Janelle was helpful and friendly from start to finish. My daughters are attending Tx State and their car needed work. I was skeptical about automotive places in San Marcos since I do not live there and went off of Google reviews.Not disappointed at all. Great honest work/prices.

Great experience at Dealer Alternative Auto Care! I had never taken a car here before, but I needed the state inspection done. The shop entrance is on the I-35 frontage road just north of Wonder World Drive, so you have to approach it from the north. Even though the staff were scurrying around busily, someone greeted me and got my car inspected and on its way quickly. There was a nice little outdoors seating area under a canopy, next to a lot with several large oak trees and other trees. It was actually relaxing and comfortable waiting out there and enjoying the greenery. I think they have an indoor waiting area also, but I didnt go inside. The shop has a couple of beautiful dogs who are calm and well-behaved, acting as mascots. The woman who helped me (the owner?) was friendly and professional, and got me on my way quickly without any difficulty. I drove away impressed. I will definitely consider taking a vehicle here in the future due to the positive experience I had.

Hands down the best customer service I have ever received from an auto shop. The staff was very friendly, attentive, and concerned with my needs as a customer. Told me that I needed the horn fixed (which I certainly did) and they quickly fixed that and performed the inspection so I could drive out of town in time. Prices were reasonable and also they did a good job working on my car. They also offered rides back home and to the shop. I am new to San Marcos and I am glad that I found such a good place to do business with. I will be coming back here for my automotive needs.

These folks do immaculate work. Janelle, who often answers the phone, is a honey pot of sweetness (though a couple of the other folks didnt seem to be having the best day when I was there... but Im sure thats all it was. Im not choosing an autoshop for the new besties Im making- Im choosing the ones who can keep my sixteen year old car running like a champ... and these folks do just that). They offer an outdoor shaded seating area so everyone can have fresh air to breathe, and they also offer really, really great work at a very reasonable price. They will tell you if they see any glaring issues while under the hood, but they arent going looking for things you didnt ask them to fix and then telling you about the thousands of dollars worth of work your car may need, which I really appreciate as a person living on a budget and for whom those kinds of experiences can be anxiety inducing. Great autoshop. I highly recommend you take your car to them next time there is an issue.

Seems like there needs to be more test driving done. Every issue i come in for is only ever 100% complete and in working order after the second time i bring it in. Example: Went in for ac with my heater only working, came out with the ac working, but now the heater not working. The corrections are always made and working in the end, but at the cost of hundreds of dollars to compliment the hundreds of dollars you already spent.

Jill and Janell went out of their way to help my son who goes to Texas state. I highly recommend this buisness. Their competition wanted $1000 more on the repair that they done. They have all.of our buisness in the future.!. The best in San marcos!

Honest reliable and quality service . I highly recommend. Mary, John, and Jill are great to work with

My engine light was on after I changed my spark plugs and ignition coils, and my truck felt slightly sluggish. Took it to dealer alternative auto care to check it out and they had my truck done in no time at all. They have great phone communication and the shop is clean and they have the right amount of technicians. Thanks for taking care of my truck in a last minute call. Highly appreciated 👍

Great people doing great business

Worst customer service.... EVER...steer clear

Great people they do awesome work I would advise everyone to go here

My vehicle stalled and stopped less than a mile from the shop. I almost end in a bad accident in IH 35, my question is they even test the cars before returns to the customers.Our trust was broken as we were assured the vehicle was safe to drive and the check engine light that turned on prior to leaving would not impact the driving. it will take time to rebuild trust with this business if we were to return.

Ive had nothing but great experiences with this place so far. The prices are fair, but what really made the experience great was the customer service. The vehicles I brought to them were in and out within a couple of days! I spoke with an associate named Mary for awhile concerning my vehicle and she was always very happy and professional! She made the experience easier and much more enjoyable. They are also partnered with a towing service in the area and if you are having your vehicle towed to Dealer Alternative Auto Care they offer an amazing price! Also, I thoroughly appreciated the concierge service offered for free. When my vehicle was ready for pick up, they called and offered a free ride to the business. Vehicle issues can be a very stressful thing to deal with, but if you want a friendly, well priced, and stress free experience, I highly recommend Dealer Alternative Auto Care!

