Barnes Auto Service
About us
Barnes Auto Service is Louisville's favorite family owned and operated Auto Repair center. Whether on the racetrack or off, the staff at Barnes Auto Service are proven winners and are committed to providing the best service available. With over 30 years of experience and a family atmosphere, we strive to give personal service and treat each of our customers with honesty and integrity. Come and join the winning team at Barnes Auto Service for your vehicle repair and maintenance needs. Family owned & operated.
Business highlights
43 years of experience
Services we offer
Auto & truck repair, air bag systems, air conditioning, brakes, clutches, diagnostics, diesels, drivability, drive train, electrical repairs, engines, exhaust, fleet, four wheel drive, fuel injection, inspections & fabricating., maintenance, oil change, shocks & struts, timing belts, tune-ups, water pumps, welding
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.826 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 88% | ||
| 4% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 4% |
Showing 1-25 of 26 reviews
Jude H.
Aug 2020
Beautiful, my vehicles are better than they were coming off the factory floor. The service performed was excellent
BERTHA T.
Dec 2016
.
BERTHA T.
Dec 2016
I have a '98 car. These guys are auto-racers, so I figured they ought to know a car. I just take it down there because my car is a '98 and things are going to wear out on it. Whatever happens they take care of it. I know that they know what they're doing. It was a father and son who were both race car drivers so they certainly know a car. If I want my side-view mirror replaced, they don't do it, but they go down the street to get it taken care of and I don't have to worry about it.
John W.
Aug 2016
Have always provided reliable and very honest suggestions! With all auto repairs there were times something went wrong or did not get fixed correctly. They were always very open to correcting the problem. Most impressed with them.
Tim M.
Jul 2016
Barnes first suspected malfunctioning clutch fan. Replaced. Truck still wanting to run hot. Looked further and discovered 28 yr old radiator completely gunked up. Replaced. Now running cool as a cucumber! They even cut radiator in half to show me the sludge that had built up over the years! Barnes was out of 4-5 shops I checked with who would even mess with the truck due to it's age.
R. H.
Jun 2016
unknown
Desmon M.
Oct 2015
.
Desmon M.
Aug 2015
.
Mindy K.
Apr 2015
I spent $2200. They are a really nice and friendly but it took them a second visit for both vehicles for them to get it right. If you call they will schedule a date for you and they will get the job promptly done for you when you show up as scheduled. I just wish they would have gotten it right the first time. That would've been better.
Response from Barnes Auto Service
"Thank you, (removed member name) for your review & I agree that you should NOT have had a problem with the FICM that we installed (along with the starter) on your Expedition. You had to bring it back 2 weeks later for us to replace the FICM & I apologize for that (warrantied out at no charge of course). We try to buy the best quality parts & in this case they came from the dealer - so that you don't have these kind of problems & obviously that did not happen. We are truly sorry that you had a problem & hope you will give us the opportunity to serve you again. Thank you, Sara Barnes / Barnes Auto Service"
Charles D.
Apr 2014
Work was done in a timely and professional manner. Very satisfied with repair service.
Julia C.
Mar 2014
A previous machanic had quoted us 2000.00 to repair a catalitic converter on our 2001 Toyota. We were considering donating the car and buying a new one, but wanted a second opinion. In driving the car the next day the brakes went out and I had to have it towed. It was towed to Barnes. They diagnosed it with a different problem and repaired the car for 322.00! Turned out that the catalitic converter was simply causing the check engine light to come on, but wasn't the actual problem. These honest folkes saved us from having to go out and buy a new car. They take a little longer (because they are busy) but the wait is worth the honesty and and price! Excellent! Would recommend to anyone and will continue to have all of our car care done there!
Renee P.
