At first I went to Casey's, but they tried a bait and switch, so I called here. Excellent service and the rate quoted over the phone was the true amount - no hidden fees or add-ons. Super professional. read more

TLDR: Give them a call if in need. A&E is frustrating to find on yelp. It's one of the primary reasons why I procrastinated in my review. This is one of the most difficult reviews I've had to do, due to my mixed experience. Please forgive the length. Pros: I like Dannon, she provides top notch customer service. She patiently explains the issues to me to the best of her ability and doesn't sound like she's trying to rush through our conversation to get to the next customer. She also texts after the service to check up on their work (more on this later). They also rolled out an automated texting service for notification, I think. Sanford and his mechanics are knowledgeable, although I don't speak to them very much. They didn't charge me labor for the second part that was discovered to be bad. Which is a very nice gesture, but they were already charging me a pretty penny. Shuttle service is nice! Cons: Expensive. An inspection is 115 ish (I can't remember off the top of my head), and that is NOT waived if you chose to do repair there. That plus the labor (which is already more expensive than my previous mechanic who did a full clutch replacement) amounted to a little less than 900 dollars in labor. Which is ridiculously expensive in retrospect. Even with their negation of the second charge for installing the second part, it was very expensive. I know my car is not easy to work on, but the cost is staggering to a student. I would highly recommend that they reconsider this policy. I constantly had to call to check on my car (usually a day after it was promised to be fix). Something would be discover to be broken, and they would have to order the part. This isn't communicated to me until I called, which is slightly annoying. This happened a couple times, so I was mildly annoyed. I understand that mechanics are busy, but keeping me in the loop would be nice. I don't mind that a mechanic wanted to go vacation which would delay my car's repair, I just need a notice. So they must be a little more proactive here. My car's interior is noticeably blackened. I'm a bit of a slob, my car isn't clean or anything, but the door and the floor mat were noticeably darker and the steering wheel was sticky. The floor mat and steering wheel cover were a couple weeks new. If you charge high end service, I expect high end attention to detail. Most mechanics use that floor protector sheet to prevent such things. Washing hands before entering the car only takes 1 minute. That was not ok, but I told Dannon about it and she offered to clean it. I appreciate the offer, and I've yet to see if I require their help with it. I hope that I am theonly person to experience this. So in conclusion, can I recommend A&E? I cautiously do. I did not bother to look around for other mechanics nearby, so I can't comment on if they are better. I would recommend looking at them as well, but would not rule out A&E. I do believe Sanford, Dannon and co to be good people and trustworthy. However the high cost plus the blacken interior soured my experience. As much as I would like to rate higher, I find it more and more difficult over the hour I wrote this. The more I thought about it, the more I felt unhappy overall. Over all it took about 3 weeks to finish the repair. A lot of it was mostly waiting for parts, so I didn't add it to the con list. They weren't exactly fast or even on time, but that was ok. At the end of the day, I had a fixed car and that was what matters most. I would encourage anyone to at least give them a call. read more

Went to A&E for help with my license plates - I needed to change them after moving here but the screws were totally stripped out and I couldn't do it myself. They were prompt and so nice about it! They're right in old town, so there was lots to keep me busy while they took care of it, and they sent a text as soon as they were finished. Overall a great experience and I will be going back for future car needs! read more

WARNING!! I brought my truck here because my friend worked there and I thought it would be an easy breezy experience but I was horribly wrong! The mechanics are sloppy with their work, they hire people who need way more training and because of their sloppy and unprofessional behavior they forgot to put a gasket on my transmission filter. An easy thing to remember in my opinion but they forgot it and no one thought to double check their work. Because of this mistake, a simple transmission fluid change turned into a blown up transmission that cost me $3,100. That's a lot of money for someone like me. My transmission mechanic informed me that the fault was on A&e so I went to them for compensation and they agreed it was their fault but it took 3 months!! They wouldn't communicate with me, they made me threaten to go to court if they didn't at least pay me back out of their pocket. Finally a insurance company contacted me and resolved it in a week after 3 months of waiting. I got a portion of my money back and A&E is aware that they're supposed to pay me back the rest but they haven't responded to my emails and are probably not going to pay me back. DONT GO HERE. IF A PROBLEM ARRISES THEY ARE NOT GOOD AT RESOLVING THEM. They steal your money, my friend told me the work they did in my truck would have cost me $50 if I had done it myself but they charged me $800. There are MUCH better mechanics out there, do not go here. read more

