Gates Automotive Service, Inc.

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Renata Rowland
2 weeks ago
Rob was extremely nice and helpful. I could tell this was an honest business, they didn t overcharge me and were wonderful. They helped me out immediately and fixed my problem within 30 minutes. Thank you!

  Laura Boone
a week ago
Honest, professional, and experienced. The quote they gave was the quote that provided was the exact amount on my invoice. I ll be recommending them to anyone that asks for a reliable mechanic!

  Debi Pratt
2 months ago
I was out and about trying to get an oil change on my day off. I was so surprised that the national chains were all so backed up that I was not able to get in. The two that I was able to actually talk to someone both told me they did not carry my oil filter and to come back another day. What?? I called Gates and was told to come right in they would work me in.This is a local owner-operated garage and I couldn t be happier I came! They were so happy to help even had my oil filter. They are friendly and got me in and out quickly. I will say that I will come here for all of my automotive needs while in Louisville !!

  Bryan Courtney (Bryan Courtney)
2 months ago
I've taken my cars here for years and they've always been extremely helpful - never had a bad experience.

  Greg Robertson
7 months ago
Moved back to Louisville in April. I pass Gates all the time, and when I needed to have some work done on my Honda CRV, I checked out their Google reviews. Which are impressive (I saw a five-star one from my optometrist so felt good about going there). Chris worked on my car, fixing a leaking AC condensate line and discovering the cause of a weird noise (broken clips on a wheel cover). Very happy to have discovered a locally owned company I can trust to do quality work at a fair price.

  Jessie Calhoun
10 months ago
Literal scam. Charged me $96 to tell me my air compressor needed replacement which i already knew and i had already told them on the phone before i brought it to them. i've taken my car to them FOUR times and only left with repair one time. the first time i took my car they told me nothing was wrong and then it broke down on me a few days later. then they charged me hundreds of dollars to fix the actual problem that they missed the first time leading to me paying for a tow truck because the car wouldn't run. took my car again and they told me the heating coils weren't good but i didn't need to replace it because it "wasn't going to do anything to the car". then my AC stopped working (randomly) telling me the compressor was out so i took it to them for repair and they wanted over $1,100 to fix it so i declined. when we went to pick up the car after they spent a whole two seconds looking at this morning they charged $96. my boyfriend went inside because i was too angry to talk to them and he said the cashier was disrespectful and mumbling under his breath when he had a complaint about the price. they are ripping people off.

  John Metcalf
4 months ago
Honest folks. Good work. Wonderful to have a locally owned and operated auto shop.

  Megan Perkins
a year ago
Gates Automotive charged me $1500 for the work they did on my car earlier this year. They were supposed to have fixed my breaks but instead they left air in my break hoses, left 3 broken calibers, and the master cylinder they replaced was broken beyond repair or worth. I completely lost my break power. Obviously, not trusting them, I had to go somewhere else. I found out just how much damage they had done rather than fix the car after having to rent a $600 vehicle for 3 days from Enterprise. I strongly recommend no longer going to them for any vehicular repairs for anyone. Thankfully today I have my car repaired and my breaks are now working. Take it or leave it. But it happened. I have receipts to prove it all. Do not go to Gates Automotive. They are untrustworthy, and left my vehicle in complete disrepair.

  Herman 66MI
a year ago
I have been going to Gates Automotive for several years. I no longer trusted my dealership. I have received excellent service, knowledgeable mechanics and in my opinion the best mechanics in town. I trust this family own business without reservation or hesitation. They service all our vehicles and my kids cars too. I have complete confidence and trust in Gates Automotive; this coming from a trial Attorney

  Mr. M
4 years ago
DO NOT BRING YOUR VEHICLE HERE!!!!!THE MECHANICS AT THIS SHOP PUT A 30 AMP FUSE INTO A 7.5 AMP PORT AND FRIED MY ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN MY CAR. THIS CAUSED OVER $12,000 IN DAMAGES WHICH THE OWNER OF GATES THEN DENIED HIS WORKERS DOING AND LEFT ME TO DEAL WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY.DO NOT BRING YOUR VEHICLE TO THIS SHOP.

