Phoenix Auto Repair

SHOCKTOBER is HERE... Randy, Jake and Lori had a great time making a quick video to explain... How to Know When You Need New Shocks or Struts!  Share with your friends who are not yet a part of the National Automotive Repair Family! https://youtu.be/9rF8ierK0BU

ARIZONA ADVENTURE w/ Lori & RandyPRESCOTT And that would be “Preskitt” if you are a local! Prescott is just 1.5 hours north of Phoenix and has a western, cowboy feel to it.  It was the state Capital of the Arizona Territory twice. We love heading “ up the hill” to our sister town in Yavapai County, to cooler weather and fun times. There is always something to do in this small quaint town. With its natural beauty being set in the Bradshaw Mountains, there are HUNDREDS of hiking trails, camping, horseback riding, golf courses and quading opportunities. Lots of lakes too for fishing such as Lynx and Goldwater. With the infamous “Whiskey Row”, a red light district until the mid 50’s, there are plenty social opportunities available with the many historic bars, choices of restaurants, shops and events in the town square that houses the Historic Courthouse built in 1916. So head “up the hil ... read more

Downtown Flagstaff is a place we love to visit, especially during the hot summer months! Downtown is the best place to people watch, grab a drink, a bite to eat and listen to outdoor musicians. The variety of places to enjoy are vast. My favorite boutique is Shoes and Such; for obvious reasons! There is a way cool thrift/costume store called “Incahoots Vintage Clothing Store” on East Aspen. Always a great variety of vintage clothing, jewelry and costumes for any occasions. We personally LOVE the historic hotels in the area as well. The Weatherford opened up for business in 1900 where you can stay, dine or just have a drink on the 2nd floor patio that overlooks the downtown area. The Hotel Monte Vista is another favorite, built in 1927. The cocktail lounge is a must stop with its red colored walls and smoky dark feel. Randy’s favorite stop is the Flagstaff Brewing Company on Route 66. Every weekend there is a band playing outdoors where you can enj ... read more

ON THE ROAD AGAIN... The road up the mountain to Crown King can be driven with a car or truck but we feel the best way up is in a quad or razor………….FUN, FUN, FUN! In early March, 26 of us headed north from our home in Black Canyon City. Some were in quads, some in razors and thank God some in trucks, aka the Chuck Wagons (carrying the necessary food and beverages for the trip). Our first stop was Antelope Falls that is connected to a creek in Old Cordes close to Bumble Bee. There is a 75 foot waterfall and below it is a large natural swimming pool. Close to the falls are remnants of a small stone home and also a way cool outcropping full of Petroglyphs. This is a great place to stop for a break and light lunch. Next stop is the world famous Cleator Bar and Yacht Club. Cleator was established in 1864 as a placer gold mining site. The AZ Cleator family has been connected to this venue and community since 1925.The Bar and Yacht Club is a mus ... read more

National Automotive Repair Launches the “Vintage Division” While celebrating the 20th Anniversary of NAR, Randy McLaughlin and staff were also launching the companies new “Vintage Division”. The Vintage Division will be providing premier auto repair for all makes and models of Classic cars. Randy started his business as a back yard mechanic working on these types of vehicles in his early years. He then progressed to completing all educational programs at Arizona Automotive Institute and followed up with the credential of Master Mechanic thru ASE. Now that son Jake is being groomed to take on a stronger role of running the business Randy has been able to return to his passion of working on classic cars. The Classic Car owner is a proud and particular owner. Once they started seeing vintage vehicles on NAR’s lot, phone calls started coming in inquiring about auto repair for their precious possessions. It is not unusual to have 3-6 of these ... read more

Thanks to everyone who helped National Automotive Repair Celebrate 20 Years of Serving the Community and Launching the “Vintage Division”…………   Randy McLaughlin and staff would like to extend their deep appreciation to all who came out to celebrate the 20th anniversary of National Automotive Repair. On Saturday May 13th, Randy and son Jake McLaughlin, hosted an afternoon of fun with their valued customers, family, friends and business peers. The crowd was estimated to be around 150 thru out the day. https://youtu.be/X--PLdussyo This was also an opportunity to officially launch  National Automotive Repair’s (NAR) “Vintage Division”; the elite auto repair shop for vintage and classic vehicle owners. Over twenty of their classic car customers participated by volunteering to bring in their vintage vehicles to put on an amazing car show for all to remember. In addition to the fun, NA ... read more

Imagine: you pour a tablespoon of water in your hand and throw it as hard as you can. Now, suppose you suck up a tablespoon of water into a syringe, push the plunger and squirt it out. Which would go further? Of course it’s the water squirting out of the syringe. That’s because you pressurized the water. Your power brake system is kind of the same thing. When you step on the brake pedal, the master cylinder pressurizes brake fluid which actuates the brakes so you can stop. Phoenix car owners who don’t have enough pressure – can’t stop.   https://youtu.be/DoXkPrGsTnI A leak in your brake system would diminish – or even eliminate – your stopping power. Brake fluid attracts moisture which can cause dangerous leak-inducing corrosion. So a great way for Phoenix car owners to keep their brake fluid free of contaminants is to change it as recommended. This should be checked when your brakes are being s ... read more

A MUST DO IN ARIZONA... Tucson is an amazing smaller city about 2.5 hours south of Phoenix. Its natural beauty reminds me of Black Canyon City as it is surrounded by four mountain ranges; The Tucson Mountains are a minor mountain range west of Tucson, the Santa Catalina Mountains lie to the northeast, the Rincon Mountains are to the east of Tucson, and the Santa Rita Mountains lie to the south. Because Tucson gets more rain then Phoenix it is lush in green vegetation. Mount Lemmon, with a summit elevation of 9,159 feet is the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains. We highly recommend a drive up this scenic mountain to the town of summer haven. This amazing one hour drive will take you thru six various ecosystems!  It is a small, quaint town near the top of the mountain that is a summer residence for many but there are some year round residents as well. We loved seeing streams of water finding its way down the mountain on the sides of the road thru the lus ... read more

  Are you driving around with your light on? All of today’s cars have an onboard computer that monitors several systems on your vehicle and gathers information from several sensors such as the engine and then processes this information and controls several engine functions and components, such as fuel mixture, ignition timing, etc. When one of these components or sensors malfunctions, the computer may go into what is called a “limp mode”, and will have a limited control of the engine components & performance. When this happens, you  may experience poor fuel economy and/or rough idle and poor performance. Also, your check engine light will come on. This is not a call for immediate alarm, so long as all your gauges are in the normal range. Seek service at your first opportunity with us at National Automotive Repair. If left alone for too long it can start to cause other problems or damage. 

National Automotive Repair would like to congratulate Jessica D who won our "World's Best Mom" contest for 2016!  Jessica won a beautiful Harveys tote as our grand prize winner.  Thank you to all who participated in our contest! Here is a picture of Jessica, her son and her mother. Jessica wrote the following heartfelt tribute about her mother. "I love my mom. She deserves to be recognized for her hospitality and courage.  She's the best mother any daughter could ask for. She has raised me to be the best mom I can be for my son. She is very caring, loving, nurturing, and also the best Grandma ever. She has always been there for me whenever I needed her the most. She is a beautiful woman inside and out. I couldn't ask for a better mom." Mother's Day is a wonderful time to celebrate motherhood, maternal bonds and the influence of mothers in our society.  Whether you are celebrating a mother, mother figure, grandmot ... read more