Pitts Stop Auto

Reviews

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

  Ben Bourdon
a week ago
Best mechanic in the burgh! Kal is kind, friendly and very informative. He wanted me to understand every step and every part of the repair/tune-up I was getting which gave me confidence in the work. Great pricing, fast work and fantastic results. My (used) car runs better than it ever has before! Highly recommend.

  Piotr Mocny
3 days ago
I had serviced my car for 2 years here and unfortunately cannot leave good opinion . Even though the repairs were always on time and you could schedule them immediately I replaced lower control arms here and after a year they were to be replaced again (as I was told at Baum next door). I confronted Kal for warranty, but he checked them manually and said they are fine. The tires were also unevenly worn out (also replaced when lower control arms were replaced), which shouldn t be an issue after the suspension fix. Kal claims that he did wheel alignment after the replacement, but again then there should be no problems he claimed he did mechanical wheel alignment, after which he directed me to his buddy who did it properly electronically (btw it was also not 100% corrected, because the car was pulling to the right after the alignment they say of course it wasn t, but guess what. I did the repairs somewhere else and everything is fixed now).I see this place has many good reviews, but from my perspective it s not so good. I would rather go somewhere slightly more expensive to have the job properly done, especially for so expensive repairs. When I got my car repaired, there was an extra noise (problem with sway bars) so how come they didn t even drive it to check??!! That s really unacceptable

  Taylor Marie
2 weeks ago
Kalven and his team are so awesome!! Im often weary about going to mechanics because my knowledge when it comes to cars is very little, so it would be easy to pull a fast one on me. Kalven was honest and great at explaining what was needed. He was also extremely friendly and pleasant to work with. I came in for an oil change but will definitely be back for my inspection!

  Ahlia Demas Jimenez
4 months ago
Most trustworthy auto repair. Very honest and helpful. They don't try to sell services you don't need. And they don't treat older women like idoits. Been there 4 times for oil changes, emissions test.Will be bring my 2010 Beetle here for other work as needed. 5 star treatment.

  Paul
4 months ago
I really didn't want to leave this place a bad review because the guy working here always seemed nice and trustworthy, but my latest experience here has proven quite the opposite.Problem: My car wasn't starting, it would crank but not turn over. I researched a bit and what I found corroborated with what a different mechanic had told me in the past, that it sounded like my timing chain was failing and it could end up killing my engine. I made the mistake of giving this information to the mechanic at Pitts Stop Auto instead of letting him figure out what the problem was, because I'm not even convinced that he actually looked at it.Why do I think that? Because he never called me back after I dropped off my car with him. I called the shop three times over the course of the week, left messages, and finally got in touch the third time and he claimed that he was waiting for me to pick up my car, and that he had already called and talked to me about it being unfixable. I was surprised to hear this, because he never called me despite his claim, and I have the phone logs to prove it. This was the first red flag.So, despite doubting that he even checked out the car and just based his conclusion on what I had talked to him about when I brought it in, I still decided to "do the right thing" and pay him for his diagnosis (which was basically just repeating back to me what I told him) When I arrived to pay him and meet the tow truck, I noticed that my window was halfway down after what was probably the heaviest rainfall of the entire year. Of course, the interior on the driver's side was completely soaked. Red flag #2.I noticed the key was still in the ignition, so I assumed my battery was dead, and it was. The tow guy tried to jump me to no avail; he wasn't even getting sparks on my terminal. The terminal is under the front hood but the battery is in the back, hard to access when the car doesn't have power because the rear hatch is on power locks only. When my car got towed back home, the tow guy was nice enough to stick around and try and jump me again, and this time we got to the rear battery and connected the jump cables directly and were able to get power this way... So what happened at the shop that severed the connection between my rear battery and front terminals?? Was this intentional? Either way, red flag #3.Lastly, when I tried to start the car's engine, it wouldn't even try to start. At least before I brought it in, you could hear the engine trying to start when you hit the ignition. Not anymore. Whatever they did to my car put it in even worse shape than when I brought it in, which would be red flag #4 but it's actually #5 because if it was a timing chain failure that a mechanic from another shop was able to spot before it completely went, then why wasn't the mechanics at Pitts Stop Auto able to catch it during their inspection of my vehicle two months ago?These guys are incompetent at best and malicious at worst. Great place if you want to pass an inspection without hassle because they probably just put the stickers on without even looking at your vehicle.

