Coho Automotive

Great Customer Service! Kept me updated on my repairs and were very honest about what I needed to replace. Will definitely be back best auto shop in Manassas.

I’m new to the area and found this place with the help of fellow Unilocaler’s «thanks everybody». I can’t compare them to any other local shop because this is the only one I need. They do it all, technical, customer service, communication, and follow up.
I was making a long highway drive in a week and wanted an oil change. I went into the showroom the intent of telling them Oil Change!, nothing else. They did the cursory XX Point Inspection and found some things, legit things that I wouldn’t want to be in the road with. They listed them all and prioritized them and left it to me what I wanted done. I did most it and was glad I did, and the quality of the work and the right amount of communication were perfect. By the way, the repair bay looks like an operating room and everyone is friendly and genuinely concerned with your experience. This is a great shop and I would drive a hundred miles for service here. There are 2 people I expect absolute trust in, a Doctor and a mechanic, these guys have their own hippocratic oath. Stop in and check out the place, and you’ll become a customer, I promise.

Let me start off with the positives. I called them earlier in the day and spoke with Jim, he was very professional, kind, and understanding of my needs. I called to get a simple job done, I just needed some tires dismounted from my rims, and i did not want the rims damaged at all since they were brand new. Jim ensured that the wheels would not be damaged and I could even stand and watch while they did the job, amazing I thought, this is perfect! So i took off during lunch (work day mind you), get to the shop 20 min later and notice that its very clean, spacious, the whole team was kind, I was offered a drink, just overall pleasant. Other shops wanted to charge $ 100, or $ 80 for this, Coho was going to charge $ 60 and said it wouldnt take too long.
I get there and they notice the tires are runflats, which I didnt believe would have made a difference, but I now know that they do. Jim mentioned that runflats take longer to dismount and that the charge will actually be $ 110, just to dismount the tires from the wheels. Mind you, I was NOT getting the wheels and tires mounted and balanced, just dismounted. I was shocked. I decided to pass and call up Mach V, which has a touchless tire machine and charges $ 50 for 4 wheels to dismount.
I’ve read good reviews, and my friends had positive experiences with this shop, but i left with a bad taste in my mouth. They did not honor their original $ 60 price quote and I left dissatisfied. All in all, they seemed like good, trustworthy and kind individuals who do good work, but given the amount of shops in the area, it is unlikely that i will return back here.

I will NEVER take my car back to the dealership. Miller Toyota was charging me $ 200 for routine maintenance. Coho charged me $ 80. The waiting area is huge and clean, there is a large desk, several comfy chairs, a kiddie play area, and restroom. I was offered coffee or water twice while I waited (45 – 50 minutes). Thanks Coho!

My wife’s car was having issues with the low beam headlights that I could not figure out by checking the simple things like the bulbs, fuses, or relays and that our regular (probably former) mechanic either did not want to or could not figure out how to tackle. I thought the issue must be in the wiring. A Unilocal search for automotive wiring mechanic revealed Coho Automotive and its multiple 5 star reviews. We did a night drop on Sunday night and were a little confused because the night drop box is in front of the shop part of the business which has a different address listed on the door but with a face to the window, we were able to determine the two addresses were connected. My wife pointed out the envelopes in the night drop box do say Coho Automotive on them but the confusion could have been avoided if the drop box was located in front of the address listed online. That was the worst part of our visit so as you can tell, not bad at all. Coho got our car in pretty early on Monday and determined they would need to remove the bumper cover to get to the headlights which I discovered when I was trying to replace the headlights myself. It took me about 45 minutes to get off and 45 minutes to put it back on so when Coho called to ask if I approved of 1.5 hours of labor to remove the bumper and diagnose the issue, the time of estimated labor hours were right on point if not a little low. Turns out some of the wiring was stripped and Coho was able to patch it up, replace the bulbs, and remove/​replace the bumper cover within the estimated 1.5 hours. We are completely satisfied with the honest work and appreciated the call ahead of time to authorize the labor hours. Each time I called, I spoke with Thomas or Jim and they were very helpful. I would not hesitate to bring my car back to Coho Automotive.

