Car Mechanic
Tim I found a great mechanic through this forum years ago. There are other threads out there on this topic. I go to Scotty G. Auto MD. The most honest mechanic I've ever met. Yes, very reliable.
JB400 
Bessie 
mohepinoke 
GC Went to Dimensions for the first time recently. Very happy with their service and impressed with their honesty!! It's on East ave.
concernedfriend If you actually want it fixed right, try On The Move Auto- right behind Leo's and the bridal shop on Main Street. Knowledge and service gets it done well here.
The Rhyme Animal Scotty G. - he has been faithfully maintaining my vehicles for years and I have yet to question anything he has recommended, said, or done!
Kurt 
BLUEFISHED 
Shutterbug 
CraftBeerBob 
Luckygirl 
Joyful Scotty G replaced my alternator. Used incorrect hardware and it came loose. Broke down on Route 80. Had car towed to auto repair place in Denville. They found that an obviously wrong-sized bolt caused the alternator to almost fall off and the car stopped running after all the warning lights came on. They were nice enough to install a new bolt for free, re-mounted the alternator, and the car was fine. I will not bash Scotty G because the previous repair was fine. I like Scotty, but am afraid to take my car back there. I've been using Hoff's Automotive on Grand Ave ever since and have been very satisfied. YMMV.
Jesse 
Dansker Tibor/Riverside Imports. He is in The Shell Station on Rt.57 right next to Dairy Queen. Most honest man/mechanic I ever met.
Jacqui Scotty G Auto MD, very honest, one of the only places I feel comfortable leaving my car, saying "go over it, do what ever it needs". No need to worry about having to remortgage the house to pay the bill! VERY HONEST AND DEPENDABLE
Tony I've been using Valley Auto for years and have never had a bad experience with them.
Mr. Resident Scotty G! He has been taking care of my Odyssey for years now..At one time it needed everything from not being used. When I got my airbags replaced at the dealership they did a free check of my vehicle, and found over a thousand dollars of work to be done..Went to Scotty and he said none was necessary..He has never lied to me, and always explains what needs to be done..And if I can wait a little bit, he tells me that too! He always has time to fix even the little things on my van(like changing bulbs) right away..None better..
abigail 
CBGB 
Consigliere
Mansfield mama Do any area mechanics still only charge $75 hr labor rates? I think most are $90 an hour now. I know Valley is $90 hr and I believe Camp's is as well.
Lenny Rock 
H-Town Man Stay away from Hoff's! Place is a ripoff and charges you double of what others are charging! Went there once and for a road test charged me half hour labor for a 2 minute ride, oh and I knew the mechanic too! I never went back to that dump! Jeff at Main street was awesome and very honest and reasonable and I trusted him. Only set back with him was he was a little slow to get car done. Sorry he is no longer in business. Thankfully I took auto mechanics in high school and can fix a lot myself.
Sergio Qureshi Scotty G is amazing and incredibly honest/trust worthy... so glad to see so many share my experiences.
pmnsk My driveway. But for the few things l can't do, Hackettstown Motor Imports. Been using Ray for a long time. Good guy.
Eperot I highly recommend Dimensions on East Ave. I've been going there for many years.
The owner is positively honest, reasonable, and does great work.
Joyce 
pieguy Z Car Service right outside the gate of Panther Valley. Very honest, fair prices and a 1 man show!
pvman We've been using Hackettstown Motor Imports (HMI) for more than 4 years since Diamond Auto closed down. Nothing but good words and recommendation for HMI.
b1rd1e Just curious for any feedback. Has anyone used Rich and Sons garage on Route 46 on the Hackettstown / Independence border?
https://www.facebook.com/Rich-Sons-automotive-and-truck-repair-264840346866134/
Both the rear hatch and hood on my Grand Cherokee do not stay up, need to replace the support struts. Don't know if this is the right name but they don't stay up, need to hold them. I don't know who to call, not the dealer of course. Suggestions?
justwondering justwondering
You're right, they are called struts and you can normally order them online or at Advance Auto, Autozone or other parts store and replace them outright, though you do need a piece of wood strong enough to support the weight of the hood/hatch and/or an assistant to help support the weight while you bolt a new one on. If they're held on with rivets, rather than bolts, it's not as straightforward and you need both the new rivets (which may or not be supplied) and a tool for replacement. That said, I think you're more likely to have "bolt up" ones. I'm sure there's a DIY type video on youtube to show you how to do it, depending on your exact year and model.
Phil D. Lenny- We use Rich and Sons. Rich used to work for a shop outside the area and worked on cars in his driveway as a side gig. We've been using him for a while. It's great to see that he has his own place. He's reliable, fast, and has fair prices. We have had quite a few things done and have yet to be disappointed.
Flowers My wife changed the struts on a jerp in minutes. Not very hard give it a try before you pay someone.
Roywhite 
Calico696 Tynan's Service Center on RT 46 across from Mavis Tire place. Been going there for years.
