River Oaks Automotive Center

Pete has been the MOST upstanding auto technician, proprietor, manager I have met. He is brutally honest about repairs needing to be done and he always does the work right (the first time). I’ve taken ALL of my cars to Pete (BMW’s, Mercedes, Audi’s, Corvettes, Suburbans and Tahoe’s). There is nothing these people can’t fix.

My Mercedes indicated I was due service. I had only driven 4,000 since last service. River Oaks Auto said I didn’t need any work to be done. They offered to reset the computer for free.
Would other dealers/​auto shop be that honest???
River Oaks Auto is the only place to go!!!

Customers beware… CAUTION! I taken my car here a few times. After a couple of expensive visits I became a little suspicious. I needed my A/​C fixed and was quoted $ 1500 from River Oaks. I decided to take it to a different dealership which quoted me $ 700 and full warranty. I thought ok, maybe I just got lucky. After that I had my check engine light come on. River Oaks said I needed to change my O2 sensor and reseal my gas tank or the car wouldn’t pass inspection. Price was $ 1400 and cost me $ 119 just to find out what the problem was. I decided to take the car back to the place I got the A/​C fixed and they said it was only the gas cap and that it would cost me $ 25!!! Needless to say my personal feeling is that these people are thieves and the public needs to know about this. Now I’m questioning all the work I’ve gotten done there and feel I’ve spent my hard earned money on things that didn’t need to be replaced. Customers, you’ve been warned.

I heard some brake squealing so I brought it to River Oaks Automotive for a simple brake pad replacement. When I called I specifically asked Vince if it was a multi-​day repair and he said no. I DID end up having to leave my car overnight which meant a few über rides. Not the end of the world, but…
After seeing the cost breakdown, I was overcharged for the parts and my total came to way more than I’ve ever paid for brake pad replacement. I only have myself to blame here — I should have called around for other quotes before agreeing to the work. I needed my car back by the next day to drive to Austin for work so I didn’t want to waste the time and it cost me.
On the plus side, the communication was very good and the shop was conveniently located. They wrote me some quotes for a few other small fixes. I’ll be calling around to get some other quotes and if they come back the same I’ll update my review. Perhaps, like the nail salons, car repair is inexplicably more expensive in Houston than San Fran.

My review is strictly regarding getting a car inspection there. Took it in the other week, waited 15 min, only to be told they can’t go through with the inspection because my tires needed to be changed. They didn’t charge me for inspection, which is nice but it was a waste of my time! I went to a Kwik Kar the next day and they passed it no problem. Then went to get my tires changed at SAMs and they told me I still had 2 – 3 month left. So maybe it’s because I don’t drive a Lexus, BMW or Mercedes. Or the guy was new and nit picky. Either way DO NOT WASTE TIME HERE getting an inspection!

Vince was hands down the easiest person to work with ever. Every time I called it was he who answered. Always had an update on my car. He pushed and fought with the insurance company for my car (had flood damage) to get totalled, and when the insurance company decided to screw me (geico) he did a full engine replace in 3 days. This was without a doubt the best automotive experience I’ve ever dealt with, they have 5 stars for a reason people. Being your business to them and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

I went in there for state inspection. One day prior when I called the guy asked me to make an appointment. I did that and next day, few minutes after the appointment time he took the car in and completed the state inspection in 15 – 20 minutes and that was it. He also gave some contact for bodywork that I needed on my car. Seemed helpful and nice guy.

My family has cars, a late model Lexus SUV that only has needed oil changes and simple common maintenance, and a 2002 Mazda Miata that requires extra love. They have been taking care of our cars for the past three years. My impressions:
Clean, well run shop. Nothing has ever been left in my car or left out of place in the car, trunk or engine, a problem I had become all to used to in other shops.
Good communication.
Good diagnosis.
Price comes in as estimated.
They tell you when to go elsewhere, as they did for some of my Mazda work.
They work with me when I get discounted or used parts from across the country to keep up my older vehicle.

My car had a faulty brake control module (made the ABS, Traction Control and Brake Light come on). Another service company was unable to diagnose the problem.
I was leaving the country for a couple of weeks and River Oaks Automotive offered to keep the car while I was gone. They accurately identified and fixed the problem while I was away, keeping my updated by email and text along the way. When I returned my car was in working order and clean (a significant improvement on its own).
I’ve been a client on and off for nearly a decade. I’ve consistently been satisfied with the work, and especially the customer service at River Oaks Automotive.
Well Done ROAC!

