Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop

Mike is a «car guy» through and through and Ken always keeps you in the loop as far as repair times and estimates. The crew are all excellent mechanics. I have I have had them service my family’s last 5 vehicles over the last 15 years and am always impressed with the professionalism of this well run, family owned shop!

I went there to get my brakes looked at. Their customer service was excellent. My car was diagnosed and repaired with 3 hours, which amazed me because they had to order the parts for my car. I have an Audi, so whenever something goes wrong, I get nervous because they can be so darn costly to repair. (They were very accurate with their time frame estimates, which I greatly appreciated). The price was extremely reasonable and they only fixed what needed to be fixed. He told me my front brakes were rusty and would eventually need to be fixed, but there was still padding on them, so it wasn’t necessary just yet. He gave me the exact cost of what it would cost when I go to have them replaced, which I thought was extremely helpful. They also charge half as much for an oil change as my old car repair shop. This will definitely be my new «go-​to» car repair place. Very honest, helpful and considerate. Thanks again for a great experience!

What a great auto shop! I came to merlin’s via tow-​truck because I had a flat. They got me in right as I arrived and actually showed me my tire! They explained to me how everything works and why my other tires needed to be replaced as well. Mike, who I am assuming is the manager, was extremely respectful of me and very helpful. You can tell all of their men are extremely educated. They also showed me the underside of my car and informed me I had a leak in my vehicle that was not allowing my car to retain oil! They actually showed me everything which was fantastic because when I go to places where high school students work **cough cough** jiffy lube**cough cough** they never show me anything and told me I needed new brakes. When I asked Mike about it he told me my brakes were in great condition still and that he thinks they could have been scamming me!!! I will not go to another auto shop in the area for as long as we live here! Great customer service and an educated staff means I feel 100% comfortable paying for what I needed. Everything was perfect. Even got out of there exactly when I wanted to. Great job guys!

They were able to fit me in without a wait, didn’t try to upsell me stuff I don’t need. A few customers came in while I waited and they were greeted by name, so that made me happy. I’ll be heading back on 3 months or 3000 miles for sure!

My wife and I moved about a year ago, so it forced us to have to find a new car repair place… even though we loved our old place. I’ve now been to Merlins off of Lincoln Highway (Rt 38) in St. Charles three times now. Went in the other day because my wife’s Chrysler Concorde has been having issues with rim corrosion, causing flat tires and constantly having to fill it up. Had such a good experience that I took our other car in the next day for an oil change, even though there’s lots of other places that are closer. One thing I noticed is that Mike and Ken (managers?) really know their stuff, have a really good way of communicating «car talk» to customers, and seem really honest. I’ll definitely be going back.

Decent price, quick turnaround and friendly service. I’ve waited much longer at other places where they’ve not even remembered to put their own mileage sticker in the window.

Exceptional service. Came in with an issue and it was taken care. Honest. Not going anywhere else.

Excellent, quick, friendly service at a reasonable price. This is the 1^st and only place I take my car dor service.

I went to that place for a simple oil change. I brought my own oil and filter (a high quality ones). I did not get a discount for that –saving their oil and filter, which is still ok, as this service is dirty cheap anyway. Then I decided to asked them to look at a issue, which I was chasing after for a while. Later it turns out to be a bad inner CV joint. They did a test drive and sent me to a transmission shop, calming that the AT is the culprit. Went immediately there and came back to this Merlin with the experts conclusion that the AT is completely fine and there is no way it can cause the problem I have under any circumstances. Then I continued to explain all the related stuff from previous check done and anything which I though could help them to diagnose the problem. The person behind the counter was very inattentive, staring all the time at the computer. When I finished and after a long pause he looked at me and asked me «Do you want me to change the timing belt?» — hah, what? How comes? If he had some reasonable experience with timing belts he would know that those Nissans have non-​serviceable timing CHAIN! Whatever, I came right back to the original point of the conversation, when he had interrupted me and made a grumpy statement that it will take at least 3 hours to diagnose the problem. Really? And why it is a reason to get cranky? I got his message loud and clear and I left this franchisee. I got the issue diagnosed within 15 min at a family owned place with the same information which I was providing at the Merlin. After one hour wort of labor the problem was solved.
Bottom line — this Merlin is inferior to the other members of the chain. I will be taking my business to much more knowledgeable mechanics for whom I do care if they will be in the car repair business in the future, when I may need them. This Merlin — well, I’ll not miss them if one day they are not around. Their service is nothing to write home about.

I have a Lexus 2002 with very low miles. I always took my vehicle to Lexus of Naperville for scheduled maintenance, but got tired of the drive from Geneva/​St Charles. I was referred to This Merlin’s location. I have not looked back. I work at Costco STC and referred a member to this Merlin’s for other than tire work and she said I am her new best friend. Trust these guys they ARE the BEST!!!

I could not be more satisfied! Ken and Mike were friendly, kind, informative and professional. I had a diagnosis and quote on my vehicle within about an hour of dropping it off. They are honest and really that’s all I can ask for from a mechanic. I will certainly be back and would refer a friend here.

Very good service here at Merlins. The wife and I have taken our cars here for something as minor as an oil change, and as major as engine repairs. The folks are very friendly here. Mike, Ken, and Jeff take the time to explain the repair out to you and don’t beat around the bush. Fair and honest work is hard to come by these days, but if you need a repair, big or small, these guys can take care of you.
Been using them for about 4 years now, and am completely satisfied with the service we’ve been given. Highly recommended!