Dec 2013
I'd already taken the car to one shop to figure out why it was leaking, to no avail. I was worried I'd have to buy a new car. I was referred to this shop as a place where they would take the time to hunt down a leak. When I called, they were honest about their workload (a popular shop!) and said they could not make an appointment for a few days, but if I dropped off the car they'd fit it in. I was able to leave it with them, and they went out to check multiple times, hosing it down from all angles. A few times they called to say nothing could be found -- and we chatted about a few other possible culprits. They kept looking, trying new spots. Finally they settled on the A/C drain and made a slight modification. So far I have seen no other water in my car. I know I was a very needy customer, but they never made me feel that I was being a bother. The charges were negligible.
They also advised me of a few other issues they noticed when checking the car, but they did not make any attempt to "upsell" me on unnecessary repairs. I really appreciated that.
Another thing I like about this shop -- I spoke to both women and men when I called in, and all were knowledgeable and helpful. Some auto shops are run entirely by men and can make a woman feel unwelcome or as if she doesn't know anything about her car. I never got that feeling from this place.
They also advised me of a few other issues they noticed when checking the car, but they did not make any attempt to "upsell" me on unnecessary repairs. I really appreciated that.
Another thing I like about this shop -- I spoke to both women and men when I called in, and all were knowledgeable and helpful. Some auto shops are run entirely by men and can make a woman feel unwelcome or as if she doesn't know anything about her car. I never got that feeling from this place.
BERTHA T.
Dec 2013
unknown
Madeline L.
Oct 2013
They are always honest, helpful, and knowledgeable. They always work with me and are friendly.
William Y.
Apr 2013
I have total trust in him and his staff. What he says needs to be done, I don't question because he's not one of these guys that looks for additional stuff to do but he will bring to your attention things that he had discovered during the process that he feels needs attention and he calls. He calls and says, "I found this, here's the price to do this, are we doing it now or later?, I think if you wait a while and I don't think it's in a danger." He's probably the most knowledgeable person that I ever met and he recently won 1st place on a survey over Kentucky and Indiana. He was rated the "Best Auto Shop" in Kentuckiana. Before he does anything, he always calls and tell me what needs to be done and how much it'
s going to cost. He's probably one of the most reasonable and you get what you pay for, so he's not over in his charges, it's in a middle of the road but it's first class middle of the road. The only draw-back in using him that he is in such demand and you have to have an appointment and normally it maybe a week out before you get a routine maintenance but if it's an emergency, he will make an exception. In fact, when I got the universal joint he told me to get over and try to work it in. If it's an emergency, he'll try to work with you but he's not near neither to where I stay.
s going to cost. He's probably one of the most reasonable and you get what you pay for, so he's not over in his charges, it's in a middle of the road but it's first class middle of the road. The only draw-back in using him that he is in such demand and you have to have an appointment and normally it maybe a week out before you get a routine maintenance but if it's an emergency, he will make an exception. In fact, when I got the universal joint he told me to get over and try to work it in. If it's an emergency, he'll try to work with you but he's not near neither to where I stay.
Janet O.
Nov 2012
Grandcalled them the day before thanksgiving and made an appointment for the following Thursday morning. Found the business with no problem. They had my name and the quoted estimate written down and assured me the car would be ready later that day. They called about 4 hours later and I picked it up. No problems !
Karen H.
Nov 2012
Had my 1993 Dodge Stealth towed to their garage because it was making a really loud roaring noise. By the next day they called and told me it was the power steering pump going bad and how much it would cost to fix it. In spite of the fact that they appeared to be really busy they had the pump on and the car was ready to pick up the next day. My car is difficult to work on because of its age and the way the motor and transmission are crammed in under the hood. It has been difficult to find knowledgable mechanics who are willing to work on it. The mechanics at this place were great.
James C.
Oct 2012
I have several high mileage cars. I have been using Barnes for about 10 years. I have never had a problem with getting a car fixed and very seldom have had to take it back for additional work. They always give you options of what can or should be done and several times have recommended that I not spend the money on a particular car. I have complete confidence in whatever they recommend. Unlike my experience with other services they will not recommend something you do not need.
David R.
Jun 2012
Terrible, enough of the emotions, below are "just the facts".
