Neal’s Garage

Neal’s garage provided speedy and excellent service and made sure to keep me updated with everything that was going on with my car as well as the parts that had to be ordered, and not to mention the awesome customer service and low prices! I would definitely recommend and will certainly be a repeat customer!

Lost my trust. Recommended tire rotation for brand-​new tires with 100 miles on them. Quoted me $ 290 to install a battery that would be $ 120 less elsewhere. I’m going to take a guess that many of the neighborhood folk and students who enthusiastically recommend Neal’s for years have not bothered looking around for alternatives. I’ve used them myself for years. They’ve never done an inadequate job. But I don’t trust them anymore.

Neal’s Garage always does a great job whenever I am having car troubles. I have visited several times and been helped by Marshall each time. He is always very professional and helpful and able to find time to fit me into their busy schedule. In terms of price, quality, and speed, this is the place to take your car in Durham. Marshall is very honest about what services I needed and gives me a reasonable price. I will definitely take my car here for all maintenance needs in the future!

I’ve been taking my Honda hybrid to Neal’s for two years, and they have provided consistently outstanding service and communication. They have a discount for Dukies, and loaner cars if you need one. I go there for everything – oil changes, inspections, tires, and big things like hybrid battery issues, etc. Sometimes, when they have my car for a lot longer than anticipated, I get it back… washed and vacuumed! I highly recommend them.

DO NOT RECOMMEND!!! Went in for a diagnostic check. Was told sure they had time for that. So after and hour went back was then told it would be 3 to 4 hours before they could even look at it. The man that «waited» on me was a complete jerk as well. I asked him so where is my car and says to me, with his back to me, oh I don’t know maybe on the other lot. I had to walk around and look. For my car on a loathing lot across the street. The worst customer service. So glad I didn’t have them do any work.

Whenever my car needed repairs, I used to have my dad– a car nut– call and talk to the mechanic to make sure I wasn’t being taken advantage of. Those days are over since I found Neal’s, a truly trustworthy garage. Their service is always prompt and informative. Now my husband, who is also very knowledgable about cars, and I are both devotees. Chris and Marshall are the best. They are perennially friendly, informative, and prompt, and I always leave happier than when I came in.

First off, as a female student, you can imagine the many opportunities mechanics have to take advantage of us, but at Neal’s you’re actually made a part of the process in the sense that Chris and Marshall literally go step by step in the «your car issue» process. They lay out your options with regards to what repairs are absolutely necessary to get you back on the road and what repairs you should either prepare yourself for or expect based on the diagnostic report. Their assessment also includes labor costs, parts costs and time costs, did i mention– loaner cars!!! Cute white Fiats! In addition, Neal’s is internet ready with repairs available for live viewing online. I drive an Audi so a student discount is extremely helpful and appreciated, my oil change– less than $ 30.00. Oh did I add that, right across the street is Bull City Carwash which means that within reason, they’ll have your car washed and vacuumed upon completion.
Neal’s is the friendly folks team in that they make themselves available to the customer. They understand student life and will drop you off to class and service your car especially if you have 5 minutes to spare. There have even been times where I’ve been struck with a migraine or deadline and they will pick up my car and drop it back off, that also includes the loaner car. I heart this place and they never forget a customer.
Disclaimer: I have a 2001, Audi A6 (more frequent visits to a mechanic than the average car) and I also live 4 blocks from Neal’s (convenient to pick up and drop off), and I asked a lot of questions.
Try Neal’s and let them give you a reason to expect much less from a neighborhood mechanic.

I had the «check engine oil» light come on in my car, a BMW X5 2006, so I went and asked the mechanics there what I should do. Initially they were going to do a full oil replacement and charge me, but I called my mechanic back in Dallas, and he said that meant it just needed filling up with oil. So as they were filling it up, I asked if it was the 5w30 synthetic oil that is needed for the car (synthetic is better and lasts longer) and the apathetic attendant responded, «Yeah, it’s the right oil.» I pressed him, and asked «So it’s synthetic oil?» to which he responded «Oh, no it’s not synthetic, but it’s fine.»
The oil put in every car that asks for an oil topoff is supposed to be synthetic. Shitty customer service, and a willingness to take advantage of someone who doesn’t know a lot about cars. I won’t go here again.

