Certified Automotive is conveniently located in Taylors, SC. Our shop is staffed with expert technicians who provide quality repair and maintenance service. Call or email us to set up an appointment today. Certified Automotive is conveniently located in Taylors, SC. Our shop is staffed with expert technicians who provide quality repair and maintenance service. Call or email us to set up an appointment today.
I’ve rebuilt several car engines and grew up around auto mechanics, with my dad owning a garage and junkyard for the first 15 years of my life. While I’m not a professional mechanic, I’ve handled my own vehicle repairs for over four decades and know enough to recognize a serious issue. I used an OBD scanner to scan for codes and checked the transmission fluid per the dealer’s specifications, finding it only a quarter-quart low at most—not enough to cause this failure. All signs pointed to the transmission needing a rebuild.
I called Certified Automotive, explained the symptoms, and shared my findings. The staff member agreed it sounded like the transmission needed to be pulled, rebuilt, and reinstalled, quoting around $4,200, which included replacing a broken motor mount I’d asked about. They said they outsource rebuilds but handle the labor, and asked me to bring the car in for a diagnosis, promising to call the next day. To my surprise, they called the next day saying the car was ready.
When I arrived to pick up the car, they charged me $125 and claimed they “added half a quart of fluid” to fix the issue—an implausible solution for a major transmission failure. They also ignored the motor mount replacement we’d discussed, which was part of the $4,200 quote, without any explanation. Additionally, they provided a list of fabricated problems: a dirty cabin filter (replaced two weeks prior), a half-gallon low coolant level (full the day before), low oil (recently checked and fine), and “dirty” power steering fluid (replaced two months ago after a line burst). Clearly, they were angling for quick, easy money. When I tried to back out of their lot, the transmission failed again—the RPMs surged, but the car wouldn’t move, proving they hadn’t addressed the original issue.
I walked back in the shop and confronted them, pointing out they charged me for unperformed services, ignored the motor mount, lied about fluid levels, and failed to fix the transmission. The staff member offered a blank stare, a shrug, and a vague offer to “look at it” if I left the car another day. Frustrated, I told them I wouldn’t trust them to work on my lawnmower. I pushed the car out of the parking spot, put it in drive, and took it to a reputable shop instead. (The pump had failed and totally melted the reverse bands.)
Certified Automotive wasted my time, charged for fictitious repairs, and showed complete incompetence. I chose them because of their glowing reviews and found them friendly and responsive, but their professionalism masked deceptive practices. My mechanical knowledge saved me from falling for more of their sly tactics, but others might not be so fortunate. Avoid this shop and find a trustworthy mechanic elsewhere.