Shop is exactly what the name entails, straight up. Dave is amazing. Great service and so quick when I needed help in a pinch after my wheel locked up. I wouldn't go anywhere else in town. read more

They were very nice and helpful, the service was very fast, and the price was very good !

Faulty Alternator left my daughter stranded near Charlottesville, David managed to fit the repair in with in 24-36 hours. He topped off some fluids and replaced a bulb. The name says it all. He was very transparent with costs and accepted payment over the phone. A+ read more

I was having issues shifting into some gears on my nearly 20 year-old manual transmission car. Turns out I needed to have some transmission cables replaced. I brought it in to Straight Up and they took care of it at a reasonable price. The car drives great now. The staff was professional and accessible. This will be my go-to place for car repairs now and I would recomend it to anyone looking for a mechanic in the Charlottesville area! read more

Seriously fantastic service. Called them after my car wouldn't start with a suspected starter issue, panicked since I was only about a month out from an accident that had required major repair at another shop out of state. Despite their busy schedule they accepted the tow in, and told me they'd get back to me by the end of the week (it was a Tuesday). By Wednesday, I was driving out of the lot with no fee. The battery had died and they recharged it and gave me a call right away, and assured me they checked other systems to be sure there were no errors. Car is running great, and I can't thank the folks here enough! Definitely my first call for any car trouble in the area. Note: they take all cars but specialize in Honda/Acura, so absolutely make note if that's your car brand. read more

Quick oil change, friendly and helpful staff, reasonable prices, highly recommend to anyone that doesn't want to be up charged

Both my husband and I have utilized Straight Up and we really appreciate them. It's a family run business that won't take advantage of you and knows their vehicles. We live in Barboursville now but will still return when we need them again! read more

I was visiting my son this past weekend, and I had made an appointment to have my son's 2013 Honda Civic's oil change and tire rotation done. I figured since I was there, I might as well. This location is your typical hole-in-the-wall service center. Nothing fancy. This is where the 5-star rating comes in. The mechanic checking out my car is Steve. He informed me that my son's car didn't need an oil change, and it still had 60% life remaining. He said he would if I still wanted to, but was clear it wasn't necessary. Now that's is HONESTY! Unbenownst to me, there's a menu option that displays the cars oil life, displaying 60% life. Since the car uses full synthetic oil, it is not required to change the oil every 3,000 miles. AAA Care Care, where I normally get the oil change done, always placed a sticker stating 3 months or 3,000 miles, even when it has full synthetic. So I always brought it in, not even checking the oil life remaining. Again, something I didn't know existed. Now Steve could have changed the oil, and I wouldn't have questioned it. However, he was honest enough to tell me it wasn't needed. Elizabeth, who's in the front told me the 3,000 mile rule typically applies to conventional oil, therefore, it didn't apply to my son's car. I ended up only having the tires rotated. It is because of the honesty of Steve and Elizabeth will this service station be the go-to location for my son's car maintenance. For all of you who are looking for service station for auto repair or scheduled maintenance, I highly recommend Straight Up Automotive Service. The name is fitting for Steve and Elizabeth! read more

I wish I would've found them sooner! I leave tomorrow for a cross country move due to military orders & they were very professional, polite, quick, & Straight forward about their service! I got ALL my fluids topped off, air tire pressure filled, and an overall diagnosis they did for me just out of kindness. I also love that they are HONEST about their oil change stickers.... MOST auto places (I take synthetic oil for my car) put on those false stickers saying to bring the car back in after 2-3K miles (LOL okay yea right). But these guys put exactly what my car goes for w/it's oil: 7-8k miles between top offs. My partner is who found them before me, and they brought in their SUV to be checked for something wrong with the axle. We talked with them & initially what we were asking for was going to end up being MORE expensive & they were honest & taught us about her specific car & how to best go about it.... All in all saving us a few hundred dollars of work! It has been about 2 months since they fixed my partners SUV & it has been driving great since! VERY honest company here! Definitely recommend to anyone!!! PLEASE make them your go-to shop!!! LOCATION: Only side note I would say is it is a little hard to find them due to their sign not being off the road. The GPS however DOES indeed take you to the right spot! You'll see railroad tracks in front of you, from there you should also see a lot with tow trucks.... Just park your car in that lot & they're right there! read more

