This place is great, they will fix your car in timely and can be very trusted to do a great job??

Local, family owned, fast, good service, good prices, friendly. Will keep bringing my family's cars here for a long time.

worst experience ever!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT GO HERE. took them my car to install a backup camera. they told me if i brought it in when they open, it would be ready before noon. so, i brought my laptop and did hw at a nearby Starbucks. 12 came around and i hadn't been contacted so i called and they told me it would not be ready til end of the day. i had no ride figured out and was stranded, so they used their car service to take me home and bring me back later. When I arrived back for my car, not only did they try and make me pay for a backup camera that was NOT properly installed (it literally did not work at all), they also messed up the controls so my steering wheel wiring no longer works. I brought it back in to be fixed, and not only did they not repair it, they caused even FURTHER damage to my car. Would never recommend to anyone read more

Made an appointment for an oil change/tire rotation the week before dropping it off. Price was pretty steep ($60) but figured I'd give them a shot as we are new to town and they had such great reviews. Dropped my vehicle off and received it three days later. Had to call 3x for updates and then they tried charging me $180 for a courtesy inspection. read more

I've been going to A&E now for about 20 years. I'm on my third pickup truck during that time. I buy them new and drive them for a long time. I keep up on the service and they last until I'm ready for an upgrade - typically for around 200,000+ miles. A&E keeps my rigs running smooth with no roadside breakdowns. They are real good at recommending proactive maintenance while not suggesting unnecessary repairs. The service is friendly and very reliable. I like supporting small, local business. And I always get my money's worth. read more

Such a wonderful and inviting staff! They have taken such great care of me and both my vehicles in the past. They make sure you are aware of every cost beforehand and future services that may need to be prepared for. Whenever I am in Santa Barbara, A&E is always my go to place. read more

This is my go to place to take my car when it has trouble. The staff is very friendly and the prices are very reasonable and the service is quick. They go as far as offering to drive you back home if you need a ride. Many times I have visited and the issues turned out to be very minor, such as needing to have a connection tightened. I feel like in these instances mechanics can very easily take advantage of their customers by charging them for more than they really need, but A&E has never done this. I would highly recommend this place if you are looking for an honest good quality service. I am sad to see that this place does not have better reviews on Yelp. I suggest you google them and read the reviews on google. The reviews are all 100% positive and very informative. I hope that this place gains more positive reviews on yelp; they certainly deserve it. read more

Very overpriced & extremely slow. Took 45 minutes just waiting to get seen & fill out initial paperwork. Cost me $104.55 diagnostic fee to get the code on my check engine light (which another lube & tune shop did for free) I was not provided a detailed, written estimate with code, estimated parts & labor itemized so I could comparison shop even though I paid $104.55 for the diagnostic. I had to ask for a written detailed estimate twice & wait almost an hour for the receptionist to actually give me a copy & it still was too vague for comparison. Their quote for doing the repairs was interestingly around $104.55 higher than other shops. Even the dealership beat their price. read more

Electrical Issues? They're pros! My Dad's Buick kept suddenly dying on him. He went back and forth to mechanics for a year in complete frustration, spending a fortune, only to have the car suddenly die time after time. Finally one of the other mechanics suggested A&E Automotive. They had the problem diagnosed and repaired in ONE DAY! How we wished we had known about A&E years ago. Thank you!! read more

I am fairly new to the area and wasn't sure where to go and who to trust. Fortunately I chose A & E Automotive and was pleasantly surprised. They were super friendly, fast, and good on a budget. I was very happy with A & E Automotive and highly recommend them! read more

I called in shopping around for oil changes just now and I asked how much it would run for my Jetta. They said between $60-$90 but couldn't tell me exactly how much until I took the time to bring my car in, wait, then just buy whatever they wanted to charge me. I don't understand why they couldn't give me a price estimate that wasn't a $30 difference. I gave them all the info and they didn't want to help. I got hung up on. LOST MY BUSINESS =/ read more

Great service at a reasonable price! Will continue to use their service for many years to come!

