Clean professional shop. Their expert diagnosis of a faulty airbag light fixed the issue. Shop…read moresmall. Support a local business;-) Bonus: prices are fair for both parts and labor;-)))

My son's car had been serviced by Carlsbad Auto Service for more than seven years. During that…read moretime, we trusted their recommendations and followed through with maintenance and repairs as our budget allowed and according to how serious they told us each issue was. Mike was our service advisor for much of that time, and the owner was different;we had a very different experience with the shop. On July 3, 2026, we brought the vehicle in based on a previous recommendation for a transmission drain and fill. The service was performed, and we paid $210.22. The vehicle had approximately 147,000 miles at the time. Immediately after that service, the vehicle began experiencing problems it had not been experiencing before. It started losing power in the lower gears and jerking. Approximately two weeks later, I brought the vehicle back and spoke with Dave. He connected a scanner and told me there were no codes. I took the vehicle home, but the problem continued and got worse. days later the check-engine light came on and the vehicle had very little power. I made another appointment and brought it back. Dave told me the diagnostic charge would be $215.00and that it would not be applied toward any repairs. I agreed and left the vehicle. After looking at the vehicle, Dave called and told me that the transmission fluid smelled burnt and that it needed to be drained and filled. He then told me that the vehicle had no record of being serviced at the shop and that he had no service history. I immediately stopped him and reminded him that this vehicle had been coming to Carlsbad Auto Service for years and, in fact, that they had performed the transmission service only the previous month. (the exact service he was recommending)At that point, he suddenly remembered the vehicle has been there before! That was the moment I lost confidence in Dave and The whole service center. A service advisor should review a customer's service history before discussing the vehicle with the customer. Instead, I was given information that was plainly inconsistent with your own records. Dave also recommended replacing the battery, even though theshop had replaced the battery less than a year earlier. We ultimately told Dave to reset the check-engine light and that we would pick up the vehicle. The following day, I spoke with Jamie, one of the owners. I explained everything that had happened. She told me she would listen to the phone conversation and call me back. She did call me back, but I was disappointed by the response. Jamie told me that the shop had recommended a transmission drain and fill approximately 20,000 miles earlier. I asked a very reasonable question: when the transmission was actually drained and serviced on July 3, didn't anyone examine the fluid, its condition, its color, or its smell? I was told that they did not. That answer was extremely concerning to me. If you are servicing a transmission, particularly on a vehicle with approximately 147,000 miles, I would expect a professional automotive service facility to pay attention to the condition of the fluid being removed and to advise the customer if there were concerns about proceeding. when I raised the battery issue, Jamie said there has been a lot of issues with batteries recently! didn't address the fact that Dave had not done his homework. Because the battery was still under warranty, I made an appointment with Jamie for Friday at 8:00 a.m. and told her I would wait while it was replaced. I also made it very clear that I no longer trusted the shop. When I arrived, Dave did not even acknowledge me. I told him I was there for the battery replacement and explained that Jamie had arranged it. His response was essentially, "I hope we have it." After approximately 20 minutes, Zarina brought me the invoice and keys and told me the work was completed. The lack of professionalism and communication only reinforced the impression I already had. Because I was no longer comfortable relying on Carlsbad Auto Service's diagnosis, I took the vehicle to another automotive shop for an independent second opinion. After examining the vehicle, they told me that, in their professional opinion, the transmission fluid service should not have been performed under the circumstances and that the service was what caused the transmission to begin acting up. At this point, we paid Carlsbad Auto Service $210.22 for the transmission service and another $225.00 for the diagnostic work, and $98.00 for the seconed opinion!we are now dealing with a transmission that is malfunctioning after the service they recommended and performed.

I love Valvoline. You can always get a coupon. Plus, you can drive thru. I had my meows with me, so…read moredrive thru services are the easiest solution. Having a car service day, and I was in this area. They check all of your lights, fluids and they say 15 minutes, but it usually takes longer, so plan accordingly. Not a bad price for a full synthetic with a coupon. It's a great and convenient service. Don't forget your coupon. P.S. you can call and get an AI quote for whatever your model, and oil preference is. If you want to make your car last, I always recommend full synthetic changes. For any location, overall Valvoline is a good value/convenience. I really like this Valvoline in particular. Some are hit or miss at times. This one was awesome and I'd definitely come here again and highly recommend to others.

Outstanding service! You pull up and they are so attentive. You don't even have to leave your car…read more You stay in it, they have a single person who communicates with you and instructs everyone to do the specific things, then checks everything.

