J & M Auto Service & Body Shop

These guys are the BEST! I’ve seen them twice for oil changes and small repairs, and was more than satisfied both times. They are so friendly and helpful. Mornings are very busy and parking is nuts, so go between 2−4pm if you can. Definitely five stars.

The folks at J&M Auto did a superb job repairing my 2006 Honda Civic after a collision in which another car hit my parked car in Columbia Heights. The damage was close to $ 4,000, which should give an idea of the amount of work needing to be done.
J&M worked closely with my insurance to provide an honest quote and cost of repairs. Additionally, they advised me that my break pads and rotors needed replacing on all four tires and got my insurance to pay for half the cost of the repair! For the part I had to pay for, they charged me for parts only and not labor costs. I really appreciated the effort they made to minimize the cost to me and have insurance absorb as much as possible.
My car looks brand new and they finished everything very quickly. I would highly recommend J&M to anyone looking for honest, affordable, and excellent body repairs.

For an oil change, Gio said to dropped my car by 9am on Saturday. I could have back before the afternoon.
I was met my Nerry, the owner, the most miserable man I’ve ever met. He was irritated I brought my car in before opening at 8:58am since they don’t open until 9am. He was too busy and said to bring my car back on Monday. I explained that I spoke with Gio who said I could bring my car in on Saturday. I can’t do weekdays. Nerry said Gio isn’t here, and he didn’t need my business.
I’ve brought my car in before for a brake check. Gio and the mechanics were all friendly, professional and honest with me.
Whatever stress Nerry is under, I hope he feels better. You’ve lost this customer. But as he said, he doesn’t need my business.

I called Gio, who runs the shop on a Friday and told him I had a rattling noise coming from my car and he said to bring it in first thing Saturday morning and they’ll take a look. I dropped my car off Saturday morning and explained to them what I was hearing. I called at 2:30 because I had yet to hear from them. He told me that they did not hear anything. I said are you sure because I hear it every time I drive. He gave it a test drive then quickly confirmed that it was the heat shield that sits on the bottom middle of the car. You don’t even technically need it.
By this time the shop was closing and I had to come get my car without any repairs done. He told me to then bring it in on Monday after work (5:30) and they would stay late to make the repair. I left work early to make it on time. He then said I am sorry no one is here so they couldn’t work on it. He asked if I would be willing to leave it with them all day Tuesday– I said sure. I got a ride to work that day. 3:00 pm rolls around on Tuesday and I called to see if my car would be ready by 5:30. A man told me they are just now bringing it in and he would call to let me know when it was ready. 5:15 pm now and no call. I called several times and no answer. I metro’d to the closest stop then walked to the shop at 5:45 only to find my car locked in the closed shop. I was so frustrated. I walked to the shop the next morning and asked to get my car. Two guys gave it to me, had no idea if anything was done on it, and I left.
I would absolutely never recommend this place to anyone. 100% lousy lying mechanics (typical right?).

When someone damages your car in a hit and run, leaving tons of expenses behind, the last thing you want to feel is cheated by the mechanics who repaired your car. The two guys that run this place will give you mixed stories, prices, and timeframes for any repair. A couple of suggestions before going here. Do not go here if you have a «nicer» car — they will charge you more. Never request a used part for your repair — they will get the cheapest part possible and charge you more for it (they charge market price for new parts). Listen only to the older gentleman, even though his demeanor may come off as ill-​mannered — he will tell you exactly what you will be paying while the younger gentleman will tell you exactly what you want to hear regardless if it is incorrect.
Bottom line. I do not recommend it at all. Their service was less than average, where they replaced my broken part with a used/​scratched part that took over 1 week to acquire for something so minor. They also made up a reason to keep my old part instead of returning it back to me. When I complained, they threatened to take all parts off of my car and return my car to me (still broken) as long as I paid for the labor cost. The people here are dishonest and just simply do not care about their customers or their work.
The only reason I did not put 1 star is because they actually did repair my car (although scratched) and they have kept in touch with me regarding their «search» for a replacement part. Right now, I am not sure if their desire to replace the part is genuine or if they are trying to get my car back in the shop to return the scratched part.

