Capitol Hill Exxon

I have been coming here for YEARS since my first year in DC when my car failed my vehicle inspection. I went straight to Capitol Hill Exxon upon a recommendation by AAA and promptly burst into tears when I was quoted a price for a repair. Woody frantically tried to find a lower price for me to stop my crying. He’s been my mechanic ever since! Since that experience he (of course) remembers me and has always been so helpful for my (many) auto problems. I’ve even brought in parts that my dad has bought online to get replaced by him and it’s never been a big deal. Sometime I just bring my car in to get a quick once over if I’m going on a long trip and they’ll check everything out. Woody is just the best, LOVE HIM.

I brought my car in for an oil change this morning for the first time in months. It was only my second time at this shop and they remembered my name AND my car. if you want personal, fast, and reliable service this is definitely the place for you.

We brought our car in for a second opinion regarding a broken air compressor that could have cost us $ 1600 to fix. Turns out a rodent got under our car and ate our wiring — costing less than $ 300 in parts and label. Thanks to their honesty and expertise, we saved over a thousand dollars.
A few weeks later our battery died, and Woody jumped in his car and gave us a jump. Once we go to the shop his team replaced the battery on the spot.
Dependable, trustworthy, affordable, and all around nice guys.

I just had a wonderful experience with Capitol Hill Exxon, after having a terrible experience with Capitol Hill Auto Service Center.
Because Capitol Hill Auto Service Center was close to my house and I’d heard good things from a friend, I recently took my Honda Civic here for an oil change. It was my first time in the shop. A couple hours after I dropped the car off, they called and said that my entire suspension was shot and the repairs were going to cost $ 1,500.
I don’t know much about cars, but something felt off to me, so I took my car to the nearby Capitol Hill Exxon for a second opinion. They did a diagnostic test and said the car was 100% fine. Absolutely no repairs needed. And no charge to me for the diagnostic test.
I wish I’d gone to Capitol Hill Exxon in the first place! Thank you for your time and honesty.

Woody runs a phenomenal repair shop. They were unable to fix my car but kept an extra set of codes so the dealer was able to address. They were constantly available to speak to me by phone and in person. Phenomenal service!

As always, my fellow Unilocalers had it right with their 5 star reviews of Capitol Hill Exxon! Just as I was about to leave Boston to drive to DC in 90+ degree temps, the coolant light came on in my car. A friend of mine added coolant, and told me to get it looked at and perhaps a coolant flush in DC.
I looked on Unilocal and decided Capitol Hill Exxon was the way to go. Sent a request for service through their website on Sunday night around 8PM, and a few hours later (when everyone else is sleeping!) received a reply from Woody saying to come in early in the morning since they get busy.
And I can see why!
Dropped off my car at 7am and people were already leaving cars and getting things done. Received a call from Woody in the early afternoon saying that they had checked everything and all was well, which was a HUGE relief as I had prepared myself for the usual «well, you need xyz…»
I was happy to pay a very fair price for their services, and have the piece of mind that nothing is wrong with the Volvo (which I love, despite the high cost for most repairs). I will DEFINITELY give these guys a call with anything I need while I am here, and you should too ~

Glad for this forum. My experience happened in 2011. Punctured tire. Service Mgr., Woody, projected indifferent attitude toward me, a black customer. He was very attentive to white male customers though. Treated older black worker like a slave in the field. Ordered a tire for me without discussing with me what he was doing. He barely communicated with me until I asked what he was doing. I think Woody has race issues. He casts a very inhospitable attitude. I told him to cancel the tire order and I left. I will never patronize this gas/​service station again.

My first visit here was for installing hi-​beam and blinker bulbs on a Saturday. I was pleased when I was told they were open till 1pm and to bring my car in. Great customer service, fast and reasonable. I’ll come back as they recommended for the minor electrical work. 5 stars!

Someone using my fairly new Chevy Cruze Turbo Diesel added non-​diesel fuel into the tank of my diesel-​engine car. This caused the engine to sieze and the engine wouldn’t run. The fuel tank and engine needed to be flushed and the fuel needed to be replaced. Capitol Hill Exxon only charged me for labor and replacement fuel costs (AT COST, NO MARKUP).
My problem occurred on Friday, July 3^rd, after everything was closed, and I began freaking out because my car wasn’t running, it was a holiday weekend, and all the repair places would be closed the next day. Ahhhh! I emailed early Saturday, and Woody — the service manager — responded Sunday morning on his day off!
Woody and his team are a bunch of trustworthy, quality mechanics; give them your business.

