Fine Service!
David, thank you for the five-star review! We appreciate your feedback and are glad to hear that you had a great experience at Dave's Auto Repair. If you need anything in the future, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at (941) 371-5981 or jessica@davesautosarasota.com.
Transmission fluid change
David, thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience with us! If there is anything else we can assist you with, please don't hesitate to reach out. Contact us at (941) 371-5981 or jessica@davesautosarasota.com. We look forward to serving you again in the future!
I have used Dave's Auto Repair for a couple of years. Very pleased with their services. So far every experience has been great. Hoping for many years ahead.
Thank you, Vince, for choosing Dave's Auto Repair for all your car needs. We are thrilled to have been part of your automotive journey and look forward to serving you for many more years. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out. Call us at (941) 371-5981 or email us at jessica@davesautosarasota.com.
⚠️ CONSUMER WARNING: Safety Hazard & Unfinished Work I am writing this to warn local families about Dave’s Auto Repair. I paid this shop $5,263.54 to replace my Porsche’s transfer case, which included a $1,177.73 labor charge and an itemized $250.00 Programming Fee. Because of their incomplete and negligent work, my daughter experienced a terrifying total drivetrain system failure while driving. We had to flatbed tow the car ($125.00) directly to an authorized Porsche dealership. The dealership’s full diagnostic scan officially confirmed that the new transfer case module was left completely blank and unprogrammed. When I reached out to resolve this, the communication was appalling. Jessica completely ignored my messages, and Michael just called me to argue rather than help. They are trying to deflect blame using false technical excuses, claiming that because 1 year and 4 months have passed, it isn't their fault. Here are the undeniable facts verified by Porsche's computer data: • The data does not lie: New Porsche factory modules arrive completely blank. An unprogrammed module will temporarily run on estimated default values, severely straining the drivetrain until the system flags a fatal VIN mismatch and shuts down. • Permanent history logs: The internal computer memory pulled by the Porsche dealer explicitly confirmed that the module had zero history of ever being initialized since it left the factory box. Time does not erase computer logs. • Deflection tactics: The owners tried to blame wheel speed sensors that Porsche replaced under a separate, unrelated warranty. Speed sensors do not hold transfer case data and cannot erase a module's internal memory or delete a VIN registration. The Porsche dealership billed me $405.88 specifically to program the transfer case that Dave’s left blank. I simply asked Michael and Jessica to cover this $405.88 dealership invoice to correct their mistake. They completely refused. Instead, they only refunded the original $250.00 programming fee, leaving me to pay for the tow truck ($125.00) and the remainder of the dealer bill out of my own pocket. They took money for a critical service they never performed, gambled with my daughter’s safety, and are now hiding behind technical falsehoods. Parents, please take your luxury vehicles elsewhere and protect your kids. UPDATE IN RESPONSE TO THE OWNER Let's be completely clear to anyone reading this: I am not "demanding" a full refund of the $5,263.54 repair, nor am I a customer who "can never be satisfied." I simply asked you to cover the actual costs of the Porsche dealership programming bill required to fix the critical safety step your shop skipped. Furthermore, you did not "voluntarily" or "immediately" issue that $250.00 refund. Jessica completely ignored my text messages, and Michael only called me to aggressively argue and falsely claim the car wouldn't drive at all if the work hadn't been done. You only issued that partial refund after being confronted with undeniable, written diagnostic proof from the authorized Porsche dealership. Your attempt to separate your incomplete work from the drivetrain failure is a technical falsehood. Porsche factory modules arrive completely blank. Leaving that module unprogrammed for 16 months forced the vehicle to run on default factory emergency values, which severely strained the drivetrain and corrupted the electronic communication loop with the wheel speed sensors. That is exactly what triggered the catastrophic system failure that left my daughter stranded. Your partial refund does not absolve you of the safety hazard you caused or the out-of-pocket costs I incurred because of your negligence. Since you have chosen to lie publicly to protect your reputation, I will let the certified data logs from Porsche and the saved, unanswered text messages speak for themselves. Local families can read the facts and decide for themselves if your shop is worth the risk. I have said my piece, the documentation is on the record, and I will not be engaging with your shop ever again.