My car started shaking during a day trip to Charlottesville. When I called, Dave told me to bring it by so he could take a look. He took his time figuring out what the problem was and gave me the green light to drive home to Alexandria. He didn't charge me anything even though he had spent over half an hour diagnosing the problem. I only wish we had such honest and friendly mechanics at home. If I lived in Charlottesville, this shop would definitely have a regular customer! read more

We live in California, but our son attends UVA. His Honda Accord rear window wouldn't roll up. I called and talk to Elizabeth, who was very professional and made an appointment for him. He took it on the scheduled time, the repair was done when they said and the quoted price was fair and didn't change after the repair. Thank you Dave and Elizabeth! read more

Dave, Elizabeth, and the whole Straight Up crew are friendly, honest, fair-minded, and incredibly helpful. Highly recommend them! -- Kate P.

Brought my vehicle in because the brakes felt funny and asked them to check my shocks & struts too. Got a call back within a couple hours telling me I could either pay them $350 or do a very simple fix myself on the brakes, which were just a little rusty. I wasn't aware of the problem nor the fix, and they could've made an easy buck on me but instead were, wait for it, STRAIGHT UP with me and saved me a bunch of cash! I had only ever been here once before (also a good experience), but they treated me like a regular, which I now am. Highly recommend!!! read more

Newer to C'ville.... Love this auto shop. They love to their commitment, they do not oversell or overcharge which is rarer than it should be. They found a couple items to give us discounts on. Just great piece of mind to find trustworthy and effective service read more

I really can't say enough good things about this place. They came pretty highly recommended and those turned out to be spot on. They took care of the problems in the timeframe that they promised and at a fair price. Very trustworthy and now I would highly recommend too. read more

It's wonderful to do business with an honest automotive service company. I worked with Elisabeth and the automotive team regarding some battery issues we were having with our Honda Accord. I experience great service and great value! Highly recommend. read more

Went in to have the source of my check engine light figured out, tires rotated, and oil changed. Great service, great value!

The owner, David, was super cordial and professional--he promptly responded to all my questions via messages on Yelp. I had low tire pressure and did not know how to fill my tires with air. It was a free service, but I tipped the worker well since everyone has been very helpful. Elizabeth was nice on the phone and in person; even when I dropped by, she called the workers and I had to only wait for 2 minutes! Lastly, Steve, the worker, was very kind and swiftly got the job done. Most definitely coming back if I ever have car problems! Thank you Straight Up Automotive Service for an exceptional experience. read more

Straight Up Automotive Service - Auto Repair Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Very responsive and super helpful. Good prices to fix my car and they explained everything to me in a way id understand haha.

The people here at every kind and are never pushy when it comes to recommending fixes. They just game me my estimate and left it up to me to decide. I had to replace a part on my car and they helped me find the best affordable part. I usually call to schedule an appointment as they are sometimes too busy for walk ins. read more

Recently it snowed and my car seemed to have a low battery. Tried to jump it and the car did nothing, seemed worse than before actually. I called around to see how much a tow would be to go literally around the corner ( literally 5 mins walking) and I was quoted $60. I called straight up having delt with them in the past. Being I lived right around the corner they sent 2 sweet gentleman down to help me out. Turns out all the car needed was to be jumped. To find a company that was not only courteous and prompt, but to go above and beyond the call of service is rare. Straight Up should be your first choice when needing quality auto repair! read more

Great people and great service- also friendly and honest. They've been good to me and my Prius, 10/10 would recommend to a friend.

I was en route from Charlotte, NC to the metro DC area when one of my wheel bearings decided to call it quits late at night. I was able to limp into town and get a hotel room for the night. I woke up the next morning, trying to figure out some way to make it to work (two hours away) by noon. I wasted some time trying to deal with the shop at the Nissan dealership (Colonial Nissan-they tried to markup the price for the part by $100!!) Told them thanks, but no thanks and drove a couple miles to see these guys since they had good yelp reviews. They DEFINITELY live up to their reputation. I explained to Timmy that I was trying to make it to work on time and he pulled my truck in right away to diagnose it. He confirmed it was the wheel bearing and they were on the phone ASAP ordering the part. When the part arrived, he got right to work and had it finished in under an hour. They even let me bring my dog inside from the cold while the work was being done. The price for labor was more than reasonable and they didn't try to markup the price for the part for no reason whatsoever (ahem...Colonial Nissan). And....I was able to make it to work on time. Thanks, Timmy. I'm not often in Charlottesville, but if I were, they would be my go-to mechanics. They live up to the motto on their sign: "bringing honesty and integrity back to auto repair." The student/military discount is an added bonus. Dave, Timmy, and crew....thanks again. read more

