I was traveling from PA to CO with my son and mother. We thankfully decided to stay in Coralville for the night. We got off I-80 and my brake pedal was stiff and could barely stop. We got into the hotel around 9/10 pm on Sunday and at 8am Monday they said they could fit me in at 9 am. I took my car down and they read the check engine code and figured it out to be my vacuum pump for my brakes broke. Thankfully enough they found a part fairly quickly and fixed my car after running me to my hotel and picking me up. All was done in a timely manner all with very understanding shop guys! Highly recommend! They gave me a quote to fix my car prior to doing anything with it, with a very reasonable price!

Stopped in for an emergency repair dropping my son off to grad school. We had just finished a 19 hour drive when we had some car issues. They were amazing!! They got the car in right away and it runs better than ever! Fast, friendly, and I’m so glad we found them!! I definitely recommend Central Automotive Service & Repair!!

Is top notch work and great service never been disappointed in any of the work they have done on all my vehicles

Mike and his team have been very good to me. Brought in my car for several different services and have been taken care of every time. As a single female its so huge to feel comfortable and not taken advantage of.

Ive always had a great experience when Ive taken my vehicles to Central. Everyone is knowledgeable and honest. I felt that their pricing is more than fair, and theyre willing to work with you if you need a payment plan.

Just had my truck worked on here at Central Auto. Very Professional.. quick work.. trucks is running great.. Thanks to Mike & Scott.

Wonderful service. Great people. Honest.

I ended up with a flat tire 2 doors down from Central Automotive. I finally got a tow truck to get my pickup over to their lot. They worked me into their busy schedule & got me on the road to home quickly. Thank you for your service!

Ive had numerous services done on my car here, from standard oil changes to brake repair. The service is always great, they are very transparent about anything that needs to be done, and after researching prices at a few places, they are very fair. Definitely plan to continue using them as long as I live in the area.

Nicest place I have ever been. Middle of blizzard and helped me out right away!

Was on a vacation and had wheel bearing go out and they got car in at 4pm and by 8am the next morning had it repaired. Very nice people to work with.

God bless your heart ❤️Thank you for torch 🔥

Absolutely the best place to take your vehicle. They got my car in and fixed same day, with a free shuttle, friendly office folks, and a perfectly fixed car for a great price. This is the second car of mine I have trusted to Central Automotive, and I will trust every single car I own in the future to them as well. Thank you so much!

Best pizza in town and they got frozen ones you can carry out too

These guys are really good. They do great work, quickly, and at a reasonable price. If something of mine is fixed at Central. Itll be fixed forever.

I have had multiple car issues solved by the team of excellent automotive technicians at this business. They are fast, professional and truly work to earn your future business. I will not take my vehicle anywhere else. -CVH

Very professional and knowledgeable! Wes and crew did a great job on my challenger! Highly recommended for all your auto needs!! I plan on taking my vehicle(s) there for all future needs!

These guys did an incredible job on my truck. By far the best mechanics I’ve dealt with in the area. They’re fair and honest, and they take the time to make sure things are done the right way. I’m very grateful for the team there and the work they do. Two thumbs up for sure, I’d highly recommend them to anyone that needs work done.

They charged me almost 400 for a battery and an install never go there againn

I was having a lot of weird electrical issues and issues with my car not starting or starting slowly. My check engine light also had come on. Before taking it to Central Auto., I took it to get a quote from a different mechanic and he quoted me $2000 for my cadillac converter.I went to get my 2nd opinion from Central Auto they also found that the cadillac converter had turned the check engine light on. They quoted me for that (cheaper than 1st quote) but before doing anything they told me they were going to clear it, turn the light off, and see if that resolved the issue. Its been a couple weeks and so far, so good.NOT ONLY did they first clear the converter, they found the actual source of my problems, which turned out to be a burnt battery cable. They changed the cable and now the issues I was having actually have been resolved.Thank You Central.

Got new tires put on at discount tire, they recommended that due to the asymmetrical wear on the tires that I should get an alignment. When I asked, they recommended central automotive (they keep a huge stack of coupons they hand out like candy to people that should get alignments). I called and made an appointment to get an alignment at 9:30 the next day.I was really surprised and pleased that I was able to get in so quickly. The sooner you get an alignment after new tires the better. The next day I dropped off my car. There was no wait time, they immediately took the keys and drove it into the garage bay. From past experience I know it usually takes an hour.3 hours later, I figured theyd finished and were just too busy to call and let me know so I drove by. They still had my car in the same bay. Interesting... but I went home. An hour later, 4 hours after I dropped it off, I got a call.They told me that due to my wore out suspension I would need two new lower control arms before they could do an alignment. I couldnt believe my ears! They had my car for 4 hours and they hadnt done anything!Oh was I wrong, they had gone over my whole car with a fine tooth comb and made a list of EVERYTHING they thought was wrong and quoted me $2563.70 to fix everything. Major things like timing belt and replacing the water pump down to little things like oil change and coolant flush.What they did NOT know is that I keep up with the maintenance of my vehicles and the only thing my car needed was an alignment. Thanks for nothing Central Automotive. I just need to warn people that you guys are just out there to up-sale repairs that these cars dont need.By the way, I took my car somewhere else that got my alignment done without any problems.

