Payne's Service Center

Mariah Evans

★★★★★

3 years ago

I am very glad I went to payne’s service center for repairs to my 27 year old F150 after a different mechanic turned me away because the truck was too old. Nate has been very patient and kind and I know they’ve put more than 1 hour of labor into the truck even though that’s all they’re charging me for. He has explained every repair that might be needed and even showed me the specific parts of the engine that could be the issue. I’m someone who worries that I’ll be taken advantage of at places like this because I might not look like I know much about cars and that was not a concern. I definitely recommend them and their services to anyone in Durham and do not believe they pushed me towards any unnecessary repairs. He even offered to call me with a specific prices of parts I needed prior to installation. The folks at the desk are nice & fun as well. I will be returning.

Nyssa Collins

★★★★★

5 years ago

It is hard to find a mechanic you can trust, but I found a great one with Nate at Payne's! I have been taking my car here since I moved to Durham three years ago. He's quickly diagnosed and made fixes on my car, usually within 24 hours, and I have no reason to believe he's ever suggested anything unreasonable. Even with really big repairs, he's done what he can to keep fixes affordable. My clutch exploded a couple years ago and it took out several parts in my engine- after it became clear I'd need a new transmission, he helped me decide whether or not to make the repair, and then found an affordable used transmission. He also is very vigilant about upcoming repairs I might need. I really appreciate having a mechanic who is knowledgeable, proactive, transparent, and kind!

Emma Bogerd

★★★★★

2 years ago

Excellent trustworthy mechanics! They always provide good explanations of issues, which are easy to understand even for someone who knows nothing about cars. They fixed some issues which Firestone caused / couldn’t correct, and gave me a discount to make up for some of the money I wasted at Firestone which I really appreciated. If you are anxious about mechanics ripping you off or telling you incorrect info, you can feel secure going here.

Feras Afani

★★★★★

a year ago

Called about an issue i thought I had. They told me to check a couple things first before bringing in the car and turned out it was a simple fix i could fix myself very easily for 10 bucks. . Saved me a few hundred bucks from coming in earned a spot in my book for honest mechanic.

Chris C

★★★★★

4 years ago

I am fairly new to the area and was looking for a mechanic to service an old car that had a vacuum leak. I attempted to fix it myself but what I thought was broken was too deep for my skill and I was limited on tools. I called Payne's this morning and they said to bring it in and they would check it out. I brought the car in at around 11:30pm and by 4pm the car was ready! I was given an excellent description over the phone to go over the repairs and another when I picked the car up. A great first experience! Trustworthy, professional, timely, very detailed, and truly cares about the client! Definitely recommend and will sure come back for future repairs and maintenance! Thank you!!!

Michael S.

★★★★★

a year ago

I absolutely love Payne’s. They work so hard to help you and are great people. There is sometimes a wait dropping off and picking up but that’s just because they are being thorough either explaining things to customers or going over details on the bays. This shop needs to be highlighted more for the quality and affordability they provide. We’ve been going to them for years and they even work on our quirky JDM classic import without complaint. 5 stars anyday.

Eliza Hartman

★★★★★

a year ago

An incredible automotive repair store! They are really personable but also just want to help with car repairs, without price gouging! Every time my husband and I have gone we feel that the price was very appropriate and the work was always done faster than promised! Highly highly recommend!

Daniel Oliveira

★★★★★

2 years ago

Found out of this place through Reddit - and they have a high reputation. I gave Nate a call the day before bringing my car in and he was flexible in getting me in as soon as I needed the work done. Brought the car in the next day for a battery change and he got it done in 2 hours. The price was transparent, fare, and the quality of the work was great (he even gave me a student discount). Professional people - I definitely recommend this place.

