Brought my car in a couple months back. Have done very small things like checking lights and fluid top offs in the past and havent had much trouble. Serpentine belt broke, knew a bit of what was all going on, but wanted to get it checked out. When they told me everything that they wanted to fix with my car the total came to be $1,400 because of other things they found. There was no way I was paying that so I asked what it was to only get the belt replaced (wasnt able to drive it anymore so wouldve had to tow it to a different place). He said that my car was unsafe to drive unless they did a ball joint replacement as well which was true, but he tried tacking on a lot of other things that werent issues. However, what I took issue with is that they tried acting like I didnt know anything and were very rude in general. When I told him that I typically have a mechanic at home look at it he said that I shouldnt trust him. Even though he has worked on cars and heavy machinery his entire life. All they do is take advantage of the local college student population. To be fair, very convenient location. Pricing is higher than average. Lastly, decent gas when Im in a pinch but I never go there if I can help it. Only go here if youre not educated about cars and feel free paying a premium for them to fix your car and refuse to tell you about it at all. And if youre lucky to pull it out of him, expect car jargon that will probably go over your head just in order to make you feel incompetent and that theyre doing a better job than they actually are. Only plus side, convenient location.

This place is my first choice for any auto repair work and the first place I recommend to friends. A family-owned business with great pricing and service. We need more places like this.

I wont dwell on past experiences years ago but keep it in the present. Now that the gas pumps have been updated replacing the noisy beeping monsters this is a quick serve efficient place. Typical small convenience items inside and you either have to pay in advance or swipe a card at the pump. Air hose on the side and a repair service. This place caters to the growing student population in the area. Its been years since Ive had service done here as I have my place to go now so I cant comment on that. The service bays do appear to be busy all the time so it at least looks like there are repeat customers.

My car wasn’t starting so I got it towed here, the closest place to my house. According to them, I needed a new starter and they said it would cost 700. Completely ridiculous. Starters cost between 80-200. I called Gorshe auto service just down the road from them and they estimated 225 if I bought the starter myself. I took my car to a family friends garage and they cleaned off my battery and now my car works just fine. They also looked at my starter and said it also looks good. Do not go here, they’re only goal is to make money off of people with no car knowledge.

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 Nelsons 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!

Update: the boost circuit is reading high again meaning they improperly fixed my car and also refused to tell me how to fix it. This place is a joke - they are clueless. Save money and time just go anywhere elseDo not trust this place. I came here to get my boost pressure circuit fixed, and having already done some work myself I filled Dan in on what I knew about the situation. He totally dismissed my assessment, and more so was entirely condescending of the fact I would have the audacity to work on my own car. Not to mention he was reluctant to answer any of my questions about their operation. Just to find out the problem I specified was the exact issue they needed to fix. Then when I came in to pay for the repair, I simply asked where the problem was so that I could watch for issues in the future. Dan let me know that he couldn’t tell me and after asking if he could find out made no effort to do so. So I walked into the parking lot to check for myself to find my air box was not reassembled completely and they broke its mounting tabs. Thanks for the heads up. I also noticed other portions of the wiring harness that were not secured correctly. This place completely lacks transparency, has rude and unhelpful management, and the technicians are not competent enough to reassemble the vehicles they work on correctly. I will never give this shop my service again and I warn all who lack knowledge of their own vehicle to come here. They are dishonest and untrustworthy. I can’t believe I just spent $300 for them to tape up a wire and break my car.

Experience here was fine, but just that. The technicians are helpful enough. Would not recommend for tire changes as they took 3 days to change mine and figure out how to program the TPMS correctly. My desire to shop local in these times ended up costing me big time even though I knew going in that these smaller shops just cant compete with the big tire-centric services in town on price/efficiency and I was certainly proven right in that regard. If they offered lifetime rotation on the tires you purchased from them it would be a different story. They also did only a front wheel alignment on my AWD vehicle and told me that 4 wheel alignment is never needed which is a false statement. Other shops in town do lifetime 4 wheel alignment for the same price that they charge to do the front-only once. I would come back here for other repairs as they did a good job on my suspension fix and I like that they are a family-run business that I would like to support again, just never for tires.

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.

Great service and straight forward work. Appreciate them.

This is our go to shop for our work and personal cars. They are truly the best to work with and provide excellent work at fair pricing. Highly recommend Nelson.

They are small n cozy.. U of M area.. Very clean.. Great service.. Theyve always thanked me for coming in every time.. Ive never used the auto repair area but they are always nice when I go in.. Thank guys..

