Kettering Oakwood Automotive in
Dayton (OH)

The mechanics do a perfect job, they can fix everything from the transmission and engine to minor wiring issues, they charge a fair price for the work, as it should be, I have an old car, a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, and I've been to many places, but this is the best and most professional place I've ever been to, I can say the same about the pricing policy, you won't find a better place than this, I can say this from personal experience

I came here at the recommendation of my friend. My car had been making noise after having a wheel bearing replaced in another state. I was nervous to get another big bill and not have a car to get my kids to school and doctors appointments. They got me right in and even offered me a car to use in the meantime. Turns out it was just a couple loose bolts and they got my car back to me within a couple hours without a big bill in hand. They have won my trust and we will definitely be a returning customer!

Terry and crew are great took my jeep in for an oil leak gave me a good estimate for repair, scheduled a time to take in planned ahead for them to have for 2 days to have my car back in 3 hrs fixed and ready for the next problem to arise with a jeep it always something . We will definitely be taking it back to this awesome crew.

I got an oil change elsewhere where they told me I had an oil leak and tried to pressure into immediate repair. I found KOA and called them. All my questions were answered and the cost was a fraction of what the big chain wanted to charge me. I have a few more things to be done and I will be taking it back to them soon. Super friendly staff and very honest. 5

Just got one oil change so far but seemed like fair price and good service. I'll choose them for my next service.

I showed up without an appointment and they patched my flat in less than 45 min! Amazing service. I’ll definitely be coming back. Thanks

I highly recommend Kettering Oakwood automotive if you need any quick fixes! I took my car in because I was unsure what was wrong with it, they looked at it and even brought me back to look at what was wrong and explain it to me in a way I could understand. As it’s close to Christmas and I use my car for work, Eric was able to get it fixed while I waited and work with me on the price. This is the best service I have ever received at a car shop!

I can’t find a team who knows what they do best. Customer satisfaction, Everything about their work is top notch. I will choose them every single day anytime. Keep the good work TEAM.

Went in for a used car inspection before purchasing a vehicle. They got us in right away and were quick and helpful! Great price for added reassurance.

This isn’t the first time I’ve brought my car here, and every single visit they’ve delivered excellent work. They’re honest, reliable, quick, and really know what they’re doing. I always leave feeling taken care of, and I will 100% continue coming back for anything my car needs. If you’re looking for a trustworthy shop that actually cares about their customers, definitely check them out, you won’t regret it!

I recently moved to this area and was soon hit with some car issues. As a young woman, it was a blessing to find such a great place. They work diligently and quick while providing what you need in the meantime. They are budget friendly and won’t waste your time! U have now had two repairs done by them and will definitely will keep up with this company. Thank you LT, Terry, and Eric!

I had taken my vehicle to several places where they didn’t diagnose the actual issue. I took my vehicle here and they had it fixed in 2 days. It’s been 3 weeks with no check engine light. Awesome job!

Terry and his crew are professional, courteous, and fast. Their quality and prices cannot be beat- I no longer shop around for repairs, because years ago I learned they consistently offer the most reasonable prices. When discussing repairs, they are transparent and never pushy. When I had an issue with replacing the clutch in my car, they rode in the car with me to make sure the repairs were done to my satisfaction. I’m grateful to have found them.

Thank you for fixing my oil pan stripped threads with a tap and seal! They did it within two hours! Everyone else wanted to charge me $1000 for a new oil pan. This was simple and inexpensive and resolved my issue. Very kind and thoughtful owner and employees. Thank you so much!

Terry, Eric, LT, Kyle and all the Kettering-Oakwood Automotive team are top notch! Very fair on service pricing and excellent customer care. I have been taking our vehicles there since we moved back to the Dayton area after being way overcharged by a competitor. Give them the opportunity to earn your business. They will not disappoint!

Kettering-Oakwood automotive has been highly recommended to me in the past, which is why they were my first thought today. I called this morning with a completely flat tire and asked if I could be seen - no appointment, new customer etc. I thought this was going to be a multi-hour, $300 dollar morning. Instead they immediately determined my tire could be easily patched. $20 and (Im not exaggerating) fewer than 10 minutes later, I was back on the road. Everyone I dealt with was pleasant and professional. I will absolutely be returning for my needs in the future. Thank you!

Flat tire no more! I had to call this place on short notice about an hour before they closed, and they were able to plug me into their busy schedule and plug my tire too. Very customer friendly especially if you get to meet Terry. This shop is not only professional at what they do, but also sympathetic to even someone like me that they had just met. They even switched my tire on and off FOR ME at NO CHARGE. 20$ for everything, can't beat that price anywhere. Highly recommend you come here for any automotive service you need

My experience with this company was beyond outstanding! They serviced me and my vehicle with honesty and understanding. It definitely felt like a family owned and operated company. I will be back in the future and I highly recommend this company to anyone who needs help with their vehicle.

Incredibly friendly staff and very quick service. Called in at 9 am about fixing a flat tire, was immediately taken care of at 10 am, and left their shop with my fixed tire by 10:30 am. I will definitely return in the future. Thanks so much for all you do!

