Frequently Asked Questions

  • You can easily reach our owner Tad Butitta through email by sending your message to Tad@MarksAutoIL.com. We strive to respond to all inquiries ASAP.

    Alternatively, you can reach out by phone at 815-669-9124. A text message will be best. If you call with no success, please leave a voicemail and he will get back to you as soon as possible.

    For more immediate assistance or urgent matters, you can also reach out to our Operations Manager, Juan Sena. Juan can be reached at Juan@MarksAutoIL.com or 224-387-1863.

    Your feedback and inquiries are important to us, and we look forward to assisting you in any way we can.

  • You can learn all about our history and values on our About Page.

  • The most important difference is that at Marks Auto Service, you are never more than one person away from the owner. Our owner, Tad Butitta, is always available to you. Simply ask a member of the team for their business card, or they can transfer you during a call. Or reach out directly with the contact information below.

    Other Benefits and Differences:

    • No Middle Management: Our owner stays in constant contact with his staff and employees, ensuring the highest level of service.

    • Cost-Effectiveness: We have a lower overhead cost compared to dealerships, thus we can offer more competitive pricing.

    • Personalized Service: Since we have a smaller team and handle far fewer vehicles, we can focus on building relationships and understanding your specific needs. 

    • Flexibility and Expertise: We have mechanics with extensive experience working on a wide range of vehicle makes and models. Additionally, we are generally more flexible in terms of scheduling appointments and accommodating urgent repairs.

    • Customer Satisfaction: We strive to build long-term relationships with customers by providing excellent service and exceeding expectations. 

    • A Wider Range of Services: While dealerships focus primarily on specific vehicle brands, we service multiple brands. This versatility allows you to bring different vehicles from your household to a single shop, saving you time and effort.

  • At Marks Auto Service, we prioritize providing our customers with the highest quality parts that meet or exceed the standards set by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). While we understand the value and reputation of OEM parts, we have carefully selected alternative parts that offer exceptional quality, reliability, and value for our customers.

    We work closely with trusted suppliers to source top-grade aftermarket parts that are specifically designed for your vehicle’s make and model. These parts undergo rigorous testing to ensure their compatibility and performance. We firmly believe that using these carefully selected aftermarket parts allows us to provide you with reliable repairs and maintenance at a more cost-effective price point compared to OEM parts.

    We take great pride in the quality of the parts we use and the expertise of our technicians. Rest assured that when you choose Marks Auto, you are receiving the highest standard of service and parts that have been thoroughly vetted for their quality and performance.

    If you have any concerns or specific requirements regarding parts for your vehicle, please don’t hesitate to discuss them with our team. We are here to address your needs and ensure your complete satisfaction.

  • We offer a 5-Year/50K Mile Warranty valid on most repairs. Learn more about our warranty and what is and isn’t covered on our Warranty Page.

  • Short Answer: YES!

    Long Answer:

    Our policy with Insurance, Extended, and Aftermarket Warranty Companies:
    We will be glad to contact your Insurance or your Warranty company to see if they will cover the repairs on your vehicle.

    The administrative demands of working with 3rd party companies are very time-consuming and taxing on our resources. When we call them, we often get put on hold for over 30 minutes. In some cases they may force us to wait a few days while they send an adjuster out in order to verify our findings. When the adjuster arrives we have to stop work on another client’s vehicle in order to allow the adjuster to look at the warrantied vehicle. Many times we have to push a disabled car from a hoist to pull the warrantied one in. Again, this is very time-consuming and a financial burden, so our administrative fees will be $150 for working with these companies.

    This includes but is not limited to:

    • Calling 3rd party company

    • Working with the field adjuster/inspector

    • Filing supplements

    • Collecting payment

    If the warranty company denies coverage, this administrative fee will not be passed onto the customer, as long as all repairs are approved and paid by the customer.

  • Short answer: No

    Long answer:

    There are many reasons why an automotive repair shop will not install customer-supplied parts. These reasons include liability, warranty, reputation, efficiency, and profit.

    • Liability: When a business installs a customer-supplied part they may be indirectly accepting the liability, regardless if the failure is caused by the part itself or improper installation of said part. Due to the litigious nature of our society, this becomes a very large risk for the business.

