AAA Car Care

I think this place is opportunistic. It seems like they are using the AAA name to get peoples trust. I bought 4 tires and when I came back to pick up the car they had done a courtesy inspection that SURPRISE… indicated a lot of work that «needed to be done «(how nice that they had calculated the cost and included it). I had just taken my car to my trusted mechanic last week so I believe this was totally bogus. Read some of the other reviews.

Going forward, a huge red flag for me when I bring my car to a place for service, will be their customer waiting area. The customer waiting area at the AAA Car Care has free bottles of water, a single serve coffee maker complete with fancy creamers, a children’s play area, and cushy chairs with a LCD TV to watch while you wait. While these are nice amenities, they are certainly not FREE and all of these niceties are available to customers to make them feel a little less irritated after they are insulted and lied to.
We visited this AAA «Car Care» location back in January 2016 for some routine work. We decided to come back since they had correctly diagnosed another issue that another garage had failed to mention, so we thought their mechanics were «honest». Big mistake.
After dropping off the car, an hour later we returned and the customer service rep mentioned that the alignment was finished, but during the «free inspection», they had also noticed a litany of other repair work that «needed IMMEDIATE ATTENTION» including:
* Power Steering repair and Rack and Pinion replacement
* Repair of a leaking oil pan gasket
* Repair of rear caliper and Brake Rotor replacement
* Replace bad tire
All of their recommended repairs totaled up to $ 3000; if you read some of the negative reviews, this apparently is a pattern at this shop where the mechanics «find» things that need repairing in order to generate a huge bill.
We thanked them for their estimates but decided to hold off, since the car (older model Nissan) was driving fine and all we needed was a simple alignment. About 10 minutes after leaving AAA, the car was still noticeably pulling to the left. Worse yet, the car felt sluggish like there was a pull or «drag» from the back brakes. We stopped into a nearby shopping mall, and couldn’t help but notice the unmistakable and strong acrid smell of burning rubber… and the smell was emanating from the rear of the car.
We turned right back around and confronted the manager, Jennifer, about the situation. First off, we asked how is that when we brought the car in a month ago, their mechanics failed to diagnose the $ 3000 worth of repair work that they suddenly found today? Her stock response which she kept repeating like a broken record was, ‘well, things break on cars at different times, so these items that our techs observed today, weren’t an issue a month ago.” Really? I find it hard to believe that the car suddenly had all of these issues, especially since we recently took it on a 3 day trip down to North Carolina, and the car was driving fine.
But the most insulting aspect of our interaction with Jennifer, was not only was the car still pulling to the left, but the car was driving differently after AAA’s mechanics «serviced» the car. Once again, her stock response which she parroted over and over again was, «the alignment we performed, in no way should affect anything with your rear brakes or tires». Hey Ms. O’Brien — «No KIDDING!!!». We may not be ASE certified car techs, but we agree with you that the alignment should not have affected the back brakes, but they did.
When we offered to take either her or the mechanic who worked on the car on a test ride so they could observe the issues first hand, she politely declined citing how busy they were. However, she also snidely threw in there, ««So your assertion is since we (AAA) were the last people to touch your car, that we somehow caused whatever issues, you are observing now?» Um, yeah. Logic would dictate that if the car was running fine when we brought it in, and the car is now not running fine after you serviced it… and it’s only been 10 minutes… then I don’t think it’s anything we did as the drivers.
After arguing with Jennifer for about 15 minutes, it was clear AAA wasn’t going to do anything to resolve the issue, but we also didn’t want to be driving an unsafe vehicle. So she offered to have one of the mechanics «adjust» the rear brakes.
As we drove off, I seriously doubt they actually «adjusted» anything since the car still drove horribly and there was still a «drag» from the rear tires as well as the distinct smell of burnt rubber. If you still decide to bring your vehicle to AAA after reading all of the negative reviews, all I can say is caveat emptor — you’ve been warned.

If I could give this place a negative star I would be too generous. My issues started with a simple my car is leaking coolant and it has quickly escalated to a fiasco! Jennifer, Evandro, Robert and Deborah, who is a worker bee have the worst customer service attitudes I’ve ever encountered. LONG story short, my car overheats a week ago, so I have it towed back to the car care center because this mess started with them, so I finally am able to pick it up last evening and there is NO heat and NO coolant! I leave the car and put the key in the drop box to complete the repair that supposedly had been done and Jennifer tells my husband the coolant/​reservoir had been pressure tested but sometimes the car «burps» and after they looked at the reservoir it just had to be topped of… how about the reservoir was EMPTY… I have the pics. There is no where to file a complaint, you can ONLY write to the office in DE. AAA built its brand on travel services and roadside assistance… repairing cars is NOT their strong skill. Proceed with caution before using this place… not the same as getting your car towed. While my husband was there he overhead a conversation one of the mechanics was having with a lady about her tires…“you have to drive your car that’s how the tires get lubricated” and was trying to sell her FOUR new tires! What a rip off this place is… I hope this helps someone else! Evandro didn’t even know where the AAA headquarters was located so I could file a complaint… told me he had only been there two weeks!

