McSpadden’s Tire & Automotive

Wondering if others are having AC fail when they get their vehicle back?!
Picked up my van after a succession of repairs here. My AC was on full blast when I dropped it off. When I picked it up, no cold. I stopped by and asked what the deal was, gentleman said seals change in weather and some, thing probably came loose, they didn’t get anywhere near the AC.
I dropped the issue there, here’s why —
First visit in dropping off my van I was waiting to give the keys over when a gentleman came in wi an F250 diesel saying they just fixed the AC and its already out.
Another time a couple were picking up their Cadillac crossover. The gentleman had his wife drive it home and was taking care of the bill when she called his cell to report the AC was out.
I had my radiator pulled here and shortly after had to pay $ 800 to replace my heater hose because it was rubbing on the engine. What does all this sound like to you? These are facts folks, not opinions.
I serviced the van in Buda at Truck City Ford and again at Pampered Auto in Cedar Park. The feedback was that the compressor had been nicked with a tool, needed replacement.
Yet when I reported this immediately to McSpadden’s (Jim, I believe), I was blown off with BS about climate change. I get that rubber expands and contracts, but compressors don’t commit suicide. Rather than take a look, my understanding of science was called into question.
I decided to let it slide. The succession of repairs at this place on my van was slightly questionable in a couple of instances. The Ford 6.0 is a tough cookie to handle, granted, but I asked the guys, including Rudy, if they were able to handle servicing it many times. They had ample opportunity to back out and recommend another shop more qualified. This didn’t happen.
I hate leaving bad reviews for anyone. After this experience, I would not change my tune of they offered to replace the compressor they damaged. I absolutely would not let them near my diesel again for any reason. This is why I am leaving this review.
SOLUTION: I highly recommend Pampered Auto. Very honest. Look them up, you’ll see my and other’s review.

Women don’t always trust mechanics but this is one I have no qualms about! Honest, quality service with hospitable personnel – can’t beat it.

Terrific customer service coupled with top notch vehicular service. I only get my tires from here. McSpadden’s goes the extra distance, I know this because I called around and checked the internet prior to making my decision. Every single associate & mechanic I had the pleasure of interacting with were just great. The tremendous personalities and exceedingly professional demeanors you find here are wheelie refreshing.

Beware of this place they are crooks!!! Just took my car on 9÷24÷15 got there at 7am, don’t bother showing up this early as technicians don’t start until 730 – 745. I took my car due to a nail in my tire. An hour and half later after waiting since 7am one of the guys comes to tell me the tire pressure sensor was broken on my car, which clearly looks like was ripped off as the screw was split in half. I told him I would take it to Ford as my car is still under warranty. 20 minutes later my car was finally ready they patch my tire. I drove home, as soon as I got home I could hear air coming out of the tire, so their patch was a waste of my time. Took the car to Ford, I was advised they always see this happen when technicians are not trained properly to take tires off, they rip the sensors off, yet they try to tell me it was broken, mind you it a 2014 car. Also the nail was on the wall of the tire so they should’ve never patched the tire but advise to get a new one. Since they broke the sensor Ford couldn’t approve it as warranty, so $ 300 later I’m back to business and driving a safe car. I called the place to talk to a manager and he said I drove with a flat tire that cause the sensor to fall, funny I have a pump at home and made sure my tire had air and looked perfectly fine when I got to them, but now according to them it was my fault, never mentioned this when I was there, plus Ford stated it was ripped. I’ll make sure to let everyone know about the type of service they provide there. DONT DO IT, go to a reputable place and not this crooks.

I spoke with Rudy about getting my brakes fixed and he offered to take me car in the next morning. What really made the difference, however, was that he offered me a ride to and from work! There were some complications during the day and when Rudy left, the afternoon manager, John told me I would have to find a ride back on my own, which was disappointing, but luckily the same mechanic who dropped me off finished early on my car and was able to pick me up.
The only downside in my opinion was the price, which I thought would be better than at a corporate chain like NTB, but it ended up relatively the same. I’m always suspicious of people trying to upcharge me, so I was disappointed when half of the entire cost was the service fee… but what do I know! Overall the experience was positive.

Very good guys. I literally got in the next day after my vehicle broke down. I took it to some raggedy shop before here and the guy told me I needed $ 800 worth of repairs. I then decided to bring it here and it came out to be something completely different no where near that price! And my vehicle is running great. Thanks guys! Talk answered all my calls, and called me with updates! They were patient with me as well when I couldn’t pick up my vehicle the same day as repair was done. Thanks again.

I email them the day before to set up a appointment for the car to be fixed and done. We actually live in North Austin but my husband works in 78 746. So this was more convenient for him to deal with near his job.
So the next morning I received a email telling me we had a 9am appointment. My husband and I had our 2010 Nissan Altima towed in because the car wouldn’t start. We had an idea what the problem was already before we took it in.
They called us told us exactly what we thought it was Brake switch. Gave us a very reasonable quote and we got the car back the same day after my husband got off work. Car runs perfect again and we are very Happy! We will be back and recommend to our friends.

