Smitty’s Auto Service

Sold me a car with the incorrect transmission. It’s going to cost me a lot of money and time to fix this ridiculous problem. Smitty swore to me the car was mechanically sound. Untrustworthy and did me dirty.

Not so much mechanics as parts replacers. They seem to lack some genuine diagnostic abilities. Pretty friendly people, although they tend to become a little irritated if you ask too many questions. Prices are competitive, but that only holds true if they fix the problem the first time. Will reserve final judgment until after I’ve been there at least one more time.

Smitty’s was the best! Driving north from Florida to upstate NY in a 2002 Saab with my mother-​in-​law and stopped in Gainesville for lunch. After lunch, our car wouldn’t start so I googled Saab service, Gainesville and found Smitty’s. i called right away, 2:30 pm and asked if they could help. They would be able to diagnose but probably not repair it until tomorrow. OK! i did get the car started, drove the 4 miles to Smitty’s, they diagnosed, gave me an estimate, ordered the part AND delivered us to a very nice, clean, inexpensive Gainesville hotel ALL by 4 pm! Car repaired by noon the next day, they retrieved us from the hotel, we paid the bill which was identical to the estimate and were on our way! Nicest people you could hope to meet and I can’t emphasize that enough! It turned out to be the crank position sensor and we have had no problems since. Thank you SO much to everyone at Smitty’s…you certainly made our day and trip!

How appreciative i am of Smitty and his crew! The service was excellent! Everyone was super friendly! Thank you so much!

Now it’s been near two years and I’m here updating this review, confirming that my brakes are working properly. Thanks, Smitty’s crew.
Last week my check engine light was on, and left mirror motor was down. So I came to the Smitty’s. Within a day they took care of the engine, at a reasonable price. Sadly the mirror had to be replaced and the estimate was above my budget. So Surinda helped me search and find a relatively low price on the internet. I ordered it and when it arrived I took it to the Smitty’s. While Mr. Smith referred me to a neighboring autobody service where I had my new mirror painted and installed, he offered me a free ride again. I suppose a free ride from the north to the far south town on days when gas price goes up crazy was something worth applause and appreciation. Besides, the real life story about Mr. Smith is truly touching and inspiring.
To the Smitty’s — my GO-​TO auto service.

Hey Smitty — A while ago you guys put a timing belt in my black Phaeton for a GREAT DEAL. The dealer acted like they didn’t want to touch it and had to call me back to tell me whether they could even work on it. Smitty personally drove me across town to the outskirts of Archer Rd and was really kind. They finished in one day and the car was great. Unfortunately, I moved back to Jacksonville and the car is now sold (biggest mistake in history). If I ever get another Phaeton (or VW-​derived Bentley) I will definitely make the drive to Smitty’s.

Smitty’s is legit ya’ll, but I know all of these 5 star reviews are leading you down a path of doubt and worry. Or maybe that is just my skepticism.
My 03 Dodge Stratus was giving me a real fit with the AC which is just not even negotiable in June in Florida. So thanks to Unilocal,I took it here. They told me it (condenser and oil change) would be done within a day, so when I came at 5 and was told it wasn’t, but that also my water pump was leaking and needed to be replaced I was a little irked. Not that I had to replace the part, just that I hadn’t been called earlier and had to organize a ride out here.
Note: They mention shuttle service, but when I was offered a ride they acted kinda inconvenienced by the suggestion due to the fact that I live kinda far away, so I declined.
So onto the next day, I call around 3:30 and yet again it’s still going to be another day. Moral of the point here is that it took about 3 days to do the repairs and I kind of felt like I was calling so much to see if they were done that I was nagging them. The prices were very fair, even lower than other shops, and Smitty gave me a $ 40 new customer discount.
Now I need to buy a sweater for how chilly my air conditioning blows and I will be taking my car back here. I just think they could use better communication within the shop for people who need constant reassurance, so that they aren’t mooching rides off of people for an indefinite amount of time. I just don’t have that many friends to begin with for this to stretch out past 3 days!

I was very impressed with Smitty’s. My son, who’s a freshman at UF and new in town, needed an alternator for his ’05 Corolla. Hey, that’s what parents are for, right? I called Smitty’s, and they gave me a quote of $ 225 (vs. $ 500+ at Aersi). And what friendly people over the phone! We ended up taking it to Pep Boys for $ 60 more because we wanted the lifetime warranty on the part. But next time we’ll probably go to Smitty’s!

One of Best Mechanic I used… Ever !!

These guys are VW specialists. If you’re having trouble finding a shop to repair & maintain your older model VW this the place for you! Honest & fair. They repair & maintain newer vehicles as well. They are also a great source for parts if you want to do it yourself!