Nelson Auto World

I wanted to go ahead and write a review purely based on customer service, as I haven't reached the outcome of my Kia Boys-related claim or repairs. I just wanted to say that it is so rare to get good customer service these days, much less the fantastic customer service that I have received from Dan at University. He has been very thourough in explaining the whole process without talking down to me, as is frequently the case when I'm speaking with mechanics. After dealing with Kia, its so refreshing to feel like I'm taken care of. Just wanted to say how much I appreciate that, and how lucky I feel to have found this spot! Thanks Dan!

Updated to reflect the outcome. Expected outcome exceeded expectations! I love this place! It’s a family operation, and trust Dan with my vehicle. He’s Minneapolis Auto Daddy. Will always return as long as I’m living here.

I had a great experience with Nelson after my car was broken into and steering column dismantled. They were able to get me in right away, and were helpful and courteous at every point of the process. Thank you to Dan for answering all of my many questions!

Family owned business that has been taking care of our vehicle fleet for many years! Dan and Jason treat our team like family. Thanks from Premium Waters!

This rating is purely based how ridiculously perfect their Pit Hound Coffee is and how perfect the $2 price mark is. Thanks for the great drugs and friendly vibes. PS I'm not a fan of cars and don't pay attention to that side of this place.

I passed through Minneapolis for a meeting downtown in the middle of a long road trip. A day or two before, my brakes started making noise and needed a semi-urgent repair. I knew I wouldn't be able to drive 1,000 miles home on those brakes and wait for the mechanic appointment I had already scheduled for some other things next week. But I also needed to start heading back east after the meeting.
The staff was friendly and were able to finish the repair around the time I ended my meeting. Thank you for fitting me in on the same day I called.

Perfect place for people who might not know a lot about cars and don’t want to be taken advantage of. I went there for the 3 years that I lived nearby, and they were always great. They could get me in last minute and were always super fast. The people are willing to educate you on what’s going on and they don’t try to trick you into spending more money. If I still lived nearby, I would still be going here.

On the Friday before Labor Day weekend, I went to the U of M to visit my son. I stopped in Dinky Town on my way home and when I went to leave the car wouldn't start. I asked a few people on the street for auto service recommendations. A few people told me to try University Service, now I know why. It was after 1:30 when I called them. They sent a tow truck, diagnosed the problem, ordered the parts, and had my car repaired before 5 pm. The tow truck driver and the guys at the shop were all very honest, polite, and professional. They could have price gouged me, they could have put off doing the repair until after the holiday weekend but, they didn't. They did the work quickly and at a reasonable price. I truly felt like they treated me the way that they would want their family members or friends to be treated if they were in my situation. I would definitely recommend sending anyone here. Thank you again for such wonderful service! I hope you all had a well deserved break overy the holiday weekend!

Good honest mechanics. My car is old and several things were breaking. Jason and his crew were able to diagnose the problems and give me my options without pressuring me into an upsale. Over three visits I have gotten my tires replaced and aligned, a tire rod replaced, radiator, water pump and thermostat all replaced, and an oil leak fixed. All of these repairs came in at around middle of the range for cost, and the work was done swiftly with only one visit taking more than one work day. Additionally they are honest, as when I brought my car in for a fourth visit they diagnosed the thermostat as faulty and replaced it under warranty and I walked out without paying a dime. Other shops would have tacked on mystery fees or only covered half the labor, but these guys did great.

My go-to car repair shop. The prices are fair and, when looking for parts, the mechanics will always try to find the least expensive option. Great turn-around time. It seems like this place is busy but it seems like the Nelson's can get me in within the day most of the time. Most repair also happen within a couple days. Gas station attached. The owners know my husband and I (and our vehicles) by name. Conveniently located along a bus line, so it is easy to get to UMN or downtown while the car is in repair. Highly recommend!

I bought the Groupon for three oil changes for this place. When I went in for my first oil change and 30 point inspection, they found a lot wrong with my car. They wrote me up an estimate, and when I said that I'd be taking it back to my hometown to get fixed, they offered to call that shop and explain what they found! It meant a lot that they were willing to go out of their way, even sacrificing their business, to make sure the job was done right. I'm definitely going back.

