What clients say about Cole's Import Specialist in Charlottesville (VA)
Chad is great. I had to drop my car off after he was closed for the day and by the time I had called in the morning he had already identified the issue and ordered the necessary part and ended up having the car ready by that afternoon. Can't recommend Chad and Cole's Import's enough.
I am delighted to now know about Cole's Imports. My 2012 Mazda 5 Sport is now in the best hands in Charlottesville. Chad is super responsive and patient with questions. They truly work with the car owner to reach the best outcome. Car maintenance can be stressful, yet Cole's makes the process pleasant. I highly recommend this business!
Very pleased with scheduled repair of several oil leaks sprung by my old but faithful Subaru Forester. Service was prompt and even came in less than the estimate!
It is so rare these days to find a mechanic shop you can trust implicitly. I've had my vehicle serviced here multiple times and the service has been phenomenal. The prices and labor rates are extremely competitive, and the service quality is excellent. This is the only place I'll have my family's vehicles serviced.
If I could give 10 stars I would! Chad is great. The most honest and patient repair shop I have ever worked with. He really helped us out on our 2011 Honda Pilot. I went to him for a 2nd opinion on repairs and he and Jaime quickly determined the issue and did a great job fixing it. Another shop advised me my engine had an internal failure and to just run it until it dies i.e the fix would be a replacement engine. Cole's determined the timing belt tensioner was going bad so did the t-belt kit r/r and the car is running great! Cole's is my new auto mechanic for all my cars! I learned of them through recommendations by my neighbors and am so glad I turned to them. Thanks again Chad and Jaime.
I love this place! They changed my oil so quickly, and they were so friendly and hospitable. They even texted me after to make sure everything was going smoothly. Couldn’t recommend more! So transparent.
Great experience with Cole’s! Brought my Subaru in for transmission maintenance and was greeted by Chad -Had it back to me just a few hours later. Friendly service and costs half of what the dealer quoted. Will definitely be a return customer here.
There’s often trepidation taking a car for service and/or repairs. Good news about Cole’s Import Specialist. Chad is as honest as they come, efficient and an excellent communicator. I don’t want frequent flyer status but when needed I’m happy to have a trustworthy service provider.
Absolutely the best service! Diagnose the issue correctly. The cost of the repair was fair. Worked with me on scheduling, provided updates, provided recommendations and advice on a service he did not provide. Chad provided outstanding customer service, which is a rarity today. I can’t recommend Chad and his crew enough. Thanks again Chad.
Cole’s is the best shop in town. They’re honest, friendly, and quick. I’ve had nearly all of the work done on my 4Runner with Cole’s, and Chad and the rest of the folks there are the first people I call when there’s an issue. Can’t recommend them enough.
Had a great experience. They performed a long overdue maintenance item on my 2015 Honda. Chad provided a quote and timeframe for the work, and met those expectations.
Chad and his team did an excellent job on a number of repairs my car needed and they got it done before my wife had to leave for a trip up north. I'm not a car guy and Chad took the time to explain to me what exactly was wrong and which things were most important to fix first. Their prices were great and I'll be taking my car back there exclusively for any future repairs. Finding a local shop you can trust greatly reduces the stress of dealing with car troubles; I just wish they worked on domestic cars so I could take all my vehicles there!
Update: It's been about a year since they worked on my daily driver so I took it back in to see if it needed anything done before I get an inspection in a few weeks. Car had no issues and I got great service from Chad and his team!
Our van's alternator failed late on a Thursday night, leaving my son stranded. Based on a recommendation, we had it towed to Cole's Imports.
First thing Friday morning, Chad from Cole's called. While they couldn't fit in the repair, he recommended another great shop that could. What truly amazed me was that he also noticed the battery was dead and replaced it for us completely free of charge.
It's rare to find a business this honest and helpful. While we live too far away to become regular customers, their integrity has earned them our highest recommendation for anyone in the Charlottesville area. Thank you, Chad!
Chad and the Cole’s team have been caring for our vehicles for years. The whole team is friendly, trustworthy, reliable and quick with repairs. We depend on their advice for maintenance and repairs and they have never steered us wrong (no pun intended!). Chad is the friendly and knowledgeable guy you’ll meet by phone or when you drop off. 5-star experience from start to finish.
Chris Coles has been my go to Honda and Japanese import mechanic for more than 40 years. Other than state inspections, there is nothing that he and his team cannot do. They are the best mechanics in town for Honda and all their competitors.
I had car repairs done there and Chad was very friendly & the repairs were done quickly and at a reasonable price. I will use them for repairs/maintenance in the future.
This is the only shop I take my Hyundai. Chad and the team are phenomenal. Always extremely friendly, competitive prices, and timely work. As a woman, I have often felt taken advantage of at other shops, but I think Chad goes out of his way to explain what needs to be done and he never price gouges. So thankful for these men! With the recent snow/ice, Chad even went out of his way to help my husband break up the ice surrounding my car. Great team here!
I can’t recommend this place enough, especially Chad. The shop is very clean, everyone is very professional. They are very transparent about everything and very fair on prices. Chad went above and beyond and helped me get my car out that was snowed/iced in from the recent storm. I will never go to another shop. Best shop I’ve ever had the pleasure doing business with!
