Auto Repair Ottawa - Auto Mechanic - Jim Dickinson Auto Tech

As always, Jim Dickinson gives very reliable service and offers full service for your car. He explains any work that needs to be done on your car. If something doesn't need to be done right away he will give you that option. I've always found him to be honest and fair. I've taken my cars to him for over 15 years and I recommend him highly. Be warned - he's always fully booked up but still does his best for his customers.

Found Jim’s shop online, and decided to go with him to get my Safety Inspection. I called in advance to book. He asked me for more information about the vehicle and my name.

When I came in, he had everything jotted down, and perfectly organized on paper — which I greatly appreciated.

Wait time was long, which I was expecting. No different than a Canadian Tire.

Turned out that my car needed repairs. However, Jim was quick to point out why, and also showed me pictures of the fixes that needed to be done.

I agreed, and he was quick to get the breaks and rusty rotors fixed up.

Honestly, a very pleasant, kind, and professional mechanic. Highly encourage anyone to do business with him.

Thank you Jim!

I’ve been going to Jim’s for years and the service has never been anything less than excellent. Straightforward, honest, and goes the extra mile to help out his customers.

I had the pleasure to deal directly with Jim and he’s very kind, explains every service in details (he even took pictures of my car engine to show me what issues he was seeing) and he is clearly passionate about what he does. I’m glad he’s in the neighborhood!

Jim is a great mechanic. I and my family have been taking our vehicles to him for 20 years +. You can rely upon what he says, and does.

Jim was straightforward and easy to deal with. Prices were fair and I was charged what I was promised. Quality work done quickly. Basically everything you could hope for, short of not needing car repairs in the first place. Absolutely recommend.

I’ve taken my car to them many times for many things and they’ve always been good. I appreciate them highlighting potential upcoming issues as well as ways to maintain my car.

Outstanding customer service. I drove in without an appointment on a very busy day for Jim and his team with a flat tire. Jim squeezed me in, showed me the poor state of my tires, and replaced two of them without delay. While the vehicle was on the hoist, Jim also took the initiative to check the brakes and he identified that they were also in poor shape. Jim showed me the situation, called around to obtain parts, and stayed after closing with his team so that I could have the car road worthy that day. I appreciated very much his diligence, attention to safety, professionalism and willingness to squeeze me in and stay late after closing. I'd definitely recommend his services.

I strongly recommend Jim's shop for car work! I gave him a call for a last minute fix on a short timeline after experiencing issues with my brakes. He fit me into his busy schedule and was able to repair the brake issue before the end of the day! His shop normally closes at 5PM but he was more than willing to stay open for me to pick up and walked me through all the work that he did on the vehicle, the pricing for the work, as well as future things to look out for.

100% best mechanic I have ever worked with, and would bring my car back here in the future without hesitation. Thanks Jim!

I am really pleased with the detailed explanations that Jim provided and the different suggestions to fix the issues.

I was scheduled for a diagnostic inspection of my air conditioning but in the end also received assessment of other issues (exhaust leak, gas tank leak, radiator issue, rust) along with a ballpark estimate. I also received their assessment of the worthiness of doing the repairs, given items that may be outside of their control (& possibly not fixable) and the age of the car. This was valuable as it equipped me with the information I needed to decide on not getting the repairs done & buying another vehicle. I personally think most garages would not have gone the extra mile of inspecting additional items & offering their opinion on the cars value - more likely, they may've just convinced me the work needed to get done. I've decided to make Jim Dickinson Auto Tech my regular garage and am happy to have provided this review May 31/22.

I read a review from one Owen Melanson about how he went for out of province safety inspection and he was told his rotors were bad. Well I confirmed same thing today. I went with my 2018 VW passat with mileage a little below 75k. They told me the car runs well but that my rear rotors were gone and needed to be replaced. I almost obliged, but decided to take it to another inspection garage. They did another inspection and confirmed my rotors are in perfect shape. Why it's so painful to me is that I spent more than 2 hours at Jim Dickinson, I was charged $170 and I paid another $130 for the second inspection in another garage. This is really unprofessional of this garage. I will advise that this is not a good place for inspection.

Really helped me out when I needed a quick turnaround on an out-of-province vehicle safety inspection. Quick and proffessional. I would recommend.

I brought my well maintained car in for an out of province safety and they tried to charge me an extra $1000 to replace rusty brake rotors that had no rust on them! I took it somewhere else and they passed it with not even a second glance. Trying to grab some cash.

