Autoworx Albany — Attraction in Albany

I seldom leave reviews and when I do, they are generally very positive. However definitely got very bad vibes from this mechanic today. I've worked with Adams Autoworx before. They gave us a very competitive price for replacing the master cylinder on the clutch of our 2013 Jetta Sportswagon TDI, and I thought they did good work at a great price.

Based on that experience I've taken the car back to them for regular oil changes (been 4-ish times now). The last time I took it by, the tires needed to be rotated and they extended a price of $60 (at a tire shop they will generally do this for free) and $30 for changing the air filter (literally the removal of four easily accessible screws). Both prices are high so I took it to a tire shop that did it for free and did the air filter myself which took a screw driver and about 4min.

I brought the car in today for an apt I made about a week ago, for an oil change. I asked how long they needed and was told that they would need 2.5hours. They extended a price of $150, which they said includes an "inspection". The check engine light is on and I figured they would check that during the "inspection" and let me know something... anything. When I picked up the car they told me that the check engine light was on and that to look into the problem it would cost another $180-ish. I asked what they had "inspected" and they told me they looked at the dash lights. They said if I had mentioned the check engine light or left the car for longer, they would have had time to look into it. For reference, you can get an oil change on that car for $120 in about 15 min at a drive up Jiffy Lube, but I actually value having a skilled mechanic take a little extra time and check for safety issues.

I called another mechanic that was on my route home. I brought it by, they hooked it up to a computer, gave me the error code (so I could look into it) and told me what they new about it, for free. in about 3 minutes. For reference, it was a common malfunction that those cars have with the intake manifold. nothing that needed immediate attention, but will result in decreased performance.

I know it's not easy to make a living out there and people are almost always trying to get more labor for less money, at the expense of service providers. I have worked in production shops and I am happy to pay a fair price. The past few times I took my car to Adams for maintenance work, I received mediocre to poor service at very high rates, with many justifications.

They offered a competitive price for a big project, but have proved to be very expensive for everyday needs and maintenance related issues. I will not be returning.

**Also note: they solicited a review via email, and I tried to post this, but they blocked it with an error warning...

I’m new to the area (originally from a small town), and my in-laws recommended Adams Autoworx Albany. The folks at Adams knew them and spoke so warmly about them—it immediately gave me a good feeling, like I’d found a shop that really values community. After my experience, it was clear why my husband's parents have trusted this place to care for their cars for decades!

I brought my car in for a coolant hose replacement, but I also needed a specialized size tire replaced. I’d planned to get the tire handled somewhere else, but Adams was able to order and replace it within 24 hours—and their price was so good, I just had them do it. That kind of quick turnaround tells me they’ve got solid relationships with their suppliers.

The whole experience was smooth. Melissa got me a ride home after I dropped off my car (which I wasn’t expecting!), and she asked really smart questions about what I was experiencing with the car—super knowledgeable and helpful. Ronnie sent over a detailed inspection report digitally, rating each suggested repair by importance, and Melissa called to walk me through what really mattered. I got regular updates from both of them, and they were always consistent about what was happening next and what to expect cost-wise.

Oh—and my car was done a whole day early!

Overall, I felt really taken care of. The service was great, the communication was even better, and it felt like the kind of place I’ll definitely come back to....

After I had repairs done at Adam Autoworx, one of the main concerns I had, which was that the up view display on my Prius would be black even when running this seemed to also make the car not turn off. I have previously had multiple people and businesses try to figure out what the issue is to no avail. So, when it was still a problem after the other work was expertly done I was disappointed but not surprised. But I was delighted that when Adam's Auto followed up to see if I was happy with their maintenance work and I let them know that while the work they had done was great, this display and stopping issue was still happening, Ronnie immediately ask me to bring it back at no cost to me and found the issue.

I appreciate their high bar of self-accountability they use to find and address all the issues my 16 year old Prius had developed rather than being happy with most getting care of, and I believe that thanks to Adam's Autoworx diagnostic =abilities, I will happily have this vehicle for...