2008 Camry Hybrid with a Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) System Warning message. Took the car to the local Manassas Toyota dealer, who ran a diagnostic scan producing a C0210 Code «Right rear Speed sensor circuit» error. The speed sensor (and hub) were replaced as they THOUGHT the inner workings were bad. (NOTE the wire harness was NOT replaced) $ 800+ later, they were unable to reset the code after a reported «ten hours» of trying, including testing all wiring from the «speed sensor to the ABS pump». Their recommendation was to replace the Electronic Control (Stability) Computer (ECU), and that may not allow the reset of the code. $ 1,500+. Decided not to play «whack-​a-​mole repairs» and took possession of the car with no ABS/Trac…but a new speed sensor and hub.
Enter COHO Automotive… I saw the amazing reviews in Unilocal (15, 5star reviews out of 15) and decide to give them a try. The company partner took charge of the work and within one hour had determined the problem was in the wiring system and (probably) not the speed sensor itself. He could not be sure as he did not have the original speed sensor. Since the «hard code» of C0210 was what triggered the replacement of the speed sensor, and the C0210 code was still there, the likelihood that the sensor was the cause was slim, but could not be ruled out as part of the problem. The wiring harness directly in front of and connected the speed sensor was replaced and the code reset. The ECU was not part of the problem.
PRO COMMENTS: Since my requirements with COHO were specific, my critique will be oriented in that direction.
1. They made a thorough diagnosis the problem area of my car and within a short time had localized the issue.
2. More specific analysis discovered the problem to be not where the «professional at the dealership» thought it would be, who were ready to «go to the bank» trying to fix it; with NO assurances.
3. With COHO there was no statement of …“might not correct the problem”. There was a very definitive «we can fix this quickly now that we have identified the problem.»
ADVERSE COMMENTS:
1. NONE.
NEUTRAL COMMENTS:
1. COHO personnel are friendly and very knowledgeable with a variety of cars.
2. Customer centered philosophy was a breath of fresher air
3. The certifications for the mechanics are available on their website, as well as other useful information. This is important as you do not want them to «go to school» on your car, at your expense.
4. I would have like to see the mechanics «credentials» posted in the lobby instead of car photos. Gives the customer a good feeling that they know what they are doing.

Great service. I had an engine light on for awhile. When I took it to my regular auto shop, they ran the code and said it was a small leak — a very small leak, and I could let it slide for awhile. Eight months later, when the car started showing symptoms, I decided to take it in — but my favorite mechanic (that took forever to find) was retiring! I reached out on Facebook and was given another place to try — and was told that, because I was overdue for an oil change, that was why I was experiencing problems.
The light was on when I got my car back from that shop, and it started acting up before I got home. I chose Coho based on the reviews here. They took the time to properly diagnose the issue. They gave me options. They checked my car for other issues and found my control arms needed to be changed (I knew this and was trying to wait it out). They ran a quote for me and was considerably less than the original quote I was given by a more «chain» auto shop about 2 years ago (but was later told by my favorite mechanic that they would be good for awhile, and I’ve put a LOT of miles on my car).
When they changed out my control arms, they accidentally cracked something. They called me and apologized, offered me a rental, and kept me up to date on the fix. They knew this was my only car, so keeping it another day caused some logistical problems. I declined the rental, but was very pleased they were open and honest about it, and was doing what they could to make it right — and it was a complete accident (and accidents happen).
When I came to pick up my car, I realized they had fixed a few minor things as well without charging me. The owner carefully went over everything they’d done, and I left feeling satisfied. And no, my car isn’t showing symptoms anymore.

Will not find a better place to take your car… Especially if you have an exotic from Europe … The service is great,

I live in silver spring md. I will drive out to Manassas to have service done on my vehicles.
COHO auto is great. They have serviced my vehicle twice, they did same service performed by others at half the price. I sold my old 2004 f150 for 2x what I thought I would get. My bill was $ 55 to fix a minor problem, that is honesty

Although the news was bad ($ 2,000 for a new compressor and other issues), the service was awesome. They had a garage full of cars, and they still managed to squeeze me in on my day off.
I was able to leave the car while they looked at it, but the waiting room looked very comfortable.
This was the first time in my life I left a repair shop not thinking I had been ripped off. The people offered me some good advice, and offered to be a resource if I ever had questions.
There is nothing more valuable than having the name of a good car guy. No matter where you go now, this place is better.