I have a 2018 Chevy Traverse that's about to hit 100,000 miles, and as sometimes happens around…read morethat point, quite a few things have started going wrong. As a result, I've made several visits to North County Auto Service for different issues. One of the first things that stood out to me was the professionalism of Mike and Wrex in the front office. They're straightforward, friendly, and honest about what your vehicle needs, even when having the work done at their shop isn't necessarily your best option. I also appreciated the way they treated me and my vehicle. My Traverse is pushing 100K and definitely has its share of wear and tear, but they've always been respectful and even complimentary about it. There was never any of the condescending attitude you sometimes get when bringing an older vehicle into a shop. More importantly, I trust their diagnoses. I've brought the Traverse in more than once expecting an expensive repair, only to have them tell me otherwise. One time I was convinced the air-conditioning system needed to be replaced. They diagnosed it properly and determined it simply needed to be recharged correctly, saving me from a much more expensive repair. Are they the cheapest shop around? Probably not. But I've learned that the cheapest repair can become the most expensive one if it isn't done correctly the first time. With North County Auto Service, I feel confident that I'm getting an honest diagnosis and quality work. They've earned their excellent reputation. If you're someone who gets nervous about taking your car to a mechanic because you're worried about being taken advantage of, this is the kind of shop you want to find.

The guys are North County Auto are THE BEST auto shop in town. I switched to them a few years ago…read moreafter being ripped off by another shop up the block. They are honest and fair on pricing, and make you feel comfortable the second you walk in. I encourage anyone looking for a trustworthy mechanic to give North County Auto their business.

My 3 star rating is due to the fact that these mechanically challenged mechanics get a 1 star for…read moreskill and 5 stars for effort and honesty. The thought had crossed my mind to replace the bearings on my car myself but my laziness won out over my chintziness. Well...not completely, I mean if I really wasn't cheap I would have taken my car to the dealership but in my frugal wisdom I took my car to Express Auto Center. When the entertainingly cranky owner, Peter, told me they could do the job for a quarter of what the dealer would charge I shoved the red lights going off in my mind behind the $$$ signs of saving I saw in my eyes. I knew it was a gamble but everybody likes to let 'em ride once in a while right? I also quite intuitatively surmised that Peter, with such a strong German (I think, or maybe Armenian...) accent would surely by geographical kinship alone be mechanically preferred to work on my German engineered and built vehicle. I soon realized that the incredibly low cost of the repairs was apparently due to the economical indentured labor that the clean handed, Hawaiian shirt wearing owner employed. Peter assured me that "it was most likely your tires". I told him the sound didn't change even when the tires were rotated. He said he would be happy to change the bearings if I insisted. Well, although short-lived, I was pleased when my car was ready so promptly at five o'clock just as promised. Although, I almost profetically did ask, "so my wheel isn't going to fall of or anything, right?" As I drove off with a noticeably louder creak than I was accustomed to I comforted myself with the thought "things just need to settle in" and I promptly accelerated onto the freeway to 135 mph to let things work there way out properly. At that speed the whomp, whomp, whomp sound at low speed that had accompanied the new creaking just became a reasuringly loud humming that reminded me of the cabin droning of an aged C-130 plane. Convinced that the wheels were not in fact going to be flung off now and the creaking did seem to be scared into submission I slowed down and continued on my way. Unfortunately the whomp, whomp, whomp and creaking also continued. So a few days later I returned to Peter and he reassued me that "it must be your tires". I said that of all the sounds that I was familiar with that a tire can make, creaking and clunking were not among them. So he reluctantly told his guys to check it out. I decided to stand close as the car was lifted which allowed me to catch the worried look on the mechanics face when he rocked the tire and it quite obviously clunked back and forth. Needless to say the wheel was close to falling off which my 135 mph experiment would have proven if I hadn't cut it short. I was then ushered away and informed that it was just a nut that happened to have come loose. Nuts do get loose I said kindly. This nut being the large 2" wide main nut that holds the whole thing together. After they dutifully spent some 10 mins. torquing that nut till the whole car rocked on the lift we went for a test drive. The familiar whomping, droning noise continued but the loud creaking and clunking did go away now that the wheel was strongly attached to the car with generous amounts of "locktight". This apparently being the original problem since German engineering had not learned the importance of south of the border locktight generosity and ingenuity. Back at the shop, after an extensive examination, for which I am grateful, it seemed that no amount of locktight would be able to remedy the whomping sound. At which point Peter knowledgeably informed me "it's probably your tires". He is probably right of course... The strangest thing.... I'm pretty sure I'll go back to them. Overall they make up with honesty and effort for the mechanical prowess they may or may not lack. Who knows, the same thing might have happened at the dealer but I would have gotten charged $2k for it.

These guys are honest and fairly priced compared to other places. I had to get my door lock…read morereplaced so I bought the part and had them put it in and I had the car by the end of the day.

These guys saved the day! Went to the dealership for my last free oil change included after buying…read morea new car. Of course they gave me a long list of other recommended car maintenance things I would need to pay for - including new tires. They were trying to charge me $1300 for my set of tires- and that was even with a special "promotion": buy three and get one for $1 (wtf). Only after I said I would pass did they tell me they would price match. Uh huhh. Called these guys and they offered me the same tires for over half the dealership's quote and accommodated me for same day service (even when short staffed for the holidays). I was happy they had them in stock too. They were so friendly and accommodating. It's refreshing when an auto place doesn't try to exploit a woman's lack of car knowledge when she comes in. Honest and reliable. Enjoyed walking around downtown Carlsbad while I waited. I'd recommend these guys to anyone. Thank you!

