Westside Auto Pros

Poor service. Outrageous prices. Wouldn't recommend. Summary: I've never had an issue when I've used a AAA-recommended service provider before, but I guess there's a first time for everything. I had to wait for several days before I could post this review. Two weeks ago, my son had his car towed by AAA. He forgot who I used for a mechanic, and so he had it towed to a shop they recommended. The ultimate diagnosis and repair was for a faulty ignition switch. However, it took nine days for that repair, and the cost kept ballooning during the time in the shop. However, my biggest issue was the poor service. I would be promised phone calls that never happened. On multiple occasions, I was promised that my son's car was "next up," only to find out 24 hours later that it hadn't been looked at. On Day 8, I was told that part of the reason for the cost was that the ignition was chipped and would have to be reprogrammed as part of the repair, only to be told on Day 9 that they had no idea the car had chip keys. Finally, on Day 9, I was promised that the car would be fixed by 10:00AM on Day 10. My wife and I were going to be leaving town by 5:00AM on Day 10 and our two college-age sons would each need a functioning car while we were gone (we have 3 cars for 4 people). I explained this and that I needed to have the car by close of business that day. The service manager offered me a rental overnight, but I told him that, since neither of my sons are old enough to drive a rental yet, my wife and I would need to take it, and so he would need to cover the cost of the rental for 4 days, not just overnight. The car was done two hours later.

DO NOT USE WESTSIDE AUTO PROS AAA used these guys as a tow service, but would not tow to my normal mechanic because it was over 25 miles so I had them take it to their shop in Des Moines. I had a flat tire (no spare) and the heat was not working. Waited in my unheated car for over 2 hours in -25 windchill weather and could not get ahold of anyone at the shop. Westside Auto Pros tried to charge me $3,200 for so called "Mandatory Repairs" or $3,600 for everything. They did work on my car without my permission and charged me for it. We ended up towing it to my mechanic in Adel, when the tow truck got their he called us and asked if we knew that the car was drivable. So I had paid for the work that I didn't ask to be done and for an unnecessary tow. They had sent me 3 emails with charts and lists and pictures and codes and numbers stating all the work that needed to be done. I took it to my mechanic in Adel and he charged me for 2 new tires and fixed the loose hose that was causing the heating issue for no charge. Cost me less than 800 dollars total, including the work done at Westside Auto Pros without my permission and the unnecessary tow. I fully believe that they knew I was a young female who knows nothing about cars and tried to take advantage of that. They way that the emails were set up was beyond confusing and I believe that this was another tactic to try and confuse and take advantage of me.

When you have engine problems with your automobile it?s always stressful. I know for I immediately experience anxiety and dollars leaving my bank account every time something goes wrong with my car. Recently my Aura MDX started running rough going down the highway and after I checked all of the obvious problems myself I decided that I needed some real professional help so I went to West Side Auto Pro?s in West Des Moines because they seemed to be the ultimate repair shop in mid Iowa second only to the impossibly expensive dealerships. After diagnosing my problem they called and reassured me that they could get my car running perfectly again but it would require a cost of $3,500. After I caught my breath I reasoned that these were the professionals who thoroughly diagnosed my problem and had the expertise and confidence that they know what to do and if they could fix my car for that price I would still be ahead financially and not have to scrap my vehicle. Unfortunately after they completed the repairs they called me to explain that my car still didn?t run correctly but for $400 more dollars they could take it apart again and let me know how much more money it would require for them to really fix my problem. Normally it would be about $950 to do this but they were giving me a discount for spending the initial $3,500. I only make this review to let you know that as good as this shop is there are still some real nightmares here and you are always taking your chances with auto repair. I admit that I was the idiot that spent $3.500 and drove off with a car that smoked and burned oil like crazy but I couldn?t stand the thought of spending nearly $1,500 more and not having any guarantee that I would have a car that ran at all.

