Merv’s Auto Repair

I had a fantastic experience at Merv’s. I called on a Monday asking if I could bring in a used car I was considering buying to have a mechanic check it out and let me know if he thought there was anything wrong with it. They said to come by the next day, which I did. Merv came out and we went for a test ride together, during which time he carefully checked the electronics, saw how the car drove, and otherwise checked out the car. I do not know much about cars, so I asked him to explain what he was looking for and he happily talked me through his thought process and investigation.
When we got back to the shop, he raised the car and thoroughly inspected under the hood, under the car, and the body. The car was repainted, and he brought over his paint expert to evaluate the quality of the repainting and otherwise give me a fair assessment of the status of my car. Merv and his paint guy both patiently showed me around the vehicle, explained what they were looking for and what they found, and were happy to answer all of my questions. When he finished an hour long inspection, I took out my wallet to pay and he told me it was free of charge! I insisted that I do not live close to there and would therefore not be able to bring my business back, and he still refused payment. He gave me an easily $ 100+ inspection and would not accept my money. Great service, honest, professional, could not recommend more strongly.

I hate to write this as I’m really shocked at the «F.U» treatment I received after years and years of patronage.
Car shops have such bad reputations, you can’t help but rejoice when you think you’ve found a «keeper». Until… they prove that you’re just a gullible stupid «punter» (punter=customer) and the cliché is proven true.
We had been to Merv’s for OVER 10 years and… he’s done pretty well by us.
To keep a long story short, we had the original VW factory Control Arm bushings replaced by Merv’s at the end of 2013 (Odometer 142,201– original — they last a long time!) Not the Control Arm mind you — just the bushing/​s — just enough to be confusing. Job quote $ 450+. (bushings cost approx. $ 30 — Control Arm WITH bushings $ 100) **Note: To replace the bushing you have to use a press and remove the whole Control Arm. It’s a huge pain so just replace the whole fixture for $ 100 with bushings. It is a no brainer — see later**
These rubber bushings are good for years — they’re suppose to be replacing the original factory with 140K on them.
7,600 miles later (od 149,801) — we’re buying new tires due to worn out bushings — the bushing that should be new are obviously still the originals seen back in 2013!
After a while (month) I recall that the bushings should be new (paid $ 450+) from Merv’s and return the car asking if he could complete the work probably missed in error. (Trusting eh!)
(so we’re running $ 750 at this point with $ 300 in front tires)
He palms me off with «you’ve probably done a lot of miles» (8,289).
He agrees to check it out and returns the car in few days (enough that you’d think they’d done something) and I like the loyal «idiot» punter takes his word and drive off.
I’m «SO» trusting I don’t bend to take a look (they’re really easy to see)! I could kick myself.
3,363 miles later (od. 156,676) ANOTHER set of front tires ruined (yes — the original VW factory bushings/​control arms are still on the car!) (Running $ 1050 now) Tires are usually good for 30 – 40,000 miles for those missing that.
They never did the work — twice! (waved me out the door happy as clams — probably had a good laugh about it too)
With this POS car we were there all the time — we felt like old friends turning up month after month — so you realize how despised you must be for the complete «F Yu!” — just as long as you pay the bill and know s*** about cars and don’t check the work.
Happy ending: I ordered new control arms with bushings ($ 100) 1AAuto and installed myself in 90 minutes. Never done it before and with amateur tools
Total: $ 1150 plus all the past hours at tire shops, awaiting Merv «repairs» and finally the D.I.Y.
.
Would it have killed them to do the job and keep me as a customer?
Check the photos of my old bushings at supposedly 11k miles old. Do you think the work was done? Of course not because they’re the original 1999 VW bushings from the factory — LOL — all the way to the bank!
There’s an Unilocal review I posted years back (filtered) so you can see how things can be.
No, I do not recommend Merv’s — anymore.

If Merchant’s or some other bait-​and-​switch shop tell you your car needs urgent repairs now and they can work you in right away, say no thanks, buddy, and let the guys at Merv’s take a look. They will tell you the real story, which will be a) you don’t need the repair or b) we can do it for half the price or less. Just be prepared to leave your car a few days. It’s worth it on big-​ticket repairs. Honest shop.
Here is a good example. My door handle snapped off on my Toyota RAV4 with over 200,000 miles on it. All I want is for the thing to open again. I don’t really care about aesthetics. A new door handle or new door would have cost me big bucks but Larry at Merv’s came up with this creative solution in photo while doing a brake job and didn’t even charge me.

