Joyce Motors (Arlington, VA) Mechanic(s): Frank Joyce et al, Mike
3201 N 10th Street , Arlington, VA 22201 (703) 527-2218
Features and Specialties:

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Survey results:

They are always honest
They are competent
The repair price is always reasonable
They fix the problem the first time
They complete the work in a timely manner
They respond well when they screw something up
They take the time to explain the problems and necessary repairs
The shop is located in a safe neighborhood
The hours of operation are convenient for customers
They treat male and female customers in the same manner
They are near public transportation (or provide loaners, shuttle bus, rides as needed)

Reviewers Comments:

Great place. Gives complete information on problem and treats everyone with equal consideration and attention.

Joyce Motors has been taking care of our cars for 11 years. We wouldn't dream of going anywhere else. They are totally honest, always polite and endlessly patient.

This is a shop that has been serving arlington since 1940. Ownership has remain in family. The shop has ASE approved tech,s, state of art equipment. Above all these facts, honest is best asset, their word is their Bond. Give them a try and you'll return.

This guys are good. Honest to a fault (said my oil was clean enough that I didn't need to change it as part of my 30,000 mile service). Fair prices. Five minute walk to Metro (and right behind the Silver Diner!). They close at 5:00 pm, and no weekend hours, which could be a problem for some folks.

Joyce Motors offers great service at competitive prices. Metro and Red Top Cab are avalible within a few blocks. It is a family owned shop that always makes you feel like part of the family.

Recently moved from the DC area, and I really miss Joyce Motors. I went to them based upon the feedback received on this site, and I was never disappointed in the ~5 times I needed to bring one of our three different cars in. They are truly honest mechanics--case in point: We owned a '92 Mazda MX3 that running very roughly and had already had several repairs on it. We brought it in to Joyce and after inspecting it, they said that there were almost three thousand dollars worth of repairs in the engine and they would recommend not wasting the money. -Check 'em out. Enough said.

Joyce Motors did an excellent job of diagnosing my 1990 Honda Civic's problems, and of providing me with cost-effective "levels" of service (what I needed to do to keep the car from falling apart, what could wait until my budget recovered...) I was especially pleased *not* to be treated like a clueless woman (although I was clueless...) - the mechanics took time to explain all of their recommendations and did not make me feel stupid. Many thanks to the Mechan-X-Files for pointing me toward Joyce!

I take both of my family cars to Joyce Motors, near the Clarendon Metro stop. This is a first class operation that does high quality work at about 75% of dealer's price. The only problem I've encountered is actually getting the car in for service. Despite the fact that they rent out four bays in adjoining shop, they have so much business, you have to book weeks ahead for routine work. During the summer it can take a week just to get an appointment for an oil change.

They treat you like a Lady and explain everything before repairing your car. The JOYCE family is respected in the area for their personalized service. Give them a try, you will be surprised.

This shop is a good service shop that treats the customer right. Their prices seem high although admittedly I try not to get things fixed in the DC area if possible. They fumbled an explanation about a future problem I might have.

Mike has handled everything from a complete overhaul on my 10 year old Honda to trying to find the annoying disappearing noise in the steering column. He has always been scrupulously fair about pricing - to the point that after checking *everything* for the Disappearing Noise and finding nothing wrong (and no noise), he refused to take payment. Take your car here! Today!

This is a 60 Year Old Family business, which care about theirs customers and friends. The Father,Daughter, and Son-in-Law are on hands owners who take personal pride and honesty in this business.

First time I have used them. Based entirely on the survey results at the Car Talk web site. Survey's seemed to be backed up by the service I received. Job was a Timing Belt replacement (Honda car is more than 8- years old) including the balancer seal and a 60,000-mile servicing and tune-up to include the oil change. Work included replacement of rotor and cap, plugs, coolant, etc, in addition to the major stuff. Price was in line with what I have heard on the radio program. Though they have no weekend hours, they stand behind their committments to an appointment. Had the job done with in the agreed to period. Very good at telling you what the work entails and if it involves any recall issues. I have been looking for a reliable mechanic. I think I have found one.

