew nothing about cars. They said I didn't need any work done to my car at all. Great honest mechanic. read more