Total Offroad & More

I took my newly purchased 1979 Jeep CJ5 in for inspection and to have a new exhaust put on (it was squealing from the passenger-side header), on Sep 29, 2025. They said they could do the headers, but not the exhaust. They explained that, after they put on the headers, I could take it to have the rest done at an exhaust shop or they could take it for me. Not wanting to hear the noise open headers would make, and wanting them to handle the entire job, I chose to have them take it to the exhaust shop. The person that went over my vehicle stated that it in pretty good shape but could use a new water pump and a coolant flush. Wanting to give them some work, I opted for them to do that as well. They would order the parts and contact me to bring the vehicle in stating that it should take a full day to get it done. I payed a partial payment and waited...I didn't get it back until over a month later. Instead of a play-by-play, here is a little breakdown of my experience: * Nice people in-person, but poor communication, unnecessary delays, and shoddy service. * Said it would take a day and took over a month. * They asked me to contact the person I bought the vehicle from because they couldn't determine what engine was in it as the headers they purchased didn't fit. (this was the first red flag) * After they purchased the wrong headers, they had me order the correct headers and have them shipped to their location. (second red flag) * The mounting bolts for the water pump, the bolts and spacers for power steering pump, and bolts, spacers and brackets for the alternator (basically, everything they touched) are not the same as the pictures I took before it was dropped off. * Most of the bolts required them to stack washers because they are either not in the correct location or are the wrong bolts altogether. * The alternator is missing the back supporting bracket and shakes violently when the vehicle is running. * The power steering pump front supporting bracket snapped in two because they wrong spacer and bolts were used. It's only being held in-place due to the tension the belt is putting on it. * The radiator leaks because the plastic petcock threads are stripped. The exhaust is so loud that I parked it over winter and am now taking it somewhere else to have it toned down. Sadly, I didn't notice the damage they had done until I started getting it ready for this year. Needless to say, parts for this vehicle can be difficult to find and having to replace them due to shoddy work shouldn't be a thing. Everything they did has added unnecessary time, effort and cost. Because of this, the vehicle needs: * A quieter exhaust (not headers, but definitely mufflers * Locate, purchase, and install an original alternator bracket, bolts and spacers. * Locate, purchase, and install an original power steering bracket, bolts and spacers. * Locate, purchase, and install original water pump bolts. * Repair or replace the radiator. I will not be taking my business back here and will try somewhere else in the future.

Greg is hands down the best! He tinted both of my cars (Subaru and Camry), and after seeing his work, my whole family went to him too!! My son, my mom, and my sister. Every single job came out flawless. Super professional, detail-oriented, and you can tell he really takes pride in what he does. The quality is top-tier and everything looks amazing. If you’re thinking about getting your windows tinted, don’t even hesitate!!! Greg is your guy. Highly recommend!

I had a very disappointing and frustrating experience with this place. I called about 15 days in advance to schedule a window tint appointment for my Tesla and clearly mentioned that I had a Groupon coupon. They told me they would accept the Groupon and only charge an additional $100 for the Tesla. I called again later to confirm and accepted the offer, and we scheduled the appointment. However, when I showed up, they suddenly changed the price and tried to charge me an extra $170 instead. This was completely different from what we agreed on over the phone. The staff was also extremely rude and unprofessional. There was no attempt to honor their original quote or even explain the situation properly. It felt like a classic bait-and-switch tactic. I drove a long distance and didn’t have time to reschedule, so I was basically forced to pay the higher price. Very dishonest business practices and terrible customer service. I would strongly recommend avoiding this place. There are plenty of other shops in the Chicago area that are much more transparent and respectful.

It’s disappointing to see that Total Off-Road appears to be operating under the same questionable practices that gave 4WP such a poor reputation in the past. Years ago, I stopped using 4WP after a frustrating experience and moved my business elsewhere. Recently I purchased tires, wheels, and TPMS through AmericanTrucks, which included free mounting, balancing, and installation. The work was outsourced through Install Connect and assigned to Total Off-Road since they were the closest shop to me. Given my past experience with the former 4WP location (now Total Off-Road), I wasn’t thrilled—but I decided to give them a chance. Since I also had leveling struts ready to install, I figured it would be easier to have everything done in one appointment instead of making multiple trips to different shops. Before the work began, I confirmed the quote (verbal, shame on me for not getting it in writing) three separate times: $150/hr for 3 hours plus shop fees, totaling roughly $450–$475 to install the struts and an alignment. However, at checkout I was presented with a bill of about $755. I was told the tire mounting, balancing, and installation were billable—and that the labor rate had increased to $200/hr because I supplied my own parts, something that I had already clearly disclosed beforehand. After pushing back, they eventually removed the $180 charge for mounting and balancing, but the labor rate remained inflated. The issue here isn’t the extra ~$100. It’s the lack of transparency and shifting pricing after the work is done. If the rate was truly $200/hr, that should have been disclosed when the verbal quote was given—especially after confirming the price three different times. Unfortunately, this experience reinforces why I stopped doing business with this shop years ago. They managed to squeeze an extra $100 out of me today……hope they don’t spend it all at once, because it will be the last, they see from me. ______________________________________________________________ Response to Total Offroads response below: Again, I asked about the price three separate times and each time was told the job would be 3 hours at $150/hr plus shop fees. The only thing we agree on is that you offered to sell me the struts, and I declined because I was receiving rebates through AmericanTrucks VIP program. At no point was there any mention of additional labor charges for customer-supplied parts—none—until the bill was presented after the work was already completed. As for the tire sensors, that work was part of the agreement between your shop and Install Connect. If you chose not to bill them, that’s an issue between you and Install Connect, not me. In fact, during a phone call you even asked whether I had new sensors or if you would need to remove the existing ones from my current wheels and tires.

Greg did the windows on my truck, I was concerned about the color matching the factory tint, Greg explained the difference in the tint they use and pointed me in the right direction. He was exceptional to deal with and I would highly recommend going here for any tinting needs.