James Madison Shell is a shop that stands out above the rest. There are several incredible people working here, that are a true asset to this location. The mechanics are extremely knowledgeable and hard working. It is clear that the entire team actively and consistently, put their customers first. The job will be done and done right here at James Madison Shell. Shoutout to Malcolm, Swe and Alex for always going above and beyond.

DO NOT GO TO JAMES MADISON SHELL FOR INSPECTIONS. This place is running a blatant scam. The inspector failed my car inspection, claiming the license plate lights weren’t working and the headlights needed cleaning — both of which were completely false. Right after the inspection, I showed him the lights were clearly working, and the headlights were in better shape than their own loaner car parked outside with a passed inspection sticker. When I confronted him, he conveniently offered to “repair” the issues and pass the inspection — which felt like a clear attempt to push unnecessary repairs for profit. It is completely untrustworthy and unprofessional. Avoid this place at all costs. When I told him I would file a complaint about this scam, he smugly responded, “The owner has better lawyers than you do, so do whatever you want.” That says everything you need to know about how they run this business. Absolutely untrustworthy and unethical. AVOID this place at all costs.

very thorough and staff is very helpful to car normies

Short Review Quality of Service: Poor/Failure Customer Service: Evasive, Reluctance, Disinformation I will not recommend this place. I’ve already advised family and friends to avoid it. Long review if you care: I went in for a basic oil change, which ended in failure. The oil filter wasn’t installed correctly, leading to a leak. A few days later, on a trip to New Jersey, the check oil light came on. This could have seriously damaged the engine. I called the manager, who said if there was a leak, I should fix it and they'd cover the cost. I got it serviced during my vacation and brought back the receipt. The manager then asked for a detailed invoice and said he’d call the NJ shop if I didn't. A week passed—no word. I followed up. He claimed he called and left a voicemail, but I have no record of this. He also claimed he called the NJ shop they had no record of my visit so he couldn't refund me. When I called NJ shop myself, they said no one contacted them and confirmed their service on record. Only after pushing the issue did the manager call his boss and reimburse me. This wasn’t just about the money or hassle. The manager clearly was disingenuous to me. When dealing with cars—where most people rely on the mechanic’s honesty—trust is everything. I won’t be back, and I’ll make sure others know. ______________________________ Sure. The receipt says the business is a reconditioning and detailing shop. But what do you do when you are in a different state where you don’t know anything about the neighborhood with a leaking engine oil at 6:00pm? I found a place while driving that looked like a shop that works on cars next to a gas station. They told me they can fix the leak and change engine oil for me. They had engine oil in the shop. As a business owner, how many products do you purchase for your business that you don’t need? I completely understand that you need to do due diligence before reimbursement. And this is why I waited a week before I followed up. First, your manager told me the NJ shop had no record of me or have any engine oil service. I called them myself and recorded the conversation: they confirmed both the oil leak and the service, and said no one from your business contacted them. Do you have proof of that you called? Second, your manager claimed he called and left me a voicemail. I have no missed call or message. You reimbursed me on good faith—thank you. But your tone still suggests I'm not being honest or taking advantage somehow. Do you think I took PTO, faked a leak, staged a repair, fabricated receipts and call recordings— to get money? Someone’s lying, and it’s not me. I have recordings to back up my side. This is not just about the money. Your shop botched a basic service, ruined part of my vacation, potentially damaged my car—and your response is to come at me apology? If this is the attitude you have, how are you going to fix the issue? How can future customers trust this won’t happen again and have the same experience as me? If you want to see and hear the evidence reach out. I would be more than happy to.

The service was great as usual. The only surprise was the fact that a battery had gone up $100 in just over four months.

I am always completely satisfied with the work performed on my vehicles. Bill has very much knowledge of vehicles and directs me and/or recommends with honesty on what I should do with the issues on my vehicles. Bill and his staff are always polite, friendly and professional. I am a delighted customer and will definitely keep going back for service and advice. Highly recommended. Take care.

Good work, sound advice, reasonable price.

Had a horrible experience with Inspection. Our inspection resulted in a reject. We got the fix and went to James Madison Shell 4 times and every time before 6 pm but the Inspector (Inmar Barco Florian) would say he cannot take us in as he has got to go home. I reached at 5:08 pm one day, 5:30ish another day. Inmar made comments like why do you come around 5pm. Why don't to talk to your boss at work and leave early to reach early. The inspection closes at 6pm. On 4th attempt the person on front desk had to talk to Inmar to take us in as Inmar had asked us to go back. Never going back to James Madison Shell. The photo below was taken the day I had reached at 5:15ish and after Inmar refused to provide service, I had a conversation and came back empty handed to my car around 5:50ish pm.

I have always received great service. They dont overcharge you. I used to pay double for car service in Tysons Corner.

John and his team did a great job fixing a number of issues with my car in the past few month. He will give you a precise diagnosis and wont push for unnecessary work. In one instance, he was handed a faulty part (radiator) from his supplier. It unfortunately created a leak a week later, but he promptly got a new replacement part from his supplier and did not charge me extra labor to fix it again. That was much appreciated! I would definitely use their services again in the future, and I recommend you do too.