  John Owens
4 months ago
Best place in town to have your car serviced. Nobody else even close.

  Daniel Frederick
a year ago
If you're looking for an honest family owned car shop that won't try to sell/fix more than you need, lie, or over charge this is the place for you. I trust them with my car every time it needs service. They are the best.

  Phil Kollin
3 years ago
As far as local mechanics go, the boys at Gates are hard to top.I've been taking all of my cars for routine service and repairs - big and small - to Gates Automotive for several years now. They've taken care of every vehicle that's been in my garage from the family cruiser to my old Honda.They are straightforward, offer a timely/quick turnaround on the work, incredibly professional and have done a tremendous job on all needed repairs. And, not to bury the lede, their prices are always fair.Everyone should have a "go to" mechanic in their life...and delighted that I have Gates!Services: Air & cabin filter replacement, Tires, General repairs & maintenance, Auto engine diagnostic, Brakes, A/C installation & repair, Oil change

  Darren Yeagle
7 months ago
My tire was leaking air and they were able to fix it within 10 minutes! It was cheap and the staff were friendlyService: TiresService: Tires

  Patrick Williams
4 years ago
I had an issue with my Town & Country that the dealer took over 48 hours to diagnose, wanted $1,500 to fix, and didn't even cover all the codes the engine was throwing.I had enough of the dealership, looked for the highest rated local mechanic, and called Gates. They properly diagnosed the problems in only 4 hours and fixed the 2 most important ones by the next afternoon, all for less than the dealer wanted. They're well regarded for a reason! Thank you Gates Automotive!

  Mr Chi
8 years ago
Great shop. I've been to dozens of shops in the past and I can say it's rare to find a mechanic that is legitimately trying to help you fix a problem, not just trying to get a sale. Robert was the mechanic who worked on my truck and all I can say is I'm very happy with my experience. He was patient, diagnosed the problem quickly, and didn't charge me for some simple fixes he could have charged me for. Not to mention their rates are good. If you're considering Gates I highly recommend going to see Robert.

  SP4C3C0W30Y :
a year ago
Love their work. Price is fair and the repair work is the best in Louisville. Don't waste your money anywhere else.

  Keith Gressel
8 years ago
We just took our car here and could not be happier. They fixed our car at a very reasonable price. When we went to pick up our car we had a couple questions about other issues on the car and they took the time to show us the issues and what we could do to fix them. I'm never going to a different auto shop in Louisville! I highly recommend them!

  Valerie Buccola
10 years ago
I've been to Gates at least half a dozen times between our two vehicles (Honda & BMW). They are always up front and honest about repairs. I never get the feeling they are just trying to create work to make a buck, I think their customer base is so solid they don't need to do that, which says a lot. They are always very communicative and call before they do anything after they've assessed the problem. Being a woman, I feel like they treat me the same as they would any customer, which is nice because I've had the alternative treatment at many other automotive places. I would definitely recommend this place to everyone!

  Daniel Cissell
3 years ago
My transmission was leaking really badly and I was right there already at the shop so I stopped in. I was then told that they may not get to me till tomorrow. Which I was fine with that. So Ileft the car. Then I Then I received a phone call later in the dayTelling me that the car is fixed then I come pick it up and just needed some clamps and stuff in it would be a $120 so when picked up right as they were closing when less than a block away to get transmission fluid and was informed that they had done nothing basically to my car but charged me a $120 for it it's ridiculous

  Brian Sokol
6 years ago
The guys at Gates Automotive go above and beyond what is expected. I explained to them that I was getting a low tire light even though my tires were up to pressure. They quickly determined that one of my TPMS sensors had gone bad, and replaced it. I also had mentioned that I had a super slow leak in another tire that others couldn t find. They found it and were able to fix this as well. I was very impressed by their professionalism, and how upfront they were about everything.

  Abernathy Finds
4 years ago
I brought my car in three times for an intermittent starting issue. They charged me $203.55 to replace a battery; after three visits. Later that evening the car wouldn t start.Admittedly, the car would always start before I could bring it in. I m not upset that they couldn t observe the issue. I m upset that in two other visits no one ran any diagnostics. They simply started my car. The bad battery is a byproduct of months of hard starting.When I pressed the issue, I was told to bring the car (that won t start) in so they can put back the now bad battery and refund my money. Not a great experience.

