Brentwood Automotive

These guys saved me $ 600+ worth of unnecessary repairs that were recommended by another mechanic. I trust them and highly recommend them.

«Eek Methinks Not» is very accurate. Never found out how or why they got the «Best of» titles they received. Since my first experience something wasn’t right. not sure if it was the brackish customer service or the fact that every time i took my car there i got it back with more problems. But then i took my 99 Volvo Crosscountry to them when the heater core exploded. Thats a major job. A new heater core, water pump, belts hoses and a number of other engine coolant components later, i got my car back. with the dash light for radiator service STILL ON. I called them thinking they’d say «oh! were sorry sir, the 2000 $++ dollars you just spent on this repair alone covers us to at least check the radiator light, and probably even spring for the 45 $ part, or just include it on your repair bill.» But instead i got a raft of crap, and they wanted me to pay 50 $ for them to inspect it plus more for the repair, after, may i remind you I SPENT $ 2000. After trying to be diplomatic, and them refuting any responsibility, i gave up, asked someone else and had it fixed in about 15 min. Their unfortunate stubbornness cost them a customer and got them 1 whole star!

I would give this business less than one star if the rating system could go that low. If you’re looking to get proper servicing with appropriate pricing, STAY AWAY FROM BRENTWOOD. They will charge you insanely high prices for doing the absolute minimum amount of work possible and often without properly addressing the issue.
I sent my car to this garage for a full check up for state inspection, and while it somehow did pass inspection, I continued to have numerous problems with my car for up to a month afterwards. Being naïve, I kept bringing it back to Brentwood and lost a lot of money to them in the process. When my car finally died, I brought it to the NTB up on York Road, only to be informed that I had some serious safety issues with my car that should have been fixed prior to inspection (or at least been caught during all the subsequent times I had to get my car serviced by Brentwood).
TL:DR, do NOT trust this shop to do the proper thing and certainly do not give them your patronage.

I was hearing a worrying sound in my old beater of a car, so I brought it to Brentwood. I still hadn’t found a reliable mechanic that I trusted in the area, and I’d never used them before, so I figured I’d give it a shot. They were friendly and reassuring when I dropped off my car, and explained the work they were going to do in terms I understood after the initial diagnostic. Because they needed to order some parts, the fix took longer than expected, but they were responsive and clear about why the extra days were needed.
Unfortunately, when I finally picked up the car, the sound was still there. They’d certainly done the work they promised, but whatever they’d done hadn’t fixed the actual issue. I was ready to write off Brentwood as another unreliable shop and move on.
But I made an appointment to bring the car back to Brentwood. They were apologetic about the persistent issue. And ultimately they repaired the car at no extra cost to me.
The extra time it took was a small inconvenience (and the only reason I’m giving them 4 instead of 5 stars), but it’s a small price to pay to have someone be honest and human. Glad I brought my car here.

Also should note… they only took one step to try to alleviate the oil pressure. I can do a casual 5 minute internet search and find a couple of things to try which they neither did, nor offered… probably because the expertise is not there, despite being led on to the contrary.
These people will bullshit you up and down with what they «know» in order to get some extra cash in their pockets. Don’t trust them to «do the right thing».

Stumbled upon Brentwood after my MKX broke down on 83 right before Falls Rd. Very professional, kept me informed and updated on the progress of my car. They managed to get a hold of a hard-​to-​get part in faster time then my dealership thought they could. They even had a loaner available for me to use while my car was being repaired. They are now my go to repair shop in Baltimore City.

I’ve used Brentwood 3 times and I have had nothing but good experiences. The guys who work there are really cool and have great customer service skills. I’ve had 3 oil changed and tire rotations and never have they tried to upsell me nor have they «discovered» hidden damage. They’re incredibly trustworthy IMO.
The only negative thing I can say is that their hours are really inconvenient if you have a 9 – 5 job. They’re not open on weekends and they close at 5:30 and I can’t justify a rental car for an oil change — so it’s actually tough to come see them. But, they always do a great job when I can make it in.

They work on SAABs, so I went there for a automatic transmission fluid change and a flat repair. The service manager was friendly and confident. True, the place seemed a bit cluttered and downmarket, but they had awards and testimonials plastered all over the place. They called an hour later to inform me of the price of the transmission work, and then called 1 ½ hours later to say the job was done. He took great pains to discuss why the flat repair was successful (a Sears Auto place said they couldn’t do it and tried to sell me a new tire). The cost of the service was reasonable. Noting some negative reviews of this place, I can hope they just goofed in the past or even learned their lesson and improved their service. Only three stars because this is based on a single simple service; I’ll update as my SAAB goes there in future.

Simple story. Ran over a nail. Nail lodged in groove between tread. The perfect spot for a plug. Went to Brentwood on the strength of a friends recommendation. Shady vibe when I entered. Car taken to back. Mechanic returned and said he couldn’t plug it; I needed a new tire. Tire was virtually brand new (only had 6 months). They don’t sell used tires. I refused the new tire and took it to a spot down the street. One quick glance and the guy at the new spot asked if I took my tire to Brentwood. I told him yes and inquired how he knew. He submerged my tire and showed me a clean, precise pinhole, as if my tire had been poked. Apparently, others have complained of the same with Brentwood. Drive up with a nail in your tire and drive away with a hole in the side wall. These dudes are shady. I don’t care how man Best of Baltimore awards they’ve won. I can’t believe they would go to these lengths to sell a tire. That extra $ 100 is worth the bad publicity? Avoid these clowns at all costs…

My tire picked up a nail and I got my car to work, pumped the tire up and called them. They said I could come any time. They repaired the tire and what they charged me was fair. What more could you ask?

The only reason this gets 2 stars instead of 1 is that I must admit that they do good work in a timely fashion. OK, that’s out of the way. Now why I will never go back: On the phone they quoted me $ 51 for a diagnostic, which ended up being more like $ 135 without my approval, all to tell me that I needed a new battery (for $ 115). Plus, when my boyfriend went to pick up my car they told him that «it seems like she really had no idea what she was talking about.» Yeah, I grew up in my father’s service station garage… I’m sure that comment had nothing to do with the fact that I am a woman.
They won’t be scamming or insulting us again.

Question: how can an auto repair shop located 3000+ miles away on the other end of the continent STILL help you out, despite having moved to California? Well, if you are 10 times «Best of Baltimore» Brentwood Auto, it’s easy.
When we left the city to move West, we took our Mazda3 for one final oil change and check-​up. As a parting gift of sorts, we received a really nice ice scraper with the Brentwood logo and phone number emblazoned on its thick blue handle. Nice, I thought, but probably not very useful in Northern California. How wrong was I! A big winter storm blew in recently, dropping snow and hail and freezing rain in the Santa Cruz Mountains, so I dug the ice scraper out of storage and — sure enough! — Brentwood Auto saved the day yet again, allowing us to clean off the front and rear windshields before heading to work. Thanks, Brentwood! We hope that those ice scrapers are coming in handy this winter in Baltimore!