- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Groovy Automotive
Rating Details »
Category: Auto Repair [Edit]
Neighborhood: Hyde Park4011 Red River St
Austin, TX 78751
(512) 450-0951
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sat. 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
21 reviews for Groovy Automotive
So sad this place has such low reviews, my 2 experiences here have been better than previous reviewers.
PS Update: I had 3 male friends walk in and one was very assertive that he knew about cars so don't try anything kind of attitude...after reading many reviews...I felt like the total $145 price was because of those three male friends and they knew they couldn't rip me off...OMG..I hope nothing breaks down...I am scared now..I am glad my experiences here were decent and do-able.
Horrible parking "lot"!!!!
They give you a ride if you need it, and they provide a "student discount" that isn't really a discount but still.
I heard about this place from my roommate. His car was smoking one day on the way to UT-Austin campus and the funny story is that we thought it was the car in front of us that was having this stream of white smoke. Well we got to campus and I was dropped off...his car dropped dead.
So he looked on his IPhone and found the closest place to UT-Austin campus. He called the toll-truck and got his car towed there. They informed him that his radiator was broken. So within a day, they were done with the service, gave him a student discount and $500 bucks later, he was driving out the door.
Fast but a bit expensive even with the discount.
They charge for an estimates $40 I think but the estimates includes any adjustments that needs to be done unlike other places that only look and do no work. I kind of like this idea and I kind of don't. On a business level-they want to weed out the "non-serious people who only want to fix their car if it dies on them," it saves time and labor. Is it customer friendly...??? H-E-L-L N-O!
So when it was time to do my state inspection, I went to Lube Pit something by my house and they told me I was going to fail the state inspection since my E brakes were not working. I immediately called Groovy since it's really the only place I know that has fast service and we are one car down right now.
They charged me $111(estimate included) for fixing my brakes because "it required more than the $40 adjustment coverage" and "shop fee" which was like $8 something. The shop fee charges changes because I remember my roommate had a "shop fee" of like some really high number, and $28.75 for the state inspection. He told me the walk out the door price was $145 total which by the way included my $16.20 student discount.
The tech guy called me at 3:30pm and informed me of the break issue, I asked him if he could have it done by 4:30pm otherwise can it wait until tomorrow? My E brakes were broken but my regular breaks work, just badly but not illegal to drive so as I said, we are one car short right now, but he said yes.
I arrived at 4:40pm and my car was ready to go. The E breaks and regular breaks are up to date, the breaks are very responsive now.
They also changed my wipers for free because mine were old and was going to fail inspection too. This was a nice gesture even though the windshield wipers are of course shitty but hey, it's free right?
No problems so far with my car breaks.
My roommate car was totaled during the accident recently after he got the radiator fixed so I can't really review how the car runs "post-groovy-workmanship."
I recommend this place for fast service but I do agree that it is expensive. They are apart of BBB and also all their technicians are highly certified....maybe that explains the price they charge. You can see the certificates when you walk into their office. It is very dark inside their office.
If you are a weak driver, don't go there by yourself, parking is horrible!!
The definition of groovy here is that the workers have long hair (men).
Update on their BBB standing:
http://www.bbb.org/cen...
BBB Accreditation
This business is not a BBB Accredited Business.
The company's website includes the reference: "We have been part of the Better Business Bureau since the day we opened our doors." The business is not a BBB Accredited Business and our policies prohibit such a reference.
BBB Rating
Based on BBB files, this business has a BBB Rating of F.
Reasons for this rating include:
* 16 complaints filed against business
* Failure to respond to 2 complaints filed against business.
* 3 complaints filed against business that were not resolved.
* Advertising issue(s) found by BBB.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
5/15/2007
I have had nothing but trouble from Groovy. I've only been to them twice, but both times they… Read more »
I've got a riddle for you:
What's the opposite of groovy?
Groovy Automotive!
(OK, no one ever said I was clever.)
But seriously folks, this place is where you're sent if you 'fail' an inspection at Groovy Lube. And they're equally as unpleasant and uninformative.
They 'checked out' my brakes over the course of an hour (spent reading an old newspaper in a tiny 'lobby' while "Bonanza" played on the TV -- so NOT groovy), told me what they 'thought' *might* be wrong with them (or maybe nothing at all), and said I could come back in a couple days for a 'real' inspection that would cost me $100+ on top of the work I'd need, if I needed it.
