When my Prius started to fail, AAA towed my car to the Automotive Clinic. Once there, I agreed to pay a diagnostic fee of $350. What?! OK. I felt stuck, like I had no choice. After a bit of a wait, 20 minutes?, I was told I needed a new battery, but he needed to find one. "Please wait in the waiting room." One hour passed alone in the tiny room. So I ventured out to find if he made any progress. The man was looking at his mobile phone, and looked up when I approached. I asked, did you find the battery? He startled as if he just remembered what he was supposed to do, then he picked up the landline phone and made a call. 10 minutes later he gave me a quote and told me he'd have to keep the car for 3 days because it's complicated to access a Prius battery under the back seat. Hmm. No thanks! I took my car to the Toyota Service center on Geary, and they swapped out the battery by the morning of the next working day. It was very expensive but still about $400 LESS at Toyota than it would have been at the Automotive Clinic. And that doesn't include the mandatory $350 I had to pay up front at the Automotive Clinic. read more

My car needed some work done and few shops are open on Saturdays. I called and Larry told me to come in within a couple hours and my car was fixed in a few hours! Larry immediately made me feel welcomed and was so kind to me, asking me questions about myself. I was a new customer but am now a forever customer. Thank you, Sampson for fixing my baby! Thank you, Automotive clinic! read more

I had my car towed here by AAA due to a "check engine" warning on my Subaru. The staff were polite and communicated promptly. The diagnostic fee was $350, which I agreed to at the time after being told it was within a typical range. After completing the diagnostic, they identified the issue and recommended that I take the car to the Subaru dealer for further service, so I arranged towing to the dealer myself. Sharing the cost and experience for anyone considering bringing their vehicle here. read more

Automotive Clinic - Auto Repair Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been going to Automotive Clinic for almost 20 years. Larry and his team are knowledgeable and reliable. They are very thorough and l trust their assessments on my car maintenance & repairs. I always feel that l am driving a new car after l visit them! read more

Larry, Buzz, and the whole team at Automotive clinic have treated me and my car so well. I've already left a google review and had to come here and give them 5 stars on yelp as well. They have worked around my work schedule and worked hard to fix my service engine light issues I've been having with my 10 year old Fiat. They are kind and don't just fix the issue and not explain, they take the time to explain what's wrong with the car to you so you truly understand the price & issue etc. So glad I found these guys, would recommend to anyone. read more

Have had nothing but honest and super quick service over the years! Would recommend to anyone in the neighborhood.

Larry and his entire team was great. I had my car battery replaced at this shop and the battery was defective after 2 years. Larry and his crews spent extra time to make sure the battery was fully and verified that alternator was not an issue. Upon confirming, they replaced the battery promptly and made sure alternator is working as expected. Thank you so much. Would definitely come back for my future service and recommend to my friends. read more

I have always found Buzz and his dad Larry to be fair and appropriately analytical. They are honest. They are on top of car technology and genuinely curious about what new tech offers. They also recognize failures of tech and humans and are honest people. They are worthy of your trust. I know they have earned mine. read more

Always good for whatever car needs. And they get car back as quickly as possible. Everyone nice and efficient.

Larry and his team there are so kind and fair! I had to have my car towed here (AAA referral) and they were amazing! I def recommend using their services! read more

Larry and his technician were presented with a challenging problem with my older vehicle having so much rust underneath (while still beautiful up on top) but they rose to the challenge and re-secured the linkage to the transmission. Good work for a fair price. read more

Went here to get front tires replaced. It was the only place open at 7pm on a weekday. I ended up getting 2 tires replaced and the car was ready the next day around 1pm. They need better communication on when the car is ready. Wa suppose to get text alerts but they didn't seem to use it on that day. Employees were nice. Bottom line- tires repaired. I'm sure prices were comparable and discount from AAA. read more

I typically do not leave reviews but I was deeply impressed and grateful with Larry's welcoming and friendly service that I could not let this go without sharing. I was in the Marina and unfortunately discovered a had a flat and with no spare, had to get AAA to assist with towing my car. Larry's shop is open until 6PM and I was nervous that with getting towed and nearing his shop closing, he would not take me in on a busy Saturday afternoon. I called the shop to assure them I was estimated to arrive at 5:30PM and once I got there Larry said "do not worry, I'm going to take care of you." With his gentle and comedic demeanor, I knew I was in good hands. He made me feel like a valued customer and delivered my car by 7PM. Larry is a gem in the city and will definitely go back with future car needs. Grateful for this level of customer service!! read more