  Dana Miller
2 months ago
My granddaughter had some problems with her car l called them and they found the problem and took care of it right away and the price was very reasonable . She said the GUY was very polite and respectful.

  Abdi Parsi
a year ago
Pitts Stop Auto has the best management and the best team. They are professionals, cooperative, fair, and accommodating. I cannot say enough for this place. I have been a customer since they opened and I have referred them to my family and friends and all have appreciated me. Having them as my mechanic gives me peace of mind. Thank you Kal.Services: Tires, General repairs & maintenance, Auto engine tuning, Auto detailing, Air conditioning, Auto brake replacement

  Ishant Khurana
a year ago
Mr. Kal is the best mechanic I have ever encountered in my life. So honest and so pleasant to talk to. He is not at all greedy and he values customer satisfaction over anything else. He has the most reasonable price for all his services, and above everything, you can trust him with his diagnostics and recommendations. It has been a great pleasure knowing him and doing business with him. Highly highly recommend going to him for all your needs!Service: Steering & suspension replacement

  Pearl Kuan-Yi Lu
a year ago
I can't say enough good things about the owner --- Kalvin. As a young single female from another country, he has helped me out when I had my first car even guided me with registration renewal. He was so honest, so generous, so patient. I felt so respected every time I was there. I took my car to his shop for regular maintenance for about three times and was so very happy with his service. Unfortunately my car was totalled by a hit-and-run driver and I had then moved out of Pittsburgh because I got a new job in Houston --- and he is one of the best things I miss about Pittsburgh.

  Shantaea Jones
11 months ago
I been going here for years. I am a big proponent for supporting small business. I originally came in to get my brakes fixed and an inspection. He saw my front bumper was disfigured and said he would fix it. I told him not to fix it (I already scheduled to take my car to auto body shop to fix my car). When I came in the next day he put tape on my bumper and charged me almost $200 for "fixing it". I am no longer supporting and doing business with this shop after this rip off.Services: Auto brake repair, Vehicle Inspection, Oil change

  Joud Mulla
8 months ago
Excellent service! Kalven and his team did a fantastic job fixing my car. I am definitely coming back here for my car needs.

  Amreshkumar Mishra
8 months ago
He is a wonderful mechanic. I have been coming here for a long time. He takes care of my car very well. Any time he is ready to help me. Thanks for your best service.

  Aditya Sudhakaran
a year ago
Mr Kal is the best mechanic I have encountered in Pittsburgh , he really knows what he is doing and has such a good personality. The prices are also very good. Highly recommend this place for your car needs.

  Raeven
10 months ago
Went in to get the brakes checked. Was told the rotors also needed to be done and I trusted them. We noticed after that the gas mileage tanked from 20mpg to 12. It had been fine before the service so we took it back in. They completely replaced the brakes and rotors again, but told us we needed BOTH front calipers replaced. Now that started to seem pretty suspicious that they'd both suddenly fail at the same time so we took it to a Subaru dealership to get a second opinion. Turns out they didn't use any lubricant when replacing the brakes. Cost us a lot of unnecessary money and time. To think that I could have spent all that money when the brakes just needed a little bit of lubricant. No calipers needed, starting to suspect there was never anything wrong with the rotors eitherService: Brakes

  Maddie
a year ago
Kal and his team are the best! I have been to Pitts Stop several times and as a college student I feel lucky to have found a shop that I can trust. They have great prices and even better service, and consistently go the extra mile. I recommend them to anyone in the Pittsburgh area experiencing car trouble.Service: General repairs & maintenanceService: General repairs & maintenance

  George Hughes
11 months ago
Hi I went to this Pitts auto at the last minute. I m from outta town and my strut had busted and all other places were either busy and couldn t fit me in until the next day and Mr Kal here took care and got me in. I ll say this that s a good man I ve delt with a lot of people and he s a solid person he likes to joke but real funny guy. He can get my business any day of the week thanks Kal stay funnyService: General repairs & maintenance

