Christian Brothers Automotive Madison

Andy Collier

★★★☆☆

4 years ago

I was hoping these folks would be my new "go to" mechanics based on their good reviews. I made an appointment to drop my car for heater diagnosis at 1 pm on a Thursday afternoon. (I also requested quotes on some other services via e-mail which they never responded to, but did e-mail me the quotes when I asked for them in person.) I learned when I got there that the appointment was just to DROP THE CAR OFF and they would try to get to in in 3-4 days! (There IS a note on their confirmation e-mail that I found quite confusing that they were 5 days out on repairs... but I thought - then why are they letting me make an appointment so soon?) They ended up not finding a heater problem, but I got my transmission fluid changed and a new battery. They ended up doing the work on the following Tuesday afternoon. The people were very friendly and did a great job of communication once they started working on my car. I appreciated them sending a quote for what they did (plus some other services I had asked for quotes on, but declined) and letting me "accept" each item before they proceeded. I have no reason to believe that their mechanics aren't very capable and honest. That said... taking five days to change the transmission fluid and replace a battery (and diagnose the heater) isn't acceptable to me and I don't foresee going back unless they learn what an appointment is and how to schedule them. Their pricing also seemed high to me.

Regular Customer

★★★★★

7 years ago

Hello! 11-16-18 was the latest of several of my visits to Christian Bros Auto! First, I liked how quickly I was able to make this appointment! Second, I liked the fast service! They were able to gladly accommodate a shift in my schedule. Third, the explanation of the repair was clear and the price was good. Fourth, they were very cordial! The customer service was awesome! Fifth, and a personal preference, the waiting room atmosphere is like a home. That comfort makes the inconvenience of car maintenance more tolerable. Lastly, my car was ready before the estimated time! I was back on my way to handle other business, with a happy pep in my step from fantastic work on my car and great customer service in the process! Thank you Christian Bros!!! :-)

Terry Howser

★★★★★

2 years ago

Sean and Mike and the whole team at Christian Brothers are the best. They recently replaced the engine in my F150 after it decided to call it quits. I had purchase a third party warranty with the used F150 and they had to work with that company to get approvals for all the work. Sean kept me informed every step of the way and worked hard to complete the job on time for a planned road trip with my grandson! I especially like the email updates with diagnosis and photo evidence which allows me to see what they see and to help me make the best decision on a course of action. The staff is friendly, helpful, and, most importantly to me, honest. They are highly communicative through the whole process and will offer you their advice on all options. You're going to spend hard-earned money to maintain and repair your vehicle anywhere you go, but having a team like the Christian Brothers team to work with will give you peace of mind that you spent the money the right way. I would highly recommend them.

Robert Alequin

★★★★★

a year ago

These guys won a client for life. My car was going to take a while to fix so they drove me to my driveway. They quoted me certain price for the parts and work and it turns out that they had quoted me the price for the wrong part so instead of calling me back to give me a new quote, they reduced the price of the diagnostic test and kept the price of the original quote. Classy ethical company.

D B

★★★★★

a year ago

I had an issue with my Explorer and couldn't really diagnose it myself, as it was more of an issue that was intermittent as the vehicle speed up. I was sure it was an exhaust leak, which I don't have the smoke or smoker tools to proper narrow it down so took it into the Christians Brother in Madison. I got a diagnose and the next morning got a notice saying they found the engine mounts were bad and it was leaning. I have done several motor mounts myself, so I was super relived, went in and expected a small high pressure sales to get me to get it done there. Not once did this happen, they didn't even push the issue. They were super friendly, respectful and wished me a great day! I paid the fee and now am waiting on the 3 mounts to show up and get it done. I can not express how awesome it was to have someone find the issue I could not and did not have the time to, and then not pressure me at all when i said I could do it myself. I would 100% trust my wife or kids to bring in a vehicle and not get scammed. Amazing service, quick communication!

