Newport News Auto Repair

Mon - Fri: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Sat: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
1

My car started acting funny and jerking on the interstate while traveling from the beach to Williamsburg, we pulled off the closest exit to us and into the first turn off area available, which happened to be B & L. Some would say, Oh a blessing an automotive shop. Myself not so much, my anxiety immediately was higher than it would have been due to car issues already. We asked for a jump since my car would not start once turned off, and was told it was the battery. A battery was purchased and installed and then told it was the alternator. Liz the front desk lady was very nice and pleasant to us, however she lost her cool on the shop boys that were still there for not just ordering an alternator immediately with the battery. It was within an hour to closing time I would say, she was yelling very loudly at them in the shop but it could all be heard in the reception area, she even cursed and told one guy to go home and never come back. Very unprofessional but needless to say at that time I thought she just had our back and wanted to get us in and out of there. Was told that it would be about 45 mins and we would be on our way, it took every bit of 2.5 hrs. While waiting for the part to get there we were checked on by the shop guys which were very nice and told that once they had the part it would just take 20 mins to put in. Telling me that a total of maybe an hr of their time was used to actually work on my vehicle. I am not sure how much time I was charged for but know the bill shows a dollar amount of 167.96. When I mentioned just taking the car and dealing with it on my own I was repeatedly told "don't worry, we will take care of you" I felt in a very hard place since we pulled into the automotive parking lot unknowingly with these issues. I was never told how much it would cost for repairs/the job or parts. Once everything was said and done the bill was almost 600.00, just a few dollars shy of it if I recall correctly. I almost cried. Considering I had mentioned several times before this was all done that my boyfriend who was with me at the time could have done it we just didn't have the tools or part at that time of course, but were willing to go get them from the closest parts store. I was told that several discounts would be given and my bill went down to 489.00 which was still A LOT to me but here it was 630 pm on the Friday before the 4th of July and we all just wanted to go home. I was given the receipt for the alternator, perhaps in error but noticed that on there it indicated that the part price from auto zone was 160.99 and the suggested retail price was 255.54 (which is still INSANE to me considering it cost the shop nothing more than the 160.99 to have the part but that's what shops do I guess to make extra money) I was charged 321.98 for the part. Realized this after leaving the shop, I reached out to the shop about this concern and was told that they up the price so much due to the 3 year warranty that comes along with it and I was not in fact taken advantage of as I felt I was. I honestly feel that if you are offering a "warranty" and up selling parts because of it then the CUSTOMER should have the opportunity to DECLINE this warranty that I probably won't ever really use because after looking into the details it is limited to 36 k miles (whichever comes first) most people drive that in a year and a half or less. But needless to say, good customer service impressions don't go as far as being honest and upfront with people about prices, what they are paying etc. I feel this shop may have seen me immediately for my repairs but also charged me to make up for that time and may see people so quickly because they are not well known or visited. But that is just my thoughts. My review is not the first that has mentioned bills that are higher than they should be. I reached out to the shop and spoke with LIZ at the front desk several times, was told receipt copy would be emailed to me twice, which did not happen and told another time a call back would be given but yet that never occurred either.

1

Told my my breaks and bearing where bad. Little did they know I’m a mechanic myself. Check and they are still fine. Don’t lie to get money. Imma take my business elsewhere

5

I had a leaky tire that went flat on me on 64 and pulled off on the Ft. Eustis exit. B&L was right there off the exit in the perfect spot for me to pull in. Now, I arrived at 5pm on a Friday evening and they close at 5:30, but you know what? They immediately took me in and took care of me by fixing my tire. Best $35 I ever spent to get me back on the road in less than 1/2 hour. I was able to get to my Nephew’s Birthday party and keep a weekend appointment to help a friend of mine with their house. All made possible by the wonderful and competent people at B&L auto. You all have a great team there. Thank you!!

