I started bringing my car toA-1 a little while ago. As far as I am concerned Kevin is the most honest mechanic I have EVER come across. He has told me what service I absolutely have to do and which one can wait a while. I don't know about you but an honest mechanic is worth his weight in gold. They are few and far between. I have previously taken my Honda to Hoehn and not only are they more expensive, I feel that they advised me read more

After having gone to another auto shop for 10+ years in PB, we were lucky enough to find A-1 Auto Care when we moved to Carlsbad. A-1 truly provides excellent, quality service at a reasonable price. We've had both Jim and Kevin service our Audi A6 and Ford Explorer, and fantastically so. Upon, during and at the end of each visit, they thoroughly explain to me in layman's terms (or laywoman's terms in my case) what work is necessary to be done, what they recommend should be done in the near or not so near future and the cost(s) of everything; both parts & labor, and why. They are very prompt and on top of things, and most importantly honest! As long as we live in Carlsbad we will continue to take our cars to A-1 Auto Care and recommend them highly to others. read more

Great service, squeezed me in on a Friday morning of a holiday weekend! Done on time, offered a ride home for mere 1.5 hour job. (They turned the brake rotors on-site) However, the Tyler Street location allowed me to walk Downtown Carlsbad. Ideal for a lunch, hair cut, pursing unique ships or my case, bank errands. read more

Had a unique experience today. 2007 Acura MDX would not start. AAA towed the car to A1 where A-1 replaced my 18 month old Delco battery under warranty. Not fun to see your car towed away. Yet A1 Auto care was amazing. No charge. They could have taken serious advantage of me, and other car repair shops would. A1 treats people like you were their mother. Quality service at an affordable price. I will continue to take my 5 year old Lexus and 11 year old Acura to A1. Thanks! read more

Best auto shop in north county. Kevin was able to special order some parts that were difficult to find within the day. He really went above and beyond. The staff is very pleasant and knowledgeable. No stereotypes here. I've had two cars serviced here and will continue to do so. I cannot recommend A-1 Auto Care enough. read more

A friend of mine referred me to A1 Auto Care . The first time I came to them, it was for brakes. They did a great job and didn't try to sell me on every service under the sun . For me that is a definite plus because I own an older vehicle which could use lots of things that are not in my budget. This time I came it is for high mileage service. I just showed up with no schedule. Kevin is great ! Made an appointment for next day .They took great care of my vehicle. Even changed minor parts at no charge. Honest and outstanding customer service! I highly recommend A1 Auto Care. I've found my permanent mechanic shop. Thanks A1! read more

These guys are great! My car was overheated and they took care of me right away. Very honest people.

I've been taking my Honda to A-1 for years! It's true that they are a mom & pop shop and they are just old school. No computers, all the filing and car history is still done by pen & paper! Jim (the owner) is just the nicest and most honest person. I've had my Honda for 10 years and it's still going. I take my car here for everything, minor & major services. Major services are pricey! Jim works with you to let you know what needs to be fixed now and what can wait. And he'll let you know how long you can wait. He understands the money can be tight and we all have to budget. He'll break it down for you so you feel like you're in control. Honest autocare!! read more

I discovered A-1 Auto Care 13 years ago by chance (it was a couple blocks from my apartment) and have been bringing all of my vehicles here ever since. I've been very happy with both the quality of work and the depth of knowledge and experience. Jimmy, new owner Kevin, and other employees have been a pleasure to work with. They are honest and fair, and never try to sell you more than you need. Highly recommended. read more

I've been bringing my Subaru here for a few years and they are very nice and super honest. I would recommend A1 Auto to anyone in North County. read more

Great service at an affordable price, received an oil change and was given the check in discount. The best oil change place I've been to so far in the area. Mechanics are professional and the people in the office are kind and helpful. Definitely coming here again. read more