Mary was my initial contact and I explained the problem which was the lights on the Dashboard would periodically dim, she informed me that an electrical diagnosis would help in identifying the problem, I arrived on the day of my appointment and completed the required paperwork and she also had the courtesy van ready to drop me back home, the gentleman that dropped me off was very pleasant. Later in the afternoon Mary called to inform me that they ran the diagnosis and the Alternator and the Battery checked out fine and the car was ready, she informed me that she would call as soon as the courtesy van was ready to pick me up, their honesty was greatly appreciated.Now, our cars have a new home with Dealer Alternative Auto care.Congratulations and Thank-you .

Great Team!Jay and the whole team take good care of all my cars. This job was to repair/replace the brake system on my 91 Chevy S10. They also serviced the transmission, differential, cooling system & replaced several vacuum lines. Actually a complete check-up & service of my 30 year old pickup. Thanks DAA Team. I hope to get many more years in that truck with your good work!

Very helpful and polite staff. Will be doing business with them again

Always quick to handle our needs. Helpful and friendly. Highly recommend these folks.

Christina instantly makes you feel at home, techs are knowledgeable and innovative, and the owners are on site and take a vested interest in helping each client. I have an old clunker that I insist on keeping road worthy and these professionals never let me down. Plus there are the sweetest dogs youll ever meet on site.

Super fast and nice

I was kept up to date on the progress and the price of the repairs. So far everything is going well. They should give seniors and veterans discounts though. I would trust them to send my 95 year old mother in law to them for work.

Great locally-owned place. My boyfriend and I have brought 3 soon to be 4 of our vehicles here for service. This is the only place my boyfriend will let touch his Genesis. The prices are fair, techs honest and the work is quick. I’ve never had an issue with them trying to upsell me on things I don’t need, which is rare as a female. Plus they have dobermans. Who doesn’t love dobermans?

I would highly recommend this auto shop for their quality of work and customer service. They went above and beyond to make sure my truck was fixed right and on time. I will use them again for sure.

The staff were so nice and understanding with my need to have my truck repaired so fast! I love how they treated me as a costumer they are honest and they were less expensive than other places I had quotes done! I recommend this company, thank you Dealers Alternative Auto Repair for your service

I have been to Dealer Alternative Auto Care multiple times during a string of some bad luck and parts failing on my previous vehicle. Thankfully I was always met with a smile and decades of industry knowledge. They were able to complete my repairs in a timely manner and I never once felt like they were trying to sell me something I didn’t need. Never had to return for the same issue. Nothing but praise to the incredible team over at Dealer Alternative Auto Care.If you are having issues with your vehicle then take it somewhere you know you can trust!

I’m not from around here and the mechanic I was originally going to tow my car to was very busy and suggested Dealer Alternative Auto Care for a faster turn around. DAAC had my car up and running in no time! They could’ve easily charged me all kinds of things, or try to sell me on things I didn’t need and I would not have been the wiser. I thought it was a far more complicated issue. They were honest and fast and good ole Texas friendly. I can’t recommend them enough! I only wish they were closer to where I live so they could be my go to mechanic from now on ;)

Very reasonable. Had me out the same day.Honest.I really liked the young lady who helped me at check in she was very nice and professional....Will use again.

This is the only shop i will even consider using to fix my vehicle. They are not only super nice but very honest. Being a single women im always nervous that mechanics will take advantage of my situation. At this service provider i dont have to worry about that at all. I have my daughter drive her car down from Austin to have it serviced for this same fact. You will be very satisfied with the customer service they provide. They also will pick me up and drive me home, which is awesome. Knowing i can trust them makes having car issues not a big deal anymore.

My go to people for the last several years.

My first time at Dealer Alternative was a great experience! The lady who I spoke to, I believe her name is Cristina, was very professional and informative on the phone. I was pleased with the job they performed on my car and the price was very affordable. I will definitely be back!

