Smitty is a first class mechanic as well as being an honest and ethical man. He has repaired my 74 VW beetle back to great working order again. He could have charged me twice as much but it shows what a respectable and solid guy that he is. I had 2 other mechanics work on this Beetle but Smitty solved the problem. Highly recommended. read more

My 2006 Silverado overheated on the freeway. The first shop it was towed to misdiagnosed the problem. Smitty's got it right off and had my truck fixed in one day. Good friendly people. Working folk. The kind I grew up with. Truck is running fine and I only wish that I didn't live almost 2 hours away because I would go there again. read more

WOW! I had my 1992 Ford F-150 towed to Smitty's Auto, and what a mistake that was. That was 04/09/24, I mentioned to them that I was a disabled veteran who has been fighting cancer since 2013, and I needed my truck to get to my doctor's appointments. No problem they said. Then Wednesday they called and said come get it and when I got there I climbed my truck and it wouldn't start. After about 10 minutes I finally got it started and Smitty's Auto had closed. When I left it kept dieing on me and was hard to get started again. Well it died again in the middle of a large intersection, and 3 lights later it started long enough to get me into a convenient store. It seemed to idle okay so I took off praying that I make it home. I did make it home barely. I had paid Smitty's Auto $637.05, and the truck will not start up after getting it home. I sent it back to them the next day Thursday. When I called Friday to asked if it was ready he asked me if I could wait till Monday and that he would look at it Saturday and in the same reath said that he would look at it Monday. Well when Monday came around he said that it needs a new computer, and it would take another week to get it. Well after already paying them $637.05 and it is running worse than when they got it I decided that they didn't know what they were doing or just outright ripping me off. So I told them that I was going to have it towed back to my house. He called me back and said that they had some paperwork for me to fill out and I just told him to give it to the wrecker driver. When the wrecker driver got to my apartment with my truck he had another bill for $352.22 and it said for a computer that was installed after just telling me over the phone that it would take another week before they could get one. Now this is what they had been telling me that was what it needed. Obviously not if they actually installed one that they told me they didn't have. You would think a disabled veteran fighting cancer could get a break, but Smitty's Auto repair though that I was an easy target, and took advantage of me. But this old veteran isn't going to let it be. I'm taking Smitty's Auto repair to small claims court. I don't think that they will look very well stealing from a disabled veteran. Sincerely, Jim Burtnett read more

Started going to Smitty's when I met my wife in 97 while at UF. Her family was already going to him for years. They have always been amazing to our family. Our children now go there. We trust their work and couldn't be happier with the service and customer support. Highly recommend Smitty's for your family's transportation needs! read more

Had both trans axle seals done, as well as a valve cover gasket. In less than 1.5 years, 2/3 seals are already again leaking as far as I know. Clearly poor quality work. when I spoke to Zach about my issue (in particular the leaking transmission seal which nearly trashed my trans), he was rude, dismissive, and kept interrupting while I tried to explain the situation. He is a detriment to the business by being allowed to answer the phone. I made it clear I wasn't asking for something for free, and he didn't seem to acknowledge it and continued speaking as if I was demanding free service. After four days of calling off and on, I never even got a quote from them. My father and I have been loyal customers for close to 10 years, and thought they could be trusted to do good work. Avoid unless you enjoy being talked down to and having the same repairs done repeatedly. read more

The mechanic didn't put my skid plate back on correctly and it fell off while I was driving. When I took it back for them to fix, the mechanic used zip ties and various screws to get the plate back on and didn't tell me they lost the original screws. I didn't find out they used zip ties until my next oil change at a different location. Terrible customer service. When I asked for compensation the mechanic said he would "make me a deal" next time I came in. read more

Now it's been near two years and I'm here updating this review, confirming that my brakes are working properly. Thanks, Smitty's crew. Last week my check engine light was on, and left mirror motor was down. So I came to the Smitty's. Within a day they took care of the engine, at a reasonable price. Sadly the mirror had to be replaced and the estimate was above my budget. So Surinda helped me search and find a relatively low price on the internet. I ordered it and when it arrived I took it to the Smitty's. While Mr. Smith referred me to a neighboring autobody service where I had my new mirror painted and installed, he offered me a free ride again. I suppose a free ride from the north to the far south town on days when gas price goes up crazy was something worth applause and appreciation. Besides, the real life story about Mr. Smith is truly touching and inspiring. To the Smitty's - my GO-TO auto service. read more

