Darrick's Preferred Auto — Local services in Blooming Prairie

Darrick's is now my go to place for auto repairs I cannot do myself.

When you first enter the building, you walk into a clean brightly-lit reception area. They're quick to greet you from behind the desk. If they are with another customer, they take the time to acknowledge you and tell you they'll be with you in a moment.

If you are trying to explain a problem that you are having and you're not quite sure how to describe it, they offer suggestions as to what it might be, without sounding condescending or treating you like you don't know anything.

Some shops will tell you what they believe the problem is and how much it will cost. Then, if it turns out to be something less expensive, they will try to convince you that you should replace the other part or have the other procedure done anyway since you're already there.

Not Darrick's. If you don't need a part or you don't need the work done, they're not going to try to convince you that you need it. They might mention that particular thing could be a problem in the future and since they already have it torn down or they are working in that area, it might be a good idea to take care of it now. However, if you even hint that you're not interested in it, there's absolutely no pressure to try to get you to change your mind.

Other companies may give you a quote on a very expensive repair and if you don't have the money, they will still tell you you don't have much choice. Darrick's on the other hand, has offered me alternatives that may cost me less now but also inform me that I may need to still have the other work done in the future. In other words, they're not out to get the most money from you in any way they can.

I've described some shops as only knowing how to deal with vehicles but not with people. Darrick's does both very well. Their staff is courteous and helpful. They are even willing to call you and keep you well informed of the progress. They also offer nice loaner vehicles.

I know this is a rather glowing review for the company, however, it is a very honest one. Every now and then you find a business that is truly deserving of your patronage and your compliments and this is...

Wow!!! I just want to say my experience with Darrick was great. My vehicle broke down and was in need of some major repairs. I am not from the area so I was a little hesitant to just have it towed to any shop. When I started the entire process I was surprised by what the tow truck driver offered. Since he lived a few miles within where the car broke down he offered me a lower rate to pick up and tow. Then when it came to diagnosing the problem Darrick and his team did exactly what I expected. They called me with the not so great news of the cost and time to repair. I was still a little skeptical about Darricks because you don't know who these folks are but you don't have much choice either because they have pulled your car apart. I do have to say that there guarantee puts your mind at ease a little. Again more then expected. The initial estimate was a far sum of money and did increase as they removed parts and got down to the real cause of the issue. This was not surprising as I knew about some of the issues prior to the break down. All I can say is the option was there to do the work when it was apart and not after the fact. Fix the problem when its apart and not after you have put the motor back together. I liked the approach of Darrick's Team and the candid conversations we had throughout the process. After all is said and done I would recommend their service to anyone. Great job and wonderful people to work with, honest and trustworthy. I don't believe you can say that about many Automotive/Repair shops but Darrick's is one of them. Thanks...

I am AAA member and this company's towing service was called out to help me when I was stranded on I-35 in Minnesota. First we had to wait 30 minutes for them to get to us and when the tow truck driver arrived (Mike) he was very very rude. He refused to tow us until we paid him $150 tow our trailer and because we had to call family to help pay for extra fee that we were not expecting to be charged. Then told us that we had to pay $10 extra dollars because he had to wait 2 extra minutes for us to make the phone call. Even though we had to wait 30 minutes for him to get to us. Then after he received payment he towed us to what we thought was supposed to be a mechanic shop but turned out to be a closed auto body shop. After figuring this out our driver Mike then proceeded to drop the car and our trailer in the dark at a closed auto body shop in 20 degree weather. We stated to him that we would be even more stranded than we were if he left us here, than we were on I-35. The driver expressed no concern. We then asked if he could please reattach the trailer to vehicle, he refused and drove off leaving me and my pregnant daughter along with our two dogs in the dark in the cold with no options. I will not ever recommend this company and have filed a formal complaint with AAA along with photos of how we were left in the cold with no concern and in a town with absolutely no hotels for miles. I would never do that to anyone and never experienced such awful customer service and lack of concern for another...