We take every customer's concerns seriously, and because of the seriousness of the statements made in this review, we feel it is important to respond with the facts. First, we are genuinely sorry when anyone has a breakdown. We understand how stressful that can be, especially when a family member is driving the vehicle. That said, this breakdown occurred over a year and a half since we replaced the transfer case on this customers car. We had not heard from this customer since we repaired the Porsche in February 2025. When the customer contacted us in June/July 2026, she said that the vehicle had just broke down and that she had it towed into the Porsche dealership. This customer told us that the breakdown was our fault due to the work we had done on the transfer case. She demanded that we pay for her tow, refund what we charged for the work, and pay what Porsche was charging her. This customer told us that the transfer case programming was the cause of the breakdown. Before responding, we contacted the Porsche dealership directly and spoke with its service management. We were informed that the vehicle had been towed in because of an ABS failure, related to a faulty wheel speed sensor—not because of the transfer case. It is true however that Porsche did advise that, during their overall vehicle inspection, they identified a transfer case programming/calibration procedure that they recommended performing. According to the information provided to us by the dealership, this programming recommendation was not at all the reason the vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. After reviewing those findings, we accepted responsibility to the customer that an additional Porsche-specific programming or calibration procedure may not have been completed during our original repair. Although the transfer case itself remained installed and functioning, we accepted responsibility for the programming and immediately issued a full refund of the entire $250 programming charge we originally billed. We did this voluntarily because we believe in standing behind our work. Dave's Auto Repair has earned the trust of our community over many years by treating customers honestly and taking responsibility when appropriate. We regret that we could not meet each of this customers demands, but we believe refunding our entire programming charge was a fair resolution based on the facts. Although we try, you just can't please all of the people, all of the time, and some people will never be satisfied regardless of what you do. In the meantime, we will remain committed to providing honest, professional service and appreciate every customer who places their trust in our shop.
⚠️ CONSUMER WARNING: Safety Hazard & Unfinished Work I am writing this to warn local families about Dave’s Auto Repair. I paid this shop $5,263.54 to replace my Porsche’s transfer case, which included a $1,177.73 labor charge and an itemized $250.00 Programming Fee. Because of their incomplete and negligent work, my daughter experienced a terrifying total drivetrain system failure while driving. We had to flatbed tow the car ($125.00) directly to an authorized Porsche dealership. The dealership’s full diagnostic scan officially confirmed that the new transfer case module was left completely blank and unprogrammed. When I reached out to resolve this, the communication was appalling. Jessica completely ignored my messages, and Michael just called me to argue rather than help. They are trying to deflect blame using false technical excuses, claiming that because 1 year and 4 months have passed, it isn't their fault. Here are the undeniable facts verified by Porsche's computer data: • The data does not lie: New Porsche factory modules arrive completely blank. An unprogrammed module will temporarily run on estimated default values, severely straining the drivetrain until the system flags a fatal VIN mismatch and shuts down. • Permanent history logs: The internal computer memory pulled by the Porsche dealer explicitly confirmed that the module had zero history of ever being initialized since it left the factory box. Time does not erase computer logs. • Deflection tactics: The owners tried to blame wheel speed sensors that Porsche replaced under a separate, unrelated warranty. Speed sensors do not hold transfer case data and cannot erase a module's internal memory or delete a VIN registration. The Porsche dealership billed me $405.88 specifically to program the transfer case that Dave’s left blank. I simply asked Michael and Jessica to cover this $405.88 dealership invoice to correct their mistake. They completely refused. Instead, they only refunded the original $250.00 programming fee, leaving me to pay for the tow truck ($125.00) and the remainder of the dealer bill out of my own pocket. They took money for a critical service they never performed, gambled with my daughter’s safety, and are now hiding behind technical falsehoods. Parents, please take your luxury vehicles elsewhere and protect your kids. UPDATE IN RESPONSE TO THE OWNER Let's be completely clear to anyone reading this: I am not "demanding" a full refund of the $5,263.54 repair, nor am I a customer who "can never be satisfied." I simply asked you to cover the actual costs of the Porsche dealership programming bill required to fix the critical safety step your shop skipped. Furthermore, you did not "voluntarily" or "immediately" issue that $250.00 refund. Jessica completely ignored my text messages, and Michael only called me to aggressively argue and falsely claim the car wouldn't drive at all if the work hadn't been done. You only issued that partial refund after being confronted with undeniable, written diagnostic proof from the authorized Porsche dealership. Your attempt to separate your incomplete work from the drivetrain failure is a technical falsehood. Porsche factory modules arrive completely blank. Leaving that module unprogrammed for 16 months forced the vehicle to run on default factory emergency values, which severely strained the drivetrain and corrupted the electronic communication loop with the wheel speed sensors. That is exactly what triggered the catastrophic system failure that left my daughter stranded. Your partial refund does not absolve you of the safety hazard you caused or the out-of-pocket costs I incurred because of your negligence. Since you have chosen to lie publicly to protect your reputation, I will let the certified data logs from Porsche and the saved, unanswered text messages speak for themselves. Local families can read the facts and decide for themselves if your shop is worth the risk. I have said my piece, the documentation is on the record, and I will not be engaging with your shop ever again.
