Rating: (5/5 Stars) Highly satisfied with Automotive City! They perform fast, high-quality, master-level work with complete financial honesty and mathematical transparency. Honest Labor: Each job was billed strictly by precise, standard guide hours without padded time. They even proactively gave me an overlapping labor discount on related work. True OEM and Aftermarket Pricing: Sourced high-quality parts, Napa and Genuine Toyota factory parts and passed them through at true dealer MSRP without arbitrary shop markups. Massive Value: Their automated matrix contract discount saved me over a thousand dollars! Spencer and his automotive technicians are hands-down among the finest in the industry. The outstanding level of patient and considerate customer service provided by Spencer and his staff, combined with mechanic expertise of their ASE Master Certified Technicians is simply elite. Automotive City, Inc. is friendly, efficient, fair, and honest, with down-to-the-penny competitive invoicing. This is not super common in this industry. A real community gem in Nevada County! Highest recommendation! read more

Neighborhood shop did quick repair on our '16 Odyssey. Even pointed out some tire issues and general service reminders without trying to hard sell any other services. Appreciate honest local businesses like this and would highly recommend. read more

These guys are pretty awesome, always so kind and take good care of my car when in need of service. I've gotten oil changes, inspections, tire balancing and they always do an amazing job. I also receive a summary on my car after every visit. I highly recommend these guys over those quick oil change places bc they won't strip your drain plug or tighten it to a ungodly am read more

Automotive City - Auto Repair Near Me - Grass Valley, California

seemed legit. till it was time to pay. -almost got charged double DOUBLE on labor, till i said something!! ridiculous. -and they upcharge on parts just because they feel like it. bring your parts to save you some money and dont let the whole warranty be an issue. your parts have warranty themselves 9/10 of the time. and make sure your paying for the hours strictly worked on the vehicle. im starting to think shops just pick and play labor hours just cause. and make sure you ask what there hourly is to make things calculate right. no im not being a karen, im legit and care for anyone who dares to trust a new shop. make sure you know what your paying for dont be blind sided and used. read more

Great place! Spencer and staff are very knowlegeble, Friendly, professional,and perform prompt service. Pricing is good and fair. I would highly recommend this business and I will be going back too! read more

Spencer and his team have done a great job on our 2011 Honda CRV! Thank you!!This is a trustworthy Team and reliable with their work which is done in a timely manner....much appreciated! Thank you so much for all you've done! I would highly recommend this mechanic! read more

Very friendly service with integrity on every level. There's a reason this place stays booked up. I won't take my car anywhere else if I don't have to. A+ read more

Best communication, honest, reliable and very professional!! It's nice to have a great mechanic!!!

Spencer is very nice and a walking automotive computer. He knows his stuff and is very honest and communicates very well. They worked on my AC and it works great. It was expensive but after seeing the breakdown, it was appropriate for the job. I will go to them from now on. Very impressed. read more

Took my truck in for serpentine belt replacement. Spencer handled it and got me out the door for less than 200.00 dollars. The best part about this service though is my wife accidentially called the shop on Friday when it was closed for business. Spencer happened to be there and answered the phone anyway. My wife offered to call back when they were open, but he said dont worry about it, how can I help. He took our information and set everything up, On Monday 04/14/2025 took it in and job was completed as promised for the price he quoted. On top of that I had a second vehicle that was having a different issue and Iwanted to schedule for service. When I picked up my truck, Spencer took the time to give me a rough quote and explained what the problem most likely was with the second vehicle. Very professional, polite, ,and courteous. I would highly recommend. read more

these people said my 2016 ford fusion had a cracked block . they tried to charge me 9000 dollars for an engine replacement . check this out, sold the car to a ex ford mechanic, turns out the turbo was bad on it "350 dollar part" not only did this put my family with out a car. it ended up costing me thousands to purchase a new car. not only did they not care but they tried to rip me off . read more

