Wasp Automotive

I got an oil change elsewhere and they told me I had a fluid leak and needed it repaired fairly urgently which would cost $ 900. I definitely wanted to get a second opinion (and more reasonable price) before dishing out that kind of money on my 13-​year old car. I made an appointment at Wasp. Everyone there is so friendly and knowledgeable. Even when I spoke to them on the phone twice they assured me that this problem was very unlikely in my car model. I was at the shop for 45 minutes as they quoted me and waiting comfortably in the waiting area. After inspecting the problem, the technician said that the fluid leak was very slow and didn’t need to be repaired right away. He refilled the fluid that was there for me and instructed me to have it checked every time I get an oil change. I was only charged $ 35! Thanks, Wasp, for giving me an honest diagnosis and saving me a lot of money!

I don’t usually write reviews for car mechanics but this place is great. For some one without much car knowledge I feel like this is as best and honest service as you can get.
I had a state inspection done at precision tune just a couple of weeks before my registration expired and they failed my car which is a 10 year old Toyota car in great shape. They quoted for an entire rack and pinion replacement and exhaust flex pipe replacement for about $ 2000 and confirmed to pass the test only after I replaced all those. I also had the mechanic walk me through the problems and actually show me. They pointed out what appeared to be an oil leak and called it a «very leaky rack and pinion boot». I asked him to confirm if what I saw was really PSF or just oil and his statement was «I can’t tell but I would think its PSF so replace the entire rack and pinion». Yeah! He felt so and hence he needed me to spend 2 grand on my car!!!
I was referred to Wasp auto and it took only 1 hour for Pete (I think he is the owner) to look at things and confirm that it was an oil leak and all I needed was a new gasket. He also poked holes into the PSF rack boot and it looked good. And guess what. He didn’t charge me a penny. These guys are very reliable and not expensive.
I turned in my car today for them to fix it and get it inspected. Best part is they don’t treat you like you are ignorant. They make sure you understand and know your car when you walk out of that place. I can go beyond 5 starts but unfortunately that is all I am allowed here.
This is my go to place for all my future car maintenance and repairs.

So, you didn’t actually touch my car. But one of your techs (Gaylin I believe) actually took the time to help me a) figure out if my amateur diagnosis was correct and b) find a place that could help.
Much more than I expect from someone who won’t be making a dime off of me.
So far I’m pretty happy with the service where he referred me (Lonnie’s, who will be getting a review after repair is done).
Big thanks!

We have had two recent wonderful experiences at Wasp. Last weekend, we were test driving a 2002 Prius. We tried to take it to the dealer to have them look it over, but they were all booked up, so we drove it over to Wasp, and although they were busy, Pete gave us a minute of his time, hooked the car up to the computer, and we found out that it required a catalytic converter– very useful information– for free!
Today, when I went to start our current car– a 2006 Toyota Matrix, there was a very loud, strange rattling noise. We called our normal mechanic closer to home but they were all booked, so we brought it over to Wasp. They were able to fit us in on the spot, had the necessary part in stock (a gas tank strap), and we were back on the road in a few hours. The service is amazing! The waiting area is very nice, super comfy couches, some kids toys/​play areas; and as an ex– coffee shop manager, I was very impressed that they had Counter Culture coffee with individual pour over cups! We are in the market for a second car and we will definitely be taking it to Wasp to get their opinion, and then taking both our cars to this wonderful shop!
As an extra bonus, we walked down to Vit Goal Tofu for some yummy Korean lunch while we waited.
I highly recommend!

The team at WASP is honest and dedicated. They are a pleasure to do business with. They have helped take care good of my Hondas.

Hardworking, honest people. Truly a great garage. Taken my Subaru here many times, as they have a Subaru specialist who is wonderful.

I have a 2013 honda civic that needed to get a general inspection done along with an oil change and tire rotation (B1 notification on the display). I have always gone to the dealership to get any work done on my car so I called the local Honda dealership to get a quote. They told me it would cost $ 250!!! I was officailly fed up with the rediculous prices and lack of customer care. So I went on Unilocal to find a local automotive shop to try something new. I found WASP and was very impressed with their great reviews. I scheduled and appointment and got all the work done. I could not be happier with my overall experience! They took care of everything within a acceptable amount of time. They were very busy with a lot of customers yet they were very efficient and able to meet the needs of everyone.
And after everything was said and done it only cost me $ 50!!! I will never go to the dealership again! WASP is offically my go to place.

