Ricks Auto Center

I have nothing but good things to say. I have been so impressed that I’ve never felt pressured to get something done (like at other places who come out with a list of $ 2,000 your car «needs») and they always explains what is up with my car in terms I can understand. Granted I’ve only been 3 times, once for an oil change and two other because my car is old and not used to Connecticut winters, but I’ve had very good experiences. Costs are competitive, compared to Louisiana because that’s where my last mechanic was. Also, love that they are part of UPromise so I get credit on my student loans for using them. I enthusiastically recommended Rick to my über driver during the repairs and would readily recommend him to anyone who asked.

This is my second visit to ricks auto center and it was just as pleasant as the last. I have never felt as comfortable receiving work on my vehicle as i do with these professionals. I needed service done on my front rotors/​brake pads. So i called in to clarify some of the specifications of the job and one of the mechanics mike was able to answer all my questions and concerns in a friendly patient manner. I even let him know i was under time constraints and he was gladly willing to accommodate upon sufficient notice. I highly recommend this auto shop to those looking for honest mechanics.

What do you do when your car broke down in CT on your way home to Boston? I stopped the car, read a bunch of online reviews on auto repairs nearby, and narrowed down to 1 shop – Ricks Auto Center – based on its great reviews on Unilocal,Google, and RepairPal.
Rick’s shop is behind CarQuest Auto Parts; not an obvious location. It was a good sign that the tow driver knew about Ricks without me having to give him the shop address. Rick’s son, Michael, was very friendly, even though they already had some work lined up for the day, he promised me he would make time to check on my car. Within a couple of hours, Rick called to explain what happened to my car, what needed to be done, and for how much. My go-​to car guy in Boston concurred with Rick’s quote and gave me a go at Rick’s.
For my peace of mind, Rick kept me informed of the repair progress, and the expected pick-​up time, so that I could better plan my drive home to Boston. When I was there to pick up my car, Michael showed me the broken parts, made sure I understood what went wrong, and explained to me what they did. They assured me that my car had been tested thoroughly to verify no additional mechanical failure was triggered during the break-​down. Rick topped off their excellent service by giving me a Nationwide Warranty Protection provided by TECH-​NET along with the receipt.
In summary, Ricks Auto Center is now my go-​to mechanic in CT; it has become THE PLACE my friends and families in the area trust for their car cares. Rick and Michael, a great father-​son team, perform honest and quality work at fair prices.

I have been going to Rick’s for several years now (now on my second car). I count myself extremely lucky to have chanced upon such a knowledgeable, helpful, and honest mechanic. Visiting him feels like visiting your friendly super-​knowledgeable car-​buff neighbor. To be honest, I am worried that I might never find someone like him if I leave the area.
A few things in particular have won me over:
1) Rick has never pushed a repair on me. He tells me the state of my car in detail, patiently answers all of my questions, helps me to understand what repairs I might need sooner, what can wait, what the pros/​cons of waiting are, and what cheaper alternatives might exist. He’s very good at explaining his thinking and the diagnostic process. As a student, I was particularly grateful that he even once showed me how to fix something myself to save money!
2) I am very impressed by his level of knowledge about cars. He almost always has an answer to my questions, and his answers always make sense. While out of the area in June 2015, I received a recommendation from a repair shop in Maryland (which was featured in the Washingtonian’s list of top repair shops no less!) to get a transmission fluid flush on a car I just bought as opposed to a drain and fill. I spoke with Rick about the recommendation when I returned, and he counseled me against it because of the potential for creating a leak in cars that have not consistently had their fluid flushed. From the way he explained his reasoning, it was clear that he knew a *lot* about transmissions, and more about transmissions than even the Maryland shop’s mechanic. What really touched me though was that he even gave me a detailed explanation at the whiteboard in his repair shop!
Next he counseled me not to do it immediately, basing his conclusions on the fluid’s appearance and service interval information for my car he was able to pull up that even the Honda dealer I visited in Darmouth, Massachusetts couldn’t pull up for me.

Always on point. Always fair prices. I wouldn’t trust my vehicle to anyone else. Thanks guys!

Rick is the man. He gets it done when he says he will, and he does it right. He’s honest as could be and extremely knowledgeable. His son has 12 years in the mechanic business and is a chip off the old block. You can’t go wrong at ricks auto center with Rick and his son handling your car. Its nice feeling to have a reliable auto place to go to and not have to worry about getting screwed. The shop is right behind the auto parts place on dixwell which is awesome too, no waiting if you need a part he doesn’t already have in stock. If you’re looking to get your car fixed or just need an oil change you should bring it to Rick’s you won’t be sorry, trust me.

Amazing! I had a problem with my exhaust system, and Michael diagnosed the problem quickly, gave me a very reasonable rate (a third of what another place charged me) and fixed it quickly. These people know what they’re doing and care about doing good work. I highly recommend this place.

Arrived here first thing monday morning without an appointment. A screw on my heat shield has come loose and was knocking against my exhaust pipe. The mechanic attended to me right away and was very polite. He told me what was wrong and went ahead to fix it. The repair took longer than the estimated time he gave me but overall, i was pleased with the service here. Also, i thought it was strange that i didn’t get a receipt… i guess i should have asked for one before leaving.

Rick’s is my go to mechanic with any of my car troubles. Just recently I brought my car in for a tune up as I have an upcoming road trip and just hit 50,000 miles, Rick called me later that afternoon and said I’m good to go. He didn’t even charge me for diagnostics and explained why the one issue I thought I had wouldn’t require any service.
My original experience with Rick’s came when my car’s windows suddenly stopped working. I called my dealership and they explained it’d be a $ 99 diagnostic fee in addition to whatever issue they found with my window. I figured I would call around and found Rick’s. Took my car down, later that day he called me to come pick up my car. Rick only charged me $ 20 and thoroughly explained the issue that was causing my windows to malfunction. I can guarantee that the dealership would’ve set me back a few hundred dollars. I felt bad only paying $ 20 bucks! Great guy, highly recommended.

Good honest mechanic. He won’t sell you what you don’t need.

Stand up guy, does great work, is HONEST … we had to have major repairwork done and the receipt comes with a 12 month warranty. Great turnaround, couldn’t be happier to have found this mechanic!