Smitty's is legit ya'll, but I know all of these 5 star reviews are leading you down a path of doubt and worry. Or maybe that is just my skepticism. My 03 Dodge Stratus was giving me a real fit with the AC which is just not even negotiable in June in Florida. So thanks to Yelp, I took it here. They told me it (condenser and oil change) would be done within a day, so when I came at 5 and was told it wasn't, but that also my water pump was leaking and needed to be replaced I was a little irked. Not that I had to replace the part, just that I hadn't been called earlier and had to organize a ride out here. Note: They mention shuttle service, but when I was offered a ride they acted kinda inconvenienced by the suggestion due to the fact that I live kinda far away, so I declined. So onto the next day, I call around 3:30 and yet again it's still going to be another day. Moral of the point here is that it took about 3 days to do the repairs and I kind of felt like I was calling so much to see if they were done that I was nagging them. The prices were very fair, even lower than other shops, and Smitty gave me a $40 new customer discount. Now I need to buy a sweater for how chilly my air conditioning blows and I will be taking my car back here. I just think they could use better communication within the shop for people who need constant reassurance, so that they aren't mooching rides off of people for an indefinite amount of time. I just don't have that many friends to begin with for this to stretch out past 3 days! read more

My daughter has her car in Gainesville for college & it started making some noises, shaking & she smelled something burning. Smitty identified the problem and repaired the car in 2 days for a reasonable price. About 3 weeks later it started doing a similar thing. I called Smitty and brought the car back. He promptly phoned & explained that although it wasn't the same problem, it was something that should have been caught by the mechanic during the repair. He fixed the problem in one day and said, "NO CHARGE" because he felt bad that he didn't catch it the first time!!! Who does that anymore? I'll be a loyal customer forever! read more

Went there and they didn't know the difference between a gas and diesel car and installed the wrong transmission.

Took my VW 2002 Eurovan to Smitty's because the engine belt was falling apart. He used to work at Volkswagen in the 70's and my current mechanic used to work for Smitty. This guy knows his stuff and did a great thorough job. He is extremely knowledgable. He even saved the parts for us to look at afterwards that was causing the problem. We know enough about cars and this guy is honest and runs a tight team. Great place, quality work, and fast. read more

These guys are VW specialists. If you're having trouble finding a shop to repair & maintain your older model VW this the place for you! Honest & fair. They repair & maintain newer vehicles as well. They are also a great source for parts if you want to do it yourself! read more

Smitty personally drove me across town to the outskirts of Archer Rd and was really kind. They finished in one day and the car was great.

The service rep at the Honda dealers told me my car needed a new compressor and that it would cost me $1,500.00+, so I asked a friend who's native to Gainesville and she recommended Smitty's. After I called and was told it would cost me $990.00 I decided I would call around to some other placed, but ultimately decided this was the place for me. I dropped my car off in the morning, got a ride home and in the afternoon got another ride back, and I cannot tell you how nice it was to have air conditioning in my car again!!! I'm from Maine, so June in Gainesville is like a special kind of torture for me... Everyone there was really friendly, my a/c runs like a champ again, and I saved at least a third of what Honda would have cost me. Oh, and nobody tried to tell me stupid crap was wrong with my car - you know, the normal line we women often get at car service places. No faster way to lose my good will than to do that. Very pleased customer here. read more

My A/C compressor went bad, dealership said $1300, another place (not saying names) said $1100, Smitty's quoted me hundreds less and made me feel like a person and not a checkbook. They treated me right and I will gladly come back for future car repairs and general maintenance. read more

I was very impressed with Smitty's. My son, who's a freshman at UF and new in town, needed an alternator for his '05 Corolla. Hey, that's what parents are for, right? I called Smitty's, and they gave me a quote of $225 (vs. $500+ at Aersi). And what friendly people over the phone! We ended up taking it to Pep Boys for $60 more because we wanted the lifetime warranty on the part. But next time we'll probably go to Smitty's! read more