If you want an honest mechanic in Grass Valley then go to Automotive City. A few days ago I was visiting my family and my car's check engine light came on. I was pretty worried since I had to drive all the way back to Los Angeles the next day and clock into my new job. I called two other car mechanics in town and they told me they were too busy and there was nothing they could do. I called Automotive City and explained my situation to Spencer and he said he'd squeeze me in to at least check to see if the car was safe to drive. I pulled in about 15 minutes later and he took a look at the car. It ended up being just an old broken gas cap that turned the check engine light on. He gave me a PHD level explanation of the issue, said the car was safe to drive, and recommended that I pick up a gas cap replacement at a dealership on my way back home. I offered to pay for his time but he said it was no problem and that he was happy to help. Thanks again to Spencer and the folks at Automotive City. read more

We were visiting Grass Valley and our vehicle battery went dead. Got a jump and went to our meeting, where several folks recommended Automotive City. A quick visit there confirmed it was currently charging (for free) but they did recommend a new one. We decided to wait till we got home. Later in the day they were proven correct (dead again) so we went back. They replaced it so fast the new battery was in before the paperwork was done. Price was excellent, service was fantastic. read more

I do much of my own auto maintenance and have for years. When the job is bigger, I go to Automotive City. The people there are not only good with communication but they do the job in such a way that it's done right the first time. I'm very comfortable taking my vehicles there and plan on doing so for years to come. read more

Such an awesome shop! Highly recommended for any of your vehicles. Very knowledgeable and fast mechanics

So nice of Ken the owner to save the day on my moms Lexus. Her sunroof was leaking in the rain, I was scared it would be a $3,000 sunroof job. Ken cleaned the drain tubes FOR FREE and remedied the issue right away!!! Also put an entire new engine in my dads dodge Dakota which he refuses to part with so I'm glad to see him taking care of all our cars. Very friendly (feels like family) environment. read more

So impressed by this auto shop! My husband and I were visiting family in Nevada City this summer, and on our drive down from the PNW, our 4Runner's check engine light came on along with some "bumping" that accompanied acceleration at certain speeds. I called several auto shops in the area once we got to Nevada City and everyone was too busy to get us in before we had to turn back around and head home in a few days. Then I called Automotive City, and Spencer told me to bring my truck by and he could at least run a quick diagnostic test to see what's going on and if they could do the work needed on the truck. I have never received such a thorough explanation from an auto shop! The whole way through, there was complete transparency, and they even made calls to me when something changed to get the go ahead before continuing the work. I really appreciated the honest advice they provided, and felt like the truck was left in great hands. This was the easiest, least stressful car repair and that's saying a lot given the circumstances. Our truck was ready to go in time for our 9 hour drive back north and now many months later, their hard work is still holding up beautifully. Highly recommend their services...and seriously considering having our truck's work done whenever we're in town for family visits, they're that good! read more

These guys are great. Took real good care of me and my very sick Honda. They know their stuff, and what I appreciate the most is they also replaced the $10 part that with age can be a high failure item, so I didn't have to come back later. (been caught up in that mess before somewhere else). They made sure I knew what was good to address while they were in there, so I had no surprises. I'll be going back for sure. read more

Many thanks to the crew at Automotive City. I needed a pre-purchase safety check of a vehicle being sold by a local buyer. I myself am not from the area. The crew here accommodated me fully and on short notice. They ended up saving me from making a potentially problematic purchase. Their honesty comes thru in spades. And I wouldn't hesitate entrusting any of my automotive repair needs them. Highly recommended. read more

These guys are the best. They do what they're scheduled to do when they say they will, keep you informed about any issues, and don't upsell. They are incredibly thorough when you come in for a regular service, checking all the basics: tire pressures, brakes, fluids etc. Thinking about buying a used vehicle? Bring it in for a free quick evaluation, I did with a pickup truck and Ken told me why it wouldn't be a good idea, he knew all the quirks of that particular brand and model. I ended up with another purchase that he approved of and the truck has been trouble free for over three years. Automotive city is my go to for anything automotive... read more

