Dicky Smalls Automotive

Love this place! Went here for the first time when I started smelling gas when I had the heat on in my Subaru. I was a bit nervous bringing my car to a new mechanic as a woman who doesn’t know anything about cars. I brought it in right before the big snow storm and was greeted and taken care of right away. The estimate was a fair price and much less than I expected. I was given many updates and they even offered to let me take my car so I could have it in the snowstorm. When I came back to get it I was greeted by name by a few of the staff even though I had only been there once. Finding a good, trustworthy mechanic is priceless!

I’ve had three Tire Rack referred installs performed at Dicky Smalls Automotive.
Each of these installs have gone very well.
The shop specializes in repairing high-​end German/​Euro autos.
From observing the shop, this is the place to bring your BMW, Audi, Porsche, M-​B, Volvo, or, Volkswagen. You can take it to the dealer and pay a high price for questionable results, You can probably find someone who can do the work cheaper — but, the buyer need beware. Or, you can bring your ride here for the best value for your money.
The staff, from the owner to the manager/​admin staff to the techs, fully get that excellent customer service pays off in repeat business.
The techs and service writers don’t engage in the upselling that is prevalent at dealerships and some other shops. The techs noted that my wife’s car will need brakes more sooner than later. No dire predictions of doom — just an honest assessment of what needs to happen and when.
The shop’s manager is proactive in seeking feedback on how the business is serving its customers — both positive and negative.
I usually do my own oil changes and brake work on my cars, as I still like twisting wrenches.
Having said that, not having a garage puts a damper on that in February.
Dicky Smalls will be doing the brake work on my wife’s lowly KIA, soon.

Despite the fact that they don’t close until 8, when I called and tried to make an appointment for 5:30−6 to have a tire patched and put back on and they refused to book my service. The guy on the phone said «well it’s late in the day so I don’t want to take new customers». I tried to make an appointment for 2.5 hours before they closed, not 15 minutes and it’s a 5 minute service. I would never take my car here now. Not being flexible or accommodating is a great way to lose business. Avoid this shop and their laziness.
On the flip side– I called a neighboring shop (John hook, who closes at 6) and they said «as long as you are in the store by 6pm, we will take care of you.

I’ve found a repair shop that I can trust. I was referred to Dickey Smalls Automotive by a mutual friend who has been having her car serviced there for several years now. I have a 2011 BMW 550i and my car’s warranty recently ran out. I was beginning to experience a problem again after the dealer assured me 2 yrs ago that it was resolved. I gave Dickey a brief description of the problem and what repairs the dealer had done to my car over the past few years. He gave me a preliminary diagnosis but said he wanted to put my car on the computer to be sure. The computer confirmed his initial diagnosis. Dickey asked me to leave the car with him for a few days because he wanted to give it a thorough check out. The next day, he called me and told me that he had good news and bad news for me. The Bad news was that he noticed some noises which sounded like the timing chain could be going bad, however, the good news was able to he was able to find bulletins within the BMW system regarding my engine and the timing chain was one. Since he maintains a strong relationship with several of the areas BMW Maintenance Departments, he was able to contact BMW of Silver Spring and have them replace the timing chain on my car under warranty (I have just over 60K miles). He Saved me lots of money and but more importantly he prevented catastrophic engine damage if the timing chain would have broken.
His shop and waiting area were very clean and the staff very professional. I was promptly checked in and seen very quickly. I’ve already referred a couple of friends who have BMWs to him. If you are looking for a reputable, competent, locally owned shop to service your BMW and don’t want to pay the dealer’s maintenance cost, but maintain a sense of comfort that your BMW will be fixed properly then take you car to Dickey Smalls Automotive. You will not regret it.

My beetle was hit by someone but my insurance doesn’t cover my car. The estimate from my dealer was too high! But finally my car looks brand new, thanks to Dicky Smalls. The team are professional and trustworthy. Their rates and service are much better than the dealer. Thank you for your good work!