I asked them to check out a noise coming from the drive train. The car is FWD. I told them I suspected it was either the transmission or a wheel bearing, but that I couldn't isolate the source of the noise. The car was high mileage, so I told them I was concerned about investing too much in it. They evaluated the car and recommended that I have them fix a transmission seal, replace the clutch, fix a coolant leak, and replace the timing belt. Total cost would have been more than $2000. That was more than I wanted to spend, so I decided to take a look for myself. When I put the car up on blocks and let the front wheels turn it was immediately apparent that the noise was coming from the wheel bearing. It was obvious that they didn't even check the wheel bearing. Since they totally misdiagnosed the problem. I asked for a refund which they refused to provide, even though they acknowledged that they should have found the wheel bearing problem. I fixed the wheel bearing myself and the car is still going strong without any transmission, clutch, or timing belt repairs.

All the work was done well in one day. Free shuttle service.

I feel I was overcharged for the services performed. I also felt that they found a lot of things "wrong" with my pretty well-maintained vehicle. Here was their list of recommendations: Ignition system service strut mount & bearing replacement engine coolant service battery is due for replacement brake fluid replacement air filter is due for service interior cabin filter needs to be replaced 4x4 gear oil service When I questioned them about the possibility of being overcharged for the oil change, they claimed I wasn't overcharged. Angie's List stated that if I mentioned I found Westside Auto on Angie's list that I would receive a $20 discount. Not so sure I found that discount. I saw it listed on the bill, but I'm not sure I received the discount.

Westside Auto Pros nearly totaled my Ariel Atom while taking it on a joyride. Yes, really. The shop manager (Joe) took my car out on multiple joyrides (according to a nearby business owner) while the owner (Ron) was on vacation. One of the joyrides came to an unexpected end, resulting in $30,000 in damage when Joe failed to keep control of the car after doing doughnuts just one block away from the shop (we still have photos of the tire marks from the culdesac right down the road and an audio interview with a local business owner who witnessed everything happen). Originally, I had decided to take my car to Westside because I've known Ron for several years and had always respected the way he ran his business. That is until this almost unbelievable story unfolded. I was excited to have sold my car and wanted to have it in tip-top shape when delivering it to the new owner. I decided to take it to Westside Auto Pros to have them do two things: (1) Change the oil and (2) look at a small electrical issue that was keeping the car from starting from time to time. The good news is they fixed it. The bad news is after they fixed it, they felt it was necessary to take the car for a drive (remember, the car just wouldn't start... it wasn't a problem related to driving the car). The incident happened on a Friday (or maybe it was Saturday, I'm not sure because it was never mentioned to me...). I received a call the following Monday when Ron was back in town. The only good news in this story is that they were insured. The bad part about insurance is they aren't always the easiest to work with on settling claims. Ron and his team quickly bowed out of the situation and said "the insurance company will take care of everything". I then spent the next 6 months dealing with the insurance company to get the car repaired (it had to be shipped to Virginia because that was the only qualified place to actually look over the car and determine what work needed to be done) and then try to collect money for the negative impact in value of the car after the accident (about $20,000). I won't go into the details on the insurance negotiation -- but let's just say it likely involved 80 hours of my time and Ron and his staff were quick to wash their hands of the situation. A few interesting points of the experience: 1) Nobody ever admitted fault to what actually happened. Even though there was evidence of what had happened. 2) I've spoken with several people who once worked at the shop and other acquaintances of people who currently work there. Nobody was surprised. Nobody. 3) Joe still manages the entire business. After the owner (Ron) knew about the joyride and accident. From a liability standpoint alone, I don't know how this is possible. 4) When the shop released my (basically totaled) car to the car transport company, they called me to pay for the balance of the bill for the work that was performed before they joyrode and wrecked the car. [You can't make this stuff up.] 5) Ron used having the car in the shop as a marketing opportunity on their Facebook page. Without my permission. Then, never provided any updates after the post was made. 6) I never really got the impression they were sorry because they never really admitted to what actually happened. Which is really mind blowing. Bottom Line: There are plenty of places that this sort of thing happens. I just expected more from Ron and his staff. As a result of how this was handled (both while the car was in their care, and especially the lack of professionalism and accountability afterward), I have lost the respect I once had and I can only imagine there are several other joyrides that have happened that didn't have the same result. I'm just glad nobody was hurt. Take your car to their shop at your own risk. It's clear they put employees first. The same people involved with the accident and my car still work and manage the shop.