I brought my truck in today for a rotation and balance with a coupon. Had a great experience. Evandro was the salesman that helped me. He was great at explaining details and what I would need in the future. Will return for sure. Thanks again

i’ve been here for 34 minutes now queueing to see a customer service person at care car. will update stars after service is completed (if ever)

I called on a Sunday to see if they could replace the valve stem on our spare tire. They said it was no problem. Bring it in, they could do it while we wait. My husband drove up there 20 minutes later and was told it would be at least 3 hours of he was lucky and he should take it somewhere else.

Horrible. Went in after breaking down due to a leaky coolant reservoir. They tried to charge me hundreds upon hundreds just to get the car running, claiming about 3 extra things needed to be replaced when they did not (confirmed by my regular mechanic afterwards). They also tacked onto the estimate literally hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of other unneeded repairs that were unrelated to the reason I broke down.
If I didn’t have a regular mechanic to whom I could direct questions before paying, I would have been totally ripped off.
The guy at the desk even tried to convince me to get a realignment when I spoke with him over the phone due to all of the ‘wear and tear’ on my tires. My tires were absolutely brand new at the time – I had bought them less than a month beforehand. They will just try to rip you off as much as they can.
On top of all that, I asked them to talk to my dad and my mechanic over the phone because I could tell they were recommending way too much, and they were horribly rude to my dad, calling him ‘combative’ for asking to be told the bare minimum needed to get the car running. They refused to talk to my mechanic altogether, even after my dad put him on the line.
They eventually fixed the reservoir for about $ 130 and sent me on my way. One of the many things they recommended in addition to that was an unrelated issue with the brake pads which I already knew about. I told them not to fix those and took them to my mechanic because I didn’t trust this place after the ridiculously absurd estimate they wrote. My mechanic thoroughly inspected the car afterwards and confirmed that other than the reservoir and brake pads nothing was needed (they’d also recommended 2 hoses, a new radiator cap, a new thermostat, and hundreds of dollars worth of repairs to a steering issue that was described over the phone in a very vague manner). And then of course the alignment they tried to sell me on over the phone was also unneeded.
Please do not take your car here.

I’m writing an update after Mike, the manager, left awhile ago, After he left, this place went downhill, I went there to replace my tires, one of my tires lost its cap, they replaced another cap on it, since I don’t much about cars, i didn’t care what they put on it. It was a metal cap, it wasn’t a big deal I thought, until one day, I had to add some air to my tire, I couldn’t get the cap off, I drove there, ask them if they can help me out, came to find out that there shouldn’t have been a metal cap because the heat of the tire will potentially fuse the cap to the stems, then they tried to blame me, I drove around without a cap just fine, why would I put a cap on it? It was put on when I came in to change my tires. I wouldn’t come here again.

Waited three hours for a state inspection! It was the beginning of the month, during the work week so no one else was there. Every ten minutes when I checked in they told me it would be another ten minutes. I repeatedly asked them to just give me my car back and they refused. There was nothing even wrong with the car — they were just trying to hold it long enough for me to agree to buy add-​ons. When they finally finished they parked my car in a tow away zone far from the empty AAA parking lot.

I can not say enough about AAAs shop Manger Carlos. When I brought my car in to have a warranty issue fulfilled he explained to me that the 2 year warranty offered by a certified AAA repair shop in Savannah Georgia that I had to use due to a breakdown on the road did not apply to his AAA company store. He listened to my story and as a curtsey to me he decided to do a free diagnosis and adjustment if that was all that the transmission indicator on the column needed. True to his word that is what his shop did and I was very pleased with the results. I am still confused in regards to AAA’s 2 year repair warranty as to when, where and what shops it applies to??? You try and find the written warranty posted on the web or in the AAA certified approved repair shops offering it as a come on :-)

My story is way too long to expain but trust me when i say its not a place you want to go to have your car taken care of: If I could have chosen zero stars i would have.
But let me sum up what they did and not do:
1. called my wife a liar or crazy-​take your pick. 2. hooked up a starter wrong and almost started a fire. 3. Made us pay for our own car rental after having hooking up the starter wrong and damaging our bumper. 4. Damaged our hood and bumper while installing the starter but would not own up to damaging our hood. 5. Put a «gun to our heads» to sign a release. and did not repair our hood.
Listen, I don’t write reviews but this experience warranted one. Good Luck!