Christina and the crew were so awesome (I dont know everyones name, or Id give them a shout out by name as well) I told Christina everything I thought was wrong with my car (and I know nothing about cars), instead of taking advantage of my ignorance and fixing everything I thought needed to be fixed (like other mechanics have done in the past), she had the crew do diagnostics and only repair what was needed. I had worked up a several thousand dollar bill in my head and walked out paying far less. Communication was top notch as well as speed and quality of repair. I will be bringing my car here any time I need something fixed. For the BMW owners out there, yes Dealer Alternative does repair BMWs and they have staff that are knowledgeable in the brand. (I was skeptical at first, taking mine anywhere other than the dealership, but so glad I did)

I needed to have my car inspected so I could renew my registration. Most shops were closed that I called. I had used Dealer Automotive a long time ago & thought why not? They got me in immediately, had a nice clean set up out front so I was not in a germy waiting room. They inspected my car & I was in & out of there in less than 10 minutes. The place is splotless. The two ladies that received me where super nice. I would go back there again!

I have used them several times and its always been a good experience.

Trusted my 65 Vette to Jay and his crew at Dealer Alternative Auto Care-Best decision in years! Great value and a pleasure to work with. Check these folks out before you spend high $ at a so called speed shop. Thank you Jay, Benny and Christina!!S/F

Great work very fast and nice

Very friendly people who got me squared away quick. Im glad I came here to get my car inspection done fast!

I have been taking my cars to Dealer Alternative for about 8 years (since before the days when they were known as Dealer Alternative) and have always been satisfied. Their prices have always seemed fair to me and Ive always been treated with respect and have felt like a valued customer. When I go in for routine maintenance, they are always able to get to my car very quickly while I wait. For larger jobs, they always get things finished up within a day for me. I would highly recommend Dealer Alternative as the place to go in San Marcos for your auto repair needs.

Really nice people and reasonable prices. It is hard to find a good place to take your car. I will definitely be back.

We always get wonderful service here. They are very thorough and friendly. I highly recommend them for any repairs or maintenance for your vehicle. You will get the best service!

I am always very satisfied with the service I receive at Dealers Alternative Auto care. From major jobs to minor ones, I have only praise and no complaints. Clean shop and knowledgeable staff make doing business here a pleasure. I am proud this business is in my community.

Jill was amazing. COURTESY SHUTTLE! Chris.The experience was great for me.

The ladies behind the desk was outstanding, the car was repair quickly. The part was over priced. Could got the same starter for my car $100 cheaper and other brands for 150 plus cheaper. What really upset me is that they take their customers to a cleaning by changing them all a HazMat change of $12.28. Where is the HazMat in replacing a starter for a car? What is the hazardous materials (HazMat) in replacing a starter for a car? Then another $7.50 for shop supplies. When I ask, could not get a good answer to what the shop supplies were. One answer was gloves. So every customer get taken for the $12.28 plus the $7.50 in addition to the cost of the parts. In short still looking for a good shop like Luke Wester Automotive was before he sold out.

Real good service

Good prices, great, fast service, and friendly staff. What more can you ask for!

I recently brought my Jeep to DA - first time for me . I have been dealing with dealers for many years and I always made the assumption that the quality at a dealer service shop was higher - since they had direct connection to the vehicle manufacturer. I have learned that is not always the case. At DA, I was able to speak directly to the tech working on my vehicle and the front office staff was very involved and willing to listen and then react. A very good experience and I will become a regular customer in the near futureSteve

Each time I have come for help, they have always done superb work. In addition to their great service, they are also incredibly honest, service-oriented, and very dependable. Ill be back for sure.

Can I not do zero stars? It was terrible. I needed a new battery. The dealer would have charged $245 out the door, they charged $290! They marked up the price of the battery ridiculously. At AutoZone, the battery was $159 with a 5 year warranty. They charged me $228 for the same battery with a 1 year warranty. I had already had my car towed here and couldnt tow it again to another place but save yourself the hassle and money - DONT GO HERE!To respond to the owners comment: The Fiat Dealership guaranteed $249 out of door. Period. I did voice my concerns about the price when I was researching the battery before the repair, perhaps you forgot about that. My insurance had towed the car there and thats all that Im allowed with my insurance. I would have had to pay $100 at least to have my car towed to the dealership, which is where I should have brought it in the first place. The bottom line is that its terrible business to tack on an extra $70 to the price of a battery and decrease the length of the warranty. That is not a typical retail markup as I was told by the people I spoke with in the office. Thats blatant unfair and unethical overcharging.