5

Wow, we were so lucky to run into B&L Automotive today!!! Jesse and Liz provided the best customer service! We were driving on I-64 when we heard a strange sound coming from the outside of our Prius. We exited the interstate and saw B&L. As soon as we pulled in, Jesse showed us the issue and told us he could fix it right away! Since the fix was quick and cheap, Jesse repaired the car completely free of charge! We are very grateful for their generosity and hospitality. They even offered us water or Gatorade and told us to relax in the AC. Thank you for the excellent service!! We will be back soon! -Lauren and Saman

1

I dropped off my car after they told me they were able to fix the issues I was having. I called to follow and they said they were unable to fix it. I called back to ask could I come pick up my car they told me they were sorry and could fix the issue and apologized for the horrible communication. Days later I called and they said they would tow it to another shop because they could fix it. They lady in the front told me please don’t write a bad review. They had my car for nearly two weeks and did nothing to it. Failure to communicate and be truthfully about their capabilities. I could never deal with them again. Thought I would share because this was so inconvenient for me and I wouldn’t want anyone to have to go through this.

5

The experience that me and my wife had here was incredible! I highly recommend BL Automotive if you want to save money and get professional quality work done to your vehicle. They work very fast and the staff is all very friendly and helpful. They are focused on what they can do to help you instead of charge you a lot of money like most other shops try to do. They did not let me walk away unsatisfied and will make sure they do everything they can for you. The mechanic Sean was the person who worked on my car and it was like he worked magic on it. My car had a full list of repairs needed including new brakes and a valve gasket leak and it was all done the day before the estimated time! These guys really went above and beyond and deserve a raise for the extra effort they put in, along with the lady at the counter. She was able to help me and my wife understand what was going on and what we needed to do to help us with our car moving forward and made sure we got the best prices possible. THANK YOU BL AUTOMOTIVE TEAM!! 👍🏾

4

I took my grandson's car to B & L in November last year. They told us it needed a new motor. My grandson paid for the motor but when we went to pick it up the car it had no power and wouldn't hardly drive. We took it back. We finally have the car back after a long time. It's running great now. Had to take it back once to get a couple of things taken care of. Only took 5 days. I'm happy to have it back and I'm positive they are glad that it is gone. LOL!

Where to begin..... We are sorry that your vehicle came in from previous purchase where all the parts weren’t stock to the vehicle nor was any of the electronics such as CPU for the engine etc. it’s been quite a job trying to figure out what the previous owners have done to this vehicle and trying to find the original parts to make everything work the way it’s intended. I apologize that it’s been put off several times as you stated, but finding the correct parts after so many orders and times that haven’t been correct is tough. We will get this Honda right, the way it should have been before someone race-car outfitted it, and not let you down. I’m sorry again that it’s taken so long, and we haven’t given up on your grandsons project. Sometimes taking on a project like this can become a can of worms, and when we are done we should be able to fish with those worms for a long time. Hang in there as I know we are actively working on it. Sincerely, Brad Brown Owner

- B & L Automotive
5

We have had to take our RV (Mercedes) to B&L twice for repairs in recent weeks. While the prognosis was going to be a pricey repair, B&L continued to troubleshoot and found that the initial diagnosis was not the cause of the problem. They dug deep and found another issue, the actual cause of the problem, which saved us over $1000! I have dealt with repair shops for years and this is not the norm. They could have done the initial repair, billed us and made more money, but they were honest and this made us customers for life! Liz was fantastic to work with! I am forward deployed and called several times to get the status since B & L could not call me. She gave me a no-nonsense synopsis of the problem and the billing and I was confident they had fixed the problem. On our second, unrelated visit, the problem required specialized electrical work and B & L was quick to identify this and worked with my wife find a suitable repair shop for our issue. B & L was awesome and I would recommend their repair services to anyone!!

5

Liz and Matt were great! Very personable and professional. I had a maintenence light on my car so they took it and figured it out. I also got an oil change. Matt was great! I really liked the people here and the services. They work with you and are military friendly. 5 stars!

5

Liz was very helpful. Liz reassured me that she would do her best to find out what the problem was