Universal Motors

As shady as this place may look i wouldn’t take my car anywhere else. The first time I came here to get my timing belt chained they were the only place to tell me I don’t actually have a timing belt but a timing chain and it doesn’t need to get fixed. So he didn’t scam me and then proceeded to tell me my battery was on the verge of death and changed it in less than half a day. He was extremely honest and efficient. The 2^nd time I came here to get the wiring on my headlight looked at he did the diagnostic test and fixing for half the price of other competitors. This place is seriously the bomb. They aren’t here to take your money or fool you. I’m not going anywhere else from now!

I brought my truck in today to have the A/​C checked and I was so pleased with the work! It took a lot less time than I expected, cost less than he quoted me over the phone, and he’s just such a nice guy!
Two thumbs up. Definitely sending my family there the next time we have car trouble.

This man knows what he’s doing! The owner is the guy who does the work on your car and he is just an honest and good guy. He fixed up my sister’s Toyota 4 runner and it is like new! The car was in bad shape.. needed oxygen sensors, tune up, and all sorts of stuff changed up with the engine and he fixed it all up and charged way less than a dealership would have. Will definitely take all our cars there from now on. It is nice to have a mechanic who really knows what he is doing and doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for their labor. Definitely recommend!

Took my 2005 BMW X5 in for brake pads (both axles). David gave me a quote and stuck to it, no hassle. BMW quoted me $ 1300, David did them for $ 400. He bested Firestone, Goodyear, and Brake Check for over $ 100. He had it ready just after lunchtime. I will return for service, great place, David was a pleasure to work with!

Took my Honda Civic in to Universal Motors to get the clutch master cylinder replaced. ~4,000 miles later (about 11 months later), the clutch master cylinder failed again. Took it back to David and he diagnosed that air was in the line. He was going to charge me $ 60 to bleed the air out of the line, but I felt that it should have been covered under the warranty since I only drove the car ~4,000 miles. I discussed the charge with him and he got angry at me for requesting that it be covered under warranty. An hour later after discussing it with him, I ended up paying $ 50. 2 months later (~300 miles later), the clutch master cylinder failed again.
I bought a new clutch master cylinder at Autozone for $ 25 with lifetime warranty (David at Universal Motors charged me $ 130 for the part he installed) and replaced it myself. I bleed all the air out of the line, which only took me 10 minutes. David charged me $ 50 for a 10 minute job.
So far, it’s been 4 months and 2,000 miles later, the clutch feels great. Better than after David replaced it.
Long story short, David at Universal Motors over charged me for the part ($ 130 vs $ 25 from Autozone), over charged me for the labor ($ 50-​$ 60 for a 10 minute job), didn’t fix my clutch master cylinder and he didn’t honor his warranty.
This is the last time I will take my car (s) to David at Universal Motors. I would not recommend Universal Motors to any of my family and/​or friends.

This place is awesome.
I got my keys stuck in the ignition of the car and was super stressed out about it. I called them (on a Saturday) and asked if they would have time to fix it today and they said they did.
When I got there, the owner personally did the work for me (it was not easy, he’s a professional and it took him at least 10 min), but he got the key out. It was all bent, and he straightened it back out for me and explained to me that the key was made of low quality metal, and I should only use the Toyota made key for now, and get a new key made, out of harder metal. I was SO grateful to him.
Moreover, he didn’t charge me anything. You really can’t get better customer service that that.
To summarize:
–open Saturday
–awesome customer service
–gave really helpful advice on how to avoid same problem again

Best mechanic work — period. When my 2004 Exterra rolled over the 100K mark, I took it by there for a tune-​up. When I picked it up, Mr. Chong went over the work that was done and brought to my attention additional work that I would need. He informed me of things that needed priority and things that I could get by putting off for a while. He gave me an estimate of the top priorities. I checked out the quote with some mechanic friends and they all said that it was a fair price. I took my X back to Mr. Chong. It is my only transportation for a family of 4. His assistant, David (pronounced Dah-​veed) was able to replace all the belts, water pump, radiator, AND a new transmission gasket and fluids in 8 hours. I dropped it off on the way to work and picked it up after 5. Stellar service. The vehicle runs perfectly and there’s no anxiety that the timing belt could leave me stranded on the upper deck of I35 or the radiator (which had a leak) can’t withstand the triple digit heat this summer is dishing out! I fully expect to put on another 100K on this vehicle.
As far as I am concerned, David and David at Universal Motors are the only ones who I ever want under the hood of my X or any other vehicle I’ll have in the future.

