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Monday 8am - 6pm Tuesday 8am - 6pm Wednesday 8am - 6pm Thursday 8am - 6pm

Allens Auto Repair and Quick Lube

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United States
Dexter, MO
Allens Auto Repair and Quick Lube

We are a full service auto repair shop. We do auto repair, repair quotes, and engine light diagnosis.

Allen's Auto Repair and Quick Lube provides brake service, oil changes, transmission service, A/C repair, and more automotive services, as well as a 36-month, 36,000-mile nationwide warranty to the Dexter, MO area.

08/08/2026

🔶️🔶️PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT!!!🔶️🔶️

We are not going to be taking in any more electrical diagnosis or complex diagnosis for a while.

I'm the only one here who does that work. Have been for almost 4 years. We have been trying to hire a good diagnostic tech for going on 10 years and it hasn't mattered what we offer in pay or what benefits we put out there, they just aren't out there to hire. On top of that the shop has grown in other areas and I have to spend time on those too, plus keep the guys going. It's also a business that has to be ran, and that is completely separate from the technician side of it. There is only so much of me to go around.

What that has turned into is me being completely burned out and a pile of cars I can't get to. Some of you have been waiting weeks. A few of you have been waiting months. You have been really good about it and I appreciate that more than you know, but it isn't right and I know it. Every day I feel like I am letting people down. That part wears on me a lot worse than the work does.

So here is what we are going to do. We are going to stop taking in diagnosis work that requires me to do it until I get caught up on what is already sitting here. Then we start letting a little of it back in at a time once I can handle it. That's the plan for right now anyway.

Everything else is business as usual. The repair work is doing better than it has in a while as far as efficency. I have some green guys that are eager to learn and they do a great job. There are mistakes from time to time, we are all human. We always make it right and move on.

That being said, if you call about an electrical problem or something that has to be diagnosed, or if we find during a checkout that something needs diagnosis only I can do, we are going to have to turn it away for now. I'm sorry for the inconvenience but I'd rather tell you no up front than take your car in and sit on it for months.

Thanks for understanding. I'll post again when we can start taking it back in.

12/30/2025

Little dash work today. Changing a recirculation door actuator on this extremely clean 2000 Tahoe. We are short-handed currently, so if you're waiting on your car, we appreciate your patience. If you want a good job, give us a call or swing by. Pay is great and workplace atmosphere is even better.

12/16/2025

💥EVER FELT UNSURE ABOUT WHAT A SHOP TOLD YOU? TELL US ABOUT IT!!!💥

What's something a shop, dealership, or even we have told you that didn't sit right?

Maybe it sounded too expensive. Maybe it felt unnecessary. Maybe you just weren't sure if they were being straight with you.

Drop it in the comments. We'll clear up the misconceptions, or tell you if your doubts were justified.

12/15/2025

🔶️This customer's fuel pump failed after a couple years.🔶️
This 2013 Ford Flex came in with lean codes and fuel trims sitting at 20% lean. The parts store told them it needed O2 sensors.

We got approval for diagnostic time and found the real problem. the fuel pump wasn't making proper pressure. Since we installed that pump a couple years ago, it's under warranty.

The customer doesn't pay for the diagnosis. The pump gets replaced at no cost to them. That's how it should work.

When we do a job, our nationwide warranty means you're covered. whether you're still in town or halfway across the country. If something we installed fails, we make it right.

Not every shop operates this way. Make sure yours does!!

12/10/2025

💥Your car doesn't care that you're running late. If it's going to leave you stranded, it's going to be on the coldest morning of the year.💥
Cold weather is here. Is your car ready for it?

A few things worth checking before it gets worse:

Battery: Cold temps are hard on batteries. If yours is more than a few years old or it's been slow to crank, now is the time to test it. Not when you're stranded in a parking lot.

Coolant: Your antifreeze needs to be at the right concentration to protect your engine. Too weak and it won't protect you in a hard freeze. We can test it in about 30 seconds.

Heater and defrost: If your heat is weak or your defrost isn't clearing the windshield fast, there might be an issue with your blend door, heater core, or blower motor. Better to find out now than when you can't see out your windshield.

Belts and hoses: Cold makes rubber brittle. If your belts are cracked or your hoses are soft, winter is when they'll fail.

Wipers and washer fluid: Seems obvious, but frozen washer fluid and worn wipers make winter driving dangerous.

None of this takes long to check. Swing by and we'll look it over before the real cold hits.

12/09/2025

💥Can I just bring my own part?💥

We get this question a lot. And we get why you're asking—you found it cheaper online and you're trying to save money. We're not offended by the question.