I finally weaseled it out of the mechanic that there wasn't really any immediately necessary work to be done, then was able to go back to the other location and get my official inspection sticker.
I gave Groovy lots of chances, but every time I took my vehicle to them it cost me twice what I was expecting to pay and most times they would tell me the work I wanted was not needed, but there was always other work that was imperative I get taken care of right away.
The last straw was when I took my car in for a stalling problem and they ran all the gas out of my full tank, had it for two days and claimed it never stalled out on them; yet still charged me $90; FOR NOTHING! To top it off; as I drove it back home; it stalled out on me less than a quarter mile from their shop. Never again.
I wonder where this hatred comes from. Owning a car is expensive! Groovy saved my life, my recently purchased car was over heating and they fixed the little fuse and now my car runs super cold! They are expensive but it cost for greatness! I trust only moon with my new baby!
Groovy Lube has always been my first choice for oil changes and basic car maintenance here in Austin, because I prefer to support local businesses over the mainstream Jiffy's and other assorted, corporate lubes in town. And when I recently had a bit more complex of an automotive need, I thought I could trust the Groovy company, so I brought my car to Groovy Automotive on Red River.
I already knew what the problem was, because I'd had three knowledgeable friends look it over. My cooling fan motor was broken, and my car was overheating when stopped or in traffic. I simply needed to have it replaced. All the fuses and relays were working just fine, and the thermostat was great - we'd made sure of this.
I left the car at Groovy and soon received a phone call telling me that they had completed a routine oil change, and that it would cost me an additional $350 to replace the cooling fan motor. On my ticket, the estimate was broken down to about $160 in parts and the rest in labor. I had to decline their offer.
I then purchased a new cooling fan motor at O'Reilly Auto Parts for $36, and my friend (who had never done such a repair before) was able to successfully replace the motor quickly. The car is running like a champ! Regardless of any extreme labor charges, I'd say $120 is a hell of a markup for any part. Fortunately, Shady Automotive did not get the chance to rip me off, and they won't get it again. As a girl, I am extremely weary when taking my car to any shop, and people who aim to take advantage of anyone with car trouble are by no means "groovy", honest or expert. Lame...
I've never taken my car to Groovy Automotive. *Keep this in mind.
I have a 1995 VW Golf. I bought it off of a very militant chick who kept her receipts of all the work she'd done on the car. And all that work, she got done at Groovy.
When I test-drove it, it stuttered and stalled a little bit, but the air conditioner was cold and worked well, the engine was strong, so I bought it.
Once I did, she handed over the folder with all the receipts. Girlfriend had put at least the amount I bought it for in the past year ($2500.00).
I've never taken my car here, but I took the car into Austin VeeDub. With part and labor, it cost me $100 and now it drives great.
I've been here twice each time with a different vehicle, both times for inspection stickers. The first time was routine and my vehicle passed although for some reason they had to replace the gas cap. I wasn't quite sure on why, but I didn't think too much of it since it was pretty inexpensive. (Reading the other reviews here I'm feeling a bit lucky now)
I went another time much later with my truck, and it failed due to a headlight being a bit wobbly, which is annoying, but I'm willing to accept it. It wasn't exactly an easy thing to repair perfectly(without getting too deep into it), but they wanted upwards of $150 for what was a relatively simple thing!
Ten minutes of work, a bit of spirit gum and some epoxy had my light stable enough for another mechanic to give me a passing inspection.
Everyone I know, including myself, who brings their car to Groovy Automotive always (always) is told that there is something wrong with their car in addition to the original reason they brought their car in.
I have friends who were told they needed thousands of dollars worth of repairs after bringing their car in for new brakes. All but one of my friends got second opinions (all from different shops) where they were told that Groovy Automotive was wrong.
I brought my car in once for an inspection. The mechanic told me that my rear brake lights were out, and without thinking of checking to see for myself I approved the replacement for $10. After two minutes I walked out to my car and asked to see the broken light, but the mechanic had "already replaced it". When it was time to pay the mechanic arbitrarily lowered my fee to $8, which I paid in cash...and never saw it go into the register....shady. Three weeks later I brought my car to another shop for an oil change only to find out my brake lights were out "again".
Please please please do yourself a favor and never bring your car to this shop.
Gruesome Automotive, you've wronged me for the last time.
