When was the last time you walked into a mechanic's shop and thought to yourself, "Wow, everyone here is so friendly! Their waiting room is nice too. I think I'll stay while they work on my car." The truth is, too many autobody shops in Charleston are dark, dingy, and dirty. To make matters worse, their staff are aloof and often don't know a thing about customer service.
At A+ Auto, our goal is to change the way people view Automotive Shops. When you visit our shop, we want you to walk in and feel like you are a part of our family. When you become our customer, we will work hard to ensure you never have a reason to look for a different mechanic in Charleston, SC. We want to restore your trust in the automotive business and make certain you never feel cheated or are unsure about your vehicle's repairs.
As a full-service auto mechanic shop in Charleston, we do everything from routine maintenance like oil changes to major repairs involving engines and transmissions. We started off in 2004 as a Major Repair Auto Shop and barely made it through the 2008 recession. However, we persevered and came back strong in 2010 by adding more services and becoming a true full-service auto shop. Today, we have been at our location in North Charleston for more than 16 years, and we have no intention of going anywhere soon.
Unlike some auto repair shops in Charleston, we pride ourselves on A+ customer satisfaction and outstanding workmanship. We are so confident in our abilities that we back up our work with a four-year, 48K mile warranty - unheard of in our industry. When we say we're a one-stop-shop for ALL of your auto repair needs, we mean it!
Some of the most requested auto repair services we offer include:
- General Maintenance and Repair
- Transmission Repair
- Air Conditioning Repair
- Engine Repair
- Electrical Repair
- Alignment Services
- Diagnostic Services
What we Do
- Your A+ Auto Mechanic in Charleston, SC
- Why Choose A+ for Auto Repair in Charleston, SC?
- General Automobile Maintenance and Repair in Charleston
- Electrical Maintenance and Repair in Charleston
- Engine Repair in Charleston
- Transmission Repair in Charleston
- Air Conditioning Repair in Charleston
- Tires & Brakes in Charleston
- Vehicle Wheel Alignment in Charleston
- Welcome to the A+ Auto Family
SERVICE AREAS
Why Choose A+ for Auto
Repair in Charleston, SC?
Our loyal customers keep coming back to A+ Auto because we genuinely want to provide them with top-notch auto repairs and the most helpful customer service in the Charleston mechanic industry.
Why choose us, you ask?
We provide:
The Best Warranty in the Biz
Our warranty covers your first 48 Months or 48,000 Miles
The Best Car Mechanics in Charleston
Our auto body professionals are ASE certified technicians. In addition, our shop is certified as Nationwide Gold and a NAPA Auto Care Center.
The Best Perks
We're talking FREE shuttle rides, same-day service on most repairs, quality work approved by you, and no surprise charges. Our business model is simple: give our customers the highest quality work with the most helpful customer service. No if's, and's, or but's.
As a family-owned and operated auto mechanic shop in Charleston, we are proud to serve the Lowcountry. After all, you're our neighbors, and neighbors have to look out for one another. Swing by our shop to see the A+ Auto difference. We think you will like what you see!
General Automobile
Maintenance and Repair
in Charleston
You have spent thousands of dollars on your vehicle. Doesn't it make sense, then, to take care of your investment? General maintenance and repair services like oil changes and tire rotations are crucial for maintaining the life of your car or truck. Perhaps more importantly, routine service can help ensure your safety systems are fully functional. When your car is up-to-date on maintenance, you have peace of mind knowing your friends and family are safe.
A few reasons you should bring your car or truck in for regular maintenance include:
Schedule an AppointmentExtend Your Vehicle's Life
With regular maintenance, you can keep your vehicle in good shape year-round. By keeping a regular maintenance schedule, you can prevent breakdowns and reduce wear and tear that can reduce the life of your vehicle. By giving your car or truck the attention it needs, you can get the most out of your vehicle and keep it in good shape well past the 100k mile mark.
