Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center

Hands down the best auto care experience I have ever had. The employees at Tuffy consistently show that they care not only about your vehicle but about you as well. For example today after having a oil change completed (in only 20 minutes) I pointed out something wrong with the undercarriage of my car and the service technician got on his hands and knees to inspect it. Then he said he would take care of it right away and took it back to the garage and gave me 10 – 15 minutes of free service to resolve the problem.
For as long as I live in Charlotte I will have ALL of my car work done here.

Tuffy Auto Center on South Tryon really saved my day. My car died just outside their Charlotte store. Chris and the guys were extremely helpful. They recharged my battery and checked my alternator (intermittent short.) Didn’t have money or time for a new alternator– think mine is still under warranty– so they charged up my battery for free and sent me home in under an hour. Thanks so much guys. I understand the store is under new management and they want to do things right.

BEWARE — BEWARE — BEWARE — REALLY
I brought my Land Rover to Tuffy because I had a break light on. The car was running fine when I brought it in. When I picked it up it did NOT drive at all.
Originally the car was running fine, I actually drove it to Charlotte from Charleston the morning I dropped it off, no issue except the brake light which was on before I left Charleston. Tuffy had the car all day, I spoke to them, they said they looked and the light was related to a rear break sensor and it wouldn’t be an issue if I didn’t fix it. So, I didn’t.
When I went to pick the car up that afternoon it wouldn’t drive. The whole front end was locking up, all sorts of warning lights were on in the dashboard and the suspension was sitting very low at the «access» height and would not raise. So, when I dropped the car off it had a brake light on and no driving issue. After Tuffy had it for a few hours it had a ton of issues and wouldn’t drive.
This was after they told me that they took all of the wheels off the vehicle to check the brake light. This was at the end of the day so I insisted they keep the car overnight and fix it (I didn’t want responsibility for the car after they damaged it). They kept the car, they didn’t fix anything though. The next day I called at 1pm, they said they were working on it and it «looked good». At 4:45 I called back and they said they didn’t fix anything and the car was sitting out front, I could come get it.
So, not only did they destroy the car, but, they didn’t even call me to tell me it didn’t work. I have posted the document they gave me.
Bottom line, Tuffy will ruin your car, they will deny it, they won’t help you… they will screw you every which way. There are other similar reviews here too so really, beware, this is true.
Avoid these guys, seriously.

Tuffy doesn’t stand by their work and lies to their customers. Do NOT patronize this location.

I’ll make this simple: Don’t take your vehicle to Tuffy for brakes. I’ve taken my cars to Tuffy for years, but they really screwed up on my last brake job.
I took my Ford Mustang in for new pads and rotors in August 2010. Within a few days of service, the brakes were squealing… bad. I took the car in to have them repair the problem.
After an hour on the jack, the service tech told me they couldn’t figure out was wrong and that they had «reseated the pads.» He couldn’t even bother to get off the phone before speaking to me.
One week later, same problem: The squeaking brakes were back. By this point, I had completely lost confidence that Tuffy could properly inspect or repair brakes. I had zero faith that they could fix the problem they had created. So I lived with the irritating squeal.
Fast forward. It’s now nine months later and my car has failed an inspection because of the brakes. I contacted Tuffy corporate. Their response? Bring it in for «a second opinion.» The HQ rep told me the pads were under warranty for parts, but that I’d have to pay for labor to replace them. And because I didn’t bring this to their attention sooner (within 90 days), there was nothing she could do.
Of course, I DID bring the car in within 90 days, but they didn’t fix the problem. One display of incompetence I can forgive. After a second display of incompetence, I’m not inclined to give you a third chance.
It’s a shame, because prior to this I had been a loyal Tuffy customer. I’ve brought two vehicles there consistently since moving to Charlotte five years ago. But Tuffy has lost me as a customer, and I’m warning my friends about my experience.

I have used this garage for many years, ever since they opened. They are honest and treat you right. My wife has taken our cars there on several occasions and they have always been good too her as well. Being a woman she had been taken advantage of before at other garages, but not at a a Tuffy. These guys are honest and do good work.

If you live in the Steele Creek area, Tuffy on S Tryon is a pretty good bet for auto service. Oil changes, state inspections, full diagnosis, they do it all. I’ve sent probably half a dozen friends here and haven’t heard a bad thing yet. They always seem to have better prices than the local competition, yet I haven’t noticed any major problems with their workmanship. I’ve only had to have a re-​work done once… when they mounted a tire inside out (these were asymmetrical tires). Not a huge problem (I didn’t even notice for a week) and they were very accommodating when I brought it back in, putting me first in line and not charging me a thing.
Unlike a lot of places, the mechanics here don’t try to sell you on a bunch of crap you don’t need. They diagnose the issue efficiently and any recommendations they have are probably worth listening to, at least in my experience.
The waiting area is relatively clean (about what I’d expect for a service center) and offers a TV, comfy chairs, and coffee/​water and drink/​snack machines.