GEAR Automotive 4111 Mauch Chunk Road, Coplay, PA 18037

"As a female with very little knowledge about auto repair and maintenance, finding a trustworthy mechanic like Don is difficult. I have had other shops take advantage of me by overcharging or suggesting a repair that needed immediate attention without explanation, when this was not accurate. In contrast, Don is friendly, honest, and fair. No question is a stupid one, he is patient when explaining why and how a repair needs to be done and associated charges. His demeanor paired with his excellent work on my car is greatly appreciated."

"Working on my 91 Mercury Capri and is bringing it back to life. Car has been sitting for years and just moved back from Wisconsin last July. Great and fair pricing. I would highly recommend this shop to anyone."

"Let me start off by saying we tried to avoid writing this review to give the owner Don a chance to make things right but unfortunately he has not done that. My father brought his 2001 Chevy Malibu to Gear auto a few weeks ago and Don completely took advantage of my dad. My dad trusted Don to do a good job and to give him a competitive price. The car was brought in for a front brake noise, oil change and belt check. Don looked at the car and determined that it needed rear brakes and the front rotors machined. Don called my dad and gave him a price of around $850 which my dad thought was on the expensive side. For that amount my dad was under the impression that all the brakes would be replaced including the fronts and include a synthetic oil change and along with the labor involved for everything. A little while after Don called my dad back and said that the car also needed a serpentine belt and tensioner and Don offered to throw that work in at no charge which I’m assuming is because the bill was already so expensive. So later that day Don calls and says the car is done. So my dad pays the total amount of roughly $850. He gets back home and I decide to look over the work that was done and review the invoice and I immediately get upset with what I’m seeing. I gave the car a brief inspection, I’m a certified PA state inspector and mechanic and I live the in the Philadelphia area. Don’s shop is close to my dad’s house and he went to him for that reason. When I looked at the car I saw that yes the rear drums were new but the front brake pads were old and worn out. The front rotors were machined but the old worn brake pads were put back on and that is not the right or safe way to do things. I looked at the belt tensioner and saw that just the pulley was replaced with the belt. Normally the whole entire tensioner along with pulley should be replaced as a preventative measure and it’s not much more expensive to do it that way and it also comes as a whole assembly. The next thing on the list which put up a big red flag for me was the $95 diagnostic fee for the check engine light which my dad never asked Don to do since my dad already knew what the light was on for. There was also a $30 charge for new front caliper slide pins which I was hesitant to believe were replaced. I called Don back that night while I was pretty upset and frustrated about what I was seeing. Don got a little aggressive on the phone and didn’t set my concerns at ease, instead of arguing on the phone I decided it was best to handle things in a more productive way.. I wanted to compare that bill with a couple other shops so I got an estimate from a Kia dealer that my brother works at and they wanted half the price that Don charged. I also called Mavis tire and they wanted even less than the Kia Dealer. So my dad called Don the next day and got his voicemail and my dad voiced all his concerns and we gave Don some time to respond but unfortunately he did not. I brought the car to my shop to have the car’s front brake pads replaced and the oil change performed which we shouldn’t have had to do but the car needed to be fixed right and when taking the front brakes apart we found that the $30 slide pins that Don claimed to have replaced were not replaced and also the brake pads had heat cracks in them and were worn down and unsafe so they really needed to be replaced. In closing, we want Don to make things right and refund my dad the money that he is owed. My dad is a senior citizen and also a Marine Corps veteran and a retired Philadelphia police officer with a distinguished career and spent his life being good to people so he is the last person that deserves this kind of underhanded and deceptive treatment, especially when he put his trust in Don. I’m sure Don would not like it if somebody took advantage of him like that and I bet he would be just as upset and disappointed as we are. Don, I hope you see this review and decide to make things right and give my dad the refund he is entitled to. Thanks."

"I've been going to Don at Gear Auto for several years now, every single job he does is thorough and fair priced. Not the cheapest, but not the most expensive either, the main point is that you will always get your moneys worth and the problem will get fixed the first time :) Strongly recommend to anyone in the area especially if you own a Subaru."

"Been taking my SUV and Sedan here for years. The Service at Gear was GREAT! The owner knows his stuff and has always had my vehicles done on time and on budget. The owner always tells me upfront what it is going to cost and provides me an itemized bill which I love. Can't go wrong taking your vehicle here!"