Family-run garage · Five Points, Raleigh
Sunday Garage has looked after Raleigh’s cars since 1998. We explain what we find in plain words, show you the old parts, and call before any work you haven’t approved.
★★★★★ASE-certified technicians · 3-year / 36,000-mile warranty · 4.9 from 640+ neighbours
Free coffee, always
Rides home within 5 miles
Not sure what’s wrong?
Cars talk. Tap the sound yours is making and we’ll tell you what it usually means, how soon to come in, and roughly what it costs to fix — before you even pick up the phone.
Not on the list? Describe it in your own words when you book — “sad whale” and “angry popcorn” are both perfectly good descriptions.
A thin, high squeal as you press the pedal is usually the little wear tab on your brake pads saying they are getting thin. It is meant to be annoying, so you book before it turns into grinding.
Usually it’s
Pads worn down to the wear tab · Glazed pads or rotors · Dust or light rust after rain
How soon
Book in the next week or two
Safe to drive gently. If the squeal turns into a grind, come in sooner.
Rough price, parts and labour
$160 – $420
A metal-on-metal grind or growl usually means the pads are worn through and the backing plate is cutting into the rotor. Every stop makes the repair bigger — and the car takes longer to stop.
Usually it’s
Pads worn to the metal · Scored or warped rotors · A stone caught behind the rotor shield
How soon
Come in now
Drive gently and straight to us, or call and we will arrange a tow.
Rough price, parts and labour
$280 – $650
A dull clunk or knock over speed bumps and potholes is usually something in the suspension that has worn loose: a sway-bar link, a strut mount or a ball joint.
Usually it’s
Worn sway-bar links · Tired strut mounts · Loose or worn ball joints
How soon
Book soon
Rarely urgent, but a worn ball joint can affect the steering. Let us take a look.
Rough price, parts and labour
$180 – $650
A whine or groan that rises as you turn the wheel usually comes from the power steering working too hard — fluid that is low, a pump that is tired, or a belt that slips.
Usually it’s
Low power-steering fluid · A worn steering pump · A glazed or loose belt
How soon
Book soon
Heavy steering or a puddle under the front means come in sooner.
Rough price, parts and labour
$90 – $780
One click, or a rapid clicking, when you turn the key usually means the starter is not getting enough power — most often a tired battery or a corroded cable.
Usually it’s
A weak or old battery · Corroded or loose terminals · A worn starter motor
How soon
Come in this week
A jump-start will usually get you here, and we test the battery for free.
Rough price, parts and labour
Free test · $169 – $560
A hiss after you park is often coolant or a vacuum hose. If you see steam, smell something sweet, or the temperature gauge climbs, pull over and let it cool.
Usually it’s
A leaking coolant hose · A cracked vacuum line · An engine running hot
How soon
Come in now if it runs hot
Overheating can damage an engine in minutes. If the gauge climbs, stop and call us.
Rough price, parts and labour
$120 – $650
Not a noise, but we hear about it a lot. A sharp burnt smell is often oil dripping on the hot exhaust; a hot-carpet smell can be a sticking brake; sweet steam is coolant.
Usually it’s
An oil leak onto the exhaust · A dragging brake caliper · A slipping clutch or belt
How soon
Come in now
If you see smoke, pull over, switch off and call us. Do not open a smoking hood.
Rough price, parts and labour
$95 – $600
A shimmy in the steering wheel around 55 to 70 mph is most often a wheel out of balance. Shaking that gets worse when you brake points to warped rotors.
Usually it’s
Wheels out of balance · A damaged or bulging tire · Warped brake rotors
How soon
Book soon
Slow down and look for bulges on the tires. Balancing usually fixes it the same day.
Rough price, parts and labour
$60 – $480
Services
Every visit includes a free 21-point check — tires, brakes, fluids, lights and wipers — written up in plain words.
Synthetic or conventional in the grade your manual asks for, a new filter and every fluid topped up. The next date goes on a sticker, not on your memory.
From $59 · about 30 min
Pads and rotors measured and shown to you before anything is sold. Quiet, smooth stops — and the old parts in a bag if you want to see them.
From $189 an axle · about 90 min
Rotations, flat repairs and new tires for any budget, mounted and balanced, every lug nut torqued by hand.