Better Safety
Few situations are as sketchy as your vehicle breaking down on a road or highway, especially at night. Regular maintenance can help reduce the probability of getting stranded. Plus, your car will be in better working condition year-round.
Fewer Repairs Needed
When you have the A+ team perform preventative maintenance on your vehicle, you're staying ahead of the repair game. Wait too long to have your car's oil changed, or its engine checked, and you might need emergency auto repair. These problems often happen at the worst times and cost a lot of money. When you keep your vehicle maintained, you can reduce repairs and their cost.
Common maintenance and repair jobs include:
- Oil Change
- Brakes
- Tune-ups
- Water pumps
- Radiators
- Belts & Hoses
- Fluid Services
- Suspension
- Chassis
All services performed by A+ Auto Service will be backed by our Industry Leading 4 Year/ 48,000 Mile Parts and Labor Warranty.
Electrical Maintenance and
Repair in Charleston
Every day, we hop in our cars, crank the ignition, and make our way to whatever destination we're headed to. Most vehicle owners do this without a second thought, but have you ever taken a moment to think about your car's electrical components?
Your vehicle's electric system not only starts your car - it makes your radio, dashboard, and headlights functional. Today, most cars have complex electrical components that are responsible for on-road safety systems and all-wheel drive mechanics.
At A+ Auto, we perform a variety of electrical maintenance work in Charleston, from simple battery replacements to comprehensive re-wiring. Our team of skilled electrical technicians will dial down to the root cause of your issues and provide you with a detailed explanation of what's going on with your car. Once we understand your car's electrical issues, we get to work on solving the problem at a price you can afford.
Schedule an AppointmentSome common automobile electrical problems we solve include:
- Dead Batteries
- Bad Alternators
- Bad Battery Cables
- Blown Electrical Fuses
- Bad Starter
Engine Repair in Charleston
When it comes to your car or truck, maintaining your engine is arguably the most important task you can take. That's because the engine is like the heart of your vehicle. Without a properly functioning engine, you can't drive anywhere. One of the most common signs that your engine needs service is an oil leak. If you notice a leak, we advise you to bring your vehicle to our experienced mechanic in Charleston, SC, immediately. Driving a vehicle with a leak can cause more damage, which in the end, could cause engine failure and result in very expensive repairs.
Some common engine maintenance services we offer include:
- Air and Fuel Filter Replacement
- Spark Plug Replacement
- Spark Plug Wiring Inspection
- Throttle Body Services
- Much More
At A+ Auto Service, we don't stop with routine engine maintenance. Our highly-skilled engine repair technicians can completely rebuild or replace your faulty engine at a price you can afford. If your "check engine" light comes on, don't ignore it - bring it in to our shop before the problem gets worse.
Schedule an AppointmentTransmission Repair
in Charleston
If your engine is the heart of your car or truck, consider your transmission its circulatory system. Problems with your vehicle's transmission are just as "mission-critical" as those with your engine. Fortunately, with regular maintenance checks and our transmission repair services, your vehicle is in good hands. However, waiting too long to have your transmission serviced can lead to a domino effect of issues. Those problems will be costly and may render your vehicle inoperable.
A few warning signs you may need transmission repair include:
- Slipping Gears
- Burning Smell
- Leaking Fluid
- Humming or Clunking Sounds
- Unresponsive Gear Shifts
From minor maintenance services like transmission fluid changes to full transmission rebuilds, we have the tools and trained technicians to handle the job.
Schedule an AppointmentAir Conditioning Repair
in Charleston
There are some things in the south that you must have. When it comes to your automobile, you can include air conditioning on that list. In Charleston, the weather doesn't just get hot - it gets really hot, with a lot of humidity. Keeping your A/C maintained helps prevent serious situations where your A/C goes out when you need it the most. Of course, air conditioning isn't just reserved for hot days in the Lowcountry - your car's A/C plays an important role in the winter as well, like defrosting your windows. If you notice strange smells, leaks, or no air conditioning at all, it's time to bring your vehicle to our A/C mechanic in Charleston, SC.