These people are very kind and helpful. This is my first time taking a car in and they made sure I understood what was needed. I highly recommend bringing your car here For a quick service with kind people and fair pricing. read more

While traveling from Paso Robles to Fontana I had car trouble. In San Luis Obispo my battery went dead when I left my lights on. AAA came and jumped my car and I got to a hotel in Goleta. While driving to Goleta we discovered the air condition was not working. Just blowing hot, hot air. While shopping at OSH in Goleta we were telling the young man (Mark) about or car dilemma. He suggested A and E automotive. We ran the car over the next morning and Sanford listened patiently to our tale of woe and said he'd check it out. If it was more than the estimate he would call if it was within the estimate he would just fix the car. We went back to the hotel (South Coast Inn in Calle Real) and hung out. At 10.30 I hadn't heard anything so I called..the car was just getting finished up..the technician was taking it for a test drive. When the battery died the computer unprogrammed many things. They reprogrmmed the computer and everything worked great. Sanford and Dannon were SO helpful..I wish I had them in Paso Robles. A very special thank you to them for being so swift and accurate. read more

Absolutely great! I replaced a windshield here, and picked up my car the next day. Dannon, a kind lady, sent me two massages and one email through the whole process, and even care about you and your car after the service! read more

I really feel when I take my vehicle here that I am going to be taken care of. The owners are very friendly and I always appreciate receiving an email explaining any problems I may have with my vehicle along with photos. A great family-owned business! read more

Had our '98 Jeep Cherokee Sport looked over before giving it to our nephew as his first car. They performed an all around safety/maintenance check and replaced the bad wheel bearing I had requested be looked at due to ongoing front end noise. 1.5 day turn around! Runs like a dream with 125k miles! Thanks Sanford and Dannon! Nephew is beside himself :-) read more

I've tried out 5 different mechanics since moving to Santa Barbara nearly 15 years ago, and so far this place is the best by far. So far I have had 1 oil change/inspection and 1 major repair with them, and it was enough to make me switch over to them permanently. Top of my list is they are honest, fair, and hard-working. Other reasons I have been super impressed with them: 1) Their inspection report system. With an oil change/inspection you get an easy-to-read emailed report of the results. This system is awesome. It's color-coded to tell you what's the most pressing issue (green means all looks good, yellow means needs future attention. orange means need immediate attention). Report includes PICTURES of anything worth noting on your car, and they're also starting to include videos (so lets say you have a visible leak somewhere, they can video it and include it in the report). Such a great idea! Report includes other helpful tips and info (including videos) related to your inspection. They will also send you estimates of the suggested work to be done if you ask for it. 2) They will send a follow-up text a few days after a service to check on things, and will ACTUALLY reply if you text them back! 3) They will drop you off/pick you up when your car is being worked on. Awesome service. 4) They aim to please. With these guys, you can be sure customer service is a top priority, and it definitely shows. 5) Mentioned this already, but they are hard-working. I recently had my car towed in after it broke down. I brought it in at about noon on a busy Friday. Within 30 mins they had diagnosed the problem (fuel pump) and ordered the part, and it was ready to be picked up by 5pm later that day. They may not always be able to work that quickly, but I was totally impressed by their efforts and so appreciative that I was able to have my car back and running for the weekend. Great service indeed. I could go on, but I'll just end by saying I cannot recommend them highly enough. Switch to A & E Automotive! read more

Had A&E Automotive do a vehicle inspection for a car I want to buy. They were very thorough and helpful! 100% recommend them! Thanks guys!!

I highly recommend A & E for any auto repair. I brought in a 1999 Toyota Camry with a check engine light on. They found the problem that no other garage I had taken to had been able to identify. It turned out to be a simple repair with a minimal cost. They are very knowledgeable and very honest! read more

I'd like to write this review for anybody is wondering about A and E automotive. I have been working on cars for a while I have 12 years of experience working on my own vehicle along with any other vehicles arrange from cars trucks and motorcycles. I recently injured myself and was unable to continue working on vehicles. So I decided that I would take in my car for repair. I needed to get my vehicle smog so I went to get it done at A and E. I knew exactly how much it would be to repair The parts needed to complete smog. I knew it be between 300 and $500. After inspecting my vehicle they wanted to charge me $2000. I read the list of what I needed to repair and it was completely in accurate and they were trying to take advantage over me. I ended up calling them out for the price of the repairs not telling them that I work on cars myself and they kept trying to get me to pay. A and E automotive are a group of thieves read more

I needed my 87 Toyota smogged. I brought it in. In 20 yrs I've owned my truck I've never ever brought it to a mechanic except for smogs. I fix everything myself The mechanics had their shirts tucked in, said hi, nice atmosphere. I dropped it off for pretest, it failed,egr valve or related part; but they said could scope it, scan it, and get it fixed pretty efficiently. So I brought it back next day as I was heading out of town. I went to lunch and before I got home to leave for camping they called and said its done & passed. I was stoked. I would recommend this place. read more