Alicia Alston

★☆☆☆☆

a year ago

I had a terrible experience with Payne's Service Center. I dropped off my favorite 1996 Mazda Mata last week with the understanding that a diagnostic had to be done. The cost I was told $85.00 dollars. Nate called back stated he didn't know what's going on with the vehicle. He named a few things he thought could be going bad like the fuel pump etc... however, never could find the problem. Nate stated the cost will be $165.00 I asked why he charge an extra $80.00 dollars. He replied he had to do extra. He brought the price down to $110.00 dollars after I said to him that's not acceptable. He had my vehicle for 4 days when I call to check update status he replied I'll get to you when I can. I could hear the rudeness in his voice. I'm a RESPECTFUL lady The way Nate spoke to me was frightening . He was extremely rude, he gave me the impression he didn't want my business. "Shame on you Nate"

Arthur Thorne

★★★★★

8 months ago

Nate and his team are awesome, they are willing to speak with you in depth about your car problems and will work hard to get you the best deal possible. They are always busy but very kind and professional!

Holly Botts

★★★★★

a year ago

I have taken several cars to Nate at Payne's Service Center! I have never left their disappointed in the work that has been done to my vehicles!! Before any work is done on your vehicle Nate will call you and explain what he has found, what the problem is, how long will it take to fix it and how much it will cost! Nate takes pride in his work and the people that he hires. His receptionist is also nice sweet and friendly! His prices are much cheaper than some of your chain Auto Mechanic stores! So if you need work done on your vehicle, give pain service station a call! I recommend them and give them 10 plus Stars!!!!!!

M K

★★★☆☆

Edited 9 months ago

Lovely and trustworthy owners. Always felt they were being honest with me and took the time to explain the issues. I loved supporting this business, but unfortunately had a few times too many of poor communication around how long it would take and it was consistently stressful to get car taken care of. It seems they were consistently understaffed for amount of work.

Ben

★★★★★

a year ago

I had a great experience here back in August 2024. My Sonic has had a check engine light (3 different codes) on for a while, as well as some trouble accelerating. When I called a mobile mechanic, they inspected it and quoted me $950 for replacing a few of parts, plus labor. I took it to Payne's instead and the next day (despite being totally slammed with a bunch of weekend drop-offs) Payne's called back and said "yeah, there's oil not draining properly from your turbo, and it's clogging your boost sensor, so it thinks it's boosting all the time now, which is what's giving you that check engine light because it's expecting a different result based on how much gas you're giving it. We can change out that sensor, it'll be about $250 for parts and labor." I said sure, and they had the car fixed and ready to go the day after that. Here we are 6 months later: still driving great, no performance issues, and no engine lights.I appreciate that they were so fast and did such a good job explaining what was wrong and why it was happening. Payne's is now my go-to recommendation for car issues with anyone who asks.

Sheila Leavitt

★★★★★

3 years ago

Nate was AMAZING!! He fixed the vintage Pink Car in record time, with great kindness and expertise. Payne’s has also done fast and efficient repairs to our larger automobiles. Highly recommended for all your auto needs!

Julia Pfrommer

★★★★★

8 months ago

I don't often write reviews, but this place absolutely deserves it! Nate and his team are amazing and go above and beyond. Not only did they replace my belt and idle bearing with a quick turn around time and reasonable costs, they also noticed that my cat cage was causing lots of noise as well and removed it for me. They checked in multiple times via the phone regarding cost and the estimated schedule. I would definitely recommend going here!

anonymous peep

★☆☆☆☆

7 months ago

Do not go here. My sister brought her truck in for what I suspected was a bad clutch. They told us it was the transmission and that they could not get a transmission for her truck. Then tried to offer her $200 to buy the truck. Fast forward a year later I finally had the time to look at the truck and found that the clutch was completely worn!!! There is now way their tech even looked at it. I suspect they just saw a helpless young girl and wanted to take advantage. I even paid them a $100 diagnostic fee. I will tell everyone I know to avoid Paynes Auto!

Rolando L

★☆☆☆☆

3 months ago

After visiting 10+ shops in the Durham area, this one stood out due to the owner's lack of professionalism and inability to accommodate/speak with a potential customer. I understand it is stressful running an auto repair shop but if you don't have 5, maybe 10 minutes to talk, then I can find another shop just down the street with more capacity, professionalism and ability. The difference nowadays isn't how cheap you can get a job done, how fast you can get my car in, or how good of a job you can do but rather how you treat your customers. Unfortunately, I will not be recommending this shop.