Buddy’s Under the Hood

Update: Oct 2014 — Hadn’t been to Buddy’s in awhile when I our van wouldn’t start! When I called — No Answer! All attempts to contact Buddy’s shop — failed. After getting the van jumped, we took a ride to Cedar Park — only to find a Closed & Deserted shop. Stopped in at the paint store & was told — Buddy got tired of the stress, found a job & closed the shop! No idea where he went, just Glad to Know — presumedly Buddy, Laura & Lacy — are OK! Our Loss! Wish someone would have let us know.

I was hoping I had found a car repair shop I could trust, but that was not the case. My electric car window stopped working. Buddy’s replaced the motor and charged
me $ 300. That would have been okay if I had been satisfied with their work. However, the window rattles like it is very loose, it makes a grinding noise when I open and close the window and there is a noisy air leak that was not there before Buddy’s did the repair.
I took my truck back. Buddy said it just needed some grease. Apparently, he did not remove the door to see what was causing the noise. It was just a few minutes
and he said it was fixed. When I tried the window, it still made the same noise.
Buddy said there was no noise (he must be deaf). I disagreed and he then told
me if they had to take the door off it would cost me another $ 130. He told
me the noise didn’t bother him and that I should be satisfied because the window
would not even work when I brought it in. I felt he could care less that the work
was not satisfactory. I don’t mind paying to have work done, but I expect it to be
done right. I wanted the window fixed and I expected it to work like it did before
the motor went out.
I will never go to Buddy’s shop again. The work was sloppy and he doesn’t stand behind his repairs. If the motor was replaced in my truck door to fix the window,
there is no reason it should make a noise (if it was a new motor) when the window
goes up and down. There is no reason I should have a window that now rattles and
leaks air when it did not before.
I wish I had not gone to Buddy’s.
Brenda B.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!! I WISH THERE WERE A «Half Star» REVIEW OPTION!
Totally unsatisfactory, unethical, and potentially DANGEROUS.
SHORT STORY: They overcharged us, BROKE our car, attempted to overcharge us again in order to fix the things they broke, and when I finally found the time to fix the problem on my own, it took 15 minutes and less than $ 1 in parts… Burn in Hell, you terrible, terrible auto shop.
FULL STORY:
We brought our ’96 Isuzu Rodeo in to have the check engine light repaired so it would pass state safety inspection. Apparently the previous owner had disabled it at some point, perhaps fearing that he wouldn’t be able to sell the car– however, mechanically this car has been a fantastic purchase for us. No real problems to speak of… until we got it back from Buddy’s Under the Hood.
They brought our car to the inspection center down the road, got the sticker put on for us, and called us when it was done. We paid them a fairly large sum for this, relative to the actual work done [WHICH I FOUND OUT LATER AFTER HAVING TO REPAIR SOME OF THE DAMAGE DONE BY BUDDY’S ON MY OWN]. We noticed that our cruise control was not working, and the instrument cluster backlight wouldn’t come on when we flipped on the headlights. Later that week, I was pulled over by a police officer for having not one but BOTH tail lights out.
When I brought the car back to Buddy’s they did a free diagnostic, which I naively assumed meant that they actually tried to read the computer codes, or at least tried LOOKING at the fuse box, and then told me that a repair would cost $ 500– because they had to «pull out the dash all the way past the driver’s side airbag» to get at a special controller box that controlled the tail lights and the cruise control system.
I told them I would pass, only drive this car during daylight hours, and figure out how to sell the car [the blue book on this car is not high enough to warrant any unnecessary $ 500 repairs] The mechanic was shocked that I didn’t just roll over and take it up the tail pipe like they’d obviously hoped I would:
A friend and I had some spare time on a Saturday, cracked open the dash, plugged back in the cruise control/​instrument dimmer and swapped out a $ 0.50 fuse in the fuse box and with only 15 minutes of total free work fixed all of the problems that Buddy’s CAUSED [and then tried to charge us $ 500 to fix by tearing down the car to get to some mythical box that magically controlled the problems we had which just happened to be right beneath the airbag– the most expensive area of a car to pay a mechanic to get at according to All-​Data].
I am outraged, and sincerely hope that if you’re reading this, you avoid this company like the plague. If it was difficult to find an honest mechanic in the ‘good old days’ it’s basically IMPOSSIBLE to find one now.
Buddy, in all fairness, you and I never met personally, and I know you’re a squirrel trying to get a nut just like the rest of us. But dude, your people are dragging your name through the mud. And if they’re doing it because of your example, then shame on you, fella.