Everything was done perfectly, on time and they were very friendly and nice. They saved me over $500 from what the dealership was going to charge me. They also educate you on what they're doing so you don't feel left in the dark.

Took our vehicle in because the check engine light was on. We were told this issue was fixed, only to find that the next day the light came back on. Since we had paid around $300 the day before for the issue to be fixed, we were frustrated to discover that the light was back on. When we called back to express our frustration and try to find a way to resolve the problem, we were told we could get a full refund and take our business elsewhere. We called back later and were able to schedule to get our vehicle back in to be rechecked, only to be told that there was nothing they could do and that we needed to take the vehicle to a dealer. Our biggest frustrations were the need for the for the vehicle to be in the shop twice and the fact that when we wanted to follow up with our concerns we felt as though we were just kind of brushed off by being told to take our business elsewhere. We will not be doing business at this location again.

I had my car towed into Westside Auto Pros because they are AAA recommended and a consistently top-rated auto service center based on an annual online consumer voting event by a popular newspaper. The initial diagnosis was $800 higher than three other repair shops for the lower intake manifold gasket repair. After calling AAA to ask if they would cover towing to another repair shop, they told me that repairs were limited to the replacement cost of my 15-year old car and said they would call Westside on my behalf. Westside promptly called me, asked for a copy of one of the estimates, and sent a person to pick up my only copy. Westside called back and dropped the price of the repair to within $100 or so of the provided estimate and I gave the go-ahead to complete the repair. I was impressed, until I got a call that while my car was torn down there was another repair that needed to be made. They could make the second repair for about another $500 and would take another day. The total amount of the repairs would be within a few bucks of AAA's replacement cost of my car. Another day turned into another day and another day and another "reason" for the delay. It felt like they were putting other cars cars ahead of mine. Going into cold weather the heater did not seem to be warming the inside of my car. The car was also cutting out on acceleration. I finally looked under the hood and one of the connector hoses did not look installed properly. After talking with friends, I called the owner. He used an obvious, frustrating amount of "boilerplate" language about how much it would cost to assesses the problem and fix it if it was caused by their technicians. After some heated discussion, he agreed to fix what needed fixing. and scheduled an appointment When I took the car in I worked with a different "service manager" who listened, asked the appropriate questions, and in a professional manner, told me what had caused the problems that should have been caught before the car was released the first time. As a former business owner myself, I admire the marketing program that the owner has in place, and he seems like a nice guy. I understand that sometimes customer satisfaction is based on price . . . the higher the price, the more satisfied we are with how we have spent our money . . . up to a point. I also know how businesses get on "partnership" and referral lists and how customers can sometimes get prioritized by things other than "first in, first served". The "B" for responsiveness was based on how quickly they reduced their original repair estimate to seemingly fall into line with AAA's partnership agreement and therefore keep my car from being towed to another auto repair shop; and how quickly a follow up appointment was scheduled after talking to the owner. However, for so many of the wrong reasons, I made a huge mistake by choosing Westside AutoPros, for which I'm still paying . . . literally.

I've moved away from the area and I haven't used them for more than a year. They were very good. The cost was reasonable. They were professional and they give a description of what the issues and options are with the vehicle. The work turned out very good. I would recommend them to friends and family members. I certainly would use them again.

Their service was good. They were very professional and were able to get my truck in when they said. It was also finished when they said. I didn’t have to miss any work and the work they did was good. I had no issues with the starter after that.

The services were always performed to my satisfaction, they answered my questions and concerns, they didn't try to take advantage of my ignorance when it comes to all things mechanical, and they let me borrow a loaner car while mine was in their shop being repaired. The cost here is much cheaper than the Hyundai dealership would quote me for the same repairs. All in all, I would recommend this auto repair shop to my friends and acquaintances.