Recently my elderly mother's car had an issue with her rear windows. I wasn't really sure what was going on but didn't think it was a quick fix. I called Automotive City and they told me to tell her to come in whenever she could and they would take a look at it. She brought it in and Ken, the owner took a look at it and fixed it on the spot. They didn't charge her for their time and she was so happy! My Mom is hard of hearing which also is a challenge. Thank you so much for your help and for not taking advantage of a situation that many shops would have! read more

We ran into some brake issues while in the area from Colorado (on a Saturday, God help us). We called in around 10am and spoke to the owner, Ken, who asked us to bring it by and he would look at it for free. Ken was so helpful, professional and honest, he did everything he could to make sure my car was ready to go so we could get home safe. He called everywhere in the area for my parts and got the entire job done within 3 hours, even though they had a completely full garage. We were beyond happy with the service and prices. To top everything off, the waiting area was very clean and comfortable with coffee and magazines available. There's also a cute diner across the street to grab a bite to eat while you wait. 10/10 I would recommend this place to anyone in the area looking for quick, affordable (but very professional) repairs. read more

Couldn't be happier with our service!! Why go to a dealership, we received quality service and saved $$. They explained everything, gave us an estimate and showed us the part they had to replace. We will doing all our service here in the future. Thank you AC Team. read more

My vehicle was towed out of the woods on a Sunday afternoon, with a cracked and leaking oil pan. By chance, I selected Automotive City, left my keys and booked a room in Grass Valley, fearing a lengthy stay. They called me first thing Monday morning, recognized the predicament I was in. They actually moved scheduled repairs to get my new oil pan installed, and worked beyond closing time to get me on the road by Monday evening. Good communication during the day, great service and nice people. read more

I rarely write reviews, however this is an instance that story deserves to be repeated. It is Memorial Day weekend, I am a vendor at festivals and with a crew we serve food to the thousands of attendees. We have the Strawberry Music Festival to work at, then another show on Monday evening in the Bay area. There are a lot of pieces of the puzzle in place to be able to function effectively. Two vans, a trailer and another car in the caravan. As we arrive at the Nevada County Fairgrounds Wednesday evening ready to set up the evening prior to showtime, van two, a '97 Dodge Pleasureway with our sleeping quarters rolls in making a racket, with steam pouring out of the hood. I immediately take over behind the wheel and move it to a camping spot and shut it off. We then go back to work preparing the booth for the festival. I spent some time on Thursday asking recommendations with the knowledge that I had only the possibility of Thursday or Friday for repairs as Monday was a holiday, the clock was ticking. No luck with suggested mechanics on Thursday and the calls I was supposed to get on Friday A.M. did not materialize. A local, who is the electrician for the festival made a recommendation, clock was ticking and this was the last possible moment to be able to see a miracle! I called Automotive City at 12:22 Friday, Ken the owner answered, I told him the story and my diagnosis of a failed water pump, he said they would shift their schedule, order parts and do the repairs as soon as a tow truck could drop it at their door. Tow truck took ninety minutes to arrive and had to negotiate through all the campers and then off to the shop arriving just before 3:00. I went for a meal across the street, came back and read the papers in the waiting area,watched and listened as the staff went about their tasks and interacted with customers, courteous and professional. As Ken the owner had anticipated they were able to manage the entire repairs in just over two hours. The van rolled out from the service bay at ten after five, then a quick spin for road test and it was back at 5:15. I paid, drove back to the fairgrounds was back in the camp spot and on to my work shift at 6:00! Thank you Ken (owner) Spencer (front desk, service writer) Ryan (front desk and service) and Scott (mechanic) and the other mechanics that I did not get names of. With your assistance I was able to maintain the axiom of professionalism for my business - never have the background troubles diminish the experience of the customer. Yes, we were able to give and receive magic thanks to the crew at Automotive City, thanks guys! Oh, we made it to the Monday night show too! read more

