PBC Automotive

I bought used 25 year old Miata that I needed to be looked over by a mechanic to figure out it's condition and what needed to be done. Christian knows Miata's like the back of his hand luckily and did a full inspection inside and out of the vehicle to assess the situation. He was easily accessible on the phone during business hours and answered the numerous questions I had regarding repairs patiently. The cost was very reasonable considering the attention to detail needed to go over this cars every part and the variety of time consuming repairs needed.

went to PBC Automotive last Wednesday to ask if they had a 2 inch hole saw and could cut an insert for "top hats" or in other words extended strut mounts. The owner said of course. He quoted $471 to install top hats, a speed sensor and replace an o ring in the cars distributor. I drop the car off at 9am on Friday, they call me at 11am because they don't know how to use the original rubber bushings with the new top hats. They also mention having to buy the proper tools to do the job because they did not have them. I call the manufacturer of the top hats and tell them to call the mechanic. The manufacturer calls them and talks for 30 minutes to explain how to install the top hats. I check on the car at 6pm, the owner says they installed the speed sensor and o ring, tells me he is going to change me two extra hours and I can pick the car up the next day. I get to the shop 12pm on Saturday, no speed sensor was installed because they need to replace the heater hose and can't find one. On top of that, my strut was bent but they reinstalled it anyway. The mechanic tells me I am going to need to replace it soon. I complained but paid them $571 to get my car out of their shop. Keep in mind, the original price of just installing the top hats $295. I go outside and look at my car, my hood is crooked because the mechanic didn't check the clearance of the strut tower. The mechanic has an attitude and says he thought the car’s hood sat that way because it is a 1991. They have cars from the 60’s in the parking lot that are straight, he’s clearly trying to **** me off. I ask him to shave a few cm off the strut tower to get the hood to fit, he shaves the whole top of the strut off. I tell him that I didn't ask him to do that and his reply was “I know I did that because you are irritating me, I told you I could of cut the hood.". This guy never said a thing about cutting the hood. Now my hood is damaged, and both of my struts are damaged. The speed sensor I need to pass inspection was never installed. Their customer service was horrible, no one called me to state they needed another strut to install or a heater hose to install the speed sensor. My overall experience with PBC Automotive was horrible. Beware of taking your car here, they do not respect other people’s things or take pride in their wor

.

I ordered the tires from somewhere else, and they delivered them. It was for two tires. I have used them before and they are very busy. It did take a while. They are good and friendly. I have been with them for years. They need to use a better time frame, they said that it would take 30 minutes and it took over two hours. Their price is good and they gave me a discount for it taking so long. They got me in quick.

.

PBC has been my go-to shop for my Miata, my son's Corrolla, my Toyota Tacoma, my Honda S2000, and now will be for my wife's Highlander too. The shop is clean, the service excellent, and the ownership eager to please if you have questions or any special requests. I noticed my wife's Highlander Limited 4WD V6, which is a great car, in great shape, was at 123,000 miles, and I know that 120,000 is an important service, so I knew it had to go in somewhere soon. I was close to taking it to the dealer, but then I reflected on the bad experiences I've had with dealerships missing things, suggesting work that I knew was unnecessary (for instance brakes that I'd just had done elsewhere only a month before), and doing shoddy work.
So I called PBC and set up an appointment. The work was done on time, and they documented the work and retained the old spark plugs for me to see. Case in point about the dealer (in this case Koons Tysons): We had the 60,000 mile service done there, and spark plugs is one of the REPLACE items. On this 120K service, PBC discovered that two of the spark plugs were different and significantly more worn than the other four. They were the two hardest get to (see my note above about this), so guess what? The tech at the dealer had clearly replaced only four, skipping the two hard ones that take the most time, and charged me the full price (which is something like 5 hours in the book), basically stealing from me.
I have a lot of experience working on cars myself over the years as a hobby, so I know a good tech when I see one and understand how things function and what it takes to do certain repairs. I'm very particular about cleanliness and precision, which PBC always delivers in spades. They even washed the car and vacuumed it out before returning it, which it really needed, but I didn't ask for. Take your car to these guys, and you won't be disappointed.

