Coon Rapids Auto Repair

Next used vehicle purchase, what should it be ?   Aaron Strand, Owner of Minnesota Automotive, has 30 years in the auto repair business gives his do’s and don't s … There are so many choices out there, how do we know which vehicle to pick ? Number 1 for most customers is budget and cost of ownership. There is a lot of misinformation when it comes to cost of ownership. In general the Auto Industry want’s you to believe there vehicle has lower cost of ownership by pushing the recommend maintenance to be longer and longer, pushing 10,000 mile oil changes and lifetime transmissions. Well that might work for customer at first when they’re the first owner and trade the vehicle in before it’s at 100k miles. This is bad for the second owner of the vehicle may have many major repair bill’s as the vehicle has not been maintenance-ted well or enough. With the complex engines in the new vehicles oil changes and general maintenance is more ... read more

Ev’s The band wagon Lets face facts the EV’s are coming and are already here. The band wagon say’s lets buy an all Electric vehicle to save the environment. I say let’s take a closer look? Pro’s: To buying the all electric vehicle. No gas, charging cost is about 1/3 of the cost of gasoline, if you charge from home. No tail pipe emissions and way less maintenance. This is a really a good idea if your in the smog capital of Los Angles, CA. Where the smog is bad; because the mountains hold the environmental air in. There is definitely a need to reduce exhaust from all industry's, In that part of California, that is were the feel good environment stuff ends. Con’s: Where do we start ? There is so much, lets start with the cost, of the vehicle. Full electric vehicles are out of the price range of most new vehicle buyer’s, about 1/3 higher then the price of a gas engine vehic ... read more

Who makes the best battery for your money?  At Minnesota Automotive we replace hundreds of vehicle batteries per year. Why is imported to have a good battery in your vehicle? New vehicles now day’s have between 50 to 100 computers modules in the vehicle with the need for a higher reserve capacity. We see many customers having erroneous codes and battery codes when the battery is at the end of it’s life or just not big enough for the vehicle. Now many new vehicles also have to be programmed for the new battery, or the new battery just installed will most likely shorten the life of the new battery with old charging strategy put into the battery from the engine computer. It’s better left to the experts like at Minnesota Automotive to make sure the right battery is installed and the engine computer is programmed for the new battery. According to Consumer Reports April 2023 report. The NAPA Legend battery blue label group 24 is the bes ... read more

As we try to make our vehicles last longer then ever in the midwest, we find the drive train holds as the body's fall aport all around us. Why should we rust proof a vehicle ? I come with a Public Works back ground here in the Twin Cities of Minnesota where we love to use salt and calcium chlorde to melt the snow and ice on the roads in the winter. Which works good for that but is horrable for the body and  frame of your vehicle. The road cemicals get into the vehicle metal and causes oxidation ( red or brown flaking ). Over time time this damages the vehicle structure and other componits like fuel and brake lines.  To stop the oxidation from happing we need to keep the road cemicals off the metal. We do this with paint and other tretments, yet the vehicles still get rust over time and starts falling apart till they are not safe to drive anymore. Most of us want to keep the vehicle nice to get the most for them at trade in or sale, or drive them for 15 to ... read more

We got a new look! Minnesota Automotive Inc. of Coon Rapids, Minnesota, has launched a new website. We understand that the web is taking over how our customers are looking for businesses and services. Our goal is to make sure that our quality auto repair services can be easily found on the web! Feel free to browse around our new website and let us know what you think. Please come back frequently to check out the latest news, photos, advice & promotions. By taking your vehicle to a NAPA AutoCare Center, you’re getting the best of both worlds. All AutoCare Centers are independently owned shops that take pride in their communities and customers while still being backed up by a national warranty and the trusted NAPA brand