Great dealer for hiniker snowplow parts. Scott was friendly and very knowledgeable. Will definitely do business with them again!

Excellent service and very helpful. Best to make an appointment, but intelligent recommendations that deal with budget conscious solutions. Great alternative to a dealership!

Had a coupon from discount tire. Got an appointment quickly. Had a nice printout of all of the measurements and showed me where my cars alignment was off. Friendly staff. Would go to again.

Honest people doing great work. Cant thank them enough for professional service!

They got me in on very short notice, and were quick and professional making my repair after an accident. An hour after I called to tell them I was on my way in, I was on my way out. Highly recommend!

Have been without a trusted mechanic for a long time. Needed a second opinion and found Central Automotive. They did a wonderful job for a better price. Told us what needed done and what could wait if we wanted to spread things out. Absolutely Fantastic! I have found my new trusted mechanic.

I can not thank this team enough!! I highly recommend having any service to your vehicle done at Central Automotive. I am not from the area and was attending a meeting when I started having car problems on my way. They were open early and saved the day. They let me use loaner vehicle to get to my meeting while the worked on my car. They did a great job fixing it. Great people to deal with. I just wish they were in Betrendorf, Iowa. I wouldnt take my car to anyone else. Thanks guys you all rock!

I was recommended this shop by a friend.They have been super helpful & work with me on doing repairs over a period of time! Would recommend to anyone!

Great place ! Honest and Great work !

Good quality and professional services.

Mike was so kind. He got me in the next day after I called. Prompt and friendly service. It doesn’t get much better than this place! Highly recommend.

Thank you for a great initial meet today and helping me with my Jeep and what it’s going to take to get it up to good standings. Loved the honesty. Professionalism and all around good energy in your place.

My car broke down on the interstate not to far from there shop, they actually helped out finding me a tow truck, got my truck back to the shop, diagnosed it and had an alternator dropped off within 10 min from Good Guys Autocare, they helped me and my family get back on the road in a very timely manner to carry on with our vacation....I would strongly recommend anyone to take there vehicles to Central Auto for any service they could need. The guys at the shop from the counter person, mechanic, and owner were very understanding to my situation and did all they could to help us.

Everyone here was extremely friendly and helpful. My daughter and I felt very welcome and they took care of us in a timely fashion. They even recommended a place where I could purchase less expensive tires. I will be back! Thank you!

I have had two high performance cars in for alignment. Both were done quickly and professionally. I felt the price was more than fair given the level of service provided. Taking my Corvette there as soon as I get the front end rebuilt!

SUPER awful. Cant change a tire. Should have known betterThis is the only way I can find to respond to your answer. You didnt have black grease. My husband took the wheel to a friend he put black grease on and it has been fine ever since. I talked to you at Roys and you agreed and said that you had gotten black grease in since then.

Knowledgeable, friendly, honest service. Will continue to visit for service. I wouldnt trust anyone else with my vehicle. They even gave me a lift home on the other side of town while doing my repairs. Great place, great people!

Always willing go the extra mile for you, Vehicle has been fixed the first time and quickly and accurate every time. Mike the owner is extremely knowledgeable about the vehicles and is willing to explain it to you in a way that makes sense. I dont see them adding in all this extra stuff many other shops need. Best place in town if you want to work with strait shooters.

These people are just flat out good people

Matt does great work, quickly, and for a fair price! Get it all done here!

I took my 1999 SLE Mecedes in for a clutch kit. They replaced the fly wheel and clutch kit and when I picked it up, it was still slipping. This was almost three years ago. It took me over a year for them to finally replace the clutch kit again and it was still slipping. When I picked it up Mike told me he had done some research and was told if the aftermarket kit slipped that they would have to use OEM. I was told when I picked up the car the 2nd time that they would get the OEM kit and install it. Its been probably close to another year of waiting and calling and being promised I would be called back and it hasnt happened. Scott will answer the phone and give me some excuse and say Mike will call me back and nothing ever happens. Im extremely unhappy and thinking about taking them to small claims court if they dont make it right like I was promised.

Customer service and techs rock. It is nice to know my car will be taken care of. Great sense of humor.

