AI Chatbot for Auto Repair Shops
Answer estimate, drop-off, and check engine light questions from your own price list, even after hours. Capture the year, make, model, and symptom, then book the visit.
Free plan. Pro $19/month, Business $59/month, 30-day trial on paid plans. Setup takes about 2 minutes from your website URL.
What does an AI chatbot do for an auto repair shop?
An AI chatbot for an auto repair shop answers price, drop-off, warranty, and "do you work on my car" questions from the shop's own price list, collects the vehicle and symptom, and books the drop-off while the service writers stay on the shop floor.
Auto repair shops have a specific problem: customers do not know what they need. They describe symptoms ("my car makes a clunking noise when I brake"), not services ("I need new brake pads and rotors"). Your service writers spend a large part of the day translating those descriptions into repair work, when they could be building work orders and moving cars through the bays. Chatonbo gives your shop website an AI assistant that asks the questions a good service writer asks, quotes the prices you have published (oil change, brake pads, diagnostic fee), tells the visitor whether you work on their make, and books a drop-off. It speaks plain English, knows your hours and your warranty terms, and captures the year, make, model, mileage, symptom, and urgency so the work order is half written before the car arrives. Visitors who share a phone number are saved as leads, and anyone who asks for a person is handed to your team. Setup takes about 2 minutes from your website URL, and it replies in 50+ languages, which matters when a good share of your customers prefer Spanish. The result is faster intake, fewer phone calls about prices, and more booked work.
Questions people ask on an auto repair shop website
The real questions, and how the assistant should answer each one once it has your pages.
1.How much is a brake job?
Ideal answer: Quote the front and rear brake prices from your price list, say the final number depends on inspection, and ask for the year, make, and model.
2.Can I drop my car off today?
Ideal answer: State today's hours and whether same-day drop-off is offered, then ask for the car, the issue, and a phone number, or open the booking link.
3.Do you give free estimates?
Ideal answer: Answer yes or no from your policy page, name the diagnostic fee if there is one and whether it is credited to the repair.
4.My check engine light came on, what does it mean?
Ideal answer: Explain that the light needs a scan to read the code, quote your diagnostic fee, and offer a drop-off time. No remote diagnosis.
5.Do you work on BMWs / diesels / hybrids?
Ideal answer: Confirm from your services page which makes and engine types you service, and mention any specialty.
6.Is the repair covered by a warranty?
Ideal answer: State your parts and labor warranty terms exactly as published (months and miles).
7.Do you have a loaner car or a shuttle?
Ideal answer: Answer from your amenities page (loaner, shuttle, waiting room, after-hours key drop) and any conditions.
8.How long will an oil change take?
Ideal answer: Give your typical wait time, say whether walk-ins are accepted, and offer to book a slot.
What a good answer looks like
Three example exchanges from an auto repair shop assistant. Prices and names are illustrative; yours come from your own pages.
My brakes are squealing when I stop, how much to fix?
Squealing usually means the pads are worn. Front brake pad replacement here is $180 to $320 depending on the vehicle, parts and labor included. If the rotors need work, that adds $150 to $300. The exact number comes after a free brake inspection. What year, make, and model is the car? I can book you an inspection slot.
Do you do oil changes for diesel trucks?
Yes, we service diesel trucks. A diesel oil change is $99 to $179 depending on engine size and oil type. We also do fuel filters and DPF cleaning. Walk-ins take about 45 minutes, or you can drop off and we text you when it is ready. Want me to book a time?
Check engine light came on, can I bring it in tomorrow?
Yes, we do same-day diagnostics for check engine lights. The basic code scan is free, and if a deeper diagnosis is needed it is $89, credited toward the repair. Can I get your name, phone number, and the year, make, and model? I will book you for tomorrow morning.
What to feed the assistant
It only answers from what you give it. For an auto repair shop, these are the pages and documents that matter.
- 1
Your price list for common jobs: oil change, brakes, tires, diagnostics
- 2
Hours, address, and after-hours key drop instructions
- 3
Services and makes page (what you do and do not work on)
- 4
Warranty and estimate policy
- 5
A Calendly or Cal.com link for drop-off bookings
- 6
Your FAQ or the questions your service writers answer most
Paste your website URL and the pages are crawled automatically. Anything not on the site (a price sheet, a policy document) can be uploaded as a PDF or typed in as a Q&A. If a price or policy is missing, the assistant says it does not know and offers to take the visitor's details instead of guessing.
What 5,470 real website chats show
From our study of website chat conversations across 246 live assistants, June to September 2026.
In 5,470 real website chats we analyzed, 39% started outside 9 to 18 local time and 24.7% happened on a weekend, which is exactly when a driver notices squealing brakes and your phone goes to voicemail. On service business sites, 18.3% of chats ended with the visitor leaving contact details.
Source: What shoppers ask an AI chat assistant: 5,470 conversations analyzed (2026)
Where an auto repair shop loses enquiries
Service Writers Stuck on Phones
A large part of the day goes to "how much is X?" calls instead of building work orders and managing the shop floor.
Vague Symptom Descriptions
Customers describe noises and feelings, not parts. Without a structured intake, your team has to ask ten questions to understand the issue.
After-Hours Booking Lost
People notice their brakes are bad on a Sunday drive. Without instant booking, they call the next shop first thing Monday morning.
What it will not do
The assistant cannot diagnose a car remotely. It can explain what a symptom usually points to and quote your diagnostic fee, but it will not name a repair or a final price until a technician has seen the vehicle. It only quotes prices you have given it, so without a price list it will offer a drop-off instead of a number. It cannot see your schedule unless you connect a Calendly or Cal.com booking link through the Booking Agent, and it hands the conversation to your team the moment someone asks for a person.
AI chatbot questions from auto repair shops
Will the chatbot give exact repair prices?+
It quotes only the prices you give it, such as your published rates for oil changes, brakes, tires, and diagnostics. For anything that needs inspection it gives your range or your diagnostic fee and books a drop-off, so quotes stay accurate and trust stays intact.
Can it book drop-off appointments?+
Yes. Connect a Calendly or Cal.com link on the Booking Agent and the assistant offers real slots in the chat. Without a booking link it collects the car details, the issue, and a phone number, and saves them as a lead for your service writer.
Does it work with my shop management system?+
Every captured lead and booking request can be sent by webhook to the tools you already use, including HubSpot, Zoho, Zendesk, and Slack. Most shop management systems accept webhooks or connect through a Zapier-style automation.
Does it speak Spanish?+
Yes. The assistant detects the visitor's language and replies in it, in 50+ languages, from the same English price list and pages you provide.
How much does it cost for a single-location shop?+
There is a free plan to start. Pro is $19 per month and Business is $59 per month, both with a 30-day trial. Setup takes about 2 minutes from your website URL.
Related for auto repair shops
Booking Agent
Offers real drop-off slots from your Calendly or Cal.com calendar inside the chat.
Support Agent
Handles the "what does this light mean" and warranty questions from your own pages.
Not an auto repair shop? See all industries or the small business overview.
Put an AI assistant on your auto repair shop website
Paste your URL, check the answers, add the one-line embed. About 2 minutes. Free plan to start, 30-day trial on Pro and Business.
Build your auto repair shop assistant