In an industry that (deservedly) gets low marks for the experience.....Active Auto Sales sets the standard. I completed my 3rd deal with them last week (1 prior purchase and I consigned a vehicle with them) and it was entirely pleasant again. Lots of nice, mostly European auto's from various makes - SAAB's and Jaguars tend to predominate and reflect owner Olaf's belief that they offer great value as used cars - and a no rush, no hassle vibe. The purchase last week was entirely indulgent - as opposed to necessary - and it took two VERY long drives to decide to go for it. My two drives were a LOT more time in total than one generally gets to walk around a home purchase....even tho your home might cost 50x what a used car does today in Marin County. A very re-assuring policy this is. From Olaf, or Charlie, or Bill....you just get pleasant chit-chat, answer what questions they can about the car (remember, it's used cars and they have many makes and models from 1-20 years old so it's not the same as going to a single or multi-brand dealer of new cars who has in-depth information on each model) and then they drop the keys in your hand and tell you to enjoy the ride(!) I'm very loyal to these guys as they simply do it right - I'm also a business owner so I appreciate what it takes to stick around - especially in a miserable economy. By the way, the prices are VERY competitive - Olaf buys 'em right and prices them to move....it's a quite rare combination of great customer care and fine pricing. So really, buy, or at least try in confidence and not fear of the experience at Active Auto Sales. Good show, gents! read more

We initially bought a car here, but there were some issues with it that required immediate attention. The dealer was very decent and refunded our money. Sometimes there can be problems, but that's life - and that's when we have the true test of people. We were very impressed and happy that the dealer made things right with us. He was human, flexible, and honest. We didn't buy a car from them (we decided that a new car suited our needs better than a used one) but we would recommend them without reservation. They are a high quality operation offering really excellent used cars at good prices. They really do care about their customers being happy. read more

I purchased a 2002 Saab 9-3 from Active Auto Sales and really like the car. They are very efficient, and have plenty of nice cars to choose from. The Saab is everything they said it was except for one issue. There seems to be a problem with the ignition switch/module. I haven't isolated the exact nature of the problem yet, but have been given some suggestions as to how to proceed. The owner Olaf has offered monetary assistance to remedy the situation and for now I'm happy to go forward and see how the situation is dealt with to the successful repair of the car. Update: the starter finally gave out... it was intermittently not working from day one. We took the car to a mechanic in Dublin who has experience with Saab's and it was a simple $500 repair really. A new starter was installed and the car starts every time without fail. read more

The service was excellent! Olaf was very helpful. He is friendly and knowledgeable about the car. I definitely will recommend to my friends to buy a car from Active Auto Sales. I'm very happy with my Nissan Leaf SL Premium 2013. In fact I'm looking forward to dealing with Olaf on our next purchase. It had great visibility and driving is so smooth. No more gas stops! No more oil changes! Zero emissions! The family loves it. Thanks again Olaf! read more

Active Auto Sales - Nissan Leaf SL Premium 2013 - Car Dealers Near Me - Novato, California

I bought a Saab 9-3 from Charlie, and it had a few repairs needed that he'd agreed to do. So a few days later I brought it in for the repairs and he loaned me a car that I ended up liking more (an old Volvo wagon). I called him the next day and told him. Not only did he give me a good deal on the Volvo, but he took the Saab back for a full refund, which he didn't have to do. Since the Saab was quite a bit more cost than the Volvo, he cut me a check for the difference. These guys stand behind the cars they sell, are friendly and easy to work with, and seem to really want you to end up happy. Big thumbs up. read more

Bought a car from here last year. Didn't have a Yelp account then, but me coming back here all that time later to write this review can be taken as an indicator of how bad the service was. a) Dealer did not disclose everything that was wrong with the car, just the immediately obvious things I noticed on the spot. b) Sold vehicle without valid smog, which obviously meant they didn't manage to change the registration. I had to go get the smog done myself, for which they promised they'll pay, but later refused because of some magically appearing expedited registration fees (I suspect they were actually because the car had been unregistered for a while before they sold it, thus incurring penalties). c) Recalls on the vehicle were not done, which again prevented it from being registered. Overall, it took 3-4 months to get the car registered, leading to tickets for missing tags and the like... read more

