Serving Ferndale, Michigan

Auto Repair in Ferndale, MI

Ferndale cars live a hard life on city streets, and it shows in the same places every time: wheels, tires, alignment and suspension. We are a straight run north up Woodward, and we fix all of it.

The First Call Auto Care storefront at 29444 Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, MI, with flags along the front
Where we are
29444 Woodward AveRoyal Oak, MI 48073Get directions
From Ferndale
North on WoodwardA straight run from 9 Mile
Hours
Mon to Thu 8:00 to 5:30Friday 8:00 to 5:00
Phone
(248) 632-1600No appointment needed

The Run Up Woodward

North on Woodward from 9 Mile

From downtown Ferndale it is one road. Head north on Woodward and we are at 29444, past 11 Mile toward the top end of Royal Oak. No turns to remember and no hunting for an industrial park, which is more than can be said for a lot of repair shops.

Ferndale driving is genuinely hard on cars, and not in a dramatic way. It is the accumulation: tight parallel parking that finds curbs, side streets that break up every spring, alleys, speed humps, and a lot of low speed maneuvering at full steering lock. None of that is abuse. All of it lands on the same handful of components.

So the things we replace most often for Ferndale customers are the ones at the corners of the car. Bent wheels and cracked sidewalls from potholes. Alignment thrown out by a single hard hit. Control arm bushings, sway bar links and strut mounts worn out by low speed impacts rather than by mileage. It is worth knowing this is normal here, because the first time a shop lists it, it can read like an upsell when it is simply what this kind of driving does.

The customer coffee bar at First Call Auto Care, stocked with cups, sugar and snacks under a slatted wood wall

★★★★★

I have taken now two vehicles here and several occasions and it is safe to say they go above and beyond to make sure you are taken care of. My car and the repairs needed were a very complicated case and throughout the whole process Joe made sure I was updated multiple times a day and that I understood what was going on and the repairs that were happening. He even went as far as too fill my car with gas, clean the interior and exterior, and give me a gift card to my favorite coffee shop. I cannot recommend this shop enough!
Sarah Y.Google review, 2 months ago
Read all 481 Google reviews, rated 4.7

Why Ferndale Sends Us Cars

What we do differently on the things you actually need

Alignment done with real equipment and a printout

Hunter alignment gear, and you leave with the before and after numbers on paper. If a shop will not show you the readings, there is a reason.

We check the wheel before blaming the tire

A slow leak on a Ferndale car is very often a bent rim from a pothole rather than a puncture. Fitting a new tire to a bent wheel means you are back in a month.

Suspension diagnosed on a lift, not by feel

Bushings and links get checked under load, with a pry bar, where the play actually shows. A road test alone misses most of what goes wrong down here.

Straight talk about what a rough ride is costing

A worn strut does not just ride badly, it wears tires unevenly and lengthens stopping distances. We will tell you which of those actually applies to your car.

No appointment needed

Walk in with a tire going down or a noise that started this morning. Booking online means you are not waiting behind anyone.

Limited lifetime warranty on most repairs

Written down, for as long as you own the vehicle.

What You Get Here

What comes with the repair, whatever the repair is

Free multi-point inspectionOn every visit, whatever you came in for, reported green, amber and red.
Shuttle vehicle availablePlus Lyft or Uber on qualifying services. Tell us when you book.
Waiting area with free Wi-FiSnacks, cold drinks and coffee, and somewhere to work while you wait.
24 hour drop offAfter-hours pickup from a coded key box, so your day does not have to bend around ours.
Limited lifetime warrantyOn most repairs, plus the TechNet Professional nationwide warranty.
No appointment neededBooking online means you are not waiting behind anyone. Nobody gets turned away for walking in.

Questions

Ferndale questions

How do I get to you from Ferndale?
North on Woodward, and that is the whole route. We are at 29444 Woodward Ave in Royal Oak, past 11 Mile on the right hand side heading north.
I hit a pothole and now it pulls. Is that the alignment?
Usually, and often a wheel as well. Bring it in and we will put it on the alignment rack and check the wheels and tires at the same time, because those three things fail together after an impact.
My tire keeps going down slowly but there is no nail.
That is very often a bent rim rather than a puncture, which is common on cars driven on city streets. We check the wheel, not just the tire, before fitting anything new.
Do you fix bent wheels or only replace them?
Many can be straightened and resealed, which costs far less than replacement. Some are past it, and we will tell you which one you have rather than defaulting to a new wheel.
How often should a city driven car get an alignment?
Any time the steering goes off center or it starts pulling, and it is worth checking after a hard impact or when fitting new tires. Getting it right protects a set of tires worth far more than the alignment.
Do I have to book ahead for a tire going down?
No, and please do not wait. Drive in on it if it is safe to do so, or on the spare if it is not, and we will look at it as soon as you arrive.
Do you warranty suspension and alignment work?
Most repairs carry our limited lifetime warranty for as long as you own the vehicle, in writing.

After a Pothole

What to check when you hit one hard

Everybody around here hits one eventually. Five minutes of attention afterwards is the difference between an adjustment and a new set of tires.

  1. Is the steering wheel still centered

    If it is now sitting off to one side on a straight road, the alignment moved. That is not something that settles back on its own, and it starts wearing tires immediately.

  2. Does it pull to one side

    A pull that appeared the same day you hit something is an alignment or a damaged component, not a coincidence. Get it looked at before the tires pay for it.

  3. Look at the tire sidewall

    A bulge in the sidewall is a broken internal cord and that tire is finished, whatever the tread looks like. It is a blowout waiting for a hot day on the freeway.

  4. Watch for a slow leak over the next week

    A wheel bent at the rim seals badly. If a tire is down by a few pounds every few days after an impact, the wheel is the suspect, not the valve.

  5. Listen for a new noise over bumps

    A knock or clunk that appeared after an impact usually means a strut mount, a link or a bushing took the hit. Caught early it is one part. Left alone it takes the neighboring parts with it.

All Makes and Models

Whatever is parked outside your place

All makes and models. Ferndale has a genuinely mixed set of vehicles and we are set up for all of it, old and new alike.

Book It

One straight road north and we will sort it

29444 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak. Walk in or book online. If you hit something and it does not feel right, get it checked before the tires pay for it.

Read what 481 people said on Google, rated 4.7