Visit your local Pep Boys Auto Service & Tire Shop at 1795 Central Ave, Albany, NY, 12205 for expert tire services and all your car, truck, or SUV auto care needs. We specialize in oil changes, new tires, tire repair, tire replacement, and more, offering same-day services to help keep you moving. Our certified technicians provide additional comprehensive auto repair and maintenance, brake repair, battery replacement, inspections, and more. We proudly service hybrid and electric vehicles, making us your trusted local tire shop and auto care center. With over 100 years of experience, you can count on Pep Boys for reliable, professional service. Call or book an appointment today!
Hours not specified
What clients say about Pep Boys Auto Service & Tires in Albany (NY)
Had my vehicle inspected in no time they're great people to do business with and customer friendly, thanks guys I appreciate the service you provided me
I recently had a set of tires shipped from Tire Rack to this Pep Boys in Colonie, and they did a great job mounting and balancing them. Also, for a fair price!
Liked the online scheduling of appointment and on the day of the appointment I was in and out of there in an hour with 4 new tires. Great job to the guys at Petboys!
Whoever answered the phone (I called 9/16/25 at 3:47pm) was defensive and rude when I was just asking questions about warranty and battery replacement and explaining the situation. Because of their poor battery installation, I needed to get my car battery replaced after only 10 months (photo of the battery after only 10 months of use attached). The warranty was not communicated to me upon initial purchase of the battery, but apparently it can only be replaced without cost if Pep Boys replaces it themselves. Why would I want them to replace my battery when they are clearly incapable of correctly installing a car battery in the first place?
I would NOT recommend going to this location.
I have reached out to the email provided in response to the many, other poor reviews for this business’ customer service capturing more details about this issue.
Came here to get new tires, alignment, brake flush and inspection. Once I left, I noticed two issues there is a new error popping up on my dash saying brake wear, which didnt exist earlier and two tire pressures are incorrect all through.
I come back within 10 mins and speak to a guy called Vic. Says its not his problem and wont look at it today. Claims we didnt do the brake.
So one this guy has no sense of customer service, two they wont take accountability of things they messed up or they straight up shady because legally they could not have passed my car inspection with dash light for break repair.
I have attached the photo here. Definitely getting reported to the NY authorities for inspection irregularities. And never coming back here because of guys like Vic
Went there for Tire Rack Tire install. Quick and efficient. Didn't try to sell me anything additional, but did point out a couple things to pay attention to over the next 6 months.
The advisor’s initial professional assessment was that the requested work wasn’t needed. I insisted that he was mistaken and I asked them to replace the parts anyway. I’m versed in the condition of my car, so I shrugged off the advisor’s recommendation thinking they’re busy and didn’t really check my car. I later found out that this Pep Boys team is dangerously incompetent and could easily hurt unknowing customers. The replaced parts were found to be completely worn again, proving the uselessness of the advisor’s original recommendation.
Upon completion of the work, once vehicle was driven off the workshop, it exhibited new vibrations coming from the wheels upon braking. A quick visual check showed that both front calipers were missing retainer clips. The vibrations were coming from free moving brake pads and calipers. The vehicle was brought back in and the original retainer clips (that they happened to locate) were installed back.
After a long conversation with the manager on duty, he finally offered an apology and agreed with me that his crew needs training. The labor to install 4 customer provided brake pads still cost $600+. But the real frustration wasn’t that, or that I had to spend 8+3 hours over two days to get four pads installed; it’s that their incompetence could have easily cost the lives of me and my family, including our newborn.
The management here is unorganized and uncommunicative — they don’t provide updates and left us waiting for 6 hours without clear information. It took them 4 hours just to change the tires, and they didn’t even start working until the car was already on the lift. The pace and service were incredibly slow, and the lack of professionalism was frustrating. I would not recommend this location to anyone.
I recently visited Pep Boys for a tires and a tire alignment and an oil change. While the staff was polite, I encountered an unexpected issue with my oil pan that going resulted in additional costs. I was disappointed because the issue wasn't present before my visit.i wasn't leaking oil from my oil pan and they didn't try to make good for there mistake.I hope they can improve their inspection process to prevent similar situations in the future
Went in for an inspection on my 2022 Prius. I was having trouble with my air conditioner and they found a weird broken connector. They tried to get a replacement part from Toyota, who suggested the part needed to be replaced by replacing the whole wiring kit. The kind folks at Pep Boys rebuilt the connector and got me on my way for half of what I thought a repair might cost. Glad I picked this shop.
