Ah, the ongoing saga of bringing my Honda S2000 back to operational status. The checklist was: rebuild the transmission (done), replace all 4 tires (done), pay for registration (done), & then smog the car. Before that last step, a monkey wrench got thrown in there. The check engine light went on. For smog check, that's an automatic fail. I needed that resolved ASAP. Since I work in Berkeley, I checked Yelp for a shop near my work. Art's Automotive popped up & had stellar reviews. I made an appointment to drop the car off when they open at 8am & would pick the car up around 5pm after I got off work. It's walking distance from my work so the times & location were both convenient for me. It was a simple knock sensor issue. They replaced it & the car was ready to go by the time I was back in the evening. Everyone I worked with at Art's Automotive was knowledgeable, professional, & very communicative. There were no mysteries about anything that needed to be done for my car & no surprises on my invoice. I know it can feel like a good shop is hard to find. Well, I found a good shop. For any future issues, I'm bringing my car back to Art's Automotive. read more

I have no doubt this shop has very competent mechanics. They competently replaced my starter, which on my model is a no brainer--but it was clear they did things correctly--correct fasteners and obvious care in putting things back. I don't think they are a particularly great bargain in the world of independent mechanics, but the costs were in line with similar places. The thing I was disappointed with was the counter person. I am a mechanically competent person and own tools and diagnostic equipment and historically have done all the maintenance and minor repairs on my own cars. In my younger years, I rebuilt engines and am the go to person in my neighborhood for diagnostic and emergency help. But I am 76 years old and am giving up mechanical work on my own cars. I told the fellow that the car needed a new starter, but he put on the estimate $172 for "diagnostics" to see if it needed one without taking my word for it. (Folks, it ain't that hard to diagnose a starter problem). He got really snippy and condescending when I told him it needed a starter, that I had done all the diagnostics it needed, and I do not appreciate that kind of treatment at my age. When I picked up the car, they seemed a bit condescending as well. They noted the oil was "low" and was "dirty". I changed the oil on this car 757 miles earlier and I have changed it religiously every 3000 miles or annually as long as I have owned it. The car has rarely been on a country road. When I got home and pulled the dipstick, the level was fine--I will say that this particular car is very sensitive to being on level ground (Subarus are like that) when you measure the oil level. The oil did not appear to be "dirty" to me. I will let the mechanics' questionable assessment slide, but I will go elsewhere next time. Respecting customers is important. It would not have taken any longer for them to be kind to an old man. read more

Great Automotive services for my Toyota. They are professional, the bill is clear and the service was A+. Customer adviser " Luke " was biblical. Much better than the local dealership i been dealing with in the bay area. But no fancy coffee like the dealership. read more

I've been going to Arts for 25 years and have had only the very best service. I'll keep buying cars they service because they're just that good. I can't say enough great things about Lute, Paul and their fabulous crew. Thank you! read more

Very good place to bring your vehicle for maintenance & repair. Not the most expensive (your local dealership has a lock on that award) or cheapest ... just consistently honest, reliable, quality service. I've brought my Honda to them on several occasions for routine scheduled maintenance and a fresh battery, and their work is always excellent & thorough. So why only four stars & not five? Most of the employees are friendly & courteous, but one or two can be kinda' gruff & curt (no, those aren't their names). read more

Most reliable and fair auto mechanics in the Bay! I've been taking my car(s) to Art's for 10 years and it is a huge relief to have a shop where I never ever worry about being scammed. Service is great and the guys there (I mostly talk with Lute) always give great customer service and unpatronizing explanations. read more

This place deserves 0 star . I live in Hayward but still took my car to this shop for maintenance because of the good reviews. As soon as I entered the lobby, the guy working the front desk at that time greeted me while staring at my boobs even though my bf was right next to me. However, that's not the reason for this review. The reason is, my car was returned to me with four missing bolts causing the shield under the car to fall and drag on the ground while driving to Reno. They ruined my trip! When I called them about the missing bolts, they implied that either I removed the bolts myself or they came loose while driving, and it wasn't their fault. What pissed me off even more was how they spoke to my bf with a completely different tone. I felt very disrespected. After my bf spoke to them, they offered a free oil change as a compensation. I don't care for that free oil change. I'm not taking my car back to this shop ever again. Ladies, especially those that don't know anything about cars, I wouldn't recommend you to come here. read more

Best services from best people and they're also certified as Green Business. Always leave as happy customer!

