The Auto Depot

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909 Prairie Trl
Austin, TX 78758

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(512) 836-9767
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The Auto Depot - Austin, TX
Reviews
( 139 )
( 24 )
( 1 )
( 4 )
( 37 )

Best

Jim has fixed my Jeep and my wife's Honda for years. He's done body work, brakes, struts, and most recently an A/C repair. I was quoted $1,600 for A/C work at another shop. Jim lo...

Worst

Jim really takes care of people. Sometimes it takes a while but he always comes through. My car has no problems thankfully but I've seen him fix all kinds of problems on other p...

Unique and satisfying experience 5/2/2011

Jim Ernst and his staff at The Auto Depot are absolutely unique in my car-buying experience. They go out of their way to ensure satisfaction, and they are a pleasure to deal with. One gets the impression that one is buying a car from an old friend, rather than just a dealer. The place is funky in the best Austin tradition. more
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Definitely Recommend - Found the car I wanted. 4/21/2011

My experience at The Auto Depot was great. They found the perfect vehicle that met all the requirements I needed. Would highly recommend to anyone. Timely service and friendly staff. They stayed after hours to make sure everything on the vehicle was in top shape to get me on the road. Not only that I was also given a warranty! Great shop. more
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This Business is not BBB Accredited 4/18/2011

F - Rating Reason for Rating BBB rating is based on 16 factors. Get the details about the factors considered. Factors that lowered The Auto Depot of Austin's rating include: * Failure to respond to 2 complaints filed against business. * One complaint filed against business that was not resolved. Customer Complaints Summary 9 complaints closed with BBB in last 3 years | 9 closed in last 12 months Complaint Type Total Closed Complaints Problems with Product / Service 9 Advertising / Sales Issues 0 Billing / Collection Issues 0 Delivery Issues 0 Guarantee / Warranty Issues 0 Total Closed Complaints 9 more
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Quality work - Jim is a good dude . 4/16/2011

Took a sharper/harder turn than needed a week back in my 93' Ls400 (that i bought from Jim about 2 yrs ago) and snap! power steering hose burst. I cudn't drive cuz it being flammable, etc.. all over the engine. Had it towed to the Depot and left it to the lady upfront. Less than week later got a hold of Jim saying it was all done. Got there paid half of what i imagined and he even added freon to the a/c which it needed. Bout to take my girl's car in for fender bender work. more
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Great Body Work Repairs @ a Fair Price 3/15/2011

Jim has done some bodywork on my vehicle twice and I have been extremely happy with the way it turned out. He runs a professional shop and has an experienced staff to boot. He not only worked with me on the price he gave me a discount for paying cash. On top of that he gave me a loner car so that I was able to continue to get to work.. Jim is a great guy and I found him easy to get along with. It is nice to see that a little part of ""Old Austin"" still suvives. Check him out. I think you will be pleased.\r \r Robert C. more
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Look here before you buy 3/6/2011

The Auto Depot is a good local company that offers repair and body work at fair and reasonable prices. My experience with the Auto Depot has been very good. If you need a reliable car at a price well below normal car lots I would recommend them highly. more
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Sell your car at Auto Depot!! 2/18/2011

If you have a car that you want to get rid of fast for fast cash, call Jim at Auto Depot. He'll give you a fair price and get your car off your lot the same day. Very happy and will refer him to friends. more
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Best Auto Shop Around 2/15/2011

The Auto Depot relieved me of my car worries. They fixed both of my cv axles that were broken. They repaired them in a timely manner while I waited in the waiting area. I even got to look at my car while it was on the lift to see myself where the problems were. \r \r The mechanics were so friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Mr. Jim, the owner, was nice as could be. He gave me such an affordable price for the repair... which beat all the other auto shops' estimates. \r \r Mr. Jim is such a down to earth guy, too. The whole experience was very relieving, because my car was fixed and it was such a drastic affordability compared to all the other shops in town. \r \r If you need anything at all with your car, take it to The Auto Depot. I will always carry mine there for any problems my car might have later on. This business had a great impression on me. It's hard to find reliable and honest mechanics. I was so gracious for the kind of help I received with my car issues there at Auto Depot. more
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Fraud 2/13/2011

Don't waste your time and keep your money in your pocket. Jim talks a good game. Makes promises he doesn't keep. Takes your money and doesn't deliver. Appears to be honest and sincere. All kinds of accolades from the Austin Chronicle hanging on his wall. Doesn't mean a thing. Run away! more
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Service is Above and Beyond 2/8/2011

I have to get some maintenance done on my car for the second time at The Auto Depot, and it reminded me to write a review about my first visit there a couple months ago. I initially went to Auto Tek in South Austin where they quickly came to the conclusion that I would need work done costing about $250. I decided to get a second opinion. When I got there, Jim drove me in my car to listen to the problem. He then drove me to the Discount Tire down the street where the guy there took a look at my tire. He said all I needed was to replace it. It only cost me about $80 to fix my problem. Jim went above and beyond by driving me to ANOTHER business, talking to a guy there so I could get a good deal, and sticking with me after his shop's hours of business. I'm definitely going back this time around and I tell everyone I know to go to them as well. more
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Friendly service 2/8/2011

Jim really takes care of people. Sometimes it takes a while but he always comes through. My car has no problems thankfully but I've seen him fix all kinds of problems on other people's cars. You may need to have patience cause this place is real busy but they can take care of anything that a car needs. I wanted a special car that they didn't have in inventory, Jim searched for it, found it for me and fixed it up so it is almost perfect. Still waiting on my hood mat and warranty. Highly recommended. more
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Fast and Affordable 1/27/2011