False diagnoses. Overcharging for labor. Double and even TRIPLE charging their "diagnosis fee". Replacing a part in the engine, only to never reset the master on-board computer, so that subsequent computer-based diagnostics show the part as MISSING. No wonder my "check engine" light turned on shortly afterwards.
There is not one single good thing about their service or their attitude. Austin has plenty of shops that specialize in vehicle makes -- take your car to one of these specialists and avoid the overpriced run-around at Groovy. Your car deserves better.
I don't have direct experience with Groovy Automotive, so take this review with a grain of salt.
However, I'm the 'car guy' among my friends. I have an old car and change my own oil and have rebuilt two engines, so people often ask me for mechanic recommendations. I've heard of enough first-hand horror stories from Groovy Automotive -- especially from foreign-born graduate students -- that I would steer clear. Check out Flamingo, or Dodd's, or heck even Caliber instead.
Groovy Auto is a cook place to get your car worked on. Most of the team, if something is wrong with your auto, it's important to get it fixed (1) quickly (2) at a good price and (3) without being upsold for a bunch of stuff you don't want. My sole experience with Groovy has been that they deliver on all three.
The staff is friendly and seems to take pride in their work and the prices are reasonable. Also, the time they quote to fix the car is usually pretty accurate, which helps when making alternate plans.
I'm not really the type of person who would describe themselves as an austinite or groovy or anything in the slightest, but I'm not really conservative either. This was a strange choice for me in mechanics, but I went here because they have a reputation for being honest and not upselling you, and from my end of things that seems to be just how things operated.
I was having major electrical problems with my old car, a pretty old 1993 chevy lumina, and they were able to fix the alternator and restore my car back to functionality for a very reasonable price. For the battery outages and problems that I was having beforehand and the age of the car, I am very impressed that Groovy was able to solve all my problems.
Some of the guys at the counter seemed a little disrespectful and made me feel like less of a man because I'm not like Joe Carbuff, but the mechanic I had was a long blonde haired guy who was really awesome, direct, and got the job done.
I don't recommend this place. I've had some really bad experiences with them in the past and I don't go back to places where they treat me like I don't know anything.
Initially I loved them and used them for about 6 months. Then I took my car into them to check the breaks. Well, they fixed them... I go in and drove home on to start hearing an ominous clank in the front right tire area like there was a loose bit. I drove it back and told them I was hearing this noise and i thought something was loose. They said no problem, and for me to leave it. When I came back they said they hadn't heard or seen anything but had doubled checked and re-bled the brakes in case of an air bubble. (Un-huh). I got almost home (I lived close) when it started doing it again. Took the car home (out of time to deal with it) and called them. They said if I brought it back within a month they'd look into it. At the end of the month, I took it back, had the fellow sit in the car while I drove to make sure he heard it - he said it was no problem.
This time they said when they opened it up there was a spring that had become unattached somehow (and not earlier) and by the way, one of the tie rods was broken and needed replacing.
I firmly believe they initially blew me off because I was female and hadn't checked, wouldn't admit they had done the job wrong and then broke the tie rod looking at the wheel the second time.
I never went back. I found a real mechanic.
One day, weeks before my inspection was due, my brake pad light started to flicker. I knew my brake pads were fine because they were only about a year old. Still, I was worried - brakes aren't something you want to mess with.
I took it to the dudes at Groovy because it was right around the corner from my old job, and they said they could get it back to me before the end of the day. One of the mechanics gave me a ride to work - he was young and bright and kept the conversation interesting. Within a few hours of returning to work, they called and said it would be $37.25 - total - to repair the faulty wire that was making my brake pad light flicker. No diagnostic fees, no "you're dumb and we're the mechanic" fees.
Simple problem, simple fix, simple price. Totally tubular. These guys are groovy, indeed.
they charged me 50 bucks just to check my brakes told me it was an immediate concern and quoted me over $400, the itemized list being things I had not expressed any interest in at all but were recommended... wouldn't really give me a straight price for what I needed that day. I went to the even smaller business in oak hill my dad goes to and they told me that my brakes weren't anywhere near needing changing and that none of the other things groovy auto had recommended were anywhere near necessary, I just needed my tires rotated.
