Sam’s Automotive

They called my car a pile of rust. Have an abrasive employee who insulted my query as to whether they could install a part I ordered elsewhere at ¼th the price. The owner and his father were okay, I’d say the father was better. Went here for an estimate and they even checked some things without charge but when I went to another mechanic and 3 of the problems they speculated as being the reason for my check engine light weren’t accurate. Wouldn’t come back.
UPDATE ²⁄₂₀₁₆: The vendors response insinuates I have not called them on this which I did the very next day. Furthermore stating there are inaccuracies in my review is tantamount to calling me a liar. I left my review in Jan came here end of May that is 7 months not «almost a year». Waiting so long to leave a review was oversight on my part as I thought I left one after my visit. Now, I would take away the one star if I could. Abrasive, crude and unprofessional people here. SMH really??? You have to insult me while claiming you are ashamed???

Since I just recently moved here, I wanted to find a good, local shop. I found Sam’s on Unilocal and they did not disappoint! I needed an oil change and the third break light on my trunk replaced. I was in and out of there within an hour for the oil change and was pleased that they reported the car was in great shape and didn’t need anything else. What a nice change from other places, including the dealership, who try to add on a bunch of other services. On my second visit, the brake light that was sent by the dealership required extra work that Sam’s was not prepared for, yet they stayed committed to the price they quoted me, despite the extra labor that was required. In addition, since I was a new customer, they honored a Unilocal coupon even though it technically was not valid on dealer replacement parts. Thanks so much for the competent service and friendly attitude. I will be back!

Excellent, professional service… really super nice actually … and they fixed all that I asked of them plus a couple new items I couldn’t argue with, and when I pulled my 12 year old baby Grand Cherokee out of their parking lot, it was running better than ever !

got my car fixed, received 3 totally different quotes, 450, 380, 300
then they told me that the 300 would be the starting price, not knowing if anything else needed to be replaced… how is that even possible?
isnt that what diagnostic is for? To figure out exactly what is wrong and repair it. price. ($ 98)
i was told 98 $ diagnostic would cover them figuring out exactly what is wrong with the vehicle and would be subtracted from total cost of repair, if i chose to have the repairall fair cool.
after diagnostic, they charged me 3 hrs labor for a repair that actually takes 10 minutes (coil pack replacement, its 4 screws!!)
Not to mention, repair was done BEFORE i agreed to the total price! by then i didnt have much of a choice but to pay. What is the point of giving me the option in the first place if i didn’t have any?
the car was fixed, however i did get my check engine light come on again a week later, went back off without a code before i could check it, hopefully it was just a fluke?
not sure it i would go back

I’ve been coming here for a few years. They’re amazing. They always have the best prices & they’re just honest people. Can’t get better then that!

Ahhhhh! I’m so silly! I enclosed in my review that it was $ 40 dollars for a tire rotation ONLY! That price was with a rotation AND balance on all 4 wheels! It was originally $ 58.80 but was given the Unilocal discount. I will enclose my invoice.
I would also like to note that a safety inspection fee is mandatory. It will be deducted if they somehow do not find a diagnosis.
In this case, I was almost certain I knew what was wrong with my car (needing a rotation and/​or balance due to my vehicle pulling to the left when I hit a certain MPH). So Richard, who wrote my statement, DIDN’T charge me for the inspection (in all honesty, I would be pretty upset. But yet again, I’ve always done auto work with a friend so never dealt with the fees).
This, fine print so you will, is stated on their Unilocal page. I wasn’t aware before I brought my car in. All in all, I will turn to Sam’s again for any (heaven forbid) car troubles.

Update: The tire pressure sensor they replaced is now leaking air. The shop I took it to sent me pictures with evidence of no O-​ring being installed.
Also, mind you if you’re going to voice your experience with Sams negatively. Be prepared to receive personal Unilocal messages from them. I received dishonesty, customers wrong, sarcasm with a «Good luck with your rusted, 11+ year old SRX in the future» at the end.
I responded to the whole situation and asked him to keep it professional instead of making it personal. Only to then get «Professional or personal your review was riddled with lies in order to disparage our company» as a response.
No concern of my experience. No responsibility was taken. No resolution has been offered. Just that I’m a lier who drives a beater.
People I’m not trying to discourage you from this shop. I know it’s difficult finding a good one down here. I do believe they are not out to screw the customer over. But when it comes to taking responsibility or criticism, they react like children… So if they do it right the 1^st time, you’re golden.

Independent shop!
Dropped off my wife’s car because it was making some noises on wheel, Rich kept me updated throughout the whole process. The receipt was well detailed with all the work done. All the guys that work here are nice and professional, but best of all, honest. The tech I worked with was Richard and he was awesome. Told me what the car needed and what it could wait on. There is a reason this shop is 5-​stars on Unilocal

I finally found a shop where they care more about the customer than profit! I took my Chrysler 300 that would turn on intermittently. There were a few hurdles with getting this part from the dealer because it was on back order, but Michael from the shop was very understanding and was OK with leaving my car there until everything was resolved. He was straight up and honest and I could not complain about the repair cost. Customer service was really good and I didn’t feel like I was being cheated. My car is now working perfectly and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this shop to everyone! Only thing, I wish they were open on the weekends, at least Saturdays, other than that this is now my go-​to shop!