But here's why most shops won't do it, and why we're careful about it.

When we supply the part, we warranty the job. Our warranty is nationwide—thousands of shops across the country will honor it. If that part fails, we replace it and cover the labor. You're not out anything. That's on us.

When you bring your own part, that warranty doesn't apply. We can't cover parts we didn't supply. We don't know where it came from, or if it's actually the right part. If it fails, you're paying for labor again.

We're also trying to protect the workflow of our shop so we can get cars in and out efficiently. If we tear your car apart and the part you supplied is wrong or defective, now your car is sitting on a lift waiting while you sort it out. That's time we can't use for other customers, and it backs up everyone else's repairs.

We're not trying to overcharge you on parts. We're trying to protect you from paying twice if something goes wrong and keep the shop running smoothly for everyone.

You wouldn't bring your own groceries to a restaurant and ask them to cook it. It's not about ego. It's about standing behind the finished product.

If the job goes right, you saved a few bucks. If it doesn't, you're paying for it twice and we're the bad guy either way.

12/04/2025

🔶The parts store doesnt want to fix your car!! They want to sell you as many parts as they can!!🔶️️

Parts store check engine light scans aren't free.
Parts stores will scan your codes and hand you a list of parts to buy. That's not diagnosis, that's guessing with your wallet.

A code doesn't tell you what's wrong. It tells you where to start looking. P0171 says your engine is running lean. It doesn't tell you if it's a vacuum leak, a weak fuel pump, a dirty mass airflow sensor, or something else entirely. The parts store will sell you an O2 sensor. Maybe it works. Probably it doesn't.

We see it all the time, customers come in after they've already spent $500 on parts that didn't fix anything. Now they're paying for diagnosis anyway, plus they're out the money they already spent.

A proper diagnosis costs less than the wrong part. It costs a lot less than three wrong parts.

If your check engine light is on, skip the parts store. Bring it here and get it properly diagnosed. It might cost a couple hundred dollars, but that money goes toward a real answer, not just hoping the parts store guessed right.

12/03/2025

💥How would you feel if you paid $3,300 for this quality of work to be done to your car, and then they wouldn't stand behind it? and at dealership no less!!💥

One of our customers came in with a drivability concern. During diagnosis, we found a catalytic converter that was installed at a GM dealership less than two months ago had already failed internally. They paid $3,300 for that visit.

We called to warranty the $1,600 cat. We weren't asking them to pay labor, just replace the defective part. They refused. Said the only way they'd honor it is if the customer brings the car back to them so they can do the work themselves. That's a 30 minute drive for our customer, with a car that isn't running right.
If this had been done at our shop, any shop in the country affiliated with our warranty network could get that part replaced and get paid parts and labor to install it. There are thousands of shops across the country in the network. That's how a warranty should work.

We also found a significant oil leak that's clearly been there for a while. There's no way it was missed during that visit, but the customer was never told about it. And the wiring repair in the photos? It works, but it looks like it was done by someone who doesn't care how their work looks. When you're paying a premium, you should get professional work.

People assume dealerships mean the best training, the highest quality work, and repairs that will be stood behind. That's not always the case. We are not perfect but when we make mistakes we go out of our way to make them right because that's how it should be

Make sure whoever works on your car is someone who will take care of you after the repair, not just during the visit.

12/02/2025

Let's talk about diagnostic time.
Nobody likes paying for it. You're thinking "just tell me what's wrong and fix it."
Here's the thing—we can't tell you what's wrong until we actually figure out what's wrong. A scan tool doesn't give us answers. It gives us clues. A code that says "misfire cylinder 3" doesn't tell us if it's a bad coil, a burned valve, a wiring problem, or a cracked injector. That's where the real work starts.
Proper diagnostics means using oscilloscopes to look at sensor waveforms, smoke machines to find vacuum leaks, fuel pressure gauges, multimeters, thermal cameras, and years of experience interpreting what all that data actually means.
Without that process, you're just throwing parts at a symptom. We see it all the time—cars come in with $1,500 in new parts already installed and the problem's still there. That alternator someone sold you? Wasn't the issue. The O2 sensors you paid for? Didn't fix it. Now you're out that money AND you still have the problem.
Diagnostic time isn't a charge to "look at it." It's the difference between guessing and knowing. And knowing saves you money.

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from the Allen's Auto Repair family!!

Address

715 Missouri 25
Dexter, MO
63841

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 6pm
Tuesday	8am - 6pm
Wednesday	8am - 6pm
Thursday	8am - 6pm

Telephone

+15732035055

Website

https://www.allenrepair.com/

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