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Arbor Car Wash & Lube Center
Rating Details »
Categories: Car Wash, Gas & Service Stations
Neighborhood: Great Hills10401 Jollyville Rd
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 346-8050
- Hours:
Mon-Sat. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
25 reviews for Arbor Car Wash & Lube Center
"I have to be at Gateway movie theatre to see Up in 30 minutes. Do you guys think you'll be done in that time?"
"I'm pretty sure we will, but if we're not, we can hide your spare key in your car and you can come pick it up after the movie."
"Deal!"
I printed a coupon off their website, went and got my oil changed and a car wash for $27. While I was waiting for my car to get vacuumed out and dried off, I bought an Orange Crush from the vending machine and took in some rays on an uncomfortable wooden rocking chair outside. When they were done, they honked my horn and gave me my key. Everything looked great. They even got it done in time for me to drive my own car to the theatre!
Seems someone cried about my review, because I made reference to other reviews that had been posted. Not sure how this changes my experience, but whatever. Without referring to any other reviews, here we go again.
Went for a simple oil change, was presented with a list of 'repairs' that I know for a fact were not needed. This has since been confirmed by more honest shops.
I understand I'm not the only customer with this experience, though that understanding does definitely not come from any other reviews.
Wow, it appears that today is the day for lots of 0/1's to give this place a five star review. Not being on the email list to all of a sudden have a bunch of people create accounts to give this place good reviews, I feel sort of saddened that I wasnt invited to the party. ;) Anyhoo, they reminded me that I needed to write a review.
[This is for the wash only not the lube portion]
Its been a couple months since Ive been there, as I dont was my car too terribly often and have it washed by others even less than that. The main reason I picked this place is that it was relatively close to my work over on Jollyville and I thought that it would make sense to run in on lunches rather than before and after work like my normal 78704 local car wash places.
I thought this place did a marginal job at washing the car and on the few times Ive gone here they pressure a little bit too much on the upsell which always bothers me. I suppose that is why I havent been back. When compared with the likes of H20 wash and detail over on lamar, its no comparison. The last time I was there I still found dirty spots on the wheels as well as the interior of the car after having paid ~30 bucks, which sort of bothers me - I dont like to be "that guy" who needs to go around the car after they are "done" with it pointing out issues. The dealership does a better job than that, without complaints.
Anyway, normally I wouldnt give them a 1 star, cause for me that is an indication that the business damaged my vehicle, but since they keep having people log on to post positive reviews to offset a bunch of bad ones - I thought it drop it down one tick, cause thats annoying.
If you just need to get the outside of your car cleaned, then Arbor Car Wash will do a fine job of getting it clean.
If you have dog hair inside your car, drops of spilled coffee in your cup holders, or dirt in your trunk, then go somewhere else or do it yourself because Arbor Car Wash has consistently done a half-assed job on my interior and I suspect they'll do the same with yours.
I got my oil changed (actually this was at the Lakecreek location) and went in for a car wash afterward. My only complaint was that the process is a little awkward for first timers as far as being notified when the car is done. They actually did more than promised so that pretty much makes up for the awkwardness.
They get the car clean, and sure the oil is changed. Hurrah, that's what we go there for right?
Well. Then a man sits down with me to tell me that unless I have a lot of things done (that I happen to know don't need to be done) my car will surely be on a quick path to death.
At least 2 of the things he told me I needed to have done were just done 4 months before. He provided rebuttals when I turned down the extra work (as I couldn't afford it being that I'd pretty much just had the same things done).
They get the car clean, sure, but you might have to bat away at the chatter.
My car had lost it's vroom. Not a mechanical issue, it was just weighed down by dirt. Ick. I had heard that this place could do what it was way too hot for me to do myself in my driveway: $22ish bucks for carpet cleaning, some kind of partial detail, and other stuff. When I drove up, people started on my car immediately, and I started worrying about when we'd talk price. A dude came over with a sheet and we sorted it out. I went for the upgrade ($32 I think) that included like a turtle wax or something, kind of as an added treat for my abused vehicle. 20 minutes later it was ready to VROOM on out. They had asked me about cleaning the trunk, but a certain someone has part of his life stashed in it; I'm not surprised they didn't even try, though I'd said yes. All in all, worth the price. They made my car feel shiny and new.
