Independent Automotive Inc

Jeffrey 2016Rubicon

★★★★★

3 months ago

I had, hands down, an amazing experience with Independent Automotive this past Monday, December 21, 2025. My wife’s 2022 Subaru has around 46,000 miles on it. I have always tried to take great care of it both mechanically and cosmetically. I do 95% of the work myself (oil changes, all the various filters and fluids, tire rotations) but I leave the major stuff to the pros. Like I said, I dropped the car off at Independent Automotive on Monday morning at 8am. And I essentially gave them a blank check. I asked them to check everything and replace or repair anything they deemed necessary. And by everything, I specifically mentioned the timing chain, brake rotors and pads, spark plugs, coolant flush, brake fluid flush, shocks, coil springs, CVT fluid, etc etc. I knew the final bill was going to be steep but, as I mentioned to them, we plan on keeping the car for at least another 6 years so I wanted to start with a clean slate. At about 12:30pm that same day, I received a call from the owner of the shop. He basically said they inspected and addressed each of my concerns and that my wife’s car was in excellent shape and that there was literally nothing on my list that needed to be done. He complemented me on my efforts at taking care of the car - which was really nice to hear from a professional like him and owner of his own successful shop. That meant a lot! He said the car was ready to be picked up so I drove to the shop and they barely even charged me anything for the inspection! I think it was only $75 bucks or something. I felt bad for wasting their time but, again, they were super nice and friendly and SO easy to work with. Needless to say, I made an appointment to drop off my Silverado next week after the holidays and my 4Runner will be next after that!

Maria Jesus

★★★★★

2 months ago

I have been going to Independent Automotive since 2013 and they are hands down the shop I trust most to work on my vehicles. Recently, I was in a tough spot needing multiple repairs right before an important road trip. They were able to get me back on the road right on time.

Dominik V

★★★★★

a month ago

I brought my car in after all of my dashboard lights came on. That’s when they found out that the previous owner had installed an illegal part to hide a failing catalytic converter. Instead of pressuring me to pay for an immediate repair, they encouraged me to submit a support ticket with Subaru of America, since the issue could potentially fall under warranty. Long story short, it all fell under warranty, and I ended up with a new catalytic converter without paying a cent! Honest people who don’t take advantage of their customers. I’ll definitely be coming back for future repairs. Thanks!

kaiden Baqleh

★★★★★

a month ago

KAIDEN B. 2006 Lexus – 1/30/2026 Verified Customer Summary: jared and his crew were amazing and comforting! not a lot of good, true people to help out with car problems but @indepedent automotive they are always going to be determined to help with a problem 🙂 Jared and i had met a while back and we talked about cars and he recommended his shop, im very sketchy when it comes to shops in sparks/reno, but Jared was very informative and comforting on acknowledging the truthfulness on the problems with my car and i couldn’t be more relived, he found the problem, fixed it right away, and was at a reasonable price, any where else would have charged me an arm and a leg, and thats why its always hard to find a good mechanic/autobody shop, who can take care of many problems when it comes to your vehicle, but at Independent Automative Jared and his crew will take care of you in the best way and you’ll feel relived and not intimated! Thank You more the amamzimg service! 🙂 Truly Amazing Less

Jasmine Rippey

★★★★★

3 months ago

I came in to see Independent after getting referrals from three different friends with Subaru’s in the area. Jesse was incredibly patient and informative after my diagnostic, answering every question I had. It’s so intimidating and frustrating to have car issues, and I’d spoken to three different mechanics in a week who were all demeaning. Melissa was also so friendly and got me in for a diagnostic very quickly. I won’t be going anywhere else for work on my Outback.

Ashlyn Osendorf

★★★★★

5 months ago

This is the by far the BEST shop I have ever been to in Reno!! Two weeks after I bought my car from Lithia Subaru it started having severe problems. I brought it in to Independent Auto and they were able to see that the transmission needed to be replaced and that this should have been known by the dealership given that it had evidence of being tampered with in an improper way. Because of their excellent work and clear report, I was able to bring this issue to the manager of Lithia Subaru and successfully argue that they pay the price of the transmission replacement (I believe it was something like 8k). As a young woman who was just out of school and had already drained my savings buying the car this was truly a LIFE SAVER. Now, I only bring my car here (and drive all the way from Tahoe City to do so) and recommend it to anyone and everyone, especially Subaru owners and women. They are honest people who do excellent work for a fair price.

Jeff Gittleman

★★★★★

2 months ago

These guys are absolutely awesome! They aren’t just a “one and done” sort of place. Jessie and his team truly care and, in my experience, will go WAY above and beyond to make sure you’re satisfied. I can’t thank them all enough for all their help, honesty AND CARING! It’s hard to find places like this . . . thank you all!

