54th Street Auto Care

STAY AWAY. I dropped off my car for an inspection and when I got the call for pick up, they said they did a tire rotation as well and total cost would be over $200. They never called me to quote for or authorize the tire rotation before doing the work and trying to charge me for it - what shop does this? They eventually removed the additional work from the bill after I protested, but this lack of honesty with a new customer is alarming and displays extreme short-term thinking. If only they had been honest I would have been a long-term customer... that's too much to ask for these days, I guess!

via Google

What a terrific repair shop! Kevin is the best! After the catalytic converter was stolen from my son's car which was parked on 58th and 11th avenue (very common - park in a garage!), they towed the car quickly, Kevin gave us an estimate, helped us negotiate with State Farm, and was generally super helpful, friendly, supportive, and informative. The repair was done quickly as well. We are so grateful to Kevin and his team for getting us through this unfortunate and frustrating event!

via Google

Tow truck driver Sheldon towed my vehicle from NYC to LI. I made the initial call with AAA around 12 midnight on a Friday night and of course, we all know a tow is not quick. Sheldon was kind, clear and managed to get my car safely back to Long Island early next morning (I was in no rush). He was kind and very professional. Thank you.

via Google

AVOID THIS SHOP AT ALL COSTS.
My experience with Service Manager Johnny Beniquez at this shop was one of the most blatant attempts at upselling and dishonesty I’ve ever dealt with in the auto repair world.

I brought my 2019 Honda CR-V in ONLY for an overheating issue. I never saw or spoke with the actual technician who performed the diagnostics — all information came through Johnny. From the moment he called me, it was clear he was setting up an unnecessary and wildly overpriced repair.

Here’s what happened:

• I dropped my car off Friday around 2:30 PM.
Johnny told me “one of our guys will run diagnostics tonight and I’ll let you know what’s going on.”
Then he immediately followed that with, “We don’t work weekends, we’ll fix it Monday.”
So which is it? Diagnostics Friday night or nothing until Monday? Already suspicious.

• He recommended a car rental place that tried to charge me DOUBLE the price of other quotes I received.
Convenient for him — not for the customer.

• Monday, he calls with a laundry list of “issues” that made zero sense.
He said:
• “You had a misfire.”
• “One of your coils is bad, but you should replace ALL FOUR — they come as a kit.”
This is completely false. Coils DO NOT come in a “kit.” They are individual components, and replacing all four is unnecessary unless all four fail (which they didn’t). This was textbook upselling.

• Then he quoted me an OUTRAGEOUS price of around $2,800.
For a “might be” thermostat and “one bad coil.”
Any experienced mechanic knows these are fast, inexpensive repairs — assuming they’re even needed. I called my local hometown mechanic and he confirmed my suspicions, I was being conned and the price quotes was outrageous even for a New York shop. ( my hometown mechanic told me he could tow my car from their shop back to Massachusetts and fix both of the things he suggested for less than 1/2 of what they quoted me”.

• When I showed up and I told Johnny I was picking up the car, he became visibly irritated.
He made me wait for my bill, and then charged me $205 for diagnostics, which I paid — but the attitude was unprofessional and telling.

• The technician’s notes on my paperwork were honest. Johnny’s interpretation was not.
The tech never said four coils needed replacing.
Johnny did.
The tech never diagnosed a thermostat failure.
Johnny guessed it might be the issue.

I drove the car all the way home from Manhattan to Massachusetts, and through NYC traffic, with ZERO problems.
Temperature was stable.
No misfires.
No power loss.
No overheating.
Nothing.

So what happened?
Johnny saw an out-of-state customer, assumed I’d be desperate, and tried to turn a minor issue into a multi-day, multi-thousand-dollar job.

This shop needs to take a hard look at the way their service manager operates because this kind of predatory behavior is exactly why people don’t trust car repair shops.

Update: After reading the owner’s response, I need to clarify the facts so consumers aren’t misled. Look at the notes they provided, speak volumes.

Your shop admitted you could not diagnose any overheating issue — yet still tried to sell me nearly $2,900 in parts and labor (thermostat + all four ignition coils), even though your own report only showed a single misfire on cylinder #3. Recommending a full coil “kit” and a thermostat you could not confirm as defective is not “professional diagnosis” — it is upselling unnecessary repairs, which is a deceptive business practice under NY General Business Law §349.

My independent mechanic (with 30+ years experience) later confirmed:
• Thermostat was not faulty.
• Only one coil was needed.
• The root cause was a failed gasket — something your shop never mentioned.

Your attempt to rewrite the situation in your public response is gaslighting, and the record of the written estimate speaks for itself.

Charging $205 for diagnostics while presenting an almost $3,000 repair estimate without conclusive findings is exactly why consumers lose trust in repair facilities. Your response reinforces my concern that the goal was not accuracy — it was revenue.

via Google

Someone hit our car while it was parked on the street. The car subsequently stopped starting & we had to have AAA tow it. The guy that came to tow was very professional & quick. We had them take a look at it & from the start felt safe in their hands. Kevin kept me in the loop the entire time. He was reasonable, transparent & accurate with time & costs. They fixed the car and had it looking like new in 2 weeks! The detail people really deliver! Rich got us settled up with payment & pick up & was very helpful! I look forward to using this shop in the future & I definitely recommend. Thanks again!

via Google