I had encountered some problems with my brakes locking this past weekend on a trip to Santa Barbara. Given that I had a 2 hour drive home, I knew I needed to receive service from a car shop in the area. While desperately searching for a shop, I stumbled upon A&E Automotive and called Dannon. Although she was busy for the remainder of the day (spots locked up), she took the time to hear my situation and provide me consultation. Eventually, she even consulted the head technician and welcomed us despite a busy schedule. The technicians were incredibly helpful in their explanations, and were honest with me when telling me there was no problem with my car. They did not charge me any unnecessary fees and performed an inspection in my best interest. They even took the liberty of maintencing my car and telling me what I needed. Overall, a great place and would recommend for outside travelers or those in the area! read more

It was a pleasant experience from start to finish, thank you A&E - I'm so glad I found you! First of all, I called late on a Thursday asking if it was possible to inspect my car on Friday because I was taking a trip over the weekend. Dannon said that I could drop it off in the morning and she'd do her best to fit it in ... and they did! She was so pleasant and welcoming when I arrived and told me about their business and it was clear that they take a lot of pride in their service quality and honest communication with customers. Thank you so much Dannon and team, I'll be back! read more

Bottom Line: These guys are awesome because they had to deal with me for....weeks (through no fault of their own). Thank you CARB! I foolishly bought a 2004 Monte Carlo to flip, thinking that I can make a little money. Let me give everyone reading this some advice; never gamble your own money on a GM car being good. At all. Ever. This stupid car needed more money in work than I paid for it and that's even before I got it smogged and changed over the title!! These guys ALL worked with me to get this 5 foot pile of chicken-turds smogged and it required at least half a dozen visits over the course of a few weeks. The car kept throwing a code which has to be reset, which resets all of the smog monitors so you have to go out and drive it for three days and come back to see if its even ready to be smogged. It got to the point where they had to print out exactly what i needed to do to get my catalytic converter ready for the test - which incidentally is; start engine, warm for 5 minutes, drive at 55 mph at partial throttle for 5 minutes (without getting run over by old ladies on the freeway because 55 is dangerously slow these days), when complete immediately pull over and sit with foot on brake in Drive for 3 minutes. This one took me three tires to do right. - BUT - Once it was done, they smogged me and thank all that is holy this POS passed. Thanks guys!! read more

Best car place in town . They were very helpful and even when my car was in bad shape they went out of their way to help me and were patient and kind when I was unsure what to do. Will definitely be back! read more

This place is amazing! They truly care about their customers and put in quality work. I first went back in February for an oil change with the free inspection that's included. My car is a 2001 so there was quite a bit of work that was needed. Dannon emailed me a detailed report with each issue, pictures included, and ranked the order of priority in addressing them. Got all the work done in a timely fashion and then got an oil change just recently. I was out of town so went to a generic chain shop. They told me one of the things A and E had done was broken again along with several other repairs needed, totally $1200. I called Dannon, got my car in the shop in less than 48 hours and the only thing that needed the be fixed was some bolts tightened. They even adjusted my AC which had been acting up, all free of charge. This is a truly high quality shop and the only place I'll take my car too again. It might take a minute if you call or drop in but Dannon does an incredible job as a one woman show running all of the customer service and administrative stuff. Once you have her attention though, she takes her time explaining and answering any questions you might have. read more

As usual, great, comfortable, confident, service to my car and myself was given at A & E Automotive. Quality & detail, honesty is important for the long run of my vehicle. Organization, cleanliness of the shop, shows they don't rush cars thru for max business. They treat each car like the owner feels. Car means freedom and the only 1 have. Knowing parts not thrown around, no scratches on paint, complete inspection, keeps me away from the other over crowded, loud dirty shops. Nice feeling to know my car care is handled. Never charge for unneeded anything. On a fixed budget, keeping the car dependable means everything. Thanks, I am a returning customer. Go there, you'll be one too. read more

The staff charged me $60 despite being unable to resolve a problem with my brakes. Staff do not wear masks

I took a used car here that I was looking to buy. The team did a full analysis of the car. I appreciated their thoroughness and willingness to explain their full analysis. They handed me a detailed report of their findings and helped me make an informed decision on whether or not to purchase the car. Would absolutely visit again. read more

Everything went smoothly. I went in for a smog check and was out in 30 minutes.