Rudy 
Lili Agree with multiple things here -
The rear door struts on a Jeep like that are a really easy project most people can do themselves. Hold the door up, undo two screws, replace the strut, put the two screws back.
However, if you don't want to do that then any mechanic can handle the job. I still recommend both John's and Valley. Plus is you need a side job, then Calico's husband "Horatio" is about as good as it gets. (and my friend Bubba's best buddy)
Don't go to Budd Lake Transmission & repair - liars and misquote the price.
They are on Rt 46 (opposite Connelly Ave) near Days Inn, and across Dominos Pizza.
Pyc I have been a customer of Scotty G's for over 7 years and never had a bad experience. They do great work, are competitively priced, provide loaner cars and no surprises. I recommend them without hesitation.
jono Ditto on Scotty G. Customer 10+ years and nothing but great service every time.
Mamaof4 Mike at On the Move Auto, Ray at HMI, and Roy at Dimension are all great mechanics, you can't go wrong with any of them.
Not one of them will steer you wrong :)
Gman Kevin was the mechanic at Camps for years so anyone who had work done there he did it , finally opened his own shop the past 2 yrs , email me if you want his location , he's very busy so appointments are recommended,
DLD 
iJay 
Kimberly Torres 
SquirrelGirl 
Kate S I personally recommend Valley Auto, best in Hackettstown. I've been going to them for over 20 years.
Danny Bell Valley Auto. About as honest as the day is long. Brought my wife's Saab in there about 5 years ago for an input shaft replacement. The part failed 11 months after that and I went to Valley for another replacement. After looking at his records, ted informed me that his repairs have a one year warranty and he'd do the job free of charge, both parts and labor. I was shocked that a mechanic in this day and age would do that. I'll never go anywhere else.
I have to agree that Ted at Valley Auto is really great. Honest, reliable, and has never overcharged us.
Rebecka 
Love To Sing Steves pit stop and also Valley auto. Warren county tech studemt will also do your car. They Did my brakes front and back my rotors and a wheel alignment and all I had do is pay for the parts. Which the school orders and they also get a little discount on them.
Jillvpv Scotty G's - honest, reliable and high quality work - every time, for all our vehicles over years.
How does one go about scheduling repair work with the Warren County Tech students? Is there a special number to call?? I think I need new rear brake drums.
Recommend motor city garage - located on east plane street. Great team of mechanics. Very pleased with their service and professionalism. I took my car to them after another mechanic recommended I junk my car. They immediately found the problem and fixed. Very pleased - give them a try.
Htownnewbie Honda owners.....Scotty’s or the dealer on 46? Which would you choose? Why? Thank you.
Guilty-Remnant Mike Huffert On The Move off of main st. is the best mechanic. Very reasonable and honest. Cares about making sure your car is safe to drive. Would not go any place else.
goldenretriever4 
Amused Seeking an honest and good mechanic for a diagnosis and possible repair of an issue for my 2013 Ram 1500. The problem may or may not be a serious engine issue, hence the need for a solid diagnosis. I read through this thread but many references are pretty dated, so thought to ask for more relevant referrals. Thanks!
theolgamer 
Greg East Forest Garage - 4 E Forest Rd, Budd Lake 973-347-7877.
Owner Bob is a great guy and Very Honest.
Rich at Rich and sons on Route 46 in Independence twp- honest and skilled at diagnostics. Also gives 10% off labor to teachers and first responders.
sportsfan 
Debbie 113 
Stymie theolgamer
Does it set an engine code and give you an engine light? If so, have you had the codes read to find out what kind of issue is indicated?
callitlikeIseeit Thanks very much for the replies and recommendations everyone. @ PhilD, no engine light or check code. Getting what might be the ‘Hemi tap’, but it could also be a loosening at the exhaust manifold. I’m hoping for the latter as research indicates it’s a relatively quick and much less expensive repair.
Theolgamer
Yeah, unfortunately, that kind of thing is less likely to set off an engine code, at least as far as I'm aware. There are still things that take a good old fashioned diagnostician to find and fix. Like a frozen or sticking IAC/BYP valve.
If you don't have a check engine light and are hearing noise from your engine I would have it checked out as soon as possible, especially if you have a hemi engine. The HEMI is prone to all kinds of mechanical failures from dropped valve guides to seized lifters. I recommend you find a qualified mechanic, some of these bozos will cost you alot of money in misdiagnosis. https://www.ase.com/Landing-Pages/Car-Owners/Find-a-Repair-Shop/Shop-Locator.aspx
OP I have used Motor City on Plane Street, very happy with them. Just normal brakes and oil changes though nothing of your magnitude.
An exhaust leak on a Ram will indeed set the check engine light with an O2 sensor code. And exhaust manifold gaskets are quite common on Hemi. I've done 2 sets on mine already.
Whip In a similar vein, anyone had much experience with Kozimors on Route 46 in Independence?
Yes, great guys, good prices, never do more than necessary, honest, been using their services for 20 years for my trucks and Subaru's right after dealer warranty expires.
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