My experience was amazing from the start. I called in about a nightmare of an oil leak. I was anticipating them being able to get me in by the afternoon at best, if not the next day, but Doc kindly answered the phone and told me to bring the car in as soon as I could. I brought it in an hour or two later, and they diagnosed the problem in ten minutes. Everyone was very communicative about the issue, and one member of the team even offered to give me a ride to work as it was going to take a couple of hours. Mike ensured that my car would be repaired by the end of the day, even with the several other projects already in line. It was just extremely refreshing to have honest, genuine, caring people providing top quality service. You can bet Ill be going there for my automotive needs from now on. Thank you!!

A friend told us to take moms car to central auto for a alignment they were suppose to be fair price for repairs... boy was they wrong! We was only looking for front end they tried to upsell us. Typical.They wanted to charge us $203 for front and rear alignment. We didnt took car to SPENLER Tire in East Iowa City and offered same work done for ONLY $75 front and back....I am giving Central Tire 2 stars for friendliness because they seemed nice. But yeah your prices are not fair at all.

After I had trouble with a previous mechanic, a tow truck driver recommended Central to me. He said he rarely has to tow cars back to them after they get done with repairs. I only wish I had heard about Central sooner.I bought a 2014 Toyota Prius and shortly after I got it home, I found that part of the plastic cover under the engine was dragging. I had a hard time getting under the car to fix is, so I took it in. (I also figured that if the dealership forgot to secure the cover, who knows what else may be wrong).The guys at Central gave the car an inspection for me (happily nothing else was wrong) and reattached the plastic cover. They said the vehicle was in perfect health- they didnt even try to sell me on cleaning the air filter! They didnt charge for the inspection, and just asked that I come back and see them if I need anything in the future. I certainly will!They provided fast (same day), friendly, and honest service!

They had a terrible attitude and over charging. When asked what exactly was wrong they started just saying random things that were not consistent later in the conversation. When we tried to prioritize certain problems they started getting aggressive saying we were undercutting their profits. Our first sign to not go here was someone walking out saying they were going to go to another place.

Central Automotive is the only place I will go. Mike always finds time to fit me in no matter what the issue and keeps me and my fleet on the road. The team of mechanics can handle every situation from oil changes to full engine rebuilds and technical electrical issues. The staff is always friendly and most importantly honest. They understand my schedule and will even go pick up the cars or give me a loaner. Finding an automotive shop that you can trust is hard to find but I always get honest answers on what is worth fixing and what should wait and there is never unnecessary extras or running up the bill. 10 stars wasnt an option or they would get that.

These guys helped me out of a jam getting a trailer attached back to my car. Dropped what they were doing to help my wife and I get the trailer back on and gave us a few valuable tips for the future. Certainly could of made us feel dumb, but instead said theyd seen far worse and were happy to help. Thanks again guys we really appreciated it!

They were friendly, but will take full advantage of you, especially when you’re a female. They wanted to do more work to “make my alignment work” by adding more parts to my car, and was gonna be over $1300! I was planning on going back the next day and since I had already been there for nearly two hours I just asked them to do the oil change when I came back instead of having to stay even longer. Thankfully I talked to someone who knows cars and they said it wasn’t accurate. Took it to the dealership service center and I only needed an oil change and normal alignment, less than $200! Then they called and said I needed to still pay for my oil change, that they didn’t even do yet. I just paid it to be done with them.

Great service and they will work with you on appointments. Prices are good.

Doc and Mike run a great business. We take our commercial fleet vehicles here, and I trust them with my personal vehicles as well. Always prompt and thorough.

Asked for a quote and never received a call back. Im guessing they have too many customers.Got a call back with a quote after this review. Thanks to owner. Thats the way to do business.

Not sure where the negative reviews came from, obviously from a couple of rubes who dont know which end of a wrench does the work! If you dont understand the mechanics of a car, dont post negative reviews as it sends the wrong message. If you dont make an appointment, you should expect to wait. My wife and I rely on Mike and his guys to keep our vehicles repaired and serviced. Zero issues. I have a strong mechanical background and know a lot about cars and can honestly say that they have never tried to pull one over on us.

Ive taken both my cars there a few times. They have the best prices in town and my cars are running better then ever! Plus they are very polite and will actually show you what is wrong.

