What clients say about CSE Automotive in Lower Moreland Township (PA)
I dropped my 1970 VW Beetle (“LilyBug”) off at CSE in September with one clear instruction: diagnose the electrical short and get the car running. That was it. I did not ask for a full restoration list or a complete vehicle evaluation.
Within two weeks, I was billed $1,000. Part of that charge was for a full diagnostic report listing everything wrong with the car — something I never requested. It’s a 50-year-old vehicle; of course it needs things. My only goal was to get it running safely.
For context, this Beetle has brand-new wiring installed over the past two years. It’s not perfect, but it was running before the wiper motor seized and caused some wires to burn. Since I’m a hobbyist and not an electrician, I brought it to CSE for professional help.
From the beginning, communication was poor. Every time I called for updates, Jim (the manager) told me my car was “a problem” without offering real solutions or a clear plan to get it started. It seemed like he didn’t know where to begin.
I provided new parts, which were later handed back to me and labeled as “bad” or “broken.” One of the few tasks completed was replacing the fuel filter. However, when I started the car to test it, fuel poured out of the filter — an extremely dangerous situation. Another mechanic, Andy, had to fix Jim’s mistake, and Andy was not paid for correcting it.
Jim also insisted the entire car needed to be rewired, claiming all connections were faulty. That is simply not true, as the car already has new wiring. It felt like an unnecessary upsell rather than a solution.
During the process, Jim broke my headlight switch out of the dash while trying to remove it. I believed he was only removing the knob, but he damaged the mechanism. He offered no help sourcing a replacement other than telling me to order and pay for it myself. He insisted the switch would no longer work — but after I pushed him to reinstall it and try starting the engine, LilyBug started immediately.
After three months of delays, mounting bills (totaling $1,200), and no resolution, I showed up and demanded the car be started. It ran. At that point, I took my car home.
At another garage, I learned that wiring had been left unsecured, allowing live wires to move freely inside the trunk near the gas tank — a serious fire hazard. Additionally, brake lights and headlights that previously worked now do not, due to incorrect wiring and the damaged headlight switch.
In three months, CSE adjusted the brakes and replaced a fuel filter — incorrectly. Everything else on the invoice is either misrepresented or was done improperly and dangerously. I have since paid another shop to correct their work.
Jim has refused any refund or apology. I have repeatedly asked for the owner to contact me to discuss resolution, and no one has returned my calls.
I strongly advise against bringing your vehicle here. The lack of professionalism, accountability, and safe workmanship is alarming. Wiring, brakes, and lighting are critical safety systems. Mistakes in those areas put lives at risk.
I am pursuing legal action.
This experience has taken much of the joy out of owning my classic Beetle
The CSE team is reliable and dependable. They gavd their best in solving the problems with my car. I'd recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable mechanic.
Super friendly and very concerned about doing right by you. They are reasoble people; work with them! Talked with mechanic without asking to do so - very knowledgeable and does NOT assume you are ignorant. Good people.
Jim & Andy really know their trade!! Very dependable and know vw's.
Here's a good one: the Autobody Paint Shop that painted my car had to cut the 4 lock nuts off the wheels because they lost my key that fit the wheel locks. Andy found the lug nuts in the shop that fit so now I've got 5 nuts on each wheel.
Thx guys, you're awesome!! C u next time! So take care. I'm thinking bout you Andy in your time of sorrow.
I'm really thankfull that you took care of my car and was really nice to show me the stuff that need done. I give your company a number 10 star because you took time out for me to be safe. Thank you all for your kindness and help keeping Me safe.
I continue to be very satisfied with the work CSE Automotive does. they are easy to work with, knowledgeable, and offer convenient scheduling. I have been using them for many years. They have helped me keep my cars running as they age. Recently they quickly replaced a blown tire, spending time to find an identical tire so that only the bad tire needed to be replaced.
Very fair shop, I take all my vehicles here. They are very friendly and genuinely care about the safety of the customer. I would recommend CSE to anyone needing honest car repair.