File under the category of how lucky can you get!
My wife and I decided to vacation in Washington DC and get there by driving (from our home in Austin). 2 hours from Washington DC the battery indicator comes on in our Chevy Suburban and it is clear we have a problem (alternator, battery, belt (s), something worse???).
First bit of luck, we make it the full 2 hours drive with the battery light on and the error message of battery not charging on… without going below the necessary power to keep the components going.
Second bit of luck, the home we rented (on VRBO) is around the corner from a small Exxon gas station that looks like it has a repair bay or two (turns out to be Capitol Hill Exxon).
Third bit of luck, the folks at Capitol Hill Exxon are gracious and eager to help. They say their mechanic isn’t in until Monday, but realize I likely don’t have too many starts left on the car… and allow me to park it and leave it at their place (which has like 4 parking spaces, maybe… and seemingly no room for a Suburban… but, they make it work).
Fourth bit of luck, Woody calls me on Monday first thing, says he can replace the alternator for a fair price (which I’m well aware that I wasn’t exactly in the best position for negotiating and he in my opinion treated me very fair with the price) and would have the car back to me that day. Sure enough only hours later, he called (oh and texted as well both times to allow me the capability to respond back the easiest for me) to let me know all was good and the car was fixed and ready.
I can’t believe that I was able to find seemingly the best place in DC for help with my car and it just happened to be a block down the street from my rental. From Texas, reliant on my vehicle in DC, car troubles, likely won’t be able to restart my car… and there it is, Capitol Hill Exxon to the rescue.
Thanks to Woody and the guys at Capitol Hill Exxon… our vacation wasn’t ‘that’ story we would tell for years to come. It’s a story of a auto repair /​gas station that treats people fairly and how they’d want to be treated (imagine that)…and who made our car troubles during vacation ‘disappear’.
Anyone in DC or certainly anyone traveling to /​in DC… find this place (just SE of the US Capitol /​Mall by a few blocks) if you have car troubles or need anything car related. Woody and the rest of the crew will help you out. They are fair, honest and helpful… and certainly a ‘do what they say’ and ‘say what they do’ type of place.
5 Stars in my book… no doubt!

Spent $ 15 on gas and got zero gallons. We rolled on the lot w/​a quarter tank of gas (10 gallon tank). Paid for 3.8 gallons, we should have rolled off with ¾’s of a tank. But no. Ended up going to another gas station and filling the tank w/​7 gallons. It is mathematically impossible for them to have poured any gas. «3.8» + 7 + original ~2.5 = ~13 gallons of gas in 1 ten gallon tank.
Avoid them.

After listing an initial review and being less than satisfied, woody and I was able to agree on a price that was more fair and addressed the issues with the car. I can see how he would not have known there were engine problems if the car didn’t start.
To have a business that bends over backwards to have customers satisfied is not something you typically find in a mechanic shop these days. Also, to provide a percentage for a refund speaks loud for who they are.
I am, at the end, impressed with this shop and how woody runs it to keep customers satisfied. If you voice your opinion, they will answer and try to get your satisfaction at the end.
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After reading all the stellar review and how they sounded like they would be very reasonable with price and knowledgeable, I went there to get my car serviced. I purchased a lemon and needed it to work for a new job after losing my job a month before. I heard about all positive experiences…
My experience was a little different.
What I got was a bill to change a clutch/​flywheel (labor only was 876.01) I went out to purchase the actual parts needed because Woody told me it would cost roughly 400 $. I went to the local auto store and bought the same exact part/​exact brand for about half of what woody quoted me. Any way to save, I went with it. When it was all said and done, I paid roughly a little over $ 1000 for the clutch/​flywheel; would have been closer to $ 1200 if i didn’t shop around.
As I started the car, it sounded really really rough. When I asked woody about it, he said the engine may be going out. Wow, what a shock. Maybe I wouldn’t have spent 1K on fixing the clutch if I knew the engine was about to go out. Maybe I would have given the car back and got my money back. lots of maybes.
I’m definitely sure Woody and his team is knowledgeable enough to get the job done in this tiny shop, but didn’t receive that… don’t worry about this or that… complimentary anything. It was all paid for– in full + give or take 20−40% on the top I’d say. For prices like that, I would not expect anything less than perfect.
They got an extra star because they were nice, good with customer service, worked late, not really disgruntled like many shops… but hey, that’s what you pay those prices for. Least you can get is a smile.

You can trust Woody. I don’t know how he gets so much done; he’s so efficient. The guy is honest and provides quality service.

I came in when my car was making a strange whirring sound. I’m an early 20s female who knows nothing about cars, AND I just moved to the area. So I was having major anxiety about finding a new repair shop.
I will definitely be coming back! I had a broken water pump, which they fixed same day and even sent me texts letting when they had diagnosed the problem and again when they had completed the repair. Their hours are also great for a repair shop!
Best of all, I requested to use a 5% discount for checking in on Unilocal.They one upped me and told me to apply a 10% discount as a triple A member. Very honest shop!

