University Tire and Auto Centers- Crozet

"I regret taking my vehicle to University Tire in Crozet. I chose to do so because they were open and I was in a semi-emergency situation with a serious oil leak from my vehicle. Matt’s Auto was closing down for the long holiday weekend and I think Hall’s in Afton is closed for the holiday. I figured that I would be charged a high price at UT (that was my experience the only other time I took my vehicle there), but at least I would have my car back relatively quickly. Oil and transmission leak were addressed and we were quoted and charged $1600. Came to pick it up and got about 1/2 a mile down Crozet Ave when the check engine light came on and the transmission seems to have ceased working all together. I was stuck blocking traffic. I immediately called University Tire for assistance which was non-existent. County police helped me get the vehicle towed to Matt’s Auto which I should have done in the first place. Lesson learned the expensive and poor customer service way. Go to Matt’s or Hall’s instead even if it takes longer. They are individually/family owned and have good reputations and service. I recommend avoiding University Tire."

"Horrible! My son got a routine oil change, inspection and break pads to the tune of $400. On the way home, the car died in the middle of the road and had to be towed back to UTA. They quoted us back a price of almost $1400 to fix it. We refused and I called another tow truck to go and get the vehicle. They refused to give it to the tow truck driver until I paid a $69 diagnostic fee. This place is a total rip off. We are out almost $500 and no longer have a functioning car. BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"I took my truck to University Tire on Jarmans for a routine oil change. A week later I got a check engine light and Traction Control off error codes. I popped my hood and found a togo cup full of refuse oil under my filter rubbing against the belt. I took the truck back and had them do a diagnostic to access the damage. They told me that the error codes were unrelated to their mess up and that they would fix it for about $1000. Now it could be a coincidence but the timing of the situation, and the fact that they didnt offer me any form of compensation to retain me as a customer really rubbed me the wrong way. In addition to that I have had 2 other mechanics quote me half the price or less to fix whats wrong with my vehicle."

"We were out of town had a flat tire on I64E a few weeks ago so we put our very old spare on the truck and googled "tire stores near me" and University Tire in Crozet VA came up. We drove there and bought 4 new tires and received great service. It took our tires about an hour to be delivered from Charlottesville and while we waited the guys recommended a local spot for lunch. We got take out and returned. They allowed us to eat in the office and have our small dog with us while we waited. We were only there couple of hours and were able to continue home. *side note, an auto parts delivery man liked our tires so much he took a picture of the tire before we left so he could buy a set too."

"You’re definitely better off ordering the parts and repairing your own car. They’ve taken advantage of my wife both times she’s taken the car in. Charging ~$300 for diagnostic fees is disappointing and embarrassing, especially for a car window motor/regulator. For parts and labor they quoted ~$1400. This job cost me $200 for parts and took 1 hour of work. Please do not support a business that’s comfortable taking advantage of others. EDIT in response to the owner: My name isn’t in your database because my wife has brought the cars in over the last few years. I’ve been happy to pay for engine and transmission work. But taking advantage of youth, women, and old people is all too common in the auto industry. Whether or not my specific situation is corrected, your business is not the type of auto shop I want to support. On my specific situation - I paid $300 for diagnostics. I was then quoted $800 total for two parts and $600-$900 for labor. I ordered those parts direct from Volvo, their price was 75% less than what I was quoted for parts. I understand you need to markup products to keep your business going and turn a profit. But this just feels like a slap in the face. 2 month update: University quoted 3 broken parts, the estimated total was $1400. Two of the three components were not broken. Only my window motor needed replacing. The part cost me $80 online, as compared to University’s $500 part quote. It took me about 2 hours to fix with zero experience and help from a YouTube video. I’m not even sure what their “diagnostic” process is, they absolutely didn’t even try to open the door up."