My 11 year old car sustained severe engine damage and I had to decide whether to scrap it or get another car. I love my unique car and could not find another like it for less than the cost of a new engine, so they acquired and installed a new engine. While it was very expensive and took a week longer than they anticipated due to difficulty finding parts, the service was exceptional and their team had super customer focus. They gave me some reductions and credits too. Both service writers and line workers are highly experienced. read more

I have worked with Larry, and Derek off and on for 20+ years. I have brought my two Mercedes and Jaguar to them. I have found both of them to be knowledgeable, patient, agreeable, and very reasonable to work with regarding my budget. They will tell me what is critical that needs to be dealt with now, and what can either be delayed or ignored. They have given me good feedback on when I need to go for a top quality replacement part, or when I could have another part that is far less expensive, though very effective. I trust them. I will be back. read more

I went here because the dealership was going to charge $500+ just to diagnose what was going on with the AC before even doing any repair. Automotive Clinic did a great job diagnosing and repairing it for even less than the dealer would have charged for the diagnosis. Next time something went wrong, I immediately called them again. Another great job. read more

I've been using Automotive Clinic for years now. Fantastic service, good communication, top expertise, and reasonably prices. They don't try to nickel & dime nor overcharge. Larry owns it and is super dedicated. Highly recommend. read more

Called to check availability and male who answered was rude and hanged up me. Maybe he isn't a morning person?

All of it is true. These mechanics know what they're doing and they will fix your car. They will also charge you an arm and a leg while they do it. I came out feeling mixed. read more

Only go here if you want to be grossly overcharged. The quality of their work is fine, but 130 dollars for a nail in a tire is excessive (30 dollars elsewhere). I got an oil change and came out with a 700 dollar bill, and they told me I got a good deal. COME ON! I highly recommend finding a more honest team. read more

Omg. I am SO GRATEFUL to these guys. I live way out in Walnut Creek, and was in the marina today. Got in my car, started it up and I got an alert that my car key battery was low. Immediately I got really nervous. Because when you take the key out of the fob, it works to open the door.... but there's no ignition area to insert it so WTF. Like if I drove somewhere else and then tried to start my car, would I be stranded? Help. I have no idea how to replace it. So I called a bunch of locksmiths who were not helpful at all except for one. Who told me to go to Walgreens and try to figure out the battery and use a screwdriver to replace it myself. Which made me anxious to even think about. Like what battery specifically? So then I started calling around for nissan and of course they're closed because it's 6:15 the night before thanksgiving. Luckily, I found this spot and they were still open and said they could help me. I went over, they found a new battery, replaced it for me and were as nice as can be and super, super affordable and kind. If this is how they are with a car key fob, I would imagine they would be great at all of their other services as well. read more

I rarely write reviews but I had to for Larry and his team at Automotive Clinic! They are a team of incredibly hard workers - I live around the neighborhood and often see them starting early and working late. They serviced my 2013 Mini Cooper. Labor is expensive anywhere in San Francisco but I would highly recommend giving your business to Automotive Clinic - they were incredibly detailed, knowledgable, and transparent. Because I am moving to Chicago, I was in the process of selling my car and Larry took the time to talk to the buyer on the phone to give details about the recent inspection to make her feel comfortable. He goes above and beyond - I would highly recommend! Thank you Larry and Team! read more

Larry wanted $476usd plus tax for an inspection to see why the car was overheating! No thank you, I am not stupid! this quote and the other bad reviews made me leave. I found out the hose and w/ a coolant flush it fixed the issue for 30usd. Larry is a very argumentative old guy who no longer cares about cars or costumers only mone! retire dude! read more

This is a repair referral company, not an actual auto shop. I really needed a mechanic urgently over a weekend and spending the time to contact these people and finding out that they just farm me out to other shops felt misleading. read more

These guys are awesome and really saved the day for us. My wife's car broke down at 4:00 on California St and our tow truck driver couldn't figure what was going on. He recommended a tow to Automotive Clinic (it's now 5:15). We fully expected them to say "we can't work on it tomorrow", but they quickly diagnosed and luckily it was a quick fix. Both the gentlemen at the desk were super helpful and very personable. I would absolutely recommend bringing your car here! read more

Have been to the Automative Clinic for a couple of now. Larry is quick to respond and the quality of service is always satisfying.