I have been a customer since 1997 when we we located from Colorado to San Diego. It's harder to find a good, reliable, trustworthy mechanic than a Doctor. We are not moving as long as these folks are in business. Jim Hoeffs and now Kevin Dotson and crew have been exceptional saving ourselves and friends lots of money over the years. I love older cars. A few years ago I acquired a 1988 Suzuki Samurai that has been out of production since 1992. It had major carburetor issues. Everyone else said we need a new carburetor (about $500). A-1 adjusted it for half the price and it has never run as well as it does now. They continue to amaze me with all they do, And definitely deserv our support. read more

The only place to go for trustworthy auto service and repair. Fantastic customer service given by everyone who works there. I feel so comfortable going there and don't feel like they are trying to up sell me or rip me off. Honest and reliable are words that aren't normally synonymous with car repair shops..but they describe A 1 perfectly. read more

I have been going to A-1 Auto for almost 10 years. The quality of customer service and auto care is above and beyond anywhere else I have ever been. You will always know that you got the best price and service from an honest shop. read more

Excellent customer service, knowledge, pricing and integrity. I was referred to them by one of their long-time customers and she spoke very highly of them. I'd say they go above and beyond and glad that I found them in Carlsbad. They even drive you home when you leave your car there. Cool. read more

These guys are awesome. Friendly, knowledgeable, and really honest. They've been around for a long time, but recently got a new owner. The old owner, Jimmy, is still there helping out and the place has gotten even better. Can't say enough good about them. read more

I have had the best, fastest, most honest service at A-1 auto care. I will never go anywhere else as long as possible. They are super nice, always get me in last minute and have my car done super quick. My car drives the smoothest and safest I have ever felt it after having it serviced and the brakes replaced here. Highly highly recommend!! read more

Unprofessional and condescending. Will never return. I tried to get a quote on replacing my rotors and a few days prior I needed to get an inspection done. They were unable to help with either. I would not recommend coming to this place and there are better shops in the area read more

A1 Auto Care is #1! The service is wonderful. They go above and beyond for their customers. My friends car needed repair and a smog test. They don't smog at A1, and ended up taking my friends car for her to the best deal for smog in town. They also went and picked up tires for me so I didn't have to leave my car for an extra day. Jimmy communicates with his customers about what is truly going on, and the options of care! A+++! Thanks A1 Auto Care. read more

I've taken both my wife's Jeep Commander and my Toyota Tacoma here and they are honest and do quality work. After moving to Carlsbad several years ago, we were weary on who to trust with auto repair. I highly recommend them. read more

My husband just had our Acura RDX in for its 100,000 mile time up (the big one) and we are so pleased. They are so professional and knowledgeable and kind. The vehicle was finished as promised. Great job. Thank you! read more

These people don't do anything right, they are more likely to break your car than fix the problem took it in for a fuel pump then ended up with 3 more problems had them "fix" that then 4 days later same problem wasn't fixed i will never go back and everyone should not come here read more

So thankful for the prompt attention today that A-1 gave us. Our car broke down on our way back home to Arizona & A-1 was amazing at repairing it. Very professional & efficient!! Thank you!!! read more

Was referred by an acquaintance that has been a patron for lots of years. As a new resident to this area it was great to find a friendly, honest auto shop who will deal with a female as a person and not someone to take advantage of. Wonderful family run business! read more

Operates the business with integrity; now over 30 years; and, offers superb and efficient service. Thank you Jim and the A-1 Auto team for getting our cars back on the road safely and quickly! read more

This is such a great auto shop. They are in a very convenient location, and the nicest people work there. You get such a great family vibe from them, with their pictures on the wall in the office. They make you feel at home. Their prices are great, they don't upcharge you tons like all the other auto chains. I've been coming here since I moved here for oil changes and brake jobs, and have never had a bad experience. read more

Outstanding level of service. Reliable, very conservative about repairs, very friendly and great turnaround time. It pays to patronize small businesses. You are not just a number with Jim and his staff. read more

