Reno Auto Repair

This automotive shop communicates very well, even with a person such as me who has limited automotive knowledge. They identified and fixed an issue resulting from a mistake during my car’s last servicing at the brand dealership. I have confidence in their work.

These guys did a great job with my 1995 Ford Bronco that has 155,000 miles. I needed new front brakes, and they also recommended a transmission flush and transfer care flush which they did. Most drivers neglect transmission maintenance, not this owner. They made other recommendations which I deferred to a later date. They are very thorough with their inspections. Southgate Automotive will be my GO TO shop from now on.

BEWARE!!! BEWARE OF SHADY SHOP!!! I don’t like publicly bashing a business but my experience was so bad that I have to make a statement. Don’t let their “30+ years family run business” fool you into thinking you’re working with a reputable and honorable shop. My truck had a severe oil pan gasket leak and a very minor rear main seal leak. 1st issue is they they quoted me separately for the two jobs totaling over $3300, stating there was NO overlapping labor which is a complete lie. Considering the egregious quote, I opted to only get the oil pan gasket done as that was where the severe leak was from and I paid the $1200 for that job. Once complete, they informed me that it was still leaking a lot of oil, and that all the oil was coming out of the rear main seal. Over the next couple days, I noticed that the leak was just as severe as it was prior to getting the gasket “fixed”. So I took it to another NAPA certified repair shop to get it looked at, as I did not believe it was all from the rear main seal. The other shop informed me (with video evidence) that the oil pan gasket had a SEVERE leak, and the rear main seal was slightly weeping. This shows that South gate LIED to their customer saying there ONLY was a rear main leak when it was leaking primarily from the gasket they had just “replaced”. This also supports they just wanted me to pay another $2200 to “fix” the rear main seal. The new shop quoted me for both an oil pan gasket + rear main replacement for $2100, which was CHEAPER than South Gate Automotive quote for the rear main seal alone. This is because there IS overlapping labor. I went ahead and approved the job as I needed my vehicle fixed and fixed right. During the replacement process, they found the gasket was installed BROKEN, and they also found that a oil cooler line gasket was never replaced (which I paid South Gate to replace as they RECOMMENDED it to me). I received my truck back with zero leaks once repaired. I shared all this information, video evidence, and documentation with SGA, and I was promised to hear back from the manager ASAP. Weeks passed with very little communication, as I would have to continue calling and all I would get from the manager is him beating around the bush, placing blame elsewhere, and owning up to no wrongdoing. I simply wanted a partial refund as the job they “completed” was never done right. Their warranty states that I can bring it to any NAPA certified shop for warranty work, which I did, but SGA stood behind the fact that I did not bring the truck back to THEM for the repairs. Why would I want to bring my truck back to a shop who has shown they cannot do the work properly and will price gouge you wherever possible? Do not take your vehicles here if you are looking for fair priced and high quality work. They will rip you off and return your vehicle in the same condition you dropped it off but they have no problem taking your money. LOOK ELSEWHERE as anywhere is better than South Gate Auto!

No drama. Fair price. Competent work

Took my truck in on a sudden notice due to possible oil leaks. They not only took care of that but also handled some other maintenance needs. They are always very thorough and honest. Will be going to them for all my future vehicle repairs and maintenance.

Avoid this place by any means. I went there to get my ac tested and filled up. Talking to the manager I made sure they test the system before they put Freon in the system. The manager confirmed that the system first vacuums the moisture out then tests the pressure before they pump the Freon in. After the test he came back from the back confirmed with me that the system is not leaking and they going to put the Freon. The total came up to 304$ which was way higher than why we talked about over the phone. I approved it and they supposedly put the Freon in the system. After that they came out saying that the system is holding pressure but the compressor clutch is not engaging and it's not turning on. I declined further investigation with the compressor because of lack of time. After few days I checked all the connections and fuses and yes the compressor was dead. And now after few months I'm finally getting the compressor replaced. I told the mechanic remember the system is loaded with Freon. GUESS WHAT?! There was no great in the system so those scammers at south gate Automotive never put the Freon in the system. Even the fact that they supposedly tested the compressor after putting the Freon is a cheap move, a move just to milk the customer. I was there on February 11th 2025. I have the video of my mechanic trying to empty the system I might upload it if the shop doesn't respond.

So… I took my 2010 Altima here with a P0128 code. They told me my car has two thermostats — the upper/main thermostat for engine temperature (this is what was wrong with my car!!) and a lower/secondary thermostat for the TRANSMISSION. They initially quoted me $750, then came back “lowering labor” to $600, but still insisted I had to replace both thermostats and wouldn’t warranty the main one if I only did that. I confirmed with the manager that replacing just the main thermostat was fine, but they ignored it. If you’re a woman alone, don’t come here — they’ll try to take advantage. I went to the dealership immediately after, and they confirmed it’s the upper/main thermostat that needs replacement and that this specific code doesn’t point to the secondary thermostat. They quoted me $350 for everything, which is a fair price. A good mechanic knows this!!! I would get a second opinion and don’t let them upsell you.