Auto Repair Services in North Bay
AutoNorth Auto Repair is a licensed North Bay shop offering routine maintenance, mechanical repair, tires, safety inspections and commercial vehicle work from one building at 1520 Cholette St. Every service below is handled in house on all makes and models, gas, diesel and hybrid, by dealership-trained technicians paid straight time rather than flat rate, and every job comes with a digital inspection report showing you photos of your own vehicle before you approve anything.
Last updated August 7, 2026
Every Service AutoNorth Offers in North Bay
Nineteen pages, one building, and roughly 2,000 vehicles worked on since September 2025. AutoNorth handles routine maintenance, mechanical repair, tires, inspections and commercial work at 1520 Cholette St, on all makes and models, gas, diesel and hybrid.
Maintenance
Oil Changes
Gas and diesel, with a new filter, a 120-point visual inspection and a wash.
Read moreTire Sales & Changeovers
21 brands stocked, mounting, balancing, puncture repair and seasonal swaps.
Read moreWinter Tires
What actually separates a winter tire from an all-season, and when to swap.
Read moreTire Storage
Your off-season set racked at the shop instead of in your garage.
Read moreWheel Alignments
What alignment adjusts, what knocks it out, and why it protects new tires.
Read moreSafety Inspections
Ontario Vehicle Safety Certificates from a licensed inspection station.
Read moreTrailer Inspections
Annual yellow-sticker inspections for work and utility trailers.
Read moreRepairs
Brake Repair
Pads, rotors, drums and parking brakes, measured before anything is quoted.
Read moreEngine Repair & Tune-Ups
Diagnostics, timing, head gaskets and internal engine work.
Read moreCheck Engine & Diagnostics
The fault traced to its cause, not guessed from a code.
Read moreTransmission Service
Transmission repairs and fluid service, gas and diesel.
Read moreSuspension & Steering
Struts, shocks, ball joints, tie rods, bushings and CV axles.
Read moreExhaust & Muffler
Mufflers, pipes, hangers and exhaust welding in a salt-belt climate.
Read moreCar AC Repair
Both refrigerants, with leaks found using UV dye rather than guessed at.
Read moreHybrid Service
A Toyota-certified Master Technician with hybrid certification, in town.
Read moreBusiness & Commercial
Fleet & Government Vehicles
A certified Holman service shop for government and municipal fleets.
Read moreExtended Warranty Repairs
An approved repair facility for Canada General and Global Warranty.
Read moreCar Dealers
Safety certificates, reconditioning and repair for dealers without a shop.
Read moreDigital Inspection Reports
Photos and video of your own vehicle, sent by text and email.
Read moreWhat You Get, Whatever You Came In For
The same four things apply to every job on this list, from an oil change to an engine out of the vehicle.
- A digital inspection with photos and video. Findings come to you by text and email, grouped by priority, and you approve or decline each item from your phone or computer. See how that works.
- Technicians on straight time, not flat rate. Nobody in the shop earns more by finding you extra work or by rushing your vehicle out the door. It is the opposite of how most dealership service departments pay.
- Dealership training without dealership overhead. Owner Ryan Christadler is a Toyota-certified Master Technician with hybrid certification, so late-model and hybrid vehicles do not have to leave town.
- A quote before the work, not after. Whatever the job, you find out the price before anyone starts, and nothing goes ahead without your approval.
Not Sure Which One You Need?
Describe the symptom rather than guessing at the cause. A noise, a smell, a warning light or a feeling through the pedal tells AutoNorth more than a guess at which part has failed.
- A noise that changes with speed is usually tires, wheel bearings or brakes. A noise that changes when you turn is more often suspension or a CV joint.
- A warning light starts at diagnostics, because the code points at a symptom rather than a broken part.
- A pull to one side could be alignment, a seized brake caliper, or uneven tire pressures. It gets measured rather than assumed.
- Weak air conditioning is nearly always a leak, which is why AC work starts with finding it rather than topping it up.
- Selling or buying a used vehicle means a safety certificate. Ontario requires one to transfer a plate.
- Still not sure? Call (705) 472-6060 and describe what the vehicle is doing. That conversation is free and it is usually enough to point you at the right appointment.
Running vehicles rather than driving one? See fleet services or car dealer services.
How a Visit to AutoNorth Actually Goes
Book it, drop it, look at the report, approve what you want done. The part that is different from most shops is that you see photographs of your own vehicle before you spend anything.
- Book by phone or text. Call (705) 472-6060 or text (705) 571-4391. Say what the vehicle is doing rather than what you think is broken, and mention if it is a warranty or fleet vehicle so the right time gets set aside.