When offered the chance to have a new customer for life (or at least a long time), this garage opted instead to try for a rip off — right out of the gate!
When I asked them to quote for a regular service on a Volvo XC70, they informed me (after a 90 minute wait) that all it would need was new spark plugs. Huh? And that the plugs alone would cost $ 225. (By the way, folks, plugs for XC70 cost $ 65, labor included).
Good try, Neal’s, but not this time, Not. Ever.

I took my car to Neal’s when it started overheating. The location was perfect since I could just walk to East campus and catch the bus for school. I left my car while I was at school, and they were finished working on it by the time I went home. It was a pretty easy fix, and the price for parts and labor was very reasonable. I even got a student discount, which is always helpful.
I appreciated that the people at Neal’s were very straightforward with me and didn’t try to sell me on a hundred other things that needed work. They just solved my problem in the simplest way possible and sent me on my way. I’ll definitely be back if (heaven forbid) the olé Subaru starts acting up again.

** I have included an update below
I’m a first time car owner who recently bought a pre-​owned 2003 Chevy Blazer Extreme.
1) Neal’s garage offers a pretty good pre-​purchase car inspection FOR FREE. that’s incredibly useful because every other garages charge anywhere from $ 60 to $ 120. It’s always good to be saving some when you’re already spending a bunch of cash. They’re also super understanding: I had scheduled a whole bunch of appointments, and ended up cancelling or postponing them because the various sellers were real flakey. Chris was very very understanding about that.
2) Post-​inspection, Chris gave a very detailed run down of the potential costs of maintaining the car. This included how much of the tire was left, how much of the brakes were left, and any other issues he found. He provided a rough estimate of the costs of these replacements down the road, and recommends how you can use that to reasonably negotiate the price of the pre-​owned car. that was HUGE for me because it allowed me to figure out the additional costs on top of what I was paying for the car.
3) Now being a first time owner, I’m not sure about costs, but I had to fix a leaking intake gasket and a ABS/​parking brake light that was on. The intake gasket, being labor-​intensive to repair, cost a high $ 700 for parts and labor. Chris mentioned that the brake lights were likely due to the sensors, which would cost approx $ 300. However, he mentioned that because for this car the sensors were bolted onto and part of the entire hub assembly, he would recommend changing the entire hub assembly. (he did explain there it is very possible that the faulty sensors might simply be an indication of some faults/​issues with the entire hub assembly, so replacing the sensors alone might lead to more repairs down the road anyway.) now THAT costs approx $ 1100 for parts and labor. That’s a lot of money.
I called up a few other garages, and got many SIGNIFICANTLY CHEAPER quotes on the same work. NOW, having said that, I was also told by a ton of other car owners that Neal’s Garage’s workmanship and parts used are always top notch, so it really depends on how much you are willing to pay for quality.
In any case, I went online and found that the ABS light coming on was a common problem with my car, and it was almost always due to the sensors alone, so I decided to take the risk and save almost $ 800 bucks, and replace the sensors only and see how that turns out. I figured that if it’s fine after, I save $ 800 and feel good about myself, and if it breaks down after, at least I can be reassured that the guys at Neal’s Garage really know their stuff. I do wish I knew enough about the industry and cars in general to figure out if replacing the entire hub assembly was legitimately a great recommendation, or something to get me to pay for more work. But alas I’m a total noob
4) They have a webcam service for you to watch your car while it’s being serviced (looking at it right now!)
5) They ALWAYS call to give a confirmed quote before starting work. So none of that bait and switch business in terms of fixing your stuff up and then telling you that they are gonna suddenly charge you more because of «expected difficulty» or things like that.
6) They’re right off 9^th street, which has a ton of restaurants and cafes. If you’re scheduled for a decently short service for a couple of hours, you can easily burn time having a meal, coffee or just doing work at the café.
Gonna be picking up my car later today, so I’ll see if they’re punctual in terms of the promised service time, and probably a couple of weeks from now I’ll update this to reflect on quality of workmanship and if any old problems resurface.
*** UPDATE:
So couple hours after I said I’d take my chance a go for just the ABS sensor change, Chris called me up to inform me that he had made a mistake in the quotation for the full hub assembly change. It was actually 600+ for changing both the font hubs. Seemed like a honest mistake, so I decided to go ahead and change the hubs too.
Whilst changing the intake gasket, the mechanic also found that one of my engine mount was broken, and suggested that I replace that for close to 300. After doing a quick search online and finding out that it’s actually a critical component to change, I’ll be doing that too (this is turning out to be an incredibly expensive repair spree eh?).
I was also told that my car would be ready by the end of the day (they close at 5:30pm), but I ended up waiting to slightly past 6pm. That’s both a good and bad thing though. Bad because, well, it was late. BUT it was good (and this is more impt to me) because at least you know that they really try to get your car out ASAP as promised, even if it meant staying open past their operation time.
There is something huge that’s sticking out right now, but I’m gonna wait till I meet with them again. Will definitely want to post that update by the end of this week.

