[[HIGHLIGHT]]I have lived for nine years in the Placerville and from day one I have engtrusted the maintenance and repairs of my vehciles to Ross and Randi Mitchelson are people with high integrity and they really understand what customer service looks like.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] A few years back I had an older Ford Escape that the Eco Boost system went out and it was no longer under warranty which means replacement was going to be $5,000.00 and the vehicle already had a 100, 000 plus miles. This all happened the week that my third son was getting married. I went to Thompson Chevorolet and found a used 2020 Chevy Equinox and [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ross was on the phone with me for an hour going through what the vehicles history was and whether it was worth the purchase (You see I am mechanically challenged), and I made the purchase and it was the right call.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] By the way, I like to support businesses that love our community ity and give back and while I was the Pastor at the former Bayside Church of Placerville we had people who were displocated staying our our church campus which is right next door to this business and Ross and Randi along with their staff served people and were awesome. You do not need to look any further for automotive needs because this is the place that will take care of your vehicle and they are honest and trustworthy. There is one place in all of El Dorado County that I will take my vehicles and that is right here. read more

Excellent service honest quality shop. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They're always looking out for the customer.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Best interest.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]These guys are the BEST!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Took my Rv in for a smog and left it overnight. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Randi, Ross and Dallas are a hard to beat team.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] while I see other negative comments here I say forget those BOSO'S and focus on the positive results so many have had here, they have been there a long time and that speaks for itself. With all the negative out there trust these guys to give you something Positive !! Great place to get your repairs done no matter what they are they can handle it . read more

If you are looking to get your car NOT repaired, you found the place. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I took my car in for repairs, I signed off on the estimate that was given to me. Then they found more things to fix, when I asked any questions they talked down to me.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] When the car was finally repaired, three weeks after it was suppose to be done. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The few times I was at the shop I witnessed employee's berating elderly people and women with kids for simply asking when their car would be ready for pick up.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I found out after I picked up my car that there were a couple of vacuum leaks and the engine they installed wrong, which voided my warranty on the engine that I had just bought. Instead of standing behind their work I was told to find a real mechanic. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very Rude and they only know how to break your car.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] 1 star rating is way to high, there should be a negative star rating for this business. I did find a good repair shop that did a great job. read more

Once again Automotive Excellence provided excellent and efficient service. Our pickup experienced issues and put itself into limp mode. Automotive Excellence quickly diagnosed the problem, identified the parts needed and completed the repairs the following day. Our problem was solved at a reasonable price. We'll continue taking our vehicles there as we've been highly satisfied for many years across a wide range of vehicles. read more

Great place. They always do a fast professional job. I have only good things to say about them. Last time I was in they fixed it while I waited. Thanks!! read more

After being in a crash I took my vehicle for a brake and lamp check and certification. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The staff was very kind to me, Dallas was one of the gentleman that helped me and walked me through what needed to be done[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and the tech was also explanatory as to what needed to be done in order for me to properly get the certification I needed. They also were kind enough to give me a turn around time to get this done in order for me to save as much as I could. Great business in Northern California read more

If you want to be jerked around, mislead, and taken advantage of this is the spot. I took this car here for a simple Brake and Lamp inspection $225 but soon realized all this business wants is to see how much they can tack on to the bill still need work done after paying them $555, who knows what I would have paid had I left it there. They ran the bill up on me citing they were just sticking to policy and regulations but when I questioned them on ways to work with the regulations and save me some $$$ on repairs to a beater car for things that weren't detrimental to the function and safety of the car, they flat out wouldn't work or reason with me. They charged me $29 to remove one screw holding a HID ballast that wasn't even hooked up. Which the wife told me would have been fine if they were properly hooked up and functioning; however, the husband told me they were illegal and had to be "fully" removed to meet the criteria of the inspection. Who do you believe? They charged me to remove the bumper which had one bad clip on the passenger side ($6.95 from Subaru) and said it would need another 30 pieces $50+ in parts to be "properly and securely mounted", all so that the fog lights ( which from my knowledge are not necessary, and do not need to be on the vehicle to pass the test) would also be considered "properly and securely mounted". I asked if I could just pay them to remove the fog lights and not have to repair or test them if they weren't a required accessory. They gave me the run around and basically made it out to be lying to CA BAR and immoral to remove them instead of charging me to replace them. Makes sense right? At this point who knows what else they were going to tack on under the guise of following procedure. They mislead me on the tolerance for brakes and I was some what forced to pay them to install the brakes and rotors I bought for the car in preparation for this test, because to pull the car do the work my self would mean another $225 inspection and they wanted $235 to do brakes and replace a few bulbs, which is bogus because I tested every bulb, save the fog lamps, the day before I brought in the car. I have sanded and re-cleared the Headlight and knew of one broken tab I had epoxied and got to hold well. However, after the bumper fiasco I was concerned that when they took out the headlights the would try and force me to buy a whole new unit based on the same reasoning. No function or safety is lost from the tab being epoxied, ppl don't fix things anymore, just buy new ones. Last and final they had told me the marker lights were both not working in the front lamps which is why I was concerned when they said they would need to fully remove them and replace the bulbs. Well at this point I asked them to stop working on the car and I would take care of the rest of the repairs my self and take it to another shop. Here I am 5 weeks later checking out what needs to be done and bulbs work fine... so did they lie to me or did they spontaneously start working again? Idk you be the judge. Lesson here is, the shop may do good work but they'll get you on things they either mislead you on or may be lying to your face about and you'll pay for it. read more