Car trouble is the worst, but CH Exxon got my car in and out, fixed it right the first time, and didn’t overcharge me. If I ever need service again, I’ll definitely be back!

After my clutch went out at 8^th & Pennsylvania on a Saturday afternoon, this was where the tow truck took me (after roadside assistance sent me to a closed shop). Woody was fantastic. He added clutch fluid, and said that he thought I could maybe get it home (75 miles away) if I didn’t have to use the clutch too much. He then called around to get the best price on a tow truck since I didn’t feel confident about trying to drive. And he let me leave the car there overnight so that I could finish my day in DC and get the tow on Sunday. After all of that, he said «no charge, happy to help»
On Sunday morning, after rethinking the cost of a tow, I went onto Unilocal and other sites to check out others experiences with this shop. Everything I read mirrored my experience, i.e. Woody and company are helpful, honest people and great mechanics. So I decided to leave my car at Capitol Hill Exxon for a new clutch.
I called my regular mechanic Monday morning, and described the problem. He made the same recommendation that Woody had made, and gave me a cost estimate. Woody had everything fixed by Monday afternoon, and the cost was almost $ 500 less than what I was expecting to pay. I’m pretty sure if I’d taken it to the dealer it would have been twice what I paid.
Everyone at this shop went above and beyond to help me get my car fixed. They were willing to talk to my regular mechanic, and were incredibly patient with all of my questions (like «my last clutch lasted 240,000 miles, why did this one go out at 120,000 miles?).
Highly recommend these guys!!!
(They also restored my faith in Capitol Hill humanity — after being broken down in the rain and partially blocking traffic and a cross walk, with my hazard lights flashing, the response from pedestrians and police was «get your car out of the cross walk and stop blocking traffic». For 30 minutes while I waited for the tow, NO ONE, including the police officer and 6 cadets offered to help. Finally an elderly man using a cane offered to help, and we were able to get a few other young men to assist. It took all of 30 seconds to get my car out of the traffic lane.)

This review was for an unexpected «house call» on July 11. When I tried to leave my office at the end of the day, my car would not shift out of Park. I called my roadside assistance agent. They contacted the Capitol Hill Exxon, and put me on the line with the mechanic, Woody. When I explained the problem and told him where I was located, he offered to drive over and see if he would help me.
Five minutes later Woody shows up and explains a stop-​gap I could use to get my gear shift going. He also brought fuses for my car just in case that’s what was needed. Unfortunately, the fuses couldn’t be replaced without the extra tools at the shop, but Woody explained what I would need to get the job finished.
I asked him how much I owed him, and he said, «Just give us a good rating on Unilocal.» I was surprised by his response. I’m grateful that Woody was willing to do a good deed, and will definitely use Capitol Hill Exxon for future service. The fact that their staff is willing to go above and beyond says a lot about their business.

I was babysitting about half a mile from them near Navy Yard today. When I was walking the baby; we passed my car where I noticed I had a flat in my rear passenger side.
I called Exxon because I knew they were close by to see if they could send someone to help me change my tire since I don’t know how to change a tire. Yes, I know I should learn… Anyway, the service manager, David, he would come fix it on the spot. It was going to cost $ 16. He arrived within ten minutes of my call, and took about five minutes at most to find the problem — I ran over a screw. David told me not worry about it. He fixed it for free!!! I insisted that I pay, but he refused. He said they enjoy helping out the neighborhood as much as they can. Never would have I expected such a kind gesture. I’m very grateful.
Aside from that, I come here frequently for gas when I’m in the area because they offer full service gas just like the old days. I hate that this a commodity instead of standard, but nevertheless I always appreciate it. They’re top notch when it comes to their customers.

This is the very best little service station. I always know I am getting the very best service at a great price, and they won’t try to sell you stuff you don’t need. They are honest and reliable. Thanks Woody and the whole Capitol Hill Exxon team.
P. S. also full service gas, for those of us who enjoy real service.
Alison

I stop here for gas pretty frequently because we live in Capitol Hill and this is one of the few places to get gas on the hill. It also happens to be the best gas station in the city.
Want full service? This is where you can go.
Want an oil change? Come here.
Need mysterious engine problems fixed? These guys can do it.
Need a tire patch or change? Yeah, they do that, too.
The cost of gas here is a little on the high side, but you aren’t paying the $ 1/​gallon extra for full service that you did back in the olden days. I’m talking like $ 0.001−0.005 more per gallon than elsewhere. Basically I’m saying it’s totally worth it. And you feel like you are supporting the community at the same time.
Also, you can probably rub elbows with a senator while here.