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Allens Auto Repair and Quick Lube

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Dexter, MO
Allens Auto Repair and Quick Lube

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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.

10/28/2026

If you’re having transmission trouble, bring it to the experts who can get you back on the road quickly, with the best warranty available. We’re transmission specialists who stand behind our work 100% of the time. Give us a call or message us here anytime during business hours.

10/26/2026

We’re now guaranteeing a 2-day turnaround. From the time your unit arrives at our shop, your vehicle is back to you in 2 business days, or the price starts dropping.

10/19/2026

Get ahead of those repairs before you’re stuck on the side of the road getting advice from Cousin Eddie.

10/19/2026

Last week we talked about whether charging for diagnostic time is a scam. This week, let’s explain how we handle those charges at Allen’s Auto Repair and what that means for you.

We start with a checkout, where we look over the entire vehicle so you can have a full picture of its health. That shouldn’t be taken as a pushy sales tactic. We can’t properly advise you on keeping your vehicle safe and reliable without understanding its overall condition. Finding something doesn’t mean you have to fix it today. It means you deserve to know about it.

If your concern can’t be identified through that checkout and requires further testing, we estimate the diagnostic time needed to pinpoint the problem. We try to estimate on the high side so you can approve enough time for us to get an answer.

But you only pay for the time we actually use. If you approve two hours and we find the problem in 30 minutes, you’re charged for 30 minutes, not two hours.

What happens if we get it wrong? Because that does happen. Nobody is perfect, and vehicles are extremely complex.

When we get it wrong, we make it right.

Our goal is to make sure you aren’t paying for repairs you didn’t need and that you get what you paid for. When we’ve made an incorrect repair, that can mean applying what you paid for it toward the correct repair. If the correct repair costs more, you cover the difference. If it costs less, we write you a check for the difference.

That means you’re reimbursed for the incorrect repair and paying for the repair your vehicle actually needed.

We’re here to solve your vehicle’s problem and stand behind our work. Approving diagnostic time almost always saves you money compared to guessing and replacing parts. It gives us the opportunity to test before replacing anything. Skipping that testing might save money if you guess correctly, but if you don’t, you can pay for several repairs and still have the original problem.

We want your repair dollars going toward fixing the problem. That’s what diagnostic time is for.

10/14/2026

"Paying for diagnosis is just shops trying to take advantage of their customers."

Take a blower motor problem we had in the shop last month.

We asked for diagnostic time to figure out why it wasn’t working. The customer wanted us to install a blower motor, resistor pack, and resistor connector instead. They were sure that would fix it.

We explained why we needed to test first. They stood their ground. Eventually, against our better judgment, we made an exception.

So they caught us, right? We were just trying to squeeze another $260 out of them to figure out something that was obvious. They talked us out of it, saved themselves the diagnostic charge, and we installed the parts. Blower fixed. Customer happy. The “scam” didn’t work this time.

Except that’s not what happened.

We installed the requested parts. About $300 in parts and labor later, the blower still didn’t work.

Now the customer had to approve diagnostic time anyway.

Testing found a bad relay. We replaced it, but the blower STILL wouldn’t run. Digging deeper, we discovered the brand-new connector they supplied was defective. After testing and reinstalling the original factory connector, everything worked.

The original problem was a relay. The new connector added a second problem.

Had we tested the vehicle first, we estimate we would have found the bad relay in about half an hour. With labor and the relay, that likely would have been around a $100 repair.

Instead, it became roughly $600 in parts, labor, and two hours of diagnosis to sort out both problems.

And that $260 we originally asked them to authorize? That was for UP TO two hours of diagnostic time. If testing took half an hour, that’s what they would have been charged. It wasn’t automatically a $260 bill.

The charge they were trying to avoid was the very thing that could have saved them money.

We aren’t upset with customers for questioning diagnostic charges. Everything is expensive, and wanting to protect your money is reasonable. Nobody should be expected to understand the details of our job. That’s our responsibility to explain.

