Tri-City Auto Care — Local services in Durham

Tri-City Auto Warning: Dishonest Service, Scammers, Voided Refund, and Vehicle Put at Risk”

It’s rare that I leave negative reviews, but my experience with Tri City Auto was a complete nightmare. They charged me $773 for faulty work based on a diagnostic they never properly performed. I was told my Q3 Audi needed a thermostat—only to later learn it didn’t.

The part was ordered incorrectly three times, delaying repairs. I was then told by Jennifer McCormick, I should be grateful she did not charge me for their mistake because it cost them money. My car was initially promised back the same day but wasn’t returned for two days.

The day after pickup, my car wouldn’t start, I was able to get a battery jump, to make it to Jiffy Lube (less than 1 mile away) for a battery replacement.

Within minutes the dashboard lights lit up, smoke billowed from under the hood and fluid poured from the bottom of the car. Jiffy Lube discovered the intake hose hadn’t been properly reconnected—posing serious safety risks to me and others as I was about to travel out of town.

Tri City agreed to tow the car back and offered a loaner, which was the only positive experience. They eventually admitted the thermostat wasn’t ever needed and said they’d issue a refund. The owner can also express sometimes things just happen and things can go wrong.

However, the refund receipt was vague, and when I asked for clarification, shop supervisor Jennifer McCormick responded unprofessionally—handwriting unclear notes on the receipt. I followed up via text, simply requesting confirmation of the refund details. Within minutes, Ken McCormick, the owner, called me with a hostile tone, stating, “I already told you what the refund was for.” Despite having printed documentation and screenshots of the initial refund, Ken and the Tri-City team ultimately reversed and voided the promised refund transaction.

I had to take my car to another repair shop, where the technicians expressed serious concerns about the work Tri-City performed. All dashboard lights are now on, and there appears to be additional electrical damage. I’ve already lost over a week of access in my car, now using LYFT and incurred more than $1k in additional repair costs—potentially even more.

Tri City Auto is dishonest, unethical, and extends dangerous. I would never trust them with my vehicle again and strongly advise others to avoid this shop. what they are doing to people is so unfair and I would not wish this...

Tri-City was highly recommended to me by a coworker who lives in Durham. I live in Raleigh so Tri-City was not convenient. However Tri-City gave me a loaner car which was not expected which made TriCity convenient. I didn't need Uber or a ride from anyone. That was a huge plus! My car have AC issues blowing hot air. I told them upfront that Fred Anderson diagnosed the same problem by charging the system and telling me I need a AC compressor. TriCity gave me the impression they could locate and repair the leak. I was told "the compressor is good" so I thought great! The AC cooled for about a week. I took the car back and they needed to diagnose the car again. They told me the AC system is not leaking but that I needed an compressor and HV inverter, $4200 with a waived 2nd diagnostic fee. I opted to pay the 2nd diagnostic fee and not fix the car.

Tri-City was more expensive than Fred Anderson dealership in diagnostic fees and the estimate was more expensive for TriCity to repair the AC system. $3500 at Fred Anderson

The people behind the counter were friendly and pleasant. The loaner cars was a great unexpected bonus. The downside was the two diagnostic fees for the same problem. Secondly the repair cost estimate was greater than the dealership when historically the dealership is higher than independants.

Tri-City did me no wrong, they are on the high side. Maybe the loaner car expense is factored in the repair and is...

Tri-City was extremely competent and professional in helping to address a challenging intermittent problem with my 2005 Prius. They provided a loaner and kept my car for an extended period of time while attempting to duplicate, isolate, and correct the problem. They kept me appraised, and final charges were very fair and reasonable. I highly recommend the professionals at Tri-City Auto Care.

I also recently purchased tires for my 1998 Civic. Tri-City helped me find tires that met my needs and budget. Pricing was competitive, and my car was in and out in a day. The free loaner was extremely helpful and convenient.

A couple weeks later I decided to get front axles on the 1998 Civic. I knew this was coming, as several other shops had pointed out the leaking boots. As a stopgap, I had installed split boots to buy a bit more time. They lasted a couple of years, but the axles started to squeak and groan. Tri-City worked with me to get a budget friendly alternative to new Honda parts. My car was in and out in one day, they charged me less than they had quoted, and once again the loaner...