Sam’s Automotive is my trusted advisor in terms of automotive needs. Sam Sr, Sam Jr, Michael, etc are honest and transparent which is gold given the overall culture in South Florida. I value these types of relationships in personal and business and appreciate I found Sam’s Automotive for my needs.

Great customer service. I had my car checked out before I drove from Florida to California. Fast and friendly service.

Like all the other reviewers, I came here because of the reviews. Good communication, estimates are extraordinarily thorough and they held on to all the replaced parts to show me the problems. Good experience, timely and good value.

Going in for auto repairs and service is something I dread even more than the dentist because there are just so many scam artists out there. Since I’m brand new to the area, I relied on Unilocal!reviews and checked this place out. Believe the hype. These guys were up front, direct, honest and helped save me from a totally unwarranted transmission repair that had been recommended by my dealership back home. Count me in. I won’t be taking my car anywhere else.

I was really hoping to have a better experience here… :/
The first person at the service counter seemed like he was very unenthused to work with me… No bright smiling faces here that’s for sure lol.
When the work was done another person at the service desk let me know that I needed tires (due to it being a safety hazard and it WAS true that they were very bad) but instead of just a «friendly heads up» he had already typed up a whole estimate for buying tires from them. Which was over $ 200.
I came to this shop because they were 100 – 200 dollars cheaper for the service I needed but I do not feel comfortable going back.
The only reason I am not giving this shop a lower score is because they have sooooooooooooo many 5 star reviews. I have to assume they may have just had an off day. Anyways, long story short unfortunately I was not happy with my experience. Very impersonal.

This is a great little independent shop!
I replaced my car’s air conditioning compressor myself and brought the car here to have the system vacuum sealed and recharged with coolant. (I believe he was owner’s son) quoted me $ 100 off the top of his head. When the work was completed parts and labor came to $ 176. He said «I quoted you $ 100 and that’s all we’re going to charge.» He knocked $ 76 off the bill to meet his quote!
Customer service was great. They take the time to explain exactly what they did to your vehicle.
I would recommend making an appointment. It seems like a very busy shop. I was a walk in and they were able to fit me in between appointments. I only had to wait an hour.
I hope I never have to bring my car to a shop but if I do I’ll definitely bring it back to Sam’s Automotive.

Took my girlfriends car here for a timing belt change and a brake job maybe a month ago, just getting a chance to post my review here.
This is hands down one of the most honest shops I’ve ever been to. All the guys that work there are nice and professional, but best of all, honest. The tech I worked with was Richard and he was awesome. Told me what the car needed and what it could wait on. Usually guys are trying to tell you that you need this and that and none of it is true. This place tells you that you don’t need something if you really don’t. In this day of age, how many repair shops will tell you this? It’s good to see that businesses understand what «repeat business» means still.
I’ve found my new repair shop for my girls car. My car is new and under warranty but if I keep it past that, I’ll bring it here for sure as well. Thanks guys for the awesome service and I’ve told a few of my friends about you guys. From one business owner to another, keep up the solid work!
Josh in Fort Lauderdale

Seems to be an honest repair shop.
Drove me home, while they did inspection.
Called with estimate which seemed fair.
Did work promptly.
Recommended

All I can say is great customer service! I came here in a real bind– my pontiac torrent had just died. I called Sam’s to see if I could have it towed there. They told me that they would have a bed cleared by the time I got there, and they did. They did all kinds of diagnostic tests on my car while I waited in their cozy office (free wi-​fi too!). Unfortunately for me, they found some issues with my car that were repairable, but not what made it die in the first place. They presented me with two options for repairs, and both were more than the value of the car. I decided that it wasn’t worth it for me to put more money into the car, so I asked them if they could help me junk it. They managed to sell it for me which was a weight off of my shoulders as I didn’t have to deal with it. They also chose not to charge me for all of the tests done as the owner’s son, Mike, said he doesn’t like to do business that way– meaning he doesn’t like customers to leave his place of business upset.
I appreciate service like that beyond anything. They have definitely won my business for the rest of the time I live in Fort Lauderdale.

I needed new tires mounted and came across this place on Unilocal.I decided to give it a try due to the good reviews. I wasn’t disappointed.
Their prices are fair, they’re quick, friendly, and honest.
When they went to do the alignment that I also needed they noticed that it wasn’t off by much so instead of charging me full price they were honest and actually charged me a decent amount less. Awesome.
Also, most importantly, there was not a single dent, ding, or fingerprint on my car. :)

I hadn’t serviced my car in quite some time. So, needless to say, my car needed quite a few things worked on. Having moved recently, I had to start the search for a good mechanic shop, as with everything else, my first thought was to turn to Unilocal.Yet again, I was not let down!
Sam’s is definitely my new mechanic shop. I had no doubts about their honesty. They helped me fix what was crucial and let me know honestly what I could wait on safely. They are not the cheapest mechanic, but I had no doubt that they were fair and honest with their pricing and work. In my experience, an honest, skilled mechanic is far more valuable than a cheap, unreliable one.
Sam’s finished the job within the day and had me driving without worry again in no time!
P. S. Check in on Unilocal to get a better deal for an oil change, even with synthetic oil!