I have been a customer of Arts for a very long time . I have nothing but good things to say about the work done to my cars as well as the people who work at there. Arts is like a big family. I would recommend this shop to everyone! read more

Open and honest staff. Chris was amazing explaining in detail the problems and solutions to them for my Nissan. Oh, and cheaper than my old Nissan dealership! read more

Super thorough work and detailed notes on everything they notice, what they're looking out for, what you the owner can look out for, etc. -- they go way above and beyond the "here's what we worked on" printout most places give you. BONUS: they'll answer any questions you have on your car, and will walk you through exactly what's going on with a particular component, including a friendly, helpful explanation of how things work if you're not already familiar. (This should be a universal standard, but if you're a woman who's taken a car in for repairs elsewhere, you know that it isn't.) Christian, in particular, was incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. They're also really upfront about what you can DIY (replacing lights) and what services are optional (replacing a tire-pressure sensor that's dying). Their pricing is good. They give you a fair deal. They're honestly the nicest folks I've ever taken my car to. I'm really happy with their service. read more

Can't say enough good things about Art's Auto. Helped me through a puzzling issue with me car. Thanks to Paul & the team!

This place is so competent, helpful, and efficient that they were calling my insurance company and getting information from them before my insurance company even updated me! Definitely got the process moving more quickly than my insurance company would have on their own... and they really know what you're talking about. My other mechanic didn't really understand hybrid vehicles and missed something crucial. Art's figured it out right away and also helped me better understand how to maintain my car going forward. So glad to have found them! Only coming back here from now on. read more

There's a lot to like about Art's Automotive. Friendly, knowledgable, and helpful staff and a green business (solar powered, strong hybrid presense, etc. I was particularly impressed that the mechanic took the time to take a test drive with me to verify the 2 noises I was hearing and discuss with me my car in general. One issue had to do with a heat shield that needed to be spot welded and the other rattle was a bolt that had gotten into the catalytic converter. I appreciated the practical and inexpensive advice I got on the latter (which passed the smog test the next day). And they are firm on what's important. While they had my car, they noticed that I had recently bought 2 back replacement tires for my Subaru when I should have replaced all 4 (the car being all wheel drive). They told me that this was important towards transmission wear and that I needed to go back to Don's Tires promto and buy the other 2. I did the next day. They also gave me some sound advice on this 1999 Subaru regarding oil changes, the possibility of piston slap/other engine problems that sometimes show up in my 2.5 enging, and coolant options. The explanations were much appreciated and at a price and practical service model that makes me wonder why I stayed with the Albany Ford Service Department for so long. A few cautions: the check-in line can be a bit long in the morning and they don't offer a shuttle service. The wait is worth it and they do know the bus routes, cab options, etc. to get you home or to work. I chose to walk back to Albany and really enjoyed the exercise. read more

I've been dealing with Art & the whole staff,Anne,Lute,Paul,Eric ,Chris(I'm sure I left someone out)since 2002 & they have been everything you would want & expect in an automotive repair shop. Honest,upfront,organized & to the point... Long term Berkely establishment.... read more

I used to come here a lot and really like it but it seems to have gotten way to expensive. I just got quoted $800 for a service that when I called up my backup shop cost only $498. Maybe that isn't a lot of money to some people but I just can't. When I did go there, they had really good service and are very reputable. I just can't get past the price and now I wonder if I overpaid for other services. read more

When I foolishly got my fastrak transponder stuck under my navigation screen, the Lexus dealership quoted the fix at 200 dollars just to look at it. I brought this to Art's, they fixed it in 2 minutes and charged me nothing. I will be back. read more

Art's took my old coolant that I had drained out of my van. I found them because they let themselves be on a list of fluids recyclers. Thanks Art's for helping keep the bay clean! read more

Arts replaced the clutch in my Toyota Matrix a while ago. After a few weeks the clutch was still making strange smells and engaging strangely. Arts redid the whole job with a different brand of parts to fix the issue, at no additional charge. Thanks! read more

