Kensington Auto & Car Wash

Category:	Auto Repair Shop
Address:	2201 Kensington Rd NW, Calgary, AB T2N 3R9, Canada
Phone:	+1 403-283-4600
Site:	kensingtonauto.ca
Rating:	3.2
Working:	6AM–10PM 6AM–10PM 6AM–10PM 6AM–10PM 6AM–10PM 7:30AM–8PM 8AM–8PM

Location

Photos 12

Reviews 4

A Private User

3.5~4 Stars - heres why: Well, Im definitely a customer & Ive made use fo their services for gas fill-ups, mostly car washes since 2002, but mostly over the past 2 years (since 2009). Based on my own personal experience I can say: a) the staff are friendly & courteous; Ive never experienced any adversity or unfriendliness or lack of courtesy from behind the counters, b) theyve always given me prompt service & exact change, c) their washrooms are kept very clean (esp. since they are a service station), d) theyve even let me use their lot to do some small maintenance repair myself for a few minutes, under the hood of my vehicle, e) I have inquired about a maintenance repair - found their prices competitive within the local independent mechanic market (compared to neighbouring service garages) - but did not go there since I was able to find a better deal elsewhere after extending my search. I like the fact that they carry moving supplies. I also noticed that they carry Interstate batteries (Im a fan of these since Im an AMA member & their emergency service people recommend this brand as one of the more reliable quality) & Sylvania auto light bulbs (the aftermarket GE auto bulbs never seem to last & Ive noticed that the original bulbs which last a long time are all Sylvania ... better?) Once I complimented them on their car wash & at first the hired summer help did not believe me - although the 2 wash bays (take 2 vehicles at a time each bay) look modest, they provide slightly more time than other local wand washes. Ive also noticed that the water pressure in the wash seems to be instant and more powerful than several of the other coin wand washes that Ive tried (mostly inner city). (I told them to not change a thing with the car washes & Ill remain a regular customer!) If youre like me you like to keep your car clean on a regular basis (maybe a wash every week or odd week in the summer) so having a few seconds extra time on the wash makes for less dent on your change! (go figure). A word about their gas prices - they are cheaper than the big chains thats for sure but I can still get cheaper gas at one or two other stations in the city. For those who have concerns on service - ask questions up front & for any repairs, just get a detailed written estimate. Also get them to show you what theyve done (up on the hoist) afterwards. Ive done this where I get my car serviced & it works. Seriously people, try to work with them & give them a chance ... they are an independent so their business is based on their reputation. From what Ive noticed, theyve been up front & friendly. Good luck!

Stephen Claassen

very odd place. first of all they have what appears to be an entire lot to park cars in. and the car that my inspection was done on was done on the street. in my report that i got back it says the power steering is leaking and that all the lines are basically done, and then on the top where it has an over view of "items checked" it says steering: "good" secondly they stated that the vehicle was an 88 not a 91 which it was reffered to as. and after doing numerous checks it is a 91. and they then stated the differential oil had never been checked. when the fellow who im buying the vehicle off of changed the diff oil less then a year ago. front brakes were good but back brakes were poor. but the back brakes were done less then a year ago, both pads and rotors. All in all they stated that it did not pass inspection, however they did not list what had to be done in order for it to pass inspection. I called the day before asking what time the vehicle would be done by, and they say and i quote if it is dropped off in the morning it should be done by 11, needless to say it was done at 6. I work in customer service and i like to give tips and acknowledge when people have done a good job. i should have looked at all the reviews before taking my car there. i am deffinately going back tomorrow and demanding my money back. bob or who ever you are that owns this dump you should seriously take a look online and see what people have to say about your store.

A Private User

I got hosed while spending $513 getting a trailer hitch installed at Kensington Auto. They installed it incorrectly, I took it back in to get it fixed, and when I picked it up there was a big slice in my bumper and missing bolts on the undercarriage - all a result of them installing it incorrectly in the first place. I called and talked to the owner (Bob), who said theres nothing they can do. They cant give me my money back, and they cant fix my bumper. They were simply following the instructions that came with the hitch (even though any non-mechanic could have seen that the hitch was installed on an angle), and its my fault for not specifying how I wanted the hitch installed. Apart from complaining to the BBB, and trying to stop the VISA payment (its too late though), Im not sure what else I can do except for recommend to everyone to never go there. I wasnt so worried about paying a few extra bucks when compared with the Hitch Shop or other hitch expert places I called, but I thought Id be supporting my local business. Little did I know Id get the worst service Ive ever got, and have paid over $500 for terrible service (and likely $200 more than I would have paid at another shop). They seem like nice guys (it was my first time there), but apparently they expect customers to pay for their mistakes. Never go there... even for gas or a car wash!

Allison Sproule

Went here about a year and a half ago when my drivers side mirror got knocked off of my Honda Element. I already knew I could pick up a replacement mirror from salvage for maybe $80 but for convenience purposes I thought Id check with a mechanic about getting it done. They quoted me something like $300 for the mirror and $175 for labour to fix it, saying that "the entire side panel needs to be pulled off, its fairly difficult" etc etc. as if I was some kind of idiot. I guess thats what you get for going to an auto shop as a young blonde girl? I told them I was a student and very tight on money, and asked if there was any way I could get the part myself and have them install it, and the man insisted quite vehemently that no, there was no way to procure the part except through a shop, and tried to discourage me, without me saying anything, from attempting the repairs myself or having a friend attempt them. So I went to salvage, bought a new power mirror for $80, and looked up how to do it myself online--oh hey, you just pry off a tiny plastic panel with your bare hands and unscrew 3 bolts. So they tried to stick me for a full 40 hours worth of work at my part-time job for something a child could do, despite knowing I couldnt afford it. Do not recommend.