    • Warranty: If a shop installs a faulty part that they did not supply, the finger-pointing begins. The shop will state that the part is defective and the parts warehouse may say that the part was not installed properly. Now the consumer is stuck in the middle because the shop doesn’t want to do a job the second time and the parts warehouse won’t pay for the labor.

    • Reputation: We take great pride in the reputation we have built based on positive customer experiences. To uphold this standard, we recommend using parts sourced directly from our trusted suppliers. This allows us to ensure the quality, reliability, and compatibility of the parts we use during repairs and maintenance. By doing so, we can offer our customers greater peace of mind, knowing that the parts installed are of the highest standard and longest warranty.

    • Efficiency: In a perfect world, every part is a perfect fit. But if a technician has a car disassembled and the part either doesn’t fit or is incorrect, the efficiency of that hoist is lost while we wait for a replacement. We will have lost time and revenue as a result, and the client could go a few extra days without their vehicle.

    • Profit: Addressing this topic is crucial to understand the dynamics of a sustainable business. In order for an automotive repair shop to thrive, it is necessary to make a profit, which enables the provision of cutting-edge tools, equipment, and comprehensive training for handling modern, intricate vehicles, as well as offering competitive compensation to skilled technicians. It’s important to note that, for most auto repair shops, approximately 50% of their revenue is derived from parts sales. This is because labor charges alone are insufficient to cover the expenses associated with running the business effectively.

    Our intention is to provide a seamless and reliable service, free from any concerns related to part failures. By utilizing our carefully selected parts and leveraging the expertise of our experienced technicians, we aim to deliver exceptional results and exceed our customers’ expectations. Should you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team. We are here to address your needs and provide the best possible experience.

  • Many automotive shops are known to play games with their pricing. Please do not be fooled by someone advertising a low labor rate — shops may have a lower rate per hour, but estimate twice as many hours to complete the repair. Many others just increase the price of their parts or add on large fees. If you are price shopping, the absolute best thing to do is compare apples to apples. To do this, you must compare written estimates.

    We utilize a bid-style pricing system to ensure fair and accurate estimates for our customers. Instead of having a fixed labor rate, we assess each job individually based on factors such as the complexity of the task, the required expertise, and the specific needs of your vehicle. This approach allows us to provide transparent and tailored pricing that reflects the unique requirements of each project.

  • Short Answer: We really wish we could, but without having the vehicle in front of us, very few repairs can be estimated.

    Long Answer:

    As a reputable automotive service provider with a strong online presence and a history of satisfied customers, we often receive a high volume of inquiries from individuals seeking estimates or quotes for specific jobs. While we genuinely want to assist you, we have several reasons for not offering estimates or quotes over the phone, and we aim to be transparent about them.

    Firstly, accuracy is of utmost importance to us when it comes to estimating repair costs for your vehicle. To provide an accurate estimate, it is crucial for one of our certified technicians to inspect your vehicle and, in some cases, diagnose the problem. Even with the VIN number, certain manufacturers may have multiple options for the same part, and factors like rust, corrosion, or aftermarket modifications can affect the repair process.

    Secondly, we have learned from experience that relying on diagnostics reports from other repair shops or dealerships can be unreliable. Therefore, we insist on conducting our own diagnostics before providing any quotes or estimates. This ensures that we address the actual problem and avoid situations where we replace a component only to find that the symptoms persist.

    Moreover, we choose not to engage in price shopping or engage in a race to the bottom. As an independent shop, we offer competitive pricing compared to dealerships while providing better value and a superior warranty. Our business model is built on fostering relationships with our clients, rather than focusing solely on transactions. We aim to serve customers who appreciate the quality of our work and the benefits we provide, rather than those solely focused on finding the lowest price.

    Lastly, we prioritize shop productivity and timely repairs for customers who have already brought their vehicles to our facility. Generating estimates for vehicles that are not present would require redirecting our technicians and parts specialists from their current tasks, potentially leading to delays for customers who are already in need of their vehicles.

    We genuinely appreciate your understanding and encourage you to bring your vehicle to our shop for a thorough inspection and accurate estimate. This approach ensures that we provide you with the best possible service while prioritizing the needs of all our valued customers.