Car-X

I should have known better than to go to a ‘chain’ car repair joint but it came recommend. After the transmission fluid was changed it died in about a thousand miles. I was told by a general motors mechanic that my particular car must use fluid specifically for my car which typically places like this use a generic ‘one size fits all’ fluid.
In fairness I can’t say what type of fluid was installed and maybe the whole thing is a strange coincidence but that trans costs $ 3700 to be replaced and it was a low mileage car.

I was really impressed with the honest and genuine person, Robert, whom I met at this Car-​X location. This was my first visit to any Car-​X location to get an opinion about the post 50K maintenance for my Toyota Corolla. Robert was patient in explaining all the different type of checks needed as part of the post 50K check-​up. He went through all the documents of the maintenance that my car dealership had performed as part of 45K miles maintenance almost 9 months back and told me that my car needed no maintenance at this point of time. I was really really surprised to hear that since this was the first time an Auto Repair shop employee was honest enough to let a profit making opportunity go. He also did a free checkup of my vehicle and asked me to come back after a few months for an oil change. Thank you Robert for the exemplary customer care. All the big dealerships in the area can definitely learn a thing or two from you.

My sons car would not start, wouldn’t even turn over. After going online we trouble shot everything that was recommended. Over the next three weeks, we checked the fuses, put in a new battery, new negative ground, new ignition switch and finally a new starter. After all that, it still would not turn over. I recommended that my son take it to a dealership where they work on the same type of cars day after day and could figure it out. That didn’t happen, as he wanted to take it to Car-​X in Wheeling, as his single previous experience with them was positive (they put in a new power steering pump) in the past.
We had the car towed to Car-​X and informed the manager, Ken, about the symptoms and all the work that had been done prior to bringing it in. I was floored when he called and said the car was ready to go. When I arrived to pick up the car he showed me a blown neutral safety switch fuse that was located in the trunk of the car. The fuse was less than $ 2 and the hour long diagnostics was around $ 50. WOW!
I’m not so sure I would have had the same experience and costs at a dealership. Never can tell, but I do strongly recommend this Car-​X.

Second time here. Manager Ken has been extremely professional and polite. Very good service. Would recommend to friends and family for sure.

I was searching for a repair shop where I felt comfortable with the service and value. I couldn’t be more satisfied with the service I received today. Manager Kevin was extremely friendly and never pushy. He provided me with more info on my car than my dealer ever did. Work was done in a timely manner. And the waiting room was clean!!! I always felt dissatisfied with those other guys in Wheeling, so glad positive reviews for this shop brought me here. I left feeling I got a great value for my money and quality work done on my car.

First, I’m real skeptical of mechanics since like most have been burned before. Based on these reviews alone, gave Rich and his shop a chance. Brought in my car for a muffler and oil change but knew there was underlying problems with the front end. Used car so I expected it. He fixed my car perfectly. Yes it was $ 1,200 but I knew the street value of the repair and here’s the difference. He checked the whole car and pointed out the obvious and I felt comfortable with it. He broke down parts and labor and helped with online coupons and margins as best he could. He gas to keep his doors open too. I trust him and he just worked on my fiancé’s car. Check him out!

Rick runs a great CarX. He’s professional and reasonable. I called ahead and found time for my oil change same day. Full service check was helpful to talk over and negotiate about various repairs/​upkeep, no pressure, informative. Worked within the time he said it would take, very beneficial to my schedule. The location is more comfortable than other places I’ve been.

HONESTY trumps all.
I ended up here because I woke up one day and my car was dead. Would not start. After finally pushing it out of the garage and getting a jump, I drove it right over here to get it checked out, assuming without question I’d need a new battery.
I left with my Dad to get some lunch, and came back to get my car. Upon my return, the guy (i WISH i remembered his name, and I think he was the Manager) pulled my car up and proceeded to tell me that I must’ve just left a light on, or the door open overnight, and that now that the car’s been running for a while it’ll be fine!!! I don’t need ANY repairs!
I was floored. I am a single woman (and a single parent on top of that!), and taking my car to any car shop is terrifying to me — because it always ends up costing a gazilion dollars. So to have him be HONEST with me, and not try to steal my money just absolutely made my day. I really appreciated his being straight-​up.
And in knowing that this place is honest, they’ve earned my trust. They’ll be the first place I come moving forward.
Absolute KUDOS to you, sir. Hopefully I can find out your name and provide an update here. Absolutely recommended.

Manager (Rich) was very friendly, helpful, and informative on car repairs that needed to be fixed. Car made a noise after I picked it up, and I called. The manager told me to bring the car back, and the car was fixed within 15 minutes. Pricing is very competitive and I will definitely be going back to do future repairs.

