I have had these folks do my automotive work for quite a while now. I keep going back because they are excellent in all ways!!!!! My 2001 F150 still runs & drives just fine!!!!!
But in this case I needed my snow plow repaired too, and AutoSmith was able to do that as well, including finding parts that others could not. N'uff said!!!!!
Exceptionally helpful in getting my car in quickly & repairing the steady leak in my tire.
They are ALWAYS kind & knowledgeable about what needs to be done.
⚠️ Technician Alert: Unjustified PCM Intrusion
Heads up, vehicle owners
This shop told us 1 or 3 months ago not sure exact date they don’t install PCMs and don’t work on computer systems.
The visit started as a basic O2 sensor check.
Later, we asked them to look into:
- Cruise control failure (steering wheel buttons stopped working)
- A speaker issue—both tied to prior dashboard work
They were the last ones in the dash for the speaker.
Cruise was working when we dropped it off. It wasn’t when we picked it up.
We mentioned the cruise issue at drop-off—because the PCM install was still pending at another shop.
That shop didn’t complete it, so I installed the PCM myself—clean, documented, and fully functional.
No signal loss. No fault codes. No symptoms.
Despite all that, this shop went into the PCM harness.
Their excuse?
> “We had to test if it wasn’t getting signal from the PCM.”
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🧪 Why That Excuse Doesn’t Hold
If they truly suspected PCM signal loss:
- They could’ve used a scan tool via OBD-II to check cruise switch inputs and PCM output logic
- They could’ve verified subsystem health without touching the harness
Instead, they:
- Untaped a documented resistor spoof
- Broke a functioning wire
- Left physical damage behind
- Handed over a $470+ bill, including a diagnostic fee, for an O2 sensor job—caused by their own off-scope intrusion
We won’t be back.
They charged us a fee but didn’t fix the wire they knocked loose.
Shame.
At least they did the O2 correctly.
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🧠 Trust Cuts Both Ways
They didn’t trust my PCM install
But I’m supposed to trust them?
After a prior mechanic spliced 12.4V directly into the battery temp signal wire—burning it out and causing persistent faults—I stopped handing out blind trust.
That’s why I started documenting everything, tagging wires, and validating every fix myself.
This shop ignored all that.
They went into a sealed subsystem, broke a working wire, and handed me a bill for their own intrusion.
Trust isn’t automatic. It’s earned.
And when mechanics treat your work like junk while leaving damage behind, you learn to stop giving them the benefit of the doubt.
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📸 Visual Proof
- Before: Clean install. Tagged spoof. No exposed wires.
- After: Untaped harness. Frayed wire. Physical damage.
The photos speak for themselves. This wasn’t “diagnosis”—it was tampering.
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🛠️ Owner’s Reality
Now I’m the one fixing everything—because the shops up here?
Scammy. Sloppy. And allergic to accountability.
If you’re dealing with the same, tag your wires, document everything, and don’t let them near sealed subsystems.
Because once they guess, you pay.
Great place to deal with, friendly & fast.
Very knowledgeable I DEFINITELY will use them for all repairs and oil changes.
You couldn't ask for a better mechanic shop in Aitkin.
👍👍👍👍
Always friendly and knowledgeable.
I deal with Jonah and he is always accommodating and great to deal with!!
I recently relocated to the area and was not having the best experiences with the local dealership. I decided to try Autosmith in Aitkin and couldn’t be more pleased. Jonah and Lars are professional, prompt and never suggested anything my truck didn’t need. I cannot recommend them more highly and am relieved to have found a dependable shop I can trust.
I drive a 2001 F150, so my shop is important to me. AutoSmith does a great job, not only maintaining my vehicle, but getting me a loaner when needed as well. My pickup just turned over 269,000 miles, n'uff said.
Brought my 2020 Traverse in for a squeaky engine sound. Jonah took a look at it and it was a challenge to find the problem. He had to replace the main belt idler and then the belt. It took care of the problem and I was charged more than fairly for the work done.
Very reliable and professional. Would highly recommend them and use their services again. Thanks Jonah!!
Needed a new battery.
And was unable to find the receipt for warranty. . Jonah was knowledgeable , able to look it up , trustworthy and efficient. I won't go anywhere else. They've earned our business, Bravo!!!
5 stars!!!
I traveled from out of town and a few hours outside of Aitkin the regulator on my window broke and it fell into the door. Jonah was quick to assist- he diagnosed the issue and secured my window back into place. His quick fix made it 18 hours back to my destination and absolutely saved the day. Very grateful, my family and I will continue to use this business anytime the opportunity presents!
Price was high. Might just be the sign of the times... not sure why anyone would charge $250 to put in transmission fluid. Went elsewhere. The price was the cost of the fluid and the repair where it was leaking. Never even heard about that from autosmith.
We definitely like the employees. Very kind and good customer service.
Sorry to say the price was too high. We are deciding if we want to stick that much money into it.
My car was able to be scheduled promptly with the repairs finished quickly. The issue was found & diagnosed the same day when other mechanics could not determine the issue and had wasted money on unnecessary parts. Very happy with the service at Auto Smith!
The driver Derek was amazing, professional, timely and even had enough site awareness to ask me to stand in the ditch and not right up next to the vehicle! The shop in aitkin for my vehicle in
If your needing a spare key or a replacement for your automobile I would highly recommend KeySmith services! They have great customer service at an affordable price.
AutoSmith confirmed a head gasket leak at a very reasonable cost. They offered to replace the head gaskets, but questioned whether it was a good idea because of a knock in the engine. Thank you for your quick, affordable diagnosis and repair advice.
You guys have helped me on more than a few occasions, towing a couple of times, changing a couple tires, jump starts .... Also you have towed for my parents a couple times, their big RV. We are very happy with the quick effecicient service! Thank you so much! 10/10 Highly recommend if the need arises. 👏👏
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