Straight Up Automotive Service - Waiting on a wheel-bearing. - Auto Repair Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

David and team exceeded expectations again! Had a Service Engine Soon light come on in my 2001 Expedition. Took the truck to Meineke first since it was closer to my home. They proposed replacing an air gasket, which included 4 hrs labor, $611 total. Brought it to Straight Up for a second opinion, and after running a diagnostic and a smoke test, they performed a minor repair to intake piping and cleared the issue light. Total cost: $85 (after UVA discount). This place is great - highly recommend! read more

I am so sorry to write this negative review because my family has used Straight Up for a few years and had positive experiences overall. A timeline of why my opinion has changed: October 2019: Our car is leaking power steering fluid, and my husband keeps refilling it. October 31, 2019: We take the car in to Straight Up to fix the power steering fluid leak and get an oil change. They charge us $437 and replace the power steering line: November 1, 2019: We drive the car to Raleigh, NC and for the last hour of the trip the car is sounding terrible, particularly at low speeds. When we pull in to the hotel, we see that we have almost no power steering fluid. November 2, 2019: We take the car to a highly rated mechanic in Raleigh who says that the leak is coming from the rack and pinion, and makes the repair. $1,277 for parts and labor. We lose a day of our vacation sorting out repairs and a rental car ($98). November 5, 2019: My husband takes the receipts to Straight Up, who claim that the new power steering leak was unrelated to the power steering leak fix that they did the day before. They refuse to cover any of the labor costs for the NC repair or the rental car, and instead offer us $200 in store credit. Frankly, we just don't trust them anymore, and that makes me really sad. read more

David and Chuck were wonderful to deal with as soon as I walked in the door. They actually listened about my challenge with a dent in my left front fender. I had stopped in because I thought that maybe they were the shop that had helped one of my customers previously. After chatting with me for a little bit they decided to just go out and look at the dent. Chuck said let me take a look at that and he actually got a majority of the dent out with his hand. They would not let me pay them. I definitely will be sending these guys some cookies. So if you're looking for a place that is actually going to listen and help you out I would try this place. They are a little hard to fine but they're totally worth it! read more

New to the area and decided to try Straight Up Automotive for a brake replacement. Service was good and timely. They called me to give updates, and took the time to explain what needing fixing before doing so (because I am clueless when it comes to cars). Would definitely come back for future auto maintenance. read more

Fantastic service by a great team. They responded quickly to my questions and were on time with making repairs to my Jeep. They fixed the problem and charged a very fair price. Plus, they're dog friendly. Highly recommend. read more

My car broke down while I was in Charlottesville, from Michigan, to take care of my terminally-ill Father. After reading lots of reviews about mechanics, I decided to use Straight Up Automotive Service - turned out to be a great decision! My car was repaired the same day I took it in (for a very reasonable charge); but, I was unable to pick it up for 2 weeks due to complications with my Father. The team at Straight Up was kind and compassionate, and I was allowed to leave the car with no extra storage fee. I whole-heartedly agree with everyone else who says these are great people who provide great service. You will not be disappointed! read more

I have been in Charlottesville for a year and have used them twice to fix my car. Both times they were able to evaluate my car in the morning and have it ready by the afternoon on the same day, which is huge! They are kind, professional, and took the time to answer all of the questions I had. The woman who works at the front desk is exceptionally prompt and will call to give updates on the car's status. I feel like the prices are reasonable and they are an honest group of people. I have had such a good experience and I will continue to use them in the future! read more

The best people. So polite and understanding. I am obviously a young woman and they did not try to man-splain anything. They listened to me and have very reasonable prices. Take your car here! read more

Always honest and competitive prices, and they do their best to help you out. The shop isn't sparkling clean but they take pride in their work and get things done right without selling or upcharging. Definitely recommended. read more

