Zaf Auto Repair

The mechanic here was very nice and extremely helpful. I went as a walk-​in with an emergency tire issue and they were able to repair the issue and get me a new tire that day. The pricing was not bad but really what would make me come back was the staff, they were honest, helpful and friendly.

Very pleasant staff. I have had some poor car repair experiences in the area and its nice when you find a place with helpful and knowledgeable people who know what they are doing and seem happy to help you as well as having fair prices.

HI ,
I recently got my 2009 nissan sentra repaired. I was suppose to replace both the control arms in the front along with the strut on the left side front tire. I was given an estimate of around and above 900 by other people. The technician who worked on my car was Kyle. I got charged a lot less than that and i had some missing parts and he did not charge me a lot for that. On the final price he gave me a discount on the labor. I got an awesome deal.
The important thing is they know a lot about cars, reliable and economic fixes instead of costly replacements and they are very good at explaining everything to you before they work on it. The other important advantage is they can work with parts that the customer buys online (where we can get a lot cheaper than most dealers sell).
My suggestion, take your car to this place get a list of parts that need to be replaced and get an estimate for labor and then get your car fixed.
Vamsi

I don’t want to give 1 point, but after my latest experience I couldn’t give 5 stars anymore. We have been to ZAF I think 5 – 6 times with both of our cars. The last 3 times it was because of a starting problem with my car. They told me every time they fixed it and I paid about 650 $ for all repairs. They switched parts but still after a couple of days the same problem pops up and I have to get towed… I’m really pissed. If you don’t know the problem then be honest. Don’t switch parts just to make money !!!

I’ve procrastinated writing this review for a long time now. It is so overdue. I’m poking around on Unilocal today and am making myself do this b/​c the owner of this shop deserves any accolades he can get. I’ve used Zaf for more than 10 years. That’s a long time in the auto service industry, I’m sure. The owner is second to none: he is so honest (and it pains me not to use an extravagant superlative here but I fear my review might be dumped into the refuse bin for using words that are over the top: with this place it’s hard not to!) I’m a woman, let’s just say it. I’m the quintessential stereotype who stands at the counter of every auto repair shop and calls her husband after getting the inscrutable diagnosis, «Honey, can you talk to the guy?» I honestly feel I could go into Zaf’s, hand over my car and credit card, and tell them, «Call me when you’re done.» Not only that, they’ve fixed our cars with no residual trouble for over 10 years: two Toyota’s and one Geo Prism (that lovely, crappy car). With my Camry, most recently, AB the owner gave me a second opinion after earlier I stood at the counter at Ourisman Toyota Chantilly listening to the service guy tell my husband, «Sir, our mechanics have decades of experience behind them. It is their strong opinion that your engine will die immanently, which is a real safety hazard. You need either a new engine, or a new car.» AB and I drove my car and he shook his head, saying, «No way. That sound has nothing at all to do with the engine. It’s not even in the same area of the car.» He fixed the problem and voila, that was over a year and a half ago. I have since recently bought a brand new car (and I swear the first regret I had over the purchase was that I wouldn’t get to visit Zaf’s anytime soon.) The Camry is saved in the driveway for my teenage sons. I have only ever owned Toyotas but after that experience with Ourisman and Zaf, I switched brands and won’t go back to that dealer. I only see two options with their diagnosis: they don’t know what they’re talking about, or they are not being truthful. What is a third possibility? I only say all of this here b/​c I trust AB entirely and completely, over any dealer or any other shop. He is also a very professional, lovely, and kind person. His shop is the real deal. Go there. Tell him Stephanie with the white Camry sent you!

My entire family uses this shop because they are honest and fair. Prices are always below expectations. We’d never go anywhere else.

The owner is a really good person. He won’t rip you off and has many, many years of experience with foreign and American cars. I’ve used him several times for my annual VA inspections and my 20 year old son recently took his 95 Toyota Avalon there for a check engine light. I was curious if he would be fair with my son and he was more than fair. Only charged a small fee to look at the car and explained in great detail what the problem was and cost it would be. They did extensive repairs on a young co-worker’s car for a very fair price. They don’t take advantage I guess is what I am trying to say. They are a small shop in an unusual location (using KMart’s old tire center in Herndon), but I’d recommend them with confidence!

