Frick Park Automotive

I’ve waited a good while to post a review of these guys. Bob seems sincere, but I’ve had enough interaction to separate the façade from the reality. This shop is a well-​oiled (sorry) profit center — and it all clicked for me one day when I stopped by and the lead mechanic noticed that my right tire looked worn. He and Bob immediately began the good cop/​bad copy routine. The same cheap tire they had sold me a few months earlier. They claim that they hold themselves to higher standard on inspections, but again, it’s profit driven. I sent a co-​worker there and she got the same good cop/​bad cop routine and a very high inspection bill. Great location. Convenient as hell. But in the end, I don’t like the situational ethics of the place.

Honest and fair. The owner is the one who works on your car so you know he is serious about the business. Friendly and quick. It is a little pricey though.

Frick Park Automotive has some mixed reviews floating around. But because they’re conveniently located for me (and because some of their negative reviews had nothing to do with their service), I decided to give them a shot. I’ve taken my car there three times now, all for routine service.
First, I simply needed to have a flat fixed in January. They turned it around quickly. When I went to pick it up, the owner simply handed me the keys and said «Have a nice day.» «What do I owe you?» «Don’t worry about it.» True, for these folks fixing a flat is a simple task, but I expected to pay a few bucks, as is common.
Purely based on that gesture and my interactions with the owner (and knowing how much I hate taking the car to the dealership), I went to FPA for my inspection and oil change. There was no hassle, no hidden fees, no pressure to purchase unnecessary parts or services. Solid.
Shortly after my inspection, my windshield cracked nearly the whole way across thanks to a rock being kicked up on the highway. After having it replaced elsewhere, I had to go back to FPA to get the stickers replaced. Again, simple, friendly, no hassle.
The folks at FPA quickly earned my trust. Not only are they more convenient and less of a hassle than the dealership, their prices are reasonable, and I’d much rather support a local business than a corporate one. So far, I’ve nothing but good experiences with Frick Park Automotive.

The owners here seem honest and forthright. They recently saved us more than $ 600 on a brakeline repair for a 2003 Hyundai. The dealer (Cochran Hyundai) insisted that we absolutely had to do a $ 1400 repair before our trip to California last month. We had the car towed to Frick Park Automotive for a second opinion and they did it for less than half that.
Made it to California with no problems whatsoever… thanks guys!

Have used them twice for pretty routine matters– inspection and a bulb change. I can’t comment on repairs as a result (and didn’t give 5 stars because I don’t have much to go on yet), but I was very pleased with availability of appointments, friendliness, and timely completion. Also, when we took my husband’s car for a bulb change, they did it free of charge. Yes, I know it probably took them 3 seconds and about $ 1 in parts, but it was a nice touch for a little neighborhood place and definitely made us want to return.

I found this business to be extremely pricey and very dishonest. They charged me $ 130 for a belt that cost them $ 29.99. My total bill was $ 200 when it should have only been $ 80 (this includes labor). After the repair was completed the manager told me that I needed to have another part replaced. When I acquired as to the cost of the procedure, he told me that it would be between $ 200 and $ 500 (including labor). After doing some checking around, I discovered that most mechanics would charge me between $ 80 and $ 100 for that same procedure. When I questioned the manager about my bill he became irritated and defensive. He told me that he charged more for the belt, because all products and services come with a lifetime warranty. Yet, when I looked at the bottom of my billing statement it reads, «Warranty on parts and labor is 90 DAYS unless otherwise specified. Warranty work has to be performed in our shop & cannot exceed the original cost of the repair…» (Is it just me, or does something smell fishy here?)
How often do you purchase an item and/​or service in which the cost of the warranty exceeds the price of the original item. (Let alone 3 times the cost of the item!!!)
Do yourself a favor and find another mechanic!

I’ve been using this garage for over 5 years. They are always friendly and professional. They’ve never done any work without first calling to explain their recommendations, go over my options and getting authorization. I’ve never felt pressured or like they were trying to rip me off. The guys at the garage were even happy to offer their advice when we were car shopping, telling us to give them a call anytime, if I had more questions. I have and will continue to recommend Frick Park Automotive to anyone looking for a good mechanic.

After learning of my unhappy review Bob (management) from Frick requested some time to talk to me about the services I received. When we discussed the services Bob and I both agreed that it was not FPA’s goal to have unhappy customers. It was an unexpected phone call, but it helped me regain some trust in the garage. We have agreed to discuss future automotive needs before choosing another location. Bob really does manage a garage well and does not want to have a customer walk out unhappy. — — -Chris