So I woke to take my son to work and on my way home the engine light came on. I googled a honest and fair mechanic and their name came up. I called once they were open and they were able to squeeze me in. I had them change my oil and asked for them to find out why the cars engine light was on. The chairs were amazingly comfortable, very clean, only down fall only one creamer but they weren’t offended when I went looking in the cabinets:) the coffee was a Keurig which I love… All staff are very kind, friendly, understanding and helpful. I will be using them for the services they recommend but have the amount that i need to save up:) thank you Jim:)

I’m a new customer and I have to say I’m impressed. Great customer service, friendly atmosphere. Free wifi, comfy chairs, and free coffee. A soda machine is the only thing missing. Oh maybe a bar… lol jk. Think I’ve found my new car repair shop.

This is a great shop. The guys are 100% honest and do great work at a fair price. I would not take my car anywhere else.
Chris takes the time to explain everything in understandable terms, which I really appreciate. They take care of your car as if it were their own.
I can’t say enough about this place!
Jake

Like others here have stated, I hate going to the Death Star — dealership. I have been searching for an independent shop for two years near Gainesville since moving back to VA. Its harder than finding your favorite Thai place on Unilocal!
When my 2011 VW Sportwagen mysteriously stalled while going down the road, I was desperate and called a friend who immediately told me to call Coho. The next day, Chris called me and said that he wanted me to call VW and see if the repair (hi pressure diesel fuel injector pump) would be covered since the car was only 2k+ over the 36k warranty. I was amazed that he felt it was more important for me to see if VW would pay for the repair instead of me paying Coho to fix it.
I was delighted that VW would cover the repair under the powertrain warranty — which I have never had to use before!
That speaks loads of Coho’s integrity. Dan said he would not sleep well if they had made the repair and I would have found out later that the $ 1500 repair would have been covered by the factory.
The shop is very clean, nice waiting area with TV, wifi, and the techs are very approachable. I would definitely recommend Coho to others.

I am grateful for Coho Automotive. There are few places anymore where you are able to get an appointment quickly. explain your concerns about the vehicle’s performance in laymen’s term and be understood.
The staff was very courteous and they keep the waiting area in immaculate condition.
The repairs were done in a timely manner and they stand by their by satisfaction motto.
I am very pleased with their services. Thank you Coho.

Easily one of the easiest reviews I’ve ever had the pleasure to write… simply put… these guys are AWESOME.
I called them up with a engine coolant leak, and they got me in right away, found the problem, fixed the problem. Which uncovered another problem, which they took care of ASAP, and didn’t charge me labor. I will be glad to spend more money with them.
The other part of this review is about the owners themselves. They CARE about the customer, after listening to a voicemail one of the owner’s left me, I walked around my office talking about how this is customer service DONE RIGHT. Excellent business men, and excellent business model. Thanks for being such a pleasure to work with.

Simply put, Chris and Dan at COHO are magnificent. Normally you «HAVE» to deal with who ever is repairing or servicing your auto. With Chris and Dan, it’s a pleasure to work with them. They’re the best.

I found them here on Unilocal when the coolant system in my 2003 Audi A4 1.8T decided to unceremoniously overheat and void its bowels.
NIGHT DROP BOX?: Yes. Envelopes and forms by the front door.
SERVICE: They were professional, clean, approachable, friendly, ASE Certified, promptly responded to all my questions and gave me multiple itemized repair options to choose from, rather than just doing everything without asking. They fixed the whole thing in one business day. Phenomenal.
PRICE: Very very fair. Itemized invoices. Multiple options offered depending on your budget. They work quick and don’t milk the labor hours. Honest operation.
LOCATION/​STOREFRONT: Fully equipped, but small and clean, in what is more of an office park than an industrial park. Because of their motorsports work, they have some cool track cars to ogle through the big storefront windows.
OVERALL: This is where I’ll be taking my car from now on.

I’ve got a BMW M3 and I refuse to take my car to a dealership. In fact I generally do my own work unless I just don’t have the tools to do the job. In the past I’ve always gone to RRT in Sterling but recently found Coho conveniently located just a few miles from my house. I called Coho on short notice on day I had off work, hoping to be able to get a troublesome bolt under the exhaust manifold replaced. Chris was able to get me in an out within hours.
To my delight, the shop was immaculate and both Chris and technician Dan were extremely knowledgable. They have an open and clean lobby with new chairs and a television for those who want to wait. Chris and I talked about cars and our history on the track. I felt comfortable leaving my car in their hands and I won’t hesitate to bring my car back.

These guys are awesome! I own 4 cars, Audi, Lexus, Mini, and Bmw. I will never take my car back to the dealer for service! The are also extremely knowledgeable about motorsports and are helping me build a BMW M3 track car! I highly recommend them!