Buddy to the rescue once again.
Man, I wish he’d do inspections…
Anyhow, I took my van to Lamb’s on Bell Ave in Cedar Park for an inspection and oil change. Well, needless to say they found some issues (not surprisingly, the van as 90K miles on it), but issues which I was told HAD to be fixed to pass inspection. And, I was quite clear in my questioning to make sure there was no misunderstanding. (Aside: Lamb’s never did a full inspection, my guess is that they didn’t want to generate a paper trail. But anyhow…)
Take it to Buddy. Yes, he finds the issues, and brings up a couple more he came across. Told me none would prevent the inspection. However, these were not things I could ignore either. He gave me solid advice on what to do, what to watch out for, and the pros/​cons of delaying repairs. For example, I will get new tires in the next few months (not at Lamb’s) and then to Buddy to replace the struts. I’ll keep an eye on the other things, check my fluids and if I start to see any of the warning signs, get it into Buddy for repairs.
Then I took the van down the street (note: Buddy didn’t to any work on it, just an assessment for $ 45) and it passed inspection. (Was told the tires did pass, but probably wouldn’t next year.)

I’ve been to Buddys several times. Blake and Buddy know their business. If your’re looking for an honest and fair price for your vehicle repairs, take it to them. Refreshingly professional, unlike the cons at Lambs.

OK So now Feb 25^th, no phone call and no resolution on the issue below. Did the work myself.
So Far 1 star. I am waiting for the service that all the good reviews are talking about.
I have been embarrassed in front of my daughter by Buddy talking down to me and telling me I didn’t know what I was talking about when «self diagnosing» a problem with my vehicle. The receptionist has also been rude to me both on the phone and in the lobby of the shop.
Now the very same vehicle is sitting in my driveway with the very same problem that was «fixed» and paid for last week by a shop that told me I had no business telling them what needed to be done. I had to rescue my daughter and tow the vehicle home after she became standed. when I called Buddy a few minutes ago, I was told he was on vacation. This explains why I had to order parts this week for another rather urgent problem that Buddy told me he was going to phone me about with a quote. So now I am looking for another mechanic I can trust my daughter to when I move out of the area in the near future. Any suggestions?
I would be more than happy to jump on the 4 and 5 star bandwagon if this gets resoved.

Last week Lamb’s tried to scam my wife out of thousands of dollars worth of auto repairs just to pass inspection. After reading buddy’s reviews on Unilocal she decided to go by for a second opinion. Even though Volkswagens arent Buddy’s favorite cars to work on, he gave us an estimate for repairs told us that none of them were necessary to pass inspection. He sent us to an inspection shop that he trusts and we passed inspection easily. Buddy didn’t even charge us for his time. After Christmas we will be taking our car back there to get the oil leak fixed and a tune up.
Buddy also called a couple days later to make sure everything went ok. In a day and age when some shops are still trying to scam women out of repairs that they don’t need it’s refreshing to find an honest mechanic like buddy who can be trusted.

took my car to this shop after I read all the reviews .I was very disappointed when i arrived .I waited for Buddy to come out when he was very rude and didn’t seem to want to do the work… he seems very upset when i told him i was going to wait to see what is wrong with my car… very fishy. total joke… I left sand never go back

I brought my Highlander in with an oil leak. Buddy called the dealership and determined that the leak was covered by a recall. He arranged to have my car towed to the nearest dealership. Since the car was covered by the recall, the tow and repair were free. Buddy just charged me a small diagnostic fee. He could have just fixed the leak and charged me for the entire thing and I never would have known. Seems like an honest guy.

My mechanic mentored under Buddy’s shop and was humble enough to refer me back to him when he had a troubling diagnostic issue on my truck. A ‘second set of eyes’ paid dividends as Buddy and his crew quickly assessed the issue and repaired it for me the same day at a fair price. Convenient location, quick diagnosis at reasonable rates– don’t hesitate to use Buddy’s!

I live in Cedar Park but was visiting someone in Kyle so went to Frank’s Auto in San Marcos. They diagnosed my problem and provided an estimate to fix a power steering and air conditioning compressor problem. The estimate and final price was $ 1542.
I wanted to compare the estimate so I called Buddy’s Under the Hood which is close to where I live. They provided an estimate to fix the problem with the same AC Delco parts and labor items of $ 2160.
My conclusion was that Buddy’s Under the Hood is way over priced. I would encourage people to not reward over priced businesses but reward fair priced businesses and save yourself a good chuck of change in the process.