Really great service. They offer drop-off and pick-up service which made the process a lot easier. My headlight and day time driving light were both out. Dannon suspected that it was the electric issue, and turned out it was. They fixed it within half an hour but after I drove the car for a while they were out again. So I emailed Dannon via yelp and she kindly booked an appointment with me immediately. This time they fixed the loosen bracket that caused the electric issue, and FREE of charge for this second appointment. The staff were very nice. They explained things to me well and didn't think I was stupid or anything. I'd definitely recommend my friends to her shop. Btw, don't forget to check in via Yelp. They offer $5 or $10 off based on how much the service fee is... read more

I've had okay experiences here but yesterday the old decrepit bitch who charged me had me put my card in to pay for an oil change and then said it didn't go through, then had me put it in again for a different amount that was $2 less than the original price, then when we tried one more time she input an incorrect amount of $766,000 but luckily I caught it and she had to re input the amount. When i checked my bank statements later they had charged me twice and now are closed for thanksgiving. I would says take your car here once that old woman dies and they get a competent secretary. read more

Great auto shop. I've taken all 3 of my cars here. Friendly, helpful and they do great work!

Fantastic service! They were very friendly and knew their stuff. They offered drop-off and pick-up services, which made my life a lot easier unlike most other places where I wait for longer periods of time. They also offered a courtesy check, which is always nice. I highly recommend their services. read more

A&E automotive does an amazing job on all of our cars. The service is friendly and honest. The comprehensive analysis of my vehicles keeps them running smoothly. I highly recommend A&E for all of your car's needs. read more

Came in one day to get an Oil change since it was the most decently priced. I was immediately acknowledged by Sanford, who was very quick to help me get the ball rolling. While he did the papers, I noticed they had some awesome stuff laying around. From books to a sweet columbus era bronze map...even like 10 different gauges of spent cartridge shells (one being from the 1800's), is that not totally awesome or what? He gave me a time to come back (which was about 45 minutes or so) and recommended that I go grab some lunch. Came back around the aforementioned time and surely enough, the car was done like he said. This is the part where I usually get nervous. I sat down and prepared to get battered with a variety of critical boo boos that my poor car needed to get fixed, but to my fortunate disappointment, that was not the case. I was greeted by Sanfords wife Dannon, who humbly told me my car was in good condition, but (dw, its a good but) at the same time conveniently walked me through some things to watch out for in the future. I was enlightened (not pushed) about a few minor leaks, worn windshield wipers (they weren't worn, just really shitty actually), and some other stuff that I could tend to WHEN I felt like it and to not worry. Then she pulled out a book that she obviously worked hours on and guided me to all the pages containing detailed information about the parts that we just talked about. Don't know about you, but I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to cars and their jargon and thought that was a very nice and courteous touch. They even drove my car to another shop across the street to get my tire patched up. I actually went to that shop before I went to A & E cause I already knew there was something wrong with the tire; The shop told me if i went after 3 most of their mechs would be gone so it would take longer. Since it was already past 3 I mentally slapped myself at the possible extra 45 minutes. But nope, it took about 10 minutes and I'm sure I have Sanford and Dannon to thank for the expedited time save (Thanks to the Dal Passo Tire Corp, who was also very nice) All in all, I was very pleased with the service here. Not to mention the fact that my car ran a lot smoother and was zippier afterwards...so kudos to Sanford, Dannon and the awesome mechanics of A&E Automotive! Keep on keepin' on. read more

Best mechanic in town. They are not only incredible at what they do, but they are the sweetest people ever. All of them went out of there way to make sure our car was done in time and a team member even gave me a ride to where I needed to go because my car was in the shop. They are seriously the kindest people ever. And not to mention, THEY HAVE THE BEST PRICES!!! read more

Me and my girlfriend were in Santa Barbara visiting from LA this past weekend driving my miata around the mountains. We pulled over at the top of Lizard's Mouth and I popped the hood and noticed the radiator was still on and coolant was spraying on the engine bay. Worried about overheating problems and being stuck up there needing a tow, we quickly drove back down to the nearest garage to get it checked out before driving back to LA. Fortunately the closest shop was A&E who quickly diagnosed the problem, sorted us out for the drive home, and we were back on the road within 30 minutes. Extremely friendly, polite, and courteous staff who know what they are doing and talking about. Highly recommend for any work. read more

Cheap Smog Check ($55.55), Friendly Staff, Comfortable, Great First Experience. I used to always go to Casey's Garage for smogs but got tired of always waiting 2 or 3 times longer than expected. Did some research online and A&E Auto was one of the cheapest Smogs check shops in town so I decided to check them out. Called same day and had an appointment within the hour. Showed up, no waiting, pleasant area with interesting art and things around the shop, little sweets on the desk too :) They do a complimentary check under the hood and advised me of some worn belts I have which I knew of before so I knew they were being honest. Staff is friendly and I enjoyed my experience there so I would definitely recommend them for a smog and possibly other work. Thank you! read more