My 2000 Prius was recently relieved of its catalytic converter, and because the vehicle was going on 21 years old, a $2000-$3000 repair didn't make sense. So I purchased a used 2013 Prius, but after the upset of getting ripped off once, I didn't want to leave it in my driveway for even a single night without an anti-theft device--so I called Art's to schedule the work, knowing they already have the things in stock and that I wouldn't have to wait for an Amazon delivery. When I described my situation to the guy who answered the phone--I think his name is Jeff--he told me I actually don't need the CAT device. I was so surprised I asked him to repeat himself. There was no misunderstanding. Jeff said there are lots of hoses, etc. covering the catalytic converters for Prius model years 2010-2013: that the CC's are so difficult to get to, thieves don't even try. In other words, he turned away a $350 job I would have happily paid for because the car wouldn't actually be an attractive target. I was floored, but only briefly--this place has a stellar and well-earned reputation for its honesty. I'll be taking my new-used car here for all future repairs. Thanks guys! Big appreciation. read more

A great shop that really went above and beyond for me. Before I even brought my car in Jared spent 15 mins on the phone with me talking through what might be the problem and making suggestions. Then after diagnosing my 2007 Prius with a dreaded hybrid battery problem, talked me through my options and was upfront and understanding that the costs to fix were probably not worth it. Because my car would start but not drive at this point, they were super patient and helpful while I figured out how to get it out of there and did more than they needed to helping me do so. Really appreciated his honesty and effort in educating me about what was going on with me car. Whatever car I get next, I'll make sure to bring it back here. read more

I recently had the clutch go on my Honda FIT. The dealership charged me $167 just to look at it. I agreed to repairs to the tune of $2800 but almost immediately changed my mind. I had the car towed to Art's and they checked it for free and repaired it for 1200, less than half the dealership price. Been over a month now and the car is working great. read more

Great honest service. They explain options And pricing thoroughly before they do anything and give you the option to make the decision instead of pressuring you to do what they want totally need will only take my car there from now on read more

One of the most affordable places to get synthetic oil change in Roseville. You're never gonna wait too long super friendly staff they even have snacks coffee and tea while you wait :) read more

I was a customer at Art's for years. I spent thousands of dollars. When things got bad for me... serious health problems, and car issues, etc., Art and Lute promised to help, but changed their minds and did not help. They could have been a hold lot nicer. read more

I remember when I first got my brand spankin new Toyota Camry 10! years ago as a graduation gift from my parents. She beamed and sparkled. Just a baby. Not flashy. But safe (enough for even the most anxious Korean mother). She lapped up the regular luxurious detailing she got in the parking garage at 2029 Century Park East. Thrilled to see Matt Damon and Ben Affleck visiting their agents; Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and Rob Reiner taking in a flick; celebs and studio heads coming in for depos; investment, finance and tax advice. All while her owner worked. And worked. And worked some more. Till she was the only car left in the garage. At first, she loved taking her owner around. To shopping sprees at Fred Segal and Barney's. To group dinners at Spago and The Ivy. To hair appointments at Frederic Fekkai. Always to the newest. The latest. Till she tired of the constant valets. The constant comparisons. The constant fear that her owner was going to trade her up. For the newest. The latest. With every ding, dent, whirr and glitch. She worried. So she was ecstatic when she heard they were moving to "down to earth" San Francisco! But still relatively shiny and new, she preened. (Even when it was out of place.) She traded in her detailing for roasting in the Palo Alto sun. Her 30 minute commute in bumper to bumper traffic (for what otherwise was a 10 minute drive) on Wilshire for a 45 minute commute down the 280. She still waited. And waited. And waited some more. For her owner to take her home from work. But this time she had plenty of company. It didn't take long for her to miss the valets. Versus circling for parking and squeezing into those rare spaces. And getting bumped and scratched by everyone else doing the exact same thing. She *missed* the valets! The vertical hills, constant braking from pedestrian and bicyclist traffic and sudden "I Found Parking!" stops and constant commute chipped away at her body. And her engine. Her owner tried to find worthy mechanics. But they were constantly telling her she needed a new this or a new that; charging her owner exorbitant amounts; and condescendingly wincing when her owner asked naive questions. So much so that her owner dreaded taking her in. And boy did she feel it. And show it. One day, her owner took her to Art's Automotive. Art's talked to her owner like she was an adult. Gave her thorough inspections. Explained what needed to be fixed and what could wait. Charged her owner for the work and parts. This last time, Art's also cleaned her dirty insides, wiped her windshield spotless, refilled her fluids and added a courtesy discount! She preened. Now, when she navigates parking at the Berkeley Bowl; drops her owner off at Yoga; and waits at the BART station for her owner to take her home after a standard 8 hour work day; she preens. And thinks of Art's. read more