Total jerks, walked in stood there for 10 minutes and said hello to a women that didn’t even acknowledge me and walked away without taking any information from me. At least 3 other employees saw me and still didn’t get any service. Not sure why so many people like this place not a good experience and it looked like at total dump! Ended up across the street at Just Tires where everyone was great and got great service. Would NEVER recommend Wasp to anyone!

I’m new to the area — looked on Unilocal for best reviews and found this at the top of the list. Went to one of the other highly reviewed spots just because it was a little closer to me. My problem was that my engine light went on. They (not WASP) wanted to charge me 90 bucks just to look and i had to book an appointment. WASP just said show up and checked it out — they gave me free break fluid and tested out my car and reset the hardrive on it and said it didn’t need repair. Everything is working now! Super courteous, and didn’t charge me a penny.
THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING HERE, ARE GOOD AT IT, AND ARE HONEST AND QUICK. FOR AS LONG AS I’M LIVING DOWN HERE I WON’T GO TO ANOTHER REPAIR SHOP. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

When I searched for auto repair shops in Durham on Unilocal,Wasp soared above the rest. Nestled on a side street just off of 55, you can’t see it until you’re practically in the parking lot. GPS gets you there though. Walk inside and find yourself standing inside a huge garage… although it took me a minute to find the receptionist (only shop I’ve been in that you walk into the middle of the garage to check in), she was very nice and helpful once I made my way over.
You’ll find they have two waiting areas; one outdoor patio surrounded by a quaint garden (would be great on a cool day), and one indoor area with plenty of couches and tables. They have good wifi, a couple older iMacs for customer use, and, my favorite, a pour over coffee station with Counter Culture Coffee. They also have tea, sodas, and water.
You could tell the mechanics were very familiar with the repeat customers there. They would come sit down with them to thoroughly go over the needed maintenance and condition on their vehicles. Without making my appointment several days in advance, I had a to wait a couple hours to get an oil change and basic checkup. Next time I’ll try to plan ahead!
Even with my wait and obscure (yet not too difficult to find) location, I will highly recommend it to everyone in the area. Can’t beat trustworthy mechanics, reasonably price, quality service, comfortable atmosphere, and great coffee!

Highly recommend these guys if they service your make of car. I’ve been bringing my Subaru, and Pablo does great work on it. Honest mechanics there, and their prices for parts and labor are very reasonable. They also provide shuttle service, which I use most of the time, as I like to drop my car off in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon.

Great place to get your Honda repaired or maintained. Galen is my technician of choice because: He drives a 2005 CRV, mine is a 2004. He found a problem with my rear brakes, that Firestone had just completed a total brake job, 11,000 miles ago, including new rotors. The pads were over half gone and no problem with calipers. He changed the trans fluid and rear differential that Firestone would not service. Also installed new spark plugs. My CRV runs like it’s new! Thanks Galen. By the way Firestone had to replace pads with a higher grade and turned the rotors N/​C.

Straight-​shooters.
You can make an appointment and they don’t waste time. I recently re-​located to the area and discovered this shop. I was a bit skeptical, as I am with most repair shops, but they did not disappoint. The techs/​mechanics are knowledgeable and explain any deficiencies well. There are options given and will give an estimate for any work they may deem necessary in the future. Their service is top-​notch. I am glad that I was able to find a shop like this and would not hesitate to recommend to anyone.

I just moved to town and took my Toyota to Wasp to get my squeaky brakes checked. I showed up early and they looked at my car right away. It turns out my brakes were fine… just crappy brake pads that were going to squeak regardless… and they told me to save my money and come back in another 15k miles. I definitely appreciated their honesty and quick service, which can be hard to find in a mechanic. Everyone was friendly and on top of it all they had delicious Counter Culture Coffee!!! Can’t beat that.