Rotation $29 · about 30 min
We read the codes, then test until we find the cause — not just the symptom — and explain it in plain words with a price.
Diagnosis $119 · about 1 hr
Cold air in July, warm air in January. Leak tests, recharges, blower motors and the smell that comes out of the vents.
Check $89 · about 1 hr
A five-minute test of the battery, starter and alternator, free. If it needs replacing, we fit it and recycle the old one.
Free test · fitted from $169
Clunks, wandering and bouncy rides: struts, shocks, tie rods and ball joints, checked on the lift and explained.
Inspection $49 · about 45 min
Safety and emissions inspections while you have a coffee. If something fails, we show you why and price the fix.
$30 with emissions · 30 min
How a visit works
Book online or call. Describe the noise, the light or the feeling — or just tell us it’s due. No car words required.
A technician inspects the car and texts you photos with a written price. Nothing happens until you say yes.
Quality parts, fitted properly, with the old ones saved for you to see. Most jobs are done the same day.
We walk you through what we did and hand you the keys, the invoice and a coffee for the road.
Our promises
Everything we replace comes back to you in a bag, so you can see exactly why.
Written estimates with photos, by text. The bill matches the estimate. Every time.
On parts and labour for our repairs, written on every invoice.
Our shuttle gets you to work or home in Five Points, Hayes Barton and Oakwood.
Local beans, a comfy couch, fast Wi-Fi and a kids’ corner in the waiting room.
Prices
For most cars and light trucks, before tax. Bigger engines and special parts can cost more — you’ll see it on the estimate, never as a surprise.
$79
Up to 5 qt, filter, top-ups
$59
Up to 5 qt, filter, top-ups
$29
All four, pressures set
from $189
Per axle, rotors measured
$119
Credited to the repair
$89
Leak test and pressures
Free
Battery, starter, alternator
$119
Four-wheel, before & after
$30
Safety and emissions
$35
A pair, fitted for you
Neighbour favourite
$19 a month
Cancel any time. Most members save over $150 a year.
Neighbours say
Marisol walked me out to the lift and showed me exactly why my brakes were squealing. Fair price, done by lunch, and the coffee is genuinely good.
I described the noise as “a sad whale” on the phone. Jalen only laughed a little, and they found a worn steering belt in twenty minutes.
They told me not to do the $900 repair another shop had quoted. It was a $40 sensor. Customer for life.
Dropped the truck off before work, had photos and a price by ten, picked it up at five. The easiest repair I have ever had.
Walt still remembers the first Volvo I brought here in 2004. Three cars later, I would not go anywhere else.
Our crew
Named for the day Walt first opened the doors in 1998 — and for how your car should feel when you drive it home: easy.
Owner · ASE Master Technician
Took the keys from her dad in 2012. Still does the trickiest diagnoses herself, and still answers the phone on Saturdays.
Founder · semi-retired
Opened Sunday Garage in 1998 with two bays and a coffee pot. Comes in on Tuesdays to tell everyone how it used to be done.
Service advisor
The friendly voice on the phone. Jalen texts your photos and estimate, books your ride home and remembers your dog’s name.
Visit
418 Bramble Street, Raleigh, NC 27608
Open six days a week
It helps — booking holds a bay and a technician for you. But if something feels wrong, come by anyway. We will always take a quick look.
Can I wait while you work?For oil changes, rotations, batteries and inspections, yes. The coffee is free and the couch is comfy. For longer jobs we will give you a ride.
Will you call before doing extra work?Always. You get photos and a written price by text, and nothing is done until you say yes. “No thanks” is a perfectly good answer.
Will servicing here affect my factory warranty?No. Federal law lets you have your car maintained at any qualified shop. We follow your maker’s schedule and record every visit.
Do you work on hybrids and EVs?Yes — brakes, tires, suspension, A/C and the 12-volt system on hybrids and electric cars, by technicians trained for high-voltage safety.
What does your warranty cover?Parts and labour on our repairs for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Keep the invoice; we keep a copy too.
Do you do NC state inspections?Yes, safety and emissions, usually while you wait. If something fails, we explain why and give you a price to fix it — no pressure.
Book a visit
Tell us about the car and when suits you. We’ll call back within the hour during opening times to confirm — and you’ll know the price before we start.