Hugo Juliao

★☆☆☆☆

a year ago

My daughter walks in with her Honda Civic claiming an overheating problem. Honda had previously said and quoted that the car needed the head gaskets and radiator replaced. We brought the car over to Christian brothers for a second opinion, and we were initially told all the car needed was a radiator and a thermostat. We were ecstatic about the quote and were happily relieved that this was the issue at hand. UNFORTUNATELY, after the job was accomplished, we were then told that the engine needs to be replaced. This is beyond unacceptable and shows the level of ineptitude of the staff at Christian brothers. If this would have been the case and the initial diagnosis all along, we would have NEVER approved the work and we would have taken the car back to Honda where the original quote was actually a lot cheaper. I am deeply offended by the dishonest treatment we received from Christian Bro’s service team regarding this erroneous quote. Trust is a fundamental part of any customer relationship, and being misled about the cost and accuracy of service feels like a blatant disregard for my time, money and a severe lack of respect. I expect transparency and honesty from a brand of Christian Bro’s reputation, and this experience has left me questioning their integrity and commitment to customer satisfaction. This level of unprofessionalism is unacceptable and profoundly disappointing. So to wrap this up, I would seriously think twice about bringing your vehicles to CB for service as they are incapable of diagnosing an issue correctly the first time around.

Matthew Perezluha

★☆☆☆☆

a year ago

Christian Brothers replaced the transmission in my 2020 Suburban in February of this year. The transmission was replaced through the extended warranty I purchased with my vehicle. Here I am 9 months later and while having a routine oil change done I am told that my vehicle is leaking transmission fluid. I took the car back to Christian Brothers and they stated that I did indeed have a leak and also that my rear main seal was leaking. They stated the transmission would need to be replaced along with the rear main seal. I took my vehicle for a second opinion because it didn't feel right that the transmission had failed in less than a year. After having my vehicle looked at by a shop that only does transmissions they stated all seals and gaskets would need to be replaced. The transmission was fine other than that. How does Christian Brothers do such a shotty job that the seals and gaskets need to be replaced in less than a year? On top of that, had I not taken it for a second opinion I would be paying well over $6000 for a new transmission instead of the roughly $1000 for new gaskets and seals. I don't recommend Christian Brothers, do everything you can do to avoid taking your vehicle there as I feel they will completely take advantage of your situation and try to seek you on a problem you don't have.

Stephanie Huselton

★★★★★

a year ago

A sensor light came on in my Infiniti and I brought it to advance auto to see if they knew anything about it. They suggested to diagnose it at the dealership, so I got a diagnosis there. I knew it would be pricey, but it needed done. Of course, their quote was high. I took it to Christian Brothers for a second opinion, and gave them the paper diagnosis upon entering. Not only was the staff all very kind and welcoming, they asked if I wanted another diagnosis, and I told them no thank you, that I am fairly positive what the issue was based on the dealerships diagnosis. They called me back barely 30 minutes after I dropped my car off (on Thursday, Feb 13th), and explained that I got an online diagnostic/review of my car. It was a sensor after all, and they ordered it and had it at the store working on my car the very next day (Friday, Feb. 14th). I called the early afternoon of Monday Feb 17th to check on my car, and they said it would be ready by the end of the day. It darn sure was! I got it Tuesday ensuring I had a ride to get it. I didn’t even take them three full days to get my car fixed and I am so thrilled that everything is working great again!! They also provided an oil change for me for around $20 less than express! They also gave me a small discount and I didn’t even ask. I very much appreciated that too! Thank you guys so so much for your hard work and wonderful communication, I will 100% be back!!

Paul Hubbard

★★★★★

a year ago

The whole staff at Christian Brothers is above par. They are professional and friendly, and the shop is immaculately clean. I needed a simple alignment check, they were able to get me in the day after I called, and performed the work quickly. They didn't try to upsell, and were very honest about the diagnosis/resolution (which turned out there was no work needed). Don't hesitate to bring your vehicle to them!

Matt Harris

★★☆☆☆

10 months ago

The positives are that the folks in the office were polite, they communicated well, and the repair was done with promptness. However the repair created a new issue. As a result of having my water pump replaced their work caused an oil leak, which has been a significant issue.

