Yates Automotive

I needed some new tires and front suspension work and was quoted a high price, but since I know that kind of work is expensive and I’m not a mechanic I gave the OK and the car was ready that night. When I paid the bill it was more than $ 250 over the quote.
So my beef: I felt like a chump for not asking them to breakdown the exact costs before telling them to do the work, which seems to be very good (the car doesn’t shake anymore) and am disappointed that they were so far over the estimate and didn’t bother to call me to outline the difference for routine work.
I knew they were expensive from my neighbors so even though I am out $ 2000 what I would have wanted Is a call telling me it would be more than %5 over the quote. I wanted to keep my money in the community and am willing to pay more for that.
So 5 stars for the work, 1 star for the communication. Next time I’ll get a step by step breakdown.

This company takes advantage of women and unknowledgable people.
I went to get my oil changed and my tire pressure checked. They charged me 100 bucks and told me that they handled everything. I got in my car and noticed that the tire pressure light was still on. When I asked them, they said the light would go off in 15 miles. I drove over 200 miles and got it checked because the light was still on. My tires were still like 5 lbs under their required pressure. My lack of knowledge about cars was completely taken advantage of and I won’t ever be going back.
They also quoted me at 475 dollars to replace my front breaks. After some research, I learned it was a 125 dollar job. Crooks.

Yates is the only place i bring my car. John is so helpful and had a great ass!

Update: After reading my review John Yates called me back this past week end and apologized profusely for they way he handled my situation last week. He admitted that while an unfortunate series of events (being unexpectedly short-​staffed among other things) led to my car not being ready in time, it was no excused for the way the issue was (not) communicated to me and they way II was treated. He also offered to make it up to me by doing everything I had suggested they could have done to make up for their mistake. I am revising my rating up to three star because at the end of the day, they did decent work on the car, and though I didn’t expect it at all based on my earlier interaction, John Yates did take the time to read my review and come back to me with solutions, showing professionalism in the end. I do appreciate this and I am planning to go back for my next car job.

These guys were so helpful and kind helping me deal with my tires in the freezing rain! I would definitely go here again for any car trouble.

Overpriced and slow! Took them a day to install one tire and perform an oil change. Not to mention I had to call the shop to see if my car was ready being they never called me. Also, they are seriously overpriced! I was charged $ 150 for a tire and after calling around to other local shops the price was around $ 90 for new and $ 40 for used with installation included. Never again!!!

These people are always top notch service, especially Leonard! Always extremely courteous and professional and nothing else but.

My jeep wouldn’t start and so I had it towed to Yates Automotive. They did a great job and my car runs great! I also wanted to have the car detailed. The work done is simply amazing, it looks better than ever. Thank you!

I stopped by to put air in my tires. After trying to get a decent reading on my first tire, a lovely tech came over and asked if I would like some help. I was so very happy to take him up on the offer. He quickly filled my tires and made sure that they were at the proper pressure. What I saw that day was a level of customer service you don’t see much anymore. I will definitely patronize this business for other services in the future.

Leonard at Yates Automotive is the reassurance man! My Jeep Wrangler was smoking and he took very well care of me. He just took my info. gave me the keys to loaner car with a full tank of gas, and said, «We’ll call you in a few hours».
It was super easy and I was stressed trying to get back to Richmond in time for my class (VCU).
When I came back 30 minutes later, the car was fixed and ready.
He fixed up my radiator and only charged me for a check up. (About $ 80
He offered to give me a car wash and interior clean-​up, but I was in a rush back to school.
When he saw how happy I was to have the car back in time to make it to class (hour and a half away), he said I could’ve taken the loaner car if I really needed to. I couldn’t even believe it.
I highly recommend this place. They’re extremely loyal compared to the smaller shops where you’d think you’d get a better price.
No. Go here and talk to Leonard!

I have been taking my car to Yates for the past 5 years. It seems that recently there has been a turnover in the folks who work there. Yates used to be one of the most affordable shops in town. Their prices have skyrocketed, I have spent almost 2,500 dollars there in the last two visits. I got charged 165 dollars twice for two diagnostic sessions, that only determined one issue. I still like their service, and they are very attentive to the customer but they have just become too expensive. I will be taking my car other places in the future. I also see that their rating on Unilocal has dropped as well, no coincidence there. They used to be 5 stars for Alexandria.

A recent Sunday night, I find my car won’t start. Although a shade tree mechanic, my work schedule doesn’t afford me the time to fix. I tow it to Yates as it was the closest location to my house and the reviews seemed mixed (I was new to the area) so I gave them a try.
I’ll spare the gory details but I initially had some communication issues with them keeping me up to date. The fix was not going to be a quick one due to electrical issues that werent necessarily straight forward. Unfortunately the dealership had to get involved and the comms issues kind of got worse. I did get the car back fixed after a prolonged wait (although I went through the daily details that led to the final fix and yeah, lots of other entities involved which added up to the final day count).
Although not completely happy how things shook out, the leadership at Yates (to include the owner) recognized this issue and appropriately amended the cost and provided other compensations. I’ve worked with many car repair shops and the manner in which Yates realized the mess that my situation had become and appropriately compensated was second to none (ie I’ve never had a business basically say, you name the price. That does not mean anyone can go in there and demand an unreasonable price. Now I did follow the parts and price of what was replaced and the hours spent on my car but there recognition speaks to their thoughts on the customer… they come first).
Yes, I know their rates are higher than most and that will probably keep me from coming there for all repairs. But I will definitely look to use their service for many other situations. Their rates do reflect the qualifications of their work staff. They have many master technicians on staff (unfortunately no Jeep ones). Ask them if they have a guy for your make of car? Not that not having one is a non starter but take it into consideration.

