Hole Valley Automotive vs. The Garage: How to Choose

If you are comparing repair options in Jackson, the most useful thing we can do is tell you exactly what our shop is and what it can do, rather than describe somebody else's business for them.

The Garage by Detail Driven is a fixed, full-service shop at 940 W Broadway, with lifts, a full tool inventory, and our own alignment rack, open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. That building is the point. Lifts and sustained overhead access are what let a shop take a vehicle apart properly, chase a fault to its actual source, keep a car overnight while a part is on its way over the pass, and do the kind of work that needs the vehicle off the ground for a day.

Everything below is about what we do, what it starts at, and what you get in writing. We have not published anyone else's prices or review scores here.

Hole Valley Automotive is an independent automotive repair business in Jackson, based on South Park Drive. They are separately and independently owned, and there is no partnership, ownership, or referral arrangement between their business and ours. For anything about their shop, contact them directly.

That is all we are going to say about another business. The rest of this page covers what we can stand behind.

We are a full-service mechanical shop at 940 W Broadway in Jackson, open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, working on all makes and models.

Engine diagnostics

A diagnostic scan starts at $95 and covers code reading, fault code analysis, a repair plan, and a written estimate. Comprehensive diagnostics start at $195 and add full computer scanning, a road test, visual inspection, electrical system testing, and a detailed written report. Intermittent faults that only appear under load need the road test, which is why we do them. See our engine diagnostics page.

Brake repair

Pads, rotors, calipers, hydraulics, and lines. Brake work in this valley is its own discipline. Long descents heat a system in ways flat driving never does, and years of salted roads pit brake lines from the outside in. Extended brake work, especially corroded line replacement, is a job that needs the vehicle up on a lift for a sustained stretch, which is exactly what our bays are for.

Oil changes and scheduled maintenance

An oil and filter change starts at $95, with conventional or synthetic oil, a new filter, fluid level check, and a multi-point inspection, usually in 30 to 45 minutes. Full maintenance service starts at $195 and adds tire rotation, brake inspection, battery test, air filter check, and all fluids checked and topped. Major service starts at $495 for high-mileage vehicles or seasonal prep, adding transmission fluid service, coolant flush, power steering service, spark plug inspection, belt and hose inspection, and a written condition report. If you are getting ready for the cold, see our winterization service.

Tires and wheel alignment

Seasonal tire changeover is $160 and includes removing your current set, installing the other, pressure adjustment, and a lug nut torque check, with free rotation on a new set. Wheel alignment starts at $195 on our own rack: camber, caster, and toe set to factory specification, with before and after measurements and a tire condition assessment. Alignment needs a fixed, calibrated rack, and having ours in-house means suspension work and the alignment that should follow it happen in one visit.

Transmission and drivetrain

Transmission fluid service from $195, clutch replacement, and repair or rebuild work on automatics and manuals with a warranty on the repair. Drivetrain service from $295 covers differential and transfer case fluid, CV joints, U-joints, and driveshafts, on 4WD and AWD vehicles in particular. See our transmission and drivetrain page.

Suspension and steering

Suspension inspection from $75 with a written report, shock and strut replacement from $395 with a warranty on parts and labor, plus tie rods, ball joints, control arms, and bushings. Frost heave, washboard dirt, and potholed spring roads work suspension components hard, and the first sign is usually uneven tire wear rather than a noise.

Batteries and electrical

Battery testing is part of our full maintenance service, and we handle battery replacement along with charging system and electrical system diagnostics. A January no-start is not always the battery, and the point of testing is to find out which it is before you buy a part you did not need.

Custom builds and aftermarket

Custom and aftermarket work is one of our five core areas: front and rear bumpers, LED headlight conversions, tail light upgrades, lighting packages, suspension modifications, wheels and tires, interior accessories, and complete builds. Fabrication and fitting work needs a fixed shop and it is a large part of what we do.

Pre-purchase inspections

Our pre-purchase inspection covers engine, transmission, brakes, suspension, electrical systems, and undercarriage, with a written report. We have no stake in whether you buy the vehicle, so the report says what we actually found. On anything that has wintered in Teton County we look hard at undercarriage corrosion and brake line pitting.

We work on Toyota, Subaru, Ford, Chevrolet, Jeep, Ram, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Audi, among others. Estimates are free, repairs carry a warranty on parts and labor, and everything is backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. First-time customers get 10% off any maintenance service, and our membership tiers add priority scheduling and up to 15% off service across all four Detail Driven shops.