Just picked up my ~20 year old diesel F250 from McSpadden’s and I’m very pleased.
McSpadden’s was one of two shops I had planned to call when my truck was acting up (the other shop-​a diesel shop-​with great reviews, would not work on an engine built before 2000. WTF? diesels run forever.).
My truck is new to me and I don’t have a strong knowledge of how my diesel works, but I’m also not an idiot about engines. So I wanted a shop that cared about my rig AND would educate me.
Rudy at McSpadden’s took the time to chat with me, to really listen to my description of the issues, and gave me the confidence that his shop would take the time to diagnose the problems. He kept me informed about the progress of repairs. Driving my truck out of the shop today reinforces that they did a good job. The truck is driving really well.
The only thing preventing me from giving the shop 5 stars is that Rudy was not there this afternoon to walk me through the whole repairs (and the guy who was did not seem like he really understood the repairs) and the repairs were costly. Having no experience with having my truck repaired before this instance, I can’t say if McSpadden’s prices are fair or high compared to others. But they are not cheap. I“m chalking it up to good service and hoping the truck continues to run superbly as a result.
I will definitely be a return customer to McSpadden’s, for oil changes, repairs, and anything that my truck needs.

Just when I thought I had found my go-​to for oil changes… customer service for their employee Charles proves to be nonexistent. I will definitely not be returning nor will I recommend them to any of my friends again. I called in the morning to see what time they would be open until today to get an oil change. His response was noon and didn’t think it important to mention that they are «all booked up until Monday». Mind you, the first thing he says when I said I would like to drop my car off for an oil change is,“sure, though I won’t be able to get it to you until Monday.” I thought it was a joke. I certainly can not be the only one who would appreciate the courtesy of being told on the phone that beforehand. I do not have two cars to make it not a big deal to leave it. And being a loyal customer, could they not have done a quick oil change under the circumstances since they have the other cars there until Monday? Never thought I would leave a bad review for Mcspaddens Automotive. Even the Bee Cave location has superb customer service. I’ve experienced Charles’s pretentiousness before but today was unacceptable.

So I went in here over the weekend because that is what was recommended to me by AAA. These guys are friendly and helpful and all that but the reason I am giving them 1 star is because they quoted me a price for repairs which was 2x, I kid you not, 2x what the dealer was asking!
The DEALER WAS CHEAPER THAN MCSPADDENS! I repeat — THE DEALER WAS CHEAPER THAN MCSPADDENS!!!
How does that happen? I don’t care if you have ASME/​PhD/​NASA Certified Engineers working on cars in your shop, there is NO WAY A LOCAL SHOP SHOULD EVER CHARGE MORE THAN THE DEALER! EVER! But they do have free soda so there’s that.
Luckily, I went to a different shop which was still pricey buy hundreds of dollars cheaper than McSpaddens. If you’ve got the money to spend, and like giving it away, go to McSpaddens and get yourself a free soda.

McSpadden’s is great! So friendly and knowledgable and got my Subaru fixed up and ready to go with an hour and a half because of my tight schedule. Free WIFI too. I will be coming back again for all my auto needs, and I am happy to say that I’ve found a new go-​to mechanic in Austin!

Great experience here! McSpadden’s came through for me when I was stuck & needed a new radiator. They even had to take quite a bit of extra time since I’d had a previous little fender bender up front, to get it in there & connected properly, and didn’t charge me any more. It may have been a little pricier, had I shopped around, but I’m safely on the road again, confident I got a fair deal and overall impressed by their care & thoroughness.
Plus, the guys there were so nice and entertaining while I waited. The cute young man who drove me home after I dropped it off was even a pleasant bonus.
My experience w/​McS’s was great. I’m glad I didn’t check reviews here first, like I usually do.
I went there because it was Saturday — they were open & close to home if I had to walk from there. They worked me in for diagnostics and an estimate within an hour, even though they were super busy.
I’m grateful to Rudy, Mickey & the guys @ McSpadden’s — thanks y’all!

