Pep Boys

I can’t speak for the service department here but I did buy some Rain X wipers here a few months ago. They were terrible. I took them back two weeks later and they exchanged a new pair of the same ones for nothing. Maybe I didn’t use them much or whatever the case may be but I needed them this week and the window was nothing but streaks. I stopped back in and not only did they help me find a new pair to fit my vehicle the guy came out and put them on the car and made sure they worked good. Then said I was all set. Didn’t charge me for the wipers or anything. I think they guys name was TJ maybe? Great customer service there.

I’ve had EXCELLENT experiences with Pep Boys in Houston, Texas. However, this location in Buffalo, NY is a law suit waiting to happen. My AC Compressor seized which caused my serpentine belt to break and therefore a chain reaction to the car over heating and eventually there was anti-​freeze on the engine bay. I wound up stranded on the highway in Buffalo. New York so I had high hopes that these guys would take care of it so the car was towed there. I explained to the guy, put a shorter serpentine belt on it, I even gave him the damn part number to get and directed him to an educational video online of «how to» do it since he claimed it couldn’t be done. Told me they can only replace the compressor — followed by telling me that the new belt would require an extra pulley. The shorter serpentine belt is meant to bypass the compressor pulley, not add another one. Regardless, so they disagreed with me wanted to charge me $ 1500 for a new compressor. Really ?! That’s a $ 300 part brand new, even with flushing the system what’re we talking, $ 500, $ 700 dollars after labor? Where’s the $ 1500 coming from. Then they tell me I need a new radiator, my radiator is cracked. Did you do a pressure test? «Uh… Well… Uh…» Needless to say I had another garage in the area go pick my car up from pep boys, he installed the new (shorter) serpentine belt in less than an hour. $ 100 bucks later I can go get my car, take it home and install the compressor myself. Also — the new garage checked the radiator for me. No chance of a crack, it was the overflow anti-​freeze that was covering the engine bay at the time of the incident… Not the actual tank of the radiator. Sorry pep boys, but when a woman knows more about how to fix her vehicle than you do, you might want to hire some new people. If you have nothing better to do with 2 grand and you’re satisfied with a mechanic whose lacking fundamental principles, then this is your spot. Otherwise I advise you steer clear.

Great Guys ! I had some tires and wheels shipped here for pickup, they could have ask me to pay a service charge for pick up but was told NO CHARGE… wow someone who doesn’t nickel and dime you… well done, thanks guys !

Horrible, just horrible. I got a flat tire and took it to Pep Boys to get it patched up. They told me there was a nail in it and that they patched it up. A few days later my tire went flat again all the way down to the rim. I took it to a different shop, and they said there was a nail in the tire! So basically Pep boys left the nail in my tire and told me it was fixed. It’s not the first time it happened either where they said they fixed something, only to find out the problem wasn’t fixed. I also took it in to have my blinker fixed and it wasn’t. Don’t go here! They are overpriced, take a long time, and don’t fix what they are supposed to fix!

I went as a walk-​in on one of the coldest days of the year. My battery had died. They took care of me immediately and I was out in 15 minutes! Also very nice guys.

After paying Pep Boys $ 54 to determine where an oil leak was coming from and $ 850 later, the car still leaked. We called and made an appointment to repair the repair. We had a 5: PM appointment but they didn’t pull the car in until 6: PM. Said they fixed it. Still leaking. Brought it in again, and now they said it was a new leak and would cost an additional $ 280 to repaired. The only item they were willing to refund was the $ 54 paid to diagnose the problem. We will never go to Pep Boys again.

After AAA came to the rescue, Pep Boys helped my mom and I get back on the road. We were planning to spend the morning at Five Points Bakery until I accidentally slashed my mother’s rear passenger tire while trying to park. Who knew that the construction fence I was attempting to park next to was sticking out past the curb and had a sharp metal piece on it!
All we heard was a blast of air spewing out of the tire. My mom got out and realized we weren’t going anywhere… Flat tire was an understatement! Either way, fortunately we both have AAA and they came quickly to assess our situation. Flat bed and all we were off to find a new tire!
The convenience and extended hours brought us to Pep Boys — pretty much our only option for getting a new tire at 2pm on a Sunday. The gentlemen behind the counter were enjoying themselves with a pizza party watching the Bills try to win when we arrived but were quick to help us with what we needed. The waiting area was accommodating and I couldn’t have asked for anything more really.
In and out in approximately an hour, I was pleased with the service and convenience. Unfortunately, the price tag of $ 120 for ONE tire erred beyond the side of ridiculousness. Although I wish we could have supported a local business, I’m happy the problem was solved in a matter of two or three hours.