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I'm done with these guys. We have used them on/off over the last 8 years for our car and RV. I've had an issue with every visit , and dummy me keeps going back. A few years back I even messaged the owner directly about my concern (vs a direct public post) . But now, after taking my car to another garage and finding mistakes or short cuts that Automotive Excellence performed , I'm officially done with them. Don't even get me started on the attitude I had to deal with today either. If I could've clocked the guy in the face and not get arrested for it, I probably would have. And do me a favor Randi , don't leave a response to this review, I'm not interested. read more

Sorry, but this place isn't what we thought. Our vehicles was sitting on their lot for a week and a half and they still hadn't started repairing it. They had only run a diagnostic test and then left it. We ended up moving out vehicle to another shop who's charging $700.00 LESS. NOT RECOMMENDED. read more

I cannot say enough about the owners of Automotive Excellence, Ross & Randi! Last Friday night, I was driving on 2 lane El Dorado Rd, when all my warning lights came on & my Audi Q5 suddenly & completely died. It was pitch black out & no right shoulder but I was able to coast over to a side road on the left. My car was dead, my son was crying, & I called AAA for a tow. Then, with hazard lights on, we just sat there to wait. Not 3 minutes later, this lovely couple pulled up. They introduced themselves as the owners of a local shop, Automotive Excellence, & asked if we needed help. Ross went to work checking under the hood, while Randi called her contacts at the local tow company to see how long it was going to take. She learned it was a busy night & could take up to 3 hours. Ross diagnosed the problem - a critter got under the hood and got tangled in the belt which dislodged it, as evidenced by all the hair! They left & went to their shop to retrieve tools and a battery charger. 20 minutes later, they were back & fixing my car on the side of the road. Did I mention it was pitch black & freezing?!! They never sounded annoyed or put out. This was a Friday night around 7pm & they were on their way to dinner when they stopped to help us.  When I called AAA to cancel the call, the tow was still 93 minutes out!  The owners are amazing & our roadside angels on a cold December evening! Thank you Ross & Randi! I will definitely be bringing my car to your shop in the future & will recommend you to others! God Bless & Happy Holidays! read more

Only place I trust, they do a solid job, and always up front and honest. Would most definitely recommend.

Absolutely do not go here. The worst staff. Rude, and inexperienced. They charged me close to thousands dollars to diagnose a parasitic draw. I told them the draw was minor and only enough to kill the battery after it had not been driven for a few days. After a week and a new battery they release the car to me and say there is no draw. A few weeks later the battery is completely dead. I knew this would be the problem as all they do is put a Band-Aid on the issue with a brand new battery. I returned the car to them and now they want to charge me more money to run more tests. Told them I would gladly pay them for whatever it costs if and when the car is fixed. The owner then took over the phone call and after some back-and-forth he got very upset proceeded to cuss me out and hang up the phone. I now feel uncomfortable to even pick up my car or If it will been run now. read more

I have been a loyal customer here for over 10 Years...Very impressed with their serious inquiry to help you... Very professional and honest... I give them 5 *****..... read more

We have been taking our autos to Automotive Excellence for over 25 years and have always been happy with their honesty, expertise, and fair prices. Owners Ross and Randy always go above and beyond to provide a great customer experience. When it came to fixing our 2014 Ford Truck after a bad accident a few years ago, we got a 2nd estimate from Ford to compare and Auto Excellence came in well under. The Ford mechanic said "your mechanic knows what he is doing. My findings are exactly the same but there is no way we can fix it for his price. Take it back to him!" We have always felt that Ross and Randy are honest and have confidence in their work, but this was yet another verification of that. We've had 2 vehicles so far, a 1997 Ford 150 truck and a 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, that have made it to 300,000 miles and are still going strong due to getting regular maintenance at Automotive Excellence. The 1997 truck now lives at our daughter's house in Placerville where her family continues to use it on their 8 acres while we upgraded to a used 2014 Ford 150 Ecoboost (the one that was in an accident that Ross fixed). We also have a 2005 Honda Element with over 160,000 miles that continues to run well with regular maintenance. If you haven't been to Automotive Excellence, we highly encourage you to try them out. In addition to getting great service, Ross, Randy, and Jeff (their front office guy) are always happy to answer any questions you have and let me tell you, they know EVERYTHING about cars. Most importantly, they will not gouge you - they will tell you what needs to be done (and sometimes, what you can wait to do) and their price will be fair. So glad we have honest mechanics! Give them a try; you won't be sorry! read more