I was referred to Universal Motors by several co-​workers. After going to a big name repair shop and receiving a $ 900+ estimate for some brake work, I decided to try this repair shop.
I had not told the owner that I’d already received an estimate. He looked at my vehicle, told me what was needed and gave me the estimate. The estimate was just over $ 300. I picked up the car at the promised pick up time and he went over in detail all the work that had been done. He only repaired what needed repairing and didn’t add on unnecessary parts and labor. He and his staff did an excellent job. The brakes work great and it feels like I have a new car.
I would definitely refer this shop to my friends.

Another five star review for Universal Motors. Next time the dealer gives you a list for repair check with David Chong. You may not need the work and you will save money on the needed repairs. David only makes needed
repairs. His pricing is great. The quality of the work is excellent.
Customer service this good is rare. Austin is very lucky to have David Chong and Universal Motors.

Yes, believe it, another awesome 5 star experience with Universal Motors. I know it sounds quirky — — I mean, how can anyone consistently exceed customer expectations every single time? Universal can, let me show you.
Aside from «Katrina» (my ’01 Silver Bullet) I also own an ’88 Toyota Supra Turbo named «Black Beauty». I bought her used in ’99 from my BFF after college graduation and moved her down to the TX heat from MI. If Paris Hilton ever had the privilege to ride in Black Beauty she’d definitely say «That’s Hot».
Fast forward a few years, I started having engine problems — when I used the A/​C the engine would overheat w/​in 20 min, that’s not good because now you’re talking about something serious. I eventually got used to driving w/​the windows open and no A/​C (yes, sweating like a pig). None of my friends wanted to ride w/​me in Black Beauty, we soon became loners, and we both took it personally. Like Paris says: «That’s Hot».
I did a lot of online research to diagnose the issue. Years ago before I discovered Universal Motors I took her to another local shop who directed me to take the expensive route: replace a bunch of parts and see what happens. So I paid them to overhaul my A/​C, install new radiator, hoses, and thermometer. The result: no change, the engine still overheats with the A/​C on. So after spending $ 2,500+ I got really upset at them and ranted: «WTF is wrong w/​my car!!!». Their response: «I don’t know». My response: «You suck!!». Paris would say: «That’s Not Hot».
I eventually upgraded and bought «Katrina», then let Black Beauty sit idle for a very long time, not sure what I would ever do with her. I thought about selling her, but the engine issue is a risk to any new owner, and I wouldn’t get that much for her. Not to mention, we are also emotionally attached. Yeah Paris, we’re hot.
Fast Forward 4 years, enter Universal Motors. After several consistently great experiences w/​David Chong for my Lexus I finally dropped BB off and told him my sappy story. He spent 5 min looking over the engine and tinkering w/​it and immediately finds the root cause: «you have a bad clutch fan, that’s about $ 85». What!!! Are you sure?!? «Yes, I’m very sure, but let me do a more thorough check just to be safe.
David did an extensive engine diagnosis and it turns out he was dead on — a new clutch fan fixed my engine overheating problem. I was shocked at how quickly Mr. Chong was able to correctly and accurately diagnose the problem, and all I could think about was how I wished I had found him sooner, but then again it’s better late than never. He took good care of Black Beauty, spent a lot of time on her, and also repaired a few other minor issues. Now she runs like a young black thoroughbred like she used to, beatin’ the hell outta Mustang Cobras and any Rice Burner who crosses our path. Our next project: a new coat of paint.
Forget Paris Hilton, Black Beauty hearts Universal Motors.

David Chong is the man! I won’t take my car anywhere else… I just noticed he fixed my license plate without charging (or even telling me about it.) It had been smashed after a girlfriend of mine tried to play bumper cars with my truck after a tubing trip. Give his place a shot.

My girl is an 11 year old RX300 Lexus and was in desperate need of her 90,000 mile service check up. Every morning, she whined when I started her and the «check engine» light had been on for about 10,000 miles. She had lost her get up and go. After calling the dealer and getting a $ 1700 estimate, I tried several other places who told me «at least» $ 1000.
Enter Chris M. who has written three reviews on David Chong, owner of Universal Motors. Yay for Unilocal friends! His reviews were very detailed and organized and at one point, he contacted Mr. Chong for me. So I decided to call Mr. Chong myself for a final quote. Around $ 579 plus tax without changing out the spark plugs. Yep. More than 60% less than the dealer. Plus Mr. Chong uses OEM (Original Equipment Manufactured) parts.
I think the 90,000 mile point was like menopause for her. She was leaking oil in one area, needed new belts (probably in a larger size since menopause can cause weight gain), and had other issues as well. Did you really expect me to use car repair terms? If you want those, read Chris M.‘s reviews.
When we returned to pick her up, David showed us photos of her unusual leakage. Poor girl. She was naked and stripped down. (I hope these don’t end up on the internet.) Her little engine was completely flushed, cleaned and fluids were replaced. It took one day for the work to be done.
Now my «Snow White» (we all name our cars, right?) is a very happy girl and has a «Prince Charming» for life in David Chong.