Dave's Auto Repair

Jan 16, 2025

Honest, excellent service, and reasonable prices! I was traveling to visit family over the holiday and had a brake issue on my prius. I had been experiencing the issue (loud 'bark' noise when braking) for several months. My local mechanic told me he knew what the issue was, and it was safe to drive until it displayed a code (check engine light), which could be years. He quoted a price for the fix, and the issue was not a simple (brake actuator). When I got to Sarasota, the issue got worse, so I stopped by Dave's on New Year's Eve. Dave's diagnosed the issue and quoted a price much lower than my local mechanic. The fix took 2 days, but it was ready before the date quoted, and for less than the estimate provided. Dave's knew I was traveling, knew the service was necessary, and had to be done by a Toyota specialist. They could have easily taken advantage of the situation.

Sep 06, 2024

Good customer service and clean shop. I'm irritated tho because they charged me 1700 to fix my ac. They did not warn me that it may not actually fix my ac and that it could potentially cost me an additional 2000. They told me they found the problem and they even replaced an extra hose that they said was the problem. Come to find out four days later it's not what they said and now need 2k more.

Sep 06, 2024

Had a great experience taking my 2008 Prius here for an oil change and AC inspection + recharge. My AC is finally cold 😻. I definitely plan to come here for future oil changes. Very fair prices and trustworthy work 👍

Aug 06, 2024

Called ford and couldn’t get me in for 3 weeks for an AC compressor. Gave Dave’s a shot and they got me in the next day. I will be returning to this shop in the future. Made warranty work super easy and they were very helpful. So much better than any dealership experience you’ll have.

Aug 06, 2024

I was impressed by the customer service and attention to detail. In town on vacation, I was on a bicycle ride and found myself needing oil on my chain. Dave took the time to wire bush the chain and then lubricated it for me. He didn't have to go out of his way to help me, but I'm sure glad he did!

May 06, 2024

BEWARE... BEWARE..... BEWARE .. 4 1 2024 Went in for a estimate and replacement of serpentine belt.. was told the power steering pump needed to be replaced.. was given a $761.88 estimate for a "re-maufactured" pump and a serpentine belt... when I checked on price of parts myself .. I was given a $200.00ish total for parts with lifetime warranty on the pump and 3 yr on the belt.... soooooo by the estimate given I'm being charged $512.88 for labor or a very INFLATED price for parts.. I declined OBVIOUSLY.... THEN was told about the $34.98 fee for the estimate.. this fix took my son in law less than 2 hours to complete... for $249 total cost in parts.. ABSOLUTE ridiculous to charge those prices in my opinion.. maybe it's too cover the cost of the food/drink orders being delivered there on a daily.... being charged over $200 an hour for LABOR is ridiculous.. in my opinion... I'm just sooo so thankful to have trusted mechanics in my family and chose to drive the 775 miles home for the repair..

May 06, 2024

Great experience! Jessica & Mike were both so friendly and informative. Thankyou!

May 06, 2024

Thorough and reliable. Good service

May 06, 2024

Told me my vehicle didn’t need brakes and nothing was wrong with it but once I took it to someone else they said the master cylinder was cracked and leaking brake fluid - so, they charged me at Dave’s for a “free” brake inspection and then I had to go pay to have the work done elsewhere. Then, we brought a commercial vehicle in that they said they could work on which needed brakes. We waited an entire day after we had an 8am appt and hadn’t heard anything so I called them and they said they couldn’t find anything wrong and hadn’t done what we had an appt for them to do. So, again, we take it to another mechanic and they said there were NO BRAKE PADS at all on the vehicle and it was dangerous to drive. So, needless to say, Dave’s has no idea what they’re doing and they’ll waste your money and your time. Highly do not recommend them, at all. Two cars of ours have had issues and told there’s nothing wrong and then come to find out, there were severe issues that needed immediate attention.

Apr 06, 2024

I had a complicated problem with sensors malfunctioning. They quickly diagnosed the problem and repaired. They have a state of the art diagnostic system which found my oil drain plug was leaking and replaced. Professional, competent and friendly service. Outstanding auto repair service facility. Highly recommend!

