Clintonville Automotive Repair Service (C.A.R.S.) — Columbus, OH
Clintonville Automotive Repair Service
What to expect
Ratings across platforms
Ratings as published by each platform, July 2026. CARFAX verifies each reviewer against a real service visit, which is why its counts run smaller than Google’s.
About Clintonville Automotive Repair Service
The shop started in 1962, when Walt Stein leased the Sohio filling station at Dunedin and North High. It became Clintonville Servicenter in 1968, took the Clintonville Automotive Repair Service name in 1970, and moved that same year to 585 Oakland Park Avenue, where it still sits. By 1982 it had grown enough to add an annex up on Indianola. That history is documented by the Clintonville Historical Society, not by us, which is a rare thing for a neighborhood garage.
Today Paul Marquardt owns it, and the credential stack is the part most Columbus shops can’t match: AAA Approved Auto Repair since 1981, forty-five consecutive years on a list AAA re-inspects, and a NAPA AutoCare Gold Center designation. AAA members get 10% off labor here, capped at $75. Repairs carry a 3-year/36,000-mile nationwide warranty, and the shop is an authorized installer for NAPA parts, BG Products and Jasper engines and transmissions.
The thing customers actually write about is the paperwork. C.A.R.S. runs digital vehicle inspections with photos, so you see the worn part on your phone before you approve anything, and the reviews keep circling the same words: options, no pressure, told me what was coming. One reviewer put it as being taught about their own car. Another had a major engine failure and got walked through repair-versus-replace, then handed a list of salvage yards when replacing won.
Bread and butter is complex electrical diagnostics, engine and transmission work, brakes, tires, oil changes and inspections on all passenger cars and light trucks. Straight answer on what they don’t do: no ADAS calibration, no EV drivetrains, and no hybrid high-voltage electrical work. There’s text-to-pay, an after-hours key drop box, and a senior discount.
Why C.A.R.S. ranks #1 in Clintonville
The definitive #1 for three reasons
1. It is the oldest shop in the neighborhood, by decades. Founded in 1962 and documented by the Clintonville Historical Society. The nearest large competitors opened in 1986 and 1992. 2. It is the only AAA Approved independent in Clintonville, and has held that approval since 1981 — 45 straight years of AAA’s own re-inspections. The next AAA Approved facilities are AAA’s company-owned Car Care Plus stores over three miles away. 3. It carries the largest review profile of any shop in Clintonville — 390 Google reviews against 280, 255 and 156 for the next three — plus NAPA AutoCare Gold and a 3-year/36,000-mile nationwide warranty.
Services offered
What customers say
“Even after moving out of Clintonville, I still go back to CARS. They shoot you straight and give you options for repairs. They also tell you what might be coming and give pricing guidelines. Very helpful and I never feel pressured to do anything.”
“These guys are incredible. The detailed explanation and documentation with photos was like nothing I had experienced before. They try to teach their customers as much as possible about their cars to make it easier to diagnose and address issues and their full transparency was refreshing.”
“Had a major engine failure on my vehicle. Clintonville Auto helped quickly and accurately give repair estimates and helped balance the decision to repair or replace. When I decided to replace they recommended several salvage yards who would give me a fair price.”
“Amazing! I felt so taken care of. They were kind and honest which is important for all customers but especially for me as a woman in a mechanic shop. I like their vehicle reporting system and it was just a really nice, efficient experience.”
Photos
Business hours
| Monday | 7:30 am – 5:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 7:30 am – 5:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 7:30 am – 5:30 pm |
| Thursday | 7:30 am – 5:30 pm |
| Friday | 7:30 am – 5:30 pm |
| Saturday | Closed (after-hours key drop) |
| Sunday | Closed (after-hours key drop) |