I don’t review often, but this left a bad enough taste in my mouth. First, to be clear, I DID NOT HAVE BODY WORK OR SERVICE DONE AT J&M. From what I gather, they are quite good.
What I did have, was a run around and a rude owner chewing out their staff to me. Here’s what happened:
1. Damage — busted taillight and 6 inch bumper dent. Not good.
2. Found J & M on Unilocal,around the corner from home. Took it in and got a reasonable estimate, which included (they showed me) the price of a taillight from the manufacturer ($ 200), for $ 500 and a promise it could be done in a day. They needed two days for the part to come in and bring the car back then. They even offered a ride to the metro to get to work. Customer service at this point was excellent — I was very pleased.
3. Drop off car. Later that day, I get a call from the owner saying his team quoted too low and «no way this could be done in a day.» He said it would need paint and that his team isn’t good at this stuff (who says that?). I said I didn’t need paint, and I was only going to pay the estimate unless he could show increased labor cost w/​out paint, and that staff assured me it good be done in a day. He said no and said I could talk to staff (still had our car mind you.) I talked to someone else who had no clue why he was handed the phone. I felt bad for that guy.
4. We take the car back. I am livid. He a) should’ve stood by his employee; b) been polite to a customer (I would have paid the up in price to $ 700 btw); and c) resolved the issue.
How does the story end? I looked up another place… Jerry’s on Capitol Hill. EXCELLENT. $ 350 and done in four hours. Looks wonderful. Courteous, honest, and diligent.
I think J & M has excellent staff but a misguided owner who doesn’t realize that backing your employees is a key to a happy workplace and satisfied customers. It wasn’t revising the quote that angered me, it was the disrespect to his employee who did the initial estimate and the brazen way he said «my way or the highway.» I chose the highway, saved money, and found a great body shop.
Did not give 1 star because I did not have service done and that felt unfair.

Very courteous. Scheduled on time and reasonable cost. Good workmanship, better than expected. I would go there again. Don’t be put off by the look of the place.
Had to go again, same excellent service, fast and well priced. Exceeded expectations again!

Very kind and quick to prepare and offer quote. Pricing was on point in relation to other windshield vendors!

Took a car here for body work and tail light repair. I had a very positive experience. Elizabeth pulled together a quote while I waited and went over the pricing details so I understood the components. She gave me the printed quote so I could comparison shop as well. Throughout the process she called me to update me about the status of the repairs and had the car ready on time.
I would recommend this business and would return the next time myself. Thanks.

My car was not starting properly — so I went to J & M to see if there was a problem with battery or alternator.
After two hours, they called to tell me there wasn’t a problem. They said they checked the battery, alternator, and look for another problem. They didn’t find a problem, charged my battery, and DIDN“T CHARGE ME ANYTHING.
I was impressed.

Someone had backed into my car and dented the passenger door. I took my car here because it was in walking distance of my apartment. I had the most positive experience for a number of reasons.
1) Communication: They were friendly and accommodating about helping me fix the car. They called to update me daily and did a lot of the insurance calling/​handling for me. They were beyond kind about me coming to get the car after I worked, causing them to potentially stay open a little bit later. Any time I called them to ask a question or to get an update, they answered and gave me all of the information that I needed.
2) Work: Not only did they fix my dented door (which looks fantastic). they also replaced a mismatched mirror that I had from a previous accident, repainted it and then went as far as to repaint the lines on the side of my car. All of this was done for no charge. They also mentioned that my oil needed to be changed (my sticker was expired and I had forgotten). They were very polite in asking if I wanted them to do this while they had my car, saving me to have to come in another time.
I left with a car that looked better than when I had bought it months prior. I highly recommend this business to anyone in the DC area. They are thoughtful, personable, professional, and extremely good with getting cars fixed in a reasonable time.

