Ames Car Repair Advice

**psychlone99** · 10-11-2012, 06:22 AM

Originally Posted by ISUAgronomist

I had good luck at Mike's Body & Frame (219 North Oak Avenue)

When it's a straightforward steering/alignment/suspension issue, and I know what's wrong, I'll take it to CarX because those prices are hard to beat.

Otherwise, I've had excellent luck with Mike's as well. They'll treat you right and their prices are some of the best I've seen in Ames.

**KCCLONE712** · 10-11-2012, 08:25 AM

Doug at Imported Cars is a great mechanic and more importantly an honest one.

Imported Cars LTD
4625 Reliable Street
Ames, IA 5001
(515) 296-2723

**psychlone99** · 10-11-2012, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by KCCLONE712

Doug at Imported Cars is a great mechanic and more importantly an honest one.

Imported Cars LTD
4625 Reliable Street
Ames, IA 5001
(515) 296-2723

Good call here if you have an import. When I owned Volvos, Doug was my guy. Unbeatable for imports. I take my domestic to Mike's.

If you check out Imported Cars, don't let the facility fool you. It looks run down, but it gets the job done. Ask Doug anything mechanical and he'll give it to you straight. We once had a 15 minute conversation on the merits of doing a gravity drain/fill on high mileage trannys rather than a power flush. Good stuff.

**bugs4cy** · 10-11-2012, 09:18 PM

Trickles on Lincoln Way. Great guys, honest, stand behind their work, and no highway robbery involved.

**CyCrazy** · 10-11-2012, 09:26 PM

Rons Auto Repair. They have always been good to me, but today they told me to put my car to rest...... So I sold it to one of their mechanics who wanted it to fix it up and use it as a farm vehicle.

**kds** · 10-11-2012, 10:47 PM

I have had excellent luck with the Midas on Lincoln Way and Duff, and also the Midas on Euclid and near I-235 in Des Moines. If I need something that's not warranty work, that's where I go.

Originally Posted by vanillathrilla

Just don't take it to Tuffy for a single thing; complete scammers.

I had a girlfriend that took her Corolla to Tuffy for routine oil changes. One day she walked out of there after paying for a tranny flush, new air filter, and new windshield wiper blades. She didn't think it was a big deal until I told her that's how they make $$. I also educated her on the value of getting a second opinion.

Originally Posted by DistrictCyclone

I used to enjoy his column at the Register, too.

That's Marc Hansen, with a C.

**DJSteve** · 10-11-2012, 11:50 PM

One that hasn't been mentioned yet that I've always had really good experiences with is Magic Muffler. Very reasonable cost, also.

The rest of my short list would be Ron's, EnTire, and probably Denny's. That's based both on my experiences & what I've heard from others that have used them.

Have had pretty poor experience & lots of horror stories about AAMCO. Lots of bad things about Tuffy, though I think to some extent their quality varies by who the manager is at a given time (at one point several years ago they were very reputable). I'm somewhat wary of CarX based on girlfriend's experience with her brakes--really think they took advantage of her being a girl and did more work than was necessary.