My first repair with PBC Automotive was with my 2003 Ford Windstar van about four weeks ago. I found them to be honest, fair with excellent customer service skills. I was under no pressure from them to proceed. Upfront costs for the engine light problem were completely reviewed and their estimate on repair was under by $250 by the original estimate from the Ford dealership. I highly recommend them and will be using them again for my future repairs.

I have used PBC for a couple of years now after finding them on Angie's List. I like they fact that they let you bring your own parts (my brother is in the parts business). I have had no issues with any of the work performed there. They always are willing to work with me on costs and the shop always is clean and organized. They all seem to enjoy what they do and it shows in their work. No complaints and I will continue to use them.

I contacted PBC and took the car in the same day. After looking the reported problem over, I was contacted with an estimate and advised of the cost and recommended plan of action. I was contacted by Christian, the manager, who explained in great detail our options and associated costs. The work was completed on time and additional recommended work was brought up and explained. We are very happy with PBC and will go back when the need arises.

Very easy transaction. Called for quote, made appointment, brought car in for appointment, work was done very well at appointed time for quoted price.

Overall service was excellent

They found oil leaking from rear shocks and rear pin. They gave me an estimate one one repairs and which was critical. They worked with on costs to keep in my budget. Scheduled to take truck back for need repairs.

Urgently need front brake service on a 2002 Volkswagen GTI. Dash alarm indicator indicted front brake pads needed replacement. According to the Haynes Repair Manual, there were several types of disc brake systems in use on this auto, so we elected to use a professional repair shop, rather than risk making an error repairing it ourselves. We called around and PBC Automotive said they could fit us in on very short notice (same day).

During the repairs, the parts supplier sent the wrong parts over, slightly delaying the completion of the repair work. PNC went to a different supplier who sent the correct parts. The rest of the repair process was completed quickly.

Even though it was not PBC's fault for the slight delay, they provided an additional discount, added to the Angie's List Discount, to make up for our being inconvenienced.

The work was performed professionally. Their staff (notably Christian Fiorilo and Patrick Thomas) were all very courteous. Their facility was clean and well organized. They even had a computer, with WI-FI set up for customer use in the waiting room. My auto was clean when it was returned to me.

We definitely would recommend PBC Automotive to others, and will use them again, ourselves.

This is only my most recent visit of several for my 1997 Miata, but they've also done work on my 2000 Toyota Tacoma. Their mechanics are top notch and the customer service couldn't be better. They go out of their way to be accommodating. I travel all the way from West Falls Church to go here. They care about my car and they care about me. I'm not just dollar signs here, they do great work in a clean and tidy shop. Oh and if you own a Miata, this is THE place to go.

As usual, the work was performed with professionalism, courtesy and efficiency. The visit, though, was merely the most recent in an association that goes back many years -- to 1992 or 1993, in fact, when I purchased an accessory for my newly-acquired 1990 Miata in then-PBC's Washington location. Since then, Pete and his crew have cared for that car and the '04 Miata that replaced it, performing tasks from routine oil changes to some fairly complex performance modifications, the latter still easily within their scope of expertise. I foresee many future visits.

They do a great job every time. The are able to work on my car, which not every shop is able to. Their customer service is exceptional. Their prices are reasonable.

Without hesitation, great shop, easy to deal with, customer oriented.

It worked out quite well. I was comfortable with the price. I thought they were very knowledgable and thorough. It was done in a timely way.

It was fine. I had already purchased the tires and just brought it over there to put the tires on.

Overall they do good work !

They are great. They used to specialize on only Mazda Miatas. Now they do other vehicles as well. I take both my Mazda and my other car to them. Pete is the lead guy. He is honest. I value that in a mechanic because I don’t know what the are doing. I refer other people to them. I have sent, family friends and girlfriends to them.

I have been a customer for years. I take both of my cars there even though they are out of the way. The staff and service is well above average. I recommend to others.

The work was fine. I do not have any complaints. They were pleasant. They did it on time. They did a good job.

I was happy with the service.

They do a pretty good job. I used to work across the street form them. They do good work, but they do not necessarily tell you that they are going to charge you for an estimate. That made some people I worked with upset and confused a lot of people. I took a used vehicle there for inspection before purchase. They put in up on the lift and immediately saw that the entire bottom of the vehicle was rusted and had been spray painted over with black paint to hide the rust. I appreciated the help in telling me not to buy the car.