Laurel Heights Automotive

Jesa Gentry

★★★★★

11 years ago

Very professional and trustworthy! I have been using their services for years and I do not trust anyone else to work on my vehicle. Always straight forward with what I needed and very good estimates. Dennis Day is one of the best mechanics in the Kansas City area!

Chet F

★★★★★

3 years ago

Justin and his father are always great and go the extra mile. I’ve taken everything from a classic GTO to a 2021 jeep gladiator diesel into this shop. They really know their stuff and take the time to thoroughly walk you through the repairs needed. Then they do the work in a timely fashion and for an extremely good price. Do not hesitate to trust these guys and bring your cars in for repair. I won’t take my cars anywhere else

Matthew Moore

★☆☆☆☆

Edited 2 years ago

I never thought I'd write a bad review about Laurel Heights Automotive. I'm usually loyal to a fault and once I find a mechanic and/or shop I trust, I go back to them time after time. Laurel Heights may not be the most budget friendly shop in Raytown, but it's always been a place I have trusted with my aging automobiles. Recently I brought my 2018 Ford Escape to their shop to address several concerns going on with car. Running diagnostics, they had a laundry list of issues they needed to address. All in all, the costs were over $900 for the repairs, including the evap valve that I knew had been giving me problems for some time, a sensor, a tune up, and an oil change that I didn't ask for. After paying the bill, I drove across the street to Hyvee, ran in for one item and when I came back out, the car flashed all kinds of warning lights telling me to service immediately. So I drove it back to the shop, again right across the street, and the put it back up on the lift to see what was going on. Turns out, the car had a bad auxiliary water pump (that they changed later on after I left the car in their hands) as well as a failing water pump that was "seeping". This caused me a lot of confusion seeing as I always check for leaks and never noticed anything under the car, but they assured me it would have done it without me even knowing. Apparently the water pump issue showed up on their initial diagnostics, but they didn't look into it, and let me drive off their lot with a car that was basically out of coolant. The mechanic sat down with me and worked hard to convince me that it wasn't their fault that the water pump failed but this issue existed prior to bringing it in. After spending some time researching the issue, turns out this was the main problem and reason for bringing in the car and that the coolant was actually seeping into the engine and mixing with the oil. I'm sure the other repairs were needed, but why not address the main problem? All symptoms pointed to this being a water pump issue, but they didn't even notice the car was completely out of coolant? Additionally, could it be that they had to do the oil change in order to get the car to run right given the amount of coolant that had mixed with the oil? Really appeared to me like they had to intentionally avoid this issue. The way it was explained to me, the water pump could be babied for a while and I'll just have to keep an eye on the coolant levels until I can afford to take it to the dealer (as they don't even work on those?). Turns out this was bad advice, as coolant mixed with oil is very bad for the engine and my $1,000 job could end up costing me $7,000 to get a new engine. Their advice should have been to park the car and not drive it until I get the issue resolved. I think "imminent engine failure" would have made this a more pressing issue, but that's just me. A few weeks later, I brought my 2007 Chrysler van to address an issue with the passenger side wheel bearing that turned out to be a tie-rod issue. The mechanic refused to work on it due to how rusted the car was, I was still charged a diagnostic fee even though it wasn't written up in the computer and as far as I know, he never ran diagnostics, and was told "good luck" and to get a new van as soon as possible. No, I'm not a big client and they have plenty of work to keep them busy (probably why they didn't want to work on my water pump to begin with), but I'm no longer referring friends to use them, and I will be finding a different shop to take my vehicles. edit: A: You didn't contradict anything I said. B: The van can be fixed without putting it in the air. C: Trouble shooting on a car to find the problem isn't always going to be easy. The tune up was the correct action in determining the issue. Yet still, the water pump was on the original diagnostics that you showed me and is apparently a very common issue with these cars and it was completely out of coolant when I drove it off your lot. That's why I'm frustrated that you missed it and with the bad advice I was given.

Mark Lyle

★★★★★

3 years ago

My 2012 Jeep Patriot I have always been impressed with Dennis Day and his son Justin Day. I never have to worry that they will try to sell me a service I do not need. They are both very professional and completely honest and that means a lot. I trust them completely and know they will take care of my vehicle just as if it was one of their own. I will always take my vehicle to them for repair. They are the best in my opinion. They treat me like I am a member of their family.

Brennen Asbridge

★☆☆☆☆

a year ago

Sent my wife in for an inspection on her car. They told her that the front struts were leaking and quoted her $1,100. I checked the front struts and the boots were intact and not leaking. They did however somehow miss the fact that front brake pads were toast and rotors were warped. If you're going to try to take me for a ride at least fix the parts that need fixing.

