Carl's Wash and Service Center

Reviews

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

  Nakeliah Thompson Moten
a week ago
I went to Carl's Wash and Service Center today to rinse my car from all the recent pollen and I had a wonderful experience. Whitney delivered exceptional customer service and was very detailed about current specials and monthly deals. Her friendliness, I'm convinced is why she was hired. Thank you Whitney.

  Lisa McKinney
a week ago
This was an OK carwash for the money, but all that you pay for can't be put on properly when the machine moves you through so fast! The vacuum included only last for 10 mins, so you feel rushed! I'll probably pay more money for a better quality wash.

  John R (Bareknuckle)
2 weeks ago
My mother took my vehicle to get inspected to help me out. She's an elderly woman. My vehicle was failed for headlight bulbs and 3 ball joints.The lights were Dot and sae compliant, direct halogen replacements, but father. Part if this is how the law is written, the other is the mechanic being a stickler on something negligible. HalloweenHalogen lights in this vehicle are dim and dangerous. The lights I had in were bright and safe.Now for the real problem.The "mechanic" put in the report there was excessive play in 3 ball joints. They included pictures of the ball joint boots as evidence. The boots were barely worn, just like they were for the last few years of inspections. He then went on to tell my mother he could fix it for 800$.She took the vehicle home with a fail sticker and told me what happened, which all sounded really suspect to start with.So I went and bought 2 lower ball joints and 2 upper ball joints arms. What I noticed upon inspecting the ball joints, with the tire off, there was no play in any of them. For all intents and purposes, might as well been new or barely used. After removing and replacing all the ball joints, I confirmed again, with each one in my hands, there was no notable play at all, and definitely no sound or symptoms of ball joints with excessive wear.The boots did have some light wear, not enough to fall by any stretch of the imagination.This mechanic, in my opinion, tried to take advantage of someone because they were elderly, a woman, or both.I will be reporting this to the Virginia State Police safety office as soon as they open tomorrow, as this appears to be an attempt to defraud and performing improper inspection.

  Lonnie Green
a month ago
Update: 2/28/24 As good as they have always been. Consistently good! No pressure sales and free wash with oil change. Still highly recommend!Love the personable service here. Quick, attentive, professional. My experience has been so much better than at the national chains. Highly recommend!

  JB Bean
a week ago
Just joined today, extremely friendly and helpful staff! I can get my car washed and waxed every day for under 50 bucks!!

  S
2 months ago
I can t think of a place that is worse than Carls Wash and Service Center, when it comes to servicing your vehicle.Brian is the most unprofessional individual I have ever met. He spends more time correcting you when you talk than he does actually educating you on the issues with your vehicle. Anybody can read from a paper.Went in for a state inspection, and failed. Got everything fixed on the paper and brought it back 4 weeks later and failed again for a crack that was there when they did the inspection the first time. Brian is the one who spoke to us the first time we failed and he didn t even mention the crack. He blamed them not mentioning the crack on Matthew being the one who did the inspection the first time and him not noticing. When we asked to speak with Matthew, Brian explained it s not required by law for him to speak with us. The first justification from Brian was I wasn t the one who inspected your vehicle the first time. The second justification was, if you would ve brought it back within 15 days I would ve only checked for the things on the list. If Matthew and Brian work at the exact same place and are following the same rules how is one person failing a vehicle for something the other one didn t even mention to us? Had anyone in there at least mentioned the crack being an issue the first time, it would ve been fixed before we even brought it back.In the end Brian proceeds tells us to take it up with the state trooper if we have anymore questions.So sad to see how this place has gone down the drain. Employees are constantly changing. With the type of service they provide, the only reason this place is still in business is because they scam their customer out of their money due to lack of proper information, leaving you to whatever they feel is right or wrong instead of what is actually right or wrong at the time you bring your vehicle to them.It s not about passing or failing a Virginia State Inspection, twice. Repairs can be made.It s about the individuals at Carls Wash who do the inspection, their unprofessionalism and clear lack of attention to detail.The owners response speaks to his character and the character of the thousandth person he s had to hire due to the clear high turnover rate.Tragic.

  Deborah Midgett
4 months ago
I am sorry it took me so long to post this. On 9/19/23 my husband and I went to your store in Chesapeake.We were greeted by your manager Gavin.We needed an oil change and he said they could do it right away. After they were finished we went to pay and our debit card would not work. We were embarrassed and panicking. We did not have another way to pay. We tried calling our daughter but she didn t answer. My husband was on the phone with the bank to find out what was wrong. Gavin told us we could come back later and pay him. It said it would be ok. We finally got a hold of our daughter and she used her debit card. He was so nice to us we will continue to get our oil change with you. Thank you Gavin for a pleasant experience.