Called and spoke to a nice guy who said to bring my car in for service the next day. Another not so friendly customer-facing person received me upon arrival, tried to charge $220 to run an engine diagnostic, and would not credit that against any required work. Also claimed this is not industry standard when I pushed him on it. Strikes me as the type of shop to take you for all you're worth if you don't have experience here. Will look elsewhere. read more

My car arrived at Larry's shop at 5:30pm on Saturday afternoon. After I asked very nicely to get the car serviced that night, the team stayed late to make sure the job was done. Larry, who has owned the shop for 35+ years, was running around to get the parts I needed. At one point, he raced over to a nearby shop to get something I needed -- begging the other shop to stay open until he arrived. I am truly blown away at the quality of service and customer dedication everyone had. Oh - and the prices were very reasonable. I will be returning. read more

My car broke down on Saturday. Had it towed in and by 5:30pm he and his team had it fixed. I was stressed beyond belief due to never being in this situation before. He was kind and very understanding. I would highly recommend his business. read more

Larry and Automotive Clinic have been servicing my families vehicles for two decades. They are always open and available--closing at 7 pm everyday except Sunday. But Larry can often be found catching up on paperwork on Sundays! They are AAA approved--I would highly recommend them. read more

Honestly very thankful that my car was towed here of all places. I originally had an oil leak, and when they checked it out, found several other issues and explained them to me thoroughly. They're super knowledgable and were concerned about my safety and function of the car. I walked out understanding what my options were, and they even let me hold the car in the shop while I figured it out. Please support them!! read more

If you have an American or Asian car, these guys will likely go a great job. Derek and Larry are good guys and genuinely care about their customers. However, after being struck by a careless driver, I took my car to automotive clinic for the insurance-backed repair. They had to repaint my door, and there were multiple issues with the paint job. I had to come back 3 separate times to get it fixed. But, they admitted the mistakes and the final product looks good. My only other gripe: you'll need to bother them to know when your car is ready for pickup. In all honesty, my Audi is just too nuanced for the average local repair shop. Give these guys a shot though if you live in the neighborhood. read more

Don't bring your car here for a diagnostic. Their charge is nearly $200 and they scoff at you if you refer to your AAA membership. They give you a song s dance about how difficult It is to diagnose vehicles made in the mid 2000. The manager mumbles and makes wise cracks. Forget it. read more

Amazing service. They solved a tricky problem quickly that another shop couldn't and for a good price. I'll be coming back here for all my future repairs! read more

I had a very good experience with Automotive clinic. They fixed my radiator on time and on budget, and even replaced my brake lights for free. Very professional outfit that I enjoyed dealing with. I would highly recommend them! read more

I used ti take my car there (five years ago). I always found them to be over priced and take a long time to repair. To make a long story short, if the owner Larry likes you = probably get decent service, if he does not have anything in common with you or you give the wrong vibe then the service will probably cost more, take an extra day or two and your car will get parked on the street and and you will get a surprise in the mail (tickets) . ......................... I am just saying............. read more

My 2016 Nissan Murano developed transmission problems on a Saturday afternoon such that I could not drive the car the 100 miles home. Frantically looking for an open AAA shop, Larry at Automotive Clinic was open and close to our location. He checked the car for codes and gave me a tentative opinion. I left the car and got a ride home. After confirmation on Monday, he held the car until I could get it towed home on Thursday. Larry was honest and straightforward with his assessment and opinion. He explained my options and frankly made a very stressful situation tolerable. I cannot say enough good things about this man and his operation. If you want to an honest and straightforward small business owner to deal with, Larry and the Automotive Clinic is your place. Thank you, Larry. read more

