Nichols Auto Repair - Wheat Ridge, Colorado

queen B.

James and Jim at Nichols Automotive literally saved my life! My tire was about to fall off and these gentleman kindly helped me out!!!! I would definitely recommend Nichols Automotive!!! James and Jim really know their cars and fixed mine in no time! Trustworthy auto repair I definitely recommend bringing your car here! Thank you again James and Jim you truly are lifesavers!!!

nathan P.

I took my wife's car in to Nichols Auto Repair because it was overheating. I was pleased that they were able to take it in late in the day and promptly looked at it in the morning. They replaced the thermostat and recommended a couple other things including a power steering flush which totaled over $1000.

Fast forward a little over a month and the car is over heating again which they said if the thermostat was the issue, they would replace it under warranty. Unfortunately, they said it was the cooling fan this time. I asked them to do an oil change as well and again the bill came out to over a grand. As they called to tell me they finished the work, they also recommended replacing struts, shocks, rack pinion (because the power steering fluid was leaking), and doing an alignment. At this point, the feeling that I was been taken advantage of was creeping in.

When I told the mechanic that I was unhappy with the cooling system failing at two different points within a month of each other his response was, "I feel like if you understand how cars work you wouldn't be angry at me." I asked to delay recommended service because my wife needed to work the next day, to which they insisted it was a safety issue to drive.

Not trusting a word of what they were saying anymore, I decided to take the car to the dealership instead and asked to have it checked out. The dealership said that the recommendations were way overkill, and no means unsafe to drive or needing service at this time.

My experience at Nichols Auto Repair is the epitome of being oversold, and being treated like an moron for not knowing how cars work. It's a shame that mechanics like this take advantage people for a buck.

2 stars because the car appears to be fixed finally after 2 grand and 2 separate visits. Don't waste your money here.

Paola S.

I have been going to James for several years, and have seen him grow his business significantly over that time. He has worked on both of my vehicles for over five years, I have never had to go back once to get Work corrected or redone. He has always been transparent with his pricing, and timeline, and he truly is just a call away. He will tell me upfront, if it’s something that he needs to do, or if it’s something that my friend can handle in the driveway, always keeping my financial best interest in mind. As we all know, car issues are not cheap, I appreciate that he does not try to cut corners, and takes care of the issue permanently. I have recommended several friends to his business because of the amazing track record he has upheld with me.

Verley V.

As much as I appreciate Nick's kindness and understanding, I can't keep the experience I had with this shop to myself. This is for engine issues (2004 Lexus ES330 barely over 208k miles). The first issue I had and this shop serviced my car for leaking radiator issue. It got fixed and I never had any issue later. Then came the check engine light issue. I wish I never went there for such service. I had to bring the car in multiple times which cost me a couple thousand dollar ($1.3k+) and the shop still couldnt fix the issue until the car literally stalled while I was driving it entering the freeway... as I looked under the hood I noticed that they had touched things in the car but never told me about them. I had to go buy another car, I am not sure why they couldnt figure it out. Also I was blamed for something I know I wouldnt do. This really made them look bad. Nick told me "it seems like someone drove off while the car was being filled at a gas station." Serious? This was when I return the car for the same check engine issue. I am still pissed and mad, so I have made my decision to avoid places like this where people don't really do a good job on the car and later trying to blame you for something that is their job that they didnt do whether due lack of professionalism or ignorance. I'll now be more careful what shop I go to for my car service needs.

T C. (.

I came in very upset and freaked out about my car that wouldn’t shift out of park. James was very reassuring that he and his team of highly qualified experts would take care of me and get me on the road. He kept in on the loop the entire time and while not cheap, parts were expensive (it’s a Cadillac) they didn’t overcharge me for labor. I know I paid for the correct parts that were installed with expertise. Highly recommend to anyone.

Veronica M.

They’re the best mechanic there is: Honest! Reliable! And FRIENDLY! They are a mom and pop shop that help the community and doesn’t fail to help our family and friends I refer them to every person I can and see needs the help they did an immaculate suspension and alignment job on my Tahoe and my family cars get all their services done here they’ll explain all you need to know and how it works and give appropriate solutions to the needed job to suit your needs been coming here for that past couple years talk to James he’s the best at what they do!!!

Brenden V.

This auto shop is a complete ripoff! They are overpriced, dishonest, unprofessional and above all INCOMPETENT. I paid 50% more than even dealership price for coolant system repairs and ended up stranded TWICE with the same issue.

UPDATE to respond to the owner’s blatant lies in their response below: The car is 11 years old, NOT 29years old. The hose which busted was removed/reinstalled and broken on one end by their tech by his own admission. And YES he did yell and hang up on me. And I’m not the first one to mention his aggressive behavior and incompetence.

DETAILS:
After the first botched repair, James offered a “free” tow but then tried to charge me once my car arrived. He blamed a coolant hose failure on me, claiming they’d “never touched it” despite servicing the entire coolant system. When pressed, the technician admitted to not only disconnecting the faulty hose from the coolant reservoir on the opposite end, but also breaking that connection and then tying it back with spare wire as a "fix." This isn’t just poor work; it’s a scam. Only after this confrontation did they agree to cover the tow.

With my car undriveable and no money for a second tow, I reluctantly paid for a second repair to replace the hose they likely broke. Even after this simple "repair," my car wouldn’t reach operating temperature, putting my engine at risk and leaving me without cabin heat for winter. When I confronted James about the faulty thermostat they had just replaced, he dismissed it, saying it was "no issue" and my car "just runs cold now." This is an absolutely ludicrous statement from a supposed mechanic. When I requested a partial refund, James not only refused but yelled at me and hung up.

His refusal to take responsibility has left me with a broken vehicle and no resolution. I have documented evidence, including images of the shoddy repair and audio recordings of his aggressive behavior. Save yourself the hassle and choose a shop that truly knows how to repair cars without resorting to scams!

Kevin F.

As others have mentioned, this place is a ripoff. I have wasted thousands of dollars here (prices are higher than dealership service center). They have consistently made mistakes on my car and failed to take any accountability for it. James is slimy. Also, don't be tempted to bring your car here just because they have the availability to start working on it right away; You'll regret it. There's a reason why all the other higher rated shops in the area have so much business that they need to schedule 2 weeks out, and Nichols' schedule is wide open.