Preferred Automotive in
Rockville (MD)

Such a great experience! They quickly diagnosed my car and had all the repairs (including a new timing belt) done and ready for pickup the next day. The price was reasonable, and they helped me analyze what repairs were immediately necessary and which ones can wait so that my bill didn't climb too high. Aside from the actual work/service they provide, they are the nicest group of people I have met. They gave me a lift to the Metro station nearby and exchanged pleasant conversation in all of our interactions, even remembering the little details of what we talked about when I dropped my car off and asking about it when I picked it up. Highly recommend!

Had the TPMS replaced on my car. Had an error message on two and decided to replaced all 4 sensors. Good craftsmanship, dropped me car off as scheduled, picked it up as promised. A tad bit pricy ($450), great job, would highly recommend!

Top notch experience with the team as a first time customer. Brought a newly lifted vehicle in that need some custom adjustments for alignment. They kept me updated on the progress and challenges and got it done promptly. Car is driving great and the team was really great to work with. I will be back!

I was pleased with the customer service and the service to my Kia Sorento. The burning fuel/oil smell has gone and the 12 year old car is running beautifully. Thank you. Meena

Last month, I took our car to the dealer where I bought it, which gave the car a checkup and recommended a lot of expensive maintenance. I was surprised by the extent of what they recommended because the car doesn’t have that many miles on it. Instead of having most of the work done by the dealer, I took it to Preferred Automotive because I have used and trust them. In addition to performing the maintenance at a better price, Preferred discovered a leak that should have been spotted by the dealer. Preferred looked up the car’s warranty for me (which was about to expire), told me fixing the leak should be covered, and sent me to the dealer to have that issue addressed. They were right: the dealer fixed the leak at no charge. If Preferred had been less thorough, I would have had to deal with an expensive problem after the car’s warranty had run out. Based on this and many other positive experiences over the years, I highly recommend Preferred.

From the first time I met Todd, he was very pleasant and honest. I was told by another shop that I needed a part replaced, took it to Preferred Automotive, and Todd looked at the car for me and told me I didn’t need a new part it was a matter of it just being loose. He made the adjustments for me at no cost, a good and decent human he is, and I appreciated that so much. Such a great team of people. Honest, friendly, and dependable. Sometimes it’s hard to trust auto repair companies because some usually try to take advantage of women with advising us of unnecessary repairs or issues, etc. But Preferred Automotive makes me feel comfortable. Definitely have found my local auto repair shop. Very grateful. Thanks guys!

I think we all assume that dealerships overcharge, and boy is that right. I called Preferred Automotive and they were willing to give me some level of a quote and they stuck to it and also gave me overall diagnostics on my car to let me know how it could last longer, which is an invaluable report. They were super fast, this will be my garage going forward.

I called and they said I could have my car towed to there shop . It was a few hours before they were to close but they looked at it and told me it was the starter and could fix it first thing tomorrow. I picked my car up at 11 am the next day!

Great and trustworthy people! Their prices are reasonable—not the cheapest, but definitely better than dealership rates. I brought in my 2015 Rogue for a fuel induction service, and the car runs smoothly now. Tod was excellent—he even performed a full vehicle inspection at no extra charge (normally $75). They provided a detailed report of recommended services and necessary repairs. Overall, very satisfied with the experience!

Gary and Mike are so nice and kind. The work was done, my car is running great, highly recommend.

Great communications and thorough explanations of work to be done. I really appreciate the added assist on the battery and error message, truly professional in the way the car was cared for.

They will indicate the have no record of me. But I don’t want to leave my real name. Shop around. They are expensive and might offer unnecessary repairs and convoluted reasoning and explanations. Be wary if you don’t know a lot about cars.

I’ve known Gary and his team for a long time. I used to take my cars there, then I leased for a while and took the cars to the dealer, then I bought new and took it to the dealer during the warranty. After the warranty was up it felt like they were trying to upsell me every time I came in. So I went to another independent because they were closer to home, but it didn’t feel the same. I just went back to Preferred, and spent a bunch of money, at least a bunch of money for me, but I was happy to do it. It felt like I was back in good hands, and had someone who was going to keep my best interests front and center, and who would help me to make the right decisions about my car. It’s good to be back. Thanks guys!!

So far so good.... I failed the emissions test and had it repaired. My reinspection will be Monday 8/11/2025.... So if it passes I'll give you the 5th STAR........ I am very satisfied with all the work that was done. THANK YOU.

First time customer here and I must say I was very pleased with my service. This was the first time ever that a full report of my car along with explanations regarding the repairs needed has ever been sent to me with full color photos! The report was also divided by good, suggested and necessary which helped me make informed decisions about my car. I appreciate how I was treated as well. Thank you to Todd and the rest of the team for the excellent customer service!

It’s easy to see why Preferred Automotive has so many five star reviews. It’s super easy to make an appointment online, they changed my oil and fixed the issue I had with my car shaking at high speeds, the prices are reasonable, and recommended other services for my car – but there was no hard sell. Just a “let us know if you have any questions about our recommendations or if you decide you want to have any of these services done.” This was my first time going to Referred Automotive, and I will definitely be back!

I came in to have my car looked at prior to taking it on a road trip to New England. As always, the wonderful folks here at PA were clear about what my car needed, exceedingly patient with any questions I had, and charged a very fair price for the work done. If you’re looking for a new auto shop to build a longstanding relationship with, please do yourself a favor and come to PA.