My mechanic in Jersey, Fred, spoiled me. His occupation before opening his shop, was Lead Nascar mechanic. This is extremely helpful, considering how I fast drive.
Faced with another car repair, I had to find someone I trust to repair it. (No, Lamb’s, you are not to be trusted.) Then along came Buddy. I called him and asked when I can bring my car in. He asked what was wrong with it. I told him I was refilling the anti-​freeze every couple of days. He said then come it in immediately. So the next day, I bring it in.
He explains this is a common issue with the GM cars. The lines for the anti-​freeze are mixing with the oil lines, if not fixed it could destroy your engine. He said it will take all day to fix. So I hop a ride home to wait. About two hours later, he calls me. He said while he was in my engine he found another part that was wearing thin. It would most likely last another three months but it would require the engine being taken apart again. So I told him to replace the $ 36.00 part now rather than pay another four hours of labor later. He also asked if I wanted him to use the bottle of antifreeze in my car instead of him charging me for one. DANG! Yes, please.
There is no «cheap» when it comes to auto repairs. Buddy wasn’t cheap but he tried to save me money. For that he has my admiration.
Around four I call him and his receptionist gets him on the phone. He tells me my car will be finished in ten minutes. The final cost about a grand, most being the labor to disassemble the engine.
The only down side to Buddy Under the Hood, his hours. Monday — Friday 8:30 — 5:30. This means no Saturday fixes and I have to rent a car for the day to get to work.

Buddy has done a number of repairs for me, all handled very professionally and at a fair price.
Recently I went to a new shop near my home because it was open on Saturday (Buddy is M-​F only). Big mistake, they botched the job.
Not only did Buddy fix their mistakes he helped me photograph and document the poor work performed by the other shop, which helped greatly in obtaining a fair settlement from the other shop.
That was a lesson for me, only Buddy touches my cars from now on.
One thing I really like is that you can always talk to Buddy personally, you don’t go through a ‘service writer’. Buddy will tell the truth about your car, what he can do, what your options are, and how much it will cost. Then he’ll do exactly what he promises.
Highly recommended.

I’ve not had good luck with auto repair shops in Cedar Park, but decided to try Buddy’s some time ago. I inherited a 15 year old pickup that was in good shape, but had developed a strange noise under the hood. I took it to Buddy’s, and they determined that the motor mounts had dry rotted because the vehicle had sat for so long. The repair wasn’t cheap, but they gave a reasonable price for it. With a vehicle of that age, they could have easily built a long list of other (probably unnecessary) repairs, but they didn’t. They fixed the issue that I inquired about, and inspected the other systems of the vehicle, assuring me that it was otherwise mechanically sound.
Their shop is extremely clean and well-​organized. Everyone was very professional and courteous. They finished the work when promised, and I haven’t had a single problem with the repair. I never felt that they were trying to rip me off or take advantage of the situation.

Was a couple of weeks prior to a major road trip, I was questioning if my Pacifica might have a tranny problem (slippage) costing me fuel mileage. I had seen a nest of many auto repair shops between Lago and the Chrysler dealership on 183 near 35. I think its called Champion’s and another less than redeeming experience there was telling me to avoid them if at all possible.
Having seen the «Buddy’s Under the Hood «sign many many times, I’ve always been impressed by its ingenuity. I guess this type of marketing actually works. I drove in based on noting but the name alone.
Upon explaining my complaint, they said they could conduct some computer tests and test drive it. I left the car with them.
A call in the afternoon relieved my suspicions with Buddy giving my transmission a prefect bill of health. He did say they had found something while testing, bad motor mounts. But they were unrelated to any mileage issues. They gave me $ 400 estimate telling me it’s not the parts, but its a labor intensive change out.
Surprising to me, there was no charge for the time spent diagnosing my car. Not sure how much time was spent but I surely expected to pay for their time. I felt a little embarrassed that I wanted to check prices around town for the mount replacements, but that’s just my SOP. I found out later that their estimate was right on target and I should have had them do the job, but I had moved from TX.
My impression of Buddy’s is they are not out to simply rip anyone off just because they can and they will treat you right, giving a reasonable estimates in line or lower than many others.