  Ali Afshar
3 years ago
Kalvin and his staff are the most professional people I ve ever had to deal with. Got the best price, got detail information on what they did and what my car needed. If you want to be safe and save money as well, there is no other auto mechanic shop in Pittsburgh and around. Thanks again Kalvin for a great job you did ;-)

  Yuheng Nie
2 years ago
I would give a 10 stars if I can. As a first year student in Pittsburgh, I felt very lucky about finding this place. I have been to this place three times, and the most impressive thing is they are friendly, understanding, able to get stuff done very quickly (you can get you car in for service at 8 am in the morning without appointment), professional, reasonable price, and most importantly, they are SUPER HONEST.The first time I went there for a quick check for potential oil leak, I get my car in without any previous notice or appointment in the morning, they had a detailed checking of my car and make sure I got the car back around noon. The second time because my car have weird noise, turns out the alternator is going bad and my pully is wearing out. They were able to order the part online and help me install everything within two days. They also helped me replaced a bad secondary air injection pump since it is not working. The price is reasonable, the owner gives me any discount that he can offer, and there is warranty for part and labor. There was a slight issue with the belt but the owner helped me get a new one for free and return the car to me within a day.The third time was when I goes to the dealer store for a airbag recall. Besides repairing the airbag, the dealership gives me a almost 4500$ estimates for replacing front drive shaft, rear shock and a potential differential fluid leak. I took my car to Pitts auto shop for a check and they performed a detailed examination. Upon knowing what the dealer said, they told me that there is nothing wrong with my car, and I really have nothing to worried about. They are SUPER HONEST and you can definitely trust them! I was only charged for less than one hours of labor.As an engineering student, I knew the owner was once a professor studying relevant field as me. We chatted a lot and he is really a nice person. Here is where I will go for car service and repairs in the future.

  Hooman Sabarou
a year ago
I had a very good experience fixing my car here. They are fast and reliable, and the price is reasonable. Mr. Kalven comes up with alternative plans to fix your car ASAP. It is definitely recommended. Thanks, Kal.

  Suvansh Sanjeev
2 years ago
Kalven is a fascinating and smart mechanical engineer with a passion for cars. I overheard him tell a customer that their car was fine and so he didn t want to charge them for random tuneups. A level of honesty that can be tough to find, particularly in an industry where there s often great information asymmetry between customers and professionals. He also took the time to explain some basics to me, a newer car owner.I ll be coming back here.Services: Battery, Oil change

  Katie McGraw
3 years ago
As a young female, it is very hard for me to get a reasonable price at any mechanic because most of them try to charge me as much as they want. Kal didn't do that to me and gave me a really great price for the work my car needed. Him and his employees are really nice and knowing that I have someone in Pittsburgh that I can trust to take care of my car is amazing. I highly recommend them and will be going back for any of my car needs.

  Amy Wang
a year ago
Kalven is the best mechanic you can find in the area. I ve taken my car to his auto shop for many times and each time I feel welcomed and happy with the service. He s always so patient and he takes time to explain the problems with me before telling me what my options are. Thank you Kalven for all of your help!

