I took my muscle car to Barnes to address an overheating issue. The car was recently restored. Prior shop did not install proper radiator set up. Chuck came up with a solution and had new fans installed. Additionally he identified a number of other issues which needed to be repaired. Prior shop did not install these items correctly. Car is now running and riding great. I will definitely use Barnes again for future repair needs.
Not to be trusted, I was deceived and lied to. If it was possible, I would have given them a no star rating, There was nothing redeeming about my transactions With Barnes automotive.
DO NOT BRING YOUR VEHICLE HERE!!!! I brought my Jeep here for some work. They looked everything over and recommended several other repairs. I agreed, costing me $3500. The next day after picking it up (it was also filthy compared to when I dropped off, which I was willing to overlook) I took it out for a ride. I had a hard time starting it and as I was driving the check engine light went on. I then experienced a loss of my brakes. Luckily, I was in a parking lot. I got it stopped and watched as brake fluid poured out. I had it towed back to this shop. The next morning, I told them what happened and they showed no concern that I could have been seriously hurt or worse. They looked over the Jeep and they said to fix the check engine light would be $360. They came straight out and said it was a result of the “hard time” they had making one of the repairs but still wanted to charge me to fix it. They also kept blaming the broken brake lines on being rusty, even though they did work on all my brakes and my braking system. They said, “it is 23 years old, this will happen”, and did not acknowledge the fact that they have made it 23 years with no problem but somehow mysteriously burst the day after they worked on everything. They suggested I have them replace them for an additional $1300+. I currently have the Jeep at home. I have filed a report with the Better Business Bureau and will be contacting the Illinois Commerce Commission after the holiday. After the holiday, I also plan to contact a lawyer and another mechanic to go over everything that needs to be fixed because of them and make sure they actually did the other repairs. I then plan on filing a lawsuit to cover everything, including repairs, tow costs, transportation costs and any other expenses resulting in their negligence.
Chuck and his team at Barnes saved the day when my vehicle broke down late on a Saturday. After hours tow and repairs completed with OEM parts in a reasonable time. Good realistic updates on estimated time to have my vehicle repaired.
Shop is always in pristine condition. Mechanics knowledgeable and excellent diagnosticians. Communication throughout the process of repairs and upgrades was much appreciated. My 65 chevelle has never run better
I contacted Barnes automotive to replace the mufflers on my 2019 corvette. From the start everyone at Barnes was very professional, from the schedule to the actual work. When I picked up the car the job was done to perfection and the car was clean and running great. I would recommend them to everyone for any type of repairs.
Had a great experience with Barnes.
Brought in my 2020 Sierra 3500 HD for a fuel tank upgrade from 26 gal. to a 62 gal. capacity. They ordered the tank and the install went great. I highly recommend using them for all your automotive needs.
I worked with Chuck. He is very knowledgeable and helpful.
Chuck/Doug and the team are a great team to work with for a professional job. It was performed in a timely fashion with a reasonable price. My husband can't thank them enough for the great job they did. If you want work performed by knowledgeable people who are honest and hardworking go to Barnes Automotive.
To start, this shop charged me almost triple in labor compared to other shops. They repladed my faulty part with the same part that is known to go bad on my car and tried to upcharge me for an absurd amount of money for an extra assembly that is not needed. I have already taken my car here 3 total times and left with nothing but issues with the car shortly after my "repairs" Avoid these people at all cost.
After many years of taking our cars back to the dealer for service, I gave this local place a shot. (I couldn’t stand the overpriced fluff services that the dealer tries to pin on you any longer!)
Wow, what a difference. Chuck / Doug and the team are quality mechanics who can fix cars at a reasonable price. They tackled a difficult repair for an older car along with some maintenance I have been putting off - and did it for a great price. Had my car back the next day. Very satisfied. They’ve got me as a customer for a long time.
Barnes Automotive is the best Auto Repair & Customer Service & Support business I have relied on here in Illinois.
The owner (Chuck), provides recommendations, maintain detailed records that I can reference & that his business personnel can reference. He knows CARS, he knows Automotive & he is trustworthy.
I wil continue to bring my current & new car(s) to Barnes Automotive. He's Awesome & he has a good staff, based on my experience.
