Merchant’s Tire & Auto Centers

Visited to have new tires installed/​aligned and have the front upper ball joints replaced on my ’03 Crown Vic.
Juan assisted me in finding wheels which were reasonably priced with the premium installation, which includes rotations, balancing, and road hazard for the life of tires as well as one year of free alignments. One good thing about that package is that it can be utilized at Merchant’s locations or any of their sister locations (Big O Tires, NTB).
As for the ball joint replacement, they said that the whole upper control arm on both sides were quite rusted and they to be replaced. The price they quoted me at was competitive with other locations in the area so I had them replace the arms. I was told it take a couple hours to replace the arms, but I was later informed by another associate, named Felix, that another minor part needed to be replaced. He explained that they would replace it free of charge, but that they did not have the part in and would need to order it and install it the next day.
After having the work done, I installed a new power steering pump on my vehicle, but did not tighten one of the hoses correctly so it was leaking profusely. Brought it in, and they located the leak, and tightened the hose free of charge.
Overall, great experience. Will recommend Merchant’s to my family and friends!

Had a great experience at the shop. The sales associate Taj Niaz was very nice and helpful, took me to see which tires would fit my car and took the time to explain why I needed those tires. I already knew which tires I needed but he confirmed it. He even found a coupon to give me discount! Great customer service, I would def recommend! Ask for Taj! He’ll take care of you!

NEVER again. A friend of mine took my car here to get new tires in December and Merchants advised me I had a leak in my steering fluid. They made it sound quite urgent & so I just agreed to let them do the work (which was about $ 2000). Long story short, my car has not been the same since. Several thousand dollars later my car has a whole new slew of problems which these cons caused. I feel completely duped and violated and wish I had read reviews first. Never let a mechanic work on your car if you do not know they are trustworthy & honest.

We own a stake bed truck for our real estate practice business and replaced the brakes in October of 2014 for $ 1,176. Two days ago the brakes starting grinding. I took the truck back and was told that the front brakes needed total replacement for pretty much the same price. That seemed wrong for a truck that is driven only once or twice per week.
I took it (literally) around the corner to another service station and was informed that the parts the chain used were not up to OEM standards but they could save most of the hardware and replace (and upgrade to what should have been used) the discs and pads for a total of $ 600.
I should have known better when they told me my last truck needed (and then installed) a new transmission switch because the back-​up lights kept burning out. Turned out it was a fuse.
It was an expensive lesson that I hoped I have learned by now.

Went in for a headlight and fog lamp to be replaced… at first the front desk guy seemed a bit confused, his first question was what kind of car, when he should be asking is, have you been here before… since they keep detailed records they have everything on your vehicle already, but then Juan stepped in and checked on the job… he confirmed it could get done, and with just an hour wait or less… I walked to breakfast, and got a call within a half hour the job was done… my car was ready and waiting for me upon my return. This is a good shop, run by honest guys, I would recommend it! Show up early, or expect a wait time, they seem busy.

Notice the shift in ratings at the beginning of 2014. This is not a coincidence. Merchant’s was my «go to» auto repair shop for many years. But then management of this store changed. Boy, have things gone downhill. I no longer trust them, they are extremely rude and slow, and they do not honor their warranties. Trust me, Merchants in Arlington does not deserve their business.

I went there twice for my leaking tire, I choose this place because it’s a chain. The first time I met a young tall guy who was nice (the reason for that one star) he checked my tire and said there seemed to be no problem with it, cuz they did not have enough people that night so he helped me schedule an appointment the other day. Ok then I came there next day and was received by a black strong guy who seemed to be impatient, he asked me what happend, I said one of tire seemed to be leaking. He asked with impatience «just one tire?» Oh my goodness what did that mean? can I only go to them after I got all four flat tires??? Then after a irresponsable two minutes rough check he left me to another guy and told him I need to replace with a new tire with over 100 bucks… oh my he even did not drive my car into the work place! That is just ridiculous!!! That is the exact way they treat their customers! Then I left there with anger and also my leaking tire. The other day I went to another place and they told me there was just a nickle, they pulled it out and made it up, only 15 bucks. I feel a little sad cuz nowadays it’s just getting harder and harder for merchants to treat their customers with honesty and patience. So my recommendation is DO NOT go to this place! Choose a place that has at least four stars on Unilocal

On Saturday July 25^th I took my car (Lexus RX 400H) to Merchant’s on 4801 Lee Highway to have my tires rotated and brakes checked. When Merchant’s checked my brakes they told me that my rear brakes were completely shot and that the front brakes needed some work too. Merchant’s said this work required immediate attention and quoted me approximately $ 1200 to complete the job.
I decided to ask for a second opinion and called Japanese Auto Care which is down the street. I informed them that Merchant’s told me so and so about the brakes and the gentleman on the other end chuckled a bit and told me to bring the car in. Apparently Merchant’s has quite the reputation of suggesting needless work. I brought my car into Japanese Auto Care and was told the following:
1) The front brake pads had about 60% life on them
2) The rear brake pads had about 40% life on them
3) Although the rear rotors were rusted they would NOT need to be replaced until the rear pads had worn through (in about one year).
No work needed to be done and now I can plan on doing my brake work in a year when it needs to actually be done and not now as Merchant’s suggests. What upsets me is I thought Merchant’s was an honest mechanic. Evidently not. They have lost a customer of several years for sure.

