What clients say about Pritchard Automotive in East Ithaca (NY)
This shop didn't do so well by me. In November 2025, Pritchard's serviced my 2012 Honda in for a routine maintenance minder notification which included replacing the cabin air filter. Picking up the car after hours (as arranged), I heard a new sound coming from the blower motor whenever the heat was turned on. I decided to leave the car an extra day and give the shop the chance to make things right by informing them that a new noise had begun after the maintenance.
I was fully expecting they would acknowledge their mistake and offer to open things up to take a second look with no extra charge. I said I thought there was debris in the blower motor cage left after the filter replacement. Instead, the service desk insisted that the noise had already been there before they serviced the vehicle and that their mechanic had already checked for debris after changing the filter. They said the sound was likely a loose bearing on the blower motor and offered to replace the entire blower motor for $200-$300. I persisted in my debris theory, and they said they could check for debris but would charge me.
However, I had lost enough trust that I picked up my car and took it to a different shop. The other shop found leaves in the blower motor and removed them. This stopped the noise that had begun when Pritchard's serviced my vehicle.
Pritchard's has lost my trust becuase they refused to acknowledge their mistake and make things right when I gave them the chance.
It was hard to write such a negative review because the guy who helped me at the service desk was really quite friendly. Giving two stars instead of one because of that.
I've been a shop owner for many years. I have plenty of experience and a love for my work. Honesty with my customers. I thought I'd find the same in this workshop, but no. Thank goodness I'll never have to do without their services again
I sold them my Honda. After they bought it and I was driving home. They called to tell me there was a mistake on the title. They asked me to take it back after they had signed all the paperwork. I agreed to take it back because they insisted it couldn't be fixed but said they would buy it if I could. Turns out it was extremely easy fix they could have done themselves, but I did it and called them back. They treated me like the car was tainted even though Albany gave me a new title and you'd never have known it had to be fixed. On top of that Car Max gave me about 20% more for the car. Avoid dealing with them.
They repaired my brakes but added another repair I need to fix. And they didn’t take me serious when I said there was something wrong with my car after they fixed the brakes.
On vacation over the summer, I showed up with mysterious sounds coming from the front of my car. It was my last day in the area, so was expecting the worst when I asked if they could take a look and maybe fix it that day.
I was treated honestly and fairly. They precisely and accurately diagnosed the issue and fixed it that day. The owner even followed up a couple of days later to make sure everything turned out fine.
The rest of my vacation was wonderful. I recommend Pritchard without reservation.
Great service, honest, easy to deal with and fair pricing. Plus the old time, family business ambiance is priceless in these times of impersonal service.
WORST "Repair" Shop in all of Tompkins County! The "Mechanics" there don't know what they are doing. You will get your car back with MORE PROBLEMS than when you bought it in!!!
I'll NEVER let them touch my car again! If you are smart you won't let them touch your car either. Go ANYWHERE ELSE!!!
Best shop in town and the best bang for your buck..I've been coming here for years and have never had anything but a 5 star experience. From their service writers to their mechanics and even their sales people (who I've never bought from, but always invite me into their show room for coffee and a comfortable place to wait) everyone is friendly, professional and helpful. I highly recommend!
Awesome, I was without a vehicle when my power steering pump went out. They located the problem and did their best to fix it. The power steering reservoir was destroyed , and a two weeks backorder from the dealership. However, they used their knowledge to locate a new one in days, not weeks, and they were able to get the car back to me. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who has car troubles they are very professional and easy to talk to.
Took my 2017 Ford Focus here for a new starter. They were great. Got it on a Thursday and it was fixed and ready to go the next day by the end of the day. These guys are the best!! All the way from the guys that answer phones to the mechanics. I would recommend them to anyone.
Pritchard Automotive provides excellent service, I highly recommend! I called and had an appointment within a week, and they fixed my car in about a day! Gary, who is one of the nicest people in Ithaca hands down, gave me a reasonable quote and explained the whole process to me. When I arrived, my payment was less than he quoted me. When does that ever happen when you take your car to be serviced?? I will absolutely be back for my car. Thank you Pritchard!!
Love Pritchard! Bought my car there and got an extended service contract. I drop my car off with a wishlist, they get back to me efficiently by phone with a work plan and time estimate. Pricing is competitive and transparent. They are personable and remember us between visits. So much better than M*guire in every metric.
TLDR; Do yourself a favor and avoid getting ripped off.
The right side of my bumper swiped a curve and that side of the bumper got a bit out-of-place. I went here to get an estimate and told the elderly gentleman that I think the right side of the bumper just needs to be popped into place. He took a bunch of photos and told me that I'll get an email with an estimate, which was weird but I complied. I received the estimate a couple of days later. Lo and behold, they sent me an estimate of $1k with 6 hours of body labor and 4 hours of paint labor (even though I specified I don't need any repaints).
A few days later I went to a Valvoline for oil change and asked the guy there if he could pop the side of the bumper in place. It literally took him 30 seconds to do it...
I wish I had words to describe the estimate that they sent me. I know that body shops are notorious for overcharging, but this just felt too much.
Phenomenal service! I had an issue that I’ve been experiencing that required a body shop consultation. I was able to be seen immediately & the kind staff was able to help me right away when other body shops quoted me $400+ dollars to do what they were able to do in less than 5 minutes. I will happily be taking my business there in the future.