At A+ Auto, we service a wide variety of A/C issues, including:
- Damaged or Failed Compressor
- A/C System Leaks
- Clutch Issues
- Low Refrigerant Levels
- Filter Problems
- Broken Belts
- Broken Blower Motor
- Cross Contamination
- A/C Control Head Malfunctions
Vehicle Wheel Alignment in
Charleston
Do you really need to have your wheels aligned when you bring your vehicle in for service? Yes, absolutely. A proper wheel alignment ensures your tires meet the road at the right angle, point straight when they need to, and remain centered in your wheel wells. When your wheels are out of alignment, your gas mileage and ride comfort suffer.
Common signs of misalignment include:
- Car Pulling to Right or Left
- Rapid Tire Wear
- Uneven Tire Wear
- Noisy Steering
- Squealing Tires
Not only can alignment issues cause driving to be uncomfortable, but it can also cause a lot of damage to your vehicle. To avoid uneven tire wear and costly repairs, we suggest getting your vehicle alignment checked, which is FREE at A+ Auto.
Schedule an AppointmentTires & Brakes in Charleston
Few situations are scarier than driving when the brakes go out. Your vehicle's brakes are its most vital safety system. They give you the ability to stop or slow down, so you can avoid serious car accidents and pedestrians in the roadway. Having good brakes can mean the difference between life and death, which is why it is so important that you keep them well maintained. If your brakes are getting worse and worse, it might be time to replace them.
The same goes for your tires - another vital part of your vehicle's makeup. When your tires are worn, you're putting yourself and your family at risk when you drive with them. Tires with worn-out tread won't function properly in adverse conditions, like when you drive through deep standing water on the highway.
A+ Auto Service is a Certified Hercules, General & Continental Tire Dealer. A lot goes into finding the right tire, whether you need basic all-season tires or real-deal off-road rubber. If you don't know where to start on your search for new tires, one of our auto mechanics in Charleston, SC would be happy to help.
When you visit our shop for routine maintenance or new tires in Charleston, be sure to have your brakes inspected while you wait. The last thing you want to do is drive off our lot with brakes that won't stop you.
Some common warning signs that you need brake repair includes:
- Grinding Noises When Stopping
- Spongy-Feeling Brake Pedals
- Shaking Steering Column
- Squealing and Squeaking Sounds When Stopping
- Wobbling or Vibration at Highway Speeds
Welcome to the A+ Auto
Family
When you trust us with your vehicle, know that we take that trust very seriously. Unlike some of our competitors, we like to treat our customers like family. And when you're like family, you can rest easy knowing your car or truck is in capable hands. Whether you need a simple oil change or a new engine install, we're here for you every step of the way.
Schedule an AppointmentLatest News in Charleston, SC
Pier pressure: Are private docks cluttering, and harming, Charleston's public waterways?
Jonah Chesterhttps://www.postandcourier.com/environment/charleston-sc-waterways-docks-public-private/article_cea43fc2-81b3-11ef-b347-4f050a3b971d.html
As he puttered his boat past the docks and multimillion-dollar homes of Daniel Island, Gates Roll recalled an odd encounter with a new resident."(He told) me that I wasn't allowed to fish around his dock," said Roll, who owns and operates Tall Tide Fishing Adventures. "And I thought to myself, 'Well, a year ago, your dock wasn't here, sir, and you weren't either.'"NewsIn Roll's view, the incident illustrates a clear tren...
As he puttered his boat past the docks and multimillion-dollar homes of Daniel Island, Gates Roll recalled an odd encounter with a new resident.
"(He told) me that I wasn't allowed to fish around his dock," said Roll, who owns and operates Tall Tide Fishing Adventures. "And I thought to myself, 'Well, a year ago, your dock wasn't here, sir, and you weren't either.'"
