Merchant’s Tire & Auto Centers

I had a appointment I got right in”
Service was Excellent“
Rick always Sings to the customers”

Very nice people who make you feel like they care about getting your car serviced properly and not trying to trick you into buying more than you need. The price is definitely right — less expensive than most other car service shops, and I’ve checked a bunch of places online and in person. The one downside is the length of time it takes to do the job. You’re better off dropping the car off than waiting. If you decide to wait for the service to be done, you should bring something to read or an extra battery pack, because the wait is inevitably loooong. However the other customers are mostly friendly and Rick will entertain you with his singing.

What can I say. It took them 2 hours to replace one pair of tires — inefficiency at best. This should be done in 10 minutes. I asked the manager I need tires either made in Japan or in the us. We picked one pair that he told me they are made in Japan. He either lied or he was unaware, the tires were not made in Japan but in Thailand! I confronted him he said he didn’t know!

Singing with the Merchant Tire Staff on Bladensburg with Rick and Monica. How dope is that that???
How Cool is that to have your car serviced and to hear the staff and MT sing their arses off! I loved every minute!!! I have been going to Merchant now for nearly 1.5 years and they have always taken good care of my care.

Great service! Fast oil change (under an hour)! And I bought new window shield wipers that weren’t overpriced and they put them on for me. Don’t hesitate to take your car here for an oil change! I can’t say how they are for other services though.

I called ahead to get new tries for my car. I asked for Pirelli tires they said they had the brand and size. When I arrived for my appointment I was informed that it would take 1.5 hours to change all four tires. The car was on the lift within 15 mins. Then I watched them talk and smoke outside the whole time. The job could have been done is 30 mins. It was obvious they where taking their sweet time.
When i left, the tech mentioned I would need to have the TPMS reset so the low pressure light would go off. I stopped at gas station on my way home because the car did not feel right. I looked at the tires and they were the wrong brand! Then I checked the pressures and they were all between 25 and 30psi. there is label on the door that states the correct pressures for each wheel should be 39 psi ! How can you be so lazy and uncaring! improper inflation is a safety issue. I will never go back there.

I came here for an oil change because I had a coupon a few months ago and the experience was very pleasant. This will be the new place I come to for all my car needs. They promptly changed my oil and I did not have to wait for the up to two hours that I usually have to wait at sears. The man working at the front desk was very helpful and friendly and held a convo with me for the majority of my wait. He then printed out a list of things on my car I should get checked out and explained why since this is my first car. I think his name was rick. But overall I would recommend this center to others.

Spent almost $ 600 to replace front and rear brakes. Immediately noticed noise and vibration in front brakes. Returned and was told this is normal break in. Problem continues 3,000 miles later. Now they say I need new pads and rotors. NO. I need the film from the old brake pads cleaned off the rotors (which I paid for in the first place). AVOID THESE GUYS! INCOMPETENT!

They couldn’t repair my tire, but they cared. You could tell. ALL of the guys there are SO nice. Explained everything to me and NOT like my boobs were too Big to comprehend in my tiny girl brain. They recommended competition for a tire that wouldn’t break me & to ensure I’d be safe and that’s all that matters to me. A+ Give them your business. They’re awesome.

I made an online appointment for the $ 20 oil change and inspection. They were available to take my car at my appointent time and had it ready within an hour, as promised. They did not recommend any unnecessary repairs. They suggested that I replace a filter, which I already knew about. In addition, the manager was very friendly. One thing I like about this location is that it is within walking distance of a small shopping center so I was able to run a few errands while I waited.

Rick was very nice, quite helpful, and a decent singer to boot! I got a flat and my tire was replaced and I was good to go in about 30 minutes… faster than expected for a Saturday afternoon. Would definitely recommend to anyone in need of a reasonably priced quick tire!

Erique and his colleagues were extremely helpful and professional. I would go back to this Merchant’s tire again.

I looked up National Tire & Batteries (NTB) online and this store was listed as nearest to me as part of that chain and having had good experiences at other NTBs I called and asked if I could come in to get a flat tire plugged and they said come on in. Well, I went there and they did a good job but I had to wait TWO HOURS — but it was only $ 19 so I was quite happy. They said their work was guaranteed and if it didn’t hold, to come back. And so far it’s good. Next time I’ll ask how long it would take as I felt like my time was wasted and they should have told me how long it was going to take. It’s true the place was hopping and every car bay was active and the mechanics all seemed to be very busy but shouldn’t the intake person have a better sense of how long the job would take and how realistic it is to ask someone to wait that long for such a small job? Fortunately, they have a good selection of Oprah Winfrey magazines (and a TV) so I caught up on all her helpful hints while I was waiting.

If I could make this a negative I would. I tried to schedule an appt online for a $ 20 oil change. When I got there they were almost 15 minutes late to taking me. Then they charged me $ 40. Then they identified about $ 650 «recommended changes»; some I know were bogus, others I will have checked by a trusted person.
Over 2.5 hrs later and I barely staggered out, frustrated and $ 150 poorer. I won’t go back.

They sold us very expensive Michelin tires in winter ²⁰¹⁰⁄₂₀₁₁ when I got a flat late at night and my regular place was closed. Now I am told (by a much more reputable place) that those tires are cracked and must be replaced. He believes this is likely because they sat on the shelf for a long time at Merchant’s and were in poor condition when sold to us. Very wasteful!

Dishonest and less than stellar service — Stay Away!!!
My dealership indicated that front brakes would be needed in the near future during an unrelated repair. I called Merchant’s for an estimate, and received a $ 170 quote to replace the front pads. After an inspection, the rep said front and back brakes plus machine rotor & drum repairs were needed. The total cost was over $ 900. I asked for a breakdown and the quote for only pads exceeded the $ 170. As a scare tactic, the rep said various problems may arise if all repairs weren’t completed.
I took my car to a competitor that also had quoted $ 170 over the phone to replace the front pads. I requested a check of the front and back brakes. After the inspection, the rep said I needed only front brake pads. This shop also provided a record of measures for the brakes, which Merchant’s omitted, and the estimate was on point with the phone quote.
Previously, I took my car to Merchant’s and a lug nut broke when rotating the tires. Merchant’s ordered a replacement, and the supplier supposedly delivered the wrong size. It was too late to order another replacement so I had to leave my car overnight. No more second chances, I will not return to this shop for services.

I went in for a brake estimate. They checked (not very thoroughly) everything in order to be able to tell me I needed to change everything. Whatever. I drove home and a week later (I don’t drive much), I discovered as my car was overheating that they had removed and not replaced the radiator cap. My car was overheating because it was not about 1.5 gallons low on coolant. I called them after I topped it off and went back in where they bled the system for free and apologized. That was good. The annoying part was that at least people came over to me and said something like, «You see how muddy the coolant is? That’s why your car is overheating.» to which I replied, «Yes, the coolant is muddy, but, no, my car is overheating because the mechanic took the cap off and didn’t replace it and I have pictures and his shop towel to prove it.»