I had to wait for awhile to get the truck in, probably because they are good mechanics. They recommended other repairs, but I could not afford all of them. I did tell them I had a tire I constantly had to air up and when they rotated the tires(not a service I asked for), they put it on the front where there is more weight and now I have to air it up more often. I would use them again.

it was fixed but they had trouble actually diagnosing the problem. had the vehicle in three times and kept charging us for work they did that "they thought" would fix the problem. eventually was fixed after much frustration and too much money spent.

They are great guys and do great work. I have been very happy with their service.

Their service was fine. They were very nice. The prices was a little expensive but it wasn't too high to complain about. Their service was excellent so you definitely get what you pay for.

They did a pretty good job. I was pleased with their price and they did a nice follow-up. They are very straight forward and customer service oriented.

The service turned out fine. The service was a little pricier than other shops but they did a good job with the work.

I had become skeptical of the car dealership service departments for things other than routine maintenance so when my sons brake light began to flash off and on I started to look for a local mechanic. I have searched on Angie's list before, but have never used any services. I read through many reviews and the vast majority for Westside Auto Pros were positive. We also decided to call a friend who is a "car" guy and Westside was the first place out of his mouth. From the first phone call to all of my interactions (estimate calls, car ride to pick up my car) where impressive. Everyone is so friendly! Sometimes, as a female, I feel like I am treated like I don't know anything about cars, (I don't but don't treat me that way), but not the employees here. No question is dumb. I trusted all of their recommendations. Truly felt like they were fixing my car like it was theirs, which means a lot as this is my children's car. I took the car in for a break inspection so my first estimate was purely for that, ($50), the pads needed to be replaced so the cost went up significantly, which I expected. I REALLY appreciated the 28 point inspection and subsequent repairs as I don't have time to be chasing again to the shop for repairs. My final costs were nothing I didn't expect, and I was kept informed about costs of each repair. We will be back and we will be recommending Westside Auto Pros. PS: even the kids said the car drove better!

Painless service appointment.Work completed on time.Very fair pricing.And, I was able to use one of their discount coupons.

What you have to understand about Westside Auto Pros is that they spend a lot of money on advertising. Advertising is expensive, so any job that Westside does is going to be a little bit more expensive than all the guys that dont advertise. It makes sense, but after doing some research, it turns out that I could have gotten the same job done for a lot cheaper ($100+ cheaper). Price is not really my complaint, though. The one thing that Westside Auto Pros prides themselves on is driving you to and from work if your car is in the shop (more overhead in the price but it was expected). As I had just moved to Des Moines and did not know anyone in the city, this worked out well for me. I dropped my car off in the morning, they drove me to work, and I was told several times that "I would be called when the job waws complete." I was never called. I finally called them at 445p, and they told me that my car had been ready for 2 hours. I asked them why I was never contacted when the car was complete, and they said that they tried to call and couldnt get through. I only have a cell phone, so if they tried to call, it would've shown up on my screen as a missed call. Even if they couldnt get through, they didnt bother to try again later. I couldnt believe that they were just going to leave me stranded without a vehicle. After the driver picked me up, he pointed out that he was the last driver that hadnt already left for the day, so I wouldve been stranded at work had I not called their office myself. When we finally got back to the Westside, the doors were locked. The driver had to get someone from the shop because the office manager had already left. If you know someone is on the way to the office to pay for and pick up their car, why would you lock the doors and leave for the day? Terrible customer service from their front office. The hassle of being stranded coupled with the overpriced work was enough to never use them again.

I was looking for someone cheaper and was close without going to the dealership.

They did not do anything. I don't know if their diagnosis was completely accurate as I thought that it was a little bit self serving. They told me that I needed an entirely new radiator system. I then took my car to the dealer and they said that it was not what I needed at all. They were good sales people but I am not sure if I would use them again. I would explore some other options. I have not yet got it fixed from the dealer.

The staff was great. I used their shuttle service to and from. They called me with the problem and cost before they completed the work. No surprises and completed within the estimated cost. Great experience.