Sam's A-One Auto Service, Inc. (Alexandria, VA) Mechanic(s): Tim (owner)
612-B South Pickett Street [near Van Dorn Metro] , Alexandria, VA 22304 (703) 960-2000 or (703) 823-5111
Features and Specialties:

Please send us any corrections or additions to the above information. If you have experience with this shop, please add your own review!

Survey results:

They are always honest
They are competent
The repair price is always reasonable
They fix the problem the first time
They complete the work in a timely manner
They respond well when they screw something up
They take the time to explain the problems and necessary repairs
The shop is located in a safe neighborhood
The hours of operation are convenient for customers
They treat male and female customers in the same manner
They are near public transportation (or provide loaners, shuttle bus, rides as needed)

Reviewers Comments:

Great service. Brought the car in the night before and was done the following day. We had a laundry list that the dealer quoted to cost close to $2000. Sam's A-1 did it for $850.

Friendly, straightforward, honest, and efficient! The first time I brought my car in was to install a new muffler. A few weeks later I also needed to get my air conditioner recharged. I am completely satisfied with their consistent level of service, quality of work, and pricing (saved me $$$ from the dealer and other shops).

Wonderful service. My Lexus dealer wanted $60 (labor only) to replace two headlight bulbs. They did it in 10 minutes for $9. Very nice owner who has been in the business here many years.

Great work at reasonable price......can not ask for more, especially in a metro area. We've taken two different vehicles to them with the usual ailments, repairs were good as gold.

We have been taking our cars to Sam for over 15 years, in fact, we specifically buy Japanese cars so that Sam can work on them. He kept my Honda Accord alive far past its expiration date and offered me free counseling on what type of minivan to replace our car with when the time came. We have always been informed ahead of time of what repairs were necessary and what could safely wait. At one point when we needed a serious repair that we could not safely put off and we could not afford to pay for all at once Sam helped us work out paying for it over several weeks interest free. I highly recommend this shop. They are honest and affordable and take the time to acknowledge you on a personal level.

I have taken both my Honda Accord and Toyota Camry to Sam's several times...I have always got my car back the same day. The are honest and do not recommend repairs that are not necessary, they always try to find you the best price for quality parts. I go out of my way to get my repairs done here.....Tim is especially helpful!

Tim is a great guy. It always seems like I'm his only customer (he answers the phone there, he calls me back, and he meets me at the shop at 7 AM to take my car and drop me off at the metro), even though I think he gets plenty of business. He knows older Hondas and really loves them. He even fixed some quirks with my car unsolicited and without charging for it -- like that my driver's seat was jammed and couldn't slide all of the way forward. I would highly recommend.

We have been bring our lexus to a-one many years for repairs & maintenance. After we moved to centervill from annandale, we still drive 30 miles to a-one because they are the only one we can trust for our car. Thank you Tim!!!

It was explained to me why the dealer's quote was $173, and A-One's was $600. The dealer was going to do the minimum for that price, then, when the surrounding parts were seen to be bad, I would be told that other work was needed, and the final cost to me would be over $600. I believed this to be true. Also, I felt that I was speaking with an honest man. The work was done at A-One. It's a messy place on the surface, but respect for the customer and the machine was evident. These people have the work ethics of our grandfathers.

My brakes were scraping and thumping. This shop diagnosed the problem, worn rotors and bad repair pads, and late on Friday afternoon (4 p.m.) did the repairs and the car was ready by six. New rotors on all four wheels, new rear pads, and at the price promised. Did not try to recommend any other repairs, in fact when I asked about replacing the fuel filter (which I hadn't done at 60K - car has 62K), Frank asked me a couple questions, and then said not to do it. To answer a survey question, they are an easy 10 minute walk from the Huntington Metro Station on the Yellow Line.

I'd had a few problems with mechanics in the DC area... thank goodness I looked on Car Talk. I took a chance with this place and was beyond pleased. These guys were completely responsive to all of my questions, took the time to show me exactly what was wrong, provided a reasonable estimate (the final bill was actually LOWER!) and even offered to order me breakfast! Eventhough its not in the nicest area of town, I'll definitely go back and have recommended them to several friends.

I have been taking my cars to Sam since 1982.