My ex-gf's Honda had a busted radiator and every place told her she'd need to spend $450-600 for a whole new one. She got a used one from Art, after being explained the options, for just under $300. They also saw her immediately, despite being busy, and got her car fixed in under 24 hours. They were friendly and helpful the whole time. She went in apprehensive and miserable, and came back smiling; that's what counts. read more

I am not sure how this place received such rave reviews. I took my car here a few years ago when I noticed the heat index in my car was going wacko. Arts didn't know what was wrong, but kept the car for a few days.... then a few more... which turned into three weeks. I understand that it may have taken that long to work on it, but conveniently every week they called me with a larger and larger bill total, stating that they were finding more and more problems. When my car finally totaled to over $2000, I had a friend come with me to contest the bill. They refused a penny's less, so 3 weeks and $2000 later I took my car back home. It broke down again less than a year later with the same problem. Thanks for nothing. read more

We took our old car here for a checkup ahead of a road trip. As far as we can tell, the inspection went fine, but where we really appreciated this place was the staff and communication. They were polite and articulate, and the level of detail that went into the report, as well as our plans for the future of this car, was excellent. The price was also reasonable for the full inspection and oil change (~$225 total). read more

The Good: - Mechanic was great. Smart, articulate and was able to convey his findings to me in laypersons terms. - The place is very clean, orderly and they appear to run an efficient business. The Bad: The front office was rude in tone and verbiage. Some work apart of the "routine package" was not performed (and they explained why) but when I looked at the total billing only 20% was refunded back to me. When I asked about it they said the costs are "homogonized" into the total price in a very dismissive tone. Meaning I get screwed out of the extra $60. I won't go back as a result. read more

Have you ever needed help? I really needed help today concerning the safety of my car and Art, the owner of Art's Automotive, was too distracted to listen. I ask him at some point if I should call back and he responded by saying "we are so busy I will just have to multitask." As I explained my problem, I knew he was not caring or listening. When he found out my car was an older vehicle, even though it had very low mileage, he said it would probably be very expensive "to keep it on the road." Really? At that point I thought I was being "PUNKED" but this guy was for real. He went on and on about how popular his shop is because of his efforts never mentioning the contribution of others. I quickly cancelled my scheduled appointment. I will hope to find an owner who impresses me with his competency and humility.I am learning that kindness really does matter. read more

Awesome place - people are honest and easy to deal with. I am comfortable going to Art's because I feel I will not be taken advantage of because of my lack of knowledge of mechanical/car stuff. They are just very helpful, straightforward and kind. Thank gad, it is right next to where I live! read more

This post breaks my heart and I am loath to do this but I have had no call back from the shop so I am forced to do this and feel abused by this shop. Was a big fan and sent many friends and clients here but NO MORE! The original draw WAS honest opinion and realistic pricing but that has changed. I do not know when it changed but today the opposite is true. I have found that; They do not respond to calls if you have a complaint, in fact you are on your own after you leave the lot. They charge 2X the dealer price, this is not a good thing. Dealer charged me $500.00 for a complete break repair/replacement that Art's was going to charge $1,100.00 My basic intention is to find someone that I can trust but this has failed and I wonder how much I have been over charged and lead on over the past 10 years. After this many years our relationship is finished and I am sad but I hope I can save someone else the same heart pain. read more