I am highly disappointed in the service I received it was good customer service but when It came down to fixing my car I thought was good but then I realized-​they messed up my car they refused to fix it and then The manager Juan verbally assaulted me and tried to blackmail me it has so far been the worst experience I have ever had in my 20 years of getting my car serviced. The customer service was good they tried to work with me on the financial aspect but the manager there lost a lot of business from me and not only me but all of my friends family and and anyone else I can warn to not go to this store.

This place is awesome great customers service they really help me a lot I feel that they really care I be back to bring my car they are way better than dealer

Sooo disappointed. Took our car in to have a tire balanced. The manager and mechanic insisted that the car’s wheel-​bearing was bad and balancing the tire would not resolve the problem. The mechanic evening took a ride with us in the car. They were anxious to assist us in making an appointment to replace the bearing. Having doubts with their diagnostics, we went for a second opinion. The other shop agreed that the tire needed to just be balanced, they balanced the tire and our car is now driving perfect. Guess what, NO ISSUE WITH BEARINGS. Balance tire cost: $ 20.00 — replace wheel-​bearing: $ 100.00+ Will not go back to Merchant Tire on Lee Highway.

Four hours for an oil change when I had an appointment. Decently nice staff, but not worth the wait.

I wrote this letter to Merchants after my first and ONLY visit to the franchise:
«Dear Merchant’s Representative,
I recently moved to Northern Virginia and decided to give my local Merchant’s Tire and Auto a visit for an oil change. I saw that I could make a reservation online and drop my car off the next day. Yesterday I made a reservation for an 8:30 am to 9:30 am time-​slot today Monday February 10 for my oil change. I was elated that I could get my car serviced and still make it to work at a reasonable hour.
I arrived a few minutes before 8:30 am and was greeted by Kenny, the manager. Kenny got all my information into the computer and walked outside with me to see the car and get the VIN from my driver’s side door. After I handed my keys over to Kenny I told him that I would be waiting locally while my car was worked on. He said that it would take an hour to complete.
I returned at 9:40 am from a trip to a coffee shop expecting to grab my car and go to work. When I arrived, Kenny said there was an issue with my car and brought me into the garage. A mechanic started my car and it made the same „clicking“ noise deep in the engine like it has every day for the past decade. Kenny informed me that he was unable to perform the oil change while the engine made the noise, it was company policy.
Completely confused, I asked Kenny why they let me sit there for over an hour before telling me they couldn’t even work on my car. Kenny said they just pulled my car into the garage a few minutes prior and they were about to call me.
At this point, I was completely shocked. Not only because they couldn’t work on my car due to an engine noise, but because 1.5 hours of my Monday was completely wasted. I chose this shop because they claimed to have availability for an oil change from 8:30 am — 9:30 am today. Additionally, if Merchant’s has a policy about engine noises they should alert the customer before making them wait an hour for no reason. Kenny could have easily asked me about any potential issues or even had me start my car when he checked the VIN.
I am disappointed in your company’s implementation of it policies and lack consideration for your customers’ time restraints.»

Told me I needed brakes. My car has since past inspection twice. Do not trust this place. Also gave me a $ 210 estimate for transmission fluid flush and replacement. Other reputable place was $ 145 although I’m not sure I will have that done.

I made an appointment for new tires but when I showed up, they didn’t seem to have any record of it. The guy I had spoken to on the phone quoted a price for the alignment, but when I arrived they tried to charge me about twice as much as he said. Also, the final price for the tires was much higher than expected from the website, because of all the additional fees and charges. That really left a bad taste in my mouth. They should quote the full charge on the website.

I dropped off my car at 1:00 on a Wednesday afternoon. I was told I’d get a call in 1 to 2 hours. 4 hours later I have to call to get an update and they said I was next in line to be checked out. They close at 9:00 pm. I never heard from them. 8 hours they had my car and closed before contacting me! It cost me $ 58 to get to work today and will cost $ 58 or more to get home. I called them at 9am to find out what happened and I sit on hold for 10 minutes. They still had not looked at my car and weren’t sure why the work order wasn’t given to the mechanics. And for my troubles I am offered a free diagnosis, that would have cost $ 55 but most mechanics waive the diagnosis fee if you get the work done there anyway. So I’m not sure how that helps me in the least bit.

Had the alternator replaced and it failed. While the part is covered under warranty, the labor is NOT, so I have to pay the labor twice! And the guy at the front desk gave me some sob story about how expensive it was for them to replace defective parts. Seriously? How is that my problem? You’re already getting my business twice for the same part!
They totally lied about how long it would take, also. The 2.5 hr quote was way off — took over 4 hours and I was late to get kids from school.
Horrible experience!