I'm having mixed feelings about this place...My girlfriend and I were on vacation to San Fran, and our car was starting to overheat the moment we got on the Oakland bridge. So obviously we yelped for a good shop to help us with our overheating vehicle. So we call them and bring the car in, and they were so friendly and I thought we are going to be taken care of! So they say expect a call around 12 (it was 8 when we dropped it off) so we go about our vacation and check into our hotel and rest. Well, they never called me at 12 so after 30 minutes I called them to follow up on my vehicle. I was told the diagnostic guy wasn't in yet so the car has been sitting there for 4 hours. Biggest load of BS I've heard in my life...My car was obviously throwing a code so you plug in a obd scanner and find the code to pinpoint the issue. Now I'm livid, so I tell them forget it I'm picking up my car right now. Then the guy tells me hold on I'll give you a call back. So after 10 minutes I get a call back and am told the guy is here we'll get working on your car right away. Around 3, I get another call saying they can't replicate the problem and we're scratching our heads here. By this point I've had enough, vacation plans foiled, cars overheating, mechanics toying with us obviously. So I tell them I'm coming to pick up my vehicle. So we hop on buses to get to this place and unfortunately we have to pay 75 dollars for a check up fee, oh and we washed your vehicle! I was tired, impatient and desperate so we pay the bill and split. Basically we paid 75 dollars for a car wash...Great let's go on and enjoy whats left of our vacation without our car. So the next day with many prayers we make it to our city and go straight to our mechanic while the cars overheating. The second I told him the car was symptoms he knew exactly what the problem was. A simple sensor which was replaced in less than 5 minutes and paid 65 dollars for part and service for... Auto Clinic, you guys are very friendly but I feel like we were gypped because we were tourists. I really hope my assumption is wrong but a 75 dollar car wash was really not what I was looking for in San Fran. read more

If you read the reviews, you'll learn that in general they are pretty good mechanics. Their customer service is actually pretty good (in the world of auto repair). The problem is they go out of their way to overcharge you. They are not completely honest about it. I went through it a couple of times, and was always left feeling unclean like I was a little taken advantage of. But the last time, when they doubled the price they originally quoted, I walked away (literally!) and am not going back. They even told me I was lied to when I told them someone else quoted (and honored) $218 for what they were trying to charge $550 for. One last note those with CVT engines: STAY AWAY. Derek and Larry demonstrated together that they have no concept of the way these engines function. Larry had some foggy idea that CVT means the engine maintains continuous RPMs, from what I could make of his "explanation." But no, Derek chimed in and said "CVT stands for Continually F*cking Up" (figure that one out) and that of course CVT engines break all the time because they are "always slipping out of gear, that's what it is, it's a transmission that is always slipping out of gear." I think I stood gaping for a good moment before I left. Do these men believe the words coming from their own mouths? read more

If I could give negative stars to a business I would. My car overheated in SF and I had to have my car towed. No problem, I have AAA and in the 14 years I've been a member I've always had good experiences with their shops being reasonable. This shop was the exception. I called in the morning to ask if they had my car, they said they did. They also said they would run some tests and call me back in an hour to let me know what the estimate would be. A few hours later, still no call, so I called them. At this point they said for the initial "diagnosis" (meaning, checking the fluids and pressurizing the coolant system- a 5 minute job) they already ran, it'd be $75 but they didn't find a leak in the radiator so it'd be another $75 or more to do further tests. At this point I told them I wanted to come in and talk to them in person. I get to the shop, they tell me that no matter what, if I get the repairs done there or not, I owe them $75 for "flushing the coolant, testing the pressure, and topping off the motor oil." Is it because I'm a woman that they think this will fly? Could be. I tell the Automotive Clinic guys the likely problem is the fan, I also call my regular mechanic who just did major service on my car who tells me that the problem is probably electrical and that there's a fuse box that needs to be replaced. My regular mechanic tells me that it's $105 for the part and they shouldn't charge more than an hour of labor for this job. Automotive Clinic tells me that they charge $150/hour and it'll be 1.5 hours PLUS the $75 that they already put in, for a total of $430- meaning they wanted $75 for topping off my fluids. On top of that, since I wasn't paying them the second $75 for "further diagnosis" they wouldn't guarantee the work. I paid Automotive Clinic $75 to get my car back and the guy behind the desk very helpfully informs me that I can park it out on the street but it's 2 hours only and the tickets are $65/day. At this point it becomes clear that he's trying to take advantage of the situation I'm in since I'm 40 miles from home. I'm complaining to AAA as well but like the other Yelpers have said, if you are a woman, don't go here, they will rip you off. read more