1 star is not low enough. Spent over 4000.00 various repairs over 3 years and I only drive my car 6500 miles a year, yet everything they replace goes out within a year. Blower motor May of 2018, went out March 2019, locking system went out June 2018, problems again May 2019. I am afraid to drive my car. I went in for the locking problem in May again paying for the problem less than a year later. Had an oil change done and the filter became loose and oil sprayed the sides on my car, they locked my radio while working on my car,its still locked. Instead of explaining what work they did on my car they shuffled me to the cashier, took my money, then came back to get my paperwork, which I still dont have.Have emailed 3 times to try and get an answer to what work they have done on my car and the response I get is you need to find someone you trust to work on your car I am confused because I trusted them, now with these on going problems that I spent 4000 for repair keep reoccurring, and since I am complaining they want nothing to do with me, NO inviting me back to correct the problems or issues. I spent 500 on a bike from FREE WHEEL and they bend over backwards for me when I have a problem. I spent over 4000, closer to 5000 actually and I get treatment like they have customers lining up paying 4000-5000 to work on their cars. There are a lot more places to go for service

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!

This place was going to try to charge me $350-$500 to literally pull out aftermarket led headlight wires and replace it with the original wires and bulbs. I knew this price was outrageous right away and got other opinions from elsewhere. I ended up paying $200 at another auto place. I feel like they assumed I probably knew nothing about my car .. and also took advantage of my situation being that I needed my headlights replaced that coming Friday night before making a long drive to Rochester. This place is a straight up scam and I wouldn’t trust them with my car.

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 wouldnt 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 didnt. 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!

Great customer service, reasonable prices, and quick service. I have only gone here for oil changes/tire patch, but my experiences have been solid. Oil change for around $40, all-in.

This is a little gas station / Auto repair. The gas station has a great selection of beverages oh, there are few snacks in the store and odds and ends. There is an ATM here. They do not take EBT FYI. Staff is always friendly at least in the gas station part of the building

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 Ive seen are probably from people who dont know how much it costs to maintain a car and treat their cars like garbage.Highly Recommended 👍!

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.

Im very happy with them. Theyre very honest which is very important. The good thing about them is that if they say your car is ready in the afternoon, it will be ready in the afternoon. Many places are not like that. Its a little expensive though but its close to University of Minnesota which is very convenient for me.

They seem to do great work. Only been there twice. But no complaints.

Dan and Jason were awesome to work with. We had a troublesome car and they went above and beyond to get it fixed. We will be back!Betsy

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 dont try to pressure me into buying or fixing a bunch of stuff when theyre done changing my oil like some places.

My friends kept telling me to stop going here because they over charge. Recently I went in for an oil change anyway and they TURNED ME AWAY because my FRIEND wrote a bad review of them online that mentioned an experience* I had with them. Should’ve listened to my friends.*I went to them a few months ago and I left my phone in the cup holder in my car while they did an oil change, but it wasn’t there when I got the car back. I can’t be sure if it happened at Nelson’s or not, but I found out later that it was stolen. They said they checked the cameras and didn’t see anything but I have to say I’m still suspicious. I never got my phone back and ended up buying a new one.

They turned my friend down for an oil change and told her not to come back because I wrote a bad review about her experience with them in the past. This is not how you run a business folks. I don’t see how a bad Google review is encouragement to actively turn away customers instead of trying to make up for their negative experiences.

I didn’t realize gas prices are higher here than other nearby gas stations. Never getting gas here again. I’m low income too.

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.

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.

I had a coupon for a $20 oil change here and had an excellent experience. They were fast friendly and with the coupon it was an amazing price. The did a full diagnostic too and didnt tell me anything I didnt already know.

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. Theyre 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.

You ever have the suspicion that you were being taken advantage of? Well that was a bunch of times with me here. Granted I was taking an older car in, but almost every/every other time I took my car in for regular maintenance, the mechanic found something that needed to be replaced for over hundreds of dollars. The first couple times I went with it because of the age of the car, but one time my car started hemorrhaging coolant the day *after* getting hundreds of dollars of work done. So I took it back in, and wouldnt you know it, there was work that was needed to be done that would bring my bill from the two days to over $1,000. The reason I give two stars is it wasnt my impression that everyone there tried to pull fast ones with the work that needed to be done, but Im 85% sure that I was fear-mongered into non-vital repairs, especially after showing that I would do them the first time.

