Summit Auto Service

After using a competitor for the past three years and spending at least a few thousand dollars with them, I was introduced to Summit. I will be staying. My wife had an issue with her Subaru that the place down the street from them said was probably bad spark plugs. Nether-​the-​less it crippled her car and it was not safe to drive around the Metro ATL counties for her therapy travel work. Of course on top of that, no work – no pay. A very busy Summit told us if we could get it in to them they may be able to look at it later in the afternoon or the next day this being a Monday morning at 8:30 am. The star specialist down the street told us at first maybe the next day but when called back to confirm they said not til the next week. We went with Summit; I just happened to be in ATL from Mississippi for the weekend from my job. Summit not only took us in but called to say they had it repaired and ready by 4:00 pm that same afternoon. The problem was the bad wires. They also checked out the flashing engine light. They put on high quality wires with new plugs and did not over charge us. The price was fair and a lot cheaper then we had had before at the other place comparatively. Also a headlamp bulb we had purchased for installation later was changed out for free. Another note – they have a big sign in the office posting their hourly labor rate. That makes a huge difference; that is good business. A Big Thank You to Miss Jane the service liaison for her dedicated assistance. All we asked for was for them to let us get it in and we would wait our turn. They were extremely busy and they went far and beyond the call. We now have a new mechanic shop. First time customer off the street and given this type of service? That makes a huge difference on customer loyalty.

Uncle T is the man. It is the first time I come to this place, and they did a great job with my 2014 Infiniti QX70. The paint was perfect, no difference with the original one. I can’t tell the car once bumped into anything from just looking. The work finished in 4 days, and the price is also very reasonable.

I have been in Georgia for 6 months and have had to repair my car twice. I was very fortunate to have found this location. The people working here have a genuine interest in helping you. There prices beat the competitors while and have a great turn around time. Marc has been a fantastic individual to bring my business to. Any additional repairs while being in GA will be done here,

I’ve been to summit a couple times before. Call to make appointment as they can be busy and if you walk in hoping for an open availability, then you’ll be disappointed. They can get pretty BUSY.
I bring both my cars her and have always been priced reasonably. If there is something that needs changing that was discovered, they will call you and all of you want it fixed. Plus they will ask keys tell you how much each item will cost if you need to know before making a decision.
Good honest people here

The first time I took my car to Summit (based on the recommendation of a co-​worker), all went well. The second time, the lady who works in the office wasn’t there and Marc was the one I dealt with. Perhaps he was having a bad day (I try to think the best of people and the first time he was friendly), but he was rude and condescending to me. My car had been making an odd noise when stuck in traffic but not when I had it at the shop so I recorded it on my phone a few days before going back to Summit. I asked Marc if he would listen to it and he laughed at me and said no. I understand it may not have helped with a diagnosis but he could have humored me and spared 5 seconds of his time or could have had someone else listen if he didn’t want to. I wasn’t asking for much (it wasn’t even busy) but got treated like a nuisance even though I was paying to get my car checked. Would not recommend seeking service here unless you can deal with someone else.

Saab owners-​take your vehicle here. Don’t get ripped off by other Saab mechanics in the area (*cough* «S&J»).
Summit Auto has been a great find. They do a very good job and their pricing will likely beat any competition. Marc and Jane, who run the shop, are extremely nice.

I am a ten year customer of Summit, and have never had an issue until this month (read my review from three years ago).
After leaving my Subaru for a 30K scheduled service, they called and informed me the bill would be $ 575. No extra work, just the service. Since I had just walked home 3 miles (didn’t want to walk back!), I said OK.
I was a little stunned at the price. I checked with two Subaru dealers: $ 399 at both. Checked another highly rated shop within blocks of Summit: $ 350.
I have always said about Summit: «I would trust them with my house keys». Apparently the same cannot be said about my wallet.
I was going to ask Marc what the deal was when I paid, but there was another customer present… so I said nothing. He knocked $ 100 off the bill (final bill: $ 471.11) when I paid… but something still stinks in Decatur.
Edit: one request: The next time you guys decide to burn a customer (by jacking your normal price by $ 200), please inform them of the inflated bill… before they go to the sometimes considerable hassle of getting their car to you. This is assuming your intent is just to have the customer take their business elsewhere. If your intent is to have them take their business elsewhere AND to rip them off on their last visit, forget the above. You are doing everything perfectly.

Another great experience with Summit! They didn’t sell me more than what I needed and their prices are fair.

I’ve lived all over the country and dealt with just about every type of mechanic. I’ve had my car in to Summit twice for major repairs, and I’ve been extremely pleased both times. They shoot straight and charge honest prices. I’m glad I’ve found them, and I’ll be back.

I’ve gone to Summit for over 10 years for Toyoda and Honda service. They are very trustworthy and will explain exactly what work needs to be done and what work can wait. Summit does not try to upsell you on repairs that are unnecessary like many car repair shops do. I would not take my cars anywhere else.

My wife and I have been taking our cars here for years. We are on our fourth import that gets serviced by Summit, and I can’t imagine a nicer, more honest shop. Marc is always friendly and has actually turned down business when I suggested maintenance that turned out not to be needed on our vehicles – hard to get more honest than that! Jane was also very helpful and saved us a significant amount of money by hunting down a reconditioned engine when my Mazda Miata needed a new one a few years back. The mechanics are great and the customer service is top notch. If you are looking for a garage in Decatur that works on imports, this is the place!

