Automotive in Mounds View

With five locations open seven days a week, Tires Plus is quick to set ailing cars on the mend. Since 1983, its expert staff has not only stocked tires from names such as BFGoodrich and Michelin but also performed countless tune-ups on ailing vehicles. Its services cover everything from a standard oil change to the replacement of sputtering transmissions or the aging radio personality that lives behind your speakers.

The certified technicians at Victory Auto Service & Glass dish out oil changes and winter auto checkups with award-winning ethics and a reputation for excellent hospitality. As customers watch from cozy waiting areas, car bellies are drained of old oil and stale Mellow Yellow seeping through dashboard heating vents. Then, 5 quarts of standard motor oil quenches parched engines (synthetic oil is available at an extra cost). Meanwhile, the hazards of winter roads get minimized with the 50-point Peace of Mind inspection. In about 20 minutes, important vehicle vitals are checked, including exhaust systems, tire pressure, and dashboard lights. Inspections comb most major automotive functions—including break lines, shocks, and all fluids—determining each element as passing, in need of future attention, in need of immediate attention, or in need of a hug. Victory Auto Service & Glass covers all of its new parts and labor with a two-year, 24,000-mile warranty.

In 1952, after years of ferrying car batteries to wholesalers throughout Dallas in his trusty red Studebaker pickup truck, John Searcy opened a shop of his own. Now a national franchise with more than 300 locations, Interstate All Battery Center powers up gadgets from a catalog of more than 16,000 batteries. Specialized cells from an array of brands including Apple, Motorola, and Creative Labs power home electronics, including the cell phones and singing wall fish that run constantly in most modern households. Cordless tools purr warmly, and medical equipment, such as hearing aids and wheelchairs, continue their crucial functions with fresh energy. The shop also powers up vehicles from golf carts to vintage cars to RVs with batteries from Audi and other companies. The staff collects and recycles upward of 850 million pounds of batteries each year.

Deion, Chris, and the crew of mechanics at Perfect 10 Quick Lube stand by seven days a week, waiting readily to give sanctuary to cars in need of maintenance and repair. Techs keep the garage stocked with Pennzoil and Shell motor oils in order to cool down the tension between sputtering engines and hotheaded pistons. Bays hoist cars into the air so that mechanics can inspect, clean, and service their undersides. In addition to maintenance, car washes keep cars looking as clean as a whistling cat, and the waiting room gives motorists a break from the driver's seat with comfortable chairs, a TV, and a selection of auto accessories.

For more than 35 years, the highly trained technicians at Precision Tune Auto Care have been the sworn enemy of check-engine lights around the globe, battling auto troubles with a full array of maintenance and repair services. They tackle problems both cosmetic and mechanical on sedans, SUVs, minivans, and even hybrids, which require special care since they’re half car and half human. From 350 locations in six countries, these car clinicians hone their expertise by servicing 2.5 million vehicles each year.