5 stars doesn’t do these guys, nay, professionals justice. I came in with a flat tire, and I drive a sports car. This winter hasn’t been the most friendly with record lows and piles upon piles of snow. I came in and was immediately greeted by Rich Balwin, the manager, with a smile and firm handshake. I could immediately tell he wanted to help.
Upon further inspection, I found out I needed a total of 3 tires replaced, and the rear brakes replaced as well. Rich and I started talking asking about my car (it has a rotary engine) and how it’s been handling. I told him the heater hadn’t been working and other issues. Rich said let us take a look at it and see what we can find. His sincerity calmed my nerves. He told me the story of him riding his motorcycles in years past, and the way he told the story made me not think of him as a mechanic. It was something I never had in mechanics prior to today.
We began looking at tires and he was extremely knowledgeable and gave his recommendation. I know there is a stigma with mechanics, but these professionals were different. I was informed the tires would need to be shipped in, but it would be a few hours before they arrived, but immediately afterwards, Rich offered me a ride to either work or my condo so I could pass the time. Flabbergasted, I accepted. I had never been offered this kind of service from any dealership (I am 1 in a family of 6 with 7 cars 5 of which are luxury). Rich just let me know that he was going to accommodate the other customers prior to taking me.
While Rich was hitting on all cylinders with the other customers, I went to the garage to grab something. I believe it was Mike Doman who was working on my car, saw me come up and assisted. He could tell I was a little flustered and made a small joke. He made me laugh a little bit which only made me feel better after the bad luck I was experiencing prior to entering the shop.
Fast forward to Rich driving me home, I felt so impressed and astonished that I called the shop to let them know I had ordered pizzas for them. Rich said I didn’t have to do that, but I was so grateful for their service.
I got a ride back in to the shop. Again, Rich greeted me and said my car was all set. They had fixed a bunch of issues with some kind of magic. The dealerships couldn’t fix some of these issues. I was impressed, no, beyond impressed. Having worked in customer service before, these professionals treated me as if they came up with the entire concept of «customer service» itself.
The car runs amazingly now (just shy of 100k miles and with a rotary engine). The cost was less than other places for similar repairs. I have already begun to spread word of these guys to family and friends.
The professionals here have a passion for their work, and it is easy to tell. I wish them all the best luck in 2014 and beyond.
I think I found my new shop!

A good and trusted mechanic is hard to come by. Rich and the guys who work here do a great job of fixing cars at reasonable prices. They have repeatedly fixed both my car and my son’s car many times over the years and I have always found them to charge fairly. This is an especially good place to come to for a second opinion when your dealer is telling you they need to do some repair for an exorbitant amount of money that you may be suspicious of. As an example, on a recent visit, my Toyota dealer wanted $ 949 for a new set of back brakes on my 2006 Toyota Sequoia, and also insisted I needed a complete brake flush. It sort of staggered my imagination that routine brake jobs could cost a grand now, and that you would only get half a set of brakes at that. I took the Sequoia to this CarX location and Rich and the guys did the same brake job (and with a lifetime guarantee on the pads — much better than the dealer) for a total out the door price of $ 383. They also did a test of the brake fluid with litmus paper and said it wasn’t even halfway dirty yet, and that I had many, many miles to go before a flush was needed. I love it when they walk me out to see under the car for myself what the issue is and explain everything, something the dealer rarely does. There have been several times where there was no charge at all on minor issues and they fixed my car and sent me on my way in minutes. This alone leaves me astounded and as a result I am extremely loyal to them and keep coming back. My son does too, and he is a Milwaukee police officer who lives in Milwaukee. He drives all the way down from Milwaukee to get his car only fixed here, which says a lot. The shop does a brisk volume of business so it is best to get your car in early, as walk-​in traffic is heavy and goes on all day. People who wait will get faster service than dropoffs, and about the only suggestion for improvement is that they seem to need more mechanics to increase their throughput. About half the time I come in they seem short-​handed as they seem to frequently be down to only one or two mechanics. So, allow for extra time and patience here as they don’t have the depth of talent that the dealers do, but ask yourself if paying 2x and 3x more for the same repair is worth it just to get your car turned around a little faster. The shop will provide you with free WiFi, but the customer waiting area needs it’s own snack and cold beverage vending machine for waiting customers. Lastly, check their website for valuable coupons before you go.

My wife and I brought a car in recently that we were thinking about purchasing for a used car inspection. Wow, are these guys helpful. They explained in detail anything that they thought might be cause for concern and we so nice throughout the entire process. We ended up using their detailed inspection to negotiate a better price on the car, which we purchased. We live in Chicago, but because of our experience here, we will be bringing our car here for any repairs in the future.

These people were very honest with me — especially Mike. I had brought my 10 year old 73K miles Toyota 2002 Rav 4 in because it was having problems with the tranny (jerky shifting in lower gears) –later learned this was a very common problem for this model year not revealed by Toyota until many years later — (shame on you Toyota!). I dropped the car off and returned to work and the shop did a thorough check of my vehicle. They not only spotted and verified the tranny issue, but two other problems previoulsy pointed out to me by other shops — leaking shocks and uneven wear on tires. I received no charge at all for the diagnotics and written recommendations — and this shop really helped me in finalizing my decision to finally trade this old boy in.

Good service, fixed my tire quite well, although it took twice more time than initially said. I didn’t find manager to be very friendly, but workers were great! And professional! My friends told me that I had overpaid ($ 30 for a tire) Quite possible, but I am still satisfied :)

LOVE this place!!! These guys are educated and experienced!!! Can’t say enough great things about them!!!

I can’t say enough about this location. I had been to Arlington Toyota the week before because my Engine Light came on. They charged me $ 119 to diagnose the problem and told me I needed to replace the catalytic converter at a cost of $ 1,200. Wasn’t happy with that idea, so I took my care to Car-​X to have it diagnosed, at no cost! Met George, who is the Manager. Great guy! Not only did he help me understand my options over the phone, but when I visited the shop he went out of his way to help diagnose the problem and suggested several options that were far less expensive. I ended up simply replacing the spark plugs and cleaning the fuel system, which looks to have solved the problem. I can’t say enough about George’s attention to customer service, as well as the trust that I have in his opinion. It’s hard to find a place that you trust is looking to do the right thing. If you need service, try calling this location and asking for George. I will be doing so for all of my service going forward! He’s a good guy, and his team is outstanding.