What clients say about Varna Auto Service in East Ithaca (NY)
I've always gotten great service here, and today was no exception. I had an issue that turned out to be a scary lack of rear brakes. I dropped my car off in the morning, and it was fixed for a very reasonable price by midafternoon.
William and Angie are always a pleasure to do business with!
I brought my vehicle (Mazda CX-5) to Varna Auto because the brake warning light was on and I was unable to disengage the Electronic Parking Brake (EPB). After diagnosing the car, they told me both rear EPB actuators and calipers needed to be replaced. I approved the repair and paid $1,124.
They later called and said the car was fully fixed and ready for pickup. However, when I arrived, the brake warning light was still on and the EPB was still not functioning properly. I immediately informed them.
The next day, they re-examined the vehicle and told me the parking brake control module had lost communication and that they could not fix the issue. They referred me to a Mazda dealership for further repairs. In other words, after charging me over $1,100, the original problem remained unresolved.
When the vehicle was returned to me, the brake fluid reservoir cap was missing. The reservoir had been temporarily covered with plastic, and I had to return the following day to obtain a replacement cap. This raised serious concerns about the level of care taken during the repair.
I spoke directly with the owner, William Chen, who has been very unprofessional and dishonest throughout the process, about my concerns. During our phone conversation, I explained that I was disappointed and did not want to keep parts that did not resolve the issue. He initially stated that he could return the aftermarket parts (though not the OEM actuators). However, after speaking with someone else at the shop, he changed his position and said he would not return the parts or issue a refund.
Overall, I paid for a repair that did not fix the problem and was then told to take the car elsewhere. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this shop.
The Varna auto service is always friendly and fair. The owners are honest, trustworthy people. I have been a customer for many years. I have always been very pleased with the service I've received.
I always take my car to Varna Auto Service for its annual inspection. So far, I haven't needed any other service, but their scheduling, timeliness, efficiency, and costs are terrific. I would not hesitate to go to them for anything my car ever needs.
Excellent mechanics. Not only did they diagnose the problem correctly when another mechanic in my area lied to me and refused to even look into the problem (Byron’s auto), they fixed the issue in less than a days work and inspected my entire car making sure my vehicle was safe and up to par with necessary repairs. Excellent service, extremely professional and knowledgeable and all around just genuinely nice and honest people. I will never go anywhere else. (Infiniti qx60)
William at Varna Auto is highly skilled and trustworthy. Clear communication, efficient scheduling, great customer service. I've been going to him for years - he stands behind his work. Excellent mechanic!
A cluster of bad communication, a car still not fixed day 14. My experience was less then good.
I do believe they are good mechanics,
however, they didn't listen to me about my needs/ wants. Willing to pay more just to get he car fixed. Commication was bad about they would not be fixing my car.
Now its day 14 without my car and still two days to go before it's taken in the shop.
Ughhhhhh.
Varna Auto is a great place! Efficient, quality work, welcoming and we have been a customer for years. I am thankful for their work and even when I have an emergency they are responsive and fit me in where they can.
I have taken my cars to Varna Auto for thirty years, and I trust their judgment. My present car, a 2013 Honda Fit, has standard transmission, and William takes excellent care of it. As old as it is, it still runs smoothly and is reliable. To date, it has had no major --and very few minor -- problems.
I’ve brought several vehicles to this shop over the last few years without issue for the most part, however my last experience was horrible.
I was told I needed my e brake fixed on my truck. I asked the owner if he could give me an approximate cost or maximum cost for replacing the assembly if it couldn’t be repaired. He wouldn’t say a ballpark number and wanted me to authorize “whatever it costs” to fix. A mechanic in operation for 40 years should be able to give an estimated cost for a repair like this. It’s unprofessional to not give some estimate of cost, especially for a e brake repair on an f150.
On top of this, the owner pointed out that I had replaced my rotors and pads myself and said “why don’t you fix it then?”, after I had asked why he couldn’t estimate the cost. A condescending and rude thing to ask a returning customer who would have paid for the services.
