The Woodlands Auto Repair

Trust is Earned   At Rusty’s Garage, we’ve observed the trend that people are hanging onto their vehicles longer and longer and avoiding the new car lot altogether. This undoubtedly means that finding a  reputable, well-equipped shop is more important than ever.   If you’re new to the Woodlands, TX area, we would welcome you to give our Rusty’s Garage family the opportunity to earn your trust. There are many things that our repeat guests have communicated they are looking for when choosing an auto repair shop and making sure we fit their needs remains our top priority.     Credentials Matter. Having certifications or belonging to professional car repair shop organizations matters to us! We are proud of our AAA affiliation and hiring ASE trained and certified technicians. The learning never stops at Rusty’s Garage and we’re proud of the self-initiative taken with every Rusty’s Gara ... read more

It's a busy weekday morning. You barely get out the door in time, and when you get to the car, start the ignition, and a dashboard warning light comes on- the check engine light. Uh-oh. The check engine light is probably every driver's most hated warning light. It gives no details about what's wrong, and the list of potential problems goes on and on, ranging from minor malfunctions to costly problems. NOTE: If your check engine light comes on and is flashing, this indicates a serious problem and you should get to the nearest auto repair facility immediately. Top 3 Most Common Causes of the Check Engine Light 1.  Oxygen Sensor: The oxygen sensors in your car helps determine how much fuel you burn. A defective oxygen sensor effects mileage calculation and leads to a decrease in fuel economy.  While oxygen sensors are a relatively easy and inexpensive part to replace, failing to replace them in time can eventually destroy your catalytic convert ... read more

Catalytic Converter Thefts    2020/2021 has provided various challenges for many. Our shop is disheartened to see an increasing number of customers coming in needing a Catalytic Converter. Unfortunately, all these customers had one thing in common, each had their vehicle’s Catalytic Converter cut off and stolen right where their car was parked!   Most Automotive professionals know that Catalytic Converter theft is a wide-spread problem. It’s a billion-dollar black market industry that’s destroying the environment and the lives of so many car owners.    Catalytic Converter theft is not partial to solely Toyota, Dodge, Ford, Chevrolet – this form of theft is a problem with many vehicles today, but Prius has been at the forefront of this issue. On top of that, dealers in many instances are on a national backorder of replacement Catalytic Converters and because of this, repairs are taking much longer.   Metal prices have once ag ... read more

    Schedule a visit with your pet’s veterinarian before your trip so your dog has an updated health and vaccine report. Be sure to ask for a physical copy for quick reference to show to the Kennel, Dog Sitter, Hotel, AirBNB, etc. Minimize the unexpected by calling your hotel, AirBNB beforehand. Make sure you know the pet policy and inquire if they charge a fee for pets. If your dog is not accustomed to road trips, you can get them used to it by slowly introducing them to the vehicle. You can introduce them to traveling in small increments, first drive down the street, next drive around the neighborhood, etc. As your dog gets used to being in the car, you can increase your trips across town and on short day trips before finally taking a long road trip with your dog.  Consider Ordering a Back Seat Dog Protector or seat belt attachment to keep them from attempting to distract you while driving. Exhaustion helps. Make sure your dog is exercised before the road t ... read more

Welcome to the March 2021 blog for Rusty's Garage! With Spring approaching and Spring Break almost upon us, it's time people plan road trips out of state for the week.  But we'd argue that Texas has a lot of charm, and consider that there are many great places to visit on your Spring Break. Take a look at this video from C. T. Bauer College of Business for some great getaway ideas for your Texas Spring Break! Here are notes on all the spots covered in the video: Marfa - North of Big Bend, the Marfa lights are famous. Be sure to check out the Prada Marfa sculpture! Dinosaur Valley State Park - Just West of Glen Rose, a state nature park. Come marvel at dinosaur footprints! Texas Chainsaw House - In Kingsland, the house of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre film is now a restaurant you can tour! Cadillac Ranch - This art installation is a monolithic exhibit of half-buried classic Cadillacs and invites you to make your own mark with spray paint. Bartlett - An almo ... read more