Very expensive place

These guys are trustworthy, honest, and their dedication to customer service is beyond excellent. I only trust them with my car repair needs, and theyre always done in a professional and timely matter. :)

Service prices are a little steep, but the convenience to my place is nice.

Very helpful and responsive to questions, and high quality work!

Family owned an operated, the owners Dan & Jason sincerely care about their patrons. If you want your car taken care of the right way and at a reasonable price I highly encourage you to start bringing your vehicles here.

Where do I start with thus business. We took my daughters car there today. We come from a 70+ farming family, knew what was wrong with the vehicle, and they attempted to charge my 20 year old FEMALE college daughter 1500 dollars for a 300 dollar fix. Makes me wonder who else they have done this too. Her vehicle needed to be fixed in order to get her the 2 hours home to us to exchange cars. She is our 4th child in college, and people like this try to take advantage of her. WOW, is all I can say. Then attempted to talk her into having it towed to charge her more. From the looks of your business and the cars parked out front, i should have never sent her down there. I have already reported them to the BBB for their practices and I will make sure they are investigated for it. They may be great to their local customers, but for someone not from there, they sure know how to take advantage of an already bad and stressful situation. Especially to a young FEMALE. Shame on you for trying to profit on her.

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 Id 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. Im definitely going back.

I have had some of the best service for years at this location, I was a student at the University of Minnesota 1972 when I first found The Nelsons back then I think it was the grandfather Nelson that repaired my Mustang and I have seek their service to this day 2017 now guess my age...Thanks guys

Dont go to this place, they are dishonest. They will try to charge you exuberant prices for small things that you can get cheap elsewhere. Dont let them see you in distress, I think they sense despair because they will jack up the price. They say they are a carfax shop... I hope carfax investigates them.

Had such a great experience today at Nelson auto world. They got me in and out because I was in a rush.

Owners are great guys. Very honest and knowledgeable. Service was fast and straightforward. Would recommend to anyone.

Took my vehicle here, and after a handful of visits back to back to back each time spending hundreds of dollars and they never fixed the main issue nor were even able to get the check engine life to turn off. After claiming it was fixed multiple times I found my car stopping in the middle of traffic putting me in very dangerous situations. Not sure if it was intentional trying to exploit college students or just really that incompetent. Either way, never going back. Do not recommend.

Felt like I was being scammed every time I brought my car here. Every time I picked it up from an oil change, I was scolded in some way or another and told I needed hundreds of dollars in additional work. After finally finding a new mechanic today, I’ve learned that NONE of the work they recommended is necessary for my car. Wouldn’t trust them with my car again.

Best car repair spot in the Cities. Friendly service, fast repairs, no BS.

Take your car here. Look no further for a shop. My daughter is a U of M student, and is spending the summer in an internship in the Cities. The car shes using broke down a few weeks ago, and since we live in Madison, Wisconsin, I needed a mechanic I could trust to help. My daughter lives near University Service, and had the car towed there. The whole team at this shop did a fantastic job - replaced alternator and battery at a fair price. Provided daughter with loaner car so she didnt need to miss work or spend money on taxi. Parents of U of M students - if your kids need car service, dont hesitate to send them to these guys!!

Superb customer service and even better quality service on my car, if you search for reviews like I do, do not hesitate to go here!

These guys go above and beyond to make things right and for you to feel like a valued customer.

Great service bearing went out on our truck when we were visiting the college call them up only took them 1 hour to fix thought what they charged was fair very friendly people I would recommend them to anyone and they seem highly talented when working on vehicles

I came in for an alignment on a road trip--ended up with my car out of alignment badly enough to burn through 3 tires over the next 4,000 miles. I cannot say for sure that they were responsible, but I told Dan what happened, and he refunded the alignment price. Despite the concern over the work, I can guarantee that these guys are not looking to rip anyone off intentionally.

Took my car here a few times, this will be my 5th and last, after they charged me 100$ to replace a 5$ bolt. I understand a slight dumby upcharge since I was convinced myself and tried convincing them it was the starter when it was in fact not, but cmon... you really gotta charge me 50$ for that labor? The bolt wasnt 20$... and those 30$ in service fees and taxes seem questionable.Update: When I brought these issues up with Dan, he was very defensive/aggressive. Dan, I understand and respect the hustle, but you were correctly called out. I understand it costs money to pay your employees, keep the lights on, and for the parts. I also understand how much goes into a 10 minute battery test. He should get some training in customer experience so he doesnt lose more business than just me. Dont be such a Richard, Dan.