Very disappointed in this place. Mechanics are not skilled, prices are high, and customer service is seriously lacking. You’re lucky if you can get them to even answer the phone in less than 12 rings…

Needed to get a new VA policy and they were super helpful! Noël is a great agent and answered all of my questions. Great customer service to everyone in there!

Took 1−½ hours to do a state inspection that takes 20 minutes elsewhere. And I was the only person there for inspection! Part of the reason is that they looked over my car and provided a $ 2k+ estimate on doing all sorts of things; suspension, spark plugs, various fluid changes, new brakes, etc… Instead of just getting a state inspection they used the chance to up sell me. A lot of the things they recommended I had done elsewhere before. Other things weren’t needed (plugs, rotors). So good waste of time. They should ask first before doing this.
For such a new place everyone seems to just not care. Also, watching some of the mechanics, I’ve never seen such slow mechanics before (=milking the job).

I’ve been here several times and it’s either a hit or miss…
— been there to change my tires and there prices are very competitive (good)
— went back to replace a TPMS sensor and that cost me ~$ 110 (not bad)
— went back a couple months later because my other sensors started to fail and I decided to ditch the sensors and go with a rubber stem. (Good)
— they originally charged me 25 for the first one and wanted another 80 for the other 3! (Not good)
— ended up convincing them to do all 3 for $ 25 (good and fair considering I know how cheap a rubber stem valve is)
— they ended up only doing ¹⁄₃ of the stems agreed (bad)
— and now I’ve waited for almost an hr so they can fulfill what WE AGREED ON!
(VERY BAD)

High prices and friendly but frustrating service. First, they wanted to charge me over $ 1100 for something my regular place did for less than $ 500. That’s reason enough to avoid this place.
Second, they jerked me around on service times. I had my car towed here when it overheated, at about 3pm on a Monday. They told me there would be a long wait before they got to my car, which is fine. An hour or two later I asked how much longer it would be, expecting to be told how many cars were in front of me or something. But they said «oh, he’s looking at your car right now, check back in an hour if we don’t call you.» I left, and heard nothing that night. About 11am Tuesday, they said they didn’t even have the keys to the car! So I dropped off the keys (I didn’t realize I still had them). At about 2pm they called me with a diagnosis (cracked radiator) and quote ($ 1100).
I decided to take it elsewhere for repairs, and told them I’d have a tow truck there to take it to my regular place. They said okay, they would release it to the tow guy. The tow got there an hour or two later (about 4pm) and the car wasn’t put back together yet! They didn’t have it put together until they closed (7:30pm) at which point they just left my keys on the desk for the tow guy, whom I had to call out there the next morning.
They’re not crooks, and I’m sure they do good work, but the prices are way too high and I don’t like being told you’re working on my car «right now» when you clearly are not.

HORRIBLE. DO NOT USE. I took my 2010 Subaru Forrester in for routine service — oil change, check filters, etc. Everything was fine with it — no warning lights on, no problems driving. Took the whole day, and when I picked it up they said there was a problem with two sensors. The check engine light was on, the cruise light was flashing and wouldn’t turn off, and the vehicle dynamics control light was on. They said the problem was 2 sensors were dead, and it would cost $ 500 to fix.
I took it to the dealer (it is certified used and under warranty for repairs) and they found the AAA technician had unhooked part of the harness to access a filter, and then forgot to re-​attach it. It had subsequently melted due to the heat from the engine. He spliced it back together and the dashboard lights all went out. They ran the computer and everything is fine with the sensors. When I talked with the manager at AAA he refused to admit their tech made a mistake, and simply repeated his (proven incorrect) refrain that the sensors were bad and they needed $ 500 to replace them. Even though when I took it back to AAA the person at the desk clearly saw what had happened when he popped the hood.
I don’t have any problem with someone making a mistake — we’re human, it happens. But when you make a mistake you admit it and rectify it. Nothing like that done here. I would not recommend using this facility in any situation, on any vehicle. You need to be able to trust a mechanic will know what they are doing and will be honest. You’re not going to get that here. Worst service I’ve ever had on a car.

This is the worst place to take your car for service. My car broke down on a Tuesday. They said it will not be fixed until Saturday plus they added on another $ 400 to the already $ 1000. All this for a fuel pump and fuel filter. The service woman has been incredibly rude each time we have called to get information on my car. I am so upset with their service. I have no car, no way to get to work. I would give negative stars if possible. This place is horrible. They take advantage of elderly people so watch out.