Honest with no gimmicks. I’ve used these guys for about 5 years now with no problems.

I have had 2 older cars that failed inspection and were due for costly repairs. I went here for a second opinion and they showed me specially what was broken and or wrong and they fixed what was wrong for way less than I was quoted at other places

Great service within a reason time and price. Came here for a quick battery replacement, and was in and out within 20 minutes! Would definitely recommend this shop to my family and friends.

Came here on a recommendation from a friend and so glad I did. Part of my fender and entire plastic front portion under my car was hanging off scrapping the roadway.
When I dropped off my car, everyone was really nice and laid back. We even exchanged a few jokes like we’ve known each other for years, which always is a good sign for me and my sarcastic personality. When I came to pick up my car, I asked what I owed and didn’t believe it when they said $ 30.
I think I might have found a repair place worth coming back to!

I initially was happy with my service, but after leaving their lot I noticed a creaking sound and slight unevenness. After work, I went to the nearest honda dealership to see what was up with my car. Turns out that not only did these guys miss fixing one tire, they also screwed up fixing the other (actually made it worse) and left the parking brake on (which on my vehicle is basically hidden from view). After all was said and done, the dealership was significantly cheaper than Zaf.
I would suggest going somewhere else, you may think you are getting a good deal but you will be paying the difference down the line. On a side note, if you do go here, don’t use the door labelled entrance, apparently that’s a deadend.

I finally found an honest mechanic. I’ve been taking both my cars here since 2009 (four years) and have always had a good experience. Two instances stand out that merit specific mention; in both instances, they could have come up with excuses to keep the car longer and charge more money.
The first was when it was leaking oil. This would make any car owner cringe. I brought it in early on a Saturday morning, and had it back within an hour. Kyle (super nice guy) said it was a simple oil filter change…$ 10. They could have kept the car longer and come up with all kinds of things they had to do, and I would’ve been none the wiser.
The second instance was when my wife’s car was making a really loud vibrating sound. My wife brought it in first thing in the morning, with both kids in tow, and she was out in 15 minutes and PAID NOTHING. It was the heat shield and one of the owners that works there, AB (short for Abdullah), put on a clamp and didn’t charge anything! Again, he could have kept it longer and came up with who knows what. AB is also super nice and very friendly.
These guys get it, they are honest. They know that being honest will keep customers coming back for more services. I have never/​never had any issues with any inspections, tire rotations, tire installations, oil changes, or anything else there. The best part is I never/​never have to make an appointment. They always work me into the schedule and have it back in a timely manner. Now, they don’t have a fancy waiting area with free coffee, TV, magazines, etc. and it can get hot in there in the Summer time, so if you’re a prima donna, this place isn’t for you. But to me, having the waiting area directly in front of the pits demonstrates that they have nothing to hide and that you can watch the entire service if you want.
Trust me, I am an extremely picky person and have high standards for customer service. I can’t speak as to whether they can tackle more complex problems, but for everything else, these guys are great and I highly recommend them.

Recently had brake work done (rotors/​pads) at Zaf Auto Repair. The customer service was excellent and the owner was very helpful and knowledgeable. He seemed to know everyone they came in and out of his shop. If customer loyalty is any indication of the service they provide, this shop is top notch.

I ve been going to Zaf for years and I do see loyal customers coming back. They are quick and explain things to you so that you understand. They also give you a timeframe of other parts that needs to be replaced. I highly recommend you giving AB (the owner) a shot. Shuttle service available if you drop by early in the AM depending on location, call and ask first! You can shop and grab something to eat at the same time, amazing group of workers they have there!

Quick and efficient — patched my tire up in no time flat. AB was extremely helpful.

I’ve used this place several times over the years, and they’ve always been great. I never felt pressure to do any work, and they even told me work didn’t need to be done that other places had suggested. I did a price comparison on time between them and another place for similar work, and they were way cheaper.
Overall, a big recommend from me.