I’ve been going to Neal’s Garage regularly since I moved into their part of Durham. I have a high mileage BMW (over 120K miles) but they have helped keep it in good shape. They are certified to do BMW repairs and I actually trust them more than Performance BMW in Chapel Hill (due to bad experience that I had there).
Most of my visits have been for routine maintenance but there have been a couple of car issues that were more difficult to diagnose and fix. Luckily the BMW has been more manageable than my wife’s Audi TT. When my wife’s car had strange issues they did their best to find the cause and I blame Audi for the delay more than Neal’s.
Their tire prices are competitive (I could probably order online for a little cheaper but I prefer building a relationship with my local business). Plus, they sometimes get my car washed at Bull City Car Wash across the street which is awesome.
As for oil changes, they are also priced competitively. I usually drop off my vehicle in the morning and pick it up at lunch because that works with my schedule. Other people wait at the shop during the oil change.
The shop seems very clean and modern. They even have an electric vehicle charging station and they have gotten special training to work on hybrid/​electric vehicles.
All of the staff are very friendly and they get to know you and your vehicle. I’m very fortunate to have this place within walking distance of my house. If you don’t live as close by then it is still worth the drive.

Really nice guys and they do the work quickly. For an oil change, it is the place to go. (Especially with the Duke student discount.)
But they miss things. When I take my car in for an oil change, I’ve asked for them to check it over and they rarely find anything. But when I take it to a family friend when I am back home who I completely trust, he will tell me that I need new tires or that the brakes should have been changed.

I noticed a delay in the start-​up of my car, and so I took it by Neal’s. I was pretty sure it was just the battery, but wanted to double check. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, however, I feel extremely ripped off. It took close to two hours for them to test my battery (I understand they may have been busy). They then quoted me something around $ 137 for the battery and labor (about 10 minutes). That is all fine, i knew it was going to be more expensive to have it done at a shop. They were going to have to go out and pick up the battery, and as i was on a tight schedule, I told them I would have to come back the next day. Everything was fine until they told me I needed to pay for the diagnostic. $ 50 dollars for them to run a little battery test which takes only a few minutes. I paid the $ 50 dollars, and decided I would just purchase and install a new battery myself.
I went to auto zone, and the man assisting me was extremely helpful. He did a quick battery test (for free!), and then told me that my old battery was still under warranty, and exactly where I could go to have it replaced (for free!). Anyway, I will not be throwing any more money away at Neal’s.

So, the wife’s car won’t start. No problem! You say to yourself, «I know how to use jumper cables. Besides, using them is an excellent opportunity to prove my worth as a man.» What’s that? It’s raining? You’re no longer as eager to get to work on jumpstarting the dead Yaris but you’re still reasonably into it. Crap. The car STILL won’t start? Maybe it’s the alternator? Should I set it ablaze in a plume of insurance fraud-​tinged glory?
Easy now. You have GEICO roadside assistance. What’s that? Your top o’ the line GEICO policy DOESN’T have roadside assistance and the new AAA membership you signed up for doesn’t kick in until the morning? No big deal. Just wait until it stops raining and try again in the morning.
The morning is upon you. You’ve just come in from a run, for whatever reason you have car keys on you, and you decide to give the jump another shot. Success! Ah, but wait! It sounds like the battery is going to die. Better drive to Neal’s Garage. Not so fast. You have your car keys but not your wallet.
Wallet in hand, you speed down Markham to Neal’s Garage where you learn that, despite most of the techs being offsite for training, the remaining tech will in fact give your vehicle the once over. Several hours later and for about $ 50 more than you would have expected, the Yaris is up and running, your wallet is a bit lighter, and spousal harmony has been restored.