When one finds a family physician that is honest, dedicated and takes the time to explain the problem, you hang onto him/her forever. Likewise with an auto mechanic, and A-One is my auto doctor. For well over ten years I have been taking my foreign cars to Sam's because I know I will get the straight "poop" from them, that it will be fixed the first time, and at a reasonable price! Recently I was quoted a price of $240.00 from a local tire distributor to repair the CV boot on my Avalon, Sam repaired that boot for $130.00. Enough said, Sam is great and I highly endorse his shop.

I have been screwed by one too many a mechanic in DC and am willing to drive the extra distance for these guys. They are super helpful and explain everything.

Simply put, this place is great. They specialize in Japanese cars, but have always been willing to look at my Chevy. They are honest, nice guys who take the time to explain the problem. They are very busy but they give me the feeling that I'm their only customer. It's also conveniently located near the Huntington Metro Station so I can drop off the car on the way to work. As long as I live in the area they will have my business.

I was new to this area when I took my car to the local dealer for routine maintenance. Though my automobile knowledge is limited, it soon became obvious thay they were recommending thousands of dollars of unnecessary work. I told them don't do anything to the car and then picked it up. It was another 20,000 miles before I found this website and tried Sam's A-1 Auto. After having my car and my husbands truck serviced there, I can truly say I am shocked at how honest this place of business is. I have had autos for 20 years now and have never been to a service center with such high integrity. When I first brought my auto in, Frank treated me with respect by talking directly to me despite my husband being present(women can relate to this). They always got our automobiles in quick. Everything was thoroughly explained, no unneccessary work was added on even though they could have easily fooled me. I am sure they saved us thousands of dollars and I highly recommend going to this place.

OK... I found them on here on cartalk. Tim gave me answers before I even drove the car in. The dealership wanted a dignostice fee of $99 to even look at the car. I might be able to fix it my self. And Tim did not even seem to care. But if i'm not, I'm sure driving (slowly) to Sam's A- One. Harry

Incredibly willing to explain the situation/alternatives. Frank even drew me a diagram of what was happening with my engine and made sure I understood.

I accidentally filled the tank of my 2002 Honda CRV with Diesel fuel. The dealer quoted me about 4-5 hours at $85/hour, plus an hour to determine the estimate. I looked up mechanics on Car Talk's website and found Sams A-1 Auto. Tim is the owner and he talked with me for about 15 minutes, giving me a free estimate over the phone. He's worked on Hondas for over 20 years and I could tell by talking with him that he is honest and knows his trade very well. Tim quoted me 1.2 hours labor and a creative, effective, low-cost solution to my problem. I was afraid of how my car would run afterwards, and he assured me it would run fine. It runs perfectly! I haven't been back yet, but I will always take my car to Tim at A-1 Auto for any work that needs to be done. **Do not be fooled by the exterior of his shop. It is not well marked and doesn't look like a traditional shop. I think the reason he can charge such reasonable prices is because he doesn't spend much money on overhead costs...but the work is outstanding, so don't be afraid to leave your car there.

I found this shop via this website, like many others. And, like them, I was pleasantly surprised with both the level of customer service, and the efficiency, honesty, and repair of the problem. When I explained the problem over the phone, I was given the likely diagnosis and an estimate. The actual repair came in just slightly over the estimate, which was still much less than I was quoted from other repair shops. It was done in less than 24 hours, even though the mechanics were completely booked for weeks, because Sam knew that I absolutely had to have that car for work purposes. They ran me back to the Metro when I dropped it off, and picked me up when I returned to get the car. I'll never take my car anywhere else now.

The air-conditioning in my 88 Camry hasn't worked in over 3 years, and most places wanted to charge me a significant chunk of change just to diagnose why. A-One looked at my system, diagnosed the problem, explained the issue to me clearly and fixed it, all for about $400 less than I thought I would pay! They also gave me a ride to and from the Van Dorn metro station. I highly recommend this auto-shop.

I've been taking cars to A1 since 1988 and reccommending them ever since. The place has sort of a cult following around the DC area. They are always on time, always reasonable, always explain what they're doing and why and have never tried to upsell. The only regrettible thing is that the place recently had to move away from the Huntington Metro station due to the redesign of the Telegraph road beltway on-ramp so it's not quite as convenient as it used to be but well worth the trip anyway.