Dont go to this place if you dont want to get ripped off.They will scare you that something terrible may happen if you dont replace this or that part. They talk like they are very polite, honest and frank people but they are just liars.Do not believe the fake reviews.1. I fixed my car there months ago (total cost $1,500+) and they told me that I would get free road side assistance from them for a year. When my car did not start, I asked them come to my place and tow it. They told me that I have to contact a designated towing company, pay the money, send them invoice and they will reimburse after 6-8 weeks by check . But that towing company will not come right away, they will come in 3-4 hours. I need my car right away so I asked them again, if there is anyway that my car coud be towed now, they said that I could pay them $75 and they would come immediately.So you know, they just give you free roadside assistance for doing repair with them, but you have to do tons of things and wait forever to get your money back. They just fool you...2. I also asked them how much it would cost to fix my car which did not start. Its ridiculous price. It would be at least $99 for diagnosis and then part replacement labor hour + part itself. Total cost would be $200+. I brought my car to another shop in Dinkytown. The mechanics there only charged me $45 for diagnosis + half labor hour + part. The total cost is only $125. Its much cheaper.

Honest, good people- I have come here time and time again! Jason is very friendly and always gives me great service.

Never been to repair shop but theres serious problems with the gas bump nozzle. I dont know if someone did that on purpose like pranks or not, but there were two times in a semester that after I pressed the button for grade of gas, the gas just splashed right out from the nozzle. I found out the nozzle was stuck and locked at first place and I have forcefully release the lock while gas was still splashing everywhere on the ground.. Thats so horrible, never has such thing happened in another gas station.. Serious safety concern here it has..

Absolutely horrible shop that takes advantage of their campus location, especially if you are a young female. Went in to get an oil change and engine check after the check engine light came on. They came back with a $1300 repair estimate for a $730 max. job (home mechanic estimate in chicago) then tried to scare me into needing my tires immediately replaced for and additional $350 if I did the repair, $460 if I did not. I refused all services and still got stuck with a $238 bill for checking the engine. Went to another shop nearby for a second opinion and discovered university services tried to charge me for parts and services I did not need and overfilled my oil during the oil change. I got what I needed fixed for a fraction of the price and went on my way. Do not go here unless you want to pay for over priced services, get lied to and scared into services you do not need.

They have generally treated me good on repair but are pretty pricey. Was quoted 800+ for 4 tires and got it done at discount tires for a little over 500.

Very happy with the service I received in my car! This is now my go-to shop!

Unethical. ALWAYS Charges $0.20-0.25 more per gallon than other shops nearby in Twin Cities. Price gouging

Went out of their way to help me in a pinch, will return!

They handled the towing from my place to their shop (car wouldnt 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. Didnt try to sell me extra crap, just told me my car was getting older and dont 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, theyll have to charge like $40 but otherwise they wont charge for looking at the front brakes. I went with the brake inspection, ended up not replacing anything just yet and they didnt 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 didnt 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. Im sorry, I forgot to call right after we hung up. Its been crazy here. Im really very sorry. Ill 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. Coulnt be happier with this service.These are the types of mechanics you want to bring your car to.

Friendly people, fast service, and I will recommend it to friends.

Tried to charge me $150 to change a headlight on my car, ended up getting it done at Gorsche just a few blocks away for $20, dont waste your time or money doing business with these crooks.

They are honest and dont try to get you to buy services you dont need.

Great local repair shop !!

I asked them to help me get my car into the shop from where it sat on SE Como between 15th and 16th. University Service is on the corner of 17th and SE Como. I was told to have the car towed.

Tried to say my car was unfixable literally just needed a radiator. They dont know what there talking about

Misdiagnosed my car twice and “fixed” my car with the wrong parts so I had to take it into another mechanic. The problem still isn’t fixed in my car. Thanks for nothing university station!!

Bad experience. They tried to charge me too much for services and wouldn’t take no for an answer. They also stole my friend’s phone.

Website says theyre open on Sundays - not true. Wasted my time driving over here, thanks.

Some things are a little on the pricey side but in general their service has been top notch especially for a auto shop that mostly serves students

They tried to get me to buy a part I didnt need. Got a 2nd opinion and found out there was nothing wrong.

Big fat liars! They just trying to get your money out of a pocket.

Long story short, it costed me more than 100 bucks to do my oil change 👎

They were open

Meh

Convenient

I liked