Jesse Buktenica

★★★★★

3 months ago

These people are amazing! Honest, helpful, kind, they went out of their way to get me back on the road the same day, even working late to finish the repairs! They have earned my buisness for whenever I am in the Reno area!

Vanessa Klaas

★★★★★

9 months ago

Independent Automotive was recommended to me by a friend after the dealership tried to BS me about my break pads at my previous visit. I may not know much about cars but I can smell a scam a mile away. Anyway, I walk into the office and immediately and warmly greeted by the front staff. 5 star customer service. And that's not just because customer service seems to have taken a nose dive over the last ten years, these guys would get 5 stars even in the best days of Mom and Pop service. I took my Santa Fe in due to the fact it completely died on me 2 hours from Reno. Turns out it was engine failure. The team informed me that this was a common situation with my make and model and that it qualified for a total replacement, free of charge, from Hyundai as part of an ongoing settlement. The explained exactly what I needed to know and even told me what to expect when I took it into the dealership. They were spot on about everything. Thanks to them and the knowledge they armed me with I was able to get it taken care of at no cost. Awesome service and knowledgeable staff. I would 100% recommend them to anyone and everyone. Trustworthy, honest, knowledgeable, friendly.

Ruth Brust

★☆☆☆☆

7 months ago

After taking my car to independent auto a couple of times I was happy and thought I'd found a new place to take my car. NOPE! I brought my car in on Thursday morning and waited and waited for the call telling me what they were going to do and how much it would cost. That call NEVER came instead I got a call telling me my car was done and the amount was over $900! When I complained that I was never consulted or given a quote the response was " I can put the old parts back in if you don't like it". Not even a apology for no quote, but doubling down and treating me like crap for being angry. I wouldn't take my car back there if I was paid to.

Ken Twombly

★★★★★

11 months ago

We own 2 Subarus and would not take them anywhere else. My wife stopped in there when the rear view mirror fell off the windshield on her 2009 Forester and was hanging by a wire. Jesse immediately got his tools and reattached it for her. She scheduled an oil change for the next day and expected to be billed for Jesse's time, but they just smiled and told her to have a nice day! The folks take pride in their work and realize that recommendations from established customers are vital to local small businesses. We look forward to a continued great relationship with these folks at Independent Auto.

Michelle Abell

★★★★★

6 years ago

These guys are great! I've been bringing my vehicles for service and repairs for about 30 years. They are always up front about costs and try to save you money when they can with different options for your vehicle repairs. Ken the owner, and all of his guys are always friendly and nice. If your looking for an honest/ no BS mechanic this is the place you've been looking for! They recently put a new motor in my old truck and I couldn't be happier!

Kyle R

★★★★★

3 years ago

Brought my car in for power steering issues. I worked with Tim and he was phenomenal! Passionate, knowledgeable and friendly, everyone there was super nice and welcoming. 10/10 will be bringing my Subaru back to them for everything!!

Halee Young

★★★★★

a year ago

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I recently had my car serviced at Independent Automotive, and I couldn't be more impressed with the quality of their work! From start to finish, the experience was top-notch. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to ensure that my car was repaired to the highest standard. Not only did they fix the issue promptly, but they also provided excellent customer service throughout the process, keeping me informed every step of the way. I highly recommend Independent Automotive to anyone in need of reliable and professional auto repairs. They have definitely earned my trust, and I will be returning for any future automotive needs. Keep up the fantastic work!

Bri Bledsoe

★★★★★

a year ago

Awesome, awesome shop! Communication and turnaround was immensely better than I had expected. The staff are super sweet people, and Jared is very knowledgeable and happy to take time to explain everything. I just found my lifetime shop, and will definitely be looking to them whenever I need any work on my Subie. If you're shopping around via reviews, look no further, this is your place.

Shaylinn Hays

★★☆☆☆

a year ago

Been here twice for a diag. Techs are nice and kind so are the front desk ladies, however as a young woman they tried to rip me off big. Car wouldn’t start up and they told me it was my clutch switch and quoted me $300 to fix it. Considering it was a $50 part I was going to do it myself. It was not my clutch switch that was bad, but a $5 piece of plastic that sits in the clutch to push that pin down. $5 fix and they tried to get $300 out of me. I like to support small and local shops but this was pretty pathetic. I recommend looking at coauto and going to Brenton or Cris, great guys and genuine work.

Alexx Mayes

★★★★★

a year ago

I've been going to Independent for about 10 years. Now, as I look to buy my third WRX, I will continue to go to this shop because of the exceptional quality of their work and their thorough customer service. They always answer the phone, they explain things clearly, and I've never felt upsold or ripped off, especially as a woman. I can handle most small to medium maintenance and repairs on my car myself, but for anything bigger, they're the people to see. While they may not be the cheapest place, you get what you pay for, and I've found that I always end up paying more when I go elsewhere in the long run.