In Roll's view, the incident illustrates a clear trend: Docks are becoming more numerous along the edges of tidal creeks, sometimes making it more difficult to navigate and fish. And as the homes on Charleston's coast have grown in size and cost, so have the docks attached to them, he said. Once-simple piers stretching out to a modest platform with a tie-up point have been supplanted by large structures that include boat lifts, roofs and other additions.
"This is everyone's resource — a public trust resource," Roll said. "You put a dock in, and to me it feels like a private encroachment on a public resource."
Chris DeScherer, who leads the South Carolina office of the Southern Environmental Law Center, alleged that the permits dock owners submit aren't examined closely and are typically rubber-stamped by officials.
Dock owners in coastal waters — whether in Charleston, Beaufort or Myrtle Beach — need to meet design standards set by the state's Department of Environmental Services.
"SCDES encourages joint-use and community-use docks in lieu of private docks to reduce proliferation and environmental impacts; however, the agency can't prevent a waterfront property owner from pursuing a private, recreational-use dock," an agency spokesperson wrote in an email.
For large developments, the department requires a Dock Master Plan to prevent overcrowding and to protect coastal ecosystems. Daniel Island has such a master plan, a DES spokesperson confirmed.
An attorney for Point Hope, a sprawling project on the Cainhoy Peninsula that's currently the subject of a pitched legal battle brought by the law center and several conservation groups, also has implemented a master plan in its first completed neighborhood, an attorney for the developer said. DI Development Co. is responsible for both Daniel Island's development and Point Hope.
Rhett DeHart, the group's attorney, wrote that he's unsure whether the other Point Hope neighborhoods will have similar plans, noting that much of the new housing is too far inland for homeowners to have access to the water.
A critical mass of docks can cause ecological effects. A 2021 study from Massachusetts found that private docks can alter ecosystems by introducing new habitats for invasive species, altering and destroying marshland through initial construction and increased shading, and by introducing leachate pollution through chemically-treated wood piles and human activities such as the use of cleaning chemicals.
As new homes are built, so are protective barriers — and those can harm the shoreline, DeScherer said.
Sea levels in the region are set to rise about a foot over the next 25 years, and the marshes of coastal South Carolina will attempt to move inland to adapt. But too much development on the shoreline can lead to an effect called "coastal squeeze" — where the marsh gets stuck between a proverbial rock (rising seas) and a literal hard place (such as a storm-surge wall in front of a home). The critical ecosystem then gets choked out of existence.
"Cainhoy is one of the great remaining opportunities for marsh migration in this part of the coast," DeScherer said. "If these homes move in and armor the shoreline, the opportunity for marsh migration goes away."
That's an issue Charleston city leaders identified in the city's recently released Water Plan, which aims to guide Charleston through the next several decades of global warming and rising seas.
"For development (on Daniel Island and Cainhoy) to continue without creating downstream impacts, the function of the natural system must be preserved," the plan notes. Wetlands play a critical role in capturing and controlling floodwater, something that will be increasingly critical as the Lowcountry is battered by a new generation of wetter, stronger hurricanes fueled by climate change.
On the recent outing, fisherman Roll puttered on in his boat. The flora and fauna of the Lowcountry's salt marshes unfolded.
A blue heron peered at him from a dock. Dragonflies flitted past. Cordgrass rustled in the wind.
And construction crews hammered away at new homes just off the marsh's edge.
BermudAir launches direct flights from Charleston to Bermuda starting April 2025
ABC NEWS 4 STAFFhttps://abcnews4.com/news/local/bermudair-launches-direct-flights-from-charleston-to-bermuda-starting-april-2025-wciv-abc-news-4-2024
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — BermudAir is set to launch a new direct service from Charleston International Airport to Bermuda, beginning in April.The Saturday-only route aims to provide Charleston travelers with a refreshing escape to the island's pink sand beaches, world-class golf, and vibrant culture starting April 19, 2025."We’re thrilled to offer our passengers a new and exciting way to explore Bermuda," said Elliott Summey, executive director and CEO of Charleston International Airport. "This nonst...
