RT Clapp Automotive - a Main Street Auto shop in
Knoxville (TN)

Good place. They told me what was wrong and gave me a fat bill. However the guy talked out my options and quoted me on just labor. I got the parts and they fixed my car. I trust these guys for what it's worth.

RT Clapp is by far the best place I have been! The service is always wonderful and they remember every customer. They also ensure that you get the best price for your service and are very transparent about their services and pricing. Any time someone I know has a car issue this is the place I recommend, I have nothing but good things to say about them!

My daughter brought her car there Friday and they were supposed to fix the engine oil cooler, and clean out everything that was attached to this part, including the antifreeze reservoir, But clearly did not clean the reservoir out, and there is absolutely no antifreeze in the box at all. And they charged her almost 1000 dollars

Can’t begin to express how happy I am with the service. Dave was professional and explained everything they recommended. The mechanic was clean and took extra care to not get my seats or steering wheel dirty. 10/10 will come again.

UPDATE: I received a phone call from RT Clapp after leaving this review trying to check the work done on my car and make it right - but I had already taken it another shop. The other mechanic confirmed the coil pack was improperly seated and that it was the culprit of my issues. Like I said in the original review, I’m frustrated because I had just paid for that service and it caused my car to shut down. Another update: I have unsubscribed from their STUPID text messages a million times and keep getting their sales pitches. Leave me ALONE. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I came to RT Clapp based on local rave reviews (found on multiple Reddit threads and their Google Reviews), and now I deeply regret this choice. My Jeep was driving a little off, no check engine lights were on, but I wanted to get it checked out by a reputable business in town before the issues worsened. I took it in on 6/25 and they said I needed quite the tune up - which I expected as my vehicle is marching toward 100k miles. I approved replacing the spark plugs and ignition coil, and skipped on an oil change and tires - as I had an appointment at a better price in a few weeks to do those services elsewhere. I got the vehicle back and on 7/6 my dashboard lit up with a check engine light and my auto start/stop not working. My car is shuddering and now barely working and needing to be towed to a shop for what I assume is a catastrophic system failure based on how it was driving. What turned into a preventative maintenance visit to avoid this exact scenario, has turned into my worst nightmare. Not to mention… people don’t have money to toss around at this kind of thing. I spent an entire check on this issue and am so upset that this is where it ended up. I am really disappointed and wish something would be made right to me as a first time customer, but to be honest, I don’t even trust bringing my car back for them to give it a another shot.

David and the staff at RT Clapp were very helpful and friendly. They patiently explained everything that needed to be done. The prices are very competitive. They were on time with quoting the repairs and completing them. Definitely the spot for all my repairs.

David and Steven worked professionally and prompt on helping me out with a situation with my work vehicle. While on a business trip from out of town, noticed issue with truck. After doing research I decided to take vehicle to RT Clapp shop. They understood my situation and they got me in and out same day. Thought it would take a two day work order ended up being majority of one day. David and Steven worked quickly and got the parts my truck needed sooner. Very pleased with their professionalism, pricing and honesty. Again, can’t thank you guys enough as well as the guys in the shop. I highly recommend this shop and these guys if you ever have vehicle issues.

Was recommended these guys by my boss who's had his 1986 Dodge truck worked on here for years. They took great care of my 2005 Tacoma in the two years since I've been coming in. The follow-up service after I had a big repair was great and they handled everything free of charge as part of the service without hassle. All the prices are fair and they had me in an out of there in under 48hrs for anytime I needed parts replaced. Retiring my 2005 Tacoma after 340k miles for a new 26' Corolla Hatchback but thankful for the work they did to help me keep the ole beater running and fully intend on coming back for any future work on my new car.

Always pleased with the affordable, friendly service and ease of scheduling & reviewing the inspection results online. Thanks for taking good care of my vehicle!

It's never fun when your car breaks down thousands of miles from home while on a vacation. But these guys got me in for service right away and got the vehicle fixed up in a day. They have a convenient online portal for describing the issues after their comprehensive inspection so you can easily pick and choose what work to have done. Now if I can squeeze another 50k miles out of this car I will be happy!!

Not helpful. We came with a specific problem and showed all the previous records and history of what has been fixed on the car. We expressed our concerns about continuing to put money into this car. We were given a quote to fix the issue and it was around $1400 and were told that the car is generally a good little car. We decided to go ahead with the recommended fix. Once it was done we were told that oops, there is another problem that will also cost another $1400. The car still has the same issue we brought it in for, plus we are out the $1400 without it being fixed. It seems like a scam. $1400 for every "fix" that fixes nothing! If they had given us the full amount upfront we would not have moved forward with this car. I think that is how they get you! Now we are out $1400 we didn't have to spend and the car!!

I had purchased a new tire at a store but to be named (WM) and they said they could not get the lug nuts off my car. I took it to RY Clapp because they consulted with me on my other vehicle and they did not disappoint. They changed my tire without a problem, so I think I have found my go to place for my cars.