  JonathanLGXYZ Chua
6 months ago
One of the best, it not the best, customer service that I have had an auto place. Very responsive to phone calls, and super easy to make appointments.They were able to see me next day for a state inspection after my vehicle was shipped overseas. I told them to just call if anything else needed to be fixed. They did call, gave me a quote with full transparency on cost and time frame, and were even able to finish it the same day.When we had an incident trying to put on new license plates, they were quick to help and get our vehicle completely road worthy. Shout out to Brian and Mike for a great ran place!

  Dan B
5 months ago
I had service done at Carl's. A state inspection and oil change with 100% synthetic Mobil 1 n the better oil filter. I did pay more than a regular oil change because I'm using the Mobil 1 and the upgraded filter but all in all they topped off everything they were very efficient and taking care of my car and I didn't have to wait very long. I am very pleased and satisfied with their work. I will return for my next service on my cars. They are honest and truthful locally owned and operated! Their service was outstanding the best I've had in many many years.

  Danielle Cotnoir
a year ago
I have bringing my car into Carl s Wash for years for oil changes and services. Two months ago, I brought my vehicle in for an oil change, state inspection and coolant exchange - which was extensive and expensive work to my vehicle. Upon pickup, there was absolutely no mention of any corrosion on my battery. This morning, my car wouldn t start. AAA came out to inspect the battery, and told me it was one of the worst corrosions that they ve ever seen and that it had to be months in the making. It corroded so badly that it broke off the attaching terminal. I was disappointed that Carl s did not mention this to me. Either they noticed this and didn t say something, or they didn t notice it, which is also equally disappointing given how much work they were completing to my vehicle. Upon calling to talk through the situation, I spoke with Carl who was rude and unapologetic. I personally will not be bringing my vehicle here again and I wouldn t recommend it to anyone else.Service: General repairs & maintenance

  Brenda Brown
5 months ago
UPDATED REVIEWI've been in twice for oil changes since my original review. Last time, my dipstick was broken when I went to check my oil 3 weeks after the change. I went ahead and ordered a new one and absorbed the cost myself as it had been 3 weeks. Also, their check list said they added washer fluid and vacuumed which was not done.Yesterday I had the oil changed again. I did tell the service guy not to break my new dipstick and showed him the old one. Same thing, no washer fluid added or vacuuming again. Makes me unsure if they are even changing oil and filter and checking other fluid levels as they mark things on the Service Checklist that are not done.After such a positive first experience I'm not sure how reliable I think they are. When I called I was told to bring the car back and they would add the washer fluid. That was nice but I'm not driving from Norfolk to Chesapeake for a little washer fluid top off. I'll be thinking about all this when time for my next oil change. I basically like them, they just need not to mark things on the checklist that aren't done. ORIGINAL REVIEW BELOWStopped by to get a price on an oil change. Mike was really great to deal with. I had the oil changed and it was done in ten minutes. The price and the service was great. I will be back when my oil is due to be changed. I plan on going back for a tune up. This will be my new go to place for servicing my car.Service: Oil change

  Krisna Hoffman
a year ago
Been coming here for years and have always been happy with their service. Reasonable prices and mechanics are always courteous. They take the time to explain everything through my before doing any work. Highly recommend!Also, they have the best car wash!

  Marie M.
6 months ago
Carl's Wash and Service Center has friendly, helpful, and quick staff. They able to provide the necessary solutions to get my car repaired the same day.

  Vincent Talbot
11 months ago
All of their employees are extremely professional and friendly. I had an 8:00am appointment for a State inspection but showed up late due to unforeseen circumstances. They were still willing to squeeze me into their busy schedule and get right to work! It s very much appreciated and I will be recommending Carl s Wash and Service Center to my friends and family.

  Eli Vangarde
a year ago
In need of an oil change, I went to Carl's based off of a positive recommendation from a coworker. For an unscheduled visit, they were able to to fit me in nearly right as I arrived & completed a full service oil change, tire rotation, + interior vacuuming (including a vocher for their Car wash service due to my choosing premium oil) all at a rapid pace. I'm grateful to the knowledgeable/helpful staff's professionalism and customer service; especially since they accommodated the tire rotation, which are usually reserved for appointments only. Overall, I had a solid impression of the business and staff, appreciating their post maintenance insights & the fact that all of this was done at a relatively low-cost encourages me to revisit them in the future if I find myself in the neighborhood again.Services: General repairs & maintenance, Tire rotations, Auto interior vacuuming, Oil change

  Casha M
8 months ago
At the Service center, for $2, someone will inflate your soft tire and check the others. Being disabled, I'm glad my friend told me about it. Unfortunately, my tire had a chunk of metal. The service person was very kind and tried to get me an appointment to get it patched at the next door tire service store. They determined it couldn't be patched and needed to be replaced. Thank goodness I had gotten a tire warranty package.

