Auto Repair and Service Shops in Moorhead, Minnesota
Well, the biggest thing that convinced me about any one shop is when I talk to them. Plus the one shop that put the gas tank back on the van and it started to leak, they fixed it no questions asked and really apologized for the problem. Not just here’s the van back after fixing it and get lost, they said off the bat that it was their fault and it would get fixed for no cost. And they did it promptly so I could get the van back that day. I like a place that admits when they make a mistake or do not do a job correctly or if it was just one of those things but that it gets corrected and the customer is happy in the end. That’s what good service is all about, making the customer happy and that’s what brings business back.
There are four places in the Fargo Moorhead area that I take my vehicle for work. It just depends what’s wrong and when I can get my van in to get it worked on, some of the places are rather busy at times. For work like the simple stuff, tuneups, repairs, tires and such two places I go in town are Duggans Automotive and Darrell’s Repair. Both places are about two blocks from my house and it seems like every time I have a problem is in the winter. So it’s convenient to be able to walk to the places I can get my car fixed at. But that is not the only reason, by far. They are both a medium and smaller business that is locally owned and they have a good reputation. They are honest and will try to help you out with whatever you are having problems with. And they understand if you don’t know what they are talking about and will take the time to help you understand.
Duggans Automotive is a medium sized business that does a lot of different types of automotive repair. They are located at 1405 Main Avenue, Moorhead Minnesota, 218-233-9169. They do things like maintenance and tune ups, general work of most any kinds and towing and jump starts. They are even understanding about the fact that I live two blocks away and needed a tow, they didn’t charge me full rate because I was so close. I like that kind of service. I have had all kinds of smaller and medium work like troubleshooting and repairs of things and when I was having problems with my transmission they recommended a place that was also honest and dependable. They do not do major work like transmissions but told me were I could go and recommended one place.
Darrell’s Repair is about two blocks north of them, at 116 14th Street North, Moorhead Minnesota, 218-233-4436. They also do work of small and medium jobs like repair and troubleshooting but are a smaller shop. I like that they are smaller as you can actually talk to the guys that work on your car instead of some secretary who only answers phones. They do tune ups, oil changes and all kinds of repairs. They were the ones who took out my fuel tank to replace the fuel pump. The next day when I got the van back the tank was leaking around the spout, the place didn’t hesitate to admit it was their fault and they put in a new gasket and fixed it quickly and with an apology. That’s what I call customer service.
The transmission place that I took my van to when I was having problems with that was a little further away from my house, but not by much. They are A-1 Automotive Transmission Service. They are located at 2000 1st Avenue South, Moorhead Minnesota, 218-233-6161. They only do transmission work which means they specialize in it. There is a lot to do in a transmission so many places will only work on them so they can have all the necessary tools and equipment to work on all the different types of transmissions. They again are a locally owned company, I see a trend here, and they are a very honest place.
I took my van there and they told me in terms I could understand what was wrong and they told me exactly how much it would cost. They also told me that to do the work was like getting my transmission overhauled, so there was some things that I should do when I had the thing out. They explained to me, but they did not need to, I already knew. When you take a transmission out and no work has been done on it for the life of the vehicle, that is a good time to take it apart and check over the whole thing and to do some maintenance on it like change the filter inside it. On a lot of vehicles the filter on a transmission is a bit hard to get at and this is a good time to check over the whole thing to do any work so you won’t have the expense of taking the transmission out later and doing this work. It’s just a thing that I knew but they explained it to me and told me this for my benefit, instead of not doing it and having me come back later when it went out again for something else that was wrong in the transmission. It saved me money to get the small things they did then instead of having to work on the transmission later and maybe I would go back to them.
It was something that I remembered about them and they are an honest and upfront repair shop. All three of them are ones I go back to for work that I cannot do myself. Many times in the winter especially, or if I don’t have the tools and do not feel like freezing so that is where I go. They are reputable and honest when I have dealt with them and I have have some friends who have recommended them to me.
That is about the best thing I can say about a place when you are asking around for work to be done on your car. Ask friends to see where they have gone and find out from them if they have had any problems. You can also go to your local better business bureau and find out if they have any recommendations or places to avoid.
Getting your car fixed can be a hard time, and finding the right place is a matter of a little work. Often times a local smaller business will have to do right by his customers because he wants them to come back. That’s what I look for in any type of business, locally owned and wanting to keep his customers as repeat customers.
