Quantum Mechanics

I have been taking my car to QM for years, and I have always had the best of experiences there. The staff is friendly, professional, and trustworthy. I have many friends, neighbors, and colleagues who are also avid fans. My 2008 vehicle is in excellent shape, but when I do eventually need a new one, you can bet it will be German or Japanese (that’s what they specialize in) so that I can keep going there. QM is the best shop I’ve ever been to, and I can’t say enough good things about it.

The staff of this mechanic shop comes from a dying breed. Honest, reliable, white-​glove service that is the hidden gem of Decatur. My wife and I had some issues with her Lexus that went undiagnosed from other local mechanics, that if left alone could have resulted in engine failure or a very expensive repair at the least. We were able to make the necessary fixes before it became a costly or dangerous issue.
We also have a used Honda CRV that has not needed anything at all, other than regularly scheduled maintenance over the course of 3 years. I’m not surprised since the folks there did the mechanic’s review for us when we were buying a used car from Jim Ellis. In fact, they saved us from buying a different CRV that had a clean Carfax, but had clearly been in a wreck. The helpful mechanics pointed out the evidence and showed me how I could quickly tell if a vehicle had been in a front-​end collision before getting to the desk to negotiate price with the dealer — really saved me thousands of dollars and a huge hassle. I’d never buy a car without them reviewing it first.
The new location is easy to locate, and has a roomy, more welcoming customer service area. I don’t know about a $ 5,000 espresso machine (mentioned in some other review), but I am offered a bottled water while I wait, treated with courtesy, and given the no-​pressure option to choose what maintenance is necessary at the time of each visit.
The woman who works the counter (I think her name is Maria) makes my wife feel comfortable enough to go to the shop without me, and the courtesy shown by Spencer, Aaron, and others keep me from going anywhere else.
As an aside, my neighborhood has a Facebook page where everyone goes for local recommendations. Quantum Mechanics is at the top of the list of recommended mechanics for anyone with a Japanese or German vehicle.

The $ 5,000 espresso machine in the vast airport-​like waiting room was a tip off: stiff prices and a lack of interest in my old clunker. I clearly requested a cosmetic repair and instead was given a complete check-​up. Expecting to spend a few hundred, I was quickly out a few thousands for «safety repairs.» After 3 days when my car was ready, there was a troubling new problem. I promptly took my car to another mechanic to repair Quantum repairs. The staff was friendly in a hesitant robotic way (I was later told all conversations w/​customers are recorded), but the attitude towards women (me and others I overheard) was condescending and «eye rolling.» I have used this mechanic before and been satisfied despite high labor prices. It has since relocated to a huge overhead facility and become a BMW repair shop. Not for the common person. Bottom line: Quantum prices for the 1% and car fanatics only!

This place is strange and charming. It seems like your classic neighborhood garage from the outside, but the closer you look the more unusual it gets. Your first hint is the parking lot. Depending on how busy they are, they ask you to park in alternating rows. Then, once the lot fills, they let you double park, two to a space. Their sign says they specialize in very small and very light cars.
Also, the staff (seemingly all German, though there may have been an Englishman or two there as well) uses odd terms. I called to ask how my car was and they told me it was in an excited state (they had raised it up on a lift).Sometimes I’ll get a bill listing both real parts and imaginary parts. And their labor is always priced in whole numbers. I don’t mind because their rates are so low– $ 66.26/hr for most stuff and $ 105/​hr when they work on rotating parts. The cashier will proudly state with teutonic certainty that «it is literally impossible to have lower rates.»
I first went there after my prior mechanic told me my car (a Dodge Electron) had a broken clutch. QM told me they could look, but would destroy my clutch in the process (!). On the other hand, they were able to instantly diagnose a problem that no other mechanic in town was able to explain. When I stopped the digits on my odometer would scramble and my GPS would stop working. When I started moving, that problem would go away but the speedometer would wiggle around. The problem was so bad I was no longer able to commute. The guys at QM solved the problem by replacing my odometer with a different measurement and disconnecting the GPS and now everything works perfectly.
This is really important to me. As a travelling salesman, I really need to be able to get to all of my destinations as efficiently as possible.
Thanks Wolfgang, Werner, and Erwin – you guys are the best!