Monday a.m. presented knuckle / bearing / seal assembly with "half-shaft" (axle) extremely stuck in knuckle.Asked that they remove the halfshaft, remove and replace (with parts I supplied) the seals and bearing.They stated maybe be done by Friday.I asked for Wednesday, they said maybe.Wednesday, I had to call and ask about progress.Answer, yes we worked on this yesterday and we can not get the halfshaft out. (tried pressing it out)Went to pick up still stuck assembly and paid $ 37.50 for their failed attempt.Took assembly to another source.Complete repair was accomplished in less than 4 hours. (not using press method) paid only $70.00 (complete)Returned home to complete my repair.Upon starting repair I noticed he knuckle would not fit on the lower ball joint.After inspection it was noticed that the ball joint mounting hole had been extremely damaged to the point of not useable.Returned to Barnes and showed damage to person who fialed at pressing out shaft.First thing they wanted to do was blame the other shop.Explained this was impossible the other shop used a different method.Left assembly and they said they would look for a replacement knuckle (I approved Junk yard replacement)Could not get part until Friday.Work finally completed late Friday 1/2 hour before closing for the weekend.Charged me $106.00 for the part that they damaged!!!Emotiion time: WOW, charge me for failing $ 37.50, and then charged me for $ 106.00 for damage. (did not notice damage or did not tell me when I picked it up on Wednesday ?, not sure which).They did make good on the teardown and reassembly in the Junk yard park....but this was offset by charging me for the part.For a shop that has been in business for 30 ish. years the professionalism was disappointing.All it would have taken was an offer to split the difference on the replacement part and I would not write this negative review.$ 50.00 seems pretty cheap for damage control (pun intended) if you ask me.Next time I will obviously drive a little further for professional service.
Monday a.m. presented knuckle / bearing / seal assembly with "half-shaft" (axle) extremely stuck in knuckle.Asked that they remove the halfshaft, remove and replace (with parts I supplied) the seals and bearing.They stated maybe be done by Friday.I asked for Wednesday, they said maybe.Wednesday, I had to call and ask about progress.Answer, yes we worked on this yesterday and we can not get the halfshaft out. (tried pressing it out)Went to pick up still stuck assembly and paid $ 37.50 for their failed attempt.Took assembly to another source.Complete repair was accomplished in less than 4 hours. (not using press method) paid only $70.00 (complete)Returned home to complete my repair.Upon starting repair I noticed he knuckle would not fit on the lower ball joint.After inspection it was noticed that the ball joint mounting hole had been extremely damaged to the point of not useable.Returned to Barnes and showed damage to person who fialed at pressing out shaft.First thing they wanted to do was blame the other shop.Explained this was impossible the other shop used a different method.Left assembly and they said they would look for a replacement knuckle (I approved Junk yard replacement)Could not get part until Friday.Work finally completed late Friday 1/2 hour before closing for the weekend.Charged me $106.00 for the part that they damaged!!!Emotiion time: WOW, charge me for failing $ 37.50, and then charged me for $ 106.00 for damage. (did not notice damage or did not tell me when I picked it up on Wednesday ?, not sure which).They did make good on the teardown and reassembly in the Junk yard park....but this was offset by charging me for the part.For a shop that has been in business for 30 ish. years the professionalism was disappointing.All it would have taken was an offer to split the difference on the replacement part and I would not write this negative review.$ 50.00 seems pretty cheap for damage control (pun intended) if you ask me.Next time I will obviously drive a little further for professional service.