Brought a car in with suspension issues. They diagnosed it as one thing. "Fixed" it but did not fix the real issue or even find it until after thier 1700 fix did not fix. Wanted another 1700 or so.to fix the new issue. Would not have repaired if we knew it would cost over 3000. I notice this bait and switch practice is not unusual for this shop to do while reading reviews. Should have started with the reviews. Would recommend going elsewhere for an honest, competent evaluation. Zero accountability on missing something very critical for the safe operation of the vehicle. Not happy and will not be back.

This place is awesome very reasonable on price other places told me it would be $600 labor to put in a blower motor because they thought I was stupid and said the whole dash had to come out when it was just a break and gas pedal assembly that's why I didn't want to fool with it but they did it it was only $240 they were very nice and didn't talk to me like I was a woman who didn't know anything about cars and they had it done in the same day as others would say I would have to leave it with them it took a couple hours they called to let me know it was ready and I'm very very satisfied with how professional they were and answering all my questions before and after they done the work I was wanting to give the mechanic a tip but apparently he had done left and went to another shop his name is Dylan they said but if you want your car done right the first time this is the place to take it to.. I will be taking my car back to this shop if I don't want to do the work myself.

These folks did a good job on my old ford ranger’s cooling system and made me aware of other problems and fixed what I could afford, kept me up to date and communicated well. David and Steven were friendly and professional. I will use them when needed and recommend you do as well.

RT Clapps was able to get my vehicle fixed with multiple issues in a timely manner. Thanks to David, I appreciate the extra effort you put in to get my vehicle running better than it was. Thank you very much. I finally found a good repair shop I can depend on.

This is my fourth time using RT Clap Automotive. They are truly exceptional! This time I dealt with David and he was fantastic. Incredibly informative went out of their way to meet my tight schedule and demands and their pricing is exceptional. I don’t think there’s a better repair shop. I own six vehicles and I’ve never had experiences like this consistently, thank you guys so much! Emmanuel

This place is top notch. I had my car breakdown on me out west by turkey creek at 8pm. It started sputtering and was a struggling to drive. I stopped at the closet repair shop and left it with them to diagnose. The got back with me saying it was going to cost me about $3300 to fixed the issue. So I continued to call around and ask other places. I found RT and I explained the situation. The suggested several options and referred me to another shop to see what they could do for me as well as offered what they could. The quick cheap option the refered wasn't possible so I took the car to RT, they checked it out, offered me a more affordable option to fix the car than their original option and scheduled my appointment. I got the work done first thing in the morning, service was impeccable and workers were pleasant and very helpful. After they fixed my car, the was still a little hiccup in my exhaust system. The immediately pulled my car in, diagnose what the issue was and fix that problem on the house. I cannot recommend these guys enough. If you are ever in need of someone to work on your car make this one of the first calls you place.

Terrible! My son car has been smoking and leaking oil. He paid over 1000 for a head gasket that didn't resolve anything then turned around and paid another 500 for a pump and now his car is still running hot, smoking, and leaking! Terrible service!

I'm very pleased with the service I received. Everyone was pleasant and kind. Work was done expeditiously. I like that they not only told me what the problem was but showed me as well. I Appreciate you guys, my car runs like a charm now. I will recommend RT Clapp Automotive for automotive needs.

2009 jeep needed drive shaft and some other maintenance issues. David took my information on phone for appointment. Very pleasant and listened to my description. Got into shop. Had estimate very next morning. Work done the following day as promised. Great auto repair experience. Very fair with charges. Overall very satisfied.

Absolutely excellent experience they fixed my car within 24 hours of dropping it off at an appointment. The prices were exceptional. I would highly recommend.

Local shops aren’t always better than the chain store, but this is definitely the exception! Everyone was very friendly, honest and upfront with any info. They went above and beyond to get my business as a new customer. We won’t go anywhere else from now on.

My old Toyota pickup would not start. Clapp tried everything. They finally found it was a rare part, and everything works fine now. I know any other repair place would have given up on this little jitney and told me to scrap it. I thought of the great guys at RT Clapp this morning when I fired her up and cruised away.

My father began going to RT Clapp for his car service needs in 1973. A mechanic himself he said that these guys were trustworthy, good mechanics, and priced reasonably. The same holds true today! They recently saved me $600 on a new set of tires and more than $40 on an oil change and rotation. Give them a try, you won’t be disappointed!

I was passing through town when the front end of my car started making a knocking noise over certain bumps. One of the locals I met recommended RT Clapp and I'm really glad they did. The team quickly identified that failing strut mounts were causing the issue. I really appreciated how they took the time to explain what was happening and advised me that I could wait to have the strut mounts replaced when I got back home rather than needing immediate repair. I was able to get back on the road in no time. The service was efficient and the communication was clear. They got me the answers I needed without any hassle, which was such a relief. Really grateful for their help and would definitely use them again if I'm in the area.

Extremely disappointed in RT Clapp. Been using them for a long time due to their honesty and prompt service. Recently approved some work to be completed on my vehicle. After it was done they told me they forgot to add an additional $400 in labor to the bill at the beginning. Their only concession was to give me a $97 discount, but I still had to pay an extra surprise $300 to get my car back. 😕