This morning my check engine light came on, so I stopped by the shop to make sure everything was okay. One worker greeted me right away and took the time to check my car. He found that all my tires were just a little under pressure because of the colder weather and offered to help without hesitation. In less than five minutes, he filled each tire back to the proper level, explained how temperature changes can cause this, and made sure everything else looked good. He did it all for free and with such kindness. I highly recommend to any potential customers
I had a great experience at Varna Auto Service! I went in for an oil change, and the team not only took care of that quickly, but also found and fixed another issue with my car that I wasn’t even aware of. They explained everything clearly, were honest about the problem, and made sure my car was running smoothly before I left.
Great service and professional advice! I took my car there for an inspection and left with a new set of hybrid tires as well - something I definitely needed, but didn't expect to have taken care of the very same morning! I told them I needed the car back by 2pm; they called to tell me it was ready an hour early. An expert, honest local business that has been around for over 40 years. I'm new to the area, so I'm glad my friends recommended them.
Varna Auto has done wonderful work on my Toyota Land Cruiser twice in the past year. They are transparent about pricing and complete work quickly. As a grad student unfamiliar with cars, I appreciate how Varna sends me pictures if they need me to approve a repair and they have always been willing to speak to my partner over the phone, too, if he has questions, even if I'm dropping off the car. Highly recommend and thanks, Zach, for helping me this week!
I had a slow leak in a tire and stopped by to see if they could fix it. They were able to fix the tire (it had picked up a nail) while I waited. Excellent service at a very reasonable price
Always courteous, confident, and reliable. Where else could you go for a likely brake job but they simply indicated that the brakes needed to be cleaned but not replaced. I’m always impressed with their honesty and integrity.
Too expensive! Not thorough! I feel I was treated unfairly and with poor customer service. I paid over $70 just to have the under chassis of my car checked out, in terms of suspension and exhaust and they wouldn't even check the front and rear brake pads and I asked them but they said they "just do a quick check.". No work was done. The woman defended the man at the counter trying to justify their admitted 35% markup on parts, which is really something to say to a customer but from my findings I see it's closer to 200% Plus! I'm sure they do well preying on the local residents there who are vastly students, faculty, and teachers. They gave me an estimate of over $1,000 for only a portion of the work needed and I'm going to have all the work done for far less. Why can't people be fair and more honest? I'm never going back there and don't recommend it.
William and Angie are terrific. I appreciate being able to schedule appointments quickly and always feel good about the work they do. I never feel pressured or taken advantage of which is more than I can say about a lot of places. Grateful to have found them.
Varna Auto has been THE stop for any of our car needs from tires to compressors (and many things in between like suspension, etc.).
William and his team are first and foremost competent and fair. They have kept us safely on the road in our Subaru and Toyota vehicles. We will continue to bring our business to William and Angie.
You should feel confident that your car is in good hands with Varna Auto.
Varna Auto was highly recommended to me when I moved to Ithaca over a decade ago. From the very first visit, William and his amazing staff have been "above and beyond" in every sense. Honest, helpful, knowledgeable, super competent. William answers my questions (including the dumb ones) patiently and good-humoredly. I thanked the nice person who referred me to Varna Auto, and I know you'll thank me for this recommendation, too.
I have been using Varna Auto for many years and have always had excellent service. They will do as much or little as I ask on repairs and have provided immediate service in several emergency situations over the years.
William and Angie are dedicated and very pleasant to work with.
Prior to covid, I sometimes got my oil changed and/or annual inspection at Varna Auto. Following the relocation, my car began to develop a number of issues. I visited multiple auto shops on my way form home to work, but the problem was not remedied and only cost money.
I asked Varna Auto for help a few days ago. I dropped off my car in the morning and had everything done by 5:00 p.m. A detailed report was prepared to describe the issues. Not only did Mr. Chen address long-standing professional issues, he also pointed out that some problems that may seem big actually require only a small step. I am deeply impressed by his professionalism and kindness。
Varna auto is super accommodating, friendly and reasonably priced. I called on a Tuesday afternoon and they could get me in that Thursday. It was my first time there and they gave me a second opinion on some work my prior mechanic had suggested. After getting a third opinion early Friday morning, they were still able to get my car in again Friday to finish the work they recommended. I am very impressed and thankful because I leave for vacation and need a safe car, just two days later!
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