15/03/2016

Great experience. Squeezed me in last minute when I had tire issues. Excellent service....thank you Shelly. My car's issue was addressed quickly and for a good price. Will be back. Thanks.

Becky J.

Source: YELP

05/08/2014

My wife and I have been taking her car to Russ's since we moved to Iowa eight months ago, and every time it seems like we pay way more than we should. We pay double-price for oil changes that last half as long as our old place's. We were recently told to put off changing our brake pads (despite our insistence!), only to be told a month later that they were badly worn and we'd need to replace the rotors also. We'll definitely be taking our car elsewhere when the backs need replacing.
The employees are personable and have that friendly "local mechanic" feel, which may be enough to satisfy people who aren't too concerned about what they pay, but my wife and I feel like we've been duped into dumping extra money into her car. We'll have no regrets about finding someplace else for our auto needs.

Nathaniel S.

Source: YELP

23/07/2014

I'd like to start of by saying that I actually joined Yelp just so that I could write this review. My experience at Russ's Northside Service was nothing short of amazing and I'm so grateful for their time. I'm from Chicago and I was interested in a car at a dealership in Iowa City. It was a foreign car and I wanted to get it inspected by a mechanic who specialized in both domestic and foreign. I scheduled a trip to Iowa to look at the car and John was extremely accommodating - he told me to stop by and he would be glad to take a look at the car. When I walked in, he greeted me by name and I was introduced to both John and his son (who was also very kind and knowledgeable about my specific vehicle). John and his team took the time to look at every inch of the car and when they were done John asked me to come outside and take a look. He took me around the car and showed me every scratch, dent, or possible issue. He even told me a few cheaper options to find the parts I would need for repairs. I was over the moon - I don't know a ton about cars and he explained things in terms I could understand. He gave me an honest assessment of the car and helped me understand what it was really worth/provided guidance about what I should offer the dealer. This was unbelievably helpful! The cost was far less than what I would have paid for an inspection in Chicago. My only complaint is that I wish I lived closer. With their help, I was able to purchase my dream car at a great price. If you live nearby or are even from far away, Russ's Northside Service is the place to go!
Can't thank you enough John!

Katherine S.

Source: YELP

19/06/2012

Great, friendly service. Admittedly I didn't go around getting second opinions but the price I paid seemed fair. They found and fixed a problem with my headlights that another mechanic had failed to find.
Another time the man I assume is Russ came to my house to jump my car, free of charge. He did this even though he said he didn't make house calls (I lived 3 or 4 blocks away, so that helped) and he seemed to be having a bad day. Very helpful!

Annie W.

Source: YELP

12/08/2013

I would recommend Russ's to anyone looking for an honest place to get their car worked on.
I recently moved in from out of state and needed to buy a car. I don't know anything at all about cars and was woefully unprepared to buy one. John, who is usually running the front desk, really went out of his way to help me out. I would call him about once every other day asking about a car I wanted to buy and he would steer me clear of cars that frequently broke down, tell me which types of cars I should be looking at given what I wanted to get out of my vehicle, and let me know what reasonable price ranges were for those cars.
He didn't ask for any money for the advice and there was no reason for him to do me any sort of personal favors as I'm only some stranger from out of state.
When I finally did find a car that I wanted to buy, I paid to have it inspected and they helped me work out a fair deal with the seller. I can't recommend them highly enough.

Fred W.

Source: YELP

03/09/2011

I was a loyal Russ's customer for some time, particularly during my undergrad years when my car was a junker and certainly not a priority. Russ's was great for keeping my costs to a minimum while still keeping my car on the road. I've since upgraded the car and am more interested in keeping it in shape rather than doing the bare minimum, and I've found that Russ's is still trying to sell me the cheap.
Pro: Your car will stay on the road, likely at lower cost. And the location is great if you want to walk around downtown while they are fixing you up. Heck, with the cash you're saving, you could stop in one of the fancy boutiques and buy a nice dress.
Con: They'll keep telling you to put off changing your breaks for another month even when they're grinding and rumbling at you until you turn the radio up so loud that you can't hear them. I think we all like to save a little cash now and then, but eventually, you just have to fix the breaks.

Amy D.

Source: YELP

19/01/2013

When I'm in the area, and low on gas, I like to stop here. The owner is friendly. This is a locally owned shop, and I'm told by friends they provide good service.

Gregory J.

Source: YELP

25/06/2014

I've been taking my car here ever since I moved to Iowa City four years ago, and I wouldn't go anywhere else. They're friendly and straightforward with a healthy dose of humor thrown in and won't try to hose you for every last dollar you have on parts that don't need to be replaced like a dealership or chain car service place would. I've had my car since I was in high school (I'm now 27), and they've kept the old girl running like a dream. On multiple occasions, they've done extra work trying to figure out issues that nobody else could, and they didn't charge me for it. If you're looking for an honest, fair, and reasonble mechanic, look no further.

Chelsea D.

Source: YELP

03/06/2016

I took my car in to get the shocks looked at. Didn't have to wait to get my car in, I called and dropped off my car 10 mins later. Turns out problem I was having is covered under warranty, and they didn't charger for their diagnostic service. Everyone has been very friendly, I will absolutely be going back.

Alex Brown

Source: GPLAC

31/01/2012

Good shop if you need an oil change or tires, But if you need real stuff done to your car go elsewhere. The mechanic diagnosed my car as having a bad transmission. He even tried to explain how he knew it was bad because in his opinion it felt like the transmission was slipping when he drove it around the block, once. I then took it to a transmission shop and they looked at it and found that the transmission was fine. I then took it to another shop and they ran the codes and found that it was a mass airflow sensor that was malfunctioning. The mechanic at Russes stated that I should just junk my car and find a new one on Craig's list for $1000 since it was an older model (Probably because he couldn't figure out the real problem he did seem very novice). Hell my car JUST got 120k on the engine I've had it for 6 years even though it may look rough (due to hail damage) it is a hard running dependable machine till just recently. Doesn't even leak oil and the AC still works for a 1993..He stated it would cost me at least $1300 to fix when the actual problem only cost less than $100

John Correia

Source: GPLAC

05/08/2014

My wife and I have been taking her car to Russ's since we moved to Iowa eight months ago, and every time it seems like we pay way more than we should. We pay double-price for oil changes that last half as long as our old place's. We were recently told to put off changing our brake pads (despite our insistence!), only to be told a month later that they were badly worn and we'd need to replace the rotors also. We'll definitely be taking our car elsewhere when the backs need replacing. The employees are personable and have that friendly "local mechanic" feel, which may be enough to satisfy people who aren't too concerned about what they pay, but my wife and I feel like we've been duped into dumping extra money into her car. We'll have no regrets about finding someplace else for our auto needs.

Nathaniel S

Source: GPLAC

28/02/2011

AMAZING! Good, honest, friendly people. I brought my car in with a muffler problem, they said they could fix it but it would be cheaper somewhere else. They didn't ask for a dime, but my car was in better shape when I left. The guy even asked if I needed a lift to work. I would recommend this place to anyone, I wish I could give it 6 stars because it deserves it.

Laura Weisman

Source: GPLAC

15/02/2016

Overpriced rednecks

Josh Ledinn

Source: GPLAC