DAMN THE AWFUL CONDITIONS OF ROADS IN THE CITY OF BUFFALO!
after just replacing two front tires on my beloved Mini back in april, i find a bubble in the sidewall of one of said tires. of course its not under warranty, despite driving on it for only a month and a half, but Josh at this location (where i purchased back in april) heard my frustration, and he tried to ease my pain as much as possible.
in less than thirty minutes and for less than half of a brand new tire (which he rightfully could have charged me for), Josh set me up with a new tire, and without a moment to lose, cuz this chica is on her way to Wanderlust Vermont in just two days.
thanks for going the extra mile, Pep Boys, really… Namaste to y’all.

Visited Pep Boys for an oil change. No complaints about service or price. They were quick, professional, and friendly. Kyle, the guy that runs the desk in the evenings for the Automotive Repairs side of the shop is great. He’s always super nice and tells it to you straight. Also stopped to have my alignment checked after a run-​in with a curb one particularly slippery morning. Dealt with Kyle again and this guy’s 2 for 2. Super friendly, up front about the cost and helped me get the best deal by using the coupons from the website. They have coupons all the time… for oil change, brake checks, alignments… everything. Only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because of the rarity that you can be served immediately. It’s best to make an appointment and it’ll usually be the next day unless you call first thing in the morning.

After using very poor judgment and taking my car to Pep Boys on Elmwood for several years I was becoming sadly accustomed to poor, over-​priced service from young, inexperienced, rude mechanics and indifferent staff (with limited exceptions). They have one REALLY nice desk guy who’s name escapes me (tall guy with glasses and light brownish hair) but the rest range between meh and suck-​fest. At one point I was met by an ex-​student from one of the schools I used to sub at — I recognized the kid immediately because he was cocky, lazy, and corner-​cutting as a student. This did NOT instill confidence. The longer I went here, the more I noticed the service decline, the wait times get longer and longer (even for basic, pre-​scheduled things like oil changes) and the bills get higher.
Their billing system is particularly annoying — they have a magic book they pull out that tells them exactly how long a job should take and what they should charge for it, allowing no wiggle room for cost. Just as an example (not literal pricing) let’s say the book says it should take 3 hours to change thing x and they charge $ 70 an hour in labor and $ 100 in parts. Thing x now costs $ 310 to change, no matter what — the mechanic will rush through it in an hour but you still pay $ 210 in labor. This does not encourage quality service and leaves zero room for bartering if the shop wants to let you bring in your own parts, figure out an alternate solution, etc which most mom and pop shops will do.
I was already seriously considering starting to shop around, and after my tire went randomly flat whilst driving to work I had AAA tow it to Midas on a friend’s suggestion. As soon as they had the car up on the lift Midas quickly identified the problem and brought me right into the garage to show me — my aluminum rim had small cracks in about 30 places on the inside (the car was in my line of sight the whole time, so clearly Midas didn’t do it)!!! I had just had my back brakes replaced not long before at PBs — it stood to reason one of their mechanics had beat my rim, probably slightly rusty and hard to get off on an older car with very big tires, with a non-​padded metal hammer, causing hairline fractures that eventually split over time from the weight of the car, letting the tire deflate (a common amateur move). Never again, folks, never again.

Superbowl Sunday dawned bright and sunny this year, but soon revealed a big bummer: my tire had gone completely, mysteriously flat. And finding a few good folks who were willing to fix my problems instead of chowing down on chicken wings was no easy task. Most mom-​and-​pops are closed on Sundays, and especially in Buffalo, where football is religion.
Thus, I found myself towing my car to this Pep Boys chain location, which is open every Sunday, even this most auspicious of Sundays. And boy, am I glad I did! The guys here got my car right in, hoisted her up, and found that the tire just needed to be re-​sealed and filled. Though they spent about a half hour of their time and put the store’s own materials into the repair, when they came out to hand me my keys, they told me there’d be no charge.
NO CHARGE. As in, zero dollars.
This, to me, was about as exciting as seeing my team win the Superbowl. Moreso, in fact, because (and sports fans, don’t pelt me with pizza here), unlike the big game, tires really do matter. When one goes flat, you realize these big rubber things are the foundation on which your whole life rests, and they’re accordingly expensive. Trundling off in my old Corolla with four newly-​filled tires and a bill for $ 0.00, I felt like Eli Manning taking home his new Corvette.
Pep Boys, I gotta hand it to you. This awesomely generous customer service policy is a genius play, and I wish more people knew about it. Instead of using a car-​related mishap as an opportunity to sell expensive equipment to a vulnerable customer, like other mechanics might, you use it as a chance to build goodwill and loyalty. I won’t be hanging out in your metal-​and-​chrome testosterone temple in my free time or anything; as friendly as your policy is, only Tim the Tool Man Taylor could really feel comfortable inside a Pep Boys store. (Hence, no fifth star.) But if something else goes wrong, I’ll surely be back for help, and in the meantime, I’ll be replaying this awesome scenario for friends all over town.