We also own our decision to skip our normal process. We agreed to install those parts, and this is exactly why we usually don’t make that exception.

This post isn’t about embarrassing a customer. It’s about explaining something that can feel backward. Paying for diagnosis to find out what’s actually wrong is what saves you the most money.

At Allen’s Auto Repair, we want you to understand what you’re paying for and why. Testing first helps us spend your money where it actually fixes the problem.

10/13/2026

231,000 miles, one owner, and still looking this good! 👀

This really clean 2004 Dodge Dakota came in with transmission trouble, and you can tell its owner has taken care of it over the years.

Our diagnosis pinpointed the problem to the transmission control solenoid pack. We replaced the pack and both outer tie rods to help keep this well-loved truck going strong.

The owner also took advantage of our end-of-year transmission special and saved $250 on the transmission work! 💰

Transmission trouble doesn’t always mean you need a whole transmission. Getting the diagnosis right matters—and this Dakota is a great example.

If yours isn’t shifting like it should, give Allen’s Auto Repair a call. Let’s find out what it needs and see how our special can help you save!

📞 573-203-5055

10/07/2026

Another transmission special customer back on the road! 🛻

This truck’s owner took advantage of our $4,600 transmission deal, and the job is finished and back in their hands.

Once the replacement transmission arrived, we had it installed, programmed in-house, and out on the road for testing and shift-adapt learning in just a day and a half. We also corrected a few additional issues along the way so we could send it home ready to go.

These pictures show some of what went into getting this truck back on the road. We appreciate the customer trusting Allen’s Auto Repair with the job!

Need transmission work? Send us a message and find out what we can do for your vehicle.

09/29/2026

What’s something you wish auto repair shops would do that you haven’t found a shop doing yet? 🔧

Something that would make getting your vehicle repaired easier, more convenient, or just a better experience overall.

We spend every day looking at things from the shop side, but your perspective helps us see things we might be missing. We’d love to hear your ideas. What would you like to see? 👇

09/28/2026

Unpopular opinion maybe?

Why is an expensive designer bag “overpriced,” but an expensive auto repair means the shop is “ripping people off”?

People will pay hundreds for Jordans and never question how much the company makes. But a local repair shop, or any small business, tries to keep 20 cents out of every dollar after paying its expenses, and suddenly it’s “you’re ripping me off.”

Skilled technicians, equipment, tools, insurance, and standing behind the repair all cost money. You don’t have to like the price, but a price you don’t like doesn’t automatically mean someone is cheating you.

A shop should be able to explain what you’re paying for and why its work is worth the price. If it recommends worthwhile preventive work while something is already apart, stands behind its repairs, and has a reputation for making things right, that has value beyond the parts being installed.

If those things aren’t worth the extra cost to you, it’s okay to choose another shop. Compare what each estimate includes and what happens if something goes wrong. A higher price doesn’t automatically mean better work, but two estimates with different levels of service aren’t the same purchase.

Sometimes it’s simply a difference between what you value in a repair and what a shop includes in its work. Please think about that before cussing out a shop’s employees over a price you don’t agree with.

And remember, you aren’t loading your family into those Jordans and driving them down the road at 70 mph.

For the time being though, we’re making that repair bill a little easier to handle. Through the end of the year, **everything transmission-related is 20% OFF parts AND labor at Allen’s Auto Repair.**

Dexter, MO • 573-203-5055

09/24/2026

We’re putting a bigger focus on transmission work at Allen’s Auto Repair, and we need your help getting the word out.

Through December 31, we’re offering 20% off parts and labor on transmission work. We’re pricing these jobs barely above cost to build this side of our business and give you a reason to give us a try.

Transmission slipping, shifting hard, or leaving you stuck? Give us a call. We’ll explain your options and put together an estimate.

Know someone who needs transmission work? Share this post or send them our way. We appreciate it!

Allen’s Auto Repair • Dexter
573-203-5055

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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