Uptown Imports - Auto Repair

05/03/2008 Posted by megk84

I have a 1993 Honda Civic that loves Uptown Imports :) My car was broken into and my car's computer was stolen. John and Steve were able to find me a used computer fast. Everyone that I talked to at Uptown seemed so understanding and that they actually cared . I will recommend Uptown Imports, and am sure to be back again. Oh yeah, they also gave me a stainless steel coffee cup and a keychain, sweeet!

04/22/2008 Posted by yogabug

Ladies (and Gentlemen) - turn your car woes over to the guys who really care! Ran into a pothole (looked more like a crater) at 7am on a wintry day and blew a tire? John will have you back on the road in 2 hours. After parking your car (at a goofy angle, I admit it), you can't get the key out of the ignition? A call to Steve solves that problem pronto - turn the wheel left and right to release the key - who knew? Uptown Imports is ALWAYS there for you when things go wrong at the wrong time. I am so lucky to have found them and you will be too.

04/20/2008 Posted by Goodwyn

The folks at Uptown Imports are great at explaining issues related to your car, and, they provide exceptional service at a reasonable price. Plus, they have a great location near the Wedge neighborhood.

04/16/2008 Posted by StevebG

Over the years I've brought my cars to different shops for different reasons but I've been consistently impressed with the quality of service at Uptown Imports. First of all the facility is equipped with the latest technology necessary to service modern vehicles. Just as important is Johns attention to detail. He goes to great lengths to make sure the repairs are done to the highest of standards. If there is any question about the quality of a part he will do the research required to make sure that the best parts are used to make a lasting repair. I've learned this by having extensive repair work done on my Audi at a cheaper price only to have it fail prematurely and having to pay to have it done again. The fact that the bathroom is nice and the customer service area is pleasant and the staff is informative and friendly is just a side effect of a well run operation. I also appreciate my car being clean when I pick it up.

Pros: Quality work, nice environment, great staff

Cons: no martinis

04/14/2008 Posted by castner

After suffering through multiple major repairs on my 2001 Saab 9-5 at other "Repair Shops", I was forced into searching for a professional, reputable repair facility. I spoke to friends, family and even went so far as to ask a technician at the Saab dealer if he had any suggestions as to where I might find someone that did high quality work for a reasonable price? When the Saab technician pulled me aside and said that "Uptown Imports will take care of you", I made the call. In January of this year my 17 year old daughter was driving my Saab (I'm sure with kid gloves) down 394 at an undetermined speed when the engine was blown. I live west of the metro, so I had a shop in Mayer, MN locate a used motor with 35K miles and they installed it for a total of $6200. Shortly after the 30day warranty expired it began to leak oil. The leak worsened and I returned to the scene of the crime. I was told I shouldn't have bought a used engine. Not quite the answer I was looking for. My search mentioned earlier began. I was greeted on the phone by Steve and treated more professionally than I am at my doctor's office. He thoroughly explained what they would do to diagnose the problem and said they would contact me as soon as they knew what the best plan of attack would be. He followed through exactly as stated and I was given a quote over the phone which they stood by. In each and every instance John and Steve have done exemplary work on my Saab and I have nothing but praise for Uptown Imports! I have been in sales for over twenty years and consider myself to be driven to exceed all of my customer's expectations; it is for this reason that I also have very high expectations when it comes to receiving service of any type. Uptown Imports has exceeded those very high expectations on every visit regardless of the complexity, and it is for this reason that I am writing this in praise and my highest recommendation!

Pros: Best bathroom I have seen even in fancy resteraunts, my wife loves the hand lotion!

Cons: Wish I would have come to them 1st

02/25/2008 Posted by corneeeeelius

I'd neglected my 30k tune-up on my 05 Corolla for way too long and my car was starting to feel rough. At the time I was living in Los Angeles, about to move to MN. Having dealt with mechanics in LA for so long and having gotten screwed over by every one, I decided to wait until I got here to get my car checked. Found Uptown Imports here and checked them out. I talked to John over the phone, who took a time out of his day to talk to me about his shop, the services they offered, the costs I'd be looking at. I knew what to expect going in. I dropped the car off overnight. I was able to pick it up the next day, faster than I was expecting. John walked me through everything they'd done, and I was impressed right away by the fact that he'd actually passed up the opportunity to do things he'd sold me on over the phone, because my car didn't need them. He knew that I didn't know what the hell I was doing, he could've sold me on twice as much work, but he was honest. Maybe living in LA for so long had turned me into a hardened cynic that expected to get ripped off, but Uptown Imports was able to actually instill a sense of trust into my blackened heart. To top it all off, it was far cheaper than I thought it'd be. My girlfriend also has an 05 Corolla and she'd gotten it serviced at a dealer in LA. The dealership had done less work than John had done for me, and their bill was twice as high. Anyone saying that Uptown doesn't offer competitive fair pricing is out of their mind. The guy who left a comment below me along with his two-star rating is obviously one of those. To complain, on an $1800 bill, that a water pump was $20 more than it would've been if he'd bought a cheap one himself? That's insane. There's a certain type of person that will never be satisfied, who will nitpick for hours in order to save pennies, who expects a meal out to cost as much as a meal at home - sadly some of those people are on Citysearch. Believe the hype, this place is awesome.