Felt the need to provide an update on the consistently awesome service I receive from Smitty's. Just got a new-to-me vehicle and I wanted to make sure that all the maintenance was up to date, so I gave Smitty's crew carte blanche to find as many problems as they could so we could make a list and slowly get things fixed (that's how much I trust them). Luckily for me, there were no problems. Even better, they did not charge me a dime for the inspection and included a fuel injector cleanser since gas mileage had been my main concern. They're just good, honest people! read more

Not so much mechanics as parts replacers. They seem to lack some genuine diagnostic abilities. Pretty friendly people, although they tend to become a little irritated if you ask too many questions. Prices are competitive, but that only holds true if they fix the problem the first time. Will reserve final judgment until after I've been there at least one more time. read more

I took my VW Golf to Smitty's for an oil change yesterday, and I couldn't be more satisfied with my experience. Every person I talked to was very friendly & knowledgeable, and they treated me with respect from the time I called to schedule an appointment until the moment I walked out the door. I was also very impressed by their integrity. It's probably pretty obvious that I don't know the first thing about cars; they could have easily used that to their advantage but didn't. Between the quality of their work, their fair prices, their honesty, and their outstanding customer service, it's not surprising that they've been in business for over 25 years. :) read more

Sold me a car with the incorrect transmission. It's going to cost me a lot of money and time to fix this ridiculous problem. Smitty swore to me the car was mechanically sound. Untrustworthy and did me dirty. read more

Smitty's auto service was awesome! I had to tow my car because of an engine problem and they discovered the issue within a couple of hours and had replaced and fixed my radiator within 24 hours. The service is amazing and it was reasonably priced. I will be going back the next time I need this service! All around great place! read more

Great service! Went to Smitty's because my car had a grinding noise. They found a couple other things wrong under the hood, but there was no trying to convince me that I had to get these fixed ASAP, which a lot of other mechanics do. Fair prices and my car was ready the next day. Even offered complimentary rides to and from the shop. Will be doing business with them again in the future! read more

A great place to get your VW worked on. Very helpful. Apparently brevity isn't the soul of wit here at Yelp! I took my new to me VW Jetta to the local dealership for an oil change. As is the case with most dealers, their service center is a big profit center. I was told that I would need new back breaks and rotors ASAP. Smitty gave me an estimate for the same work at a much better price. When I actually brought the car in and it was examined he let me know that my rotors were fine and I just needed pads. Another savings. Smitty's is an all around win. read more

I love Smitty. I had a '96 Ford Ranger that he somehow kept running without it costing a ton. Now I bring my new car to him. I feel lucky to have found him. read more

This guy seems very nice on the outside but I wouldn't trust it. I was here about a year ago and he fixed my car for one problem and claimed there were like 5 other ones, I asked for specifics and then told my family member (who does cars) and he said "wow I didn't think your car was that messed up let me have a look before you take it in to get that all worked on" and basically this guy was b.s-ing to get money. I would not recommend this place. Usually I'm all about supporting local business but this was a bad experience. Not cool. I think he took me as a fool because I don't look like I know much about cars -which is accurate- but that's not an opportunity to try and get more money out of someone. This business can be sleazy. I'm not saying it's always this way. Maybe it's just my experience. I'm willing to say that. Don't be a fool just because the employees seem "nice". Please beware folks. I personally would never recommend this place. read more

How appreciative i am of Smitty and his crew!! The service was excellent!! Everyone was super friendly! Thank you so much!!

Awesome guy! I was looking for a good mechanic and all the rave reviews led me to Smitty. I took my car because the check engine light came on. AutoZone told me the error code and what it might be but I wanted to be sure from a professional. Smitty properly diagnosed my car and told me everything he installed in. He also popped the hood and showed me the exact parts that were newly installed. He was even nice enough to take me to work for the few days my car was in his shop. They also have multiple forms of payment and even Bill Me Later, so you can split up your payments month-to-month. Quality service, family-owned, friendly individuals. I will be going back anytime I need car service! read more