  Cynthia Sherman
5 months ago
They were great, I walked in needing a car inspection due to a cancellation they were able to take me right in. Courteous service and I'll definitely go back again. Thank you

  David Rosenman
8 months ago
This is a perspective from someone with mild autism and is slightly gullible and is prone to getting screwed over. Went to get a state inspection and drove around three or four times because I didn't know where I was supposed to park...the layout is very complicated compounded with the heavy traffic on Battlefield Bvld. I will say that the staff there are polite and seem to understand that the layout of the spot is confusing to some (me included). I needed to use GPS because the building doesn't say "Carl's" on it and I went there twice and then went inside the waiting area and asked where Carl's was and the guy said "you're here". Knew I would fail because the door to the very old but driveable car I was using but wasn't expecting the around $2,500 estimate it would take to pass...stuff like struts and a steering leak actually accounted for about 2K of that estimate and maybe they are a big deal...don't know much about cars, just not trying to pay that much when everything else is getting more expensive. The estimate honestly ruined my day but I can't blame poor customer service on that because they were very respectful towards me. In conclusion: be mentally prepared for at least a slightly challenging layout, a place that seems to go by the book even if they find $10K of fixes that need to be done, and good customer service. They gave me a rejection sticker with a detailed explaination of what they found...BY THE BOOK.

  Shawn Demoss
7 months ago
My favorite car wash in the area by far. Automatic wash that pulls you through. And the vacuum station is so easy to use!! Would recommend to everyone!!!

  Christy Wooden
9 months ago
Great place. It was super quick and easy to get an inspection and oil change. (They take appointments). Everyone was very nice and very professional. I have already recommended Carl's to friends.

  Art D
a year ago
This place is the best! Carl is amazing. I was in and out within minutes. Ironically, I had an issue with my gearshift on my F150, and he took care of it and did not have to do so since I was only there for an oil change. With so many dishonest shops out there, this is a breath of fresh air. I will definitely be a regular customer and I highly recommend them

  Henrys w (hanksvoicebox)
6 months ago
Pleasant surprise on a Friday was in and out in 20 minutes including tire rotation. Great job.

  Kathy Sherman
a year ago
This staff has the best customer service skills both at the car wash and auto service center sides. I m glad I found this place when I moved to the area. Very honest, dependable, and friendly group working here! Your car is in good hands.

  Margaret Guardado
a year ago
Brakes went out on me , one hour away from home. Was told the closest mechanic was carls wash. Took it over, they said they would diagnose it. No technician was even there to diagnose it , I was told I would need to leave my car there, and someone would look at it in about a week. They said I needed my breaks bled and new pads. I go to my mechanic regularly, and knew my car, and what he was saying was not making sense. Turns out it was a pump that blew , and was able to be repaired QUICKLY as soon as I got it home. Would never come back to this place again . They wanted to charge me for a $125 diagnostic fee, even when no one WAS THERE TO DIAGNOSE IT.

  Ashley P
a year ago
Pretty quick to get an appointment for inspection. Quickly served upon arrival. Free mini car wash with purchase of inspection. I upgraded my wash and was impressed that it actually got the back of my SUV as most car washes that are similar always seem to leave it untouched.

  Catina Tatem
2 years ago
I went in to get a tune up on my truck. I also go through the car wash there regularly. Very friendly staff. When I arrived for my appt the man told me I was not on the schedule for today, but to hold on. He came back and said they could still fit me in but it might take 2hrs. I agreed and they took my truck back pretty fast and we're done in under 2hrs. Great service and employees. Definitely continuing to go back.

  Elani G
a year ago
So disappointed. I went for a state inspection (alone as a young woman) and they tried to tell me my power steering system had completely failed and would be over $400 to totally replace and I needed this done to pass inspection. I don t know much about cars but I imagine that if your power steering fails, you can tell while you re driving. I m glad I trusted my gut because I took the rejection sticker and my car to another place. They found nothing wrong with the power steering, it was just a really worn piece that needed to be replaced. The mechanic even showed it to me at this second place. Saved myself $300 but wasted my time with Carl. So if you go here and something sounds wrong to you, get a second opinion. I personally will never be going back to this place.

  Melissa Troncoso (The Health Whisperer)
9 months ago
It was easy to make an appointment for my state inspection. I was in and out within 30 minutes and received a voucher for a free car wash.

  Cristy Hansen
7 months ago
Carls Car wash is the go to for a great car wash. The team is always friendly and prompt with service. Thank you

  Tierra Anderson
a year ago
Carl s is a nice car wash! You can literally smell the clean. It is helpful to use the bug prep prior to driving in. Four stars was given because the entrance is so tight, otherwise it s a good car wash. The vacuums have good suction too.