A great deal of mechanical work simply needs a vehicle up in the air, in one place, for longer than a visit. Here is what our shop lets us take on.

• Wheel alignment. Camber, caster, and toe measured against factory specification on a fixed, calibrated rack, with before and after numbers.
• Transmission, clutch, differential, and transfer case work. Jobs that need a lift and sustained overhead access, sometimes across more than one day.
• Extended brake system work. Particularly line replacement, where corroded hard lines have to be routed and bled properly.
• Full undercarriage inspection. A real issue on any vehicle that has spent winters on salted Teton County roads, and something you can only assess properly with the vehicle raised and good light.
• Custom and aftermarket fabrication. Bumpers, lighting, and build work that needs tools, power, and space.
• Anything where the vehicle needs to stay put while a part comes in, which in this valley can mean waiting on a delivery over a pass.

It also means your service history lives in one place. When a vehicle comes back to us we can see what we did last time, what we flagged and left, and what has changed since, which is how you catch a pattern rather than treating each visit as new.

We publish the details up front instead of holding them back until you are on the phone.

Where and when

• 940 W Broadway, Jackson, WY 83001.
• Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
• Call (307) 249-8741 or use our contact form.

Starting prices, published

• Oil and filter change from $95, full maintenance from $195, major service from $495.
• Seasonal tire swap $160.
• Diagnostic scan from $95, comprehensive diagnostics from $195.
• Wheel alignment from $195, suspension inspection from $75, shocks and struts from $395.
• Transmission fluid service from $195, drivetrain service from $295.

What comes with the work

• Free written estimates before anything begins.
• A warranty on parts and labor, explained up front.
• A 100% satisfaction guarantee.
• 10% off any maintenance service for first-time customers.
• Membership from $150 to $350 a month with priority scheduling and up to 15% off service across all four Detail Driven shops.
• Business fleet accounts. Contact us to set one up.

The job needs a lift or an alignment rack. Alignment, drivetrain work, extended brake repair, and undercarriage work are what our bays exist for.

You want the whole vehicle handled in one place. Diagnostics, brakes, maintenance, tires and alignment, transmission, suspension, and custom work under one roof, on one service history.

You want custom or aftermarket work done. Bumpers, lighting, suspension modifications, and full builds, by the same shop that services the vehicle.

You are buying a used vehicle. An independent pre-purchase inspection before the money moves.

You want to see a price before you commit. Our starting prices are published on this site, and the written estimate is free.

You want the rest of the valley's car problems solved too. The Garage sits alongside Auto Spa by Detail Driven for detailing and ceramic coatings, Mike's Body Shop for collision repair, and Windshield Doctor for auto glass. Four shops, one group, one set of people who already know your vehicle.

These questions follow the Federal Trade Commission's consumer guidance in its "Auto Repair Basics" article. Ask them of us as readily as of anyone.

1. How do you price your work? The FTC notes some shops charge a flat rate for labor based on an estimate of the time a repair should take, and others charge for the actual time worked. Both are normal, and knowing which helps you read the bill.
2. Can I have a written estimate? The FTC says it should identify the condition to be repaired, the parts needed, and the anticipated labor charge, and you should get a signed copy. Ours are free.
3. Will you call before exceeding it? The FTC guidance says the estimate should state that the shop will contact you for approval before doing work beyond a specified amount of time or money. We call.
4. Is there a diagnostic charge? Many shops charge for diagnostic time. Ask whether it still applies if you have the repair done somewhere else.
5. What is the warranty, in writing? The FTC states plainly that there is no standard warranty on repairs, and that you should understand what is covered and get it in writing. Our repairs carry a warranty on parts and labor.
6. Which parts are you using? The FTC classifies parts as new, remanufactured or rebuilt or reconditioned, and salvage. Ask which and why. We use OEM and quality aftermarket parts and we will tell you which.
7. Can this job be done the way you work? Some jobs need a lift, an alignment rack, or the vehicle left overnight. A straight answer saves everyone a wasted trip. We have all three.
8. What do I get afterward? A completed repair order listing each repair, the parts supplied, the cost of each part, labor charges, and odometer readings.

If a shop cannot answer those clearly, that is worth knowing before you leave a vehicle with anyone.