Northwood Garage
258 1st Nh Tpke, Northwood, NH 03261, us
(603) 942-8882
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About this shop
- Hours
- Specialties
- Specializes in Brakes and MufflersSpecializes in Radiator workOffers loaner cars
- Loaners
- No
- Notes
Score card
They are always honest | 4.9/5 |
They are competent | 4.8/5 |
Their repair price is reasonable | 4.4/5 |
They complete the work in a timely manner | 4.9/5 |
They respond well when they screw something up | 4.4/5 |
They take the time to explain the problems and necessary repairs | 5.0/5 |
They treat male and female customers in the same manner | 5.0/5 |
They are always honest | 4.9/5 |
I would use this mechanic again | 1.0/5 |
I would recommend this mechanic to others | 1.0/5 |
They fix the problem the first time | 4.6/5 |
The shop is located in a safe neighborhood | 4.9/5 |
The hours of operation are convenient for customers | 4.3/5 |
They are near public transportation (or provide loaners, shuttle bus, rides as needed) | 4.4/5 |
Reviews
Nov 22, 2004
Owned & operated by Jim & Linda Grant. Jim writes the
southern NH counterpart to "Car Talk". They opt for
thorough and complete repairs, but ask your approval
before doing more than the minimum required. They and
their mechanics are courteous, friendly, and have a swell
sense of humor. Guarantee varies by the type of service,
but overall, they are extremely fair and honest.
Admittedly, this is based on anecdotal evidence, since
I've never had a problem or complaint with any of their
work. I believe they have only one loaner vehicle, but
that's not a problem for many people in this rural area.
Nov 22, 2004
Owned & operated by Jim & Linda Grant. Jim writes the
southern NH counterpart to "Car Talk". They opt for
thorough and complete repairs, but ask your approval
before doing more than the minimum required. They and
their mechanics are courteous, friendly, and have a swell
sense of humor. Guarantee varies by the type of service,
but overall, they are extremely fair and honest.
Admittedly, this is based on anecdotal evidence, since
I've never had a problem or complaint with any of their
work. I believe they have only one loaner vehicle, but
that's not a problem for many people in this rural area.
May 08, 2005
Never had a problem with workmanship and Jim loves to
solve difficult problems.
I worked in a repair shop long ago for 3 years and think
this is one of the best.
Nov 07, 2011
- N/A
May 12, 2009
Wow, I just realized that I've been going to the Northwood
Garage for over 36 years! Back when I started it was owned
and operated by Bob Grant and his son Jim was one of the
mechanics. Now Jim owns and runs the business with his
lovely wife Linda.
I have very rarely ever had to take my car back for
something that wasn't fixed right the first time. On the
few occasions that I did, Jim always made things right
immediately and without additional charge.
Jim is a diagnostician of the highest order, not a part
swapper. It's clear that his goal is to do it right and do
it right the first time. But he's also a pragmatist. I had
a friend who put a hole in the oil pan of her old Mercedes
diesel wagon. There was no way she could afford to replace
the forged aluminum pan, even with a used one. I sent her
to the Northwood garage, and Jim was able to come up with
cost effective solution that lasted till the car eventually
went to the junk yard.
Mind you, this is not to say that the Northwood Garage
charges bargain basement prices. There are cheaper
mechanics in the area. But the prices are fair, certainly
no more than what you'd pay at a dealer, and the quality of
service is far better. And unlike a dealer or even some
independent mechanics, Jim is going to tell you if your car
has reached a point where you should be thinking about
getting a replacement rather than pouring more money into
the old jalopy.
One last story. In all the years I've been going to Jim,
the one time I went to the dealer instead, I regretted it.
Based on mileage, it was time to replace the timing belt on
my Toyota. As luck would have it, I got a coupon in the
mail from the local Toyota dealer for timing belt service at
a very low price. I took them up on it. No problems or
drama, the work appeared to be fine. Except, about 10,000
miles later, the water pump needed to be replaced. It was
then that I remembered that whenever Jim replaced the timing
belt on my cars, he always advised me to replace the water
pump at the same time since the cost of the part was a minor
part of the overall cost of the repair. Sure enough, by
going to the dealer who didn't give this same advice I, in
effect, ended up paying for that timing belt twice.
Having a smart, honest, reliable mechanic is such a joy. I
should have such luck in finding a good doctor!
Nov 11, 2009
You will never leave this place wondering if your car was
repaired correctly, or if you were charged too much.
Bring in an estimate from another shop, and they will be
happy to give you a competing estimate, and most of the time
they are cheaper. Bring in a quote on tires from one of the
big tire chains, and Jim will probably give you a better
price, and the tires will be installed by a competent
technician, not some high school kid doing this as an after
school job.
Jim's wife, Linda, makes awesome chocolate chip cookies I am told.
Jun 15, 2010
I am not a car fan. My car is a tool, nothing more. A necessity in this rural area,
and a tool to get from point A to point B. I maintain the vehicle by checking the
oil and tire pressure, and leave the rest up to the folks who know what they're
doing: Jim and Linda Grant, and the folks at Northwood Garage. They know
what they're doing. They are realists when it comes to alternative solutions to
expensive car repairs. They take the time to explain what they do, and how they
do it... even to automotive morons, like me. And they recognize that, even
though people can be quite emotionally tied to their cars, it helps to have a
mechanic who is patient and practical. And they're good people, too.
Dec 03, 2010
Jim and Linda really go out of their way to make it right
for the customer. Service is A+ If you have an emergency
with your vehicle, they do everything in their power to
solve the problem. A good motto and analogy for their
business is that of the TV show, "Holmes on Holmes" "Make it Right", meaning make it
correct the first time and with quality workmanship and not
to have to redo somebody else's mess ups. It's wonderful to
have a small hometown shop that you can trust with all
your vehicle needs.
Dec 17, 2010
Jim and Linda are very sensitive to the fact that cars are
necessary evils. We need them when we need them. They are
very honest and will tell you when something needs to be
fixed but won't just suggest work to increase your bill.
They are very concerned about their customers and won't let
a car leave the shop that isn't right. If there is
something that needs additional attention they take it back
without question until it's right. The free loaner is a
very important feature for me. They are great business
owners plus great friends.
Jun 18, 2015
- LarryT222
While I would say Jim and Linda are nice folks, they had a habit of breaking things on my car and then denying that they were at fault. This happened a total of 4 times over a 3 year period. Now I understand that when you work on a 10 year old car things may break but PLEASE take a little responsibility when something is your fault!

Geocoding courtesy of USC Spatial Sciences Institute