AB Marathon

I’ve had to come here twice now. Most places try to up sell you if you’re a girl or treat you like you’re an idiot with out knowing that your dad is a mechanic. This shop has been accommodating, genuine, friendly, helpful, etc. I could really go on and on. As a retail manager you just can’t put a price on customer service! This is by for some of the best customer service I’ve ever received. They are also extremely fair priced. I would recommend them to EVERYONE! Thank you AB Marathon!

Paul & company at AB Marathon have exceeded every expectation I’ve had for getting a car tuned up. They’ve been reliable, honest, and willing to work with my budget and needs for what needs taken care of, without any gruffness or salesman-​y BS. They have gone above and beyond service-​wise — when I got my car looked at for emissions testing, they even took it to the testing facility while I was at work for me! This is the only place I’ll take my care to in Chicago now, and I make sure to tell everyone else I know who is looking for a mechanic.

My car had a lot of issues this year and I have been in and out of AB Marathon couple of times. Adam even said he doesn’t want to see me anymore lol. but hell yea, Paul, Aladin, Steve, Carlos et al are awesome. Trustworthy, dependable, expert. What more can i say? Thanks guys!

AB Marathon is the best auto repair shop in the North Side. The $ 29 oil change special is amazing – it comes with a tire rotation. Service and knowledge is unbeatable, and I take my Honda Fit and Volvo 850 Turbo here for preventative maintenance. What also is nice is that you can drop off the car and pickup the car even after the shop closes with the gas station attendant!

Never thought i would find a mechanic that would feel like a friend. The service here is great and they treat you like family. They are great at what they do and wont charge you an arm and a leg to get it done. Not being an experienced car person I appreciate the way they take the time to explain everything.

As cliché as it sounds, it truly has been difficult to find a mechanic who won’t take advantage of me, especially as a woman. Paul is the only one I trust with my car. Even after I moved away, I still drive half an hour just to get my oil changed.
One time my car overheated and I couldn’t make it to AB Marathon. Paul talked me through all the decisions and made sure I was getting a fair price, even though I was at another mechanic! His level of customer service is unparalleled. I cannot recommend him enough.

This company is honest, fast, and was amazing. Paul answered all of my questions right away about my 2003 Honda Element and explained everything in easy to understand metaphors for the lay person (me). They inspected my car and due to some unfortunate reasons behind the inspection he even comped me on it. They let my car stay overnight and were so easygoing about everything.
I plan to come back here and will definitely use them for future repairs.

This place is excellent. Paul made us feel like five star clients taking his time to initially welcome us, gave attention to our car almost immediately, gave us an honest assessment and estimate of what was going on with our car and what needed to be fixed. We will definitely be back!

Paul and his team are extremely helpful! They are friendly, professional and work super fast! Highly recommended! Good job keep it up guys!

I had the unfortunate luck of running over a large screw while driving on the Northside. Took my car to AB Marathon early the next morning and was greeted by one of the very friendly men that works there. They took my car in immediately and made quick work of plugging the tire. The mechanic, who was also extremely friendly and polite, not only repaired the flat tire, but also make sure to check the air pressure in the other three before turning the car back over to me. They also offered me coffee while I was waiting Fifteen minutes and $ 21 later I was on my way. Quick, efficient and friendly service. Who could ask for anything more?

Top notch for both service and professionalism. Paul and his team are some of the most transparent people you could meet in Chicago.
Had work done and the service engine light came on weeks later. Took my car in the shop (everything they do here is under warranty, another huge selling point), drove me to the redline and followed up with a call on how they are fixing the problem.
Seriously, feels like I can say «know a guy» and will recommend any future car troubles anyone has to these experts!

I am not sure what I could possibly say here that hasn’t already been said. So, bear with me and I’m pretty okay with repeating all the rave reviews.
The team at AB Marathon is top notch. Not only do they treat you with the utmost respect, but they are a mechanic that knows their stuff, doesn’t rip you off, and tells you like it is. As a woman, all these points are valid concerns. I want to depend on my car, and to do that, I need to be able to depend on my mechanic. And I can with Paul and his team.
I have learned many valuable lessons at this shop. Most importantly: the true value of customer service and what it means to be able to afford vehicle maintenance. I will absolutely never go to another mechanic while owning a car in Chicago, no matter where I live.

Can’t ask for a better all around mechanic. I bring my BMW here for anything that I need. They do great work, they’re time conscious and the customer service is top notch. A perfect example of the way a family business should be.

On one hand, the «service» aspect of this «service station» was really helpful when I needed a quick emergency repair, but on the other at least 2 of the maybe 6 pumps are so slow they will drive you mad. They seem to be set on slow drip. A person could die of boredom waiting, and they rarely print out receipts as well.
Also, and this is purely anecdotal and doesn’t affect my rating but a few years back I saw them using a small barbecue in the parking lot not 20′ from the gas pumps. I haven’t seen it happen since but it’s worth keeping an eye out for. No one wants to get blown up on their way to work.