I went in today because our car needed the license plate switched out (very simple job) but one of these screws was rusted and stripped. I took it into another automotive shop and they wanted to charge me $80 for a HALF HOUR of work. I knew that was way overpriced based on what I needed done because if I had the right tool, I would have done it myself. I decided to come to this shop and not only were they closing right when I got there but they did this for me for FREE! Incredible service and friendly workers. We will now be taking our cars here for any service. Not all great customer service is lost!!! Thank you to Kettering Oakwood Automotive for helping me out today when they didn’t have to. These guys know what they’re doing not only with cars but with customer service - and that always wins! THANK YOU!!!

They offered to diagnose what's wrong with the truck and how much it would cost to repair it. They told me that the truck is too far gone, isn't worth saving and that they wouldn't even charge me the diagnostic fee. Now the cherry on top for me is that they were very patient with me in getting it towed out of their lot. Eric, LT, I appreciate you. This review is the least I can do.

I came in requesting a coolant flush for my 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I already knew my coolant was low and discolored, and I was getting an engine code (P0117) related to the coolant temperature sensor. My goal was simple: flush the old coolant first, then see if the code resolved before replacing any parts. While the staff completed the flush as requested—and the price for that was reasonable—I was disappointed by how quickly they pushed unnecessary repairs without giving the flush a chance to work. Shortly after starting the service, I got a call saying I “needed a thermostat and coolant sensor,” and was quoted nearly $500 for the job. That recommendation came before finishing the flush, clearing the code, or even seeing how the vehicle responded afterward. It felt like a preset upsell, not a thoughtful diagnosis. I declined the extra repair and asked them to do what I originally came in for: just the flush. When I picked up the car, the check engine light was still on—but they hadn’t even cleared the code to see if it would return. That’s a basic step any good shop should take, especially after changing the fluid. If you know what you’re doing and just need a basic service done, you might be okay here. But if you’re looking for thorough diagnostics or a shop that takes a thoughtful step-by-step approach, this wasn’t it in my experience. UPDATE and REPLY 5/29 Wow. Instead of taking responsibility or even asking if something went wrong, you sent a punctuation-free rant blaming me for… listening to you? Let’s get a few things straight: Yes—I requested a coolant flush, and that’s exactly what I wanted done first because the coolant was visibly dirty and low, and I had a P0117 ECT sensor code. You pushed a $492 thermostat and sensor replacement before even completing the flush or clearing the code. That’s not diagnostics—that’s an upsell. You told me, “The light will come back on.” Well guess what? The car won’t even start now. After leaving your shop, it cranked but never turned over—and I got a “Check Oil” warning despite a recent oil change and full oil level. That’s not normal, and it sure didn’t happen before your team worked on the vehicle. Your coolant flush? Looks like you barely did it. The fluid is murky, the reservoir walls are still coated in gunk, and the level dropped to near MIN within hours. Either you didn’t bleed the system properly or you left air pockets behind, which can confuse sensors and prevent starting. If I had done this flush myself in my driveway, I’d have done a better job—and I’m not even charging $60 for it. Also, I never said this was “a friend’s car.” That’s something you made up to dodge responsibility. What I said was I wanted a proper step-by-step approach—flush first, then reevaluate. That’s what any qualified shop would do. But instead of troubleshooting, you went straight to replacement quotes and are now lashing out because I didn’t blindly approve it. So now I have: • A Jeep that doesn’t run • A check engine light still on • And a receipt for a half-baked flush job I now have to redo You didn’t fix the problem, and you made it worse. What was I expecting? Basic professionalism. What did I get? A defensive wall of blame from a shop that did the bare minimum and now wants to argue with the customer instead of helping.

I’ve taken my cats to Oakwood Auto for several repairs now and I’m satisfied with all of my experiences. They are knowledgeable and honest. They give me options and let me know what to look out for. I appreciate that they tell me when something is going on but is urgent. They don’t pressure me to get it fixed now. Thanks!

I ran over a bolt and got a flat tire. They fixed it right away and even pumped up all the tires (including the donut!). Very professional, would recommend! Also took a van in which needed a sensor replaced. They went above and beyond to get the new part quickly for us and get us the van back. Exceptional service!

I took my car in for my brakes. We ran into a little hiccup and Terry made everything right! He was very professional and sincere. The front desk team was very nice and polite ~ hard to find these days. I would highly recommend Kettering Oakwood Automotive. They want you to be satisfied and happy with their repair work. THANK YOU TERRY ~ you're the best!!

These guys just saved my day! I came out from my office to find a completely flat tire. I called the shop and Kyle came out to pump up my tire so we could get it to the shop to repair. No dice. It wouldn't hold air. So, he took my wheel back to the shop and came back with a new tire a bit later. I paid over the phone and they emailed my receipt. It was so easy! Thank you!

I recently had an issue with the ABS module on my car, so I visited this repair shop. My car would randomly brake and stall in the middle of the road, with both the parking brake light and ABS warning light turning on. They initially fixed it, but the issue persisted. When I went back, they only secured the module with a zip tie and claimed they had put in a lot of effort, which I didn’t mind. However, what I cannot accept is that to prevent me from returning to address the ABS issue again, they disabled the ABS warning light and parking brake indicator on my dashboard. This kind of “solution” left me extremely disappointed. Disabling warning lights doesn’t solve the problem and may even compromise driving safety. To be fair, the shop does offer loaner cars for first-time customers, which I appreciated and found surprising. But despite this, the deceptive approach is untrustworthy. I hope this review helps others make a more cautious choice when selecting a repair shop.