Quick repair and honest business. Broke down not too far from this shop in the afternoon and had my vehicle back very fast. Having a little auto experience myself I liked how they breakdown the work/time they put in going through the bill with detail. 1st time I've taken a vehicle to a garage in quite a while and I was very happy with the service here. Would definitely recommend

I drove over a nail and got a flat tire, dropped the vehicle off in the evening using the key drop and it was repaired by 10am the next morning. Thanks Jim!

I’ve been taking my cars to Jim’s for years. He is a true professional and always keeps my vehicles in great condition so they last.

Fast service with a loaner that was already running for me! Professionally installed and clean as a whistle too! Jim and his team will keep you running smoothly!

This was my first visit to this shop.    I took the car in for an A/C problem.   Obtaining an appointment was not too difficult and after sending my request online I received a prompt phone call from Jim.    My A/C technician seemed very experienced and he found a couple of leaks. The cause of the problem was explained.   Jim was very approachable when discussing options for obtaining replacement parts at the most reasonable cost.   The parts were ordered and I returned when the parts came in to complete the final repair.     I felt treated well as a new customer. I would go here first before going to the dealer.

Jim tells you straight, is honest, affordable, informative, and get's the job done well, in a timely manner with good parts! Very friendly - a pleasure to do business and talk with! I will be doing all my future personal business, and my businesses business with Jim!

Jim Dickinson gives very reliable service and offers full service for your car. He explains any work that needs to be done on your car. If something doesn't need to be done right away he will give you that option. I've always found him to be honest and fair. I've taken my cars to him for over 15 years and I recommend him highly.

The service was great and Jim communicated with me several times during the day to let me know what was going on and to offer options on which parts to pick for the job. I was given a courtesy car to get back home and best part about it all is that the job was done the same day. Efficient, professional and friendly service.

I first took my car to Jim Dickinson when I moved to Ottawa more than two years ago and needed a safety check. I went then because his garage is only a block from my apartment. I was impressed with his thoroughness and knowledge and have taken my car to Jim for regular services ever since. No matter how busy he is he always finds time to look after my car.

Thanks for fixing me up with the great service at a fair price. Would recommend to anyone. Thanks again Jim.

This person calls himself a professional! But a professional person never hide information from you to deceive you!
I took my car to him yesterday to simply get a safety certificate. My car is a 2016 Mazda3 with only 45,000 KM driven. A super clean Car!

My appointment was at 8am. Jim, the "professional" mechanic showed-up 40 minutes late! After I made sure my car was under service and was told that it would only take one hour and a half, I went for a short walk.
Just a quarter to 10 I came back and Jim showed me some photos of my car's brakes rotors and told me that they are dusty and need to be changed but never told me how much it would cost. I'm not a mechanic but I expect a "professional" mechanic to be transparent about the prices and explains me as a costumer how much I should pay at the end if he does change the entire brakes (which I'm not even sure it was necessary at all because my car is only a very clean 4-year Mazda).

After I came back in the afternoon to pick up the car I got shocked by a bill of $1,600! He claimed he had told me the prices in the air, but he never did that. Then he said his camera had recorded our conversation, so I asked him to play that for me! Obviously he didn't do it and said I don't have time!
I'm not a fighter. At the end I paid $14,500 for something that my car probably didn't need it. I can never prove that, but I don't trust this guy and don't recommend it to anyone! I'll find a mechanic who is transparent about prices and materials they use in my car in-advance!

He definitely tries his best to justify what he has done without any apologizing for taking advantage of a person who is not a mechanic and trusted you as a "professional".

I would recommend this garage. I've always received great service at a fair price. Great customer service.

Honest mix up on price/service, although not my mix up, im sure he'll say whatever to justify as he did that a lot in person, and could not even look you in the eye while not stopping repeating the same things over, paid my bill with no problem though. I showed up at my appointment at 1 pm and left at 530 for a simple pre purchase inspection and safety, no ride offered had to wait around, got annoying as they charge more than dealers. At the end of the day I trusted his judgement and did not buy the car so I can say he will provide you with a service, just expensive. He said my car was in for 3 hours and I actually saved money, it should of been 295$ but becuase I mentioned I was unhappy he dropped the older car fee, so for 270 i waited 4.5 hrs got a pre purchase inspection and an incomplete safety that I did not want unless the pre purchase inspection went well, which it did not off the drive it failed right away, understandable the mistake but I was quite clear I'm not buying it if the pre purchase did not go well. No mention of added cost for older cars pre purchase inspection until after the service is done? Not good business practices. I don't mind the prices if the service is good, and I feel he has the potential to be a good honest mechanic for anyone walking off the street, but becuase that is not the service I received I will not be back.