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — BermudAir is set to launch a new direct service from Charleston International Airport to Bermuda, beginning in April.
The Saturday-only route aims to provide Charleston travelers with a refreshing escape to the island's pink sand beaches, world-class golf, and vibrant culture starting April 19, 2025.
"We’re thrilled to offer our passengers a new and exciting way to explore Bermuda," said Elliott Summey, executive director and CEO of Charleston International Airport. "This nonstop service further strengthens CHS as a hub for travel to and from some of the world’s most beautiful and popular destinations and reinforces the airport’s role as an economic driver for the Lowcountry and state."
Tickets for the new route, along with BermudAir’s full summer schedule, will be available starting Nov. 14. Bookings can be made directly at flybermudair.com or through travel agents, with fares starting at $239. All flights are subject to regulatory approval, and economy and business-class seating options will be available.
READ MORE | "Charleston International Airport to alter traffic patterns amid construction."
Flights are scheduled to depart Charleston International Airport at 5:45 p.m., arriving in Bermuda in just over two hours. Passengers will be greeted by BermudAir crew in traditional Bermuda shorts and can enjoy complimentary beverages, including premium spirits and soft drinks, as well as Bermuda-inspired snacks served on real glassware.
"Charleston and Bermuda share a unique history steeped in maritime culture, and both are known for their warm welcomes, rich traditions, and vibrant arts and culinary scenes," said Adam Scott, CEO and founder of BermudAir. "We’re excited to offer travelers a seamless journey from Charleston’s cobblestone streets to Bermuda’s pink sand shores, inviting guests to enjoy an experience that’s as charming as it is unforgettable."
Helen Hill, Chair of the Aviation Authority and President and CEO of Explore Charleston, expressed enthusiasm for the new service.
"It is an honor to welcome BermudAir to the Lowcountry and add a second international destination to our ever-expanding route map," she said. "We know how selective airlines are when choosing where to place their resources and are proud to earn a spot in their lineup alongside larger metropolitan areas."
With this new service, Charleston residents can easily escape to Bermuda’s luxurious resorts and iconic golf courses, while Bermuda travelers will find Charleston’s historical charm and celebrated cuisine waiting to be explored.
Which locations around Charleston deserve a historical marker?
Jessalin Heins-Nagamotohttps://chstoday.6amcity.com/culture/historical-marker-charleston-sc
Hey, history buffs. Submit your unofficial historical locations around town.Have you ever looked at a local spot and thought, “This place deserves to be commemorated?” Our city is full of legendary locations – many of which are indicated by historical markers. Historical markers reveal significant places, streets, neighborhoods, buildings, business...
Hey, history buffs. Submit your unofficial historical locations around town.
Have you ever looked at a local spot and thought, “This place deserves to be commemorated?” Our city is full of legendary locations – many of which are indicated by historical markers. Historical markers reveal significant places, streets, neighborhoods, buildings, businesses, and cultural events from the past or present. Think: the Charleston City Market + Fort Sumter.
But not all significant areas get the attention they deserve. What about the Coburg Cow? Which has become Charleston’s favorite weather forecaster. Or the Folly Beach Boat which is known for being painted regularly. We want to put these places on the map — literally.
Submit your historic place for a chance to be featured nationwide on our historical marker map. Our favorite submissions will then be featured in our newsletter, where we’ll put it to a vote. Who knows? Maybe it will receive an official historical marker.
Submissions are open through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
Finalists will be selected by our team and announced in our newsletter. These finalists will then go head-to-head in a vote for our readers’ favorite. The winner will be announced later in December. No promises that it will get an actual historical marker, but it will be one in our hearts.
Want to know more about official historical markers around town? Check out the Historical Marker Database.