Thom's Four Wheel Drive

I took my 08 Jeep Grand Cherokee into Thom's for maintenance for the 1st time last month. Got a diesel fuel filter replaced, tires rotated, and doors lubricated.Pros: Clean shop, friendly, professional staff. Complimentary car-wash. No grease stains left behind on the interior from the tech's dirty hands/clothing. 10% discount for 1st time visit. Less expensive than dealer. Got a follow-up phone call to make sure I was satisfied. Also got a thank you note with a coupon to give a friend to refer for them for service. They didn't attempt to upsell me anything. $30 for tire rotation is fair price.Cons: Wasn't quoted a price up front. I could have asked, so I'm partially to blame. The price was higher than I was expecting. But, I rationalize that it's worth it to pay a little more for their expertise on four wheel drive and quality work.

Picking the right mechanic for my car isn't an easy thing for me as I've grown up around cars and not in your typical fashion either. Since I was a kid my dad has owned multiple car dealerships around Chicago and I was there every step of the way with him. Recently he closed his car dealer and my Jeep developed a crazy problem called the "death wobble", sounds way worse than it really is. I first took it to my go-to mechanic, he changed a few parts, but knew the "death wobble" wasn't an easy thing to diagnose/repair so he said try it now and see how it is. Unfortunately the problem wasn't fixed and I started researching Jeep friendly shops around Chicago that might encounter this problem often. I called Thom's and immediately they knew what problem I was experiencing and set me up with a time to bring the Jeep by. I ended up taking it in and they were all super nice, set me up with a rental car and had me on my way. I left hopeful that they could figure out the problem and fix it fairly quickly, but at the same time I was worried that great customer service is one thing, a great mechanic is what's really needed. A couple days later the Jeep was done, they said they had road tested it and didn't experience the wobble anymore and it was ready for pickup. I can gladly say the problem is gone and I had a great experience with Thom's.

Thoms did a great job installing new shocks and struts for me. Even when there was an issue, they took the vehicle back in and fixed it at no charge. I took my truck back in for new breaks and I'm very happy with the results.

Thom's is now my go to place for all my repairs. After getting screwed by my dealership for too long, I used yelp to find Thom's, and am so glad I did. Reasonable labor costs, upfront information, and the best part us that no matter who answers the phone they can tell you the status of your car without sending you to four different people. It's a bit of a hike for me, but with what I save in money and peace of mind, it's worth it. Most recently, I had a problem with my starter, and instead of telling me to bring it in right away, they put me on conference while a few mechanics made recommendations on how to fix it myself. After I couldn't, I had it towed there and ready the same day, and one guy even stayed past business hours as I was running late. No question, go here, and stop your searching.

Thom's Four-Wheel Drive diagnosed my problem as a $3 part and saved me from a $2300 repair! After receiving an exorbitantly high and suspicious quote from another mechanic (see my review for Eliot's) for my car's recent overheating issue, I took my car in to Thom's and it could not have been a more 5-star experience from start to finish. I first called Thom for a second opinion and he was more helpful on the phone than the previous mechanic had been in-person. He made me feel 100% comfortable from the first time I talked to him so I brought my car in for the complete second-opinion evaluation. The diagnosis: a $3 radiator fuse replacement when the previous mechanic had wanted to crack my engine open and replace my head gasket and engine head. Thom's saved me from unnecessary repairs and did it with class and expediency.In addition, I brought my car back to Thom's right before leaving for a cross-country roadtrip when the rims installed by the previous owner starting causing problems for my little Civic's wheel wells due to my overloaded car. This was late on Friday afternoon and Thom's shop was closing but he stayed with me anyway for at least an hour and set me up with one of his mechanics who agreed to do the work I needed the very next morning - a Saturday - so I could hit the road and not lose much time. He even recommended a mechanic in Phoenix, AZ where I was moving. Incredible.Thom's really went above and beyond the call of duty for me and I cannot recommend this shop highly enough! Any car repair shop with all 5-star reviews on Yelp is rare - you can take that as a sign of this shop's superior quality and service. Anyone looking for a knowledgeable, skilled and HONEST mechanic would be wise to go to Thom's Four-Wheel Drive.

As an owner of a 1999 Corolla with 280,000 miles on the odometer, I have been to many different mechanics. Over the years I have had every repair done to this car. Last week I was fortunate enough to find Thom's. I asked them to do an inspection and see what it would take to keep my car running safely. They kept my car for two days and went over it scrupulously. The verdict was not good for my car, but I was impressed with the detailed analysis of what the car would need, and with the fact that after all that labor, Thom's refused to accept any money from me because, "we don't normally charge for inspections." I feel very fortunate to have found Thom's auto repair. He could have done just part of the work, charged me a lot of money, and not left me with any options, but instead he did the ethical thing.

OK Normally I go into a mechanic and end up feeling raped due to my lack of knowledge about autos, parts and how much they cost to fix. I'm one of the owners of Weird Chicago Tours and our bus needed some work. Now keep in mind our bus "IS" our livelihood.If you say the word "bus" to any mechanic they normally smile and get $$ in their eyes, usually jacking up the price 300%. Thom (the owner) and Tom (the manager) not only took time explaining everything to me in detail about what was wrong with our bus "Special Edna" but they went the extra mile by supplying us with parts and labor after they couldn't first solve the problem. Eventually after only 2 short days they solved the dillemna exorcising the Demons from our beloved bus. They then prioritized and gave estimates for the other issues we had with our vehicle and worked within our budget and frantic time schedule! I will be bringing all my vehicles here from now on and advising all my friends and customers to do so also. They are honest, fast and charge a decent price. Plus they're so nice my partner Adam swears they must be elves and not mechanics at all.Thom also wrote a book on how to buy a good used car, I don't know the title but will buy one next time I go in for the next service we need done. Thom also gave me great advice on business that had nothing to do with my vehicle, he did it just to help out another small business owner.Thom offers a ladies car clinic that will explain to ladies who may not know too much about cars what, how and why you need to do stuff to your vehicle.5 stars!Ken