I had a 2018 class a motorhome that the catalytic converter was stolen out of my motor home. Automotive Excellence worked with the dealership that was responsible for the repair from another state. They got everything taken care of and paid for, they installed the part in a timely manner. Ross and Randy are great owners to deal with, and I've been using them for 20 years. I highly recommend this honest hard working shop. read more

A very professional and friendly place to take your car. Our work was done quickly and everything was explained ahead of time, no surprises.

Went there for a re-inspection on my lights. The first time they called me on a list of things. I replaced all light, grill and secured it all. Then they say my grill is loose. Had 3 people who work there to show me whats wrong. Not one could show me what was wrong. VERY DISHONEST!!!!!! I WOULD GIVE A ZERO STAR IF I COULD! When I took it the first time I had clear side lights( wich are illegal if they don't have reflectors) mine didn't. They didn't call me on the ONE thing that was illegal!! read more

Don't you just hate having to smog the old car every two years, Well I do, and having to pay the sometimes more than $70.00 fees! Well NOT ANYMORE ! I found Automotive Excellence about 6 months ago while selling one of my Trucks, not only were they prompt, courteous and extremely professional, they also have discount coupons everywhere. You can save $40.00 just by bringing in a coupon. You can find the coupons in the Phone book, Grocery store receipts, Gold Panner and the Newspaper etc. You can even call them on the phone and they will tell you where to find one. I've used them two times now and thought it was time to give them a nice YELP. I have always had prompt and professional service and I plan to use them for all my Automotive needs from now on... FIVE STARS "Fingers" read more

Automotive Excellence - Automotive Excellence - Smog Check Stations Near Me - Placerville, California

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I am a senior citizen and recently had our primary vehicle fail the smog test. I qualified for Bureau of Automotive Repair Customer Assistance and brought our vehicle to Automotive Excellence which is a Star Repair Center for Smog repairs. The work was done, the problem corrected, and I am back on the road. The time the repair took was longer than I had expected but the problem lies with dealing with bureaucracy rather than being anything that Automotive Excellence could control. Jeff at Automotive Excellence kept me well grounded on what to expect for timing due to requirements of the Customer Assistance Program was was spot on accurate about what the timing would be like. Once they had necessary approvals in hand, they pushed forward and got my vehicle repaired, retested, smog checked with the test being successfully passed. I am very pleased. I cannot attest to any other types of repairs but they definitely were all over what I needed, quick to communicate, patient with my impatience ... hopefully I won't need smog services in the future but I will definitely go to them if I do. read more

My Story. Have used Automotive Excellence Auto Repair (AEAR) in the past and was happy with the service. Needed to smog my 2000 Pathfinder and the "Check Engine Light" on. We all know that has to be fixed to smog the car. They advise 2 smog controls need replacement at the tune of about $800.00. Keeping vehicle, approved the repair. They say it is fixed, paid for the repair, and the Lady pictured above, believe an owner, tells me to drive to reset computer. They are having problems, in that they only have one smog guy. Next smog appointment is two weeks out. A day later light back on. They tell too bad so sad, something else broke and we are going to charge you! When I explained this story, the manger became angry and said "you want something for free?, forget about what you paid for before, something else broke." We don't want to fix your vehicle, pick it up." I am retired and have the time to go to CA BAR to file a complaint. Others might not. The appear to have gotten so busy they can afford to screw a customer now. Also tried to talk to an owner, the "manager" refused and said he was handling it. I would advise looking at a smaller shop and pass on AEAR! Praying for my Bar Complaint, I beat pancreatic cancer, believe I can beat these guys! Larry R read more

Randi sure has a lot to say with so many excuses to their many 1 star reviews. Notice she always turns it around and makes it the customers fault for AE incompetent performance and phantom $charges$! They are a joke that's not funny. That's right Randi and Ross. I'm still pissed about the thousands $$ you took from me and after driving my car into your shop having a tow truck haul it out of your shop. I look forward to your stupid long winded reply read more