Mar 06, 2024

Very helpful people! Although they didn’t do the type of work I needed, they were knowledgeable and able to provide referrals of people that could. I would trust them to work on my vehicles in the future.

Feb 06, 2024

I have a 2012 Ford Fusion that needed a new A/C. Saved money for 5 months to be able to afford the $1200 to fix it. After the work was done, it stopped working a week later. I've had the car back to them 3 times and it still doesn't work properly. It blows cold sometimes and hot when it wants to. They say they have no clue what is wrong and now I will have to save some more money to have it fixed by someone else. I would not recommend this place to anyone.

Feb 06, 2024

If you are from out of town and have an issue down the road, they will 100% stand by their warranty, even if your stranded vehicle is 1400 miles away. Thank you.

Feb 06, 2024

After some complications with a long time mechanic, I was referred to visit Dave’s Auto, by community members. I am so glad they did. The team went above and beyond to take care of my issues in a timely and professional manner. I was up to date at each step, and while the repair ended up being minor - they treated me as if I have been a regular for years - which I believe I will be. Thank you! Would highly recommend!

Feb 06, 2024

Best automotive shop around. We travel from Central Florida to Dave’s in Sarasota for our vehicle service.

Feb 06, 2024

Brought my car here to get looked at. They were quick and had me in and out in no time. Their honesty is unmatched and will be straight forward with what needs to be done to your vehicle. Best experience I've had taking my car in to a mechanic. I will be returning if I ever have any issues with my vehicle. 10/10 would recommend this shop to anyone who needs work done on their car.

Feb 06, 2024

Friendly courteous service. Efficient , expedient and effective service

Feb 06, 2024

Honest mechanic. Felt very comfortable having them fix my cars. A bit out of the way for us, but is worth it. Prices seemed reasonable. Were very blunt about what was highly recommended vs what could be delayed or needed more information. Stayed open a few minutes longer to allow me to come pick up the car which was nice.

Feb 06, 2024

I am so impressed by Dave’s Auto and the folks that run it, that when I moved away, I drove nearly 800 MILES back to have them work on my Prius! Their professionalism both in the office and in the shop is something I haven’t experienced in many years and many experiences with different shops. I happened to mention the couple of poor reviews on here- somewhat surprised that people had those bad things to say, and they said that one of them was for a completely different shop(as this person wasn’t a customer of theirs) and the other person was just determined to complain about anything and everything. I recommend these folks very highly!

Feb 06, 2024

I had a walking consultation and booked tge issue be fixed the next day. Very impressing

Feb 06, 2024

Service was wonderful, went in for a charge of an a/c system I installed. Blew cold and told me I had a small leak (fault on my end) they told me what part to buy and told me it would be cheaper if I replaced it myself as it was a simple screw off screw on install, instead of trying to charge me for them to do it. I also went in for a second opinion on a noise my engine was making and they assured me it was nothing to worry about. excellent service, spoke with Jessica as well as mike and Paul, all of them were wonderful. I would recommend Dave’s auto to anyone in need of auto repairs.

Feb 06, 2024

The office staff were very nice and accommodating. The prepurchase inspections seemed accurate and clear. They were very clear and provided additional information on how the inspection was performed.

Feb 06, 2023

An excellent experience at Dave's Auto Repair. I had a problem with the air conditioning system in my vehicle. The problem was found in a timely manner. Then it was repaired quickly at what I thought was a reasonable cost. Tim and Jessica who were the folks that I dealt with. They were both very professional and knowledgeable. Thanks for the great service.

Feb 06, 2023

Be wary of reviews for this company for at least two reasons: First is the matter of ownership and management. The current group gained control of Dave’s in mid 2020. Any reviews or claims to community standing based on activity before that time are irrelevant. Second a large number of reviews with hyperbolic statements since that time are indicative of ghost authorship or strong solicitation of reviews certainly not indicative of the population of customers. In my case, I was a long-established customer of the company going back at least 25 years. When I had occasion to visit the new group (thankfully delayed by low-mileage cars and brands that are number one in reliability and service), I found a dramatic difference in knowledge, customer service, scheduling and status communication. My car was delivered to the shop at 8:30 in the morning based on an appointment for that time. A detailed list of requested service was provided. First, the appointment was not apparently located easily and may not have been in the system. Second, two of the five items requested were not understood even though they were described in standard automotive terminology. Third, no status was forthcoming until I called five hours later to be told “they are still working on it”. Fourth, when I called again at 4:00 PM the same day, I was connected to a robotic message that advised that I should call back the next business day. Fifth, after receiving the same message after repeated calls, at 4:30 PM I went to the dealership and picked up my car. Only then did I receive a link to an off-site-system-produced “inspection report” that was incomplete, incorrect as to scope and not on point as to time or pricing of any item. If you expect timely service, don’t go here. If you expect honesty, don’t go here. If you expect reasonable status reporting, don’t go here. If you expect understandable reporting, don’t go here. If you expect courtesy in customer service, don’t go here.

