Lamb’s Tire & Automotive

My wife took one of my cars to Lamb’s to have an inspection and an oil change. They tried to rip her off. This car is over 24 years old and is therefore exempt from emissions check. They should have only done the safety inspection. But they went over the car looking for any possible thing and failed the car for… emissions.
They wanted over $ 200 to fix the «problem» which was a missing vacuum hose which wasn’t even important to the emissions on a car that doesn’t need to pass a check anyway. Lucky my wife is not as ignorant about cars as they thought she was and she asked them what the hose was for, which they couldn’t even answer. She said, rightly so, that she wouldn’t let them «fix» a problem if they didn’t even know what the part did! I fixed it myself for less than $ 5 even though the car ran fine without it since the hose is only to control a flap on the air cleaner which makes it pull hot air from the exhaust riser instead of cold air from the outside… which only matters in below freezing conditions… which we rarely get here in Texas and which this car would see even more rarely since it is always garaged and never driven in bad weather!
Anyway after the 14 day hold with the state for the inspection was released I took it to another inspection station which passed the car with NO PROBLEMS. They never even opened the hood, just like every previous inspection I’ve ever had with that car. Because there is no reason for them to on an EXEMPT car. I asked another mechanic I know about this whole situation and he said he thought that Lamb’s was looking for an excuse to fail the inspection so they could get an expensive repair bill for nothing.
Oh, and to add insult to injury, they couldn’t even do the oil change because they don’t stock the right kind of oil for cars made before the mid 1990s. Beware if you have a car with a flat tappet cam if you take it to them for an oil change or you will ruin your cam and be looking at hundreds if not thousands of dollars in replacing it or possibly needing to rebuild your engine. Thankfully I had told my wife what kind of oil was needed (one with at least 1400ppm of ZDDP) because they didn’t know and would have done it with the wrong oil.
And the final straw was that I went to their corporate office to lodge a complaint and was told their district manager would call me back. He never did. 3 strikes — you’re out. I will let everyone I know about my issues and I am active in the car club scene here in Austin.

Ashley provides a wonderful service. She and Lambs as a whole have always gone above and beyond to
make sure my needs were taken care of. They keep my 2008 Dodge Truck rolling down the road. See ya’ll soon

Vince was fantastic! Came in for 4 new tires and needed a gasket replaced on my motor (I had the part already, just needed labour)
Vince took the time to discuss the different tire options with me, explaining the benefits and drawbacks of each type before helping me settle on for all terrain tires for my truck. he even talked me out of spending more money than I needed to.
What really impressed me though was the gasket replacement. Apparently the part I had want quite right, so they sent someone down to the local Nissan dealership to grab the right part for me.
Great service! I’ll be back!

Wasted $ 200 for nothing here. Did a A/​C performance check, told me the system was low on freon and nothing else was wrong. So I proceeded with A/​C evacuate/​recharge, only to find out the next day A/​C stopped working again. Brought the car back and they realized the compressor was bad. What a waste of money.
I got a quote for compressor replacement. It appears that they bill customers however they want, sometimes doubling the hours from alldata. No thanks.
Update:
Hello Jim,
I sent a message through contact us on the website and did not hear back. It would help if a contact email is provided on the website, if someone will be reading the emails.

Took 3 hours just for a tire alignment, only 3 other people in the lobby. They placed priority on people who weren’t even there. Car was being used full blast AC, draining fuel that I paid for. Car was left in parking lot without letting me know they were finished for 30 minutes.

Vincent is awesome! I stopped by with some new headlight bulbs to see if they could install them for me… They were super busy, but Vincent took the time to put them in for me and was pleasantly suprised that he knocked them out for free… thanks for the great customer service!

I don’t know if both the attendants we’re having bad days but everybody who walked in was given a bad attitude. They were hardly attentive and very short with their answers. Don’t think I’ll be coming again. I’m assuming one of the main factors of revenue is the shop’s proximity to the state tax office, which is the only reason I came.

Truly a lifesaver, twice now! I work within walking distance to Lambs and about 6 months ago, my car decided it did not want to shift out of drive or turn off… and i was head first into a spot. So I put my e-​brake on and with car running, ran down to Lambs. One of the tech’s «volunteered» to go look and gave me a ride back to my car. He made it operable and told me what was wrong and refused any charge.
Today, my brake lights, turn signals, you name it, back lights weren’t working. I had tried to replace bulbs, fuses and embarrassed, called Lambs to see if I could drop it for them to change out my lights. Vincent came right out when I got there and looked and said he’d check it out for me. I left it there and returned before 6 before they closed. He had replaced the lights and made it operable so I wouldn’t be heckled or pulled over or shot for not having these important items. Again, no charge.
Between these 2 lifesaving trips, I’ve gotten my oil changed, general maintenance done and been more than happy. They give you their recommendations and you tell them what to go ahead with. Prices and service were on point and they even gave me a ride back to my office. I really appreciate these guys and as a female and a social worker (making pennies) that means a ton!
Thank you Vincent, you are my hero!