We take every customer's concerns seriously, and because of the seriousness of the statements made in this review, we feel it is important to respond with the facts. First, we are genuinely sorry when anyone has a breakdown. We understand how stressful that can be, especially when a family member is driving the vehicle. That said, this breakdown occurred over a year and a half since we replaced the transfer case on this customers car. We had not heard from this customer since we repaired the Porsche in February 2025. When the customer contacted us in June/July 2026, she said that the vehicle had just broke down and that she had it towed into the Porsche dealership. This customer told us that the breakdown was our fault due to the work we had done on the transfer case. She demanded that we pay for her tow, refund what we charged for the work, and pay what Porsche was charging her. This customer told us that the transfer case programming was the cause of the breakdown. Before responding, we contacted the Porsche dealership directly and spoke with its service management. We were informed that the vehicle had been towed in because of an ABS failure, related to a faulty wheel speed sensor—not because of the transfer case. It is true however that Porsche did advise that, during their overall vehicle inspection, they identified a transfer case programming/calibration procedure that they recommended performing. According to the information provided to us by the dealership, this programming recommendation was not at all the reason the vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. After reviewing those findings, we accepted responsibility to the customer that an additional Porsche-specific programming or calibration procedure may not have been completed during our original repair. Although the transfer case itself remained installed and functioning, we accepted responsibility for the programming and immediately issued a full refund of the entire $250 programming charge we originally billed. We did this voluntarily because we believe in standing behind our work. Dave's Auto Repair has earned the trust of our community over many years by treating customers honestly and taking responsibility when appropriate. We regret that we could not meet each of this customers demands, but we believe refunding our entire programming charge was a fair resolution based on the facts. Although we try, you just can't please all of the people, all of the time, and some people will never be satisfied regardless of what you do. In the meantime, we will remain committed to providing honest, professional service and appreciate every customer who places their trust in our shop.
Thank you for the 5-star rating, James! We're thrilled to hear you had a great experience with us at Dave's Auto Repair. If you have any further questions or need assistance in the future, please don't hesitate to reach out. Contact us at (941) 371-5981 or jessica@davesautosarasota.com.
Excellent service
Thank you Dale, we appreciate your kind words.
Definitely less expensive than a dealer . Have used for years, wonderful to deal with.
Ray, thank you for your great review! We're thrilled that you have been a loyal customer for years and that you appreciate our competitive pricing. It's always a pleasure to serve you. If you have any questions or need any assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out. You can contact us at (941) 371-5981 or email us at jessica@davesautosarasota.com. Thanks again!
My personal experience with Dave's Auto Repair has been very positive. They explain all repairs clearly, keep in contact with reminders and give clear explanations both prior to and after the repair.
Hi Michael! Thank you for the 5-star review! We're glad you had a positive experience at Dave's Auto Repair. We pride ourselves on clear communication and transparency throughout the repair process. Thank you for sharing your experience with the community!
