ORION AUTOMOTIVE

Excellent! They were good, very professional and friendly.

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I originally found Orion Automotive on Angie's List following some frustrating experiences at a local dealership. Their service is incredible. Michael takes the time to explain everything, shows me any replaced parts, and provides a few options when some repairs can wait. They even split the cost of a rental car when a loaner is unavailable. I highly recommend!

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I had bought a used Mini from a non-Mini dealer, and they weren't able to do the electronic diagnostics. The gear light had been going on when the car shut down for a few weeks, and eventually the car wouldn't shift into gear. The repair took a couple days longer than expected because the wrong part was sent the first time - a manual rather than automatic shifter. They communicated regularly regarding the status, and were very helpful and clear in addressing other concerns I had about the car. And I love the waiting room - they have artwork and a piano!

I went to Orion Automotive on the strength of reviews here at Angie's List and other websites. Unfortunately, my experience left a lot to be desired. One very nice thing about Orion Automotive is that the staff are exceptionally friendly. As far as repair shops go, they have the most personable, communicative staff I have encountered. Sadly, the negatives outweighed this aspect for me. I made an appointment to drop my car off and dropped it off promptly on the agreed-upon morning. They didn't look at my car that day or the next day. Finally on the third day they checked it out. They stated that because I said I needed it back Thursday (they checked it out on a Wednesday) they thought they could postpone, not realizing it may take them more than 1 day to repair it, apparently. But regardless of when I said I absolutely needed the car back, an appointment is an appointment. That was not the only punctuality problem. The rest of the time my car was in there shop, which was a while (maybe 2 weeks total?), not one single time estimate was correct. I was forced to make a variety of arrangements to get around because while they offered to give me lifts, my needs did not fit their schedule. Finally my car was fixed and I took it home. Then my drive belt started screeching loudly every time I turned my car on. This was one of the items replaced. I had to take my car back to Orion to get that fixed. They did adjust that for free. Overall, the staff are very friendly, but their punctuality leaves a lot to be desired. If you want a friendly staff and don't rely on your car for your primary transportation, then by all means take it to Orion Automotive. If you are worried that you may not be able to drive yourself to work if your repair is not completed on time, I would recommend going elsewhere.

This was a long time ago and so I can't remember all the details of the transaction. I am rating them because I got a note from Angie's List asking me to rate them. They were very nice and seemed very competent. I can't remember the owner's name but he seems very bright and very energetic. It took them forever to fix the car--at least 2 weeks as I recall. However, it is my recollection that they told me from the outset that it would be awhile, so I can't fault them completely for that. Still, it was a very long wait.

The folks at Orion were a huge help when we were selling our Subaru. The car, which had never had any problems, overheated while being test driven by the potential purchasers. We were pressed for time (the wanted the car for a weekend trip) and stopped by Orion after a quick phonecall. It was Saturday morning and they were getting ready to close up shop for the day, already had cars in the bays, etc. but they fit us in and diagnosed the problem. I compared pricing for the repair and they were very competitive. The professional, yet very friendly attitude won them a loyal customer. Great service, great price, great people.

These folks are tremendous. I can guarantee you that I will have them work on this car again. I found them through this website (Car Talk mechanics reviews) after I broke down in Ann Arbor, and I had no idea who to go to for help. I live in Lansing, so it would have been too long a haul to get it either home or to a Mini Dealer (Mini is now made by BMW, so that's the make that I listed). Anyway--I called these guys on a weekend and had my car towed there on Sunday, without much warning for them. Still, they looked at the car and diagnosed the issue right away, and I had the car back in two days, just in time for an out-of-state trip that I had. They knew about the trip, and must have fast-tracked it, given how much business they probably get. I can't say enough about them. I talked to each of the guys over the few days they had my car, and each of them knew exactly the information that I needed, without even having to go ask. Though I have a mechanic here in Lansing who's wonderful (see this site for their review, too!), I will use Orion for routine maintenance like oil changes, and come to Orion for any other issues that come up. I am pretty picky about who I let touch my car, so please believe that this is a reliable review! I even like the artwork in their small yard outside the office... seriously!

I found this place through Angie's list. I had a talk with them about what I wanted done, as well as my philosophy of maintenance which they agreed with. I brought the car in, they inspected it, told me what they thought needed doing, along with an estimate. I agreed, left the car with them, and rented a car (they paid half of the rental fee). I picked up the car at the end of the week. They ordered the instrument panel lights but didn't have them in yet, so they asked me to come back next week for a couple of hours. While I was driving the car that night a MIIL light came on that had nothing to do with any of the work they did. They did fixed the MIL light (brake switch) and the IP bulbs for free.

Great - I wish more service shops were this straight forward.

They are always very professional. They keep the costs low and give good service. You don't see many Sprinter vans around but this shop will work on them. I have the van converted to an RV with a turbo-diesel engine and they will readily work on it, while most shops won t.