Enterprise: Enfield’s Helping Hands Auto provides affordable car repairs

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Enterprise: Mechanic brings car repairs to customers’ doorsteps

Chris Stiles, a trained mechanic, started his mobile car repair business, Helping Hands Auto Car of Enfield, in 2019 to provide affordable and convenient car repair services to those in need. He offers basic repairs and routine maintenance, including oil changes, brake jobs, fixing flats, rotating tires, checking fluids, replacing filters, exhaust repairs, and some small engine work. Stiles works with customers on payment plans and often charges less than standard repair prices. He is passionate about helping people and ensuring their safety on the road.

Chris Stiles works on removing a broken heat shield from his client’s car at his home in Enfield, N.H., on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. (Valley News – Alex Driehaus)

ENFIELD — A trained mechanic with a lifelong love of cars, Chris Stiles began his mobile car repair business as an alternative to more expensive repair shops and a way to help those who may be struggling financially.

Though Helping Hands Auto Car of Enfield, which Stiles started in 2019, doesn’t offer the full ranges of repairs available at car dealerships and independent garages, he does many of the basic repairs and routine maintenance that vehicles need in order to be safe and stay on the road.

Chris Stiles works on removing a broken heat shield from his client’s car at his home in Enfield, N.H., on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. Stiles learned to work on cars starting when he was eight years old, and he has been working professionally as a mechanic on and off since 2015. (Valley News – Alex Driehaus)

Stiles remembers one customer who could not use her car on her dirt driveway in the winter, but another vehicle she owned, a truck, was out of service because of a broken starter motor.

“I went to her house, put in the starter and she could then get up and down her driveway,” Stiles said.

Helping Hands lists a number of services including oil changes, brake jobs, fixing flats, rotating tires, checking fluids, replacing filters, exhaust repairs and some small engine work, including changing spark plugs and replacing an alternator or starter. Stiles has a standard rate of $50 an hour — far less than standard repair prices — and often works with customers on payment plans.

“I will work with the customer to fit in their budget,” said Stiles, 34. “It is not strictly about making money. I’m more about seeing a smile on their face than anything. Many customers are single parents or have disabilities.”

Stiles began learning about cars as a youngster, while watching and working with his father, fueling his interest in becoming a mechanic.

Stiles completed three semesters at the Hartford Area Career and Technology Center, learning about the mechanical side of cars after one semester of body work instruction, which was not to his liking. After graduating from Hartford High School in 2009, Stiles furthered his education in car repair at Northland Job Corps Center in Vergennes, Vt., earning a degree in two years. From there, Stiles worked locally for dealerships, where he learned about parts service and other aspects of the business. With his education and work experience, Stiles decided to strike out on his own with Helping Hands.

“What I like about being mobile is that I am my own boss and I can create my own hours,” Stiles said. “The third thing about why I like doing this is that I am not just out there trying to make money; I’m also making sure these customers are safe on the road.”

Stiles understands that most will choose a shop for car repair and he gladly refers many when he knows the job is beyond his capabilities or isn’t safe for him to attempt.

Chris Stiles, left, shakes hands with his client Matt Woods, of Cornish, N.H., after finishing work on his mother’s car at Stiles’ home in Enfield, N.H., on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. “I’m all about helping people,” Stiles said. (Valley News – Alex Driehaus)

“I had someone who wanted an exhaust repair but the bolts were so rusted, I told him he had to take it to a shop,” Stiles said. “I could not get them off.”

Stiles carries his tools in a van, including jacks and jack stands when he needs to get under a vehicle. Jack stands do not provide the clearance of a lift.

“Sometimes there is not enough room, so you have to work with what you got and figure out the best solution to the problem,” Stiles said.

Customers book their repairs either by email or messaging Stiles on Facebook. He follows up completed repairs by sending an invoice via email and if customers can’t pay all at once, he will work out a payment plan.

“Some can’t afford a shop so I will do the repair then try to work with them as much as I can,” Stiles said about payment.

“In the summer I am usually booked pretty full. I try to schedule one repair a day in case I run into problems.”

Some owners choose Helping Hands for both the cost and the fact they may not be able to drive their car to a shop.

“I had one customer, a single father, working two jobs and trying to buy things for his son’s school needs,” Stiles said. “I went out, fixed the car and I worked with his budget. He was able to pay off (the bill) and had a car on the road again. Had it not been for me, he would have been stranded.”

Stiles understands that mobile repair service is not for everyone, but he passionately believes he is filling a niche for customers who need their cars to run but who lack the time or money to leave it at a repair shop.

“The focus of Helping Hands is to help the community; helping the people who need it the most,” he said.

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at [email protected].