I called Active Auto Sales about a 2013 Chevy Volt that caught my eye, as it was a good $500 less than other dealers for the same or older. Olaf informed me that the car I was calling about had sold, but he had just brought in a 2014 with fewer miles and the same premium package I was looking for. After a couple of days of discussion/credit approval, and a smoking price that I couldn't resist (a full $1000 less than comparable models elsewhere), I picked it up. Fast, no hassle, and a fantastic car as well ! Very happy with the car buying experience and how nice and authentic everyone was. Will definitely buy again in future if the situation arises. read more

I just completed my fourth auto purchase from Olaf and team at Active Auto and again could not be happier with the transaction. If you are looking for a place to buy a used car from people who are knowledgeable, honest and fair you could not find a better place. Their prices are very fair compared to most used/new dealers and if they don't have what you are looking for they will try to find it for you. No pressure, no baloney, just good used cars at a fair price from some nice people. Highly Recommended! read more

Charlie and Olaf made my purchase of a Toyota Prius Hybrid just a snap! I feel confident and peaceful in driving it. Their services were very honest and much tailored to my personal needs on the car. The feeling of their professionalism and quality business has never been so stronger to me than elsewhere. It can be me and my friends' top consultation for the car possession or replacement...just fine and reliable as a car dealer, Active Auto Sales is impressive! read more

I recently purchased a Saab 9-3 Convertible at Active Auto and was really impressed with the professionalism yet personal touch how they handle their business. I had most of my interaction with Olaf, who is really knowledgeable not only about the cars, but also about all the paper work. Bill was also great, really a very nice person, knows a lot about cars, and all of them are not pushy at all - very much appreciated. When I finally committed to purchase a car, they gave me a good price on my turn-in and I really got the feeling of a fair deal. I would definitely recommend Active Auto, especially if you are looking for a Saab through an honest dealer - not easy to find. read more

Olaf, please thank your salesmen for the great service. They made buying my 2008 r32 a piece of cake. Even though there was a hold up because my financing institution gave us grief, you guys rounded up a great deal with a local credit union and Olaf even drove to us to finish the paperwork! (we live in Oakland). Thanks for the the great service, no preasure sales and a very nice car. read more

I discovered shortly after purchasing a Mini Cooper here that a couple advertised items were not, in fact on the car: cruise control and tilt wheel. Also, the extra set of keys didn't fit this car (they did replace 1 of the 2 bad keys, after waiting a couple of months). As part of the negotiation, they did some work (alignment and brakes), but never gave me the paperwork on repairs, in spite of several requests. And the car is still out of alignment. Hopefully, they can rectify this situation and I can update the rating. I'm really wishing I'd had the repairs done by my own mechanic. read more

I bought a Jaguar XK. Amir was a pleasure to work with. He even suggested that try a different credit union to get a better loan, which we did. I love the car. This was a very good car buying experience. read more

Just bought a Saab 9-3 here from a selection of about 12 used Saabs. No pressure sales team and easy to come to an agreement. Krista B's review is very similar to my experience. The easiest car purchase I've ever had. read more

I bought a 3-series BMW here. The sale could not have gone any better. Olaf does not apply the pressure tactics, and I really appreciated that we could look at the cars without being hassled. When it came time to make a deal, the negotiations were reasonable and I feel I got a more than fair price for the car. I would definitely buy another car here! read more

These guys are great! They are honest and helpful. I will both return when we need another car and recommend others looking for a used car. read more

I worked directly with the owner at Active Auto Sales to find the Nissan Leaf that worked for my wife and I. I had done my research and visited other dealers so knew a good deal when I saw it. Not only did I get a great price, but I got exception service and a fantastic selection to choose from. Thanks Olaf! read more

Cannot say enough about these guys!! I got confused about info and thought my husband had asked for the wrong car!! Yup dumb! These guys were wonderful. Very patient and didn't treat me like a jerk when I deserved to be!! Charlie and Larry are the best!! Don't yet know how the car will perform although they allowed us to take it to our trusted technicians in San Francisco. If you are looking for a good solid yet nice used car this is the place to go. Highly recommend!!! read more

I usually am not one to yelp at all, especially about negative experiences, but something needs to be said about my experience here. It was absolutely ridiculous. I purchased a car from active auto sales a few months ago and my check engine light came on soon after. It has now come to my attention that my car didn't come with a part It needed and active auto sales should have known about the missing part. I now need to pay hundreds of dollars to get it fixed. I'm aware that there are always issues that can present themselves when buying used cars but this is something they definitely should have been on top of.. I then called to ask them about it and see what they had to say and they were rude and never called me back.. The whole time the men working there didn't seem to know what they were talking about and I do not recommend going here in search of a car. read more