Very straightforward, explained well everything, and were very courteous. Also gave me a ride to and from their location. I was just passing through the area and needed fast repairs (had only 3 days) and found the auto repair shop listed on AAA. I really appreciate the great work and solid customer service. I would definitely use their services again if I'm in the area and need it.
I dealt with Chuck Barnes directly, who is the owner of the business. He did an excellent job in diagnosing the ongoing issues related to my Classic Muscle Car (1972 Buick GS).
All necessary repairs were completed and my car now runs well without any issues.
Chuck and co were helpful, direct, and presented options with costs. It’s hard to find a trustworthy and reasonably priced mechanic but Barnes got a loyal and future returning customer yesterday. Thank you.
We needed the air conditioning fixed in our car. It wound up needing a new compressor. The people there were very nice and explained everything. The price was very reasonable. And I would definitely go back there again. I highly recommend this place to anybody. They are professionals and love what they do.
My tire pressure light came on and I could hear a hissing sound coming from my rear driver's side tire. I was on a time crunch as my kids had to be picked up from camp in 3 hours. I stopped by and the gentleman was able to get me in and fix my tire. I was in and out in less than 40 min. The pricing was very reasonable. Totally recommend.
Had a very good experience at Barnes automotive.
Was having trouble finding a place to change a fuel filter on a diesel Ram 3500 called this place and he said sure no problem bring it on in. After calling and driving to five different places that was awesome news to me.
The guys really care about the vehicles and owners. They answered ever question I had and honestly I would rather pay for experience and quality over a shop that only did the bare minimum
Thanks again
I took my 2006 GTO in for an inspection and some other minor repairs and I have to say this is the shop to go to, the work they do is second to none and the customer service is top notch. They treat the cars they work on better than most doctors treat patients. If you want your car well taken care of this is the place to go.
Awesome experience!!! Chuck and his team went the extra mile in going through the Corvette I had purchased from North Shore Classics and performed the little work it needed with attention to detail. Thanks for taking care of the oil pan leak and fixing the AC. I appreciate all your efforts. Will definitely bring my cars there from now on.
my water pump on my 98 corvette unexpectedly went bad on me..had the car towed to barnes automotive. I had planned to do some other work on the vehicle anyway and chuck the owner called me and explained in great detail what other issues i had and since they would be doing some front end engine work it only made sense to go ahead and fix some minor issues. I am very happy and pleased with the work chuck and his team did and I would highly recommend barnes automotive for any classic or performance car repairs.
Barnes's owner was great. Brought in my 69 Corvette to have a throttle cable put in. There team found it was a gas pedal issue and some adjustments. They did it in a day, had car bake next day. Works great. Thanks Chuck, will diffinitly bring car back. Thanks again, Dan Frelk
I've been taking our cars to Barnes Automotive for quite some time. Chuck, who is the owner always explains everything in complete detail. He tells you just what you need and the things that can wait. Today was just a simple oil change and change the wiper blades. Even for just a couple of miner things they always go over the entire car. I'm glad they did.. Chuck brought me the air and the cabin filters from the car, They were just caked with dirt. They got in there and replaced them with no problem. If you're looking for an honest, dedicated and hard working place to get your automotive work done, no matter what, this is the place.
Chuck and his team did a great job diagnosing and repairing my '59 Chevy pick-up. The brake pedal was hard and had very little stopping ability. I saw that the rear resevoir of the master cylinder was dry, but there was no visible leakage anywhere in the system. They determined that the master cylinder was leaking into the brake booster. Upon repairing that situation, they noticed and brought to my attention a safety issue with the way the previous owner-and builder- routed the linkage from the pedal to the booster/master cylinder assembly. They fabricated a completely new linkage to solve that situation. Other issues came up during the flushing and bleeding of the system, which they repaired much to my satisfaction, and now I am comfortable in knowing that the brake system is in top notch condition."Thank you" to and his team for a great service!!
I shopped around and knew i would be spendi g a significant amount of money with neccessary repairs and general maintenance. I choose Barnes, spoke to the owner and knew they had a reputation of being very honest and are reasonably priced using only ASE Experienced master techs to do the work. They also know and understand European cars. They completed the work on time and my car is driving like new again. I will be using them again and referring friends and family.