We moved to Alta Sierra in 2016 and thanks to all the beautiful hills, recently needed to replace our brakes on our Toyota Camry. We searched around for reviews and neighbors' recommendations on auto shops. We settled on Automotive City which was well regarded and recommended. Dropped off our car Sunday night in what seemed to be a packed parking lot. I received a call Monday AM to discuss the work to be done, and we added an oil change to the two axle brake job. They had already inspected the brakes and explained the current status and recommendations. Pricing was fair and our car was ready for pick-up Monday afternoon. Ken reviewed the work in detail, even explaining the documentation and precision of turning the rotors. We originally had problems with vibrations when stopping, especially at high speed. After Ken's team performed their work, the car stops on a dime, smooth as glass. It is hard to put into words the feeling of personalized care and professionalism that Ken's team provides. It is clearly evident in everything they do. The shop is clean, organized. The employees are dedicated, passionate and take pride in their work. The absolute best value for auto work. High quality at an affordable price. read more

Ken, Spencer and the team at AC were really accommodating to help me out when on my way back from Tahoe, a windshield wiper blew off my car. It was a day of heavy snow and rain. They fit me in and Ken replaced both my blades and had me back on 80 headed back home within 35 min of getting to the shop. Great service especially as it was President's Day and a lot of places are closed on a holiday. Thank you! read more

I recently blew a coolant hose on my Honda Accord in Colfax on my way to Grass Valley. A couple family members have always spoken very highly of Ken at Automotive City, and take their vehicles there on a regular basis. I barely made it to the shop around 4:45 pm as they were getting ready to close. Ken and Doug looked at the car, did some quick inspection and actually gave me a couple options and costs. they were very upfront about each repair option, and how it could affect me down the road. Even though they were closing, they took the time to give me an option that would get me back on the road quickly. I decided on an option, and they called immediately to get the parts ordered. They called and set up a rental car for me, which included their B2B discount (which I thought was really great). The repairs were done the next day a little earlier than they said they would be, and I've had no issues with the repairs since. Everything was as quoted, and the service was great! I have a truck in for MAJOR service currently (it basically wasnt even running when I took it in). They have called and checked in each step of the way to make sure I'm ok with the next step, and make sure I dont spend more than the truck is worth. It's an older truck, so it's not worth putting too much money into. I really appreciate the communication and the quality of work. I'll continue to take my vehicles to Automotive City! Thanks guys! read more

We really trust the mechanics at automotive city. They are very helpful and reasonably priced and we always know when they work on our cars it is always done right. read more

These guys go above and beyond the call of duty. I have a Ford Explorer and my four wheel drive was locked in drive. I couldn't drive it. I called these guys and the guy I talked to knew exactly what to do to fix it. He told me what to do and it worked! read more

The staff at Automotive City came to our rescue during President's week. We had to chain up our tires while in Tahoe. The chains weren't the proper fit and came off while driving, whipping around in the wheel well, knocking the brake hose loose on the front drivers side. We didn't realize there was a problem until we were driving back down to the Bay Area and the brakes weren't responding well. Our van was towed to Automotive City where I was given immediate attention. Even though they had a fully booked day, they recognized the emergency nature of our issue and kindly fit us in right away. Their technician was able to reattach the brake hose (luckily it wasn't severed) that day which saved us having to spend the night in Grass Valley. I highly recommend Automotive City if you're in the area and want a friendly, professional experience when your car is in need of service. read more

I used to like Automotive City when it was owned by an older gentleman who was always very fair and nice. But now they have a new younger guy who owns the place and he's not soo nice and he likes to rip you off while pretending to be all nice. We got our vehicle smogged recently and he called us telling us that there is something wrong with the idle speed, and that there is NO WAY that they can change it in order to do the smog. So he says that they will have to look at it and he'll call back. So he calls back saying that we owe him an extra $44 for finding out the "internal engine problem that's making the idle higher than normal". We were shocked, not only that he was trying to charge us for something that is NOT a internal engine problem, but that the idle is controlled by a simple SCREW that you turn, which is right near the air filter in plain sight. So we came to the conclusion that he was trying to get an extra amount of money off of us for no reason. When we told him that we were not going to pay then he gave us a lecture about them being a "business" and he's going to "cut us a break". I am NOT HAPPY with Automotive CIty. We are going somewhere else. I wouldn't trust these people with your vehicle(s), the mechanics don't know what they are doing and the owner rips people off covertly. read more

