I bought a 2006 Acura MDX from them in February And 9 months later the motor blew up They never tuned up the car and didn't change the heating coil NEVER buy a car from them They will RIP you off !! read more

I really liked South Ave Auto when I started going there. Pragmatic, flexible, generally good natured people. Then something happened in October after a $2K+ repair; their subsequent decisions showed either their true colors or their utter decline in commitment to their customers. I should say first off that a couple of their employees were amazing throughout and deserve to run their own business or at least work for someone better. The job was to pass inspection and change O2 sensors that were triggering a check engine light. Upon inspecting they also required a water pump, brake booster, link pins and a wheel bearing. The car was otherwise in great shape and 1/2 the miles on it as my previous RAV4 and I trusted the shop so I had them do all of it at once. When I got the car back on a Friday it began misfiring within a few miles. I panicked because it was Saturday and I had to drive to NYC for work. Luckily Jessi was monitoring their FB page and was nice enough to come out and help diagnose what happened. Turns out the mechanic who did the job didn't properly attach the hose back to the brake booster and it sucked in air all through the system. They fixed the hose right there and I was off with the advice that if it misfires again that I should replace the spark plugs. Low and behold it did later that day but it was Saturday night so I spend hours replacing them myself. The car worked but still stalled sometimes when accelerating from stop and felt wobbly at high speeds. I drove back up to South Ave Auto to have them diagnose it and the mechanic there lifted the car up and checked the codes but couldn't tell what was wrong. They sent me over to the Elmwood shop where Jessi (again) took one look and knew it also needed a new ignition coil. I replaced that myself and it seemed better for awhile but not back to how it was before. A month passed. It stopped wobbling at high speeds but my LF tire (of less than 2yrs) was going flat. It looked fine from the outside so I just put more air in. Two weeks ago it went dead flat on the highway. Turns out it was totally misaligned and wearing from the inside out. Luckily I found a reputable open on Saturday who ended up having to do almost $1K in work and put two new tires on the car just to make it safe and make up for the bad job from South Ave. Another LF wheel bearing, a proper alignment and balance (which they allege South Ave likely neglected), LF brakes and pads (because they said South Ave forgot to put the hardware back on), LF rotor (which they said was likely from the misaligned wheel and pad), and another engine and sensor check to again clear the codes. Even as I write this I'm looking at maybe having to also replace the whole spindle knuckle because of the damage done by pressing the original bearing too hard. Here's where it gets sad. I approached Wade with these issues and his first response was "well we fired the mechanic, what else can we do?" When I told him that the new shop let me keep the bad wheel bearing and showed him all the pictures I took he then said "Well we'll refund you the wheel bearing but you can't prove all the other problems were our fault" (glossing over the cost and time of me learning how to change spark plugs and ignition coils on my own on the fly) "But if you bring us the bad bearing we'll refund you that". At that point I felt like he was ready to let me sue him. I told him I would never expect to make my car perfect again, but at least respect the thousands of dollars I'd put into his shop over 2 cars and 8 years to ensure that I at least have a safe car to drive. If they had admitted fault and offered to scrutinize all the area involved, I might have let them. But besides Jessi nobody seemed to care too much about their mistakes. So when I finally did go return the bearing, the poor attitude turned indignant rage I got from the owner, simply for confronting him with asking for what he'd agreed to repay ($315) along with my continued dismay over the uncertainty of its safety, would never make me want to let them touch mine or any car again. At that point, out of sheer frustration at his indifference, I called him an asshole as I left. So of course he ran after me in his lot and harassed me, claimed he was going to cancel the check, and briefly blocked me from leaving. Oh and called me on the phone after to repeat himself. It's petty and sad and I'm so glad I at hopefully won't have to hear from him again. TL;DR: They wouldn't fix or fully reimburse a really bad job and left me with an unsafe car that I'm still paying to fix months later. read more

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Car had a cooling issue. Check engine light was on. I saw the leak near the thermostat housing, knew it was either that or loose clamps/faulty hoses. I replaced clamps, and decided to take it in because I felt lazy. Guy allegedly did a pressure test which cost me $50, while doing the test he called to say they didn't see an issue. After telling him I thought it was the housing, he said oh shit I see what it is, then promptly hung up. A couple hours later I got a call from the receptionist with a quote. Felt like the quote was high, but needed the car done. Got the bill and was charged $119 for the $25 thermostat housing part. Didn't price the pressure tank hose that they charged me $50 for, but I'll guess that was high too. Picking up car the offered to check code for engine light for $90 (we know it's free at autozone). Got the car nearly home and car was overheating again. Added coolant and the check engine light went away... either they neglected to ever add enough coolant, which would explain them not seeing the engine light go away, or they intentionally left it unfilled to push another high priced inventory line on the bill. Called to discuss, and mechanic was positive he added enough coolant and I must be confused. Part was replaced properly, for that +1, ethics/over charging -3. read more

This place was recommend to my by a friend. The service here is amazing. They took my car in overnight and did a wonderful job. The staff was friendly and even giggly their prices are sooooo workable on a tight budget. I would recommend this garage to all. Thank you lily Dennis and the rest of the staff at south ave auto!!!!!!! read more

I can't say enough positive things about my experience with South Ave Auto. First of all they got me in quickly at a time that worked with my schedule, and then provided exceptional care. To be able to trust and have complete faith that I'm getting the best quality and service is invaluable. Often, as a young woman who knows the basics about cars, I am cautious about being taken advantage of, but here I can trust that they will talk to me about all the available options, and only do what I need/want without pressure. I am so thankful to have this garage nearby. read more

This place is very highly recommended. Vance, the owner, is great, as well as the other employees. Finding a car place you can trust is a tough thing to do, but I don't ever feel like they have tried to oversell me some service or part I didn't need. I have gotten a large variety of services there, from oil change, to inspection, to tires/struts and breaks. They usually can fit me in when I have time in my crazy schedule to bring my car in and they have a pretty fast turn around. I won't ever go anywhere else in Rochester! read more