The Owner Jim was upfront and honest. Told me what needed to be done and what it was going to cost and when my car was finished. Car was finished the same day he said it was going to be and actually saved me money. When was the last time a car bill came back cheaper? Great place if your on a serious budget more
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Thank you to Jim & his team!!! And I did my homework!! 1/25/2011

I can't speak highly enough about Jim and his team. I used to live in CO and one winter my breaks went out and my Acura rolled down a hill damaging my door. I haven't had the fund to be able to afford to fix it and over the years it has just gotten worse and worse. Finally it got to the point that my door just wasn't shutting anymore. I took it to Jim and he worked with me on price. I was able to get my car door fixed and it looks amazing!! He and his team did an amazing job and I can't thank them enough. Jim stayed in contact and was always upfront on everything! I did my homework and I look at all auto shops in the area and their ratings and I am VERY PLEASED with the work!!! Thank you Jim!!! more
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Beware 1/23/2011

Do your homework. Check out Austin BBB website-F rated. Also check out Kelly Blue Book values for salvage vehicles. The value is so low KBB does not rate them. They are almost worthless. Also and this is the most important -after reading this review if you still want to buy a car/do business with Auto Depot make sure you take a picture of your car if it is returned to Auto depot so you will have proof when your custom rims are replaced with stock rims. Better yet stay far, far away from this place. Something fishy is going on at this establishment. . Do not believe the five star ratings as they are bogus. more
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Unbeatable 1/10/2011

I found out about The Auto Depot while on the way to work one day at a stoplight. The owner, Jim, rolled his window down in the vehicle next to me, telling me he could fix my car and would like to give me a quote. After a friendly meeting, and an enticing quote I was on my way. A month later, after doing some additional research and setting some aside, I was back at his shop ready to do business. Jim was able to give me a great price for fixing a nasty smashed rear door and trim on my Impreza WRX. The paint quality and matching looks great, even with an odd color, a dark red pearl. It doesn't even look like it the wreck happened, and my car is finally looking the way it should once again! The work was completed very timely, and the stated deadline for completion was met. I was even given a loaner car for the 3 or so days mine was being worked on. This in particular was a big point for me, I need a car, and while it wasn't the nicest looking thing, it got me to work everyday. Was a pleasure dealing with Jim and his crew, I would recommend. Ryan more
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excellent service 1/5/2011

I bought a '99 Mazda Protege from the Auto Depot recently. I chose them mostly due to the 1 year waranty on the car, which I couldn't find anywhere else in my price range. They also picked me up and dropped me off at work, when seeing the car, which was really nice. more
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The Very Best 1/4/2011

I have had the pleasure of doing business with Jim and his experienced friendly crew for the past year+. They not only helped me locate the perfect vehicle for my situation but also have bent over backwards to accommodate me and my family during harder than usual times. I shopped around a lot for a used pickup in the Austin area a few months back. Trust me when I say that I ran into my fair share of lemons , swindlers and down right scams before I picked up an Austin Chronicle and read an article about The Auto Depot. Needless to say, I have never looked back. Jim and his crew are good people.. These are not folks who make their money by selling the same car over and over again to different people. I will definitely continue to do business locally here in Austin with Jim and The Auto Depot. -Austin W. more
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Great place to purchase a vehicle! 1/4/2011

My BF purchased a vehicle for us, from Jim about a year ago and it has been great. I will definitely recommend this shop to family and friends!! more
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I will go back again 1/1/2011

We purchased a car from Jim several years ago and it has been fine. It came with a warranty but nothing serious ever went wrong. I recently wrecked my Toyota truck and Jim gave me a reasonable estimate. They fixed it while I waited; they ordered the new parts ahead of time and just needed to install them. Everything went fine and I would recommend them. Their prices are low because their overhead is obviously low. If you want a glitzy clean showroom with high prices, then go to the dealer or go back to Dallas. But if you are concerned about how much it will cost and and don't mind a little funkyness, you will like it there. I think they are capable of just about any type of repair and the downtime appears to be related to their ability to obtain the specific parts for the repairs. It seems like they try harder than most repair shops to do a good job at a good price. more
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I'm sold 12/31/2010

One word to describe these guys - ""Legit"" - From the time I set up time to have an estimate, until the time I drove away in my repaired vehicle, I felt like the folks at this place were going above and beyond anything I expected. I have had my car repaired at several different places over the years and these guys beat out their competitors in customer service, price point, quality of work, and timeliness. Definitely ask about what deals you can get by combining jobs. I was very surprised and very happy I got two jobs done for the price I budgeted for one. And the work looks great. Hats off to Jim, John and others for their wonderful service! more
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Voted 7 times Austin Chronicle's "BEST OF AUSTIN" AUTO SERVICE & REPAIR AWARDS

Owner Message

  • Voted 7 times Austin Chronicle's "BEST OF AUSTIN" AUTO SERVICE & REPAIR AWARDS! We are a full-service auto repair shop that believes in quality work & value pricing (see website for price guarantee info). We specialize in repairs for most imports & domestics including HONDA, TOYOTA, GM, NISSAN, FORD, CHYSLER, DODGE & MORE...We also provide full service auto body repair & paint (including antique & classic cars restoration/repairs). Did you know we also SELL cars? With "full-blown" warranties & 30-day test drive. We want to earn your business and keep you (& your car) happy! We also offer special discounts for NON-PROFIT organizations, plus our 30 day guarantee that you will NOT find a better deal elsewhere or we will refund the difference PLUS 10%. Call Jim and tell him "CitySearch" sent you...

Additional information
  • Hours: 8:30 am to 6:00pm M-F Saturday 10am-3pm
  • Payments: Visa, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: North Austin Civic Association
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