My car was in pretty rough shape and Dannon helped me the minute I got there and kept in contact with me the full 3 days my car was in the shop. I always knew what my options were and what was happening with my car including all the costs. They never did anything without advising me first. I would highly recommend them! read more

Amazing auto shop. I am a student at UCSB, and they helped me when my power steering went out. I have a pretty old car, but I can't afford a new one, and Toyota wanted $150 just to look at it (a week of minimum wage part time). A and E listened to my situation and decided to help look the car before they charged me, so I knew it was worth fixing before I spent any more $ on it. They fixed it back to brand new in less than a day for $170, only $20 more than Toyota wanted just to look at it! Their mechanic found the issue in less than 5 minutes, and started working on it right away. They even called an Uber for me to get back to class on time while they were fixing it. 10/10 would recommend! High quality work, very fast, and great people. read more

Dannon and Tyler were super helpful and friendly when I came in for an oil change. They even gave me a $5 discount for checking in on Yelp!

They broke my door actuator and expect me to pay to fix it. Brought my van in for an oil change and they tell me the 2nd row door won't open. Was working fine before I brought it in. Then they tell me its +$200 to fix. Excuse me?! you broke it, you fix it. Don't trust these scam artists. read more

Overall, ok service. But they always try to sell you services you don't need, which I think is pretty dishonest. I would skip and go elsewhere. read more

Dannon and the crew have been a great team in making sure my car is in working order. When I had to prepare for my honeymoon roadtrip, they looked over my car and made sure it was in great running order so my partner and I would not have any unexpected issues while on our trip! They are professional and most importantly honest. I would come to them again. read more

Have been visiting them for almost a year for oil changes, some fixes, smog check and everytime same great patient and caring service. They answer all of my questions in detail. I really like the complimentary expection with oil change, but even during smog test they checked my car condition which I very much appreciate. So far I've been lucky that only minor things were found and they were able to immediately fix them which is very convenient. A complimentary ride expremely helpful as well. Extremely client oriented family team that goes extra mile for their clients! read more

I am from out of town and my brakes went out. They were fast, friendly and very professional. Great service! Ignore what others are saying...they were all wearing MASKS! read more

A&E stayed open for me when I had my battery die in my Volvo yesterday evening. They fixed it so quickly, prices were reasonable, and the staff was so sweet. I was very lucky that they had the specific type of battery that I needed on hand. Thanks for saving me a whole load of trouble! Would definitely recommend! read more

The team at A & E Automotive really blew my mind at how personable, professional, and quick they were. I went in since I was having a misfire in one of my cylinders. Edgar explained to me that in most cases it could be from a spark plug ignition coil or injector he replaced the spark plug that didn't solve the problem then he replaced the coil and the problem was gone it was done fast and reasonably priced. He walked me through it all and I felt comfortable in knowing my car was in great hands. I can't thank Edgar and his team enough for fixing my car and getting it up and running in less than half an hour! Now I know where to take my car next time I need some repairs. Thank you thank you! read more

I took my 2005 Subaru Outback in for blown head gasket repair. I had an estimate from a repair shop and wanted a second opinion. They called me with more bad news, but since the car is old and has very high mileage I knew the additional repairs were necessary. This is a family run business and with two of the mechanics owning Subarus I felt comfortable leaving my car in their hands. With the additional work, which was extensive, the end cost was less than the estimate I received from the first repair shop. I think this is a great busines and they have gained a lifetime customer. I wouldn't take my car anywhere else. read more

Very honest and reliable! So nice to have found a place for my son to take his car while away at school that are honest and helpful!!

Very friendly and helpful! When my car was having problems, they took their time to make sure it was safe to drive and when it wasn't they let me leave it at their shop and drove me home. They are very sweet, friendly, and trusting. Couldn't have asked for a better automotive shop! read more

Samford, Dannon, and the rest of the A&E crew are amazing. Great customer service and prices. This shop has been my to go place on getting anything done on my vehicle. Best shop in Goleta. Thank you again read more

I took both my Prius and Sienna into A & E and both times, the service and speed were exemplary. The cars are doing great now, and I also received comprehensive written and verbal explanations about what was going on with them and how to fix them. Dannon was a pleasure to speak with and I was impressed with how quickly everything was done. Making the appointments was also very easy. They open early, so it's convenient. It's no wonder they've been in business so long. I highly recommend them. read more

Simple, honest and fast. This is exactly what you want when getting a smog test! Thank you A&E!

Exceptional and quality service coupled with honesty and gratitude!

I can't say enough good things about A&E. They are the rare breed of honest, experienced, and inexpensive mechanics that are all too rare. They replaced my transmission on my F150, worked with my warranty company to get me a fast turnaround. I highly recommend! read more