I used to take my car to Arbor for oil changes until my boyfriend moved to town and talked some sense into me. At the time, it was convenient for me to take my car there for oil change because I didn't have access to a garage, and it was located near my neighborhood. The oil change is pricey, but they make it a bit more enticing by throwing in a "free" car wash. After changing the oil, a mechanic would call me over and brief me on the work done to my car.
On most visits, everything was fine and they'd hand me a receipt and I'd go pay. However, on my last one or two visits, the mechanic tried to talk me into unnecessary services. He claimed my air filter was dirty and that the coolant was the wrong color and needed to be flushed ASAP. (Or else my car would overheat, causing monumental damage! Oh no! Just kidding he didn't say that...) Funny that my boyfriend just did that same work on my car two months prior. I didn't expect this type of shady behavior since I'd been frequenting Arbor for quite some time, but this was a huge reason why I stopped going.
As far as the free car wash goes, it's nothing spectacular. They run your car through their machine, and workers give it another five minutes of attention. Your car might actually pick up some scratches since they reuse rags that have been picked up off the ground.
"Hi. I wanted to get my car inspected. Is the wait very long?"
"Oh no, just about 30 minutes."
"Great."
Two hours later they are FINALLY FREAKIN' finished.
I KNOW that you KNEW that I didn't KNOW that you KNEW it would be a long ass wait. What you don't KNOW is that I KNOW that I will not be back. You KNOW?
Terrible experience! I wanted a quick oil change. They said it would only take about 30- 40 minutes. Suffice it to say that I wasted an entire day and missed a baby shower waiting on my car.
After the oil change (which took about an hour and a half), I came back with my mother who was driving me during the wait. The staff proceeded to tell me that my 2 year old car needed a new battery. They played on my mother's heart strings (what if I'm abandoned somewhere on the side of the road??!) and eventually strong-armed us into purchasing something I really didn't feel I needed.
When we came back- another 2 hours later (they said 30 minutes again), my car had strange parts lying on the floorboard and seats. When I opened the glove-compartment to get out my ipod, the entire thing and its contents exploded onto the front floorboard.
I waited patiently in line again to speak to the over-worked receptionist. When it was finally my turn, she was having difficulty reaching the guys outside to ask them to fix my problem. It was determined that the outside telephone was being used to make personal phone calls.
After the parts were put back in their proper places, glove box and innards replaced, I drove away to find that my radio was completely kaput. No mas. I eventually had to go to the dealer to have it fixed, and told Arbor car wash... "I won't be back"!
No. No no no no no no nonoNO.
Took my dad's car here for a good car-washing and carpet/seat shampooing. $72 later (with a coupon), here's what I'm left with:
-Dirty dash
-Tape marks on the window (granted, I put them there, but figured for $72, they'd maybe wash them off)
-Did I mention the dirty dash?
-Bug spots on front windshield.
-Broken rear windshield wiper.
Yeah. Holy hot damn. They BROKE my rear windshield wiper. I saw them do it (from the rockers, which are a nice touch -- see? not all negative!), and saw them try to hide it. I went inside, explained to the cashier what happened. Didn't think it was a big deal, thought maybe they'd comp me the price of a new wiper.
The cashier was helpful, called the manager in. Here's where it gets good.
He acknowledged it was broken and offered to sell me a new one.
*Insert calming breathing exercises here*
Yeah, still pissed. Royally. Don't go, y'all. The sno-cones and rockers really aren't worth it.
These guys are quick. And when I say quick, I mean that by the time I thought my oil change should have been completed, my car was WASHED and hand dried in addition to the oil change! I was about to embark on a 300mi drive to visit my family, so I wanted a rain check on my wash... which I actually got. So, in actuality, I got an oil change and TWO car washes for something around $27! Whoo hoo!
Not wanting to get bent over again by Jiffy Lube, I turned to the Yelpz to send me somewhere reputable... my search ending here. I don't have a printer for the coupons offered online, so I called to inquire. I was told that if I mentioned that I had called, I'd get the coupon price. I was also assured a rain check for the carwash.
Upon arrival, I was tag teamed by everyone in the shop that had different duties. The windshield guy, the tire guy, the oil guy, and even a headlight guy. Kinda annoying, I just needed the oil changed. They didn't push the issue, when I said no, they backed the eff off. Thumbs up on that. While I went inside to grab some coffee, the hastily (in a good way) checked my fluids, summoning my return to the bay to inquire about fluid changes etc. Again, not really pushy. The guy was good at explaining things, but didn't force the issue when I declined. Oil got changed, car got washed in the amount of time I'd expected a mere oil change.