Kendra Mitchell

★☆☆☆☆

Edited 2 months ago

I have been a loyal customer for a number of years. I had an oil leak in my Mercedes 2013 c250. Took the car in to have an oil leak fixed. There was a $195 initial charge to identify where the oil leak was coming from. I had no issue with that cost. It was discovered that the oil was coming from a bad Oil ring washer located on the oil filter housing top which is screwed off and on every time the oil filter is replaced. I was told by tthe Christian Brother rep that the oil leak was noted right away after 4 qtrs of oil was placed back into the engine. A new oil ring washer was replaced on the car. This is not labor intensive at all, at the most it would required 10 minutes of labor to replace the Oil ring washer (a $2.00 part). My initial bill was over $400. $95 of the cost was for a gallon of oil. I just think replacing a $2.00 part (O ring washer) that is very easy to get to, since it’s replaced during a regular oil change along with a gallon of oil and a $195 to diagnose the issue is ridiculous! I definitely will not be a returning customer in the future.

Leroy Holden

★★★★★

6 months ago

They were professional. The prices are fair in comparison to the dealership. The one thing I like about them is the way they communicate estimate of repairs. They come to your mobile phone with a breakdown of everything and the ability to pick what you what them to do from the link.

Merrie Leigh Gable

★☆☆☆☆

8 months ago

BEWARE! If you make an appointment it doesn’t matter. They’ll hold your car hostage all day if not all weekend. We made an appointment for Friday morning, we expected to wait for the repair but they told us they were backed up from the day before so it would take all day. They offered a shuttle, however, they wanted to drop off someone else on the opposite side of town first. They called and said the car was done only to leave 30 minutes to get to the shop before closing time. No offer was given to stay late. Now I have to miss a day of work on Monday to go and get my car. The car had already been diagnosed. They didn’t have to wait for parts. The part was $334 and we ended up with a bill of over $1000. They were rude and not accommodating.

Andrew March

★★★★★

7 months ago

My experience at Christian Brothers Automotive in Madison was excellent from start to finish. The customer service team went above and beyond to make the process smooth and stress-free. During my visit, I had routine maintenance done, including an oil change and battery replacement, and they also took care of a warranty parts replacement with no hassle at all—which I greatly appreciated. I was provided with a clear and fair quote for additional services, and I plan to return once I’ve saved up for that work. I left feeling confident in both the quality of service and the integrity of the team. Highly recommended!

Jen McDougal

★☆☆☆☆

Edited 4 months ago

It pains me to say that I cannot recommend them. Everyone’s experience will likely be different, but based on mine, I just cannot. I convinced my husband to take his vehicle in for a known issue that he just didn’t have the time to do himself. I do not fault them for the length of time they had the vehicle, that is understandable, but rather than addressing the specific issue we brought it in for, they charged (and we authorized) a diagnostic fee (we had already done a diagnostic but they said it was mandatory) and labor unrelated to the issue. Then they informed us that we needed to replace parts that had been replaced within three months of taking it to them. When questioned on this, the person on the phone was not as pleasant as they should have been. We made the decision to just pick up the vehicle and do the repairs ourselves. When I went to pick up the vehicle, the individuals in the shop did not demonstrate the level of courtesy one should show and actually attempted to “man-splain” it to me, despite the fact that I am actually well versed in automotive mechanics. Sadly, after getting the vehicle home, we discovered that the battery terminals had not been reattached properly and the vehicle began to leak the oil that they provided via the oil change. I truly had high hopes which probably explains why I am so disappointed.

Jonathan Prescher

★★★★★

4 months ago

I've taken all my trucks here and I am never disappointed. They always do the right thing. They honor their work far beyond any other shop I've been to. They also don't just hold on to your vehicle forever. The techs here bust their asses to do things right and in a very timely manner. It almost seems LIKE THEY CARE. I will always bring my vehicles here when I need someone. Thanks guys!

Ayden Younker

★★☆☆☆

2 months ago

I had my 2017 Miata serviced there 01/21/2026 to get some maintenance work done. One of the services was a coolant flush, which they originally quoted with universal coolant, which is definitely not compatible with my car since it needs silicone-free coolant. The next day I look in my coolant reservoir and it has Asian pink or Asian red, I can’t really tell. It originally had green coolant in the system, so I was a little surprised. I called and they said any Asian based coolant would be fine (didn’t say the universal coolant was compatible that time). I did more research and that seems correct, but I think it’s a little unprofessional to put a clearly different color coolant in the car. Other services performed were fine, and customer service was great otherwise.