I had taken my Ford Aerostar to 4 repair places, including a dealer, all who could not even read the computer much less fix my problem. Joyce was able to diagnose and fix my problem in one day, leaving me very satisfied.

They have serviced my cars for over 15 years, and have been quick to tell me if anything I wanted to have done was unnecessary at the time, to estimate how long it would be before the work was needed, and to explain why "mystery problems" had occurred. Sadly for clientele, their body of satisfied customers is so large that it is really necessary to schedule work well in advance, and one rarely knows ahead of time when a starter motor or ignition coil is going to go "poof". Their address is: 3201 10th Street N , Arlington, VA, and they are in walking distance of the Virginia Square (3 blocks) and Clarendon (8 blocks) Metro stations.

I found the mechanic to be very honest about babying my '87 Honda Accord along. He told me exactly what was desperate to be repaired, what was a good idea to repair, and what may be coming up down the road. He tried to find the cheapest parts for the car, and when it was time to let the car go, gave me many options when making that choice. I am not sure if they are the cheapest around, but they are reasonable, fair, honest, and really fast! They did not treat me as a dumb woman, as other repair shops have. I recommend them.

I started going to Joyce Moters after reading reviews from this section of the Car Talk site. I've been pretty happy with the things I've had them do from oil changes to brake work to exhaust system to fixing a broken window rod. I'm still not fully convinced that they are the best priced, probably a bias I get from having been ripped off by other mechanics in other shops/states, but they take the time to discuss the problem, don't do the work unless you O.K. it and are always ready to listen and explain what is going on and what needs to be done. They are right by the Clarendon Metro, but the lack of weekend hours and the prompt 5:00 closing time can make it hard to get there before they close. Also they are very, very, very popular with people in the area - many of the folks are constant customers which speaks well for them - so calling ahead makes a great deal of sense. I've noticed that there is no phone number listed so here it is... 703-527-2218

As a young-ish single woman I'm always wary of mechanics. When I moved away from my family and their mechanic, I needed to find someone trustworthy. I looked at the reviews for Joyce Motors here and decided to give them a try. They have been great to me. They don't do anything unnecessary, they work quickly, and their costs are very reasonable. While they do close right at 5, they always make it easy for you to pick up your car. They are very convenient to metro as well.

I've taken my car to Joyce motors for work several times and have felt the service was honest and straight foward. Will return for future work

I've been taking my car to Joyce Motors since 1988 (the *same* car, I might add). In all this time, none of the mechanics has left (except one who retired). They have added some new ones, as their business keeps increasing. They are unfailingly polite, patient and never partonizing to us women. I almost feel like they're part of our family (although my standard parting words are, "hope I don't see you again for a long time.") They are scrupulously honest; and they always call me to get an OK for a particularly expensive job. Their prices probably are not the cheapest, but the peace of mind that comes from knowing I haven't been cheated is worth a lot to me. (In addition to which, they've no doubt saved me money in the long run by helping me find the most cost-efficient methods for extending the life of my 1986 Honda.) It's true that their strict 7:30 to 5:00 hours are not convenient to everyone. There are some workarounds, though. Several times, I've dropped my car off at night, put the key in an envelope and slipped it through the mail slot in the door. Conversely, when I couldn't get there by 5:00, they have locked my key in the car and I picked it up later, using my spare key. (I imagine that before they'll do that, they need a credit card or to be satisfied that you'll come in the next day and pay!) It's also true that you need an appointment, especially for non-emergency work. I always respect that rule, and I know they appreciate that. As a result, many times they've worked me in as soon as they could if there was an emergency. And several times I've stopped in with a strange sound or smell, and they gladly took a quick look to decide whether it might need immediate attention. Bless their hearts, once they even replaced my headlight in the pouring rain, so I wouldn't get a ticket from the vigilant Arlington Police. I'm sure this all sounds too good to be true, but in this case it is actually true. One more thing. They don't roll their eyes when I start a sentence with "Well, the Car Talk guys said . . . ."