With my car having problems lately I have been dealing with a lot of people in the car service industry between car dealerships and mechanics and coming to automotive city was such a breath of fresh air. Everyone was nice, honest, and straight forward which is hard to find these days. They know what they are doing because it took them no time at all to find out what was wrong with my car and even gave me options that's would save me money instead of just trying to make a sale. I would hands down always come back to automotive city whenever I need any car service. Thanks guys read more

We have been taking our vehicles here for 5 years . Great service and honest mechanics. Automotive city is the only place in town we trust. One time after using a 19.95 oil change coupon at another location we were told our truck needed thousands of dollars of work. We took the truck to Ken at Automotive City and he said a lot of what the other mechanic was going to fix was not necessary on an old truck. He saved us thousands of dollars on that visit alone. read more

Automotive City and Ken is the best! There honest and do what's right for your car and family! We've used Automotive City for 15 years and tell all or friends and family to go there. read more

New to the area, our neighbors/friends recommended this shop. Was having some issues with my battery terminal and cables. Brought my car in at around noon after calling around 11 and they had it ready for me to pick up at 5. They were a DREAM to deal with, not to mention very reasonably priced!!! Absolute AMAZING service!!!! My car is running better than ever. Guys even stayed after they closed to chat with my mother and I. Would DEFINITELY recommend them to EVERYONE!!!! read more

I have taken my Xterra to these wonderful folks a few times now. Each time they go above and beyond to ensure I know what's happening, in layman's terms, with friendly attitudes in a very efficient amount of time. They are very honest, the last fix I noticed they discounted the hourly pay for what I imagine because it didn't take them that whole hour, I have never seen or heard of any other place doing that. Thank you Automotive City!! read more

Mechanic told me I needed brakes all around and that my calipers were leaking and needed to be replaced. After taking my 2004 Jaguar XJ8 in for an oil change and to switch and balance my wheels, the mechanic at Automotive City told me they would not balance them because the center piece on my wheels would be broken by the machine they use and I would need replace them at $20 a piece. I told them not to balance the tires and to just switch them from front to back. If they were CAREFUL with the wheels they would NOT need to replace them, and could balance the tires properly if they took care in removing the center piece. After picking up my car, they told me I need new brakes, including new calipers, as they were leaking. I checked for leakage and there is none, and my brakes are perfectly fine! The estimate they gave me was $2700.00 for a brake job, which included new calipers. They wanted to charge me $650 for each caliper. I checked with the Jaguar dealership in Sacramento and they quoted me $450.00 for each caliper, and I found them on-line for $350.00 each. I also had my calipers checked and there is nothing wrong with them, they do not leak! I asked the mechanic if I could bring in my own parts and they would replace them for me. He told me that they could not guarantee the parts and would not allow me to bring in my own parts. I told them that the company I bought the parts from would guarantee them, they still refused to use the parts that I would have purchased. It's been over 6 months, and nothing is wrong with my calipers, or brakes! I will never bring any of my vehicles to this company. If I did not do some checking and believed what they were telling me, I would have paid for something I never needed, and a premium for the parts they were trying to sell me! Stay away from them, they are rip-offs. I reported this to the BBB, and because it was for information purposes only, they refused to publish my report. read more

We have been using Automotive City since moving her 12 years ago. Both the prior owner Eric and now Ken have been nothing but honest, trustworthy and have offered wonderful customer service. Whether my husbands Buick or my Miata or Lexus, he has always offered the best and least costly way of fixing a problem. Several times not even charging us for a cosmetic repair. read more

We saw the reviews on this business and decided to use them for the first time. They live up to their great reviews. We brought our older Suburban in as it was having some issues with starting and was making a noise at highway speeds. They found that both had very simple fixes and they did not try to convince us to do anything else that was not necessary. They charged us the bare minimum and treated us with total respect. Spencer helped us, and it is very clear he knows his stuff. He explained everything to us in terms we could understand, but also while displaying the utmost in expertise in what he was talking about. We WILL be returning and we are happy to have found such a professional shop to take our vehicles to. read more