DO NOT RECOMMEND! I bought a car from here through financing and 6 days after the "service B 105 days exceeded." Great now I have to worry about that. Then 3 weeks later I get a call that I have to bring the car back! Which I am 100% okay with because I felt I was going to have problems with this car after the service not being done. But I have never heard of someone having a car for 1 month and then having to bring it back. When I didn't reply within 2 hours of a text (because I was at work) they threatened to repo the car from me. I told them I didn't want check I wanted cash the same way I paid and none of the guys I had been working with were here they had to send in the owners wife.. when she got there she said she didn't have cash. Since I was already late for work (because they demanded I bring there car at that time no later "sorry for the inconvenience!") I wasn't able to wait for her to go to the bank and come back with cash she told me I could keep the check and bring it back the next day and she would get me cash. She told me to just call her when I was ready. Of course when I called she told me to call her husband. When I called him no answer. I called about 3 times and no answer. So no I never got cash and I only was able to cash check and go out of my way to get it done. Thank god I had to bring the car back though because I was told by a fellow Novato neighbor that their son had got a car there before and that the business was "shady." Not to mention when Ron was trying to sell me warranty he straight up said his daughter bought an Audi there and a month later the transmission went out! Number one lesson I learned from looking at cars here is ALWAYS read yelp reviews first! read more

Bought an 04' Lexus Is300 from them about a month ago and it's been running great. Charlie was super helpful and didn't pressure me at all. Check engine light was on and AC wasn't working quite right and he got it fixed right away. No complaints whatsoever! read more

I've been dreading the thought of helping my daughter buy a car due to bad experiences with used car dealers in the past. Active Auto Sales might make me rethink the stereo-type I carry around with me as I had a good experience here. We purchased a car that was well priced without any sales pressure from Bill in the yard or Charlie in the office. After the deal had already been completed I had to change some paperwork due to my insurance company and Bill & Charlie couldn't have been any nicer about it even though it caused more work for them. read more

You have to be a special kind of idiot to buy a car at this ghetto lot. Scarey people living in trailers/campers on the side street and walking int he back of the dealership. Not to mention the lack of knowledge of the sales person about the car we were interested in. The car was WAY overpriced and we were told was in great condition, NOT! It has been in a wreck, convertible wouldn't go down, radio didn't work, front tire was almost flat, brakes rusted, inside completely dirty, rip in carpet, and it had to be jumped to turn the engine on. All of this and the sales man was CLUELESS. They are asking $6995 (on sale), car is worth $4K (maybe). I couldn't believe that Corte Madera allows such a ghetto dealership in the city limits. ****don't bother with this place**** read more

Olaf is a rare breed! For those car shopping~I will it make it real simple~save the headaches~go to Active Auto Sales 1st~I wish I had !!! I texted Olaf early Sunday morning~met him when they open(10:30 A.M)~the car was right in front and ready as promised~test drove the car~bought the Lexus (a true creampuff) all in less than 45 minutes and made my way home to watch the NINERS win! Nice work Olaf! BTW~ I live an hour from their establishment! read more

