Motta Auto Repair started with a single bay, a toolbox, and the belief that East Side Detroit deserved a mechanic who actually cared. Two decades later, we're still here — and we're still doing it the same way.
Salvatore Motta opened the shop in 2004 after 18 years working for someone else. He'd spent two decades fixing every car that came through the door — and watching customers get taken for a ride on things they didn't need. He wanted to do it differently. Cheaper when it should be cheaper. Honest when it would be easier not to be. Word got around fast on the East Side.
The shop started in a two-bay garage on East 7 Mile with just Sal and one helper. Today it's a six-bay facility with a full team — but the philosophy hasn't moved an inch.
Trust is the only thing you can't replace. A customer who comes back because they were treated right is worth more than a hundred who came in once and never returned. We don't upsell. We don't push work you don't need. And if we can't fix something, we tell you — and point you to someone who can.
We've turned away work because the customer needed something other than what we do. We'd rather send someone to the right place than watch them get overcharged for the wrong fix.
Sal's son Anthony started sweeping floors at 14, working his way up to full mechanic by 22. His daughter Maria handles scheduling, estimates, and makes sure every customer knows exactly what's happening with their car. It's a family shop in the real sense — not a marketing angle.
Customers have been bringing their cars here for three generations now. A guy who first came in with his father's Buick now brings his teenage daughter's Honda. That's the kind of loyalty you earn by not screwing people.
We're at 18421 E 7 Mile, Detroit. Stop by, meet the team, get an estimate. No appointment needed for basic questions.