I’ve been using Coles Imports for years to service both our Honda and Subaru. Most recently I had an oil change on my Forester and I was in and out in 30 minutes. I trust their integrity and fair prices for all of my automotive services.
They were so kind, prompt, communicative, and generous to us. We were passing through and our air conditioner broke. They were able to diagnose the problem and even though we couldn't get it fixed with them since we had to keep going on our trip, they didn't charge us for the time it took to do that. So very grateful!
I didn’t submit a written review of this business when I initially gave my one star rating weeks ago. I chose this route out of some semblance of courtesy, with a “just let it go” mindset.
Until I received a notice that this business replied to my one star rating. Chad, If you remember correctly I informed you the day of our telephone conversation on Dec 21, 2023, I had recorded its entirety and after reading this, I went back and listened to that call.
Chad specifically says in the call “P0171 is only a Mass Airflow sensor code.” - Mechanic’s I’ve asked, including the dealership, says this is incorrect. A simple google search, shows this. This is a general code always followed up by a secondary. “P0171” indicates 1/7 possibilities. Any qualified mechanic would know this. When you Google “Toyota P0171” - The first result is a YouTube hit with 87k views thats titled “7 causes of P0171 code, system too lean bank one.” On its thumbnail, the Check Engine light reader states the Toyota p0171 code contains (7) possible causes of this code.
In Sept 2023 I brought my 2018 Highlander to Cole’s w/ a Check engine light on. After Googling (in front of me) the codes numerical meaning, Chad told me it was a mass airflow sensor code, “P0171.” They cleaned the sensor, & the code went off temporarily. When it returned, I contacted Cole’s & Chad stated he’s never seen a MAF sensor on a Highlander go bad, but would replace this anyways, next visit.
Multiple scheduling attempts later & 3 months passed without my AWD/Traction control/cruise control/other safety features, Cole’s changed the sensor & charged me $400. I left the shop that day & drove 10 mins before the CEL came back on. I called immediately & Chad said to bring it back, yet weeks passed before he had availability.
Finally, 3rd week of Dec, Cole’s was available to look at the car & told me it was now the fuel pump. Chad informed me there was a recall on this from Toyota and to take it to them to resolve it.
I did, the next morning. At Toyota, I was hooked up to a big boy diagnostic & informed that the fuel pump wasn’t bad & in fact not under recall. The Toyota diagnostics produced the same code as Cole’s, however also produced “secondary codes.” This secondary code indicated the fuel purge valve was bad. (1 of the 7 possibilities)
Toyota replaced the purge valve & the CEL immediately went off. They informed me its likely the mass air flow sensor was never bad & encouraged me to reach out to the mechanic who incorrectly replaced it & questioned the quality of their Check Engine Light code reader.
During the call with Chad at Coles, I was polite and I informed Chad of their mistake and asked to be refunded for the sensor he inaccurately claimed was bad and replaced. I followed that with a 50% of the full price refund suggestion. Knowing the type of boy Chad is, having through this process identified multiple questionable statements he’s made, I knew I needed to record this conversation.
In summary, Chad’s description below of the call is vastly different from the recording of the call. I was more than kind in the face of my perception of someone trying to gaslight me. He declined to issue a refund and as the recording clearly states, when asked for a refund for the part he replaced that wasn’t broken, he says that he “had to follow the diagnostics” even when they lead to the wrong place. Even with documentation from Toyota emailed to him, Chad still states he believes he was justified and has kept my money. In Cole’s reply to my 1 star rating (photo below for when it’s deleted) Chad states he STILL believes this P0171 was the MAF code, even with Toyota’s documentation.
In his reply he states “we ruled out the part any mechanic would have first.” This indicates he recognizes the MAF sensor was not the problem (ruled out) but has declined to refund my money for replacing a part that wasn’t bad.
In my opinion, Chad tried to gaslight me into believing his method of thinking, underestimating my ability to articulate his behavior.
I have depended on Coles to maintain my vehicles for over twenty years. I trust Chad and Chris absolutely. I know they appreciate my need to watch my budget and know they would never recommend work that isn’t absolutely necessary. I will continue to wish them the very best in their business…
By far the best experience at an auto shop I have ever had. Took my 4runner in to get new brakes and rotors and the service was done in a very timely manner and very professional. Chad and the shop guys are incredibly nice and will only do the work that is absolutely needed. I will not be going anywhere else but to Coles and neither should you!
Highly recommended. Go to place to get our Toyota's repaired and looked at for the past 5+ years. They are very trustworthy and friendly. Won't do anything without fully explaining why and if it's really needed. Chad is the definition of great customer service.
I have used Coles for my big repairs for about 2 decades. They are always on time - or early - in completion. They are up front about pricing and have done a number of pre-purchase inspections for me as well. I find them friendly and easy to work with - and like their new location/environment, too. They have earned my trust.
I highly recommend Cole’s Import Specialist for any and all auto needs, especially (of course) for foreign cars. I had a small issue with a noise coming from my front left tire and had called just about ten to fifteen places in the area and each time I received the same response: “Maybe I can look at it today but definitely not before lunch.” Cole’s looked at my vehicle basically right when I brought it in, were extremely attentive to my needs immediately, and had me done and out of there in less than an hour with my Isuzu totally fixed up. They even checked the other tires to make sure there were no issues with the other ones. They were so helpful and kind as well. Can’t recommend them enough!
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