They were an excellent shop that I found online. Dropped off my car after making an appt and they fixed the job in 1-day. The price was reasonable, although not rockbottom. But more importantly the service was great and the car front brakes were fixed properly. Will take my car back in a heartbeat. VW Jetta '97

I took my car to another mechanic who told me I needed $800 worth of work. Not believing them, I took my car to Joyce Motors and didn't tell them what the other mechanic had said. Joyce Motors checked over my car and said it was in great condition. They charged me a very reasonable price for the state inspection, oil change, and general car check.

After bringing my 2000 Avalon to another shop with mediocre results, I found Joyce Motors on the Car Talk website. I'll be sticking with Joyce for the time I'm in the area. They're honest, and they take the time to explain what's up. I highly recommend them. Two things to consider: 1. it can take up to about a week to get an appointment, so plan ahead; 2. hours are 7:30-5 M-F. They're accomodating given the not-great hours, though; they take credit card info over the phone and lock my key in my car so that I can use my spare to pick up later in the evening.

Dropped my car off for a tune-up and was amazed by their response. Rather than do unnecessary work, as I've had done by other mechanics in the past, Joyce actually explained that my sparkplugs, etc. were fine and didn't need replaced. Saved me over a $100. They didn't make as much as they could've on this repair, but they gained a repeat customer. Impressive.

Found Joyce Motors through this website several years back. They do quality work and at reasonable rates for the DC area. I have been impressed by their honesty having several times suggested that they do something (e.g., replace 4 tires on my Jeep) only to have them tell me that it wasn't necessary. Mike does a great job explaining what is up and what needs to be done. He offers you the range of options, for example on a slave cylinder he noted that I could just let it go until it failed, could try flushing it, or replace it. The hours aren't super convenient (7:30- 5:00), but they are a block from Clarendon Metro and I routine drop the key early and then have them lock the key in the car and get in with my spare after passing my credit card to them by phone. Don't think you can go wrong with these guys. Have recommended others and they have had only positive experiences.

Have been bringing my car to Joyce Motors since 1998 - never had a problem with them. Like other customers, several times I thought my car needed work/scheduled services, yet after an inspection the mechanics stated there was nothing wrong or my car did not need the work. This is a great place and I trust them to service my car.

GREAT guys. Saved me a ton of money, after a competitor broke my steering column when replacing a turn signal switch. The Bad Shop broke the sheering pins on the steering column, and then told me it'd be $600 to fix. Pushed the car accross the street to Joyce Motors. Mike the Mechanic took one look at the situation, pulled the bad steering colum out and took it accross the street to the Bad Shop and told them to replace it or he would go to court with me and sign an affidavit indicating why the column was broken. The Bad Guys provided a New Column and Mike put it in for just a small labor charge. He's got my business for life.

When another mechanic broke my steering column (and gave me the car back without telling me), mike went to bat for my wife and I. He took the old column, which the first guy tried to deny he had broken in an attempt to replace a faulty turn signal switch, and pointed out to the bad mechanic exactly where he could prove (in court if needed) that the first guy had broken the sheering pins on the column. Next thing I know, the bad mechanic is providing me with a replacement column, and Mike puts it in for a very resonable cost. He's been our mechanic ever since, and I would Never go anywhere else.

I think Joyce Motors is terrific and wouldn't dream of taking my car anywhere else. I've been taking cars (first a '72 Dodge Dart, then a '93 Toyota Camry, now a '09 Camry Hybrid) to them for many years. I've found them to be honest and fair. I once took my '93 Camry to the Toyota dealer to replace a window, and the folks there told me I needed $2000 worth of extra work on the car. I took my car to Joyce Motors, along with the Toyota dealership's list of things to be repaired. They checked the car, and Mike told me that none of those things needed to be done, that the car was fine. He did not charge me for checking the car. I took the car to another repair shop one time, and they fleeced me. I learned my lesson and will stick with Joyce Motors as long as I still live in the area.

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