Amenities include:
- Wireless internet (didn't get a chance to verify, however)
- Massage chair (manned by a PERSON, not one of the ones you find in airports)
- Various greeting cards and automotive products
- Free coffee and popcorn
- Cell phone repair/buying station
- A nice patio and comfy chairs for waiting
- THE QUICKNESS
I'll be back, and not just for the free carwash. I'm so happy to have not been ripped off for once when it comes to my car.
For $28.95 I got my oil changed and a basic car wash! Yay!
The best thing about this place though is it's location. Drop your car off and walk to lunch at Firebowl, Macaroni Grill, 360 Primo, or PF Chang's. You could even go see a movie at the Arbor. So much better than sitting around in a little waiting room reading old magazines.
I love Arbor Car Wash. They send out coupons in my neighborhood and post coupons online (http://www.arborcarwas...), so this is where I like to go for oil changes, especially since I get a *free* car wash with oil change ($26.95)! I've gone for regular car washes as well, and they do a decent job every time. Sometimes there's a wait, but a Blockbuster Video is next door and HEB is walking distance away, so you can always kill some time in that adjacent shopping center. They will call your mobile phone when your car is ready.
At every auto establishment, I seem to get "upsold" but these guys really didn't pressure me to pursue additional services. Each time, they've informed me of some potential problems, but when I say I'm not interested and my husband will take care of it, they do not persist. I appreciate that they respect my wishes and never try to bully me into services that my husband or I could probably perform ourselves.
I highly recommend this business.
Be careful. The wash was very good, service was quick, everyone was nice and prices are low.
They overfilled my oil by 3 quarts. It takes 5 and they put 8. I drove it out of the parking lot and knew something was wrong so luckily, I went back and they re-did the oil change. Everything seems okay about this place, it could have been an honest mistake... just be careful. (Come on guys - they are fast and cheap for a reason)
DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR HERE! For any reason! I don't care if it's "in your neighborhood". You can find something much better, just look around a bit.
I made the mistake of using this place to get my car washed a few times (I'd just moved to the area and wasn't familiar with the good places) and have been disappointed each time. No wait, I take that back. One time I brought my car in just to get the driver's side carpet shampooed after I dumped coffee on it, and they did a good, inexpensive job on that, but that's the only time I've ever left this place satisfied.
Last week I took my car in to get a routine oil change and car wash. I also agreed to have my windshield wiper blades replaced because one was tearing at the end. Well, the tech doing the oil change does a "complimentary" engine check and convinces me that pretty much every fluid under the hood needs to be replaced. Granted I was naive and was not going to disagree when he told me that if I didn't get the brake fluid changed that my brakes could go bad at any second while I was driving (way to be honest, buddy! I'm still kicking myself for falling into this trap). So I agreed to have the fluids replaced. After waiting AN HOUR AND A HALF I finally get the bill (once the work is already done, of course) and it comes out to almost $300. I still have a hard time grasping how they could have conned me out of that much money for fluids, rotating the tires, new windshield wiper blades, and an oil change (but the crappy car wash was free!).
Also of mention: my car still had straight up DIRT spots on it, in multiple places, and once I got home and parked my car, I noticed my bumper sticker was missing! It was a cling sticker. It's gone through the wash before and I've never had that problem... ever. My precious HRC sticker, just gone... ALSO, my windshield wipers are worse now than they were with the old, falling apart blades on them! It's been rainy the past few days and I can hardly see through all the streaks from the crappy blades they gave me and then charged me $24 for. TERRIBLE PEOPLE.
I had to take my car to an actual shop the next day when the "check engine" light came on in my car. Found out the wires and spark plugs were basically burnt to a crisp. And if the *respectable* tech at Arbor Car Wash was really doing a nice, honest, complimentary engine check, I fail to see how that could have been missed by a trained eye.
I will never go back to this place again and I will try to warn as many people as I can about the service here. They are not good people. Seriously, go elsewhere if you care one bit about your car.
Love this place. Definitely print out their coupons before you go; they have some good deals.
With my coupon, I got a full tank of gas (at today's prices!), a full service oil change, a full service car wash (the one with the Armor-All and tire shine), my state inspection, AND a 30 minute chair massage for about $150.