100% recommend Central Automotive! They were fair, honest, and upfront about the cost from the very start. Little background: I started going to discount tire in Coralville a couple of years ago because I found them to be honest, in turn when I called them about an oil change, they recommended Central Automotive. I immediately made the next available appointment (I called Monday, they had an opening 10:30 AM Wednesday). I got there 10 minutes early, and they took my information. I walked to Panera and had breakfast, then called to see how far along they were with my car, and they had just finished. While I was there, three guys were there as well. Their car broke down between South Dakota and Michigan. Central Automotive was able to get them in for their definitely urgent/critical issue. I bring this up because while they were able to get me in fairly quickly for a non-urgent matter, they seem to be able to prioritize customer issues similar to how a doctors office might have extra appointments day-of for acutely sick patients. This is something that matters to me, because if something did happen to my car I would see if they could fix it first. Now onto the oil change! They made sure to explain to me that the reason my cost was higher than a normal oil change was because my car only took synthetic. I had looked this up before hand anyways, but I appreciated them explaining it. They also explained to me how the gauges on the car worked to tell when my oil was low and when I should come in next. They were all around friendly and helpful. I would bring my car back here for sure!

Possibly the best mechanics Ive ever dealt with. Honest and fair. Ive heard the same from friends.

I will not take my car anywhere else. They are trustworthy, fast, reliable, affordable, and they do not take advantage of you. They really value you here!

Great service and friendly service people very courteous.

Thank you mike .. thank you to the mechanic for getting me back on the road on my jeep fix thank you for honoring the warranty and being there and being professional and taking care of me.Your establishment and service is once againOver and above.

Had a busted radiator and a few miscellaneous things wrong. I had gotten quotes from a mechanic friend out of town, giving me the lowest price to just repair what NEEDED to be repaired and what I wanted repaired. Came to Central Automotive, they got me in right away. Estimated the same price I had gotten from my friend back home, and that it would be done before the end of the day. When they couldnt get it done in time, they kindly allowed me to borrow a loaner vehicle for the night, and totally saved my butt (had a concert to play that night). In the end, they fixed everything we had discussed and held to the same estimated price. They were fair, friendly, and fast. Its good to know I dont have to go back home to get quality automotive care and repairs!!

The guys at Central Automotive have taken care of my vehicles on several occasion. Quality work at a very reasonable price. AAA+++ service!!!

Great shop and staff

Took great care on our mini bus thanks everyone

Best price & wont ever jerk you around for unnecessary repairs. These guys know their stuff. Also just great people Im general!!

Best place to get maintenance done! Also the customer service is great.

Staff is knowledgeable and friendly

They did very good job 👍

Great place, friendly folks, fast service!

Great place to get your vehicle diagnosed and repaired.

Very rude customer service needed to ask a few questions about my car and mike who attended me said he didnt have time and hung up on me. Never doing business here again.

I used to take my 1989 Dodge Colt hatchback to Boubin Auto in Coralville because the GREAT parts manager there helped me to find parts for repair (not an easy job) and a GREAT mechanic improvised as necessary to keep my car running.Then in 2014 Central Automotive just several doors down did something really smart by hiring away BOTH the manager and my favorite mechanic from Boubin. I switched companies and am happy to report that Central Auto provides top-notch service at reasonable prices. I like to baby my Colt and over time am slowly replacing all its parts and making it better, all with Central Autos help. The owner Mike is a stand-up guy that I enjoy doing business with.I would especially recommend Central Auto to anyone whos keeping an older car alive, as I am. These people are the best in town and I am a Number One Satisfied Customer!Sincerely,Blake Whitten

Super friendly, good people

Good guys n respectful

The receptionist lady loves money. Every time she talks its your fault and your money she wants to spend. I used to trust these guys but this place has turned into a Mc Auto. They charged me $120 to spray a can of carb cleaner THAT did nothing. Then they broke a a wheel barring and acted like thats how I brought it to them... When i complained they said it was just rust and not a wheel barring... But the receptionist lady said that I needed to get the wheel barring fixed asap... These guys use the fear factor too much. HURRY UP AND PAY MORE MONEY!TOOK them 5 days to put a battery in my car. The price was on the high side $120. They complained about me getting my car towed to their shop. None of them wanted to drive the shuttle to take me home, I was stranded at their shop stuck outside in the freezing cold waiting for a cab for about an hour because they all rushed home when their shift was over. They didnt even look at my car till day 4. I felt like I made a mistake taking my vehicle to this Mc-auto shop.

Fixed our alternator quickly, the day we called.

Good work. Fast an clean.

Stay away from this company they are a bunch of crooks. I took my vehicle in for a check engine light and Mike told me I needed a new engine put in. Next day I took it to a different mechanic and they told me they couldnt find anything wrong with it. Conclusion: these people are a bunch of lousy crooks that should be put out of business. Never go here. I talked to a guy named Mike and he was one of the rudest and most disrespectful people I have ever met.

Thanks everyone for getting us back on the road!

Top notch service here

Thanks for helping

Thanks Mike for helping us resolve the problem with our Ford Explorer.

Solid quality work, reasonable rates

Very friendly and got us in right away when we were stranded on a road trip. Thank you!!

Good location fair prices

Always honest, fair, and fast.