Specifically — Don’t take your Volkswagen here!
I was recommended to Summit by a friend that owns a Honda a couple of years ago. I called ahead to make sure they work on Volkswagens and make sure they knew what kind of oil to use among other things. I’m well aware that VW’s are an epic pain to work on, and so I called ahead. I wish they had just told me they prefer not to work on VW’s.
I recently had to reevaluate whether to keep or replace my Jetta, and in reviewing my maintenance receipts from Summit: 1) I never paid for just the oil change I took it in for there was always something else wrong. 2) Their oil changes weren’t saving me any money by not taking it to the dealer.
I could beat the dead horse with the two biggest screw ups this shop made with my car, but all it really comes down to is they are not set up or knowledgeable about proper maintenance and repairs for VW’s.

I have had several different jobs done on my Honda Civic at Progressive. While I have been satisfied, recently I was very impressed. I had an emergency when my bumper was falling off of my car. While they were very busy, the mehcanic Ty took time to do a very nice repair on the bumper free of charge. He put the car on the lift to fix the bottom and then smiled at me and told me to have a good day. He was very pleasant and professional. I highly recommend his work having watched him work on the bumper in the parking lot. He knew exactly what he was doing, was very efficient and had an eye for quality.

I LOVE this place. It is so hard to find honest mechanics who won’t charge you an arm and a leg. This place is awesome!
I called Mark and got a quote for having the timing belt replaced in my 05 sonata. He quoted me the lowest price after I’d called around to a bunch of different places.
I brought the car in, they had it done in one day, and even offered to stay late so I could pick it up.
When I did pick it up, they charged me LESS than what they had quoted me!
They said when they change the timing belt, they change some other things but those were in good condition so they replaced a cracked gasket or two and charged me less than the quote!
When I was quoted $ 600 to replace a bad alternator, battery and tons of other things from «#1 Decatur Pro Auto», I called Mark and described the problem I was having. He said your alternator is absolutely not bad, I can tell you without even looking at it. All you need is a new battery. What a guy.
I went to Autozone and everything is working no problem.

I’ve been going here 3 years. When I find a service center that works for me, I keep them. I’ve always felt well-​informed about what they find inside the car and feel like they lay out plenty of options for me going forward. I will keep these guys as long as I’m driving an import. (They don’t work on domestics!)

I’ve been here a few times and have received decent car service, but I have had to return the car once to re-​do something (admittedly their fault, but they acted like they were doing me a favor not charging me double labor, no discount for multiple days without a car), so they’re certainly not detail oriented.
Here’s why I’m not going back, all customer-​service oriented during my last two times there:
1) The woman I spoke with when calling tried to diagnose my car. I wanted some work done and my check engine light solved and she told me to just ignore my check engine light because «it could be a number of things and isn’t serious.» When I insisted, she spoke to me like I was an idiot for wanting it fixed and truly tried to argue her point.
2) They left my window open when it was raining once my car was ready for pickup.
3) When I asked them to check my brakes I wanted to know how much was left — mind you I specified that I didn’t need to know miles or days or any other impossible request, I simply asked if they were more than half way, or if they could give me a percentage. Receptionist’s reply: «The guys here don’t speak English so I don’t think I can get you that information.» And then I was charged $ 39 for the brake check.
4) They were too busy for an appointment until I was out of town and I offered to drop the car off the day before I left, leaving it with them for 3 days so they could do the work at their convenience — no rush. They refused and said if I couldn’t pick it up same day, I couldn’t leave it. When I got back and left it with them, they kept it for two days.
5) The woman who answers the phone really needs to brush up on come customer service. «Hi I have a car being worked on and I’m checking to see if it’s ready. They’re working on – ««I don’t know you, so start with your name.»
I trust and like Marc, hence the extra star, but he needs to work on front and back end of the business before I would go back.
***100^th Unilocal Post***
UPDATE: Marc actually wrote me a letter based on my review, apologizing for a couple items and pointing out that I was incorrect in stating that I was charged $ 78 for my brake check — it was $ 78 and hour, $ 39 total. I did not intentionally misstate this and appreciate the feedback and handwritten letter. I added one star for this.

I love Summit. I’ve been taking my Honda Civic to them for 11 years with zero complaints. I looked around for a mechanic back in the day and once I found Summit, I stopped looking.
I trust Marc 100%. He’ll tell you what you absolutely need to do and the things that are recommended, but not essential. I a rubber/​plastic burning smell a couple years ago and took it in. Turns out I had driven over some plastic sheeting and it melted to the underside of the car. They scraped the plastic off and didn’t charge me a thing.

Free oil and filter change for new customers! (Through the end of the month) No questions asked. They get it done and get you out.
However, I brought my own oil and filter since they don’t carry synthetic, so they threw in the labor and a tire rotation for free instead.
Really nice people and convenient location if you’re near Decatur.

Awesome experience! I needed an oil change and they had a special. «free oil and filter change.» of course I thought I would have to pay for something. That wasn’t the case though, she thanked me for coming in and gave me my key. Nobody told me my car was about to explode or that I needed this part for $$$$. They are a very honest group. I highly recommend you stop by! Now I finally have a place to take my car. I will definitely be going back.

I took my car here for several years and really liked these guys. Marc is a really nice guy, and they’re very honest and have great prices on repairs. They’re good with Volvos, but they don’t specialize in them, so they don’t have the equipment to do everything on them, but they’re fine for normal maintenance.
They’re very up-​front about what absolutely needs to be repaired and what can wait, and they also are really honest about using OEM parts vs. used or after-​market parts. (They defer to the cheaper parts, but won’t use them if they’ve had bad experiences with them before.)
A HUGE plus is that they’re about a quarter mile from the Avondale MARTA station, so you don’t need to hunt a friend down to give you a ride.