Even when they had to give bad news it’s done with honesty and what can they do to help. Always great service and prices. I’m not a mechanic by any means but they take the time to make sure you understand the issue and what needs to be done to service your vehicle. 🚗
I took my 1985 grand am here after having a hard time finding a quality reliable shop that works on older vehicles. They did a great job diagnosing the issues. My vehicle is running better than ever, and will go to them again for any services I need cant thank then enough! Update i recently took my Grand am back again after dealing with issues that another mechanic had messed things up and once again they did a great job figuring out the issues can't thank them enough!
My 2003 VW Eurovan needed some repairs while traveling. These are somewhat unusual vehicles and not every shop can or will work on them. The folks at CSE know their stuff and were great to work with. I wish I lived in the area, I would take all of my cars to them.
Super friendly and fun staff. Ellie went above and beyond at making sure I was comfortable in their adorable waiting room. I had to wait for someone to come get me. Free beverages, too! Plus, they made sure I understood the work that needed to be done instead of assuming I wouldn't care just because I'm a woman, which many mechanics do. I highly recommend this place.
They shattered my GPS screen and it was perfectly fine when I dropped it off. I emailed CSE about it and they did nothing. They just asked the team about it and no one fessed up. They didn't compensate for it or even offer a free service to fix it. Terrible business and employees.
They also suck at communicating. I had to reachout to them about my car's status and if it was ready to pick up. Also they don't ask your permission sometimes to fixs small things so i had to pay $50 to change a $2 bulb.
I own a plumbing company and CSE has been servicing my vans and trucks for 6 years and they always do a great job. Everything from flat tires, oil changes, inspections, and repairs. I always trust their recommendations and appreciate that they look out for me. They do really quick work and their customer service is great!
I recently had the pleasure of visiting CSE Automotive, and I am extremely impressed with the level of diagnostic accuracy and customer service I received.
From the moment I walked in, the staff was welcoming and attentive. They took the time to listen to my concerns and ask detailed questions about the issues I was experiencing with my vehicle. This thorough approach immediately gave me confidence that my car was in good hands.
The diagnostic process was exceptionally thorough and efficient. The technicians quickly identified the problem and explained it to me in a clear, understandable manner. They provided a detailed list of everything that was diagnosed, and patiently answered all my questions, ensuring I fully understood the necessary system updates. My car runs perfectly.
I also was informed on when to bring my car in immediately vs. when to schedule an appointment. It’s clear that CSE Automotive goes above and beyond to ensure a positive experience for their customers!
Overall, I am thoroughly impressed with the exceptional diagnostic skills and outstanding customer service provided by CSE Automotive. I highly recommend their services to anyone in need of reliable and professional auto repairs. Thank you for a job well done and for putting my mind at ease!
2018 Audi Q5 Prestige
Today was my first visit and it was a pleasant one - Ellie is kind, thorough, and her frienfly banter was appreciated as I waited for service on my car.
Andy was efficient and professional and as he inspected my vehicle, welcomed me to the garage to check out an issue underneath my car as a result of recently running something over on the highway. This was not part of my visit, but calling it out was appreciated and something only a thoughful mechanic would do!
I've lived in the area for a long time now, but never knew of this shop. I'm glad another nearby shop recommended them for alignments - I'm taking a second vehicle in for one and look forward to more future help from the crew at CSE.
I loved the service here. Took my car to CSE for warranty work and they did an EXCELLANT job!, They kept me informed on the progress every day, And when I picked up they went over the bill in great detail and even included possible recalls on my car. Do yourself a favor and go to CSE for service. You won't be disappointed!
Spoke with Ellie alot on the phone, and she was always very nice and did a great job on informing me with updates on my truck. Jim did most of the work on the truck, i believe, and he did a great job of getting my truck back on the road and driving straight. Great people and great work!
Here’s the deal: Bill and Ellie appear to be nice, but my experience was not exactly stellar. I needed a new timing belt for my Toyota V6, and Ellie quoted me a reasonable price over the phone ($1350). Bill also confirmed he is familiar with the job because in his words, he “once replaced the belt on a previous generation V6.” Not 100% reassuring but I agreed to drop off my car because the shop was highly rated.