I literally drive 30 miles for these guys to work on my vehicles!

For one who hates auto repair shops because I feel they take advantage of anyone who walks in the door. These guys are actually honest and take care of their patrons. The negative posts I've seen are probably from people who don't know how much it costs to maintain a car and treat their cars like garbage.

Highly Recommended 👍!

I love bringing my car to university service. The customer service is awesome and they really take time answering all my questions and believe me I have a lot of them! It’s comforting to know I can trust them! Also they are a family owned business which awesome! Two brothers and a father Work there together which makes it feel like family!

Awesome mechanics and technicians. No BS on services you need for your vehicle. They took care of my 1998 vehicle just as they would a 2017. Super close to the U of M, and they talked to me and my dad before doing any work. Great, reliable place to go; especially as a student who is dealing with their vehicle on their own for the first time.

Awesome and trustworthy mechanics here. I have been taking my car here for regular maintenance for about 2 years now. They always give me honest and accurate diagnosis, and then they perform the work in a timely fashion. They're willing to explain the work in detail, and present all available options. They stand by their work -- if anything is amiss after a job, they make it right for free.

Love this place. I have had my oil changed here three times, and every time I had my pick of appointments...including on late at night. The hours are incredible, and the owner (I think his name is Jason) is super nice. Also, they don't try to pressure me into buying or fixing a bunch of stuff when they're done changing my oil like "some" places.

Brought my car in to get my tire checked out (extremely new to car owning and adulting, FYI). Showed up a little early to my appointment, and I think I was inside waiting for under 10 minutes!! Ended up running over a nail and they patched it up super fast. Definitely will be returning to Nelson Auto World for any car issues in my future.

They handled the towing from my place to their shop (car wouldn't start), conveniently tacking the two charges together so it was seamless.

They called me within a few hours of getting my car and told me the problem was just my battery. They charged very reasonably. Didn't try to sell me extra crap, just told me my car was getting older and don't expect the alternator to last forever (not that they said "Bring it back here," or anything, just being informative).

I was so satisfied that I immediately dropped my other car off there for an oil change and brake inspection. They called a few hours later saying my front brakes were down to 10% but that it was totally my call to replace them or not. They also said that the rear brakes are drums so if I want them to look at that, they'll have to charge like $40 but otherwise they won't charge for looking at the front brakes. I went with the brake inspection, ended up not replacing anything just yet and they didn't pressure me about the front brakes, just said it was totally up to me. Most places will really be pushy here.

Picked the car up this morning and they only charged half for the oil change, no explanation why. They listed a bunch of routine checks that supposedly turned out fine because they didn't try to sell me any air filters or extra services. Drove off very pleased.

The only bad thing is that when I initially called for the tow, they said 15 mins. After an hour, I called back and the guy on the phone said, "Oooh, Shane. I'm sorry, I forgot to call right after we hung up. It's been crazy here. I'm really very sorry. I'll call them the second we hang up." He then called back like 5 mins later to tell me he called the tow company and they were on their way over. Their complete honesty and fast turn-around even when they are busy totally made up for the mistake, in my opinion. He could totally have lied and said the tow guy got delayed.

I brought multiple cars here for service and both times the mechanics were straightforward and honest. They explained both the necessary and non-necessary issues clearly and answered any questions I had. They even let me think about it overnight. When they called to let me know my car was ready, the mechanic aplogized for the amount of time it took, during the repair they thought that they had compromised my CV driveshaft. Not only were they straight forward about the mistake, but they replaced the part with labor at no charge. Couln't be happier with this service.

These are the types of mechanics you want to bring your car to.

This is my go to shop for any of my auto needs. They always give me great service whether it is for an oil change or for getting something fixed in my old car (which has happened on many occasions). They are great about working to fix your car for a reasonable rate, which has been so helpful while in college. Would highly recommend for any of your auto needs.

I had a very positive experience getting an oil change here. I needed the work done pretty last minute and it was taken care of quickly. The service was excellent (the staff was super friendly) and I would recommend this place to all students living in the area.