- Drop it off. The shop is at 1520 Cholette St, open Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. There is a key drop for outside those hours, and a shuttle including rides home if you need to get somewhere.
- Get the report. Findings arrive by text and email with photos and video, grouped by priority so a safety item is not presented the same way as something to keep an eye on.
- Approve what you want. Each item individually, from your phone or computer, without calling. Declining is a normal outcome, and anything you decline stays on the record for next time.
- Pick it up. With a written record of what was found and what was done, which is worth having at resale or on a warranty claim.
Third-party financing is available through AT Clarke Enterprises if a repair is larger than the month allows. Ask when you book rather than at the counter.
One Shop vs Three: What Actually Changes
A tire place for tires, a muffler chain for exhaust and a dealership for anything electronic is how most people end up running a vehicle. It costs them time, money and information, and the information is the expensive part.
| One shop vs three | Spread across specialists | All of it at AutoNorth |
|---|---|---|
| Something found mid-job | Becomes a second appointment somewhere else | Gets quoted while the wheels are already off |
| Trips off the road | One per business, per problem | One |
| Who diagnoses it | Whoever you guessed was the right specialist | The shop that will also be fixing it |
| Record of the vehicle | Scattered across three sets of invoices | One history, with photographs |
| When the diagnosis is wrong | You pay the second shop to start again | It gets finished where it started |
| Best for | A very specific job you already understand | Anyone who would rather describe a noise than diagnose it |
Northern Ontario road salt is the other argument. It attacks brake lines, exhaust, suspension and body structure on the same vehicle in the same winter, and a shop that sees all four sees the pattern rather than four unrelated problems.
What North Bay Vehicles Need, and When
A vehicle here does not wear evenly through the year. Winter does most of the damage, and the jobs that matter cluster into two short windows either side of it.
- September and October. The winter changeover window. Every shop in town fills in the same fortnight once the forecast turns, so winter tires and storage are worth sorting before the snow rather than during it. A good time to have brakes looked at too, while the wheels are already off.
- Deep winter. Batteries and charging systems fail in the cold, road salt starts on brake and fuel lines, and a weak air conditioning system shows up as a windshield that will not clear, because the defroster runs the AC compressor to dry the air.
- April and May. Winter rubber comes off before it wears out on warm pavement. Frost heave and potholes have had all winter to knock the alignment out and to punish suspension and steering components.
- Before a long summer trip. Cooling, belts, hoses and tires, plus anything the last inspection report flagged as monitor-and-watch. Cheaper to find in a shop than on the shoulder of Highway 11.
- Any time you are buying or selling. Ontario requires a Vehicle Safety Certificate to transfer a plate, and it is valid for 36 days from the inspection, so timing matters.
None of this needs a calendar reminder. The digital inspection report flags what is coming every time the vehicle is in, so you find out about a job before it becomes urgent.
Services: Common Questions
Does AutoNorth work on all makes and models?
Yes. AutoNorth services all makes and models at 1520 Cholette St in North Bay, gas, diesel and hybrid. Owner Ryan Christadler is a Toyota-certified Master Technician with hybrid certification, so late-model and hybrid vehicles do not need a dealership.
Do I need an appointment, or can I walk in?
Walk-ins are welcome for normal jobs. Booking ahead still gets you the time that suits you rather than whatever is left, so call (705) 472-6060 or text (705) 571-4391 if you want a specific slot. If you are passing and it is a routine job, come in.
Can I get several things done in one visit?
Usually, and it is worth asking when you book. Combining work means the vehicle only comes off the road once, and several jobs share the same teardown. Call (705) 472-6060 with the full list and AutoNorth will tell you what makes sense together.
Do I need an appointment or can I drop in?
Walk-ins are welcome for normal jobs. Booking ahead still gets you the time that suits you rather than whatever is left, so call (705) 472-6060 or text (705) 571-4391 if you want a specific slot. If you are passing and it is a routine job, come in.
What if the shop finds something I did not book for?
It gets photographed and sent to you, grouped by priority, and you approve or decline it. Nothing extra happens without your say-so, and declining is a normal outcome rather than an argument.
Does AutoNorth do work my dealership says only they can do?
Often, yes. Dealership-trained technicians, a Toyota-certified Master Technician with hybrid certification, a dual-refrigerant AC machine and a licensed MTO inspection station cover most of what sends people back to a dealer. Call with the specific job and find out.
Not Sure Where to Start? Just Call.
Describe what the vehicle is doing and AutoNorth will tell you which appointment you actually need.