Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop

Great service. We are in the middle of driving across the country and came in for an oil change. They were quick and efficient. They filled our tires with air and filled our window cleaner which really helped with our drive. Thanks Merlin! :)

Today I showed up at 4pm (Friday) desperate to get some help with the crazy noises my little honda was making. They not only diagnosed the problem for free, the quoted me a worst case scenario. Started the work immediately and had the whole issue fixed in less than 2 hours. The issue was an easy fix, and although my quote was reasonable I actually only paid half of what my quote was. They could have easily completed some unneeded work and charged the quote. They were fair, professional and most importantly they listened! Awesome experience and I will be telling everyone I know.

I couldn’t be happier with the experience I had today at Merlin. My car was shaking a lot after I hit about 45 mph. It turns out it was just snow packed into the wheel well. I am so impressed with the honesty and professionalism of Merlin’s staff. I really wouldn’t have known any different if they had told me I needed new tires, brakes, alignment, balancing etc. Thank you Merlin… you have a new loyal customer! I will be telling everyone I know!

I’ve been going to this Merlin’s for some time now, wanting to find a consistent place to bring my car to get repaired without worrying about paying for service I don’t need.
I’ve found while they suggest things during an oil change, they don’t pressure me into anything or make me feel like an idiot for not doing whatever it is at that time. They seem to have a clear understanding of my budget and respect my decisions.
Unfortunately (for me), I’ve had several unanticipated repairs for both my cars this summer; but it wasn’t until this last one where the Cary Merlin’s proved their worth.
I’ll spare you all the details and make a long story short. My rebuilt transmission gave out just a few months outside the warrantee and at the owner’s expense he made things right. There were extenuating circumstances from the original repair, so I’m not saying they will do this as a matter of practice, but the bottom line is Jeff worked with me because he wanted my business.
I have found customer service is a lost art these days and pride in one’s work is just as nonexistent. It may have taken more tries than I would have liked, but this shop did the right thing by me and they will get my return business every time. There surely are cheaper places out there, but in the end you always get what you pay for … For me, the peace of mind that I have an owner willing to stand by his work is worth way more than the few bucks I could possibly save elsewhere.

Went to go get an oil change for my new car. Dealership and other places quoted me crazy pricing for synthetic oil changes! I talked to the manager «Joe» and he gave me a quote that was easy on the pocketbook! Very friendly and the wait wasn’t long with 2 kids in tow! :) For sure will be bringing my other cars in for maintenance! Great Customer Service!

I agree with the other review. This place is a complete rip off! Go elsewhere. I had brakes installed. They failed within one year. When I brought it in the «Lifetime Warranty» repair estimate was over $ 300.00. I went to another shop and had the repairs done for $ 150.00 and years later all works fine.

Responding to a $ 29.95 Oil Change/​Safety Inspection coupon we took our SUV into the Cary, IL Merlin shop. Low and behold when they called us later they informed us we needed a total of $ 818 in repairs. Specifically these repairs were new rear brakes, new rear shocks and a new serpentine belt (aka fan belt). This didn’t sound right to me (I was once a mechanic) so I said we would be by shortly to pick the car up. The manager was surprised and asked if I was sure. When I said yes the manager said «OK, I guess we’ll put the tires back on.» Obviously they were prepared to do all the work. I took the vehicle home and closely inspected it. Result? No surprise. The serpentine belt was basically new (not cracked and fraying as described) and the rear shocks weren’t leaking (as described). Plus the shocks rebounded perfectly. I called the manager and challenged his proposed repairs. He immediately acknowledged that the mechanic might have overstated the serpentine belt needing repair but he went on to insist he felt fluid leaking from the shocks. This isn’t true since the shocks were bone dry (in fact dusty) with no fingerprints on them when I inspected them (even using a mirror to see the backsides). As far as the report about the brakes being «exceedingly dangerous with only 1% of braking left» well, they may in fact need replacing but they are not making any noise and operate fine.
Anyhow, normally I would just let something like this go and simply not return but in this economy I feel bad for victims of this shop. It’s inexcusable to try and rip people off anytime but even more so now when so many people in our fine town are struggling.
TSN
Cary, IL