Eric Potter

★★★★★

2 years ago

We have used Laurel Heights on several occasions. We had an engine replaced in one of our cars about three years ago. This week we had some issues with our breaks. The team was able to get us in and taken care of. They have always been extremely honest and fair with what needs done with our cars. I won’t take our vehicles anywhere else.

nichole Fetty

★★★★★

5 years ago

Very prompt service. Best value, they don’t price gouge you like most shops. Communicate extremely clearly (even printed a diagram for better understanding of a shift assembly issue). They keep in contact after services to ensure that all issues were fixed to your standards. Definitely one of the best mechanic shop experiences I’ve ever had.

Patrick Tedesco

★☆☆☆☆

Edited 2 years ago

Well, never thought I would have to write this review about this business. I’ve used this business for at least 10 years and always got the feeling I could trust them. The guys who were owner operators when I began going there were, I believed, always upfront and honest with me. Anytime I had a repair and they came back with a price it always struck me as very reasonable. I thought the new owner appeared to be carrying on in the previous owners footsteps. However, for the first time, when I was given the price for the repairs to my vehicle the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I just felt that something was not right. After checking with a reliable parts person who has access to the exact parts they listed on my invoice they made a 124% increase, at least, on the parts for the main job. I understand the place has to make money but to me that’s way too much of an increase. Of course this is a review so I’ll let you, the consumer, decide for yourselves if this is acceptable. It is not for me so I will be ending my long and what I thought trusted relationship with Laurel Heights!

Ryan Casey

★☆☆☆☆

a year ago

Disappointing as they performed a state inspection on my daughter’s car, failed it, put on the wrong size shocks and did additional damage. She returned the car to resolve 3 times only to be dismissed. Took to alternate shop to fix and dropped off wrong shocks and Laurel Heights when complete along with second bill. After weeks of non returned voicemail they offered to replace cost of shocks but no labor or other damages. My family has used this shop for years but clearly they do not value the female customers or standing behind their work or mistakes.

Stacy Denner

★★★★★

2 months ago

Excellent work - very nice people !!! Extremely pleased with this shop !!!!

Michael Warren

★☆☆☆☆

a year ago

Very unprofessional. I had a 2:30 appointment on a Monday and they wasn't even present for the appointment. Then I went to a 8:30 appointment two days later and they tood me to leave my car because they couldn't get it in for another two hours for a diagnosis. I never had a a Tuesday appointment so you are lying and when I came back today which is Wednesday for my 8:30 appointment at 8:20 you told me you can't get to it for a couple of hours and to leave it. I came 15 minutes early to the Monday appointment only to see the doors locked and nobody there. Be honest. I wouldn't have mind waiting if you were going to start at my appointment time.

Liz Albin

★☆☆☆☆

10 months ago

I took my chevy malibu in for a state inspection. They failed my car, saying that the rear brake pads were completely gone to the point where it had caused damage to my rotors, and I would need brake pads and rotors in the rear. That was a shock to me because I hadn't noticed any sqeaky noise or vibration when slowing down. I questioned them on the thickness of my pads, and they told me my break pads were at 1mm thick. Oh, they also quoted me about $500. "If I wanted them to do it, they could fit me in". I took my car to another shop, didn't mention my brakes, and they warned me my brakes were getting low but still passed me. Now that I actually looked, my brake pads were not 1mm like laurel hieghts said. They were 3mm instead. I understand that needs replaced anyways, but to lie to me and fail my car for MVI?? Makes you think they did that because they thought I wouldn't check, doesn't it? Some people will blindly trust this place, and it's a shame. The minimum brake thickness on brake pads to fail an MVI is 2/32nds of an inch, which is 1.59mm FYI. They lied to try to get my money. They should have actually measured my pads and passed my car, but let me know they were low. Some of us are just trying to have legal tags to get to work. Also, guess what? My rotors are just fine!! I am attaching a picture. The red shows a failing measurement. Laurel Heights will lie to get your money! I'm convinced they wouldn't have done this to me if I was a man. EDIT: thanks for your response, laurel Heights. I came into your shop on on 3-28 and it was under Liz Albin. I passed at a different shop on 4-2, continued to drive on those same pads daily until today when i changed them(2 months later). If anything, my pads today are less thick in those pictures than when I brought my car in. It said on my failed mvi slip I failed for rear brake thickness.