This review is about the state inspection experience. I have Honda Odyssey 2016 model needed an inspection done. I was told that my break lunch bulb needed a replacement since it’s not working.
Funny thing about that is I literally checked my car walking around it and made sure everything was in a running condition. The front desk person Timothy told me I will have to pay 19.99 for the labor and 2.99 for the bulb itself. They showed me the bulb which I can’t tell if it’s working or not obviously. When I asked him, it’s a simple putting the new bulb in since you have opened it. Why do you charge so much more labor and he said, we normally charge 39.99 labor but this is a discounted price.
Here is my question to Pep Boys - If the break light bulb wasn’t working, why did you even open the socket. It has to be visible from outside. You should have showed me before opening it up. Please don’t rip off people like this. Customers doesn’t come with extra dollars to spend. State inspections shouldn’t be a money making machine since they are not allowed to go inside the working area.
Absolutely terrible service. I showed up with a popped tire, but had another tire already ready in the back of the truck to go on in its place and the "service" guy at the desk asks me if I have an appointment...I answered "no." He says that he has 5 appointments coming in at 4pm, but our interaction was at 3:35pm which leaves 25 minutes to do a quick change of a tire, balance it and take the donut off the truck and install the "new" tire. About a 10 minute task to complete. I know, because I used to do this sort of work at Pep Boys when I worked there. Never heard of anyone pushing off work because in "25 mins, we'll have more work coming." Awful, will never visit this location again. Thanks for nothing
I appreciate the service manager at Pep Boys in Colonie (1795 Central Avenue). Needed some work done to pass inspection and he was very helpful and my car was taken care of fairly quickly for a Sunday. Thank you!
On June 20, 2025, I brought my 2022 Nissan Rogue (37,130 miles) to this Pep Boys for a NY State inspection. The service manager, Justin, told me the front brake pads were “paper-thin” and the rotors needed replacing due to rust. I was quoted $580, even after a $100 discount.
I was shocked, as I mostly drive on highways and have never needed to replace front brakes before 60K miles. To confirm, I bought new parts from Advance Auto across the street and inspected the brakes myself. All four pads had about 75% life left, and the rust on the rotors was purely surface-level — completely normal for a garage-kept car.
Although I went ahead and replaced them since I already had the parts, it was an unnecessary job. I wasted over $200 and hours of my time due to what I now believe was a dishonest and predatory sales tactic. This kind of behavior is unacceptable and reflects very poorly on Pep Boys.
the icing on the cake was when Justin tried to charge me $21.00 for the failed inspection.
An honest mistake? - I do not think so.
He adjusted the bill after I mentioned that the cost should be $10, since the vehicle did not pass.
Please see attached photos.
I’m sharing this to warn other customers: always double-check before agreeing to expensive repairs here.
Had to make an emergency stop on a loooong road trip just before they closed for the night. Victor was nice enough to come out, help figure out our issue and (even though all the mechanics were gone) connect us with an appointment for the following morning first thing. We sincerely appreciate him going above and beyond—-super nice guy and really helpful! Give him a raise :)
TIM, is a DISRESPECTFUL employee at this establishment. We went in with one issue regarding AC, and left with the steering messed up. While speaking with TIM, he snapped and SLAMMED THE DOOR in our faces, running into the garage to continue his temper tantrum. Completely UNACCEPTABLE behavior with a Customer. SCOTT, a "mechanic" there, came after speaking with TIM, contradicting information in what was "wrong" with the car. Something needs to be done with the staff in this place. They obviously don't know what's going on. Not the first time I've had an issue with TIM at this place, he needs to go.
0 stars. Horrific experience. Was here from out of town and my AC went out. Went in to get an AC evaluation and have it fixed and came out with a coincidental all of a sudden steering wheel issue with an almost completely locked stuff wheel and squeaking sound coming from the power steering area under the hood. Totally unrelated and now I need to go elsewhere to pay for an issue I did not have when coming in. Getting upset and slamming doors in customers’ faces because they can’t explain the issue is totally unacceptable.
