Georgetown & Round Rock Auto Repair

Auto repair shops are always some of the worst places anybody wants to have to go to: they always seem to have a reputation of milking you for every penny you have although it would seem to me that these types of places need to be as honest as possible to stay in business as long as possible. I was referred to JC Automotive from a friend who has reviewed them on here before so when it finally came time to get my "Service Engine Soon" light check out, I knew that this was the only place I wanted to go to. They have a first-come, first served way of doing things so there's no appointments. They open at 7:30 every morning though (and according to Facebook will no longer be open on Saturdays) so you can drop your car off in the morning and use their "shuttle" service to take you to work. I ended up not taking my vehicle in until noon, and the work that needed to be done required that my vehicle be left over night. I wasn't too happy about that, but it was my fault for going so late in the day in the first place. They offer a $48 diagnostic which I think is pretty much cheaper than anybody else. Dan Pedroza was the "service writer" I worked with, and he explained all the work that needed to be done in detail. I didn't really need all that much explanation since I had already done some troubleshooting on my own, had ruled out 2-3 causes for the Service Engine Soon light to be on and knew that the only cause left would be complicated and costly. However, Dan's explanation of the problem was very helpful. My vehicle was ready the next day, and I was on my way. So far, so good, and I can already tell that the car is running much better than it has in a long time!

I had some belts that were starting to squeal on a 2001 Toyota Camry. It turns out it was also time for a timing belt/water pump/seals and gaskets. It was time, so I had them do it all and they had it all done in one day for a reasonable price. So far so good. I have been supporting 4 used vehicles for a couple of years now and I have tried several auto shops. Automotive Specialist is the best shop I have found in Round Rock.

OK, did my first review on this place about a year ago; time for an update. These guys STILL ROCK!! Every time I go here, service, attitude, pricing, and work are superb. I'd drive for hours to take my car here (assuming I could actually drive for hours when repairs were needed...) Everything I said the first time still stands. They're professionall, totally honest, super helpful, as fast as I'd want anyone to be. Not for the first time, the actual cost of work performed was less than the estimate (in this instance, estimate of $80-100, actual $63 and change.) This is a superb outfit, hands-down, from the folks doing the work, to the service writers, to the outstanding shuttle driver. Top marks.

There's not another shop in town I'd bother recommending. I know my way around under the hood of a car, but when there's something I can't fix or don't want to fix, this is the only place I bother taking any of my cars. I know the guys will accurately diagnose the problem, fix it properly, and they'll charge me a reasonable price for it. That's pretty hard to find in any shop. The story that really sold me was when I sent my mother down to their shop several years ago. She was in from way out of town, and was having some problems with her car that I couldn't figure out. Plus, it was intermittent, so that made it even more difficult to diagnose. I told her to go down to JC Auto and to tell them that I sent her down there -- thinking that they at least know who I am, so they'll treat her a little better than some out of town stranger who just rolled in off the street. Not that I doubted them to treat her right regardless, but this is my *mom*, I've got to look out for her. Of course, she doesn't do that. She just rolls in and says she's having problems and doesn't know the first thing about cars and she's scared about driving it home. All the things you're *not* supposed to do! So, they put her car on a lift and accurately diagnose the problem. They then tell her that they don't have the part in stock, and can't fix the car today, but there's no reason she can't drive it home safely and what to expect from the car if she does. They also give her part numbers and complete workup of what's wrong and how much it should cost so she can take that to her mechanic at home and know that she's getting a fair deal. Then they took her car down off the lift and didn't even charge her a diagnostic fee before sending her on her way. This was someone they really could have taken advantage of with seemingly no repercussions and it never crossed their mind to treat her any differently than their best customers. I'm sold, and there's not another shop in town I'd recommend or use.

I wish I could give -50 stars to counter all the reviews planted by employees. If you have a half a brain, it should be pretty obvious to you that most, if not all, of these 5 star reviews are fake. First of all, this is just a little garage that nobody's ever heard of, yet they have 5x as many reviews as national chains? Think about it. Second, just take your car there and see for yourself. This place is a catastrophe, to a point of being cliché. Bad diagnosis, ignorant employees that don't care about anything, mechanics that lie about everything, sky high prices. And that was just for me to get an ESTIMATE. For whatever reason, if you should decide to take your car to this "business," PLEASE, make sure to get a LINE ITEM quote on paper, so you can see why their prices are nearly double, compared to everywhere else. Then ask them why they have a 30%+ markup over dealership prices on their parts. Ask them what those little $48 and $125 charges here and there are for. Ask them what the "extra fees" section means. Then go somewhere else and get it done for half the price in half the time.

