Prudent Auto Repair llc

(41 reviews)

Auto Repair Stations Ohio Franklin County Columbus South Hamilton Road

Franklin County . Ohio

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Intro
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Location
Reviews

+1 614-845-8080
At the back of building. Behind tire shop, 520 S Hamilton Rd, Columbus, OH 43213, USA

Operating Hours

Monday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Tuesday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Wednesday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Thursday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Friday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Saturday Closed

Sunday Closed

Prudent Auto Repair llc Introduce

Prudent Auto Repair LLC, located at the back of a building behind a tire shop at 520 S Hamilton Rd, Columbus, OH 43213, USA, operates as an "Auto Repair Station." The establishment can be contacted at (614) 845-8080. This introduction aims to provide an objective overview of the business based on publicly available customer feedback, focusing on the reported environment, services, features, and promotional information, or the lack thereof, as perceived by customers.

Environment and Customer Experience

Based on customer reviews, the environment at Prudent Auto Repair LLC, as perceived by some patrons, has been fraught with challenges. One customer describes their experience as the "worst experience I ever went to at a dealership," despite the business being an independent repair shop and not explicitly a dealership. This suggests a significant disconnect between customer expectations and the service received. The physical location, described as "At the back of building. Behind tire shop," might imply a less prominent or easily identifiable establishment compared to a standalone facility.

The core of the reported customer experience revolves around highly negative interactions with staff, particularly a manager named DJ. Customers describe staff as "rude and liars" and DJ as "very rude and disrespectful," "confrontational," and "the main issue of the situation." These accounts paint a picture of a challenging customer service environment where communication breaks down, leading to frustration and unresolved issues. The perception that "NON OF HIS COWORKERS OR MECHANICS LIKE THIS GUYS" further suggests internal discord impacting the customer-facing aspects of the business. Such a negative interpersonal environment can overshadow any technical competencies, leading to a poor overall experience.

Services Offered and Goods for Sale

As an "Auto Repair Station," Prudent Auto Repair LLC ostensibly offers various vehicle repair and maintenance services. The customer reviews specifically mention a few types of services:

Alternator Replacement: One customer sought an alternator replacement. The issue arose when the customer provided their own part, and the repair resulted in a loud noise immediately after pickup. The shop reportedly refused to reinstall a replacement alternator without charging for labor again, citing a lack of warranty on customer-provided parts. This incident highlights a specific service offered, but also a point of contention regarding their warranty policy and initial quality control.
Transmission Repair: Multiple reviews heavily emphasize severe issues related to transmission problems. Customers state the shop "caused me more problems with my car!" and that "Something was definitely wrong with my transmission and he kept ignoring the issue and lying!" There are claims of the shop causing a breakdown, refusing reimbursement, and failing to honor a warranty on a transmission repair. The need to force a tow for reprogramming and external validation from Mitsubishi service about transmission failure points to complex and deeply problematic service experiences in this area.

While an auto repair station typically provides a range of general mechanical services (e.g., brakes, oil changes, diagnostics), the detailed customer complaints specifically spotlight alternator replacement and transmission repair as areas where significant issues were encountered. There is no information provided about goods for sale, beyond the implied parts used in repairs. However, the conflict over a customer-provided alternator suggests their primary business model may rely on parts that they source and mark up, common in the auto repair industry.

Features and Unique Selling Propositions

Based solely on the provided customer reviews, identifying positive "features" or "unique selling propositions" for Prudent Auto Repair LLC proves challenging, as the feedback is overwhelmingly negative. Typically, an auto repair station would highlight features such as:

Experienced mechanics
State-of-the-art diagnostic equipment
Fair and transparent pricing
Customer-centric service
Reliable warranties on parts and labor
Quick turnaround times

However, the customer accounts contradict many of these desirable features. Specifically:

Warranty Issues: A key concern is the reported refusal to honor a warranty on labor when a customer provides a part, and more critically, alleged refusal to honor a transmission warranty provided by the shop itself. This suggests a lack of robust warranty support.
Quality Control: The immediate noise after an alternator replacement and the claim that the shop "caused an issue that broke my car down" point to potential deficiencies in initial repair quality control and diagnostics.
Communication and Professionalism: The most prominent reported "feature," albeit a negative one, is the consistently poor communication and rude behavior from staff, particularly the manager DJ. This is a significant detractor from any potential positive aspects of their mechanical work.
Accountability: Customers report a lack of accountability for issues allegedly caused by the shop and an inability to contact owners to address concerns, which are critical features of a reputable business.