Great experience. Justin at the customer desk was very nice and informative. Not sure who actually diagnosed my vehicle but they also did a great job. Thanks team!
I came in for a tire change and was told my rear brakes were at 2mm and the front at 4mm. They recommended replacing both the brakes and rotors. I decided to wait and have them checked by my mechanic back home (three hours away). After inspection, he confirmed that both front and rear brakes are actually around 50%, with the front being slightly more worn. I'm unsure why Pep Boys provided such inaccurate information and suggested repairs that weren’t necessary. I'd recommend getting a second opinion before agreeing to any additional services here.
I have a Honda Civic sport hatchback with sport rims and they destroyed my rims and never said a word about it. I called them and they told me I need to come back when I get back in town so they can get their own pictures. I'm not sure what else they messed up they had my car for 2.5 hours with an appt for tires. This is what they did to my rims...
I was very impressed by the wonderful customer service that Vic provided! He made sure I understood everything that needed to be done and was conscious of my need to stay within my budget. It was nice to be treated so kindly! I will go back for other services.
Not only were the parts that this location put on my vehicle defective when I returned the store manager was not just arrogant and swore at me being that he is a male going after a female customer is not a good look. He also refused to fix defective work that his store did. He does not know how to read message signals on the dashboard correctly for foreign vehicles. Perhaps this is why this business has dwindled down to what is left of it.
Needed to replace tires in a day or two so minimum time was spent researching best price. As I considered using this Pep Boys a year and a half ago and was comfortable with the relatively high review ratings, I chose this shop to have my Tire Rack tires shipped and installed here.
Technician did a good job as my local and highway road test indicated the tires were balanced well. Waiting area ok at best but I won't let it effect my 5 star rating for good work.
Excellent. I got my oil changed and new tires installed. Zero issues. They completed the service under an hour. My wife brought her car here few weeks ago and she got her oil changed and NYS inspection done relatively quickly as well.
They were able to see me almost immediately. Excellent service desk treatment, mechanic was respectful of my white seats. I wish the facility was a bit nicer, made me nervous about being there, but the service I received made up for the lack of amenities. Your people are good, spend a little money to make your store look good!
Pep Boys is my go to Center. They helped me last minute and it is so easy to set up an appointment online on their website. Tim and Tom at the front desk are amazing. Very respectful men. They are running a smooth operation over there and the mechanics are totally respectful And fast workers. I bought four tires here at a great price and just the other day I had a flat tire hitting a pothole at 3am and they took care of me the same day as soon as they opened… highly recommend
(2.24.2025) I had a great tuneup on my car, new tires,brakes,shocks,struts,and belts. Justin and Mike took great care of my car and had it ready for pickup earlier than expected. Yet another great job at Pep Boys!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
(12.10.2024) Consistently amazing customer service!! They have the know how and the professional attitude that leaves you feeling confident and comfortable with the work being done to your vehicle! They run a tight but friendly ship, and I Highly Recommend!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
As always, the Shop (at 1795 Central Ave, Colonie) still offers consistently great service and professional (and extremely Patient) employees - which is a lot more than can be said about corporate Pep Boys as a company. This specific location is the best I've ever been to and won't go anywhere else anymore because of their repetitive Wins. Highly recommend for all your vehicle needs, from Inspections and Oil Changes to Brakes and Tires, and everything in between this is the store to go to! (I recommend making an appointment, they are a busy location and will do right by you, but an appointment helps manage your time and guarantees your service when you drop off your vehicle.)
Bottom line: The crew here are always friendly, fast, and consistently reliable in their work!
Pep Boys just replaced my Michelin Primacy MXM4s on my 2020 Avalon TRD! Tom Meyers and the Albany, NY team did a great job in giving me a very fair price, accommodation on schedule and great install. The car was just detailed and they kept it clean and were careful not to cause any marks on my wheels. Five stars!!!!
Jul 06, 2024
Nearest Junkyards to Pep Boys Auto Service & Tires
Website
