AUBURN – Tax trouble is closing the doors of a local repair shop, but its owner hopes to continue servicing the cars of his 4,000 customers.

“I’ve got a very loyal following that I’ve built up over a number of years,” said Ron Major, whose Major Automotive has been in operation for about eight years. “I’m going to take next week to consider options and regroup.”

Major said he focused so much on the hands-on part of his shop that the business portion got the short shrift, despite trying to hire people to manage it. He fell behind on federal and state tax payments, leading to a closure notice that he posted two weeks ago at his Washington Street shop. Saturday will be the last day the doors will be open, although Major said he will finish work on the dozen or so vehicles awaiting service.

He’s not sure what’s next. He said as of Wednesday, he’s had several job offers, but would ultimately like to find a way to run his own shop to ensure the quality and integrity he’s staked his reputation on. He declined to say how much he owed on back taxes, but said it was tantamount to having a credit card with 25 percent interest that you can never pay down.

He advised his customers to check his Web site, www.majorauto.net about his next move. However it shakes out, he said he’ll be more business savvy next time.

“I’ve learned a few things out of this,” he said.

– Carol Coultas