One of the things I most miss from Durham is having this place to take our cars. Seriously. I have never in my life been to an automotive shop that is just so dang trustworthy. They are honest, helpful, patient, and they know what they’re doing.
I have to give a special shout-​out to Galen. He treated my little 95 Honda Civic like his own. Probably in part because he used to have a car just like her! Galen cares deeply about doing his job well, and he’ll answer any and all questions you have. Even when I knew he had a booked schedule, he never seemed rushed or irritated.
My husband took his Subaru Legacy in more than once, and Pablo was apparently totally awesome! Sweet, knowledgeable, and great with Subarus.
We were never anything but totally impressed and satisfied with the work that Wasp Auto did! Their prices are good, especially considering the fact that you know you’re not getting ripped off. In a perfect world, Wasp is how every auto repair shop would be.
Three other notes:
Sometimes the reception ladies can seem a bit terse and fried, but they are non-​stop busy. They’re not mean, I think they just really don’t have time to chat, so don’t take it personally!
The gardens surrounding the Wasp Shop are well-​worth taking a look at! Be sure to see the large Vitex trees, Edgeworthia, Lilac and Winter Daphne, one of the prettiest Tupelos I’ve ever seen, Beautyberries, and so much more! Whoever they have doing their landscaping is talented!
When I was last there I noticed that in their waiting room (which also has so cool stuff for kids to play with) had complimentary Counter Culture coffee available. I mean, SERIOUSLY?! What is this, automotive heaven???

After doing some research, I decided to take my car into Wasp Automotive to get an oil change and inspection before leavings town. When I arrived it was a challenge to find a place to park. I arrived at 8:45 am on a Thursday morning and every spot was just about occupied. I looked around for a reception area, but no one was around so I did not find out where to go until a chill mechanic saw me wandering around and dropped some knowledge on me.
As for my luck, they do not service Nissan cars, so unfortunately my experience ended real quick.
The mechanic did do everything to make up for it by getting me a name and number to another shop that might help. I appreciated his service even though I wasn’t destined to be a customer, but I would go back if I had the right make. They had a nice wait area and WiFi.
The reason for the ³⁄₅ is because I had to go all the way down to their shop after reading on their website, «specializing in Japanese makes», to be denied service on a Nissan. It seemed like it isn’t the first time it has happened, but their website could be more specific to save Nissan drivers time and hassle. They do service Toyota, Lexus, Subaru, Honda, Mazda, and Acura vehicles.

Thanks to all Unilocalers who recommended Wasp Automotive. I am new the Triangle and wanted to avoid having my car serviced by a dealership if possible.
I was very pleased with the quality and the promptness of the service I was provided. I was treated with courtesy and professionalism (i.e. honestly) and will take both of my Hondas there from now on.

Thank goodness I finally took my friends advice and went to Wasp! I felt relief from the moment I walked into the garage and talked with them about my car. The place I was going to tried to soak me for over $ 900.00 in needless repairs.
All I needed was new spark plugs, air filter, brakes and transmission fluid (which really wasn’t very dirty) and it cost me $ 260.00. I’ve been driving it ever since and alls well. Need I say more?!!
I know where I’ll be going from now on! Oh yes, their landscaping is just beautiful too!

I am not a mechanically-​inclined person, and I know next to nothing about cars and how they work. (It’s sad really.) Consequently, I’ve spent most of my life as a car-​owning adult in a state of abject paranoia about the honesty and integrity of any mechanic I’ve had to deal with. These worries evaporated completely the very first time I took my Subaru to Wasp Auto.
Wasp specializes in just about every Japanese make of car except Nissan. The mechanics here are friendly and knowledgeable, and, most importantly, they don’t take advantage of the auotmotivally ignorant. To give a specific example, my most recent visit was to have Pablo (he’s the Subaru specialist) take a look at a problem with my power steering. It ended up being a loose belt, and, amazingly, I wasn’t charged anything to have it fixed! Seriously, I would have totally paid for parts, labor, whatever, without much question, and I can’t imagine there are very many garages anywhere that wouldn’t take this opportunity to make a little extra cash off a trusting sap like myself.
They are usually very busy, so don’t be surprised if you have a long wait. However, they have a very nice waiting room with comfortable seating and free WiFi. (And there are several breakfast/​lunch options within walking distance.)
I fully intend to continue taking my car to Wasp as long as I live in the Triangle, and when the time comes to buy a new car it will definitely be one of the makes they service. Incidentally, until I see proof to the contrary, I will continue to believe that my car is powered by «octanes,» petroleum elementals that eat electricity and poop fire.

I highly recommend Wasp for anyone who has a Japanese Car… they are resonably priced, always honest. and very attentive to me especially when I tell them that I am on a grad student budget.
The last time, I had my car towed there using the service they recommended, which was convenient and reasonably priced.
If it weren’t so far from my house, I would go there for everything car related. now just go there for major repairs!