The old cliché that there’s no such thing as an honest mechanic is once and for all broken my Merv’s. Never has there been a more dependable, honest, professional and reliable place to take your vehicle.
What I like most is they way they communicate. They explain what is wrong with your car, why is might have happened, and give you options on how they can fix it with upfront pricing and no hassle.
I’ve been here several times over the past couple years, and have made this my go to place for all types of service. If your looking for the best shop in Northern Virginia, this it it.

Well I’ve been using Merv since 1989 with my Chevrolet Malibu! I was in my early 20s. I lived in Alexandria and Mervs was always reliable, as they are today. Now I’m in my 50s and live 40 miles away, but I go to Mervs because I’ve never experienced an auto shop this trustworthy, with such consistently strong mechanical skills. They’ve kept my cars on the road substantially longer than would have otherwise been the case. I own a very special 1990 Ford Taurus they’ve cared for since 1993, and a 1997 Toyota Camery that made it over 200K miles on one engine, with very minimal repair needs after they installed a rebuilt engine in 2010 when I drove into a snow bank and my engine exploded. I also own my deceased sister’s 1995 Lexus SC400 (240K miles) Merv’s cares for like a baby. Because my sister didnt take good care of it, the engine died when I got it, but Merv’s quickly found me a used engine w/​66K miles and it runs superbly. I often just have a car towed there, without me, as I trust Merv and team to take care of things. This helps me focus on my job, without having to worry. I love my little cars, and using Mervs has made all the difference, including helping me preserve money for the most important thing to me – RETIREMENT! Merv is a genius, and will work very hard to come up with a unique way to resolve a problem. When my Chevrolet had a bad smell, he got under the hood while someone drove it, and he discovered the problem. My Lexus steering column could not be adjusted, so Merv manually rebuilt my steering system so I would not have to replace the parts, saving me a fortune. He found me used Lexus parts to replace those my sister let die. This made my Lexus driveable and an awesome sports car. Some people ask why I have three cars. I really only need my Camery, because I have a great mechanic. But because each car means a lot to me personally, I’ve kept them. And Merv certainly made it possible for me to do so at a low cost. Merv is very honest, with a very strong work ethic, and I highly recommend him to everyone.

My mother in law has been going to him since he opened and now we take our cars to him too. We drive 25 mi just to go to someone we trust, but the trip is always worth it. Always fair.

My car ac broke so, I took it there to have a look and also possibly fixed. They found the lick on the ac system, charge me $ 150 and $ 750 top of that If I had to fixed the ac system for good but, I didn’t agreed to do it because, i was over charged start with So, people beware looked around prices with other workshop in local before you decided to take it there. I might not go there again, that I know. u

I have been taking my car to Merv’s for decades. As a female, when you find a good mechanic, it’s like finding a good hairstylist– you don’t let them go! The guys at Merv’s consistently do a great job on my car, give me second opinions, and are honest about what I need and don’t need/​can wait on. I have a 2004 Toyota Scion that has never had any major repairs needed, but finally, the exhaust system started rusting out in various spots. Originally, they thought they might need to replace the whole thing, which would cost $ 1600, because Toyota builds their exhaust systems in 2 parts, rather than industry standard 3 or more parts. However, they researched what they could do to save me money (and still provide a safe, working option), and found a place to sell them just the middle section, which they welded in… saving me $ 1,000. I recommend them to anyone looking for a great mechanic.

Once again, Merv’s came through for me. A job that would have cost over a $ 1,000.00 at another car repair company cost under $ 400.00. Merv’s took the time to get a part fixed rathe than upcharging me for a new part. Very grateful for the fabulous service. There is a reason they’re always busy — because they’re good. I highly recommend them for anything auto mechanic related.

Have been bringing my car here the past couple of years. I like that they give you honest recommendations about everything, and answer all my questions, covering all different perspectives from factory recommendations to real world use. I’ve found the prices to be a bit high here, though not as bad as a dealership, but I would say it’s worth paying for honesty and quality work.
The reception/​waiting area isn’t what you may find at fancy dealerships, so I recommend that you plan on not waiting around the shop for your service. There are many restaurants and strip mall within walking distance.

My family has been taking our vehicles here for 30 years. They always do excellent work and explain what is malfunctioning and why.
I don’t know what has taken me so long to write a review! They truly deserve 5 stars. I’ve owned mostly VW’s which are known to be expensive and difficult to repair (even getting a battery replaced is difficult!) but mervs has always delivered and it never takes too long. The staff is awesome! They always call to give you updates and let you know how pricing is going to be so there’s no surprises. Great repair shop.