Anyone who has ever been to a doctor can attest to why we are comfortable with one practitioner, and not the other, right? Finding a place to service your car is not unlike preferring one doctor to another. Bottom line, it’s all about how you are treated, your trust in the individual, and your satisfaction. AB Marathon and their team of mechanics are all about these attributes.
WhenI first moved into the neighborhood, I was stopped by the Chicago Police for a burned out tail light in my 2012 Ford Fusion (I read in news the next day that there was a robbery at around the same time ½ block away from where I was pulled over, but my tail light was a more pressing concern for that officer). In any event, I tried to change the bulb myself, and to my chagrin, it proved to be a job requiring tools and skills I didn’t have. I took the car over to AB and Steve was able to fix it for me (not without a few issues, I might add). He explained what he was doing, and why it might not have been not an easy task for me. Minor issue, but I had great service,
Most recently, I was having electrical problems. Paul took a look under the hood, tested the battery, and didn’t want to make a diagnosis immediately. He advised that I drive it for a few days to see if the battery was discharging, or perhaps any other problems arose. The battery discharged the next day, so I had it jumped, and drove it over to AB Marathon. Before putting in a new battery, they ran extensive tests, and monitored the car for a full day.
The staff and service at AB Marathon are trustworthy, service oriented, and a pleasure to do business with. I would trust them with my car the same way I would trust a surgeon about to perform a procedure to improve my health. While we aren’t talking about «bedside manner» here, you all know how much better you feel when you «trust» someone!

Paul, Steve and Carlos (Aladdin also, even though it seems that he is taking a step back from the shop) have always been so great to my family and our 4 cars. I trust them and they haven’t taken advantage of it. I have been frequenting (unfortunately frequently) the shop for 7 years and I have had probably everything imaginable serviced, repaired and replaced here. They have dealt with me and all my attitude which they know I don’t mean and I’m even Unilocaling an apology :)
They are a popular spot, as evidenced by their 5 star reviews, but take the time to explain everything in detail, Paul will even draw pictures lol and you are not pressured to do anything, no up selling here.
Also, Paul is my birthday twin — Pisces are cool peeps!

I have nothing but great things to say about Paul and the AB Marathon team! They are always really accommodating and even during the busy periods when I stop by for an oil change for my car they fit me in.
During the ‘polar vortex’ my car battery died and Paul personally drove out to my house to charge the battery! Also when they were fixing my brakes, I needed a car to pick my son up from school and one of the guys loaned me his car to make the school run so that I wouldn’t be late!
Their quality of work is outstanding, customer service is brilliant and their prices are very reasonable. I had only ever trusted my dealership in the past, however it’s all the way out in Niles. I’ve been going to AB Marathon for the last couple of years and think that they are very trustworthy and straight up guys! An easy 5 stars!

When one has problems with their vehicle, they probably enter the situation with gritted teeth. Unexpected and timely costs on our cars are the last thing one wants to hear in the subzero temperatures. However, if you have to hear horrible news, I would prefer to hear it from Paul and the gang at AB Marathon.
I have taken my car in twice to AB, and both times have been pretty great experiences. This last visit I ended up shelling out just under $ 2,000. Ooof. That was a punch to the gut (and wallet), but the crew had me in and out in such a short period of time, with customer service that any business could learn from.
I will continue to take my car to AB for anything and everything. They are purely great people with superior skill and tact. Let’s just hope I don’t have to visit too soon :)

Once, I called in advance to see if I needed an appt for an oil change, and they told me it wasn’t necessary since they accept walk-​ins. About a week later, I came in, but there were already a lot cars ahead of me so it was going to be ready late in the day.
I thought my choices were to either A) come back another day and miss a chunk of another work day, B) wait all day in the waiting room, or C) walk home in the bitter cold. Instead, they felt bad that I had called ahead and run into an unusually busy day, so they presented me with option D) giving me a ride home. He even offered to swing by somewhere so I could get breakfast. Talk about customer service!
I’m not saying they offer rides to everyone so don’t expect one. In fact, he told me that’s not the usual practice. Still, it shows that they are willing to go above and beyond to keep their customer happy.

Looking for a mechanic to call «your mechanic» should be a priority to every car owner. I was beginning to doubt that Chicago had a trustworthy mechanic, and then I found this AB Marathon with Paul and his team of beyond friendly employees. I have a vintage car that can be daunting for some shops since the parts aren’t always readily available at a local auto parts store. Paul didn’t even question me when I told him what kind of car I had over the phone. Yes– other shops did or sounded hesitant when I spoke to them over the phone.
I ended up needing a proportioning valve replaced and a new master cylinder installed. The hard part was locating and getting the correct proportioning valve for the car. Other than that– Paul kept me up to date all along the way and the total price was very fair. I’m also one of those people who feels the need to call and check in more than I should, and never once did Paul get annoyed or tell me to stop calling.
Don’t waste your time looking elsewhere. Go here.