When I decided to purchase a car from this Dealer I read the reviews and they were great ones so I felt I had nothing to worry about. I can only assume I am not the first or last to put a negative review and maybe it forced them to fix the issues and therefore the review was deleted? Not sure but the horror story that I have been dealing with for over a month is insane. Here are the details of my issue and hopefully you do not end up with the same result as I have. I am going to replay the events that have unfolded in this very unfortunate and un-satisfactory purchase from this place of business. 2/28/2015 - car purchase date 3/06/2015 - David phoned me to advise that my warranty paperwork was filled out wrong and that you needed to send me a new contract in the mail to sign and date so that we could get the warranty paperwork into the Cornerstone Auto company. 3/11/2015 - phoned your office and spoke to Charlie in reference to the throttle body going out and that the car was not running and had engine codes. Charlie advised that the 30 day deal warranty did not cover this and that my warranty would not go into affect until 30 days. I said 30 days? He yes and that should be covered under that extended warranty. he would contact you the owner to assist and that you would call me back. 3/12/2015 - I had not received a call back and sent the below email. - Olaf phoned me back and advised that you the dealer would not cover the repairs that it was not covered under your dealer warranty and that my warranty wouldnt go into affect until 30 days. You offered me a used part that you could send me in the mail. When I refused that part you stated you would provide me $100.00 towards the rapairs and that you had given me such a great price on the car you didnt understand why I was un-happy. I was also advised that they have never heard of this part going out on these cars before. We ended the call unsatisfactory to say the least. 3/16/2015 - I phoned Olaf and advised well since you are not willing to assist me on this issue I am going to wait for the warranty to go into affect on April 1st to do the repairs. However, I have still not received my new warranty paperwork that David was supposed to send me. They advise theywould send it right away. 3/23/2015 - I received new paperwork, no where on this contract did it state anything about how many days the waiting period was. Since you advised me it was 30 days that is all I had to go off of. The warranty looked correct so I signed and mailed back 3/24/2015. However there was some small box that needed to be checked in order to get shortened waiting period. 3/27/2015 - I phoned to verify you received the paperwork, you had not as of yet. 3/31/2015 - I phoned again about the paperwork being receive you advised that it was mailed 3/30/2015. That I should wait about 1 week for them to process the paperwork before I took the car in for the repairs. 4/8/2015 - I phoned the warranty company they did have the contract but it was not active due to non payment by Active Auto. I then called your Dealership and spoke to charlie, he called 4/9/2015 to advise that it was paid for and I should be good to go. 4/9/2015 - Warranty confirmed they had it. ( Mind you this is 6 weeks after our initial transaction of the car purchase). 4/13/2015 - Took car in for warranty work 4/15/2015 was advised that my warranty did not take affect until 5/29/2015. I called your dealership and spoke to Charlie, he reassured me that I did have a 30 day waiting period and that he would get back to me asap to resolve this issue. 4/17/2015 - I was advised that the warranty issue would be corrected to show the 30 days and we would be ok. 4/20/2015 - I am now being advised that the warranty has 1000 miles or 30 days on it. However I have only used 600 miles. I was not made aware of this stipulation until now 8 days short of 2 months after I purchased the vehicle and I will have owned the car for 7 weeks and driven the vehicle a total of 7 days. You have offered me a used part again. I do not feel replacing a bad part with a used part is an acceptable solution to this situation. This dealer is nothing but a disappointment. I now have to pay 735.00 out of my own pocket to cover these repairs after I purchased this car with a $2500.00 down payment. This series of very unfortunate events has left a very bad impression on me as to how they manage their business. read more

If you're looking for a quality used car, definitely go check this place out. I found what I was looking for, the car was very clean and I got a fair price. Charlie and Olaf are great guys and were easy to work with. I had many (possibly annoying) questions and Charlie followed up and answered each one. They went above and beyond to make me happy, helping me further even after I'd already paid for the car. Active Auto also handles all the DMV paperwork which is a bonus and the purchase process was very quick. I would recommend them to a friend for sure! read more

Just bought a Saab 9-3 Sport Combi from Olaf at Active Auto Sales. This car is amazing, and difficult to find. Olaf knows his stuff. Everything was as promised and prior reviews by Matt O and Krista B mirror our positive car purchase experience. Olaf is now on the hunt for another Saab for us, our true dream car...a Saab Convertible! read more

We are repeat customers here - and consistently very happy! We're treated fairly and have had open and honest dealings both times with Charlie. This second time we were also able to get a great financing package through them (way better than my credit union) and much due to Charlie's active support and follow through. We absolutely recommend shopping here for your next vehicle!! read more

I show up looking for the guy I know to be a decent mechanic, when this greaseball, reeking of pot just literally, almost knocks me down in his hurry to get started. On what? I'd no idea, but I soon found out. So IO have this nut working on my vehicle { I was pissed ) and this other nut comes up to me babbling incoherently about who knows what. At the end of it all, I wound up with a poor repair job, an overpriced bill and some scratches on my vehicle. Don't even think about it!!!!!!!! read more

This was the best used car buying experience both my husband and I have ever had. The guys work as a team, are patient, and very accommodating. Both my husband and I purchased cars at the same time because the selection was great and they were so great to work with. Most of the our interactions were with Charlie who was extremely service focused. We love the vehicles we purchased which were priced very competitively and in great condition. We will definitely purchase again and recommend anyone in the market for a used car. read more

The best experience I have ever had buying a car. Honest, fair and knowledgeable. I highly recommend Active Auto.

I've bought 2 cars from Olaf, and sold one over the years. He's fair, not pushy, and honest. I'll purchase my third car from him for sure.

