Skf Automotive
214 Portsea St, New Haven, CT 06519, us
(203) 789-9888
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About this shop
- Hours
- Specialties
- Loaners
- No
- Notes
Score card
They are always honest | 4.9/5 |
They are competent | 5.0/5 |
Their repair price is reasonable | 4.3/5 |
They complete the work in a timely manner | 4.8/5 |
They respond well when they screw something up | 5.0/5 |
They take the time to explain the problems and necessary repairs | 5.0/5 |
They treat male and female customers in the same manner | 4.3/5 |
They are always honest | 4.9/5 |
I would use this mechanic again | 5.0/5 |
I would recommend this mechanic to others | 5.0/5 |
They fix the problem the first time | 4.8/5 |
The shop is located in a safe neighborhood | 2.3/5 |
The hours of operation are convenient for customers | 3.7/5 |
They are near public transportation (or provide loaners, shuttle bus, rides as needed) | 3.2/5 |
Reviews
Nov 06, 2011
Nov 06, 2011
Jul 26, 2010
- N/A
I trust Ray enough to sign the title of my car over to him so he could sell it for
me while I was moving. Honest and reliable, knows what he's doing
Jul 19, 2000
For almost 12 years, SKF took care of my two cars, first a Honda Civic and then a Honda Accord. They are honest, sometimes quite frank, do great work, offer their opinions on whether or not performing certain work is really needed at the current time, and their prices are extraordinarily reasonable. As a woman I was always felt vulnerable with mechanics PRIOR to going to SKF. After going there, I knew I could trust them, and that my older, high mileage, cars would likely not break down and leave me stranded (they never did). What a tremendous sense of confidence and freedom. When I lived in CT, I would have traveled anywhere in the state to take my car to them. If I hadn't moved all the way across the country to Washington state, I would still take my car there. I hope to find someone just as good here in the Seattle area, but I don't know if it's possible to get that lucky twice in a row. SKF RULES ! ! ! Lora
Dec 20, 2005
I've been going to Ray for more than 10 years, and I've also
sent my wife, my brother, the maid of honor at my wedding,
and the guy in the next office at work. Sometimes the work
has taken longer than expected, but if he can't finish the
work by the time you need the car he'll put it back into
driveable condition so you use it until your part arrives or
his calendar allows. When you show up to get your car, Ray
pulls out the old parts he replaced for you, showing you
just what the problem was. Sometimes he gives more detailed
explanations with the help of diagrams so that you don't run
into the same problem again. I once brought in a geriatric
car that he'd worked on for several years and he called me
and told me to drive it to a junkyard, that he could fix it
but the car wasn't worth the money I'd give him for the
repairs. A few small annoyances - he closes shop by about
4:30, which makes it really inconvenient to pick up the car
at the end of the day. The neighborhood really sucks - you
won't get mugged, but you might need antidepressants when
you leave, the shop is inconvenient to any major employer in
the city other than the med school, and the streets in that
part of town go in odd angles so you'll probably get lost
the first few times you go unless you have a good map. And
if you bring your car in for a tune-up and you happen to
have changed your wiper blades recently, make sure to tell
Ray in advance or he'll take off your nice new expensive
blades and replace them with cheaper ones, since he assumes
his customers won't have thought to change their own blades
(this happened to me and the guy at my office) - a funny
habit, since he flat-out refuses to engage in any of the
bogus practices of other shops that tell you you need
hundreds of dollars of repairs you didn't know about, so it'
not that he's trying to gyp you. There are buses that go
nearby, check
http://www.cttransit.com/content/routesNewHaven.asp for
routes and schedules, and have exact change. Ray does
exactly what you hope from a mechanic. He fixes your car
well and won't over-charge you for the privilege.
Aug 21, 2003
- N/A
I went to SKF automotive on a recommendation and felt quite ripped off. My alternator needed a new fan belt because it had been slipping. They checked that my battery and alternator were okay and replaced the $5 piece of rubber which I know takes about ten minutes. All that for only $80. I never went back. Maybe it's the problem of being a woman?? The next six years I went to Todd at Tech Auto.
Nov 06, 2011
Jan 22, 2004
My advice: make sure you can describe as well as you can what is wrong. He's told me that it makes the transaction infintely easier and not enough people do this! Also, over the time I have bringing my car in, the neighborhood has improved quite a bit. It's not as bad as depicted in the survey. I highly recommend!
Jul 26, 2010
I was driving my son, his friend and all their regalia up
to school and got stuck with a leaky radiator. On a phone
call alone, I got immediate attention, including a review
of what my regular mechanic should be doing but isn't, and
for $49.00, I got a new hose, a list of instructions on
what to do next, some good advice from a mechanic who
seems to know his Volvos, and my kid back to school. I
will do all my breaking down in the future in New Haven.
Mar 11, 2006
I really must add my own review to the mix. I took my car to
Ray yesterday for a brake issue. I got the recommendation
from this website, and I must say that I could not be more
pleased. They accurately diagnosed my brake problem and
repaired it the same day. In fact, not only did they make
the repair, they checked and replaced some very badly needed
fluids. The extra services they performed for peanuts.
Additionally, Ray notified me of some problems with my
tires, and gave me some excellent advice concerning the
upkeep of the vehicle. It looks like I have found a new
home, and I would like to thank the other posters on this
forum for sharing their experiences.
P.S. The neighborhood is not "bad". I finally understood
when I drove up. Little broader horizons, my friends.
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