The "features" presented in the reviews are largely cautionary, serving as warnings about potential pitfalls rather than strengths. The reviews directly advise to "PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS SHOP!!!" and describe the business as "shady."

Promotional Information

No specific promotional information, such as discounts, special offers, or loyalty programs, is available in the provided text. In a typical objective introduction, promotional aspects would include how the business advertises its services, pricing strategies, and customer incentives. However, the strong negative sentiment in the reviews overshadows any potential promotional efforts. Instead of attracting customers, the available feedback serves as a deterrent. The narrative of customers being "stuck with an issue they caused" and resorting to "handle this issue lawfully" indicates a severe breakdown in customer relations that no promotional campaign could easily overcome. The reviews themselves, while serving as a form of public information, function more as a warning than an endorsement, which is the antithesis of promotional content. Businesses with such feedback often face significant challenges in attracting new customers and retaining existing ones.

Prudent Auto Repair llc Location

Prudent Auto Repair llc Customer Reviews

I went to the shop and had Joe replace an alternator. I purchased the alternator at AutoZone and he installed it. Upon picking up my car and driving back home, I immediately noticed that my car was making a loud noise and reached out to him. He told me to bring it in the next day. When I came back the next day, he checked it and told me that it sounds like a defective alternator. He refused to install a replacement alternator and told me that I would need to pay him for labor again. He then proceeded to tell me because he didn’t provide the part that his labor does not include a warranty, even when I made the point that my car was loud when I picked it up and why didn’t he drive it and do a test on the alternator before I picked it up. Needless to say he stopped responding to my text messages so I had to go pay someone else to replace the alternator. I would never recommend this place shady business.

May 19, 2025 · Rayna Marshall

This has been the worst experience I ever went to at a dealership! I went there to for them to look at my, and this shop has caused me more problems with my car! They're rude and liars!!! The shop caused a issue that broke my car down and they wouldn't even reimburse for a problem they caused! I had a warranty through them for my transmission, and this guy name DJ is a horrible person! He's the manager at the service department! The guy is very rude and disrespectful to customers! Something was definitely wrong with my transmission and he kept ignoring the issue and lying! I had to forced them to tow my car for them to reprogram my car, they caused ! Mitsubishi even said they notice something wrong that has to deal with transmission failure! EVEN MITSUBISHI SERVICE STATED HE WAS A PAIN TO DEAL WITH! Now I'm out of warranty because of this evil guy! YOU CAN'T EVEN CONTACT THE OWNERS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE! THE WORST PART ABOUT THIS GUY DJ, HE'S VERY CONFRONTATIONAL!! HE LIES AND SAID I THREATENED HIM AND HE SAID I'M BANNED FROM THE SHOP, EVEN THOUGH HE'S THE MAN ISSUE OF THE SITUATION! HE EVEN SAID HE DOESN'T EVEN CARE THAT HE WOULD GET FIRED. NON OF HIS COWORKERS OR MECHANICS LIKE THIS GUYS! I SEE WHY!!! PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS SHOP!!! I SEE WHY BRANDON AND OTHER MECHANICS LEFT!!!! NOW I'M STUCK WITH AN ISSUE THEY CAUSED TO MY VEHICLE! I WILL HANDLE THIS ISSUE LAWFULLY! IF YOU'RE NOT A PEOPLE PERSON THEN WHY ARE YOU WORKING IN A SERVICE THAT DEALS WITH TALKING TO CUSTOMERS!

Nov 11, 2024 · Richie Hart

Very reasonable prices. I was on a very tight timeline and needed some work done on my car before making a trip. He took me in late afternoon and finished same day quicker than I expected. Got full brakes and rotors swapped. Definitely my go to guy from now on. Work and timing was 👌🏾

Aug 14, 2020 · John Landry

The mechanic is a very honest guy and very knowledgeable on cars. He will actually go out of his way to look for other issues and will let you know which needs fixed and which can wait. Very affordable and reasonable mechanic. I would highly recommend him for your auto needs.

Dec 11, 2019 · Stephen Maina

My experience was so bad I'm telling everyone I went there just to get my struts fixed and this guy has caused probably thousands of dollars of problems kept my car for a week no response showed up and guy still wanted me to pay for my car that was not fixed. My car was not over heating and now I have to put water in constantly just to watch it pour all over the ground his excuse is that when he checked out my car it froze and busted the water pump did there was no such issue before. Please if need it is better to go to an expensive place then to him. If I didn't bring my husband this dude would try to take advantage. Dirty if I ever seen one

Feb 14, 2022 · Jeremiah Sargent