I took my car in for a state inspection, and it passed as expected. But what I didn’t expect was to get my cat back hand washed and vacuumed. It was very clean and even smelled new again. All that on a $ 16 tab. I’ll definitely go back.

I’ve been there twice since I purchased my car. Once for an inspection and yesterday for an oil change there yesterday. They gave a complimentary car wash and vacuum both times. Their service is always excellent. Yesterday I met Toby and she was great. She has a Challenger as well and was super friendly and helpful as I waited for my car.

I took my car to Yates Automotive in Alexandria, VA back in September 2013, it was a great experience. I used them a few more times and didn’t think anything of it saying they would never rip me off. I WAS TOTALLY WRONG.
WOMEN, DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR TO YATES,
I guess they have been sorely ripping me off over the past couple years and I was naïve, until I encouraged my girlfriend to take her car there last week. They charged her $ 1500 for something they could not find the problem for, and lied to her in the interim about her car being fixed and it was not.
This made me read everything on their invoice (a lot of us don’t do that because as women we think they are so nice, they will not rip us off)
Please people. do not think the dealers are more expensive (they are not, its a myth)
They charged me $ 149 three times for that one day to put my car on the diagnostic machine. They charged me $ 2,000 for a 90,000 miles maintenance. This was an expensive lesson because I am now comparing what they did to my car to the maintenance schedule from the NISSAN dealer and the cost from the dealer was just under $ 800. They charged just under $ 50 to replace a license plate light bulb (I did not even ask them to do that).
They got me good, maybe have been getting me real good over the past couple years but no more.
The lesson learnt RESEARCH and don’t think if someone is nice to you they would not rip you off, especially as a female.

I highly recommend Yates Automotive.
My wife got a nail in her run flat tire, so we called a few places looking for a replacement. Yates was able to get the tire much faster than any of the other shops. Their price was clearly stated and comparable with other shops. The biggest thing that impressed me was the service. The office was friendly and flexible with our weekend schedule. The work was done in a timely manner, and they even hand washed and vacuumed the car, which was an unexpected surprise.
This was my first time using Yates Automotive, but they will be my go to shop in the future.

I stopped in unannounced to have my TPMS transferred from old wheels and tires to the new ones. They were done by about 1:30 I didn’t pick it up until 4:30, where was my Jeep?! It was being meticulously CLEANED! What?! Yes, not only do they have the best customer service, when the job is complete they take the time to clean your car for you!
I got my jeep back with new wheels and tires and a healthy dose of new car smell, I felt like I was picking up a brand new car!!!
Long story short I can’t recommend this place enough.

I enjoyed one of the best customer service experiences I can remember at Yates Automotive. I had a minor issue with a tire; not a very profitable repair for them.
Yet I was blown away with their operation. I live 30 minutes away and I will be bringing my car in for regular service going forward. I don’t see this level of customer care very often any more!

This is an update. Jason Yates contacted me after he saw my Unilocal review (which must have taken some serious sleuthing to figure out exactly who I was) to personally apologize for my poor experience. I thought that was a really classy and wise move for a businessman. He also said that there was a «billing error» with their part, and that I was charged about $ 150 more for the part than I was supposed to be. He promptly sent me a check for the overcharged amount along with a gift certificate for a free oil change. He denies that the labor was over charged, saying that my car (which wouldn’t start right before the tow over there) started when the tech looked at it and that made it difficult to diagnose. I believe that the tech may have told him that, but I don’t know if I believe that is what actually happened.
I greatly appreciate his efforts to fix this. He was incredibly apologetic, and very kind and professional on the phone. I am still feeling weary about possible «billing errors» in the future, and their labor rates are much higher than other mechanics in the area, so I’m on the fence about going back there. We’ll see how the free oil change goes in a few months and I suppose I’ll decide then.
Side note: during our phone conversation, he told me that the employees there are paid well and receive benefits, which really does make a difference for me. If I decide to continue doing repairs there, the employee treatment will be one of the biggest reasons

As a lifelong Alexandria resident, I have a short list of places I consider unofficial landmarks of this fine city. Yates is one of them. In no particular order, here are a few reasons why:
1. They have earned my trust over the years. Having a car serviced can be a headache, but Yates has always taken care of my cars without any issues or funny business that some other places or dealers try.
2. They’re great neighbors. Seriously. compare almost any other gas station in Alexandria to Yates. Most gas stations don’t decorate for holidays or keep up fabulous landscaping. Yates does, and it adds a touch of class if you ask me.
3. Did you see what that corner looked like before they built Yates Corner? Enough said.