My newer vehicle needed a major tuneup, the dealer wanted $800 for the service. I decided to search around on Yelp to see if there are any reputable auto shop around my house that would do it for less, it was after all just a fancy tune-up. I don't consider myself a smart a$$, but I do read the car forums to familiarize myself with what's being performed. Upon reading all of the rave reviews, it was a no brainer Art seems like a good choice for me. Called to see how much the service would cost and the person over the phone gave me a whole schpeal on how the dealer was withholding information on the make and model of the car. I thought to myself, what does this have to do with changing oils and checking for leaks? Anyhow, was told roughly $700, okay $100 cheaper than the dealer -- a good start. Continue to asked if I can make an appointment and was surprised to hear their first open appointment will be in two weeks. I was thinking to myself this place must be good since they're fully booked for two weeks. Went ahead and made the appointment. Brought my car in the day of the appointment, dropped it off at 9AM. At around 2PM I called to see when the car will be ready. I was told they had just started on my car and it will be ready at 4PM. Went by at 4PM and was asked to paid first, after I paid the invoice was told the car is not ready and will be another 15 min. The funny thing is after about 5 min. the mechanic came over and asked whether I wanted to have the in cabin filters installed, I said yes I paid for the filters already -- of course. He then told me it's going to take another 15 min. All in all I waited 40 min. at the shop. This was very annoying as I was told it was ready at 4PM. Finally, I got my car at around 4:45PM and by this point I wanted to get out of there ASAP to beat the 5PM traffic. As I was driving in my car I noticed, the steering wheel and passenger seat were dirty (it must have rubbed off their shop overalls), then I noticed a big old clean up stain on my driver side window. They must have accidentally smeared oil on my mirror and was trying to wipe it off. Needless to say I was not happy with their service. Overall Art seems like a great guy from my observation while waiting for my car, but I think he needs pay more attention on what his mechanics and office people are doing. If you have an older car, Art's is your place. However, if you have a new vehicle I would go elsewhere. I'm giving the place two stars because I ended up spending the money I saved on getting the car cleaned. read more

I gotta pull the plug on the five star love fest and give this place... yes, just three and a half measly stars. I'll be a gracious yelper and round up to four. In fact, I think this review will help future Art customers. Don't believe the hype. Don't get your hopes up that you'll be sharing beers with these guys or calling them to save you and your car if and when you're stuck out in BFE. No, really, they're just mechanics and the bay area has lots of them. Pros: Their website is handy - very true. They're friendly - I guess (I think the friendly meter was high in the morning and took a dive by the time I picked up my car at the end of the day). Cons: I had to wait three weeks for an appointment to get standard front struts replaced. Meanwhile, we advised passengers to ride with helmets or take anti-nausea meds when riding in our not-so-trusty Honda. It also wasn't the cheapest quote I got (paid $400), but I went with them because of their website and all the freaking five stars on yelp. Lots of Berkeley-soccer-mom characters come here. I heard one ask: "Can you take just a peek at my spare tire? I'm just curious to see if it's okay?" Really? There's a line of folks waiting to pick up vehicles that all look like primary candidates for the show "pimp my ride" and you want to drag the front office guy out to look at the spare tire on your Lexus SUV? Tad annoying. It sounds like if you have more challenging car problems, Art's Automotive can come to your rescue. For anything more standard, I think you'll be fine skippng Art's. I've actually had this Honda for a while so I know the good, the bad, and the ugly. I was disappointed that they didn't comment on all the extensive rust or take a glance at anything else around the struts. Especially since I had specifically asked them to let me know if there's anything else out of the ordinary. When I asked about this later, they told me that glancing around constituted an extra $92 full inspection. Bummer. read more

Came here for my first service on a new used car to me that was working great, but due for 30k service. Chris kept calling back to upsell me more services which was annoying, but I played along assuming they were honest and maybe it really needed it. Then he was giggling at me when I picked up the car- that was weird and disrespectful and made me feel like a sucker, and $500 later the car runs worse. I feel bamboozled, wouldn't go back. Edit- Art seems genuinely interested in correcting the problems so that's nice enough for me to add a 2nd star. Edit- Art waited awhile and commented he was there when he wasn't. WTF? Removing 2nd star again. read more