Pros: service, prices, staff

02/08/2008 Posted by apoorgradstudent

I took my car in to get a newly noticed leak and general stuff looked at. They found $1800 worth to work on--none of it unneeded (except perhaps for a valve cover gasket replacement--it might just need tightening). They wanted $208 for new spark plugs and an air filter - DIY for $20 and 10 minutes! I rejected $800 worth and trusted them with the big one - new cam seals, plus a new fuel filter. To get at the seals, they have to take off the timing belt. Best practice is to go ahead and replace it and the water pump if it's about that time (why pay again in 6 months?). They did offer this, but their claim that "It doesn't matter to us if we put the old ones back on or put in new ones" is dishonest, because they severely mark up their parts. They charged $72.66 for a new water pump. When I asked where they found a $72 water pump, Steve said, "What do you mean?" When I mentioned that all the ones I'd looked at were under $40, he asked if they were remanufactured (NO! NEW and RETAIL) rather than owning up to the markup. They charged $170 total for individual parts to the timing belt that you can get for $100 in a kit. Fuel filter: $41.18, should be $25. $81.08 for "Shop Supplies" fees! $10-$20 is reasonable, $81 is ridiculous. $43.69 for an inspection that is GUARANTEED to find something wrong, even if you pay for the work! All told, I paid nearly $250 in overcharges--roughly 25% of my bill! They also guaranteed that my car would be ready a day before it was. I made it clear that it had to be done on time before agreeing to the work (which could have waited). When I complained to John on the phone about the car not being done on time, he said he wasn't aware that they had planned on getting it done that day (Steve took the day off). I reminded him I needed the car for a trip, and he said, "I'm aware of that," and hung up abruptly. The delay severely hampered my ability to prepare for my trip--the whole reason I brought it in!

Pros: Repairs were in fact needed

Cons: Dishonest on pricing, not timely.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

02/01/2008 Posted by jeepguy5point9

...give them friendly, relaxed, skilled, and honest service at a fair price. These folks are pros. I have no grand tale to share, as in some of these reviews, but what I can share is- the quality of service and professionalism demonstrated by John, Steve, and the rest of the crew at Uptown Imports has insured my return business. Thanks again guys.

12/10/2007 Posted by peacereaper

I realize that these guys have many good reviews, and that's why I took my car to them to get fixed. I took my car there initially to get my radiator flushed. They found I had an oil leak and didn't do the flush (which is good on their part) because I would have just been in the same place the next time I drove it. I agreed to get the oil leak repaired, which they told me would take 3 days at the longest. It ended up being 2 weeks. It was a huge inconvenience and cost me money to find other transportation (ended up renting a car). I kept calling, and they would give me excuses like they ordered the wrong part, it should be done by tomorrow....When it finally was done, I drove around for a while, then checked everything. My coolant was still sludged with oil and my oil level was down. Hmmm? I thought, What in the world did they actually do? It was over $2500 to "repair" it and now seemed as though they did nothing. I called there and they told me to bring it back. They said I would still be seeing sludge for a while because I had so much they couldn't get it all out. They also did some more probing and found 2 additional leaks, which they could fix for an extra $800 or so. Why did they let me drive away thinking my car was repaired when I had 2 additional leaks? Why didn't they tell me that I would still be seeing sludge? For as much time as they ended up keeping my car and as much money that I spent there, my car should have came back to me in complete working order. It wasn't. I won't go back to them, no matter how nice their bathroom is, or how friendly the people there seem.

Pros: great bathroom......

Cons: how and when they fix your car

07/23/2007 Posted by prindle

This guys did a great job on my car, which was a big ol' mess and barely running when I dropped it off at their shop. My take on them is that they are the guys to go to when you really want it done right and don't want to mess around. It's a nice shop, with a pleasant waiting room, good magazines, and even a nice bathroom with fancy soap :) UI was very fairly priced for the level of expertise and thoroughness that went into their work. I had major issues going on and they got to the bottom of each one, and now I feel good driving around, whereas a lot of times leaving a shop I am waiting for something else to go wrong b/c I don't quite feel they fixed it all. My truck is running great. Plus they are just all-around nice guys. For the big stuff or anything of any importance I will definitely go back to Uptown Imports.