Elmers Automotive And Towing, Bradenton FL

Asked for a car towed to a local mechanic shop I know and they performed. And I was at work lol. So I was really appreciative. Thanks again. Would recommend, just was a little pricey. Vs others.

BEWARE! My elderly MIL took her car here for a check engine light. John the owner took advantage of her and did unnecessary and unrelated repairs without her clear permission or a signed estimate! He took her car hostage and wouldn’t release it until the bill was paid ($1,600). The police were involved and interviewed all parties involved- they also agreed he took advantage of her but they said it was a civil dispute at this point. His reasoning for doing the unrelated repairs was that “the parts were old and it was going to need to be done at some point anyway. ” This is not a reason to do repairs without written permission, especially at that price for an elderly person! My husband had to ultimately go and pay the bill which we were able to get down to $1,300 just to get her car back. Do NOT trust them and be careful they don’t do unnecessary costly repairs!

Recently had a flat tire on my vehicle, I have AAA so they had Elmers come out to tow my car back to my home. Did not notice any problems with them while they were loading my car onto the flatbed. While they were driving my car off the flatbed, they scraped my car so bad that my front bumper moved. Then the lady who was parking my car must have not been paying attention, she pulled too far up and my car scraped the parking block. My car then got stuck on the parking block. She backed the car up and now my bumper is hanging a little, my car is all scraped at the bottom and there was a rod that was part of the parking stopper that ripped the metal on the bottom of my car. After she reparked my car, she looked under my car and told me nothing was wrong with the car and that it was not damaged.

Starter went bad it was diagnosed and fixed in a day. Excellent experience very friendly above and beyond. I will return.

Was supposed to come tow my truck through AAA! NEVER SHOWED UP AND NEVER CALLED ME LIKE THE DRIVER WAS SUPPOSED TO!

Literally just called them to get my vehicle out and the guy answers the phone.
“They aren’t in and I don’t know anything… call back Monday “
Great free extra days of $ because I can’t get simple questions answered
Disabled Veteran of Iraq and Afghan and this is causing problems calling and calling and nothing getting done … oh cash only is what I was told but no price as of today? Hmmm

Nathan was the tow truck driver excellent service was a sweetheart very caring and knowledgeable

I used Elmer's through AAA in an attempt to have my racecar towed to my family mechanic. The driver arrived quickly and was funny and professional. However he said the car was too low to be loaded safely onto the bed.

I was confused because there was roughly 4-5" ground clearance below the front bumper. Last year the car had to be towed when it caught a flat on the way to an event, with an even lower ride height of 2-3" and that driver had no issues or scrapes.

He explained if he even scratches my paint he owes me a paint job. I pointed out how most of my front bumper is spray painted by me "because it's a racecar" and I don't care but he wouldn't budge. I trusted his professional opinion as he is a 24yr veteran in the towing industry.

So while I'd recommend Elmer's for their professionalism and quick service don't bother if it's a lowered car.

Ughhh. I seriously hate complaining, but I just can't let this one slide. I unfortunately had a very frustrating experience today with Elmer's Towing. One of my vehicles had a flat tire, and having no spare available my only other option was to have it towed to a tire shop so the flat could either be repaired or replaced. Since I have a AAA Plus membership (with extended tow mileage), I went ahead and arranged for the tow through them. Because my husband (who happens to be a AAA Roadside Assistant) was working today and unavailable to give me a ride to Tire Kingdom, I knew I was going to have to make arrangements to somehow get myself there so I could drive myself home in the car after the tire is fixed/replaced. I explained my situation to two different AAA representatives who both assured me that it's their policy that if the tow is arranged through AAA, that the tow truck driver offer the member a ride to the repair shop as a courtesy. Not only did these two live representatives assure me of this, but it's even stated in their pre-recorded hold messages as well. I told the last representative I spoke with that I would confirm this with the driver when they called me with an ETA, just to double-check, but again she assured me there was no need to do so, as it's a known policy. So I went ahead and trusted AAA and made no alternate transportation arrangements, and had them dispatch a tow.

I was informed that I would be receiving a call from the tow company with a more exact ETA, and this has always been my experience in the past, but the call never came (so I was unable to confirm the ride situation directly with them). He just shows up and calls to tell me he is here. After getting the car secured, the driver refused to allow me to ride with the car to Tire Kingdom. I explained what AAA had repeatedly told me, and again he says no. I told him that it really puts me in a bind because I didn't make alternate arrangements due to what I was told by AAA. He basically says that it's my problem, that he doesn't know why they keep telling this to people as it's never been something they've done (which by reading the reviews here I can see is inaccurate as multiple people reference getting a ride with the tow truck in their review), and to call an Uber or something (which I have never done before and don't even know how to do). Although not ideal, if he would have at least called me to confirm my details and give me an ETA like he was supposed to, I could have been able to find another way to get there. Now I am left scrambling to find a ride at the last minute. This is unacceptable. If they're going to profit from being affiliated with AAA and the referrals and calls that they send them, they need to follow their policies. On a positive note, I will say that they were prompt, and the driver wasn't rude about it or anything- I'm sure he was probably just doing what he was told to do and that it wasn't anything personal, or at least I'd like to think it wasn't, and I'm sure they have their reasons for not giving rides. It's still just super frustrating as a customer when you don't receive something you were promised and it puts you in a difficult situation as a result, especially when you can see that they've helped others in the past by offering a ride. It makes you question what it is about you personally that is making this person refuse to help. I did contact AAA to let them know so maybe they'll re-evaluate contracting with Elmer's in the future. Seeing as they don't want to follow their policies and all.

Worst experience ever the person who was helping us was trying to be a smart mouth charging people for a tarp that wasn’t even covering the car

I had a problem that they settled and. Cleared up for me.
The office lady, dug deep and found all the info I needed.
They treated me with kindness and understanding.
They handled everything for me and I left knowing that this problem was completely resolved.

What impressed me most is how honest they were I thought there was a lot more wrong with my vehicle then there was they were straightforward with me and treated me really really great they will always be my mechanic when I am in this area

John at Elmer's auto and his whole organization are a class act I am from out of town and I was treated with respect and Fairness and incredible honesty I thought there was much more wrong with my Vehicle then there was I cannot say enough about them they will always be my mechanic when I am down here Sincerely John Murby

Had me back on the road ASAP, very helpful and professional, considering I have no car knowledge, and a very low price! They're great, would use again!

Steve is very knowledgeable about my car issues and takes the time to let me know the problems and the costs. I will continue to bring my vehicle there we needed.

I was stuck on the side of the road since my SUV stop running. I was able to call Elmers Automotive and Towing on a recommendation from another motorist who stopped to help. The tow truck showed up promptly and was very professional. He got me towed to the shop where I was told the alternator was no longer working. I was given a ride home and the next morning my SUV was delivered to me. The price for parts and labor was reasonable and what was quoted. I can not say enough good things about this shop great job.