Sean Fischer

★★★★★

7 years ago

Came here because my trailer lights were jot working right and i had some electrical issues. They fixed everything on my list and even added a new trailer wiring harness so i dont have to use an adapter anymore. Ive been going here for the last year and all the work that they have done on my vehicles has been great.

NaTasha C

★☆☆☆☆

Edited 8 months ago

Edit. You did not fix the issue. When you brought my car back, the brakes still went all the way to the ground. And it was not a few months later. Mid April to early to mid May is not a few months. I wrote the review a few months later. I have no reason to lie or make up anything. You may have changed the hose, and I appreciate that, and I thank you for coming to get the car thanks to my neighbor, but the other shop had to flush out the brake fluid and re-bleed the brakes just like the tow truck driver said needed to be done. I have had no more issues stopping since the other shop did that. I have put a lot of trust in your company, and have spent a lot of money on repairs for a few cars there, cost has not been an issue if something needs to be done. I pay whatever you all ask for without an issue. You have never heard me complain about cost or give you any issues paying, but if I'm paying I don't expect to have issues that soon, especially trying to stop while I have my daughter in the car, and that soon. You have not heard me complain about anything, and in the past I have given you a great review and have referred people to your shop. I only trusted y'all to work on my car, so I'm not all of a sudden trying to talk bad about your company. This is my experience, and I won't let you call me a liar. I don't plan on going back and forth. Could it be that you all just made a mistake like humans do? No, you want to get on here and down play what I'm saying so you won't look bad. I am changing my review from 5 stars to one. I have taken my cars here many times and never had an issue. However, I did not have a good experience my last visit. I needed to get my car inspected so I could renew my tags, and I also had a few other concerns. This was in mid-April. They gave me a whole list of things that needed to be done in order to pass the inspection. They said everything was urgent and could not get it fixed a little at a time cool. I approved the work. One of the things they said I needed was new front brake pads, rotors, and calipers, even though they noted it looked like a had new brake pads, which was true. Okay, whatever. That alone was almost $900. A few weeks later, the first week of May, I'm out with my daughter, and I can not stop my car, brakes all the way down to the ground! Thankfully, I was not going fast, and there were no cars around. I ended up in someone's yard in a small ditch, and thankfully, the homeowners were nice. They were in their yard already. I called the tow truck company to get towed. I told the driver how I had just got new brakes. The driver told me that Laurel Heights probably did not bleed the brakes properly, and air got into the brake line, and from the amount of brake dust on my rims, the brake pads were probably cheap. I called Laurel Heights, and they wanted me to bring the car to them, but my neighbor got them to come get the car from my house while I was at work. I saw on my camera that they drove the car, which I do not understand how. There was some conversation between my neighbor and Laurel Heights. In the end, Laurel Heights said I just needed a hose replaced. They replaced it and brought my car back. I get off work, get my key from my neighbor, and drive the car. The breaks are still going all the way to the floor. It is taking a really long time for the car to stop. Im thinking, let me drive it around the block to maybe get the fluids flowing. I drove straight through the stop sign because the car was still not braking properly. I ended up calling another shop. Had the car towed. $150. Guess what? The other car shop had to flush out the brake line and re-bleed the brakes....which was almost another $400 for them to look at and properly fix the brakes. My car has not been right since I took it to Laurel Heights. I drove better before they did all that work. That could have been a very bad/ tragic situation for me and my daughter!!!!! I will never take my car here again. I paid them, and we could have lost our lives or hurt someone else from the faulty brake job.

Alonso Castaneda

★☆☆☆☆

3 years ago

Gave false information said the pipe was shooting black smoke saw them turn it on it didn’t even smoke till they pushed the peddle down hard and saw white smoke held it from 9 to 4 guessing they wanted to charge for extra things and placed the bolts in wrong. To reply to yours then you guys have gotten lazy and no one complained when I dropped it off and I would have paid you to put it back but got irrational when I said I couldn’t leave it and pay 90$ storage fees. Besides I can have the owner turn it on and ram it for 10 seconds and no black smoke would come out.

Jeremy Lotz - Personal

★★★★★

3 years ago

Helped me beforehand with options and then pulled off a quick, affordable, and very skillful install of interior LED lighting in my car. No wires visible anywhere! Even closed doors and turned off the lights in auto bay to show me how they'd look at night. Couldn't be happier...class act, these guys. The pics def don't do it justice.

Chrissi

★★★★★

a month ago

My husband and I have had nothing but the best service from these guys. They have been able to get our vehicles in quickly for an affordable price and great work done.