Minneapolis Auto Repair

Had an off feeling from the get-go when I took my car to another Nelson's location and it ended up here; my gut turned out right. When they moved my car here, they didn't lock it. The shop is adjacent a shelter for recovering drug users (which I'm glad is operating there, and is badly needed), so you'd figure they would be careful about this sort of thing. However, they weren't, and my car was broken into, and several expensive items (GPS unit, sunglasses, backup wallet) were stolen from the center console and trunk (I'd have missed this if they hadn't forgotten to replace the side panels in the trunk after taking it apart), and a cigarette was left in the cup holder. (I don't smoke cigarettes.) To their credit, they bought me a new GPS, but said they cannot reimburse for other items and told me they've been taken to court over this before and have been found to not be liable for stolen items. I took the car after it would not start up. The first time, they failed to see any problem at all, so the $100 towing charge was for naught. The second time this happened, they were able to find the problem. The fuel pump needed to be replaced. They quoted this job at just shy of $1000. Once I looked up the parts and subtracted the cost of labor and parts from the quote, I found they were overcharging by about $400. This price dropped substantially once I communicated this by phone. (If I hadn't known this, though, I'd be in the hole for quite a bit of money.) The fuel pump they replaced in my car was defective, so I had to bring it back for them to install a new one. While replacing the fuel pump, they broke a rubber gasket in the engine. They noticed this and replaced it. However, the fuel gauge is still reading incorrectly. On top of that, on a road trip shortly afterwards, my exhaust & muffler dropped down and rattled against the road. I pulled over immediately and took it to a local shop, where they were able to repair it shortly. The straps holding the exhaust on were fine; it turns out, the mechanics who dropped the exhaust and tank earlier hadn't properly replaced the straps holding the exhaust in, so when it hit a bump in the highway, it just fell out. To be clear, I don't own an exotic car that's hard to work on. It's a Chevy. After this, I've done all the work myself and haven't had any such issues. If I can do a better job with borrowed tools and YouTube, best steer clear of this shop.

I haven't driven away unsatisfied once in the 2+ years I've been taking my 10 year old car to Nelson Green Garage! Professional, and very customer oriented. Thanks guys!

Went in for an oil change & they did a fast & great job with reasonable price fer synthetic. Topped off my coolant for free & replaced a stripped bolt from previous oil change for free. Definitely my new mechanic shop after dealing with rip off artists from Bobby & Steve’s to Tires Plus.

Update: July 10, 2019: My experience with Nelson's Garage (Green Garage) did a 180-degree turn for the better. I am incredibly satisfied with the service provided by Nelson's Garage (Green Garage)-East Hennepin Ave location. I had a very honest, open, productive conversation with Nick Nelson owner of Nelson's Garage-Green Garage. Once he read my initial review he contacted me by phone and asked how he could make my experience with his auto repair shop better. I explained the issues I had with the Nicollet Ave-Green Garage/Nelson's Garage location and he graciously offered to see if he could get my 1997 Ford F-150 Truck fixed, no charge to me. I was stunned. This isn't something you get from local mechanic shops but Nick wanted his shop to stand out in the neighborhood and the community. I scheduled to drop my truck off to the East Hennepin location and coordinated things with Tim, the manager who by the way is a great person to talk to and work with on your vehicle. To the defense of Caleb and the team at the Nicollet Ave location, the problem that was finally diagnosed was something a bit beyond the knowledge level of that team. This took a seasoned, veteran mechanic who has seen this issue before to diagnose and potentially fix. Note: To Nick Nelson, it would be good ideas to have all locations coordinate a knowledge base when one location is faced with a diagnosis like my truck. Get help from the other shops. This bolsters the strength of Nelson's Garage in all locations. Nick's team went above and beyond to make my experience productive, respectful and I am forever grateful to them for that. Nick refunded all of the money I had already spent with them at the other garage trying to diagnose my truck issue. I know what is wrong with my truck, I can take steps to get it fixed or sell it. Knowledge is power and Nick Nelson and Nelson's Garage gave me the power I needed. There are not many shops that would offer to refund all of your money and diagnose your problem at a low to minimum charge. Not many mechanic shop owners with the character, integrity, honorability, respect to provide the service he provided me. This is rare in the world and rare in the Twin Cities area for auto repair shops. Nick's business is based on his ethics, values, character, and morals and from my experience they are top notch. People should not take for granted that auto repair shops like Nelson's Garage are a dime a dozen, they are NOT! Many of the "Mom and Pop" auto repair shops are being priced out, bullied out, by the city of Minneapolis, by unethical developers buying up properties and buying off politicians to hurt small business owners like Nick Nelson and Nelson's Garage. We as a community need to stand with and financially support our neighborhood auto repair shops because if we don't all that will remain are the dealer repair shops where you overpay for the shiny new building and lounge area they have. If you feel you had a bad experience with one of Nelson's Garage locations I strongly encourage you to contact Nick Nelson before leaving a negative/bad review. I wish I had. Nelson's Garage will get my business even if I live on the other side of town or in the suburbs its well worth it. My initial review was less than 1 star because I left Green Garage without a clear diagnosis and out $288-$60 refunded initially. Nick Nelson, Nelson's Garage team have changed it to a 5 star review rating. ________________________________________________________________________

So I'm up in Minneapolis with my family, checking out potential move here from Florida. Now, I've taken many road trips in various vehicles, and had to do work on them as I travel. I've learned it's the perfect time to take advantage of someone, as you're not going to be around to complain about it later. Before driving back, I wanted to get the alignment checked on my Tacoma, as well as see if there was anything else that might need to be addressed for long travel. They got me in on short notice, and not only reassured me that the alignment was fine, the truck didn't need other work, but alerted me that to what might become an issue down the line. Keep in mind that they know I'm not going to be around actually do the work at their shop. And, they didn't (wouldn't even though I wanted to pay him for his time) charge me a dime. He even helped me find a place that I could get a part that had come off my truck! The green garage what I want all auto repair places to be: honest, efficient, precise. Thanks!

I just moved to the Minneapolis area from Chicago. Went here for an oil change and complained about a really loud noise coming from my car upon acceleration. They changed the oil/filter with a fair price and fully inspected the vehicle and fixed the noise issue for free! I am definitely coming back here whenever I need my car serviced! Caleb was very nice and knowledgeable.

These guys rock. I was having belt problems on my 2013 rio and when I came in the replaced the belts in an affordable and timely manner. When the issues persisted and I returned a week later they fixed my problem for free! I will be back for any car needs.

My car needed some repairs, and Nick was very helpful and friendly. Everything was really easy and the price was very reasonable and within my budget. I found where I will be going for all my future car repair needs.

Nick's the man. Even when he's busy he'll give you the shirt off his back to make sure you feel like you've been taken care of.

They are in my neighborhood so convenience brought me in the first time however the excellent service brings me back. Fast repair service, great prices, and out of this world customer service! Above and beyond!! Thank you 😊