Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop

Address:	1812 Sycamore Rd, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA
Phone:	+1 815-748-5411
Site:	merlins.com
Rating:	3.3
Working:	8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–3PM Closed

Location

Photos 11

Reviews 6

Mark

This place sucks!! I had them repair my sway links a year ago. I was told by another shop a month later that they were IMPROPERLY installed. I took it to Merlin, and they fixed it because it was still under warranty so I figured I would give them another chance on my vehicle in the future. Little did I know I should have never made the mistake of giving Merlin another chance. I had them replace my front drivers side wheel bearing because I was told by Merlin that was the problem. My car has been handling horribly ever since they repaired it, and I feel like Im driving a lemon now. I took my car back to Merlin to get new tires put on like a week after they did the wheel bearing and Steve, the red shirt guy, suggested that they redo my wheel bearing for whatever reason unknown to myself. My question is why wasnt it done correctly the first time I waited here for over 3 hours on my weekend off from work? Please avoid this place at all cost unless you want to spend over $1000 on your vehicle, have to visit them frequently so that they can fix their so called high quality repairs by their so called high quality technicians(words from Joe the manager himself), and have your vehicle turned into a lemon, and subsequently, end up with a feeling of having been scammed just a week after theyve worked on your vehicle. Joe, the manager, who I thought was a nice guy even drove my vehicle when I told him that it wasnt handling correctly, and he lied to my face and told me that it rides smoothly. I had never felt so much vibration in my brakes and throttle in the 6 years that Ive owned the vehicle, but according to Joe, it rides smoothly. I wish I could get back the $1200 that Ive given Merlin, 14 weekend hours spent on 5 separate visits, and trust for auto repair shops that I once had, not to mention my once reliable car; but I cant. You can prevent yourself from making the same mistakes that I did by avoiding Merlin at all cost! P.S. Youll have to wait FOREVER and I mean forever for them to "repair", aka- mess up your vehicle. Theyll also print out a long repair list totaling at least $1000 for every working part on your vehicle. Like the other reviewers had mentioned, if you do end up at Merlin for some very sad reason-- at least get a 2nd opinion before authorizing any repairs! I thought I could trust them; dont you. We need a no star option.

Erica Cunico

I used to like these guys.... Here are my Pros - The manager Brian was very nice and helped me get one of my tires changed and then did a full inspection for free and told me my car was in great shape...Just pointed out small things like I needed an oil change, new air filter, etc.. - I told them my license plate light was out. I ordered the part from Advanced Auto Parts and they installed it free. - I got my oil changed there for $20, which is cheaper than others in the area. Con I took my car in for an oil change and they did their "routine" check and then gave me a list of over $600 worth of stuff that needed to be repaired. This caused me a lot of distress until I decided to get a second opinion. I talked to several mechanics and took it in to a local shop. They did a full inspection and determined the only thing wrong was a minor problem that did not make my car dangerous to drive and they would order the part and fix it. Part and Labor was $170. Thats a big difference. I hear these places like Merlins work off commission and I think they were trying to get one over on me because I am a young girl...Well, I may be young but I am not naive. I will not be taking my car to Merlins for any type of service again. Makes me sad to think how many other people they may have scammed like this.

Nikolina S

This is one of the worst and sneaky auto shops that you can go to. I took my car in for a simple alignment and they told me they only could perform half the alignment due to two bad ball joints in the front of my jeep, which apparently were close to failing to the point my tires would cave in. I of course believed them and did half the alignment which did nothing to the vehicle. They quoted me two new ball joints and apparently also needed new bushings all for ~$1,500. THANK GOD I DIDNT BELIEVE THEM. I took it to Brian Bemis for a 2nd opinion the next weekend and was told that neither ball joints were close to failing and one needed a pry bar to even move the tire. Neither bushing needed replaced and the rest of my suspension was in fantastic shape. Brian Bemis completed my alignment and my car now drives like new and the steering is incredibly tight. DO NOT GO TO THIS REPAIR SHOP. IF YOU DO DONT BELIEVE WHAT THEY TELL YOU AND GET A 2ND OPINION. THIS PLACE IS A JOKE.

max hoover

Merlins in DeKalb not only gives great service but is trustworthy as well. Ive been taking my 2007 Subaru Legacy to be seviced at this Merlins for a few years now, and the service managers and techs have always provided great, efficient, and affordable service. I recently stopped in because my front turn-signal bulb had burned out (and I was unable to access the fixture on my own). Chris, the service manager, got me in immediately, and Kyle, an outstanding techition, replaced the bulb within a few minutes. When I went up to the counter to pay, Chris surprised me by telling me there would be no charge for the bulb replacement. His generosity in this instance goes to show how trustworthy Merlins in DeKalb is in general: theyre not out to make a quick buck by hiking up prices; instead, theyre more interested in developing long-term relationships with customers who trust them.

Tyler Hofmann

If I could give 0 stars I would. I had my front brakes done and tires aligned and both were done wrong. A dealership confirmed my alignment on the front was off so I had to take it back and Merlin redid it. Then a few weeks later I took my car to a mechanic for unrelated work and he said my front brake pads were put on backwards. He thought I had done it myself because anyone who works on cars should know how to put on a simple brake pad. It could have resulted in severe damage to the car but I got lucky. Merlin gave me a coupon for a free oil change but that is going straight into the garbage! I WILL NEVER TAKE MY CAR HERE AGAIN, I WOULDNT TRUST THEM TO WORK ON A TRICYCLE.

Anonymous User

I live in the suburbs quite close to Chicago, and I had always taken my car to a Midas near my home, but I was in DeKalb for the day when my muffler needed replacing, so I took my car in. Not only was everyone at Merlin friendly and helpful, but they completed all the repairs my car needed in a day and gave me a really good price. I have never had such good service at a repair shop, and from now on I am planning on driving out to DeKalb to get my repairs done, instead of going to a shop near where I live. The great customer service they provided has convinced me that this is the best place for me to take my car!