This place left me completely satisfied… take this as an understatement!
These people offer great prices, awesome service, & are friendly people. Just the qualities every business needs. I am an official client.
Zach is the man!

Very helpful and good customer service. They were able to fix my flat tire and put it back on my car for me. I’d go here again.

Very happy with the service we received here. We showed up at 4:15pm (45 minutes) until they closed. They were able to do an Oil Change for us. I usually go to Abor Wash but we’ll be switching here.

I had just left my house when my car indicated that my tire pressure was low. I panicked a little because we had a tire that had been patched and I didn’t know if I was about to have a flat. So I looked up the nearest tire shop and drove straight there.
I pulled into Lamb’s, told them what had happened and Mike guided me to pull up. He checked the pressure and said I’d be okay. He checked the other tires and told me I was good to go. No charge. I had already had my son park himself inside because I figured we’d be there awhile but nope.
Anyway, I really appreciated it.

I really like these guys. Strait forward no BS. Great quality and great customer service. They defiantly have my business from now on.

I would DEFINITELY recommend this place. Tony and Will were VERY professional and helpful … I can’t express how thankful I am that the two of them were working when I took my car in.
*Ladies … this place is SAFE to go to alone, they are very honest men who truly care about their customers.
The waiting area was clean, nice flat screen tv, and the coffee was perfect.
My eight year old car feels like new on the road.
THANK YOU Tony and Will !!!

Service was #1. I went on the recommendation of a friend who had a few great experiences here. My usual mechanic could not address my alignment issues or get the tires I needed so I went here. My truck has always been shaky due to the alignment or tire issues and I’ve been gripping the wheel to prevent pulling for almost a year. Truck drives straight as a beam and its way more quiet. I no longer get the feeling Im in a spaceship when I hit 50mph. I was not crazy about the price, the manage cut me a break on a lot and Im greatful for that. Cars are just expensive when something breaks and keep in mind the estimate changes once they actually start working — every place is like that. If my normal mechanic can’t fix it, then Ill consider them in the future.

Finding a mechanic to service a vehicle and not take an advantage of you is somewhat like finding a hundred dollar bill blowing down the street – sure it can happen, though rarely does it ever. That being the case, I took my vehicle into Lamb’s for an inspection. The waiting area was comfortable, the restroom was clean, there was free coffee available, and the people working behind the counters were friendly. The price of the inspection was reasonable so I subsequently took my vehicle in for a full-​point oil change. All went well and the price was again reasonable.
Later, I took my car in for a flat tire. This is where things began to get tricky. I was told that I needed all new tires, new shocks, new brakes, etc. My vehicle was only five years old at the time and I had mostly highway miles on it with minimal damage. I purchased four tires with the guarantee that tire rotations and replacements would be covered by Lamb’s in the future. I didn’t bother with the other recommended alterations, because I don’t believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, or that I needed to replace anything else.
Another oil change came and went with no problem – fair price and friendly service. Still, the following oil change was completely opposite. Those shocks and brakes I had been told would need replacing several thousands miles back were mysteriously okay, though my air filter needed replacing, I needed a «system fluid flush,» my battery was almost dead (with no prior indication of such an assessment outcome), etc. I stuck with the oil change and opted not to replace everything but the frame of my vehicle.
Another inspection came and went, as well as another oil change – no problems. Then, I needed another oil change. The bad battery issue came up again. Okay, fine. I had the folks at Lamb’s give me a brand new battery with a one-​year warranty. Shortly after the battery was replaced my vehicle’s AC would cause my stereo to shut off sporadically, my car alarm ceased to work, my iPod Dock in the vehicle was unresponsive, and my car needed to be jumped 4 – 5 times before I could again get it to Lamb’s. I’m not a mechanic and know very little about mechanics, otherwise I wouldn’t require the services of places such as Lamb’s. What I did know is that with a brand new battery, I didn’t need to experience the issues I was having.
I took my vehicle to Lamb’s to have them assess the problem and was told that my aftermarket alarm and the vehicle’s electrical system were to blame. The kind folks at Lamb’s would not be able to resolve the issue that was created when they installed a brand new battery, though one of their technicians who had previously worked at a car stereo replacement facility was more than willing to suggest «a place» where I could get my car looked at. How quaint.
It cost me upwards of $ 1,200 to resolve the issue and to say the least, I was not too happy. I vowed never to return to Lamb’s and then the time for a tire rotation came. I remembered that I had free tire rotations at Lamb’s and so, taking a very stupid adventure towards disappointment, I returned to Lamb’s with strict guidance to the technicians that under absolutely no circumstances was my vehicle’s electrical system to be touched in any way. I did opt to have an oil change, I might add, which I take ownership for and due to the fact that it was time for one.
After about a two-​hour wait (and no, I am not exaggerating) I was approached by a technician who told me my battery needed to be replaced (after five months of use and within the one-​year warranty timeframe), my brakes were bad, I needed a «system fluid flush,» etc. I… was…heated. Typically, I try to remain calm and treat others with respect. When I’m being taken an advantage of, however, all bets are off.
I spoke to the manager and voiced my concerns. Again, my vehicle’s battery was not to be touched during the visit. The manager, personally, looked into the matter and discovered that my battery was fine, my brakes still had many miles on them, and the other service repair recommendations were unnecessary. As well, the price of the oil change was comped. I was informed that I would receive a discount on brakes whenever I needed to replace them and that Lamb’s was going through staffing changes, which was to suggest why my treatment was so unpleasant.
Here I am, writing a review on Unilocal.On one hand, I have repeatedly experienced up-​selling tactics from the folks at Lamb’s and I wound up paying well over a thousand dollars for their previous mistake. On the other hand, there have been times when I was treated well, the facility is clean, I do not typically have to wait two hours for services to my vehicle, and the manager was a professional in every sense of the word. What rating do you give a business like that? Drastic changes need to occur at this Lamb’s location.

