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223 Curtis Street, Delaware, OH 43015

Full Synthetic Oil Changes in Delaware, Ohio

Full-Service Auto Repair in Delaware, Ohio

There is a particular frustration in being told your problem belongs to somebody else. The tire place cannot look at the noise. The quick-lube spots the leak but cannot fix it. The transmission specialist finds a transmission problem, which is what transmission specialists find. Meanwhile you have taken three half-days off work and still have the same car.

Wendell’s Garage is a general repair shop, which means the diagnosis and the repair happen in the same building — and the person who tells you what is wrong is the person who has to stand behind fixing it. Family-owned on Curtis Street since 1986, now part of the Alpha Automotive family of shops, with ASE-certified technicians, a NAPA warranty, and a price you approve before anything is opened up.

What We Work On

Not Sure Which One You Need?

Most people arrive knowing what the car is doing, not what is broken. Start from the symptom — and if none of these is quite it, that is fine too. Describing it on the phone is free: (740) 362-0818.

Squealing or grinding when you brake

Brakes — squeal is the warning, grind is the damage

Check-engine light on, or flashing

Engine repair — flashing means stop driving

Won’t start, or the battery keeps dying

Electrical

Slipping, hard shifts, or delayed engagement

Transmissions

Suddenly much louder than it was

Mufflers & exhaust

Temperature gauge climbing, or steam

Engine cooling — pull over and shut it off first

Pulls to one side, or the wheel is crooked

Alignment, unless it only pulls while braking — then brakes

Vibration at highway speed

Tires and balancing

AC blowing warm, or the heater blowing cold

AC & heating

Clunks and knocks over bumps

Suspension, or a loose exhaust hanger

Due for an oil change or scheduled maintenance

Oil changes

It is a motorhome, work van, or fleet vehicle

RV & motorhome or fleet service

It won’t move, or shouldn’t be driven

Towing — do not nurse it here

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How We Work

  • Diagnosis before dollars. Nothing gets quoted from a description over the phone. The car gets inspected, tested, and driven, and the estimate follows what we actually found.
  • You approve the price before the work. Anything discovered mid-job is a phone call, not a surprise at pickup.
  • We separate what is urgent from what can wait. An inspection turns up a list. You get told which items are safety, which are coming, and which you can leave alone for another year — instead of one long quote.
  • We will tell you when to stop spending. Sometimes the straight answer is that the repair costs more than the car is worth. You will hear that even when it costs us the job.
  • Nationwide NAPA warranty. As a NAPA AutoCare shop, your parts and labor are covered by the nationwide NAPA warranty.
  • ASE-certified technicians. Trained, tested, and re-certified on the work they do.
  • Free local tow within ten miles. With $499 or more in labor, the tow is on us. If it should not be driven, do not drive it.
  • Family-owned in Delaware since 1986. Same shop on Curtis Street, now part of the Alpha Automotive family of shops.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of vehicles do you work on?

Cars, SUVs, minivans, and light trucks — domestic and import, front-, rear-, and all-wheel drive. We also work on work vans, cutaway chassis, and motorhomes, which a lot of shops turn away. If you are not sure whether yours fits, give us the year, make, and model on the phone and you will get a straight answer.

Will using an independent shop void my factory warranty?

No, and dealers rarely volunteer this. Under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a manufacturer generally cannot void your warranty just because an independent shop did the maintenance or because you used aftermarket parts — unless they can show that the work or the part actually caused the failure. Keep your receipts and records; we provide them as a matter of course. If a repair is truly covered under your factory warranty, we will tell you to take it to the dealer and let them pay for it.

Do you handle tune-ups and scheduled maintenance?

Yes. Oil changes, tune-ups, and the major 30,000-, 60,000-, and 90,000-mile services are core to what we do. If you are not sure what your vehicle is due for, bring it in and we will map it out with you against the manufacturer’s schedule.

I don’t know what’s wrong. Can I still bring it in?

That is most of what comes through the door. Describe what you notice — the sound, when it happens, what you were doing, whether it is worse cold or hot. You do not need to name a part, and you do not have to guess at one to be taken seriously. Figuring out what it is, is the job.

Do you give estimates before starting work?

Always. You get an estimate covering parts and labor once we know what the car needs, and nothing proceeds until you say so. If something else turns up while the job is open — a seized bolt, a part that was hiding a second problem — that is a phone call for your decision, not a line quietly added to the bill.

How do I know I’m not being upsold?

Ask us to show you and to give you the number. A worn part can be pointed at on the lift. A rotor has a minimum thickness stamped on it and a measurement we can read out. A brake pad has millimeters left. Anything we recommend should come with a reason you can see or a figure you can check. We also sort findings into urgent, coming soon, and fine for now, because a list of everything imperfect on a used car is not the same as a list of what you need.

Does Ohio require a vehicle safety inspection?

No. Ohio has no regular vehicle safety inspection, and Delaware County has no emissions test. Nothing forces anyone here to have their car looked at, which is exactly why brakes and tires so often get found at the grinding stage. A check before a long trip, or before buying a used car, is a good idea for the same reason.

Do you work on high-mileage or older vehicles?

Gladly — a well-kept car with 180,000 miles is often a better vehicle than a neglected one with 60,000. What we will do on an older car is be straight about the cost. If a repair costs more than the vehicle is worth, or fixing this one thing just means the next one is due in a month, we will lay that out and let you decide.

Is your work covered by a warranty?

Yes. As a NAPA AutoCare shop, your parts and labor are covered by the nationwide NAPA warranty, so the coverage goes with you, not just when you are in Delaware. Ask us and we will go over the details for your repair.

Do I need an appointment?

Walk-ins are welcome, and quick jobs like oil changes are often same-day. For anything that needs diagnosis, an appointment reserves bay and scan-tool time instead of leaving you waiting for a gap. Request a time or call (740) 362-0818. If the car is not safe to drive, say so and we will arrange a tow.

Auto repair for Delaware and Delaware County — Sunbury, Galena, Ostrander, Radnor, Prospect, Waldo, Richwood, and Marysville. We are at 223 Curtis Street, Delaware, OH 43015, open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

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