So disappointed… Avoid coming here.
After all the good reviews I had read of Mervs, I thought I’d try them out. Man I experienced the complete opposite of good service.
I brought my car into Mervs for a check up and was immediately shoved out the door as quickly as possible. The customer service I received was atrocious from the man at the front desk. They didn’t even listen to the problems that I was having with my car.
The next day, I received a call at work from Frances and was then verbally ridiculed because I did not answer the phone the first time that he called me. Sorry Frances, I have a job. He proceeded to tell me that I needed rear brakes put in and that would solve my squeaky wheel issue. Funny thing is, the squeaky wheel was in the front.
I picked the car up, in which the car was NOTICEABLY running poorly. It was working great when I brought it to them, just had a squeaky wheel… I took the car home, did all the work myself and fixed the issues that Mervs had somehow caused AND fixed the squeaky wheel issue. And funnily enough, it wasn’t in the rear wheels like the mechanics said. They were trying to sell me unneeded services.
Every time I called after receiving the car and asked if I could speak to Merv or if they could explain why my car was running poorly after their services, the man at the front desk gave very rude responses and never allowed me to speak to Merv.
All in all, when you take a car to a mechanic you expect friendly service, GOOD work done on your car, and not to be sold on services that you don’t need. Which is the absolute opposite of what I received. Absolutely will not be coming back.

Oh Merv’s, can you forgive me for straying when you have so faithfully and expertly cared for my cars over the years? Purely out of convenience, I had been bringing my car to a «stealership» in Alexandria from 2009 – 2012 :
1). They had shuttle van service to the Metro
2). There was a waiting room with coffee, a water cooler, and a TV
3). Same day service
However, I made an appointment for a 30K service and received a preliminary quote for $ 500!!! This was bad enough, but when I actually brought my car to the Stealership and the «mechanics» performed their diagnostics, I was told the work would be $ 800!!! That’s when I told those guys to take my car down from the lift and not to do any of the quoted work.
This is the fundamental problem with the so-​called ASE certified mechanics at most Stealerships. These guys are less mechanics than mere part replacers. So even if a part (for instance an air filter) is still good, if the factory guidelines say replace it, they’re going replace it. While replacing manufacturer’s parts I guess is preventative maintenance, this doesn’t factor in driving habits, weather, and other local driving conditions when diagnosing a car.
Merv’s celebrated 25 years of operation last year, and there is a reason it is the best auto repair shop no one has heard of. They do not advertise, so no flyers or coupons in the mail with $ 30 oil change specials to get you in the door. There is no waiting room, no coffee, no TV, the lot in and out of the place is unpaved gravel, and definitely no wi-​fi.
But what you get at Merv’s is honest appraisal of whatever ails your car and a FAIR price. Notice I said FAIR price, since it does cost money to maintain your vehicle, but it’s still cheaper than buying a new vehicle every 3 – 5 years.
I can live without all of the accoutrements of modern stealerships if I can get a honest reliable work. So my 30k service (along with a new battery and some brake work) came to a much more reasonable $ 300, and they did a bumper-​to-​bumper examination and free electrical system check as part of their diagnostic.
So no more stealerships to rip me off. I’m going back to Merv’s from here on out!

There will ALWAYS be someone who does not like a price they get on having their car or truck repaired so I always take written reviews with a grain of salt until I have the face to face meeting and personal experience to make my own decisions on someone or a place of business. This is written for Merv’s Auto based on my own personal time there with Merv and members of his staff. Nothing is fluffed nor exagerrated at all.
Being an owner of a Dodge diesel truck I am VERY picky about who works on these types of engines and obviously dont want financial rape so try to avoid dealerships at all costs if possible. I have been taking my diesel (and wifes Lexus) to Mervs Auto Repair for over 3 years now and have fortunately been the recipient of some of the best auto care one could ever obtain! Merv himself owns a Dodge Diesel truck and is the best educated diesel technician I have ever personally known. What is great about Merv is that he will spend as much time humanly possible to talk with you about your vehicle and enable you to understand what issue you brought it to him for, unless its just for an oil change or something simple. He has educated me so much on how a diesel operates and the true do’s and dont’s when it comes to these machines!
Recently Merv (and myself with his guidance) installed a Diesel Programmer in my truck which controls more than I ever thought was possible! Though Merv prefers to keep cars and trucks as stock as possible he will truly help one turn it into a performance machine as much as you want! He taught me what huge tires do to the suspension of a truck and how to care for them when making a true 4×4 a monster. He has helped me modify my Dodge with everything from new hubs /​bearings, entire front end repairs, heavier brakes, cold air intakes, error codes and explained to me the true benefits of using some of the best synthetic oil on the market! His staff are all professional and courteous at all times and extremely friendly and helpful. This shop is meant for car repair and work, not glass windows and eat off the floor atmosphere. lol
Merv’s pricing is extremely fair and without question. he does NOT nickel and dime anyone at all and never does any work without explaining the issue and confirming authorization from the customer. If Merv says something needs replacing it SERIOUSLY needs it! I have never once had to question anything on an invoice from his business and I feel glad to give my hard earned money to such a man with great integrity! I have referred MANY customers to Merv and all have come out happy as could be! No issues at all with sending family or good friends to Merv for an oil change or complete transmission rebuild! GREAT guy and super company!
Without Merv I would be helpless when it comes to my diesel truck and of course gloved touch on the Lexus as well. Hands down the best auto repair facility in NOVA and one to remain with for as long as he stays open!
Many thanks to Merv, Larry, Scott and ALL THE CREW of Mervs Auto Repair!
Semper Fidelis my friends, you earned this review by all means!
OOHRAH!