Took my 2007 911 4S to get the rear tires changed and must say they did a excellent job in terms of handling the car and overall mounting while ensuring no tool marks on the expensive wheels on these cars. Im a car guy myself and work on cars and will say this is a quality repair shop that i would have no problems recommending to others. Also very fairly priced for a euro car service shop.

I have to agree with Lizzie O’s posting. «I think I’ve finally found a trustworthy, locally-​owned mechanic.» i brought in my BMW X5 for a brake flush and not only did Dicky have the best price. He was honest and professional. Dicky also identified a problem that my last automotive repair mechanic missed (German Auto Group of Alexandria). In addition, when I got my last oil changed from German Auto Group of Alexandria, they topped off my brake fluid with power steering fluid. How crazy is that?
Overall, great service and honest. I recommend Dickie’s to everyone.

I have been taking my car to Dicky’s Auto for three years and couldn’t be happier. This is a trustworthy full-​service auto service shop. I highly highly recommend them!!! DJ, Laurel MD

I think I’ve finally found a trustworthy, locally-​owned mechanic.
I brought a car in for a pre-​purchase inspection, and received good service, in a reasonable amount of time, at a fair price.
But most importantly, I was shown exactly what might be needed. This creates trust, and I plan to return.

Service better than the dealers! Seriously, don’t waste your time at the dealership or any other auto shop. My sister and I drive BMWs and we only go to Dicky Smalls. They are experienced professionals, honest, confident, and passionate about the work they do. They provide exceptional service, don’t over charge or tack on charges that weren’t mentioned in the beginning, keep customers informed, and stand by their work and products (they offer a one year warranty on parts!). The shop is clean and the customer waiting area is pristine, feel free to get work done if you choose to stay around while they work on your car!
Last week, my car didn’t start and I had no clue as to what it could be since the battery was fine. It was an electrical issue and my car wasn’t communicating with the diagnostic computer but Dicky Smalls found the issue, fixed it, and constantly kept me in the loop. When I picked up my car, everything worked brand new and they even washed my car! Seriously don’t look any further for a mechanic. My family and I plan to use them for life!

I recently came to Dicky Smalls for the first time to get a used car inspection done on a car I was thinking of purchasing.
When I called they said the cost would be $ 80 for the inspection equivalent to an hour of labor. Most used car inspections are around $ 50, but it was a weekend so I was willing to pay the premium. I verified with them and they said it would be at least a 45 minute inspection.
After giving them my keys, the car sat out in the lot for 15 minutes, then spent another 15 minutes inside the shop waiting for someone to come look at it.
After 10 minutes they pulled me back outside, told me I needed new tires, brakes, and a trans flush and essentially sent me on my way. Their inspection was nothing I couldn’t figure out on my own and was essentially a waste of $ 80.
However! Their «inspection» was apparently enough to identify $ 2000 worth of repairs which they promptly sent me a quote for.
For what it’s worth, the employees I spoke with were very nice, they just didn’t do what I asked/​paid for. You pay a premium here but don’t get the service your money deserves. It’s about doing the little things right and this shop certainly did not.
Update: Thanks to a response from this review I’ve changed my rating from 1 star to 3. I am still not thrilled with the service but I appreciate the professional manner with which they handled things after I posted the original review.

I took my car to Dicky about almost two months ago to have my valve cover gasket and spark plugs replaced on my 2007 335i BMW. Not only did they beat the dealers price the service was amazing and my car runs better than ever. I’m picky about taking my car to anyone but I definitely will bring my car back for service here. They saved me a lot of money and the work is pure quality work. Dicky had me walk back in the shop area which was clean and educated me about my car. This is my first BMW that I’ve owned. It was great to be educated about my car so I know what I’m getting into. Thank you Dicky Smalls.

