Recommended car repair shops? (Madison, McFarland: purchasing, live, safe)

[GraniteStater]

As I am still new to town, I was wondering which one you would recommend, either for standard repairs or brake work? A place that is trustworthy is highly important to me.

[7G9C4J2]

We've been going to Jerry's Garage on East Washington as long as we've lived in Madison, and have never been anything less than completely impressed by both the competence and the ethics. It's a one-man shop, named after the current owner's father, and the guy is ASE-certified and incredibly competent. He'll tell you exactly what he can and can't do, and if you go in with an iffy vehicle that needs a lot of work and you don't have enough money to pay for it all at once, he'll help you prioritize the repairs in order of safety so you can plan to get it done over a period of time.

He doesn't work on German cars, I know (we decided against a Volkswagon the last time we bought a car because of that, in fact), and there are some specialized tasks that he'll refer you to another shop for, but nearly everything we've ever had done to a vehicle as long as we've lived here has been at his hands, and it has all been exceptionally good service.

If you prefer a dealership (and there's nothing wrong with that, I know some folks do), all of the dealers in the Zimbrick group, which includes Honda, Buick, Volkswagon and others, are very well thought of in the community. I know many people who won't take their vehicles anywhere else - and if we hadn't found Dan at Jerry's when we first moved here, we might be going to Zimbrick ourselves, as we've had very good experiences there purchasing vehicles.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by MidwesternBookWorm

We've been going to Jerry's Garage on East Washington as long as we've lived in Madison, and have never been anything less than completely impressed by both the competence and the ethics. It's a one-man shop, named after the current owner's father, and the guy is ASE-certified and incredibly competent. He'll tell you exactly what he can and can't do, and if you go in with an iffy vehicle that needs a lot of work and you don't have enough money to pay for it all at once, he'll help you prioritize the repairs in order of safety so you can plan to get it done over a period of time.

He doesn't work on German cars, I know (we decided against a Volkswagon the last time we bought a car because of that, in fact), and there are some specialized tasks that he'll refer you to another shop for, but nearly everything we've ever had done to a vehicle as long as we've lived here has been at his hands, and it has all been exceptionally good service.

If you prefer a dealership (and there's nothing wrong with that, I know some folks do), all of the dealers in the Zimbrick group, which includes Honda, Buick, Volkswagon and others, are very well thought of in the community. I know many people who won't take their vehicles anywhere else - and if we hadn't found Dan at Jerry's when we first moved here, we might be going to Zimbrick ourselves, as we've had very good experiences there purchasing vehicles.

Ok thanks for the suggestion. I have seen good reviews for Dean's Auto Repair and DuBois Auto Clinic. Do you know anything about those two? Thanks.

[7G9C4J2]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Ok thanks for the suggestion. I have seen good reviews for Dean's Auto Repair and DuBois Auto Clinic. Do you know anything about those two? Thanks.

Sorry, I've never heard of either one. But if you've found good reviews for them, you'd probably be safe in trying them, too. And if they're closer to your home, that would be an advantage, of course; I realize that probably both Jerry's Garage and the Zimbrick dealerships are a bit of a haul from your place.

[r_k]

On the west side, I've been happy with Don the Muffler Man on Big Sky Drive (they may be called something slightly different these days, they do more than just mufflers).

[naturesdreams]

Not sure if you found your shop but a very honest man and great customer service and even a great cookie when you pick up your vehicle ... work always done correctly- 7:30 AM - 5 PM in McFarland- Tom's Auto right off the beltline off 51

[GraniteStater]

Ok, thanks for the suggestions everyone!

[MadisonMongoose]

I'm a big fan of Smith's Service Center on Nakoosa Trail on the east side of Madison. Have had 6+ years of honest and reasonable service from them. I trust them.

[Ragnar]

I'm a big fan of Hansen's on Park Street. I've felt they've been very fair and honest in dealing with me over the years, and they work on both imports and domestics. I live on the West side and still drive over there for service.