Top notch auto repair! First time visiting this shop, and these guys stepped up and helped me when I was in a bind. I couldn’t be more grateful, and I will definitely be returning for continued scheduled maintenance for my vehicle.

Todd and everyone at Preferred Automotive are always super helpful when I come in with car troubles. Prices are reasonable and the staff does an amazing job plus it's typically a quick turnaround. I know I am in good hands when I come to Preferred Automotive, they have made a customer out of me for life!

Our family has been using Preferred Automotive for decades. They kept my mom’s car in fine running shape for close to 20 years. I decided to have Preferred take a look at my Mini when Mini of Towson told me I needed a new engine mount to the tune of $1800. When they took a look, lo and behold, nothing was wrong with the car. Preferred can be counted on do an honest job at a fair price.

I brought my car in for service expecting quality care, but my experience was disappointing. Upon pickup, I found a nail in my tire, despite no prior issues. The technician claimed the warning light appeared only after their test drive and dismissed my concerns, insisting the nail was inevitable—saying that if their mechanic hadn’t run over it, I eventually would have. He also argued that because the nail was rusted, it had to have been there for a while, even though that’s not how rust develops. I had checked my tires earlier with no issues, making his explanation unconvincing. What raised the most concern was discovering my dashcam had been turned off before the test drive and back on afterward. This raises serious doubts about what happened during the drive, especially given my car is a fully built Mustang GT. Rather than argue, I took my car elsewhere and received better service at a lower cost. The lack of transparency, dismissive attitude, and suspicious actions make it clear this shop does not prioritize integrity or customer care. I won’t be returning or recommending them. Response To Reply: I would like to clarify a few points regarding our discussion. I initially mentioned those items because I believed they were included in the full bumper-to-bumper multi-point inspection, which was listed as $50. Upon being informed that they were not included, I specifically requested only the bumper-to-bumper virtual inspection. However, I was still charged $125 (with a $50 first-time discount), despite the advertised price of $50. Additionally, I was quoted $289 solely for the inspection of the transmission and suspension. I would appreciate clarification on these pricing discrepancies. Regarding the nail in the tire, the technician (not the owner) stated that there was no warning light on, and the issue was only identified after the test drive. This suggests that if the nail had been detected before the inspection, the warning light would have likely been on at that time. Furthermore, despite being told the tire was "unrepairable," I was able to get it repaired at a nearby shop for $25 in just 10 minutes. Lastly, I would like to correct another point—the dash camera was turned off just outside the shop right before the test drive and was turned back on afterward. However, it remained on throughout the entire inspection inside the shop, which is why it raised concern.

Quick to respond, and got my truck worked on in an efficient and timely manner. I really like their report breakdown and explanations/VIDEO transparency. Really awesome customer service. A refreshing balance of providing their mechanical knowledge/expertise while also actually listening to the customer needs. Highly recommend these guys for the job.

Took 2015 Chevy to Preffered Automotive for some overdue maintenance. It’s the best shop I’ve ever worked with. Great customer service and a very friendly staff. I was sent an auto report same day, outlining what was recommended and what was necessary. Considering this was a 60,000 mile maintenance visit, everything that they recommended for repair was exactly what I was expecting. No surprises whatsoever. They took the time to explain the ‘what and why’ the repairs were needed. Charges for the repairs were quite fair and well laid out for me when I paid for the car. I’m extremely happy to have found a shop that cares about the customer and they didn’t make me feel like I was being taken advantage of like some shops do, not to mention the convenience of having the shop right around the corner. I’ll be taking my car to Preferred from now on as I feel confident I’ll be getting great service at a good price.

Recently took my 2010 Dodge Charger to Preferred Automotive for service, and as someone who is innately skeptical and mistrusting of mechanics, I'm happy to report that this has been the first time in a long time that I've picked up my car from a mechanic feeling happy and confident that my issues were resolved. They worked incredibly fast and were very communicative and made sure to differentiate between the required service and what they would additionally recommend and were not pushy about it, simply weighing the potential pros and cons of additional service which I valued a ton. When I spoke to my service advisor on the phone about my vehicles condition, it felt like a genuine back and forth conversation, and that they actually cared about me and my vehicle and wanted to help me, unfortunately I cannot recall their name but you know who you are, thank you! Overall it was great service at a fast pace with absolutely 0 BS and a good price, I will definitely be brining my vehicle here again when it needs service! The only thing I would have liked to see are perhaps pictures of the services as they were being performed, but besides that I can't recommend Preferred Automotive enough.

I recently took my 2014 Ford Focus SE to Preferred Automotive for a service, and I'm thoroughly impressed with their work. The technicians conducted a comprehensive visual inspection and recommended a coolant flush and engine mount replacement as critical repairs. I decided to go ahead with these suggestions, and I'm glad I did. The car now runs significantly smoother than before. I highly appreciate their meticulous attention to detail and the clear communication throughout the process. Highly recommend their services for anyone wanting reliable and effective car maintenance.

I hate breaking down. It's cheaper to have Preffered fix your car before it does. New cars can cost $50k. They can make you old car drive like new. Recently had rear tailgate repaired. Works now.

Had my first visit to this shop today...just needed an overall evaluation of my 2001 Corolla. They do an excellent, very detailed analysis of all of your car's systems, what needs to be addressed immediately and what can wait. They then email you a complete report, including photos, of all of their findings in a very easy to understand format. Really well done. Their staff are all friendly and knowledgeable and the waiting area is comfortable. I was seen at my scheduled time and the work was done quickly. Pricing is very reasonable. Their customer service rep Todd is very friendly and explains everything well. Highly recommended.