CTR Automotive

Near the end of May, 2016, I was preparing for a cross country road trip in my low mileage, 1978 VW Bus. Because I wanted to make certain that I would have no trouble on the road, I took the bus into CTR Automotive in Janesville, WI for a complete, “stem to stern” checkup (those are the exact words I used). They assured me that working on a classic VW was “no problem.” I outlined a couple of the problems I had been having, such as starting and battery issues. I explained exactly what I wanted done, such as checking the charging system, batteries, etc. Then I reiterated that I wanted it gone over “stem to stern.” Perhaps they don't understand plain English there. “Stem to stern” means “check the whole vehicle.” This is what they did for me: they replaced some worn rear axle parts. They checked the batteries, charging one, and replacing the other (the secondary battery). The secondary battery was hooked up to a relay switch that would keep it charged for using some of the interior electrical without draining the main battery. They replaced the muffler and tailpipe. They replaced a burned out taillight bulb. All this would have been fine, except for a couple of items. They apparently didn't think to check the charging system of the bus, which would have explained the nearly dead main battery. When they put the secondary battery in, they removed the relay, and hooked the battery up to absolutely nothing! I was assured, when I picked up the vehicle and paid the $1200 bill, that it was “good to go.” So, two days later, I headed out on my road trip. Two days and 600 miles later, I was stuck in a nice little town called Searcy, Arkansas, with a vehicle that would not charge, would not start. Since I was headed to Houston, TX, as a first major stop, I arranged to have my brother in law drive to Searcy from Houston, rent a flatbed trailer, and tow the bus to Houston, where I found a mechanic who would work on it. Two weeks and $950 dollars later, with a new alternator and voltage regulator “under the hood,” I was back on the road. But my cross country trip was no longer in the cards. My "trip of a lifetime" was over. Time, money, and frustration took that away. Listed below are the charges that I incurred because CTR did not do the kind of checkup on the bus that they should have: Searcy and Houston $55 hotel bill $72 wrecker bill (to get the bus on the flatbed trailer) $147 flatbed rental $125 gas (1020 miles/18 mpg x $2.20/gal.) $950 repair bill (voltage regulator, alternator, labor) TOTAL: $1304 If I had not had family who were willing to give me a place to stay for two weeks, this bill would have been much, much higher. CTR decided that they were at fault for pretty much the secondary battery issue, and not much else. They gave me a check for $300, since they decided that that was all the liability that they had for their negligent and substandard mechanics. The bottom line here is: Unless you need nothing more than an oil change, tuneup, or bulb fixed, CTR might not be the place you want to trust your vehicle's care.

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My daughter's car needed some brake line repairs when her brakes suddenly went out. They were prompt with a fair estimate, did the repairs well, and came in a bit under the cost that they quoted originally. The only "issue" was that I had expected them to call me Saturday afternoon when the vehicle was completed, but I ended up having to call them Monday morning. Not a big deal, but it's the reason that I didn't rate them A across the board. Other then that, they were great.

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went well

Let me know the car could not be repaired after inspection. Did not charge me for their time. I appreciated their honesty and would go back to them again in the future - with a different car.

They were wonderful. They were friendly and they told us what was wrong right away and we replaced one of the back brakes. Not them someone else actually fixed it.

My wife was getting ready to go on an extended trip out of town when her check engine light came on.  She stopped by CTR Automotive, they did the diagnostic test and it showed that the gas cap was clogged.  They cleaned it off and sent her on her way with no charge.  They are extremely honest, they can work on both domestic and foreign cars, and they stand by their work.  I will continue to go to CTR Automotive, in fact, the only people we will use.

I would recommend CTR to anyone for any kind of vehicle, domestic or foreign. 

I had them do work on a 2002 Grand Caravan Sport and my old 1997 Malibu.  They did the job and know what they are doing.

 I have had nothing but good and reliable service, fair prices,  and respectful treatment. 

These guys are pros.

Excellent/ Highly reliable.  Do what they say and say what they do.

They quote a price and stand by it. If there's a surprise, they call first before repairing and adding it to the bill.

They keep the customer apprised of developments.

Very honest.