New Amber Auto Svce

Like other reviews, this new guy is a scam. My father was a loyal customer until the owner changed 2 – 3 years ago.
William told us we didnt pass inspection because our rotor were rusted. $ 300 to replace it. I did a quick search and also asked another mechanic, both confirmed that unless the rotors were warped (which rarely happens) then rust on the rotors dont affect braking.
Don’t be fooled, take your time and money to another shop.

I wasn’t going to write this but, went to a different shop this afternoon (my review
) and wanted to say something.
I’ve been a long time customer to Joe, the previous owner since the 1990s but stopped going.
A few years ago, I received a notice fm the state saying my inspection was long passed due.
No sir, I’d three more months left on the sticker.
But DMV insisted that they had no record of it and asked me to fax the receipt over to prove my innocence.
I never thought of keeping one. I went to the shop — New Amber Auto Svce in Flushing and they said, looking thought all the records — each month they do a few thousand of inspections — was impossible. Make the story short, I did an inspection immediately here and didn’t go back again.
Different owner, different management and different attitude.

just went there today and a couple of times before, as long as you get there on a slow part of the day the service is great & I think he’s an honest guy, he’s to busy to try and pull a fast one

Inspection time again! My bearings were shot. Reasonable price. William will explain what you can put off for later. I wouldn’t trust the chain stores to give me a upfront answer.
Joe, the previous owner left this shop in good hands. Thanks Will!

ML’s review of New Amber Auto hit everything on the nail. I’m hearing there’s a new owner now. The old owner, Joe Vee, was a crook. Everything ML stated was exactly my experience as well. The yearly inspection turned into a $ 400 nightmare scam. Work was shoddy and I often needed to return. I haven’t gone to New Amber in over 10 years, and will never return.

I used to go there for maintenance and annual check for my vehicle and the employees are nice and friendly. Right now since the boss has changed, they are so rude and price went up a lot. Meanwhile, they always request to change or fix some parts not even need to. All in all, everything changed here except the name. So disappointed. Not recommend at all!!!

I have been going to this place for 8 years. I always thought they were honest and offered good prices. I found out that when they did my timing belt and water pump that it was installed incorrectly and it was leaking. I started noticing every time I did something there something else seemed to break. They saw that my inspection sticker was almost up and said I needed to change my entire exhaust system for $ 2000+ just for parts. I took it to another place and got everything fixed for $ 300.
If you bring your own parts and just pay for labor then its reasonable. But, I don’t think you should buy any parts from them. They order you the parts and then may charge you way over the cost and come up with some excuse as to why so expensive. (IE, something cost them $ 65, he said it was $ 180) I saw the receipt so no BS here. If you have work done, I wouldn’t just wander around flushing thinking its free parking either… I would watch.

I have been going to this auto mechanic for 30 years. Joe Vee, the previous owner, was very good in his prices and quality of repair. However, he has retired, and the new manager, William, and his crew are horrible!!! I spent over $ 4,000 for various repairs and I found that each time, his crew would put install water pump or radiator hoses incorrectly, leading to other problems. They are slow (that held my car for 3 weeks, and 1 week) and when I got my car, it was dirty and full of soot. Do not come here at all costs. I was a loyal customer for 30 years with the old owner but with the new owners, I will not be returning again.

Joe is an honest mechanic /​owner. He will price you out the work before he does it. He lets you buy the parts and he charges you the labor. I have been going to him for years and I am a satisfied customer!
I recommend his auto shop!

THIS PLACE IS A SCAM!
This was the first mechanic I went to and all my cars at that point have been +10 years old so I didn’t know any better. Joe is the owner and when you bring your car in, he cuts you off while you’re describing the problem to him. He nods and acts like he knows exactly what’s wrong with your car. Next thing you know, you’re hit with a $ 500 bill for parts that you probably didn’t need fixed/​replaced. He always tells you that you NEEDED to replace a part but you wouldn’t know unless you were a car expert yourself.
On top of that, almost every time I’ve taken my cars to him, I always had to return 2 – 3 weeks later because something else went wrong. At the time, I thought maybe my cars were just old and brittle. But then I changed mechanics and found that it WAS possible to fix my car in 1 visit… and I didn’t need to make visits every 2 – 3 weeks to fix something else. I fully believe that New Amber purposely sabotages your car so you need to return.
I’ve since gone to Isaac Auto Repair (3417 College Point Blvd Flushing, NY 11 354) and I’ve been 100% satisfied ever since. Isaac honest — no more mysterious breakdowns, no unanticipated charges, and NO SABOTAGE!

!!! WARNING !!! go at your own risk!