Very straight forward and honest business. They do a very thorough and efficient job on our Corolla. Highly recommend them.

I was referred to JC Auto by the guys at Eagle Transmission (great place, as well) They had my car for almost 3 hours and had it up on the lift 3 times and they went through it with a fine tooth comb. They were taking things off to visually inspect these parts and plugging it up to this and that. Well, almost 3 hours later, they tell me what it wrong with it. Nothing major, it was the computer acting up. After being powered off and back on it started driving fine. I was told it would eventually need to be replaced and when that time came I could take it to them. For all this, they only charged me 45 bucks for the estimate of fixing it. Now that I have an honest assessment, I can weigh all options. I would recommend JC auto to anyone that does not want to get ripped off.

It's nice to have mechanics that just "get it right", and fire on all cylinders for your service. I have used John and Corky's in the past on various occasions related to routine service, major work, or just that odd sound that seemingly needed attention; EVERY time I visited them I got the best service they could offer. Most recently we had a suspect issue with the brakes on my wife's van, or that was the prompting from her dad, thanks for that marital hand grenade (lol); I did NOT feel there was an issue, but needed to ensure that the wife was comforted and I didn't seem bull headed on my opinion. She is very educated & smarter than the rest of us...but, in this area of knowledge I am the one with experience...How to resolve it? J&C of course! [Enter] J&C Automotive. [applause] We needed to have the van serviced anyways, and a "trip check" performed on it before our trip, so I included in the scheduled appointment for them to please check out the brake system for me. As expected, when I called ahead, J&C gave me an honest time frame of service and when to bring it in..it was an early Saturday.. they recommended Monday; and I did so, to best accommodate all of us. I brought the vehicle in early, explained the situation, and in an unbiased way they would look into the issue for BOTH of our needs (my wife & I) to resolve the quandary. As I was early, and had NO vehicle.. they easily provided the FREE shuttle service to get me back to work. The scheduled service went according to plan, and in the process they learned that there was nothing wrong with the brakes.. it was as simple as I thought, changing weather causes semi-metallic brakes to make noise. [husband smiles] At the time of pickup, they (as an unbiased professional) non-condescendingly explained the issue to my wife and she respected them for it. [wife delighted and relieved for saving money and for safety] It clarified the issue, diffused the marital hand grenade, and we BOTH knew that the issue was resolved. [husband and wife adoringly look at one another] [Exit J&C] AWESOME. I also need to add that the professionals at J&C always give you their best: from the counter attendants, the back staff, or the "grease monkeys" under the hood. On many occasions I have called for recommendations on parts, referrals on specialty services, or general auto "know how"; they always tell you what can/cannot be done, where to go, and what to do..even if it means that you can get it elsewhere (away from J&C). With that type of service, they build a loyal trusted customer base and my respect because it is about YOU and YOUR investment.. not about them and any of the profits. If you ever need a good vehicle service, maintenance, or repair stop in or call John and Corky's Automotice Specialist to fill your needs. If you need to diffuse an automotive "marital hand grenade"..lol... contact them, I am sure that they can do that also!

I just got my car inspected there this morning. It was quick and easy. I was in and out right away. I've found a new place to bring my cars and it's great that they're open on Saturdays!

What a great feeling to find a mechanic that you can trust. What an even better feeling when you're a female. Somehow it's the nature of the business to rip people off and women get the worst of it just because they can get away with it. JC Auto is so much better than that. First experience with them was so great. My husband took my car in and told them to call me with the info later. They were honest and up front about all the information. They explained what options I had and what they would cost as well as why. I could do a less expensive fix, ie. a rebuilt starter instead of a new one, and what that could entail down the road. The second visit was to replace an item that we thought needed it based on the car's mileage. The guys explained that it is not something that needs to be done on that particular car. Every time we take a vehicle there, the people are honest and upfront about what needs to be done and what doesn't. They do the work in a reasonable time frame. Just dropped of a car this morning and the place has lots of business but I am confident they will get it back to us tomorrow if possible.