ABOUT US
521 Automotive is locally-owned and operated automotive repair shop in Mesa run by husband and wife team Bill and Mariah. We are dedicated to providing top-quality auto repair services in Mesa, Arizona. With years of experience in the automotive field, we continue to deliver honest diagnoses, affordable service, and top-of-the-line customer care to each of our clients. Read what our customers have to say about our services, and see why so many have chosen us to be their trusted family mechanic in Mesa!
About Bill
Bill always knew what he was meant to do, and it became clear to everyone in his family that he loved anything mechanical from an early age. He would purposely break his sister's toys so he could take them apart and see how they worked then put them back together. Bill built his first electric motor at age 6. As soon as he could, he started going to work with his dad who worked as a mechanic at a Cadillac dealership. It was here that Bill knew he wanted to become just like his father. Bill's dad taught him a lot about cars at a very early age and his passion has continued to grow.
About Mariah
Unlike Bill, Mariah was not born with a wrench in her hand. However, growing up in a small business family, she had a passion for small business. Mariah was never afraid to get her hands 'dirty' and hold her own, but it never crossed her mind to ever do her own car maintenance. She didn't know the first thing about her car other than that every 3,000 miles, she needed an oil change, and which container to pour the windshield cleaner fluid in. Anything more complicated than that, and Mariah was completely out of her comfort zone.
When she moved from Wisconsin to Arizona, Mariah had concerns about getting taken advantage of, especially after hearing all the horror stories. She truly didn't know the difference between a tune-up and an actual issue. Mariah thought every time she took her car into the shop, it was a tune up! Don't get her wrong, she had an interest in cars - just not in fixing them. That was, until she met Bill. As Mariah tells the story, soon after meeting Bill, the water pump went out on her truck. She thought to herself, "How lucky could I be that I started dating a mechanic?!" Mariah figured she could put on her girly charm and wink a little, smile and sweet talk him into fixing this for her. Unfortunately, she underestimated Bill's charm on her. Of course, he would take care of it for her with his big dimply smile.
Translation to what Bill really meant: he could get Mariah a replacement water pump for her truck, but he wasn't going to be the one installing it! (Mariah has since learned to ask for clarification on all the small details when they are negotiating.) Installing the water pump in her truck with Bill's help was a learning experience for Mariah, and one that she truly enjoyed. It peaked her interest in cars in new ways. She started looking at them as more than pretty things to behold. In the end, Mariah had the last laugh on Bill. He created a monster who can't stop asking questions. "What is this part? What does this do?"
Working As a Team
Bill and Mariah are a great team when it comes to anything they have done together. Mariah runs the business side of the shop and is the one that likes to do all the talking. Bill is a master mechanic and makes all the auto repairs and maintenance possible. "It amazes me still what he can make happen or how he can come up with a solution to almost any issue," says Mariah of Bill, "such as the benefit of having a wife with small hands that fit so well in all those hard-to-reach places in a vehicle."