I seriously cannot recommend Pritchard Auto enough!!! I had been hunting for the perfect car for more than 6 months, after a shady experience with another dealership, the next day I came across Dan and his team. I called about a car and an hour later walked onto that lot and found MY car. Dan was so helpful and friendly, Matt has been patient and attentive to all of my needs, and the entire team just does a wonderful job. This family owned dealership has definitely earned its great reputation and I could not be happier with my purchase and experience from Pritchard Auto. They are transparent and honest, have some of the best prices around and really make you feel cared for. A month after purchasing my vehicle the owner Bill gave me call, as if we were old friends, just to check up on me and make sure I was satisfied with my new car. You won’t get a better experience than this, if you’re looking for a great car and a team that will continue to take care of you, start with Pritchard Auto of Ithaca!
We purchased our vehicle here after a terrible experience with the only other dealership(s) in town, when I remembered my parents doing so 40+ years ago when we lived in Ithaca during my childhood. Dan was SO helpful with the vehicle purchase, we love our car, and have had fantastic service experiences since then. Always friendly, professional, and most importantly, competent, skillful expertise. Cannot recommend enough.
i took my car to pritchard after i was Tboned in the back corner of my car.
they sent my my first invoice and claimed my car was totaled, as the repair cost was more than the worth of the car. however, that was because they tried to charge me for a paint job over essentially my entire car, totaling 11hours of work just for paint. i never wanted this service, i simply wanted to be able to drive my car again. i told them just make it driveable and this reduced my price by about 4,000 dollars. they did technically make it driveable but i’ve now found out months later after 4 9-hour drives that they had done a terrible job on my back axle, they had forgotten a nut over the bolt that holds the tire in. this caused the bolt to wiggle toward my gas tank, which could have caused a hole in the tank, which could have been deadly for me as the driver. let alone, risked the tire falling off the car. i will never ever take another vehicle to pritchard for repairs. this negligence is unacceptable and EXTREMELY dangerous.
The best. Bought two cars there and only get them serviced there. Local family. Terrific folks. I wouldn't go anywhere else. I NEVER have to suspect they are padding the bill. Trustworthy and fair. Consistent quality over many years.
Super helpful people. They handled a transaction for me remotely and let me store my tires with them for years. They were always extremely helpful in the 5 years I used them. I would recommend this shop to my friends.
Friendly, high quality, accessible service that provides great value! They are my go-to auto shop whenever my car has any issues big or small, we're at well over 100,000 miles and still going strong!
This is the shop that our favorite Ithaca automotive repair person currently works for . Whether it is my Subaru Forester, or Jim's 1500 Ram, Kirk VanDees' expert skills have kept our favorite vehicles safe and in good condition without trying to up sell or overcharge.
Unlike many of the other dealers in this college town, they have never talked down to me because I'm female no matter what my age. I dealt with them as a young mother in my 20's and I'm still dealing with them in my 70's. They have been in business for over 50 years
When my husband was recovering from a heart attack their courtesy car drove me 8 miles out of town and picked me up later because we didn't have two drivers available and I didn't want to be gone too long.
horrible place to take your vehicle. my car came in for a minor issue and was there for weeks while they figured out what the mechanic did wrong. Not only did they permanently ruin my new vehicle they also were very rude and unprofessional while kicking me off the property because I wanted receipts. BUYER BEWARE! your car will leave with more problems then it came in with.
They did an overpriced oil change and diagnostic on my car and then had me come back for a transmission fluid flush and change. This ended up making my problem with gear changing worse. They ended up sending me to Maguire automotive where I had to have a full transmission change that was very pricey.
I would have agreed with most positive reviews a couple of months ago. Not now at all. I recently purchased a Jeep from an in law. They had it inspected, and found brakes needed to be replaced which was done. When we obtained the car two days later the back wheel came off. They were great about it. Two months later the wheel bearing is bad, this is from the wheel wobbling from loose lug nuts. We take it in, and now there is $4K worth of repair, besides the bearing, because now it is "rusted out." I know NY winter and all, but rusted out in the two months since the brakes were replaced? If we knew at that time, the brakes would not have been replaced. Another family vehicle went in for inspection, before a trip to NC. A week later in NC, they had issues. When they took it to the shop, all the brakes needed replacement (unknown shop, so parts were visually verified.) The car should have never passed inspection. I do not have any vengeance behind this review. Too many people I love have had their lives put at risks too many times. I write this review to hopefully avoid a possible tragedy for someone else. If you can not trust an inspection, what can you trust?
I brought my jeep in to get an taillight fixed i knew it was an electric problem and got told they may not be able to do it in the day. I dropped it off in an hour it was done fast awesome work all other places in ithaca could not do it in short time for I needed it done today there great friendly and work to make sure your back on the road when needed
Pritchard is a great local shop. They are family owned and operated and it shows. After my last service one of the Pritchards called me to ask how it went. Their pricing is fair and they do good work.
Was way over charged for an auto part I needed for my Dodge Intrepid. When I took it back for a refund they told me I still had to pay over $100 for a restocking fee. OUTRAGEOUS!!! I will never give them business again.
I've lived in Ithaca over 35 years and know a lot of people. The word gets around and places like this only screw themselves.
I have dealt with both sales and service at Pritchard Automotive. Both experiences were fantastic. Sales knew exactly what car was perfect for me. And service was thorough and attentive. I especially appreciated a phone call from the owner checking in on how my car was performing after I had a service done on my car. They are a quality business, and while not always the least expensive option, you get a lot more for what you pay for.
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