Terry’s Automotive & Qwik Lube

This place is awesome. These guys are the real deal and know how to fix everything. I take my car here once a month or so for the oil change but I also come back for more serious business. Terry will also be honest with you and tell you when you don’t need something fixed. I am fortunate that the shop is close to my house because I’ll like to go there it’s almost fun.

I had a good experience. Quick, easy, provided education on my alignment. Thanks!

These reviews must be TOTALLY out of date. First, Gary – the target of one complaint – hasn’t worked at Terry’s for over a year. I wasn’t crazy about him myself. However, I’m a smart old lady and I don’t do business with rip-​offs or fools, and Terry and his gang are the best mechanics I’ve ever had. I’ve been a customer for over 20 years.
Terry always diagnoses the problem right and fixes it the first time around. If he doesn’t have the needed technology, he’ll tell you so and send you to someone who does. His prices are extremely fair. I’ve never had to take a vehicle back because of a botched job, but I know that he’s always ready to stand behind his work.
He’s had many long-​term customers like me who’ve been with him for years because there’s just no one better around. Sure, I could get oil changes and simple stuff done for a few dollars less at some other places. But I know that it the long run it’s smart to pick your loyalties and stick with them. When I buy a new battery or tires, I don’t listen to friends who say, «Oh I know where you could get a better deal!» No thanks. In the long run, my strategy works best. I get help when I need it, continuity of vehicle care, and honest answers.
Terry’s mechanics are excellent, too. He doesn’t hire just any young guy off the streets. His mechanics come to him with experience, expertise and good employment records.

I would recommend Terry’s for simple stuff like an oil change. They usually have coupons on their website and I’m in and out in under an hour at the Newberry rd location near Walgreens. However, when my transmission went I had to take it somewhere else and thankfully for me my brother is mechanically gifted and takes care of my bigger jobs for much less $. I also had a hole in a tire once and it took them forever to simply perform the soapy water test to determine I just needed a new tire.
I’m only giving them 3 stars because I simply haven’t used them for big jobs and the one time I could’ve I was referred elsewhere.

The service manager is a weasel by the name of Gary who is rude, a know-​it-​all, and a master at the up-​charge. I brought in an automotive tire today that had run over a nail and I wanted to have repaired and Gary was very rude in telling me it was «unrepairable». I knew that very large punctures or side wall holes made a tire unrepairable but that was not the case with the tire I have. I brought it to a tire place down the street and they fixed it without a problem.
Today I overheard Gary spinning some lies as to why the final bill was twice the written estimate. «Oh they made a mistake on the estimate». It was a woman he was taking advantage of and of course she didn’t know her rights and that she was only legally liable to what she authorized, cost wise, in the initial estimate.
I went to Terry’s Automotive for just over a year and had them perform various services for me on three different vehicles. They did the simple things like oil changes to the more major replacement of components. In the past they tried the normal up-​sell tactics but they weren’t too pushy. Only once did they do something that I didn’t want and charged me for it. I too got hit for the BS diagnostics charges however I was successful in negotiating out of it. (It is the owners Asian girlfriend, new to the business, who likes the add on charges)
They are close to my home and seemed decent enough the first few times I went there. However, now that I have been in Gainesville long enough to try other places I would suggest that you avoid them as Gary is a rude jerk, the owner is quasi absentee, and they will rip you off if given the chance.