  Yishai B
a year ago
I shall start this by stating I thought I had wheel bearing problem. Kal, which we shall discuss later, test drove my vehicle and agreed. I am someone with mechanical knowledge as an aircraft mechanic. I took my car to this shop at 8am following a very busy overnight 24 hour shift. I left in an uber and as soon as cracked my beer at home he called me back. He told me he was unable to work on my vehicle because the problem was so pronounced. As I have been down this road before with mechanics, I assumed he was attempting to take me for a ride. However, I hopped on my motorcycle and headed to the shop. When I arrived I found my car on a lift. Kal took me over and said you didnt notice this? He proceeded to poke my driveshaft which had about 3 inches of play. I proceeded to announce "holy ****". I could not believe what he was showing me. Following this, we discussed repair options and I went home to my beer. Throughout that day he called me with updates and we came up with a repair plan. This was not a straightfoward plan. This was one which involved removing the driveshaft of a 4wd car and figuring out if the rear differential was bad. I gave him the go ahead and byebye went my drive shaft. We had plans to remove all components to the rear and leave the rear wheels spinning alone. However following his research he informed me this was not possible as the rear axles provided the ability of the rear wheel bearings to stay in place. He came up with a proper solution. I also needed both rear wheel bearings replaced. I expected to pay thousands. He told me it would be under 1000 dollars. At the end of my service all told it was 922 dollars to diagnose, remove, and get the car safe. I was baffled at this price. Kal is an amazing individual. He is a friendly and teaching individual. He does not try to take you for what your worth. I have a shop near my home I've been using for close to 6 years but they missed this drive shaft major problem. I will now be using cal to get my car up to snuff. There are endless good things I can say. I think what sums it up best is that this is an honest mechanic. He wont try to screw you, he will do what he has promised, and will do so at an honest price.You'll see my car again sir.I am so happy I came to him.

  nasir arian
a year ago
It was the first time that I saw Mr. Kal. I found him one of the most expert and kind person among mechanics. As I know he is not only the owner of a workshop, he was a professor in this field and knows the exact issues of the cars. Kal is different from all other mechanics because at the same time that he is the most expert and known person, he is really a kind one that can give you the best consultation.Best wishesI really appreciate his hard working and I could learn many things in a short time that I was with him.He could easily find the issue of my car and could easily solve it.I am very happy that found him and I won't go to any mechanic anymore. I prefere to go from state college to Pittsburgh and solve the problems of my car with him.

  John
2 years ago
I needed a new starter for my car and Kal had it fixed within a day! The price for the repair was quite affordable and much less then I anticipated it being. We had a great conversation about school and he gave me some great life advice as well. Would highly reccommend this business to anyone!Service: ElectricalService: Electrical

  Kendra Toseki
2 years ago
I have gone to several auto shops in the area over the years and have been dissatisfied with each one for the same reasons: lack of customer service and making me feel unwelcome in their shop. Being a young female, this has been a regular occurrence at pretty much every auto shop I ve ever stepped foot in. However, Pitts Stop Auto was by far the best experience I ve had. I was pleasantly surprised when I actually felt welcome by the shop owner, Kalven. From the time I brought my car in, to when I picked my car up, Kalven was always kind and friendly. He even offered to give me a ride to work because of the below freezing temperatures outside. I think the way you treat people really matters & due to this alone, I will coming to Pitts Stop Auto for all my car needs moving forward.Service: General repairs & maintenance

  shona mcbride
a year ago
Very nice experience. I called around to a few auto repair shops & no one was willing to try or could fix my problem. I had my car towed to the shop on Monday. Tuesday my car was fixed. The owner was very friendly & funny. This was my first experience with this shop but won't be my last.

  antwone bell
3 years ago
Pitts Stop Auto was great especially. The mechanic is honest, professional and fair. I have had other mechanics overcharge me because I did not know much about the price and labor to fix my car. Pitts Stop always showed me the price of my parts as well as showing me comparisons so I have options on where I would like to purchase. Five stars and very highly recommended.Services: Tires, Painting, General repairs & maintenance

  Qingyang Zhang (Ernest)
4 years ago
Kalven only started his business in 2018 yet has received overwhelmingly positive reviews. On top of doing repairs for a reasonable price, he also identified several other problems that might befall my car in the future. He warned that the water pump and the front tires in my car might need replacement soon, but did not pressure me into doing that right away.

  Lee Bennett
4 years ago
This auto shop is amazing. Best experience I've ever had doing car repairs / inspections.Kalven is awesome! Right when I came, he already knew the issue with my car. He walked me through what was wrong and what part was needed to fix my car for inspection. He quoted a price for the part, installation, inspection, and an oil change. And everything was done by the end of the day and a very reasonable price!!Kalven seemed to be happy for me that the car was running so well after the fix.This place will be my goto mechanic for any car related things I need in the future. I can't recommend people enough to go here.