Specialized Automotive Inc.

Honest and nice people, fair price. My Avalon had a steering oil leak and Eric replaced the clamp and hose for me for less than $100 dollars. Btw, they do general inspection and give you a report every time you go. Highly recommend, will go in the future if my car has other issues.

First a little background. In a former career, I worked for a fleet garage that primarily handled tractor-trailers, but also did some work on standard size fleet trucks and cars. I handled parts inventory and work order flow, as well as did a lot of the F2F with outside garages and vendors. I've also had a lot of personal experience with local dealerships and shops in my more than 40 years in the community.

I've done most of the work on our beloved 1997 Toyota 80 series Land Cruiser since we bought it a decade ago, but I am not getting any younger. And some jobs a good part-time mechanic should be smart enough to leave to the pros. So finding myself with a dead A/C system and a mess of oil getting all over in the engine bay, this was one of those times. Especially given I'd misdiagnosed the source of the oil.

I'd noticed the URL on the back of the Specialized Sequoia around town and had already put them on the short list of shops I would be willing to consider dropping the truck off with by virtue of their focus on Toyotas. A friend recently purchased a built 96 80 series and had the opportunity to experience Specialized service and highly recommended it.

Eric got me in quickly and had the truck diagnosed and the A/C cooling again while I waited the first day. I enjoyed a nice chat about my research with Machelle in between her handling other appointments and business. Turns out it wasn't a distributor O-ring but the oil pump/main bearing gasket/seal. Well that explains the mess - and it kept me from going down the wrong road with a repair.

Parts needed to be ordered, but I was scheduled back in quickly and got the truck back the same day after they arrived in short order at very reasonable cost. It's nice it's now not dripping everywhere it parks. And it's great to confirm that the truck will be in the very professional hands of Specialized Automotive next time our Toyota Land Cruiser needs some specialized TLC. They are truly among the best of the best when it comes to being a trustworthy shop to handle your vehicle's maintenance needs. I recommend them highly.

Update: Still my go-to shop when I need a pro tech's help, Eric's rep is spreading. The positive word is getting around among Land Cruiser owners, as I frequently see several lined up on a daily basis as there is frequent turnover, with a steady mix of stock and built trucks that others bring in for that Specialized touch.

Cannot rate this little shop highly enough. They carefully replaced the HV battery in our 15 year old prius, which is an expensive job and they were super awesome every step of the way. Our Prius is back! Would go back for any job big or small.

My daughter was moving from Urbana after graduation and needed an oil change, tire rotation and a trip check. Machelle was amazingly helpful and polite when setting up the appointment and kept me informed.

Everything took about 1 hour and was done well at a very fair price. The car made the (very long) trip without incident. I would strongly recommend that you give Specialized Automotive a try!

This shop is easily the most honest one I have ever been to. They do quality work and are straight forward. They worked around my schedule so I could drop my car off and have them diagnose it. Unfortunately I needed a big repair as my transmission went out. Within a week They had my car back to me. Eric also told me some maintenance that I needed to do and didn’t push any services on me. Eric and Michelle are very nice and easy people to work with. They would call and update me with findings and what needed to be done. If my vehicle needs anymore work done I will definitely be returning and would recommend that if you need work done, to come here.

If you have a Toyota/Lexus/Scion product, THIS is the ONLY place to go!
Honest, quality, straight-shooting service for a REASONABLE price.

Honest straight forward mechanic. The kind of mechanic that is hard to find these days. I trust this place with my Toyota Avalon so much that I traded off my wife's Jeep Cherokee for a Toyota Highlander just so he could work on it. I even have my dad bringing his tundra here.

Driving cross country, I felt I had an issue with my Lexus. Eric was absolutely amazing. He took the time to help diagnose my car, and went completely above and beyond to help sort the issue. If I lived in IL, he would be seeing all my cars our cars regularly. It’s mechanics like him that help build the trust bridge again. Thank you so much! You’re the best! 👊🏼

I had issues with a starter, had my car towed to specialized automotive. I had no power so a window was left down, I placed plastic over the window to protect it but a strong storm blew the plastic off and I got water in my car. Eric cleaned up all the water and made sure to dry everything else. On top of that got my starter issue fixed quickly and at a great price. I will definitely be coming back.

I had some issues with my breaks and rotors. Also had a slight oil leak . Eric took care of it and all is well. He provides good service. Looking forward, this is my mechanic.

I went in with engine idling poorly and losing a lot of gas and almost no acceleration for my 2009 Toyota Sierra. This two days before Thanksgiving. My situation appeared to be 2 coils and an injector, however after Eric looked deeper he corrected some wiring that had gone bad. Instead of charging me for 2 coils and an injector, he fixed the wiring, had my car back to me in time for Thanksgiving and charged a fair and honest price.

If you have a Toyota, he's the guy in Champaign/Urbana.

My Toyota seat motor stopped working and the seat wouldn’t adjust so I took my car to Eric. He found out that the part was no longer available because of the age of my car. He didn’t do what most mechanics would have done and say he was sorry. No, he went to a salvage yard out of town over the weekend and found the part and has now repaired my seat.
I am so grateful for people like Eric who cares that much to go above and beyond to help someone. He is honest, trustworthy and an excellent mechanic! I like his secretary Michelle too!

Took our car to Specialized Automotive after reading the great reviews on Google. The problem was diagnosed promptly and honestly. Ms. Michelle shared the findings from the initial inspection and ranked them based on priority and immediate attention. The entire process was transparent and fair in pricing and they did not try to pressure me into services our car did not need. The work was promptly completed and the car rides like new. Excellent quality and service!!!! 5 stars!!!! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Eric is pleasant to work with and makes the repair process easy. Timely quote for repairs and parts were not over priced. I appreciate his honesty, workmanship, and how he interacts with his customers. I will return to specialized automotive for all my repair needs.

Eric and Machelle take pride in their work. They are welcoming and kind! Eric’s skills at car repair are above any other mechanic I’ve met. He has fixed several of my cars for years! You can trust him to always “give it to you straight” when it comes to what your car really needs done. I highly recommend Specialized Automotive!!

After a bad experience at another place I started taking my vehicles here about a year ago. Service is always excellent and thorough. Eric does a great job and is very knowledgeable. He also shoots straight and does a great job explaining what is wrong and what he needs to do to fix the problem. Thanks Eric!!

Amazing! Eric came right up to me and greeted me. I described a sound that it was making and he went on to drive my car. In maybe ten minutes he had identified and fixed the issue. He went on to examine the rest of the car and change my oil. Mitchell, the secretary, was kind, polite and made sure that I was taken care of while I waited. It was fast, thorough, and very reasonably priced! I will definitely be bringing my car back whenever it needs maintenance.

While they specialize in Toyota, Lexus, and Scion work, Specialized Automotive has performed superb work for my Honda Odyssey and Honda Pilot with excellent results. Scheduling has always been timely, and I couldn't be more satisfied with the results. I recommend Eric and Michelle to anyone who asks me!

We love Specialized Automotive! They seriously are awesome people over there! We’ve been to many a car shop in the area, but it wasn’t until we learned about Specialized Automotive, that we will never go anywhere else! Thanks so much to Eric and his team — We only entrust our cars to him!

I went in for Buyer's Inspection of Toyota Prius. They checked the vehicle thoroughly for about an hour and gave me a comprehensive report. The price I was charged was very reasonable for the service. I would definitely recommend this place!