Welcome to February! This month has some significant highpoints, like Super Bowl LV and Valentine's Day, and at Rusty's, we hope you make the most of these days with your family and friends. But with Spring coming, one of the issues we feel is essential to address is Tornado Season. Most people think of tornadoes as columns of high wind, but they are much more dangerous than just the concentration of gale-force wind in their appearance.  First of all, tornadoes are incredibly unpredictable. They move erratically and with their own logic. Second, tornadoes are not purely wind. They also carry particles and objects caught in their funnel, moving at incredible speeds. It's like a moveable grenade, capable of tearing you apart with its shrapnel. Take a look at this video from Eustace, just three hours to our direct North. A tornado can suddenly cross your path. I know that many drivers would have taken the chance that the tornado would stay on their right and driven ahe ... read more

Congratulations on making it to 2021! 2020 was so full of bad stuff, I don’t even know where to begin. The Pandemic? The food and toilet paper shortages? Wildfires in the dry plains? Killer Hornets” Still, we can’t call all of 2020 bad. In most people’s lives, there were moments where we found love, or grace, or achieved something we had worked for over a long period of time. Babies were born, families were joined, people earned degrees and diplomas. It had bright moments, and we should honor those parts of 2020 where we succeeded and survived. As we turn towards 2021, we face certain challenges. We’re waiting on the COVID-19 vaccine to help us get out of this mess. We’re dealing with a potential recession. Many Americans are without jobs, and that has cause many Americans to be without homes. There’s a difficult road ahead, of course. But it isn’t facing one’s problems to dwell on the negatives. 2021 is a challenge to us, to mak ... read more

December is here, at last! We’re finally seeing the back of a tumultuous year. 2020 has been mostly fraught with fear, dread, and worry. People will be talking about how bad this year was for generations, from the pandemic to the job losses and homelessness related to COVID19 closings. This year has dragged on and on. We’ve been forced to shelter in isolation, and cancel so many planned outdoor gatherings, reunions, weddings, and family get-togethers. It’s been unfairest to our kids, who had worked so hard at school all year to find themselves sheltered in their homes all summer long. It would be great to be able to finally let a bad year go and look forward to a new year. And despite the worries of a recession to come, and the vaccine for COVID19 not yet being ready, maybe all we can really do in a bad year is set our minds and our energies on a better year, and a better future, for all of us. Dream a Little Dream - We need to keep on dreaming and hoping that the ... read more

November is the season of giving thanks as the year draws to a close… it’s a time to be with our families and celebrate with gratitude for the journey we took together in the past year. And given the events of 2020, it’s an overdue celebration that may still be difficult in some quarters.  The tradition of Thanksgiving began with pilgrims on the Mayflower giving thanks for the end to a rough journey, as they set their eyes for the first time on the shore of Cape Cod. With COVID19 still a daily reality and with some of our family members still highly vulnerable to disease, it’s a coordinated risk just to put the family together for a day. On everyone’s mind this year will be how much they have to be grateful for.  From our jobs managing to reopen after work shut down, to keeping our homes for the people who’s jobs never reopened… to the ones who got sick and managed to pull through, to the ones who managed to stay healthy and safe ... read more

When we think of the care we put into our cars, we sometimes leave an important area alone until it reaches a critical stage: the tires. At Rusty’s Garage, we know the importance of checking your tires. It’s one of the things we keep an eye on every time you come for service. Caring for your tires is obviously very important, because they carry the weight of your car on them. If a tire blows at the wrong moment, you could get into a terrible accident, or flip your car. But they wear at such an even rate over time that we sometimes forget to check them, especially when it’s been awhile between repair services. Rusty’s Garage highly recommends you bring your car by our shop, or at very least, look into these elements yourself, to see if you might need some work on your tires: Check Your Tire Pressure. In most cars, the correct air pressure for your tires and your spare can be found inside the driver’s door frame.  Check Your ... read more