This is by far the best Auto Repair shop in San Diego county! My entire family has been going there for almost 20 years now. The customer service is amazing and the prices are amazing. They're family owned and always completely honest about what your car needs and doesn't need, they're never trying to up sell you which is so nice. Ask for Kevin he's the owner. Great guy, he'll make you feel right at home. It's nice to have the same person look at your car every time who knows your cars history. I've heard so many horror stories where people get ripped off and I sleep soundly every night knowing I'm in great hands! Ill never go anywhere but A1-Auto! read more

Horrible service at the counter...I believe his name is Jeff. I went to this place twice and waited and waited for them to acknowledge me at their counter~ it took at least 15 minutes. This place is small and smells and the waiting area is hardly comfortable. I don't care how many praises this place has~ I will never take my car to this place! read more

Super, Best of Class in Carlsbad or for that matter best in San Diego County. They know what they are doing and they are honest. I have been going to them for over 10 years, recommended by a friend who has been a customer for over 18 years. Jim is great as is the owner Kevin. Nice to have a repair facility that you can trust. They do what they say they will do and they know how to fix your car. A rare find indeed. read more

If you are looking for an honest, reliable and trustworthy auto shop, A-1 Auto Care in Carlsbad is it! We have been taking our cars there for 20+ years and have never been disappointed. The entire staff is friendly, extremely knowledgeable and the work is done quickly. They will tell you what your next service should be and the costs involved as well as pointing out any future problems to keep an eye on. What I appreciate the most is their honesty. It is so difficult to find an auto shop with all the above qualities. You will walk away feeling well taken care of, for sure. They are a blessing! read more

Great shop with great people! Kevin has always taken very good care of our cars! I won't service my vehicles anywhere else.

We have an Acura, Honda and 2 Toyotas in our family, and we have been taking our cars to A-1 for years. We were referred to Jim by a friend, and 10 years later we refer our friends to A-1. They are friendly, honest and they do very good work. read more

I love these guys. I have been taking my personal and company cars here for the last 4 years. They are honest and trustworthy. I keep coming back because they give me recommendations on what should be done and let me make the decision on how much or how little I want to do. I feel like these people genuinely care. read more

Jim has always taken care of the cars in my family and I wouldn't trust anyone else! Always charges a fair price and gives great advice for future work and doesn't do unnecessary work. The staff is very friendly and warm, and inviting. When you go to A1 you're treated like family. read more

Honest and fair. On speed dial for all our auto repairs!

On June 1st of 2015 my 83 year old mother dropped off her 2000 Honda Civic as she began to experience a lack of power while accelerating. After checking it they called her back and told her that it appeared the motor had serious engine damage and as they do not do extensive engine repairs they estimated that if mom took the Civic to the dealer the repairs would run into the thousands. In turn I called them back and spoke with the manager who said they had found a number of issues which I'll provide from the notes I took of the conversation. "Found issues with cylinders, 1, 2 and 3". "Possible blown head gasket". "Perhaps a crack in the valve seat". "My guess is it needs a new head, which would be upwards of $1,700.00". My gut feeling is it could also be and ECU, which would run around a $1,000.00". He did however repeat the offer which he had relayed to my mother that he would pay her $3 to $400.00 and charitably take the car off her hands as he understands it's not easy for senior citizens who are on fixed incomes. Needless to say I did not feel very comfortable with either the diagnosis, or the offer to purchase my mothers car. I talked my mother into taking her car to the repair facility I use in San Marcos, Auto Guys on San Marcos Blvd. After checking it out they determined that the issue was related to the ignition coil. Once that was replaced it appeared to run fine. The owner (Don) also recommended a fuel injection service to remove the carbon deposits from the intake and internal parts of the engine. We elected to have the work included and now almost a month later moms Civic with over 217,000 miles is running great! Parts and labor $354.67. So whats the problem here? Is it that the mechanics at A-1 are not competent to accurately diagnose the problem(s)? Or is it worse and they're attempting to take advantage of a senior and getting an older Civic to repair and make some money on it? I'd really like to think that it's not the latter but I can't help but have my suspicions. Bottom line; No thanks to A-1 mom still has her well running car, and her family is left to go through the previous A-1 receipts from the last few years and begin to seriously question how much of A-1's work was justified. read more