Honest, knowledgable, friendly, fair priced; what more could you ask for? A rare find in this day and age. Always willing to explain the problem and the available soultions. Very patient.

This place is a gem. My father recommended Merv’s to get my 2010 GTI serviced. He’s been happy with their service, and after this experience, I too, am satisfied.
Merv’s was able to quickly solve all my car’s issues, and they finished two days earlier than expected. I spoke w/​several technicians while my car was being repaired, and every one of them provided sound advice along each step of the way as the car was being fixed. It was reassuring, honest, and very professional throughout — there was no impression that anything extra was being sold, at any time.
On top of that, their rates for service are TOP NOTCH. I paid less than half what I was expecting after getting a series of eye-​boggling quotes from vendors around the DC Metro area.
Sold. I will be bringing back my car here regularly for their services.

These guys are great. They always explain what repairs are needed and what repairs can wait. Their prices are always competitive and they have saved me hundreds of dollars either through aggressive pricing or telling that what another repair shop quoted me as incorrect as well as incorrect.

My boyfriend, Drew suggested this place when I was getting quoted expensive prices to fix my Mazda Tribute 2005 at Tire Auto in Centreville. I failed the state inspection for the brake hose having a hole. Francis was very honest and explained what we could do and lessen the expense. Next month, my antilock brake and 4×4 lights kept coming on. I took it to Merv’s. Merv was awesome. He explained the car would need to be kept for at least 2 days to check out the problem. It took one day. Larry and Merv showed me the defective ring that someone had welded to fix. The expense was what he quoted it would be. These mechanics at Merv’s are honest with you and tell you what risks you might be taking. They don’t try to check other things on your car to make more money for the shop. I would recommend this place to all my girlfriends. You definitely won’t get ripped off.

I had all four shocks replaced on my 99 Ford Explorer. Labor only, I already had the shocks in my possession.
Overall, it was a pretty good experience. I initiated contacted via the email listed on Angie’s List. The response time could have been much better. I’d recommend not listing an email address as a contact if it’s not the preferred method of contact for the business. That aside, I was given a very reasonable estimate for the labor (the Ford dealership wanted twice the amount and wanted to charge me for a front end alignment which I didn’t need). I dropped it off Friday and was told it would be done Saturday. Got a call later that Friday saying it was done. I picked it up Saturday anyway because I couldn’t get a ride in time. When I picked it up, they informed me that they lubed my spare tire wench because it was very rusty which made it difficult to lower the spare. They could’ve just left it as it or charged me something else but didn’t.
They also let me know that my lower ball joints were in bad shape. They quoted me about $ 1100 for that job. Normally, I’d think the shop was trying to scam me but I actually knew about this ahead of time and was happy they didn’t try to throw in unnecessary work to charge me for. I plan on taking it back for the ball joints.
They were pretty easy to talk to. I dealt with Larry. He wasn’t pushy at all and gave me all my options for the job they recommended.

When we first heard of Merv’s I expected to find a bunch of reviews. So I was very surprised to see that the last review was done almost 3 years ago.
I’m a little reluctant to post a review because I do not want anyone else to go here. We heard about Merv’s from my wife’s coworker, and right before we headed over a neighbor recommended them as well.
My wife’s VW bug needed what we thought was a major tune up and oil change. After it was there a few hours we get a phone call telling us that it does not need a tune up; that everything looks great, and they don’t even think it needs an oil change. Well, we told them that we wanted the oil change anyway, and that was that.
After work we went down and picked it up. Which by the way, they are one of the few shops that are open late during the week. Most shops close around 5 which really sucks!
Any how, this place is pretty great, and we will be taking all of our vehicles there from now on.