Really agree about the rudeness. A fellow named something like Naria answered. I had left the car on Thurs and was told it would be ready Sat as we were away for the weekend said I would get it Tues (Mon holiday) «oh yes yes yes no problem whatever».This morning (Tues) Naria tells me that its not ready. Its not his problem as he did not talk to me before and he sounds like he could not care less. He says to talk to Giovanni (at least for appearances the more responsible one) and «you know these boys party I don’t know when they might be in». I don’t know what the car will look like and the second star is an expression of optimism there. Thanks for the suggestion of the shop on Ontario will definitely look there next time

I do not review often, but I felt my experience warranted a quick review. I live two blocks from their business and asked them to unlock my car. The gentlemen refused to provide this service (they offer for $ 60), as he stated that they close in 45 minutes and the mechanics had already washed their hands. I kindly stated I was willing to pay whatever rate (within reason of course) and that the service I needed should take no longer than five minutes. Still nothing. I was told to call back the next morning… I told the gentlemen he should not wait for my call.

AVOID THIS PLACE!
They are extremely rude and don’t act as if you’re business isn’t important. They are open on Saturdays «just for fun» so when you pull up and the sign says «open», think again. You’ll have a rude owner in your face.

I brought my car in to J&M because there was smoke or steam coming out of the engine and my check engine light was on. Nery, who was retired, but just there to help out, took it late in the evening on Monday and had it ready for me by Tuesday evening. Best part, he explained that after a thorough check of the whole car, nothing required fixing, and was just some salt water (from all the road salt) hitting my engine and steaming. Also, the check engine light had gone off on its own. I went back and picked up my car at no cost — a first after taking it to a mechanic. Appreciate the honesty and good service!

I recently had a tire losing air pressure so I called the shop to see if they could take a look and plug it if necessary. They immediately took me and it only took about 10 minutes and the price was reasonable. Will definitely be back for my 60,000 mile maintenance!

I haven’t even gotten the work on my car done yet and am already hugely disappointed. I dropped my car off on Monday — got a quote — and they said it would be ready by Friday. When I called, the guy essentially told me that they hadn’t even begun the work! Clearly I expected that they would’ve called me with a status update, but they did not. I told the guy (who barely spoke English) that this was not good costumer service — and he basically said, sorry, and HUNG UP on me. I guess they don’t need my money or business…

I went to J&M based on word-​of-​mouth recommendations from a friend. In addition to doing good, quick work on my car at reasonable price, J&M really went above and beyond in the customer service department. Not only did they drop me at the metro, they also brought me my housekey when I realized I’d left it on the ring with the car keys. Needless to say, I’ll be bringing them all my car work going forward.
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Updating this — I did have to take the car back because some oil hadn’t been cleaned up and was making a burning smell. This was an inconvenience but was cleaned up and fixed easily and for free. They continued to provide the same courtesies and I’ll continue to bring them work.

Update:
Brought the car in for a fairly inexpensive job. Was quoted $ 800, which was 4x more than I was quoted in upstate NY.
Granted there’s DC inflation, but 4x more, methinks not.
Still got great body work done here, but I found that Auto Tech on Ontario is better for general work. Those guys are super-​honest, and will do their best to help you spend as little as possible to fix your car (I drive a crappy old one, so that’s key for me!)

First-​class honest gentlemen run this establishment. I’ve been here three times and couldn’t recommend it more highly.
A few years ago I came here for the first time for basic maintenance issues and I picked them because they’re in the neighborhood, offered a great price, and acted professionally. Two years ago I came back a second time for body work after an accident and again, everything was tip top. Today I visited for the last time, and again got great service. My 1993 Camry overheated yesterday and they explained to me that a freeze plug broke and would cost $ 1,000 to fix because of the intensive labor. They were honest and recommended against fixing the car because of the high cost of repair and the high mileage of the car (208,000 miles). I hope others continue to take advantage of their great service.