Called to have my work vehicle pulled out of some snow I ended up trapped in. Chuck arrived and was professional and pleasant through then entire experience. Pricing was fair and they were there in half the time any other company told me. Highly recommended.
chuck is complete fake when it comes to being open and honest. I purchased a car from North side classics and ask the sales team for a recommendation of a third party inspector. They recommended Chuck the owner of Barnes...
2 months later after working with Chuck on the cars estimate I come to find out from a receptionist NOT FROM CHUCK that he owns both places !! Complete sham....why keep this hidden from me...
Why represent yourself as a thirs party inspector while keeping the truth hidden that you own both places...!!!
Stay away due to misrepresenting !!!!!!
Chuck Barnes and his staff are likely the most knowledgeable guys in the Midwest for classic cars. This was my first classic purchase of a 1967 Barracuda. Though the car was in good shape, Chuck brought it up to a completely new level. The original purchase from North Shore Classics and now having Chuck do his magic made it so seamless and a great buying experience.
I'm not sure why there are so many one star reviews - perhaps disgruntled former employees? I have had nothing but excellent service at Barnes Automotive for many years. I highly recommend Chuck and his crew for all aspects of automobile care and maintenance. They also specialize in restoring classic cars, so you'll see some interesting ones in their lot.
I have never worked with a place that had such little respect for its customers, the ones paying your pocket! I unfortunately had the opportunity to work with Barnes Automotive about 7 months ago. During that time I brought my car in to be repaired as it had to be towed and the closest place for the tow was there. My car was fixed or so I thought.
About a week ago the same issue occurred that had (what I thought) been fixed. I brought my car back in to Barnes because it was under their warranty( a 45 min drive to them with three children) to sit for two hours and for them to tell me that my car was not having the issue I had brought it in for. I asked what they recommended and Chuck informed me that he would have to drive it around and see if it would act up. I had my husband leave work early to come pick my family and I up. We did not have room for our stroller in my husbands car with everything we had (babies and kids have a lot of stuff) and I asked if I could put our stroller back in my car since they were keeping it. I was told that they would put it back in for me. How nice right? I added in since they were keeping my car, could they do an oil change for me? "Of course, no problem, we will add that in." How nice again right?
Several hours later, I get a call from Chuck with of course bad news, informing me that he felt as though my car had an interior issue and that for them to even look at it, it would be a base cost if $1800. I said no and discussed that we would be picking up my car that night. After finalizing with Chuck about picking my vehicle up, he informed me there was a cost of over $200 for "just looking" at my car and putting fluids in my car. His words were "I want to break even." Being displeased with this cost, but understanding where he was coming from we paid for it and left to pick up my car. We arrived at 615pm one of their tow truck drivers was just pulling in as well. I got in my car and the check engine light was on.... Hmm weird that wasn't on when I dropped it off 8hrs earlier. I asked the guy there about it and he said " it might just be on from sitting there, let it run for 20 mins and it should be fine." I'm very trusting so I drove the 45mins back home and it stayed on the whole time. We arrived home only to look at our receipt and see that no oil change was done and our stroller was not in our car! Completely distraught over everything that happened that day I called Barnes to hopefully just leave a message. I actually spoke with a tow truck driver named Dennis who was incredibly nice and actually felt bad for my situation. He said for me to call in the morning and that they would arrange a drop off for the stroller because of the inconvenience. I thanked him for his empathy and called first thing this morning. I left a message for Chuck to call me back.
Chuck calls back. I inform him of the check engine light being on in my car and he said, " well it wasn't on when I parked it, so I don't know how a car can do that in that time." He added that I would have to bring the car back in to have him check why the indicator was on. I was furious because it wasn't on when I left it and now this would mean another drive back to them. He quickly moved on to the stroller issue and said "so I guess there is an issue with you not having a stroller or something?" I said yes, I had asked to put it back in my car before we left and we were informed that they would put it in for me. His response was "well Jackie thought that the car wasn't going to be done until today so that's why it wasn't in there." I said, well that's all well and good but it wasn't our fault that it wasn't put back in there and I was informed that you guys would set up someone to drive it out to my husbands work. Chuck said he was "not going to send a tow truck to drop off a "stroller" that he would make Jackie do it on her own time. " I said that was unfair to make her do that. He said to me, " well I have cars to work on and strollers are below my job discription" and hung up on me. Lack of compassion and a total jerk!
Jan 29, 2016
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