Response from Barnes Auto Service
"I would like to respond to this client's complaints. I am sorry that you were unhappy with our work - I wish you had expressed that to me when you picked up your parts rather than waiting til now so that we could have talked about it. When you dropped off your knuckle on Monday you were advised that we were scheduling for Friday & would try to work it in. It is my understanding that you were also advised that trying to get the axle out of the knuckle could damage it. On Tuesday my guys attempted to press it out a couple of times with no luck - so they lubricated it & let it set overnight so that they could try again on Wednesday. On Wednesday, they again attempted to remove the axle from the knuckle to no avail. Yes, you were charged $37.50 for their attempts to remove the axle. My guys get paid for their time as most people do. They obviously had more than the estimated time in it - but kept it at the estimate given you. If Chuck had been aware of the damage to the mounting hole he would have let you know - there was no reason not to. You were advised going in that the knuckle could be busted in trying to remove the axle! When you let us know about the damage to the knuckle I called parts recycling yards & found one for $100.00 our cost & advised you of this. You ok'd it, I ordered it & Chuck exchanged your parts from the old knuckle to the "new" used knuckle & even got another seal to replace the damaged one that you had. We thought we were being quite fair to all of us. We always try to treat our customers as we would want to be treated - fairly & honestly. Again, I am sorry that you felt that way & wish that you had spoken with me about it when you picked up your part."
John O.
May 2012
N/A
I called the company and explained my problem and they were right on it. They worked on the engine and found the problem then took care of it. They are reasonable and responsive to the needs of the customer.
Jeff B.
Jan 2012
We recently relocated and the work on our vehicle needed to be done quickly, as we put it off until our arrival in Louisville.
Dropped the van off on a Monday expecting it back by Friday. David from Barnes called me Tuesday afternoon to tell me the only struts he could locate had to be purchased from the dealer. He called to let me know that they were very expensive and asked if I wanted to try to find some cheaper. I was thrilled with that call because he didn't just go ahead with the work without consulting me about the price.
I found struts for half the dealers price and had them shipped directly to Barnes.They were installed, all other work performed, and we had the van back by Friday as promised.
David kept me informed daily as to the progress without me having to call. His customer service was outstanding. I found Barnes from Angie's List and could not be happier.
Dropped the van off on a Monday expecting it back by Friday. David from Barnes called me Tuesday afternoon to tell me the only struts he could locate had to be purchased from the dealer. He called to let me know that they were very expensive and asked if I wanted to try to find some cheaper. I was thrilled with that call because he didn't just go ahead with the work without consulting me about the price.
I found struts for half the dealers price and had them shipped directly to Barnes.They were installed, all other work performed, and we had the van back by Friday as promised.
David kept me informed daily as to the progress without me having to call. His customer service was outstanding. I found Barnes from Angie's List and could not be happier.
Pat W.
Sep 2011
They were fast and relatively inexpensive for all they did.
They were not able to find a used unit to replace the one in the dash, so they had it repaired as it cost lessthen to buy a new one.
They were very fast, and friendly, they called back within hours for the estimate.and our car was done the next day.
They were not able to find a used unit to replace the one in the dash, so they had it repaired as it cost lessthen to buy a new one.
They were very fast, and friendly, they called back within hours for the estimate.and our car was done the next day.
Heather B.
Aug 2011
We've been working with them for several years. They are a family owned shop. The mechanics rebuild cars for fun as well; so basically the mechanics shop is something like their hobby. They build cars and race them and stuff. They are great guys and have always gone above and beyond for us. They are very frugal whereas other people are always pushing new parts; these guys are very price conscious and try to make do with used parts and such. I will use them again in the future.
BERTHA T.
Mar 2011
The interaction went beautifully.
Alan B.
Jan 2011
We have been using them continuously for many years. They are the only auto repair service we have ever used. They are honest and reasonable. We like the people there. The repairs are of very good quality at a reasonable cost. When we need services outside of their realm like body work, they have a whole network of preferred providers. They too are honest and quick. I would use their services in the future too.
Licensing
State Contractor License Requirements
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our Find Licensing Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.
FAQ
Barnes Auto Service is currently rated 4.8 overall out of 5.
Barnes Auto Service accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
No, Barnes Auto Service does not offer free project estimates.
No, Barnes Auto Service does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Barnes Auto Service does not offer a senior discount.
No, Barnes Auto Service does not offer emergency services.
No, Barnes Auto Service does not offer warranties.