I came here for recommend 40k service, no major repairs. They were not pushy and did not try to sell me anything extra but the cost was outrageous, specifically $ 136 for an oil change for a VW plus extra charges for labor. I declined and had the same work done at Mr Tire for hundreds less. Don’t think I will go back

I came here for an oil change a few weeks ago on a Sat morning. Price was good (~$ 29) and people were friendly. The interior is nice and new and offers a waiting area with a large window to the auto bays – so you can see the guys working on your car. Not that I really knew what they were doing, it was still reassuring to see them at work with your car. Complimentary water and coffee is also nice.
What was really convenient about this place is the location – in the same lot as a Trader Joe’s. So I dropped my car off at 9 am, walked 2 min to Trader Joe’s and got my shopping done in about an hour. 10 min later my car is done. Great!
I was due for an inspection on the car, so they checked it out and didn’t find anything that needed further attention. They did however let me know that I was missing a lugnut on one of my wheels… the guys at Costco had left one off when i replaced my tires a few weeks prior. So props to them for spotting that.
The manager there Mike was very helpful and friendly in a no-​nonsense way. I’m coming back for future oil changes and if my car ever needs other work done!

Review title: «How to quickly lose a AAA member.» — I’m not exaggerating but I was literally bullied by a young AAA notary today at this location on Main St. in Fairfax, VA mostly because of a small medical condition I have. Yes, you read that right! Based on other reviews, I think this place needs help unless retaining members is not a priority. I’ve been to other AAA locations without an issue, but one employee here made this the worst customer service I’ve experienced anywhere. Needless to say, it was my first time here and likely my last. If AAA employs negative folks like this to provide customer service, I am no longer interested in being their member. Here are some of the issues I experienced with the young notary: 1) Walked up to the notary who did not greet me in a welcoming manner as he didn’t seem happy. 2) When I explained what I needed notarized, the notary made no eye contact. 3) Notary would not accept my explanation that the form was a standard investment account withdrawal request and kept asking «I need to know what this is for» 4) Notary would not look at the form I gave him to understand what I needed notarized. 5) After I pointed out that other AAA notaries were not as inquisitive about similar forms, he became agitated and said «I know what a notary is supposed to do.» 6) By the time he finally agreed to look at the form, other customers were looking our way since he was getting loud. I was very uncomfortable by this point. 7) After he agreed to notarize the form, he looked at me and made this remark loudly, «I just wanted to know what this was for and you’re all shaky.» He then proceeded to fill out the form. I saw people turning around to look at me and felt so embarrassed. I wanted to speak to a manager at that point but did not want to make a bigger scene as I just wanted to get my notarized form and leave quickly. I’ve never felt like such oddball in pubic like I did today. No one has ever made that remark to me before. I felt like I was being scrutinized unfairly for doing something millions of people do naturally or for medical reasons. I work for a well known national nonprofit organization. If I had made that remark to one of our members because he /​she was shaking, I would have certainly lost my job. A customer’s slight shaking is no reason to treat them unprofessionally. I have family members who shake more than I do. It doesn’t mean that they are suspicious and should be scrutinized. The saddest part of all this is that this young man will just get a slap on the wrist and keep doing the same job. I’m already in contact with upper level management about this but I don’t expect any real act of accountability. And that is how to quickly lose a AAA member!
UPDATE: The manager returned my phone call the next day. After 45 min. of trying to convince him of how inappropriate and humiliating the incident was from a policy and customer service standpoint, he indicated that serious action would be taken (though he did not go into detail). It was a relief to hear that, considering at the start of the call he indicated that he would only «talk to him about it» even though he had already done so before the call with me and there was no real plan beyond that. Hopefully, proper action has been taken to avoid similar situations. At this point, I’m still debating whether I want to retain my family’s AAA membership. As I shared with the manager, every business wants to retain its patrons, but if the focus is only on making more money rather than exceeding customer service expectations, then the business has already failed.

Overpriced, artificial repairs advised, and minimally courteous.
Take advantage of women (or anyone with limited automotive knowledge) — my daughter and wife on separate occasions in different vehicles. Don’t show tests or «damaged» «worn» parts before replacing them and billing the labor. No call to explain findings or ask permission to proceed. Use at your own risk. Caveat Emptor

This is a AAA owned shop that opened in late may 2011 in Fairfax. It is located at the edge of a shopping mall that has Trader Joe’s, Chucky Cheese and a CVS.
Went to them on my 2 cars for routine service: synthetic oil change on a 2003 BMW 525 and an oil change & wheel alignment on 2006 Honda Pilot.
Received promotional discounts. Made an appointment via the Internet; they did the work while I waited. I didn’t have a problem for them to diagnose so can’t say how well they did.
The shop also has a AAA travel services store, so you will be hassled a bit to join AAA or get an auto or homeowner insurance quote.