Great customer service. Honest guys who care about your car running right/​safe.
My tps sensor went off on St. Elmo this Monday, drove around until I found the cleanest shop in the area, which typically a good indication. Spoke to service tech, he was very nice, he look over my car, found the screw that punctured my tire, took it into the garage and fixed it within 20 min. I downed a cup of coffee and shot the shit with one of the mechanics about new vw diesel tech. He was very knowledgeable, I like to test mechanics at shops I’ve never been to, he passed! They check all my fluids, tire pressures, and reset the tps. I shook the service tech’s hand and was off to continue the rest of my day.
I arrived home and took a look at the tire they fixed… noticed that they had cracked two of my lug protectors. I wasn’t really mad because they are quite flimsy, and according to vw forums, this happens all the time. So I went back to McSpaddens and showed the same service tech what happened, he extended his hand and said he would get this fixed ASAP and apologized for the inconvenience. He called the next day and said he had the new lug covers for me, and to come when I had a second to replace them. I showed up that afternoon, and they replaced them with in seconds of me arriving. Shook my had again and thanked me for bringing their mistake to their attention.
Thanks for the professionalism!
So I read the rest of the review for McSpaddens, and they are up and down, but here is the conclusion. A good mechanic is not cheap, you pay for their expertise, but even more so, you pay for their honesty. I am a car enthusiast and take meticulous car of my vehicle. If their something wrong with my ride, I take care of it immediately, because I love my car and it hurts me when it’s hurts. I don’t put off service until all hell has broken, and hope it will be a cheap fix, I am a responsible automobile owner. The majority of reviews I read for McSpaddens, IMO, are from people who put off service until it’s too late. It’s going to cost you. I think these guys are fair and honest, and I write scathing reviews for other businesses all the time. They have my business, and I hope they will get yours. It cost nothing for them to diagnose what’s wrong with your care in most circumstances, so give them a shot. I think you will thank me later.

Michael and the staff are very friendly, BUT
my jaw dropped when I received the estimate (especially since I had gotten a much lower estimate at another shop).
Also, tMcSpadden’s was charging me slightly more than the Volkswagen dealership?!
Wow, labor costs are high here as well as the cost for a diagnostic exam.
I wished I would have read the reviews before going here, because other folks have experienced the same.
You can find better prices elsewhere. Something is not right here.

Don’t know why I see bad reviews on this place. This place has great service, everyone is super friendly, and it is really affordable. I’ve been going to McSpaddens for all my car needs for the past two years. Before I moved to Austin I never had a set mechanic place for I was never that thrilled about another business. But as long as I live in south Austin I will be taking my SUV and my wife’s car to McSpadden’s.

BEWARE ! This shop has one of the best locations in town for any business, which is why you will spend a FORTUNE to have your car repaired. So they can cover their overhead for the prime south congress location.
It’s unfortunate I have to even give them 1 star. I like to help out local business so I had taken all of my business vehicles there, told friends to go to them ect. Went to get one of my vehicles inspected and when I got there to pick it up they had put a new bulb in my front light without my authorization for $ 63.10??? quoted me to remove and replace my windshield wiper linkage for $ 338??? Then charged me 50 $ for the diagnosis that the wiper was broken, which my 6 year old nephew could diagnose in 1 second. Then they gave me a 35 $ charge for a basic oil change, and told me I needed new breaks and rotors done for 532 $. I ended up having him remove the light bulb and am upset he had already done the oil change.
After that I went down to LKQ junk yard where they have thousands of vehicles in great condition out in a field that you can take parts from. Found 3 vehicles matching mine, found the Parts for wipers for 20 $ then had a maintenance worker who works there uninstall the part for me and install the new part for 35 $…Then he replaced the bulb for free. In total for that I saved $ 391.27
I then went to another business Rudy’s Automotive (Great Service, Honest opinions) to get a quote on the breaks and he said my breaks and rotors were JUST FINE. These guys are nice friendly people on the outside, but inside they’re just trying to get as much of your money out of you as they can.

Spent $ 400 just to get the motor on my driver’s side window replaced… a month later it started sticking again… and the window would not roll down automatically. Luckily I don’t have that car anymore but I would not go back.

Excellent customer service!
Great Rates!
The cleanest mechanics shop I’ve ever been to.
And a great waiting area.

VERY HONEST PEOPLE! I have been here twice in a week. First for an alignment check. They said my alignment was near perfect and they wouldn’t feel right taking my money. A few days later I had something hanging from my bumper. They fixed it free of charge and I only had to wait a few minutes. Each visit I did not have to pay nor did they try to hustle me to pay for something else.
They are open all day on Saturday which is great if you ever need work done on the weekend.

I have been extremely happy with the quality of service, and integrity of the Staff, at McSpadden’s. I brought in my ’07 Mustang GT when the check engine light came on, and they diagnosed it as my catalytic converter, which was still covered under the factory warranty. They recommended I bring it to a dealer to have repaired per warranty. When my dealer refused to make the repairs due to an after market air-​intake I had installed, I brought the car back to McSpadden’s, and Michael offered to find a scrap factory air-​intake to install, and then I would go back to the dealer for the warranty repair. While I was pleased with this creative solution, he also encouraged me to try again with the dealer to demand the repair. I took his advice, and although I had to fight tooth and nail, the dealer finally covered the repair under warranty. McSpadden’s won a customer for life.
Since then, I have relied on McSpadden’s for oil changes, inspections, and routine repairs. I have always been treated with the utmost kindness and respect, and I fully trust their professional judgment. it is a joy to do business with the entire Staff. Highly recommend.