What better way to wait for your car to get done than to get a massage!
While the folks did the final touches, I took my receipt to the wagon in the parking lot and got a free shaved ice.
A very, very pleasant experience. Now I bet I'm not as forgetful about getting my oil changed!
I tried out this car wash today based on the reviews I saw here. Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed enough to go back.
I needed a professional car wash because I was staying near South Padre all week. The bugs, sand and salt needed to go. While I had a serious bug problem, especially on the trip down (butterflies everywhere just south of Kingsland), the attendants weren't able to remove all of the butterfly remains from the front of my car. You'd think that area would be easiest to clean!
Just got an inspection and Ben's special car wash($23). Took about 45 minutes which wasn't too bad.
But the wash job was pathetic. Outside was good but the inside was a disaster. They didn't vaccum the console area at all, left an old candy wrapper in the center console, left a plastic cup in the third row and didn't wipe down the dash.
I had the manager come out and showed him all this stuff and he said that the workers don't throw out trash b/c they did that once and there was jewelry in it and that they don't do anything with the 3rd row.
He offered to vacuum again but I had to go and won't go back.
its okay especially when your lazy to clean your car... its not detailing so i won't expect them to do an awesome job. as for oil changes and inspections - it doesn't seem worth the wait for the free car wash.
I have used them 3 times in the past. The last time was by their choosing to make right something they did wrong. I would say that for car washes, they are good enough to clean the car. But for service (oil changes, and other maint). I suggest you go somewhere else.
They don't seem to have good knowledge on all vehicles, and ended up stripping the drain plug on my oil pan. What was worst is that they put a plug in it, which masked the issues, until i went to get the oil changed the next time.
The only reason they get 3 stars instead of less is because they did try to right the service tech's issue and they do know how to wash cars.
I had a coupon, so I went here on a Sunday afternoon. Since I needed both an inspection and car wash, I prepared for a long wait, howver, I waited only about 30 minutes for both. In addition, the place was pretty busy. Arbor car wash is so quick! Plus the staff are really nice. The waiting area is really cool with popcorn, comfy seats, and clean restrooms. This place is the complete opposite of Jiffy Lube (which I now avoid-- I am sick of standing my ground with the annoying salespeople). The staff at Arbor do not employ these annoying "car salesman" tactics of other places like Jiffy Lube and Firestone.
This is the place i always go for oil changes. The staff is polite, friendly and efficient. They don't try to up the bill by suggesting unnecessary work. And the oil change comes with a free wash, dry and vacuum.
This June, I turned in my sports sedan for the first car I had ever wanted - a VW Beetle Convertible. My brand new baby and I have had tons of fun - until I realized I couldn't put her through a regular car wash. Crap. Since I live in an apartment, this posed a large problem. Enter Arbor Car Wash & Lube. They hand washed my bright blue bug and waxed her to absolute perfection. All in 45 minutes on a Saturday. It wasn't cheap, but since it was a hand wash plus wax, I didn't expect it to be. Arbor also offers detailing at competitve prices, lube, and gas. Plus they had a row of rockers from which you can observe the hand-finishing of your car. A great place for car lovers and car dunces alike.
What used to be Austin Quality Carwash on Guadalupe, has apparently been replaced by an Arbor Carwash and Lube Center. On a nasty scale, my car was a solid 7, but not a complete disaster. I had lots of "just married" decorations on the windows, which agreed to pay an extra $5 for a "guarantee" that the all the writing would be removed (the alternative was to pay for the base wash and cross my fingers).
The interior vacuum job was clearly unacceptable the first time through. To their credit, they did not hesitate to do a more thorough job. The exterior wash was OK, but I thought the whole idea of having a hand finish was to get the areas the machine missed. Most of the crap came off, so I didn't bother bringing it up. What really bugged me was that after paying extra to have the writing on the windows removed, there was ample blue gunk left on the windows. I didn't find this until I got home, so they did not have the chance to fix this. However, it's unlikely I would have let them touch it anyways, as most of what they removed from the windows ended up stuck to the side of my white truck. They seemed at a loss as to what to do about it, and offered to send it back through the machine. I declined and scrubbed it off with a rag once I got home. In the end, I probably could have done just as well going to some high school band fund raiser car wash. The people doing the work just don't seem to give a damn. I don't demand enthusiasm, just a little effort.