I came here for the first time because my tire blew out on my truck and it was the closest thing to me before I was driving on my rim. I knew all of my tires were bad, but I could not throw down money for 4 tires at that point in time. Tony, the manager helped me and knew I was in a financial bind so he researched the best deal for me and tried to find a reasonably priced tire. The tire he found was not in the shop, so he immediately drove to pick up my new tire, brought it back and changed it just in time for me to go back to work. Afterwards, he expressed his concern that my other tires were bald (which they were in real bad shape) and that he didn’t think it would be safe for me to drive on the old ones and the spare for over two weeks. So, I saved up a few bucks and went back in a couple weeks to get the other three tires. He remembered me, cut me a good deal, and even gave me a ride to work and dropped the keys off at my job when he was finished! Pretty soon after, my brakes went out as I anticipated they would and Tony warned me of this as well. So, I came back to lambs and again he cut me a pretty sweet deal. Once again I dropped off my truck, he gave me a ride to work and the truck was finished by the time I got out of work that day! I truly feel like Lamb’s is an honest establishment and has won my loyalty as a customer. I don’t feel like I am being taken advantage of at Lamb’s and they seem like a truthful and educated staff.

I have been to a number of places with my Saab 9 – 3 and had a variety of experiences. Since it is a foreign car, many other places would simply gloss over specifics such as light bulb replacement that may make a difference with particular models. I have had battery replacement, belt replacement, oil changes, and new tires, all have been great experiences. The store manager actually took time out of his day on one occasion to give me a ride home so I would not have to wait. They will take the time to explain details and give you an honest answer-​what needs to be done right away and what can wait. If you are looking for an honest shop that delivers a customer-​centered experience, look no further.

Tony was very friendly and welcoming. I was towed to Lamb’s just as he was closing the shop. The rest of the staff had left. It was fairly cold and I was looking at about a 30 minute wait for my ride. Tony took the time to take me inside, get my paperwork going, and stayed there until my ride arrived. It was one of the best customer service experiences of my life. No kidding. The work was pricey, but very fair and competitive. The staff also evaluated, priced, and helped me prioritize a number of other fairly important things that will need to be fixed in the near future. I don’t have the funds to take care of everything right away, but as I’m able, I’ll bring my car back to Lamb’s to have the work done.
Forgot to mention that the repair on this date was a starter replacement. I’d had it replaced one year earlier by a competitor. It never did sound good. This starter sounds smooth as silk from the get-​go. Thanks, y’all.

Took the Jeep in for its inspection… Fast and friendly… Looked the plate up when I pulled in, and greeted us at the door… by name… Nice touch… Never had a bad time, and they still have a Keurig and free wi-​fi.