Went to get a new tire from these guys to replace a flat I had, they sent me off with a new tire,…read moreand on my way home from work I had gotten another flat tire because the valve stem was broken. Had to pull over and take off the wheel to use a spare, as I was taking it off they over tightened one of the lug nuts and made me snap a stud. After snapping it I had returned to them and they gave me a new one and they told me they'd replace the stud, after inspecting the rotor I noticed they did not put back any rotor screws. Terrible place.

Excellent service. My '15 Jaguar XKR sprung a leak from in of the idiotic plastic coolant…read moremanifolds. Jose was great to work with. After dropping my car off, he got back to me within a few hours with the diagnosis and estimate. He was able to quickly get the replacement upgraded parts and complete the service in just 2 days. Let's face it...cars are expensive to repair, especially British cars. Yet, their labor rates were much better than the dealer, they completed the repair faster than the dealer would have. Im very please with the quality of the work done, the time to get it repaired, and their courteous approach. It's so cool to have such a great specialty service shop in Carlsbad.

Extremely high prices got quoted $1200 for brakes ended up getting done for 380 with the exact same…read moreparts. Please shop around people.

I mostly get my car maintenance done here. Most of the car maintenance crew is friendly and…read morehelpful. They did their work faster than they estimated which was pretty impressive as well less than an hour. Very fast. On top of that they were super awesome to vacuum the interior of my car. I didn't ask them to also. That was the highlight and going above and beyond service I greatly appreciate. My car always feels like it is running smooth after getting the oil change done with them. There is a nice waiting room. Sometimes they play movies on the tv. There is a comfy love seat couch. There are 4 stray chairs with a few small tables one with magazines, newspapers, and a book, another with complimentary coffee. My only complaint is there is one employee here I didn't catch his name he has circle glasses and he kept yelling for a guy possibly a coworker named Marcos? When we were passing by him in the door way he acknowledged us briefly and out of the blue yelled his name friend's name obnoxiously calling from inside the Walmart to outside to where they are doing work on the cars. That was very unpleasant and unprofessional to yell across the way especially right next to my ear as he is walking by exiting. He should have gone closer to him to call over. This never happened except for this time. Overall good place to get the job done. Most of the time the service goes really well without unprofessional obnoxious yelling across the room. Lowered my review by one star had to add this: Elisabeth is horrible she has bad customer service and a bad stuck up attitude. She said she called my number I received no phone call and waited an extra 40 minutes than expected because no one bothered to check the waiting room nor call. She said "I did call you but you didn't answer". There was no call. She didn't even explain what is done to my car like the normal people who check me out explain what is done with the oil change. This was very lazy and minimal reluctant service I received. Also whoever did the maintenance on my car did not lock my car like they normally do when they park it when it's done. I'm very annoyed with this visit.

I have been a customer for just a little more than one year / I have done oil and light bulb…read morechanges. I always had positive 5-star experiences there. I do not have any knowledge of mechanics. English is my second language. I have had a lot of bad experiences such as double or triple charges. But this spot is very trustworthy with clear and reasonable billings:) They also can fix tires. There are a variety of auto goods on super neat and organized shelves.   All workers/ mechanics and customer service are kind, polite, knowledgeable, and hardworking.  Everything has been getting expensive now... I hope my shout-out to keep their business and their price stay reasonable!!!   Thank you again,  Mr. CJ, Manager Benjamin, and all the workers.

10000/10 review- here's why I needed new tires and was about to leave for a road trip. Not only was…read morethe tire size uncommon and hard to find but it was an expense I just was not expecting. Not only did they get the tires I needed delivered in MINUTES but they slapped them on faster than I could say Las Vegas, did an alignment and got me great deal and all around provided incredible customer service! Dan and Mike- I can't say thank you enough!!!! You two are by far the absolute best! I've came here for years and you both left such an incredible impression, and THIS is why I keep coming back! Thank you a MILLION!!!

Got a warning on my car for low tire pressure and this was the closest spot off the freeway. The…read moreguys checked and refilled all my tires so fast, then found a screw in one. They weren't able to take my car in but recommended another location near by that I should call and check out. I really appreciated how kind and helpful they were!

Very good at what they do. Highly recommend over others!…read more Abraham was knowledgeable and got me right in.

2025_now that John retired and sold the business I no longer go. I am disappointed in the customer…read moreservice and don't trust them. I went shortly after they opened and paid twice as much for a simple brake repair. I won't go back.

William great customer service he took care of my daughter's 2005 ford escape hybrid he even added…read morea separate battery charger incase the hybrid battery ever drains for lack of use. William is a really nice and easy to talk too he always return any of my phone calls and answer all my questions he went above and beyond and delivered my daughter escape to my house. Thank you William!!!!

Excellent service for my Lexus hybrid. Very fair pricing and cool dudes! Will be back in the future.read more