I FOUND OUT ABOUT TIM AT YOUR SITE AND TOOK MY 89 CAMRY TO HIM AT HIS NEW LOCATION. MY CAR WOULD NOT START ONE DAY AND NEEDED A JUMP START TO GET IT THERE. A STARTER WAS REPLACED BUT ONE MONTH LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM EXCEPT IT WOULD NOT ACCEPT A JUMP START. IT WAS TOWED IN AND A NEW BATTERY WAS INSTALLED, AGAIN ABOUT A MONTH LATER THE SAME PROBLEM, ANOTHER TOW AND A CONVERSATION ABOUT NOT REALLY KNOWING WHAT WAS WRONG BECAUSE EACH TIME THE CAR WAS TOWED IN AND LEFT FOR A WHILE, TIM STARTED IT WITH NO PROBLEM. TIM PICKED UP THE CHARGE FOR THE LAST TOW, WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, AND I WAS NOT CHARGED FOR THE LAST VISIT HOWEVER MY CAMRY STILL HAS A PROBLEM AND WILL NOT START AT NO DECERNABLE SCHEDULE/PATTERN. I HESITATE TAKING IT BACK TO SAMS-A1 REPAIR SHOP AND MUST PURCHASE A NEW RELIABLE MODE OF TRANSPORT. SATISFIED???

Tim has done excellent work for me in the past and this last time was no exception. I was the victimof a botched robbery of my 1993 Honda Accord. The driver's side window was smashed out and the ignition had been ripped out and wires to the air bag damaged beyond repair. The Insurance Adjuster "totaled" the car giving me the option of receiving a check for the value ( not much) of the car or receiving a check for thr value of the car less salvage value. Tim said he could fix the car for less than the amount I would receive from the Insurance company. Tim was true to his word and my car runs as fine as ever and my wallet is much fatter. Tim is an honest man to deal with and he and his crew are superior machinists.

I went to the shop to ask a question about a squeaky serpentine belt. On the way over, my brakes lost pressure and I heard a clanking sound. Luckily I was near the shop and coasted in. Tim stopped what he was doing, had the mechanic put the car on the lift, checked the rear brakes and determined a short cord had broken. He ordered parts (took about 15-20 min. to arrive), and had it fixed in about 30 min. Cost me $65.00 including parts, taxes, hazmat, etc. Time gave me a written estimate on my original problem (a good price, too) and a money back guarantee. Amazing!

Like everyone else has said: the shop is very honest, great prices and quick with repairs. Even though the shop is out of the way, I make the drive because the work has been so good. I would never go back to the dealership.

I'm a young female living in Arlington who recently bought a 1998 Nissan Maxima. The car needed new axle boots, an exhaust pipe and bracket, and VA safety inspection. Tim at A-One Auto quoted me the best price of five different garages and was honest about the need for repairs. His staff was courteous and even gave me a ride to and from the metro. Dealing with A-One Auto was a huge relief for someone who knows very little about cars and is looking for someone they can trust in the area-- I highly recommend Tim and his shop.

A-One has completed several maintenance and minor repairs to my 93 Land Cruiser (I have owned this vehicle since it was brand new). When the front end started to ratchet, I took it to a Toyota dealer. They told me the axles were failing (it has over 219,000 miles on it). I thought they would have competent professionals to complete the job and allowed them to proceed. After a month and half of wrong parts, in attention to detail and installation of a part that wasn't necessary, I got my vehicle back with new front axles...but...the ABS system wasn't working and I was told a sensor was bad and needed to be replaced. I had enough of the dealer service and went back to A-One. The owner found a connection pin had been bent over and the computer couldn't communicate with the sensor. A quick "unbend" and the ABS was good as new and didn't need over $300 worth of parts (without labor) as quoted by the Toyota dealer. Bottom line....I will never take my Toyota to another dealer and it will always be serviced by A-One.