I have taken many cars here to get them smogged and they have always been super nice and very efficient. I have never had to wait for them to start working on my car, and they have always gotten me in and out in under an hour. I can't speak to any of their other services because I have never had them do any repairs for me. read more

I am a new customer to A & E . First I wanted to thank this site for their useful recommendations, everything that is noted about this shop is so true, friendly, professional, loved the text updates. If your looking for a garage to work on a lexus, this is the place !! I will follow up with them on recommended repairs in the future. read more

After finding them online, I was very happy with my oil change and full inspection that came with it. They even took extra time to fix an issue that made the oil change much more difficult. The prices were better than some other chain body shops, and the service was as good as it gets. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable place to get work done on your car, and I will definitely be returning the next time I need work done on my car. Thank you! read more

Sanford replaced the evap canister (yeah, I didn't know that was a thing) in my 99 Toyota Camry last year, but my check engine light came on the same day I received my DMV notice that I need to smog my car for this year's registration. Sigh. Sanford discovered that one component in the evap canister was bad, but assured me it was covered under his 12 month parts/labor warranty. He ordered the part & I drove up from Long Beach a month later to have it replaced. Easy peasy. Plus they did a courtesy check to make sure my commuter car was in tip top shape, and recommended replacing the battery. Seriously, I thought a slow chugging start was a quirk all Toyota sedans had (my Tercel did the same thing). Nope, it was due to the cheapo battery AAA sold me several years ago. My 19 year old car runs better than it has in 4 years. Thanks Sanford! If your car needs servicing, or your battery dies, call AAA for a jump & then get yourself to A & E Automotive to get you on the road again! read more

A fantastic shop! I have always worked on my own cars, it is so nice to have a shop that takes the same care. Truly knowledgeable and personable. A&E Automotive is always willing to take the time to do any job right. Very fair pricing, I'd say they go above and beyond for a very fair hourly rate. Very communicative and true to their word. They also stand behind their work. Highly recommended to anyone!! Update: once again, quality service and excellent work. Very fair prices. The best shop in town by a long shot. Excellent knowledge of all types of vehicles. read more

I was desperate to get a battery change, but called them right before they closed. Dannon, a pure joy just to chat with on the phone, arranged it so that they stayed open an extra half hour for me. This place definitely feels like your mom and pop auto shop with how kind they are to their customers. Who cares if they're priced a little more than their competitors (not in my experience anyway), you really feel like you're being looked after. read more

Came in today because I had a problem with my battery, had a great experience here! They were really friendly and helpful, they made sure to explain everything they were doing and why. Their customer service is excellent read more

Great shop. Sanford and Dannon are looking out for you and your car, and I trust their assessments. They are fair, kind, and honest and really what else do you need? read more

I came in because my window was stuck down--it only took them a minute or so to figure out my "window lock" button was accidentally pushed & "fix" my problem...but they were so kind! They checked my oil, refilled my wiper fluid, tried to make me feel better for not having noticed something so simple, and sent me off for free. Definitely didn't feel demeaned or taken advantage of like I have at other mechanic's shops. It was a kind, family-like environment and I'll definitely come back here next time something is (actually) wrong with my car. read more

Love these guys! They are honest and fair. Even diagnosed an unusual problem with my car that ended up getting fixed under warranty. Saved me a ton of money! Oh by the way did I say they sell the most awesome wiper blades?! They have worked well in the recent heavy rains and do a great job of getting bug guts off my windshield. My previous wipers paled in comparison. read more

I had a good experience getting my car smogged here so I decided to take it to them when it was having trouble starting. They had to look at it twice before they claimed to find the problem. Paid $300 to have a part replaced and the problem isn't fixed. I leave upset and get a call the next day letting me know a $25 credit was supposed to be applied that wasn't, and I could drop in and pick up a check. When the receptionist is filling out the check she tells me I have a 10% coupon coming and that I should use it on my next appointment. When I tell her the last problem still isn't fixed, she ignores me and continues on about the coupon. The staff seems nice enough but I don't feel comfortable having them work on my cars anymore. I've now taken the problem to another shop. read more