The next day I received a phone call from Bill, being notified that the job was progressing nicely; however, due to some old rusty parts the overall cost would increase by almost $400. I wasn’t thrilled but these things can happen to an older car. The following day I went there to get my vehicle, but as soon as I started the car, the check engine light came on. I panicked, but Bill reassured me that it will be gone soon. A week later, the light was still on. Bill suggested I stop by and do some scanning. Using my scan tool instead, the code showed that the timing belt was most likely off by one tooth. At that point, I decided to get it checked by a certified Toyota mechanic. My fear became reality – the belt was not properly installed and was indeed off by one tooth. A few hours later, I was another $600 poorer, but happy it was over.
I went back to see Bill, and he was nice enough to reimburse me $300, but not before asking why I hadn’t come to see him to try to resolve the issue. I told him that I did not have enough confidence in his team. He didn’t like it, but we shook hands with the hope of seeing each other again.
I dropped by for a tire change, and the staff was super friendly. They got my tires quicker than expected and were flexible with scheduling. The owners were chatty and welcoming. Plus, they have road force balancer and really considerate enough to use torque wrench for lug nuts. competitive pricing as well
Definitely will visit again
Friendly knowledgeable and trust worthy. Brought my car in after getting several quotes and being told my headlight electrical issue was very in depth. Not only did CSE troubleshoot and identify the problem, they were able to get me out the door for a fraction of the cost. Will be taking my cars here moving forward.
I am a new customer to CSE. Elly and Jim were very friendly and welcoming. Rather than only showing me pictures, Jim took me up under my car while it was on the lift and showed me what needed to be done and why. He gave me options for how we could move forward. I sensed and appreciated his honesty and integrity.
Ellie does a great job getting me scheduled for the work and Andy, Bill, and Jim all do a great job getting the work done and done well. I have confidence that when they complete the job it has been done competently and at a fair price. In fact, last June of 2022 when they inspected my just purchased certified used 2018 Honda Civic and found some rust on the rear disk rotors, Jim told me, “It is probably just from the car sitting around, they should be fine, no sense in spending money when you don’t have to….” (Have any of you reading this review Ever heard a dealer service department say that??? -> “no sense in spending money when you don’t have to….”). I didn’t think so. We all know a dealer would probably have "highly recommended" work be done on those same brakes. Indeed, the rear brakes have given me no problems at all and just last week they passed this year’s inspection with no issues. Yes, I highly recommend CSE for quality work at fair prices. Keep up the good work CSE. (Five stars and two thumbs up).
Working with CSE was easy and a job well done. I ordered tires online from Tire Rack one day, they were delivered to CSE the next day, and the following day they were installed. This is the second time I have used CSE for tire installation, and will do so in the future. They also do a great job with other auto maintenance.
Easy to make the appointment, they were super friendly on the phone (Ellie at front desk). Very prompt and professional service, explained some things I should know, reasonable price -they had a coupon, too. Our regular mechanic retired. We would definitely recommend and will be back.
This is my second time going to CSE. From the moment I first called speaking to Ms. Elle she made me feel comfortable as did Mr. Jim. The customer service is phenomenal! They do quality work. The most amazing thing about this company is that they look the entire vehicle over and will let you know everything that is wrong with the vehicle! The communication is great and so are they! I recommend them without any reservation! Their prices are also very reasonable!! The quality of their work speaks for itself!! Thank you guys! Go check them out!
Ben
Known about these guys since I was a young kid. My dad has always had a great experience there. Took my g37 in for a second opinion on exhaust leak. Turns out it was misdiagnosed from another shop. Saved me some major cash$. Bill even helped me on where to go for my window tint. Very thorough, knowledgeable, professional. Means a lot to me. Great people.
If you are looking for a real professional mechanic shop, CSE is your place. Bill and Jim are what I call old school craftsmen, proud of their trade, applying their knowledge to satisfy the client and solve the most dauting tasks, not shying away from taking a carburetor apart, cleaning all components and putting it back together rather than just swapping it for a new one. On top of being great craftsmen, they are also super friendly and always ready for a chat.
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