I needed to get air filter changed on my Nissan Altima. I called in on a Monday and was told that it would cost $ 25 and take one hour. I said that is great because I would not have to leave the car for long. I get there and it takes them 2.5 hours to replace a filter when I asked for updates I was told it was harder than they expected. I then go to cash out and they charge me $ 68 because the labor took over an hour. The cashier denied quoting me $ 25 for the job. This place is a scam. I have never experienced a bait and switch like this in my life. I also have serious reservations about their mechanics skills if they believe changing a cabin air filter is hard.

I have a love-​hate relationship with my car. Being in multiple loaners and rentals over the last couple of weeks made me realize, even more, how much I appreciate her design, pick-​up, and responsiveness. However: she is needy. And has already demanded lots of TLC in the short time I’ve owned her.
So, I visit Neal’s more than I’d like to. At first, it was just basic oil changes. Then, a check engine light that wouldn’t turn off, even after having it serviced. Followed by some shoddy tires that needed replacing. Waking up the next day to find two of the brand new tires flat (broken valve stems). And most recently, towing the car in because of a stalling issue, that wasn’t resolved after having it looked at once earlier.
Here’s why Neal’s gets my upgrade to an ultimate 5 stars. They may not know exactly what’s wrong right off the bat; but they are dedicated to solving the problem, and doing it as efficiently as they can. When my stalling issue took longer to troubleshoot and repair than expected, Chris went out of his way to offer a loaner car. And when that car had to be returned, he actually loaned me his PERSONAL vehicle. That’s customer service that’s above and beyond (especially considering the curb rash I know they’ve seen on my car! [Oops]).
When I got my car back, it had been driven out to 540 to ensure it was running right, and given a car wash. They had also taken care of filing the warranty claims. Moreover, Chris and other Chris (Little Chris? Chris Jr?), are polite, professional, patient (believe me – I called them about a bazillion times, and when I wasn’t doing that, I was making my hubby drop in and pester with questions), and really seem to care about getting me back on the road safely. They’re kind of like the car-​savvy uncle and cousin I never had!

Brought my Ford Explorer in for an alignment since my tires were wearing unevenly and I just purchased a new set. Charged me the full amount for only setting the tow. The explorer doesn’t have an adjustable camber (which was my problem).
When my new tires starting wearing unevenly, I checked under the vehicle myself and saw that all 4 ball joint boots were torn and appeared to have been for a long time.
You would think that the mechanic would have mentioned that but then again he didn’t speak much English. The owner just sat up front answering the phone and chatting to a friend. Never did supervise or check the work that was done on my car.
Bottom line is that the car needed front end work but they took some quick money for a useless alignment.

Finding an automotive place that doesn’t dilute information because you have two X chromosomes seems as rare as finding a doctor that spends more than three distracted minutes talking to you.
I usually go to my dealership, which is great but is so impossibly busy you can’t get an oil change in less than two hours. I decided to head to Neal’s for a change. Best. Change. Ever.
I went for 120k service and an inspection. The service is great; they check everything any other place would check, but ONLY REPLACE WHAT NEEDS REPLACING. Instead of the $ 400+ price quoted by other places, my bill for the service was about $ 40. They also helpfully and clearly explained a couple other issues I asked them about, and fixed those, plus took it for a drive to try diagnosing something.
Anyway, I went to the basement of a nearby coffee shop expecting to plug away at my to-​do list for half a day. An hour later, I got an email (!!! — because my phone was getting no reception in the basement of the coffee shop). It felt like a nice extra touch of service.
Everything was completed in about 1.5 hours, using top quality parts and service. Plus they invited me to come back for a follow-​up on the issues I took to them, and they’d take another test drive. It may not come with the complimentary car wash that my dealer offers, but hey, it was raining that day anyway. Plus, faster and absurdly more affordable?
You can bet I’ll be back.

I’ve never gone to an independent garage before, opting always to go to dealers for service and repairs. This time around, however, I figured that since my car is out of warranty anyway, I’d try somewhere local. Best. Decision. Ever.
Seriously, the service at Neal’s is great, and the location pretty much can’t be beat. I mean, where would you rather wait, in a crowded dealership filled with people who are bitter at the interminable wait in automotive limbo, or Elmo’s, Francesca’s, or any of the other places on 9^th Street? Heck, I could probably just walk home and wait there.
Furthermore, the service was completed in a timely fashion, and they are very accommodating. The next day I received a call from Chris just to check up on everything. I’ve never gotten that kind of personal attention at a dealership before, ever.