For the most part I always go to the Dicky Smalls for work on my 08, 550i, I should have been posted a review. In any case today was exceptional like all other times. They are good with keeping the customer informed of what’s going with their vehicle, they don’t over charge you for stuff like dealerships do and the techs are knowledgeable and take time when they can to demonstrate how to use certain components of your vehicle (i.e. like how to reset your systems when you’ve received an oil change etc.) I’m a female so I greatly appreciate them informing me of things that I clearly wouldn’t know otherwise and not to mention I don’t feel like they’re trying to get over. The tech today working with me was Ty (hope I spelled it right :)) and he was AWESOME as well was the receptionist! Thanks again for the hard honest work, keep it up, you have a customer for life!

Where do you take your German speaking car with over 357 000. miles? what shop speaks high milleage German? Dicky small s shop is the only shop in the mid-​atlantic area that i trust with my older vehicle. So what that they insist on Genuine manufacturer new parts to do a great job. They are a great team that cleally has a great passion for auto care. The rates are way better than the dealer and i plan to use them for life. They love what they do and it shows from your first visit. Great clean facilty. A TRUE HIDDEN TREASURE.
i am sharing their information with all my German car driving friends
Five stars from me.

I’ve been taking my Volvo and Acura for service and repairs to Dicky for a few years now and they have always provided above and beyond service and advice. 100% trust them!

Made an appointment and brought in my car to install new tires (mounting, balancing, and alignment). The place is a bit hidden as their garage is on the side of the building (seems almost like a loading dock), not at the front of the building facing the street. Just look for a parking lot full of BMWs.
Decent prices compared to the competition in the area, $ 160 for everything (inc tax, equipment, fees, TPMS, etc.) for 50 series tires, which was just $ 3 over what they quoted me. Make sure to bring in your Tire Rack receipt as they honor a cheaper price under Tire Rack’s Price Pledge. Only way I can find a cheaper service rate is to drive north of Baltimore… which may be worth it depending on what/​how much work needs to be done.
Work was done in about 2 hours on a Saturday morning… a bit longer than I expected. The waiting room was clean, new, and has wifi. They were having problems with their alignment equipment and wanted me to come back later. Explained that I lived quite a bit away so they luckily were able to fix it… nice customer service and maybe why it took a bit longer. Car is driving straight and smooth now.

Dicky Smalls Auto is where I will take my BMW for any kind of service from this point forward. I was able to immediately get an appointment to have two rear tires installed on my car. I had locks on my tires and apparently the dealership never put the wheel lock back in my glove box the last time I had my tires replaced. Mr. Smalls and his staff worked majic to get those tires off. I was so pleased and even got educated on some future repairs I may need. To top off everything, I was invited to share lunch with the staff since I would be there for a little longer than anticipated. Couldn’t have asked for better service.
Thanks Dicky Smalls and staff for making what could have been a very stressful day a very pleasureable experience.
Renee M.

Needed to get new tires I bought on Tirerack mounted on aftermarket wheels for my Audi A4. Per a friend’s recommendation, I called Dicky’s. They gave me an appointment that day, and were very friendly. They were honest and the mechanic communicated with me directly about my wheels, which I really appreciated. The prices were very reasonable, and the shop was clean. It’s difficult to find a trustworthy shop these days, especially for foreign cars (especially the ones that can be a little difficult. the beauty of german engineering) — I will definitely be taking my Audi here in future.

Went to Dicky Smalls to have the tires I bought on Tire Rack installed. They were very friendly and scheduled my appointment on the day and time I requested. They also identified a problem with the tie rods on my car and gave me a helpful recommendation. Very happy and would recommend them to all.

I was in need of new tires and was referred to Dicky Smalls Auto through tire rack. Conveniently enough the shop was right around the corner from my work, but that didn’t matter because the young lady in the office drove me to work so I wouldn’t have to wait! I left my lunch in the car and had to go back around noon and the young lady offered me another ride back to work even though it was obviously my mistake! Impressed, I have a Toyota Camry and the manager informed me that although they specialize in German Cars any import is welcome, definitely coming back here with my current ride when service is needed and when I work my way up to Land Rover one day!
Oh, and the tires were installed correctly at a good price, two thumbs up