So the folks at A and E are really nice, and my first encounter with them suggested great customer service. My second experience was less so. When trying to schedule some work, in person, Dannon took a phone call in the middle of our conversation and proceeded to spend 5 minutes helping another customer over the phone while I was standing there waiting to conclude our business. It was very rude, and I've often wound up waiting prolonged periods while they're doing other things. They also are astronomically priced compared to other local, reputable shops. After receiving an estimate for $450 for routine maintenance that another local shop could do for $125, I decided not to have A and E perform the work. Since they'd already ordered a fuel filter, I felt bad and decided to buy the part off of them so they wouldn't have to eat the cost. They charged me $51 plus tax on a part that I can get an identical part from AutoZone for $28. The other mechanic charges $25 for the fuel filter and $25 for labor, as opposed to $100 for labor at A and E. They've also had recommended $600 in strut replacement that the other mechanic said was unnecessary and a waste of money. I'm willing to pay a bit more for the mom and pop shop, but those differences are just absurd, especially when compared to another local mechanic. Buyer beware, and make sure you price shop around. read more

We were amazed when this business offered a discount but then refused to honor it when we went to pay for our smog; then they told us that the coupon for discount had to be handed to them before the work was done. They also took out the cabin air filter, then failed to put in a clean one. We went to change it again ourselves at a later date, the place for the filter was empty. They also charged us for a radiator cap when we had told them it didn't need changed. So they do stuff just to run up the bill, without permission from the owner. We wouldn't go back to this garage. They read more

LIAR and CHEATS. Do not go here. My girlfriend took a vehicle here to get smogged. The car failed the smog test due to "visible smoke", essentially, the mechanic claims to have seen smoke from the tailpipe. I won't argue if this is true, although the vehicle passed at another station later. The mechanic then recommended a $250 "engine purge". As a former mechanic, I know there is no such thing. After asking about it, it turns out an "engine purge" is this mechanic's own invention, a cleaning solution for the engine. They also claimed the brake fluid was dirty and recommended a brake fluid change. This was a complete lie, the brake fluid was flushed less than a week before. I checked it afterwards myself, it was crystal clear. I can well imagine that after paying hundreds of dollars for needless service the mechanic wouldn't see any smoke anymore. As a former honest mechanic, few things make me madder than a dishonest mechanic. I can only assume the mechanics saw that my girlfriend knew nothing about cars, i.e. a sucker, and tried to milk it. Do not trust anything these people say. read more

Very nice shop owners and workers. Only recommend appropriate parts/services. Very convenient courtesy driving that brings you to home/workplace and takes back when your car is ready. read more

Had A & E do the first service after purchasing a used Toyota Tacoma. Did an excellent job explaining what was needed for the immediate and what might be coming up. read more

A&E Automotive did the pinion and axle seals on my Jeep Grand Cherokee, 4x4. They warrant/guarantee their work for 24,000 miles or 2 years, whichever is first. I think you'll be hard pressed to find another shop that will back their work like A&E Automotive. The price I paid was on par with other shops (cheaper than a dealership), but warranty is what sold me. They do good work, are honest and fair, and even did a thorough inspection of my vehicle in order to let me know of any and all possible issues that were current and could arise if neglected; which prompted me to change my spark plugs, something I hadn't even thought of. After about 14 months one of my seals starting leaking. I called A&E and they were able to get me in and replace the seal within the same week, free of charge. I don't currently live in the area, but when I come back I'm definitely using A&E as my go to for mechanical issues that I'm unable to fix myself. I recommend this shop. I'm giving this shop 4 stars because I'm rounding up from 3.5; I'm very particular and anal about my Jeep. I like doing my own work on it so that I know it's done right. In order for me to give 5 stars, a shop must be perfect. A&E is pretty close. They left my axle housing dirty the first time they did the job, which I had to clean off in order to monitor if any new leaking occurred. They also didn't call me to give me an update when I brought my Jeep in for the warranty fix. When I called them I found out that they hadn't worked on it at all the day I brought it in and weren't even sure if there was an issue with the seal. I assured them that the seal was in fact leaking, that the oil on the axle housing wasn't old from the first time they did the work, so they did the seal job the following day. This is a little nit-picky, but like I said, I'm very serious about my Jeep and won't give a shop 5 stars lightly. read more

I took my 2001 Kia to A&E with an overheating problem. They repaired one problem, but the check engine light came on the next day. When I brought it back the second time they were very nice and made the necessary final repairs. They gave me very fair prices and were very straightforward with all of the work they did to my car. The repairs were made quickly also. Great family-owned business, will go back to them in the future. read more