I brought in my car to fix some dents/​scratches because this place HAD good reviews here (it’s strange that some of their higher ratings disappeared???). When I got my car back, they did a good job with the dents and painting no doubt, BUT, I checked the meter and they drove it for 2.9 miles for some reason, and a lot of WHITE SMOKE came out from the exhaust. I went back the following week and asked him what’d happened, he brushed me off and said that they didn’t drive it, and the smoke was nothing serious, just change the oil blah blah blah…
I did some research and the white smoke CAN be a bad/​serious sign. Going to take my car somewhere else to take a look and I won’t let this case rest until something’s resolved. Please stay tuned…

We have been using this car shop for more than a decade, they are the best in NY area. From Toyota to BMW, from body work or major mechanic problems, they could do all, very reasonable price and reliable service. Our X5 recently had loud noise when turns, Mr. Vee looked and told us that he can fix it, indeed he did it at the price much much lower than dealers. Highly recommended.

Joe is the most reasonable mechanic you would ever find in NYC.

I’ve been going to Joe for over 25 years. Most mechanics are notorious for being unscupulous, charging exorbitant rates and creating phantom repairs. Or if you go to a dealership, it is guaranteed price shock. You will not encounter these unpleasantries here. Fair, honest and straightforward is what you get. And yes, competent serivce, too, The more complicated or esoteric repair like my A/​C control unit for the BMW was a challenge. He could not fix it. But run of the mill repairs are absolutely no problem. The only drawback is the location. It is maddening hectic and parking the car is stressful. Even getting Joe’s attention is a task because he is inundated. But nonetheless worth the hassle.

I got owned by a pot hole and went there to fix a bent rim/​replace the tire. They kept the wheel overnight telling me they have to get the exact tire from another location, and that when I come back the rim would be fixed too.
The next day when I got the car back (my girlfriend picked it up and drove to my office on northern blvd)… The rim itself is still bent, and they added a whole round of scratch on it. The tire is new, but the Load index do not match my other 3 tires. (came with 91H, and they got me 89H)
So they charged me $ 120 for an none matching tire and ruined the rim even more. I would have just lived with the bent rim until lease return, now with all the scratches I had to replace it.
If you have a cheap/​banged up used Toyota that you just want it to run, go there and knock yourself out. Otherwise, they pay no attention to details and will only mess up your car even more.

This is my first review on Unilocal– I specifically signed up just so I could write this. A few weeks ago my transmission started acting up. I first took it to AAMCO who said that it would be about $ 1400 to rebuild. I’ve been going to New Amber for years now, so I took it in for Joe to have a look and get a second opinion. As soon as I told him the year of my RAV4, he was like, «there’s a recall! See if you’re eligible!» and dug out the paperwork for me to read. No estimate, no pressure to fix it at his shop. Long story short, I got the computer replaced by Toyota at no cost. All thanks to Joe, who saved me at the very least over $ 1500.
That’s the most recent experience. He gave me a fair estimate when I had to get body work done, and me trying to save money, went with the cheaper guy. Who ended up quoting me for the wrong part (hence the cheaper price), so the final cost was about what Joe had quoted me before.
The time before that, I had to replace my front bumper. When I got it back, he/​his guys had painted my hood which had been keyed up years ago at no extra charge. I’ve also gotten oil changes and brake lights replaced in a very reasonable amount of time and money.
Basically, he’s a fair, honest mechanic which is a hard find in the mean streets of New York City. Plus he looks like Mr. Miyagi, which my friend calls him, lol. With a face like that it’s hard not to trust him!

It doesn’t get any better than Joe Vee, the owner of this wonderful garage. I can’t recommend them highly enough! Seriously the best general auto service in the NYC area.
I live way out in Brooklyn and I take all my cars there. It’s well worth the drive for great service and a mechanic you can trust!

Great garage, owner, value and service. Actually the best. Just make sure you tell what you require they will not do any more than what is asked for

First off, Joe is the owner and he is the most honest mechanic I ever met in my life! Total oxymoron!!! I can’t believe there is only one review for Joe’s repair shop! He is the best and he doesnt over charge. I just go in, I don’t have to call ahead. He’s my hero!
How does that phrase go. you only need three things in life: a good lawyer, a good doctor and a good mechanic. I haven’t found the other two but Joe is the best mechanic ever. I can’t sing his phrases enough.
I LOVE YOU JOE!
Tell him I sent you, the girl with the gold Saturn. He’ll know who.
True it is located in a super congested place, near Main Street 7 subway station. Which makes it super convenient if he needs to hold on to your car. Another great advantage. while you wait there is so much good food in Flushing! Great location to wait and easy to escape. Perfect.

Joseph and I own the same type of car (FJ80) and he takes good care of my truck. The cost of service is economical as compared to dealer rates and Joesph gets stuff done right away with out appointments. It’s in a great location near Main Street station on the 7 line and in the heart of flushing — have a bowl of Phở or Dim Sum while you’re waiting.
However this place is for your every day beater not your garage queen.