For years I was having to rotate my rotors every 6-months. I was always told by brake specialists & dealerships that it was because the vehicle was AWD. However, Tim set me straight. He pointed out that it was my brake pads that were causing the problem. I had after-market pads on the car and it was causing problems with the discs. Since he replaced them (1.5 yrs ago) I have not had any problems. If I had seen Tim to begin with I would have saved 100s of dollars. Also, my check engine light was on. My father's mechanic (in another state) told me it was an O2 sensor and replaced it. One month later the light came on again and Tim hooked my car up to his computer, which reported the same problem again. When I told him I had just replaced it, he did a little investigation (20-minutes) and discovered that it was a loose spark plug causing the light to come on. It took him 5-seconds to tighten it and the car has been perfect ever since.

When I needed my windshield replaced, I shopped around for prices and asked questions but was getting frustrated by different shops telling me different things that did not make sense so I just took my car to Sam's A-One Auto. The mechanic (Sam?) did the research, bought a new windshield at discount (because he's a mechanic). He billed me for the *same* price of the windshield that he paid and the cost of the service to install it, but he did *not* charge me for the time he spent shopping around for windshields.

Sam consistently underprices Don Beyer Subaru of Alexandria when it comes to standard repairs like brakes, tune-ups, etc. and he does a fine job. He offered several solutions to the intermittently working speedometer on my 1999 Outback, but smartly advised me to wait till it broke altogether, so we'd know whether the fix worked. Now that Sam's has shuttle service to the nearby Metro station (Blue line), it's on a more equal footing with Don Beyer.

During 2004-2007, I've had an 80's F150 and 90's Corolla serviced here. Highly recommended. Prices reasonable. Tim will answer your questions, is honest, and tries hard to accommodate customers. Good shop to give you a second opinion on costly work recommended by another shop. Like the major brake overhaul that another shop told my wife she needed for the Corolla (Tim cleaned out dirt, adjusted rear (drum) brakes, that was all). They have added new equipment and space for auto body work and painting.

I've had these guys do anything from replacing the transmission in my van to fixing the A/C on my woman's Pontiac. They've always been up front with their schedule and the work has in my experience come in at the estimate. I've sent friends there in the past and they've been just as happy with the service.

Driver's side power window in my '95 Acura Integra RS broke on the way to work with the window halfway down, and it was going to rain. Not having time to get multiple estimates, I chose A-One from this site. Sam waited late for me to get to the shop, then parked it inside so I didn't have to tape the window. Called the next morning and described the problem in plain English. Since i'm paying out of pocket, he suggested they fix it so it works (i.e., creative engineering), but without using new parts, so he kept the total cost under $300 including labor, and finished in <24 hours! What a wonderful experience! It's my first time, but not my last, using this shop. Highly recommended.

I love these guys for saving me thousands on maintenance and repairs. Everything is explained to me and they even fixed what the dealer screwed up on my car. They always take me to and from the metro whenever I bring my car in. I have not had a bad experience yet. I highly recommend them for their honesty and integrity.

Have been going to them for almost twenty years. They have always been scrupulously honest, and their prices are very reasonable. This is one of those places you hear about, but don't believe actually exist. I can't remember how many times I've taken my car in (currently a '95 Lexus SC400 with 267k original miles on it, previous was an '85 Nissan 200SX, both serviced here) asking for certain things to be done, only to receive a call telling me the service wasn't necessary. They're very knowledgeable, very friendly, and go the extra mile to make sure their customers are happy.

I had a ton of work done on my 97 civic and it cost 20-40% less than the dealer quote. I went back 6 months later to have them inspect a loud rattle under the car. They removed the loose heat shield for free. They definitely take time to explain the work that's needed - a plus when you know nothing about cars like I do!

Have always been seemingly straightforward and responsive. Told me what I could use, and what I could get by with, and were always willing to diagram any problems so I could fully understand the issues. Solid shop that I trust.

Honest,quick and friendly

A-one of Alexandria VA just completed a superb body repair work on my 1995 VW Golf III. After I told them I would be happy with a rough repair, given the age and value of my car, the Body Shop Manager gave me a very reasonable cost estimate. He then called me and offered to keep the car a little longer to do better for the same price, just for the reputation of his shop. I accepted and I was flabbergasted when I got back a state-of-the-art repaired car for the original price, which was a fraction of what I had been told elsewhere. I chose them after I read comments about them here. Thank you all!

You can fill out the survey or just add a quick comment about this shop.