Feb 06, 2023

Communicative, honest, trustworthy and produce quality work. Always call them first if I need work done.

Feb 06, 2023

Efficient and friendly customer service. Honest professionals giving quality care in a comfortable atmosphere. Highly recommend.

Feb 06, 2023

Excellent service and friendly staff...Mike, Jessica and Paul. Fair pricing of work and completed on time. I highly recommend Dave's Auto Repair.

Feb 06, 2023

Great to work with.

Feb 06, 2023

I have to say Dave's crew rocks ! My car is more amazing than when I bought it. I brought my car to other places and it wasn't done right even after replacing everything. My air wasn't working properly but Dave found the problem. Air was fixed then I was sent pictures of other problems that would happen down the road. They sent pictures and explained what was going on. Wow 👌 I can't believe how tight the steering is. The air freezes me out, the pick up is amazing ans now I give the boys a run for their money. I am thrilled 😊 how they took care of me . Love you guys .... ps when I picked up my car there was a note on my steering wheel signed by the mechanic that worked on it, wow.

Feb 06, 2023

I really wish Dave's had been my first choice. After being jerked around by a certain Hyundai dealership for weeks and spending several hundreds of dollars on repairs that didn't solve the problem I brought the car in for, still not even really understanding what was wrong, we turned to Dave's. The first day they had my car, I was provided with a detailed inspection report with photos and descriptions clearly outlining what was wrong with my car. They ordered the parts and had my car good as new within three days. The price was fair and the service was prompt and courteous. I was kinda starting to think auto repair was just a shady industry, and that I was gonna have a hard time finding an honest, professional technician. Look no further than Dave's.

Feb 06, 2023

Not reliable. Don't do what they say......I called them on 11/30/2022 for a quote on rear brakes for a 2017 Lexus RX350. I talked to Jessica, one of the owners..she wanted the VIN number of the vehicle... so I called her back in 7 minutes and gave her the VIN number.... She said she had two other quotes to do and would call me back...... I said how long did she think it would be because I needed a quote today. she said oh yes today for sure!!! probably in an hour or hour in a half.... I said that would be great!! 3 hours later, no call..... so I called them back.... its before 5, but nobody answers.... I leave a message..... no return phone call.... interesting way to do business. I owned a business for 38 years. I always called people back if I said I was going to even if I didn't have an answer... I did what I promised!! I got two others quotes after it appeared she wasn't going to respond.... nobody asked for a VIN and both gave me quotes over the phone in 3 minutes...

Feb 06, 2023

They are professionals like I have never seen before, when they make the report to detect car failures they send you a link with (Photos and videos) with descriptions and parts that need to be replaced whit prices and everything. They also have an excellent atmosphere that makes you feel at home and safe. Jessica and Paul thanks for the help 🙏 God bless you guys!!

Feb 06, 2023

Words cannot express the gratefulness I have for this business. I was traveling down for Christmas from Memphis and I broke down. After a unfruitful night of trying to fix my Jeep I called Dave’s because they mentioned Jeep repair on their website. Mind you I called them on Dec 23rd not only did the tell me to bring it in they literally started diagnosing it right away and gave me an idea of the damage. The entire time they had my car I was communicated to by Paul , Jessica, and Michael they treated me with respect and even remembered my name. They were able to fix it in under a week and get me back on the road in time to make it back to work. The team made my crummy situation infinitely better and I could not be more thankful. In a situation where you expect to be taken advantage of due to the holiday season and the urgency of the matter I was treated like family.