Mel’s Auto & Hardware

They repaired the fan on my wifes PT Cruiser last year for the tune of $ 500. I was really sad when it started going out again this summer. They repaired it again absolutely free under warranty. So rare to find honest repair people out there. Good job Napa!

They have helped me out of a pinch on a couple of occasions. One time it was even at no charge. I don’t get the impression that they would try to sell me something I didn’t need. So far, so good and would definitely use them again.

Recommended for car care & service, IF you don’t have to use their waiting room. The manager and service technicians are friendly and seem very knowledgeable. I had a simple oil change for my first & only experience there so far. For 6.5 qts it was $ 28.39, including tax, shop fees, etc. They did not recommend any other service — in fact, they gave my 2007 sedan a clean bill of health. They gave me a «Vehicle Inspection List» that showed all of my car’s fluids, tire pressure, and other things that were easy to inspect were all «green» (OK). Did not include brake or exhaust inspection.
The waiting room is UGH, dirty, smelly. It’s actually a corner carved out of the adjoining Napa Auto Parts store in the same building. You walk out of the tiny, cramped service office to the front door of the store, through the store, and to the little waiting area. It looks like a dirty, unkempt «man cave» with an older couch (might have been clean, but I wasn’t going to take a chance sitting on it) and three tall, wooden bar chairs, plus a little table and chairs for kids. There is a TV on a table.
The floor and table were littered with garbage, there were stains on the floor, and there was a very bad smell. Shoppers had to come right into the waiting area to get to one whole section of goods. Obviously nobody had been back there to clean or tidy up in days, if ever. Certainly wasn’t a welcoming space for customers, but since we only have one car, I didn’t have a choice. Fortunately the oil change only took 30 minutes, because I couldn’t wait to get out of that uncomfortable place.
The other thing you need to know is that access into and out of this place is really difficult. Granted I’m a cautious (maybe overly cautious) driver, so backing out of the cramped parking lot right onto a busy street is nerve racking for me. But that’s the only choice. You pull right into the bay from the street, then have to back right out onto the street. There is no room to turn around, and visibility can be a problem if other people are parked close to the street.