Consistently great customer service. I live in the neighborhood and am a regular customer. They are always very friendly, understanding, and look out for the best interests of the customer. The manager, Kenny, is very helpful, and his employees follow his lead.

Avoid this establishment at all costs!
I had a coupon for a free oil change, and it was the most expensive «free oil change» I’m sure I’ll ever have. First, the oil change took twice as long as estimated because they had to change out a tire stud they stripped during the tire rotation. Then, within fifteen minutes of leaving, my engine started smoking. It turns-​out someone LEFT A SHOP RAG IN MY ENGINE THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE! I had to be towed as it was unclear whether or not the car was still safe to drive. When I called to speak to the manager after this frightening experience, he offered no apology and challenged me on whether his mechanic was even responsible.
I will certainly never return to this establishment, and for your safety, I’d urge you not to either!

Massively overcharged for a battery.
We have been using this Merchanst for about 10 years for routine tire replacements, battery work & etc. I recently replaced my battery there for $ 252 (yes for just a battery). Turns out AAA would have driven to my house and installed a battery for $ 148 with a better warantee.
Sigh, never ever going back to place that treats its customers as a cash filled cookie jar.

Polite enough but plan to lose several hours waiting for a tire rotation. Rotations are free for the life of your tires when you buy from them but they will only guarantee them if you get them rotated every 5,000 miles. I’ve tried weekday mornings, weekday evenings, weekend mornings and weekend evenings. No matter when you go in for a rotation they will ask if you can drop it off. If not, you’ll have to wait 2 to 3 hours; they don’t book appointments.
On occasion a helpful soul may book an appontment for you but expect to be laughed at and shrugged off when you actually show up for it (no kidding, this happened twice to me). They will tell you they can’t work you in and ask if you could leave it. When you tell them that’s not possible because you’re single and this is your only car, they’ll act like they are doing YOU a FAVOR by «working you in.»
I’ve had them perform corrective and preventative maintenance services on my car and they do a good job. My current tires aren’t that old but I’m in the market for a newer pre-​owned car. It will probably need new tires. After six years, two sets of tires, and other maintenance services I’m going to have to end this relationship and move on to a shop that takes appointments and actually wants to honor its warranty terms.

This Merchant’s does a decent job on the basics — oil and tire changes. I’ve asked them to do more advanced work with less than stellar results.
In my experience the staff is always friendly. I usually drop off my vehicle (s) and they are usually good about calling to let me know it is ready.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by thinking I need new tires or brakes only to be told by the tech that it isn’t needed.

After reading the other reviews, I did everything I could to avoid this place but desperate times called for desperate measures and I found myself at the front counter asking for four new tires. The polite attendant left to examine my car and came back a couple minutes later. He asked me why I wanted new tires since my tires were brand new. I explained that the front left tire kept running low and air and the back right tire had a gash in the side. It was my understanding that I would have to replace all tires at once.
Not at all, he explained. He told me to have a seat while the other staff investigated my car further. Not 15 minutes later, a friendly gentleman showed me how some dirt had gotten stuck in the rim of the front tire causing it to lose air. He cleaned it up and it was as good as new. As for the rear tire, the gash was superficial and the tire did not need replacing.
They did show me that my transmission wires were leaking but that they didn’t have the parts to replace them. They invited me to come back another time.
I gotta tell you, these guys could have taken me for a ride. I walked in prepared to drop $ 600 on new tires and I was sent away with a bill for $ 30. Everyone was so nice, so professional, and so honest! These guys have earned my loyalty for life.

Pros: Some Employees were polite, refunded money, provides cheap quotes
Cons:
Dishonest, unfair, poor service, worst customer satisfaction
BUYER BEWARE: DO NOT USE MERCHANT’S
They double their quote for the same work, charged me 3x price for fluids compared to other other shops, and had no understanding of customer satisfaction.

Slow and not customer friendly.
I used to take my car here all the time because it was so close. One morning, I got up early because I had to get somewhere later in the day, so I wanted to make sure my car was ready. I dropped it off at 8:00am, when it wasn’t that busy, so they could put on 2 tires I had already bought online (my car has really small tires). They told me an hour and a half.
I get there an hour and a half later, and they tell me it will be another 20 minutes. I wait patiently for the 20 minutes, and when 20 minutes pass by, I ask how my car is doing. They told me they were putting the last tire on (…so, the 2^nd one of 2?). Meanwhile, they guy never went back and asked the mechanics, he just told me 20 minutes. I waited ANOTHER 20 minutes, and guess what. Yes… my car was not ready, they were just now putting the tires on, so they basically lied to me the whole time.
I am a 10 minute walk from there, so if they had just told me «Hey, we’re backed up, its going to be an extra hour» I would have gladly just walked home to do other things, but instead I just sat there in the shop being strung along. Very frustrating!