Quel service!
On est arrivé comme un cheveux sur la soupe et on nous a tout de suite pris en charge. Merci au service rapide et efficace, notre fin de semaine au chalet ne tombe pas à l'eau.
On nous a réparé une roue rapidement un vendredi a 3h45! Service professionnel et courtois.
Merci!

Jim has been looking after my non-warranty vehicle repairs for over 15 years, without issue. I originally brought him my truck with problems that several other Techs.before him weren't able to figure out. When the warranty on my current vehicle expires, I will be taking it to him again for anything that it needs.

We were visiting Ottawa from out of town and our car started making strange noises. Jim and his team helped us out at the drop of a hat. Reasonable prices and increadibly friendly staff. They even took the time to explain everything to us. Would go back without any doubt.

Jim is a master at his craft. A true wealth of information and consummate professional. Serviced my 2006 Porsche Cayenne in a very timely manner and dedicated substantial time to thoroughly discussing all issues. Would highly reccomend!

The day before his Christmas break, Jim fit me in to fix a persistent issue with my car. I showed up in a panic and he was able to fix it that day. So grateful to have my car safe for the holidays and beyond. He always remembers the tiniest details about your car. Thanks, Jim for *always* being so thorough!)

Had a great experience here. My wife and I purchased a car out-of-province and Jim inspected it thoroughly and got it road-ready in less than 2 days. He picked up on a number of things that an initial inspection missed, and the car drives much better and more safely than when we dropped it off. We'll definitely be back.

Thank you for seeing me on short notice. I can't help but mention your office is very disorganized which can only be a hindrance to your day to day efficiency.

My husband stayed with Jim when he moved his garage, even though it was a bit out of the way. Jim is very thorough and honest.we appreciate that, especially in a mechanic!

I look forward to and quite enjoy reading their monthly newsletter! It is very informative, vehicle and otherwise! I like to read the jokes and informative, season-related tidbits with my 8 year old. We especially like the quiz part to have our name entered into the draw

Thanx very much Kindi and Jim, for the Informative and Fun newsletter, for the Great Work and Great Customer Service!
Tammy and Norm Gibson️

We have a 14 year old Toyota that is this age due to the diligent care of Jim and his team. What we have always appreciated with Jim is that he takes the time to explain and troubleshoot a problem.

I have been taking my cars to Jim Dickinson for years for all of my non warranty work. He is honest and stands by the work done in his shop. Jim will take the time to explain in depth what the cars need, and what they might be needing down the road. I appreciate this service as it helps prepare me for next step servicing.

Jim Dickinson was kind enough to fit us in the same day on an wheel issue that needed immediate attention. His work was done professionally and timely. We got the car back the same day! What a relief that was! Thank you Very much Jim Dickinson!

Took my car to Jim because he promised to honour the warranty on front-brake parts from work done by another garage that has gone out-of-business. Turned out the front brakes were OK and the problem was in the rear brakes.

He said the job would cost around $400 and because the wheels were already off the car, I said go ahead. He never gave me a work order so I trusted his verbal estimate. He carried on a continual discussion of why other garages didn't do a good job and chatted at length with other customers which took time out of getting my job started.

I went for a walk for 2 hours exactly and the car was sitting outside - unlocked and running when I returned. He left it there running for another 10 minutes and then took me for a test drive which was scary. He warned me in advance that I wouldn't like his driving.

The bill turned out to be $560 before tax as he charges $125.93 per hour. This is the same rate as dealerships charge. Most garages in Ottawa charge between $60 & $90.

I suggested that his bill was excessive and well above his verbal quote. Then he said that he had given me a written estimate - but he couldn't find one because it didn't exist. Under protest, he found a couple of charges which he dropped to bring his bill to $500.60 before taxes.

He also said that the car needed new Inner Tie Rod ends and new front-end bushings and wanted to book an appointment to do that work.

Subsequently I checked the bill with two other mechanics which I have dealt with before and trust. They both esttimated about $375 before tax for the same job. One of them said "this guy is why we all get a bad name. "

I had the car inspected with one of them and the mechanic said that both the tie rods and bushings are fine and DO NOT need replacement.

Stay away from Jim Dickinson Auto Tech unless you like paying more and getting scammed!

I have been using Jim Dickinson's Auto Tech as my mechanic for the last 5 years. The service is exceptional. He does what he says he will do; his prices are competitive; and he won't press you to get more done than he believes you need. A mechanic you can trust (as paradoxical as finding a lawyer you can trust. Hmmmm)