IF ONLY THERE WERE 10 Stars!! Extremely honest, friendly staff. Ive taken my car there for various issues and it has always come back good as new SAME DAY. The owner is awesome and extremely good at what he does. They offer military discount (and student discount I believe)! Charlottesville is tremendously lucky to have Straight Up Auto....seriously, genuinely the best car shop I've been to in a LONG time. It almost sounds too good to be true, but I am a real customer (22 y/o female) I'm not getting paid to sponsor them in any way, shape or form. Try them out for real, you won't regret it! read more

Great service, very knowledgeable and easy to talk to... Dave listened carefully and did heroic diagnostic testing (ran it on the machine overnight) and charged very little. Was genuinely good help with explaining what was up and resolved the problem with my 4Runner's exhaust leak. Highly recommend! read more

This place was hard to find....it is not on Preston Ave as the address says, but behind Preston at Dale Ave and Albemarle St. Once I found it, I wasn't so sure about it....but I needed a headlight replaced, so I went in. The mechanic didn't say much, but he replaced it immediately in 20 minutes, and I was on my way, having paid only for the 20 minutes of labor and the cost of the bulb. Nothing fancy .... straight forward and straight up. This is my only experience here so far, but I will go back when I need to. read more

Update: After Dave saw my review he sent me a message and asked me to give him a call. We talked through the problems on the phone and he was patient and understanding enough while I described my frustration although it had been a long time since I replaced my mirror there. The following week I went into his shop and he reimbursed me for what I had to spend to get my mirror back on and offered me free oil change, although I politely declined because I'm moving to the west coast very soon. Although I had to go through lots of trouble to get my mirror fixed in the end, I appreciate the way Dave handled my concern - they were willing to admit the mistakes and apologize, while there are other shops who are not even willing to admit their own mistakes but keep blaming customer for the problems that were caused by them (I'm still dealing with them right now but would not say the name here publicly). Because I do believe integrity and honesty are more important than the actual repair work and those are what would get a business continue and succeed in the future, if you decide to do your repairs with Dave, I would recommend communicating everything clearly throughout the entire process to avoid any unnecessary frustrations, but I also wouldn't worry about their post-repair customer service as long as you communicate with them promptly and I'm sure you can work something out together. Again, I appreciate Dave's promptness and the way he handled my complaint and hope they can maintain the good customer service to every customer they serve in the future. read more

This is a mechanic you can trust, period. Both me and my girlfriend has been here, and the experience has been the best of any mechanic I've ever had. When I suspected a problem with my car, it turned out that some fluid was missing, but there wasn't really a leak. Dave explained clearly what the problem was, filled up my fluid, and didn't charge me a cent! If I have any mechanical problems in the future, I know where I'll be going! Notes: it can be a bit hard to find their shop, so make sure you look at google's street view before you go, it can save you alotta time trying to find it. read more

First came here a little over 6 months ago for a routine oil change and was really impressed by Dave (the manager) and his team who took the time to write down a few other items they thought I should consider fixing on my 10-year-old car. There was NO pressuring at all, and they actually welcomed my questions. I came back 6 months later for my next routine oil change and this time Dave found a problem I had to fix or else I would fail my upcoming state inspection. He took me to the garage and let me look under the car, take pictures, and ask more questions. I actually felt excited to be taking care of my car once I understood what exactly had to be done and why. I live in Washington, DC but make it a point to get my car serviced when I'm down in Charlottesville because of this kind of honest service. Thank you Dave and team! read more

We are traveling to get away from Hurricane Florence, and of course my car starts sounding like the engine it just going to drop out and explode. These kind people saw us immediately and we were only there for 30 minutes while they took care of the issue. Turns out it wasn't an awful issue, just a part needed tightening from clanking on my frame... They charged us basically next to nothing for how quick and effective it was, as well as last minute. What a blessing! read more

Honest, timely, and knowledgable. For 2 years now, I have been taking my car to Dave for everything from oil changes to serious repairs. I appreciate the honest prices and diagnoses. Their insight and diagnoses come from a very knowledgable team, proven by the many successful repairs. I also appreciate how honest he is about the timeliness of the issues. He tells me whether the problem needs to be addressed urgently or can wait. It's great for planning, and my wallet appreciates it. To top it off, they are friendly and have great customer service. read more