Olaf and Charlie put me in a beautiful used 2011 Saab 9-5. The price and trade-in were exceptional. After the sale, I noted that the taillights needed to be replaced, but couldn't be locally sourced. Olaf found a supplier in Sweden and had them delivered by DHL at no cost to me! That's remarkable post-sales service. read more

I'll start this review by saying that this is the first time I have been swayed to one side or the other about writing a review for a company though I've said I would numerous times. I am also weary about people's motives, more importantly what they are willing to do at the expense of others to see a profit. Let's be real the phrase used car salesman didn't become a blanket term for sketchy salesmen out of no where. Olaf and his team at active auto are the absolute opposite of your stereo typical car salesman. And to me, they seem incredibly trustworthy, genuine and I didn't feel they wanted to see me drive off of the lot in a car I would regret buying soon. He was knowledgeable about all of his cars and told me the things that may be a problem in the future, instead of claiming all of the cars he was selling would somehow fit into my life and what I was looking for. Olaf ultimately guided me to a Saab Aero 9-3 which I absolutely love now. Everything was extremely smooth or from meeting him to purchasing the car and to say his team went above and beyond what they needed to do would be such an incredibly gross understatement. This was the type of customer service that gives you faith in humanity again ha. If you are looking for a used car but have reservations about buying because you are not confident with knowledge of the industry go look around active auto and talk to him about what you want. I would, and will recommend this business to anyone I meet looking to buy a used car. In my best opinion you will not get anything shy of what you paid for, and you will probably get a bit more. Thank you so much active auto, I wish you much success and future business and endeavors. With warm regards, Joe Halton. read more

Be ware, do not shop there even if you get a good deal and or your desperate. I met two guys, one nice, and one does not give you the chance to talk AT ALL on the phone. Bottom line, they are not honest people at all. And there prices are much higher than any other used car dealer anywhere in Marin and beyond. After we bought the car from them, (don't think I don't blame myself for not doing a better research), we found out they misinformed us about many things such as real mileage on an electric car, and charging us at least over $5000 more by claiming that the price is high because the car has interior leather. Not to mention we had to take it to the shop few months after we bought it. Again don't get me wrong, a car dealer must make profit otherwise why stay in business. Bottom line they are cheaters, liers and perhaps worse if I got to know them more. I normally don't care to post reviews, but we were burned enough and the fact that I can prevent other people from being cheated gives us lot of satisfaction even though we got stooped and we are hurt about it. It's up to you now. read more

Initially, it was a very easy transaction...to easy. Began over the phone talking about the car we wanted to purchase and about the car that would be traded. Drove down from Sonoma county ready to make a deal. The car looked great and they liked my trade in. Everything was really easy and the salesman was really easy to talk to and work with in regards to any concerns we had. Unfortunately, the problems began some time after the sale. It took well over a month for them to payoff my old car loan. In getting ready to make the first payment on my new car, I look at my bank account and see that my old car loan is still active. Called and spoke to the guy who sold us the car as the owner was "out of the country" and he said it was a simple paperwork mistake. Several more weeks go by and still my old car was not paid off. Called again and this time the owner gave a sob story about how they should not have purchased my car and he did not have the money to pay it off. I tried to work with him and allowed him to send me a check that I could give to the bank, for that month's payment. Here we are 6+ months later and I get a notice from the DMV that my registration is due on the car that I traded in to them. So, they didn't even turn in the release of liability that I signed and they were suppose to sent in to the DMV. They are really nice to your face, but that's were it ends. We will never go back there and anyone we have talked to, we have strongly advised against going here. Easily the worst experience I've had with a car lot. read more

I was looking to buy a used late model Nissan Leaf. The reason to go to a used car dealer is the convenience of having several vehicles to look at and compare in one place. There are other reasons, of course, such as obtaining financing and trade-ins etc. For me it was primarily the wide selection of used Leafs. These guys are picking up used Leafs at auction, I presume, and reselling them at reasonable prices. Since they sell a lot of these they are fairly knowledgeable about them and in my experience know more about the cars than a lot of the Nissan dealer sales people. Charlie and Olaf and the others are low pressure and straight forward. I felt like I got a fair deal on a practically new car so I'm happy. They have a wide selection of cars and seem to specialize in Nissan Leafs and Saabs. If you're in the market for any used car and especially a Nissan Leaf or Saab, check them out. read more