Had a new battery put in, oil change, and replaced the ball joints and tires. As always, Smitty's was honest, fast, and very reasonably priced! Most mechanics see a woman walk in and try to scam me, but Smitty's has never tried to sell me something I don't need. I can't recommend this family owned and run business enough! read more

It may be a bit premature but my first experience with the people at Smitty's today was wonderful. After being a lifelong loyal Honda dealer service customer, I just got tired of the local Honda dealer suggesting some strange part needed to be replaced in my Odyssey every time I took it in (even for just oil changes) where it seemed to be a different $500 part every time even though I had not repalced the suggested $500 part on the last service visit. I was leary about Smitty's limited hours but they have a wonderful shuttle service (the owner himself) to places in Gainesville. Smitty's suggested what seemed like reasonable things to be replaced (not something I needed to go on Google to try and figure out) and their pricing is quite reasonable. I think I'll be a lifelong loyal Smitty's customer from now on. read more

I have a 2008 Suzuki Forenza. The water pump had been going bad for some time, and it was starting to leak to the point of needing to be replaced. I opted for a new timing belt, too, since the pump is belt driven. (Btw, if your Forenza is making a horrible rattling noise when the engine is cold, it's probably the pump.) Smitty's gave me an estimate that was a little cheaper than everyone else, and since the reviews were good, I picked them. It took 24 hours from when I dropped the car off to when I had it back. New water pump, new timing belt, and the car doesn't make that horrible rattle from a cold start! Hopefully everything keeps working properly, but I am more than satisfied with their work. Thanks Smitty! read more

Smitty's was the best!! Driving north from Florida to upstate NY in a 2002 Saab with my mother-in-law and stopped in Gainesville for lunch. After lunch, our car wouldn't start so I googled Saab service, Gainesville and found Smitty's. i called right away, 2:30 pm and asked if they could help. They would be able to diagnose but probably not repair it until tomorrow. OK! i did get the car started, drove the 4 miles to Smitty's, they diagnosed, gave me an estimate, ordered the part AND delivered us to a very nice, clean, inexpensive Gainesville hotel ALL by 4 pm! Car repaired by noon the next day, they retrieved us from the hotel, we paid the bill which was identical to the estimate and were on our way! Nicest people you could hope to meet and I can't emphasize that enough! It turned out to be the crank position sensor and we have had no problems since. Thank you SO much to everyone at Smitty's...you certainly made our day and trip! read more

I am a college student and my car was shutting off when I was driving randomly. This was in the summer of 2014, thus before the fall of 2014 I hurried and tried to get it fixed before the rush of the semester starts.I brought my car into Smitty's Auto for them to look at it and get a quote. after the checked it, I was informed that the reason the car was shutting off was that there was some part broken in the distributor cap. I was very hesitant and the representative informed me that he has this supposedly expert who works on Honda's and to trust him. I went a head and let him work on the car and after some time received a call about completion of the job. Upon arrival I was told that the job was completed and paid the amount for the job. After driving the car, I was pressing gas and to my disbelief there was no response from the car. I was extremely shocked and could not believe that the problem was not fixed. I called Smitty's Auto to inform them about the situation and they informed to me carry the car if its their fault they would fix it. After returning the car a couple hours I received a call claiming that they found the problem. he spent around seven minutes explaining the science behind how the ignition switch is the problem and that it needs to be fixed. He then explains to me that it will cost $150 to fix, I am an engineering major and have never been more confused in my life. I could not understand how is it that I am suppose to pay for what is clearly their fault. I asked them what did they fix the first time, he then went tuned to using fancy language and claimed performance issue. Which in turned got me even more confused, I tried to explain to the mechanic using logic. I explained that my car was experiencing issues with shutting off while driving. Thus I brought it to you to fix it, however after picking up the car it is still shutting off when driving, which now you claim the culprit is the ignition switch. Then it is obvious the ignition switch was the original cause of the problem and whatever work you did which I payed you for was, in fact not the cause of the PROBLEM. He refuses to admit his fault and initial misdiagnose and want me to pay him for his mistake to get the real problem fixed. read more

just bad customer service rude people brought my truck in told I would have to leave it I ask if I could just wait the young man said that aint going to happen his words quote unquote . didnt understand why but hes tone and attitude was so bad I just left. will never go back there again read more