I will admit that this review is a bit late. I keep meaning to and now I have the time to do it. I have an old high mileage Honda Civic, when I am in the East Bay and need it fixed I tend to go to Art's as they are very reliable and are not shady, plus their work is always good. For mechanic skills I give them a 5, hands down. Now why did I give them a 3? Here is why: My car is a beater. It runs well, but has seen better days cosmetically--it is a "beater" Each time I have bought my car in Chris from the front desk has disparaged that my car was on it;s way out. The first time he claimed this was 2009. When I have talked to the owner, Art himself he has always been super awesome, and not a jerk about me having an older car. But this guys Chris always is. Another reason I give them 3 stars is a few years ago I had to chain my hood down to lock it because someone broke the latch to steal the battery. When I took it to them for repair, without asking me the put a rubber strap and took off my chain/lock. I left it alone--didn't say anything. Then a month or so later I am driving down 880 and the strap break and my hood goes flying up. Fortunately I was able to get off without incident and go to the hardware store to buy a new chain. As a result however I had to replace the hood. I tried calling Art's left a few messages but they never called back. It wasn't until a few days ago that I was reminded by the service receipt that even mentions that they replaced the chain with a strap. If you have a nice car and live in the area--go to them they are awesome. Worked on my ex's nice car a lot--no issues. If you have a beater like mine, I recommend Honda Craft. read more

It took me a few months to have the balls to write this because this place traumatized me that much. I went to Arts because of the high Yelp reviews. I brought the car in to fix a leaking coolant issue, and to complete a whole slew of other tune-up services that they recommended on their website (spark plugs, transmission fluid, valve adjustment). Immediately after I get my car back, I'm on the highway, Check Engine Light comes on, and the car loses power and can't rev past 3K rpm. I panicked and could've been in an accident!! I'm frantically calling Art's on the phone, but they were already closed. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN THE 7 YEARS THAT I'VE OWNED MY HONDA ELEMENT. The next morning, I take the car back in and describe what happened. They tell me they've never heard of anything like this before. Then they went on and on and on in mechanics lingo about the CEL code, which was going to cost more money to fix. What was the cause and was this just some sort of shitty coincidence? I don't know. But in the end, what I do know is, the car didn't have this problem before I took it to Arts and now it does. And to add insult to injury, they broke the latch on the hood so it couldn't close properly. They ended up fixing it, but never owned up to it or apologized. As for the leaking coolant issue? They replaced the radiator, and it's STILL leaking. I'm out $1101.52 and the car's in worst shape than when I brought it in. By the way, Art, if you're reading this, don't even try to contact me to fix this. I'll never let you touch my car again. And that little problem I had on the highway that you couldn't figure out is called LIMP HOME MODE. Look it up. ------------- Edit: In response to Art R.'s comment: When I came back to you for help, I never accused you of anything. I had every reason to be mad, but I wasn't. Your "no charge diagnosis" was to focus on the new CEL code that came on and you would've charged me for any new repairs associated with that. And unfortunately, after dropping over a grand at your shop, I don't have the money to take it to another mechanic. (I'm a student, for Chrissakes.) So in the end, I conceded and left your shop with my tail between my legs. You win. ----- P.S. Thanks for your comment that shows everyone the precise corporate callousness that had traumatized me so much and was the motivation for this review. ------------- Update 3/29/14: After this whole fiasco, I ended up having to sell my beloved car. :`( read more

I had been putting off my Toyota's routine maintenance because I had come to dislike/distrust the dealership service center to whom I had been going and was not looking forward to auditioning new mechanics. After reading their Yelp reviews I decided to attempt Art's. The fact that I had to call to schedule an appointment did not delight me, as I am nerdy and hate talking on the phone; the person who dealt with me was a treat and made the scheduling process painless. Point to Art's. When I dropped off my car on the morning of my appointment, the person who handled me at the front desk listened to me like I knew my car (which certainly did NOT happen at my old service place) and, after going out to check my car's mileage, even complimented the Space Marine mounted on my dashboard. Well played, Front Counter Dude. Then, after having my car for only 3 hours, Front Counter Dude called to let me know my car would be ready in the early afternoon. So these folks managed to do what my old service place did in less time, with more respect and for half the price. I am in auto repair shop love. And I don't care who knows it. read more

Bringing your car to Art's is like giving your car a spa treatment. Your car will love you. Highly recommend, they're real pro's and they work insanely fast. Art's team did a magnificent job on our two cars. The engine in one of our cars was leaking oil, truly was a mess. These guys replaced parts and sealed the leak, and VOILA, car was ready within a few hours. BUT YOU MUST CALL AHEAD FOR AN APPOINTMENT AND ARRIVE EARLY (between 8am and 10am). I checked the work they did on my car and they did a real nice and clean job. For the long term piece of mind, you definitely get your money's worth. read more