Family owned and run. They are honest and extremely helpful.

These guys went above and beyond to get my inspection done quickly. After driving around to many other shops who did not have time, these gentlemen did it right away and got me on my way. Thanks again, will be return again as needed, highly recommended

Shop is clean and organized, very presentable. Courtesy shuttle is available which is amazing for a small shop like this. Will work with you if you have concerns, the owner is very nice.

When I took my vehicle in, I already knew what needed to be replaced. I didnt have the time for the labor, so I came here hoping to receive a reasonable price for the job I needed. Not only did they charge an outrageous amount just to look at the car, but they immensely overpriced the foreseeable labor. There are two other automotive shops I called for quotes, and they both quoted me far less than these guys. On top of that, they didnt even charge to see the vehicle like this place did. When I tried to get my car back, they told me it finally gave out. So, it was running acceptable for the past 2-3 months, but the one sliver of time period that I decided to get it inspected, it just gave out? Horrible.

Recommended by a friend for the price and service. Absolutely perfect! They do what you ask and are very efficent, without trying to upsale things you didnt ask for. Love it!

Quick, easy to deal with

Stopped by for routine maintenance on a work trip, was greeted quickly by a friendly staff. They got the work done quickly and didn’t break my bank. I’ll be coming back for sure.

Took my 97 chevy there had a issues with the starter took it there they just tighened up the cables to make it run turns out that the starter was the inncorrect one they did not even look at the starter which i told them was the main issue i paid them 100.00 to tighten up my cable lost trust in them and will not continue my buss they motto or mission statment is dealership quality they do not meet that _

Dealer Alternative is the place to go in San Marcos!! The owner, Jil is very nice lady and helped me out with my alignment. Very honest people and will always use them for mechanic work.

Professionalism at its finest. Best by far. I highly recommend this place. (5 STARS)

Fast, friendly service. Will use them again

I went because my A/C was not cooling down. I explained them the situation and that I was told that I may have a leak. Left it for 2 hours for them to do “testings” and called me back saying that it was ONLY the Freon Gas that was emty. I told them that if they are sure that there is nothing else. They said everything is ok and Changed me about $130 for ONLY putting Freon gas to my car. A month later my A/C has stopped cooling down AGAIN. Decided to take it to the Dealership and they diagnosed a Leak on the principal pipes. Conclusion, I paid more than 100 dollars for them to do a quick fix because they did not addressed the REAL problem. If the Freon normal cost is ~50 dollars, then I got changed almost 100 for just putting an indicator in the pipe that says “low on gas” I will not be going back.

They are very friendly. They are honest and reasonably priced

If you havent given this place a chance yet, your going to the wrong auto shop. Dealer Alternative is the way every auto shop should be. Fast, friendly, right price, no nonsense.

The staff was extremely friendly and the service was fast. It was a great experience and I will definitely go back.

I went in to do a check on my car. The price is reasonable, the staff is not only friendly, but trust worthy. I will definitely recommend this place to friends.

Ill be honest and tell you that I am slightly biased towards this place due to a personal connection, but I have always received excellent service and expert advice from them. As far as I can tell, the prices are very reasonable compared to most other places.

Professional, very affordable & quick service!

Very friendly and professional. Great communication with the customers.

My car freaked out in the middle of a road trip. They checked the computer real quick to make sure I could make it home quick and easy!

I got my car inspected there. They were nice and very fast.

They did a great job with my Toyota Tundra. A+ service

Great and honest play to take your car

The owners of this shop are there to make it right and fix your vehicle right the first time...

Not A Good Start When Your Told There Gonna Call You Back And They Never Do Oh Well Theres other Shops In Town

Stellar customer service combined with fabulous prices!

Not taking my Nissan Juke anywhere else! Trustworthy service, reasonable pricing and tons of knowledge.

Friendly and qualified service always

Fast service with accurate diagnosis

Good job guys, thanks...

:) Thanks Jill

Excellent, quick service