I needed to do safety/​smog check before registering my car. I called right after 7am and got an appointment scheduled for 8:30am the same day. I arrived, was greeted by a nice guy and my car was taken care of pretty much right away. Everything took maybe 20 minutes. After my check was done, one of the employees, Johnny, told me that I can come back when I get my new plates and they will attach it at no additional cost. I did that and Johnny changed the plates as well as stickers that I got at no cost. Again, everything was fast and everybody was very polite. The office is very clean, has a nice couch to sit down and a good selection of magazines.

Easily the worst auto shop I have ever been to. Took my car in to have a brake light repaired and left with thousands of dollars in damage to my shocks and suspension, which they did not offer to repair. Instead claimed that the car was already in need of repair when I brought it in which was a complete lie.
Do NOT go here unless you are looking to get screwed.

This review is way overdue. I broke down on West Alabama and Chris driving just driving by went out of his way to help push my car in a safe location and had it towed to his shop to just park it there until I decided where/​who I wanted to work on it. I eventually decided to go with them after three days of it sitting in their parking lot. I had issues with my timer belt which initially ruined my engine and was in a need of a new one. The immediately went to work, Chris especially took his time but still had in done and back and running in a matter of a week and a half. It ran better than it did in the first place. I was so pleased with the quality of work and not only that their customer service. Very impressed, and I would recommend any one with car troubles, especially engine trouble to head their way. Thank you guys!

These guys are friendly, professional and have great techs and service.

Prepare yourself for a little bit of whining about a 1^st world problem…
It was time for a state inspection and emissions testing.
After 2 failed attempts where either the computer was down or the place just didn’t exist, I decided to look online for a place to go. River Oaks Automotive had a nice website and when I called in, I made an appointment for 8:30 AM.
I arrived just a tad late (8:33), but I had to wait 15 minutes for my car to be taken out of the parking lot. The waiting area was clean and had nice couches with lots of magazines. I brought a book to read so a little bit of waiting wasn’t a big deal. But, the receptionist decided that it would be professional to watch Iron Man without even putting on some headphones. I mean, I don’t have a big problem with service industry folks killing time (if they don’t work for me), but just do it discretely and professionally so that you don’t put off the customers.
Other than a bit of waiting and an undesired background movie soundtrack, it was an easy experience. I’ll probably try somewhere else if I need maintenance or repair on my car though.

Twice over the past 4 months I have had a flat tire. After waiting for an hour at Costco’s Tire Center, I instead went over to ROAC. On both occasions, they found the problem (a nail each time) and patched the tire. And on both occasions, they handed me my keys and said «No Charge.» I know this is not a major fix, but Costco was going to charge me $ 50 and other places I know will charge that much and make you wait all day. Says a lot about the place to me.

I come here for inspection and oil change. Every visit I try to come early, whether its the weekend or before lunch during the week. Today I came at 11:30 and it only took 20 minutes include the free wash that comes with the oil change. Highly recommended for in-​and-​out service.

I took my car in recently to River Oaks Automotive Center and was given an estimate of $ 3000 to $ 4000 to fix a laundry list of problems they came up with. Thinking the estimate was outrageous, I took my car for a second opinion to Auto World Houston. Auto World Houston fixed my car for $ 360 and told me that several of the problems that River Oaks Automotive Center came up with were in fact not broken. Don’t go to River Oaks Automotive Center!

Years of investigative reporting by tv news shows instilled in me a fear of auto mechanics. «Join us at 10 as hidden cameras show how this auto mechanic tried to sell us services we did not need!» This feeling hasn’t quite reached «phobia» level, more of a «I am going to walk down dark alleys and I might get robbed» level.
Well, I brought my car to River Oaks Auto because it had some seal of approval which assured me that I would not get ripped off. I knew the problem: broken oxygen sensor. My friend, who is a car guy, tried to fix it but could not get the correct part. I told the person at the front office, new oxygen sensor. He brushed me off with a «we have to do our own inspection.» Little did I know that this inspection, plugging the car into a machine to tell mechanic that it is a broken oxygen sensor, would cost me $ 250 bucks. The part, which cost at most $ 50 dollars, then set me back another $ 300 for installation.
Remember when I said that my friend tried to fix the problem? When he did it, it took him ten minutes to uncrew the broken component and screw in the new one. So, 10 minutes of work cost me $ 300 dollars. If I personally billed at this rate, I could retire in 5 years.
So, go here if you know nothing about cars and how long it takes to fix the thing. Ignorance, in this case, really is bliss.