  Dare Sutton
11 months ago
Helpful, honest, and good service. Appreciate their help when I need it! Would recommend to anyone needing car maintenance or repairs.

  David Crocket
11 years ago
I had a misfire on a cylinder and no heat in my Taurus. I brought my car to Gates Automotive, because of the good reviews on the internet. The misfire was fixed by replacing the coil pack and it works fine now.Unfortunately the heater was not fixed. They flushed the heater core the first time with no effect. I called them and told them that I still have a lack of hot air and that I can smell a sweet and stinky air (coolant) now. So I had to bring my car in and the flushed and charged me again.Charging me again for the same repair that failed on the first attempt would be okay if the heater would work now. I had health issues due to the intoxication of coolant fumes although I did not use the heater.I was tired of spending more money (already paid more than $ 530) and did just bypass the heater-core on my own. I hope it gets warmer, although I am getting used to drive a car without heater on icy temperatures.Gates Auto made a good first impression, but was disappointing in the end.

  Charles Ammerman
10 years ago
Always excellent service when I go to Gates, but this last time was even better. I had a flat tire fixed a couple weeks ago. The tire went flat again today so I took it back thinking it might be a bad plug or something. It turned out to be a different hole all together. They fixed it for free anyway on the spot. You just don't get that kind of service anymore. I am glad they are in my neighborhood. Thanks guys.

  Amy Barbato
a year ago
I've always gotten great service from David, Chris and Rob!! So much so that I'll never switch mechanics no matter how long of a drive it is! Thanks guys for being awesome and the BEST!!

  michael ray
7 years ago
They have been taking care of my vehicles and my father's vehicles for over 30 years. Their good and honest. My favorite example was when my 1996 ford f 250 had a small antifreeze leak. It would have been very expensive to fix. Mechanic Gary suggested try a stop leak product first. That was over 5 years ago and it still doesn't leak. That kind of honestly is why I keep coming back .

  Derek Jutz
8 years ago
Gates Automotive will overcharge, upsell, and take excessive amounts of time on even the simplest of jobs.My girlfriend set an appointment for an oil change and brake pads. When we arrived we were told to return in 3 days because they were so busy. We mentioned how we called ahead and the man behind the counter, without checking anything, said they could get us in that day and one person was ahead of us. How they went from "return in 3 days" to "we can do it right now" is beyond me.Long story short, we get a phone call SIX HOURS later saying the vehicle is ready. We were quoted at $1,100 for brake pads and given a long list of things that they suggest we have them replace.In addition to that, we were charged over $70 for an oil change. They used synthetic oil without asking and insisted it's the "industry standard" and that our engine required that type of oil. Absolutely incorrect information, and a blatant example of them lying to the face of a customer for profit. In addition to that, they decided to charge us for a new oil filter and washer fluid without asking if we wanted it.I asked the employee why they didn't ask us what type of oil we wanted and he became very agitated and rude. He insisted that Gates is an "upstanding company" out of nowhere, and when I mentioned that upstanding companies ask customers what they want before they do work on a vehicle he responded with, "Well we have good reviews on the web."Absolutely stunned, I told him that I would be leaving a negative review just because of him saying that. I then asked if I could leave the car in their back lot since it took them SIX HOURS to do an oil change and my girlfriend was now at work. He literally laughed and said, "As long as you put that in the review." Well there it is, jerk.The complete and utter breakdown of communication for something as simple as an oil change is baffling. I HIGHLY suggest avoiding this place if you're getting serious work done.

  Eric Lawson
a year ago
This is by fare the best place to go in Louisville. They are quick efficient and every time I ve been their I have always gotten my car back earlier than expected.Service: General repairs & maintenanceService: General repairs & maintenance

  Maverick Rider
8 years ago
I needed an oxygen sensor extracted when I called them, I had done everything possible to remove it myself, and had already bought the part.I was calling to see if they could remove it, to my surprise they recommended HI-WAY muffler off Cane Run Rd.I went those guys did a great job getting it out and even put in the my O2 sensor.Thanks honesty is a rare commodity today.