We're always completely satisfied with the excellent repair and maintenance services provided by A-Town Automotive. Whatever we are bringing our vehicles in for, we know and can trust that it will be done right the first time, and that the cost will be exceptionally reasonable. read more

Last week, I had to drive my 97 Toyota 4 Runner with over 300,000 miles down to a meeting in Los Angeles from Atascadero. Unfortunately, my "Check Engine" light went on 4 days before my trip and I was hesitant to take my 4Runner or rent a car for 4 days so I took my car to A-Town Automotive because of a recommendation by a fellow Toyota owner I met in the Trader Joe's parking lot. I live on a limited income and feared that it was going to be a major repair. When I got there, the owner used a computer device that could diagnose the problem and discovered that it was not a major problem so I drove it down to LA and back without any problems. I had an appointment the morning after I returned and he had it fixed 90 minutes after my appointment. To my surprise, he charged me his regular hourly labor fee and the cost of the part that was $2.50. He even repaired the clock on my dashboard that hasn't worked since I bought it. Not only is he a knowledgeable mechanic but is honest and that is a rare quality with auto mechanics in Atascadero. read more

James is amazing and extremely kind. He has helped me out in a few tight spots. Absolutely recommend!

Moved to A-town 10 yrs ago and we were hoping to find an honest, fair mechanic we could rely on. I'm not sure how we found James, but so glad we did! He has been honest, fair and reliable and has got us out of a few binds with all our vehicles. We'll be moving to another area soon and we'll surely miss James at A-town automotive!! read more

Went to A Town for the first time after a glowing recommendation from a trusted friend. I was very happy with the services provided on a used Honda we purchased for my son. James is very fair and honest which is all I can ask for in a mechanic. I now have a trusted mechanic for any small car needs. To address the one star review by Jim J.,,,all I can say is it's not very fair to try and effect a person's livelihood because the shop limits the age of vehicles they service. Having worked in a Porsche shop in the 80's, the owner refused to work on vehicles older than 1965 not because of a lack of ability, but out of the realization that older vehicles of that type posed a potential "can of worm" almost anytime you started working on them. I highly doubt that James or any other mechanic doesn't have the "ability" to change the oil on your 1992 vehicle. It's a shame that the one blemish in these reviews is one like Jim's, but I suppose he felt that strongly to take time to create his review. read more

I see from the other reviews that honesty keeps cropping up. I totally agree. My car came to James for it's first time and I needed the 120,000 mile check. At that amt of miles the sparkplugs and several other things need chging and cleaning. He pulled my #1 sparkplug and said it looked brand new. This prompted him to check Carfax and sure enough, the dealer chgd them at 100,000 mi. He could have charged me for new spark plugs, but he didn't. Being a woman I am sceptical of auto mechanics. I'm sooooo thrilled to be able to trust James at Atown Auto. read more

James is a very good mechanic and an honest person. I've been bringing him my '89 Honda CRX for many years. He gets the work done promptly and is always helpful with last minute "emergencies." P.S. I wrote a review previously, but for some reason it is in the unused review pile. read more

A-Town Automotive is the only place I will take the family cars. James is incredibly trustworthy, and will tell it to you like it is. He is not one to try and push unnecessary fixes on you. For example, my wife's check engine light came on in our van, and she took it to A-Town Automotive. James ran the diagnostic, and found out exactly what the issue was. He then went out of his way to do the research, and found out that the part was still covered under our warranty, and that the dealership could fix the issue free of charge. I don't know any other auto shops that would give that kind of service. Last month, my truck died while driving on the freeway at night. I was able to have the truck towed to his shop where I left it there overnight. By the end of the next day, all of the necessary work was done. When I went to pick it up, he took the time to show me the work that was required in the engine, and even offered to show me the quirks with my 23 year old vehicle, and how to do some of the basic maintenance myself. I can't recommend A-Town Automotive enough. You will not be taken advantage of, or, and this is a big one for my wife, you will not be talked down to. Do yourself a favor, and take your vehicle there. read more

I have used many mechanics in the area but have to say that this shop is one of best...fair, honest, trustworthy and thorough. Wish I had found this shop years ago. Will now change mechanics for the entire family ( we have 3 Toyotas and a Nissan). I recommend anyone with a Toyota, Honda or Nissan that this is the specialist you want maintaining your car if you want to go way beyond 300,000 miles! I have paid idiots to spend hours trying to figure out what this shop can zero in on in minutes. A good mechanic is hard to find but a great mechanic in this economy is priceless. read more

James has been my mechanic for over 20 years now. He is the most honest, fair and expert mechanics I've ever known. We are extremely lucky to have him in our area! read more

James is amazing to work with. Our family and friends have used him ever since we moved to the Central Coast!

James Merrick, owner of A-Town Automotive has been our mechanic for at least 10 years. He has repaired and maintained our Toyota Prius, our older Toyota, our sons Honda, and many of our friends, including one who drives down from the bay area to get opinions and service on his car. We really trust James to do what is needed and give us the straight shot on anything that is needed. We recommend James and his facility without reserve. Note that he was formerly with LCD Automotive, that is now closed, and he opened this shop. We followed him across town and were please tto do it! read more

Called for a simple oil change but refused because my car was a 1992 Chevy. If they can't do a simple oil change then I would not trust them to do anything! read more

A great guy who has been the trusted mechanic for my family's vehicles for the past 20 years.

Best shop in Atascadero and in San Luis Obispo hands down good guy. I will never take my car anywhere but his shop

I've been taking my cars to James for several years, and always appreciate his honesty and quality work. He is very knowledgeable and highly experienced. Recently my Honda Pilot blew a spark plug right out of the engine and had to be towed in. James told me the problem and said there was a $600 "repair" solution he hoped would work and a $2,000 "replacement" he was hoping to avoid. At the end of the day the $600 answer ended up being sufficient to fix the problem. Many less reputable shops might have tried to charge me the $2,000 - but James knows that integrity leads to long term success and I genuinely trust him to take good care of my cars for the lowest possible cost. read more

We have used James for years for automotive needs previously LCD.. He is honest, dependable, & provides high quality service. He is personable and I highly recommend him & his company. read more

I have been taking my Honda's to James for almost 20 years. First my Civic, then my Accord, and now my CRV. Excellent Work and Customer Service has always been provided by James. I recommend him highly. read more

Great, honest, reliable service. James has been servicing my Toyota Highlander for about a year and a half now and I couldn't be happier. After a bad experience elsewhere, I am confident his customers are his top priority. He only recommends the work that needs to be done and does not try and scare you into spending thousands of dollars on unnecessary repairs. Reasonable prices, quick turn around time. No complaints here! read more

James is a good mechanic, very professional. I brought him my 2001 Tacoma for diagnosis in the morning, he called that day telling me the problem explaining my options with estimates before working on the vehicle. I told him to go ahead with the work, he was done that same afternoon charging me less than estimated. The truck runs better than I ever thought it could. Definitely 5 star service read more

You never have to worry with James. He is amazingly helpful and somehow never shows frustration when you show up with something complicated. I trust him completely and wish I had the money to pay him twice of what he charges. Seriously, he's an amazing guy with an unreal work ethic. I'm lucky to have him as a mechanic who legitimately wants to help his customers and provide good service. read more