The worst part in my opinion is that all of my brake lights were out by some freak coincidence and the guys at groovy told me that they were going to do it for me for free (or included in the $50 brake check) then returned to tell me that the bulbs were fine but that it was the actual switch and that I would need to pay them even more for that if I wanted it fixed. Then I went to check it myself and all the bulbs were dead and that is all that needed to happen.
I've used Groovy several times over the last couple of years for both of our cars. I have always been very happy with their work. They have a great turn-around time (usually one day), reasonable price, seem knowledgeable about our issues, and super nice, too! Would strongly recommend to anyone.
This is truly a comment on the Groovy Automotive franchise. While they purport to be a local business, taking care of Austin, they treat their customers as if they were some large corporate chain with clients to spare.
After taking my car to the Groovy Lube center on Guadalupe to have my oil changed and car inspected, I paid my bill and was handed my keys to my car awaiting me out front. Once I tried to pull away, my car would not go into gear.
I discussed this with the mechanic and he confessd that perhaps a certain part that attaches to the shift engager had popped off and then proceeded to look around on the ground for it. When he couldn't find it he spoke with one of his colleagues and then returned to me with the news.
Apparently, if you take your car to Groovy Lube, and it works when you get there, but not after they have serviced your car, it is no one's fault but your own. Additionally, this friendly local business will not feel the need to even call one of their full service locations for assistance or offer to tow your car there for you. Instead, they will jimmy it into reverse and tell you that you should be able to get home, but may want to consider getting the problem looked at as soon as possible. They also will have no suggestions regarding a good mechanic to look at it for you. They will however look you in the eye, apologize, and wish you well for a safe trip home.
In my frustration, I called the Lamar location myself. After verifying that the locations are indeed affiliated with one another I told my story to the mechanic on the phone. While he was very friendly and understanding, he had no real suggestions for me. After talking to one another briefly, he hung up on me. Awesome.
Simultaneously, my boyfriend had driven out to escort me home and ensure my safety. He went inside and spoke further with the mechanics at the Lube center. He then spoke on the phone with the Red River location who gave him the number of the man who would make things happen, we will call him "James".
Turns out "James" was the man standing in the garage just watching me and the other mechanics talk and not bothering to involve himself at all. But once my boyfriend spoke with him on the phone, "James" was very helpful and suggested we take the car to the Red River location, where we could get it fixed for next to nothing.
After a day of trying to speak with someone at the Red River location, we finally heard a response. Well, "James" apparently has decided that this is our repair to fix and pay for. But "James" did not bother to call me or my boyfriend, he told the Red River location to tell us.
This is extremely unprofessional and disheartening. I have taken my car to Groovy locations for 6 years. I have defended their business and and even recommended them to others, but no longer can I patronize them. Firstly, they broke my car. Secondly, they would not give me, a girl, any assitance, but when a man entered the picture, they suddenly had solutions to hand out. And lastly, they are liars who don't hold up their end of a bargain.
Groovy Automotive simply does not take responsibility for their actions nor do they have any concern for their customers. I will not be taking my car to any of their locations again.
My car broke down, so I had to get it towed to the nearest automotive place. I ended up paying around $500, and it was just to replace 1 part. I don't know anything about cars, so I just payed it. They definitely overcharged me. I asked around other automotive places to see how much it would have cost for the parts and labor, and it was half the price.
Don't go to this place. They overcharge you. I went back to give them a second chance, and my opinion of them did not change. Even if you know what's wrong with your car, they'll charge you to look at it, which is around $78. What a rip off.
OK, I wrote a long winded review on my A/c repair for my Lexus I had with groovy. Its a long story, but to cut it short. I took my car in to get the A/c repaired. I payed a large sum of money and it didn't work. I went back to give them another chance as any other person would do, but they ended up charging me another large amount of money. The A/c blew hot air within weeks, and at this point I was really upset. I couldn't believe it. I took it in a third time, they "fixed" it again but after 4 months, it went out again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 wtf!!!!!!!!!
I replaced every part!!!!
STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I lost about a grand. yup, $1000. do you want to lose $1000?
I take all my vehicles here. I don't trust anyone else. I send all my female friends here. Ask for Jeff Schmid! He is a great guy and honest. One of the best mech's in town. I'm sorry to hear that Carrie C. had a bad experience. As a former auto mechanic I can understand the difficulty diagnosing intermittent problems with cars. Newer cars can be even more difficult and some European cars are down right impossible figure out right the first time. I still restore classic cars and some days even those can give me fits.