My wife and I moved here a year ago without a clue as to where to go for just about anything. Moving to the mountains from the Bay Area with two storage spaces worth of belongings is a risky enough procedure while there's snow on the ground let alone not having a clue as to where to have service work done on the one vehicle that might get you through the winter months and the weather conditions surely to be encountered. My first enquiry to my neighbor Rich was where he took his cars and truck to get repair work done. He told me that out of all the automotive repair places around, AE was simply the best. I'm telling you, he nailed it. I remain impressed at their high level of professionalism. From Tony and Mike at the counter, to every mechanic, to all the support staff, every person not only knows exactly what they are talking about, they discuss all of the usually overlooked points to consider with a friendly, inquisitive, caring type of professionalism. This brings me to Ross and Randi ...... Ross, who happens to be the Master mechanic behind the work ethic at AE and Randi, who handles all the business....... what else can be said except that when you have a team of friendly, devoted, knowledgeable professionals working towards the same goal everyday, both Ross and Randi as the coaches of this fine team must've decided on the caliber of those team members that best represent the company's mission and hear again, they nailed it. read more

I took my old car 1963 Ford Galaxy to this place to get a lamp and brake inspection. They told me it would be a couple of hours, So I took an Uber to poor reds. Went back about two hours later to find my car still up on the rack all the wheels still off. The owner said it failed inspection because of a small crack in the tail light. And pulled my wheel cylinder boot back and because it was wet he failed also. What a joke! Told me for 850.00 he could fix everything. I declined. In the process the dented my hub caps. When I showed them they said they would look at the camera. Basically saying I was lying. Going on to say they new there was going to be a prob because I was an old car Guy! Said they were going to pay for my new caps but never did. I have been a mechanic for 40 years. These guys are a joke. Save Your money.. read more

Recently (on 5/23/2013) my wife took my Ford F-150 2002 XLT Crew Cab 4WD, into the shop to get a Smog and Oil Change. Oil change came with a lube, fluids check and tire rotation. Before arriving to shop my truck had a creaking noise in the rear when I would initially drive from a stop, but only on occasion. However it ran fine and without any problems. It had been going on for a few weeks but was not always making the noise and was very minimal sounding. There were no mechanical issues just a noise. Rick (service advisor) called my wife and said the truck was ready and failed to mention the things they found wrong. When my wife picked my car up the shop on the same day, they were busy in a work meeting and did not explain the invoice, just billed my wife and had her sign the invoice. They did not mention the truck was now unsafe. My wife assumed everything was fine since he failed to mention anything that they discovered. It was only when she actually looked at the invoice where we discovered all their findings. Looking over the invoice later, it said that my differential fluid was low and they noticed metal shavings around the fill plug. They also noticed that the pinion seals were seeping. Furthermore, they claim that all the fluids, brakes, trans, power steering were dirty and they recommended flushing. This I find suspicious and false information. My truck was in the shop, not this shop, last year for engine rebuild. They had to remove the engine and take it to have the valves machined. As a result all fluids were drained and replaced. Since then I have less than 10K miles driven. When my wife drove it home, initially it was running very smooth. About 15 miles en route to home, she rounded a corner and started to hear a loud grinding sound. The next morning (5/24/2013) as she was driving it back to the shop the grinding noise got worse and then from a stop the truck started to make a loud clanking and jerking motion from the rear, as if gears were skipping. The shop re-inspected the truck and determined they would need to replace the rear axle assembly and U Bolts at an estimated $2500 for a REMAN part or $1700 for a used unwarranted part. I was shocked at this since my truck ran fine prior to going in for a routine smog and oil change. On top of that they re-charged me to look at the problem the next day. So I get billed for $80+ for a smog and oil change, then 10 minutes after leaving shop truck breaks and when I go back they charge me another $50 to look at the problem that seemingly happened in-line with their recent service to my vehicle. By the way, they also said they have never seen anything like this before and that it must have been a coincidence it happened at the same time. After all the truck drove fine before the service call, aside from a slight creek in the rear end. Then later (5/28/2013) via a phone call to my wife from Randy (the owner) she tried to claim that they told my wife about this at time of initial service and payment. They did not. They also failed to mention that they removed the fill plug for the differential and added a quart of of fluid. They do mention that it was low on the invoice but not they added fluid. Can it really just happen coincidentally or maybe they aggravated the creaking issue into this more serious problem? I am also worried about them not telling my wife initially about this when she picked it up on 5/23 and then when we went back to have the problem looked at, they deemed the vehicle as unsafe and not drive-able. All stemming from a Smog and Oil Change service. On an unrelated note, it was also suspicious when I came to pick up my truck when they were diagnosing the clanking on 5/24/2013. I drove my other vehicle down to the shop to pick up my truck. I left my other vehicle parked out front of their doors. I drove my truck two blocks to my wife's work. Later about ten minutes, I walked back to shop to picked up other car only to find one of the service advisors (Chris) with my car's hood open. He explained it was an accident and was confusing my car with a customer's car he was going to jump start. I found this odd because I have a white Honda CRV and the customer's car was not even close to my vehicle. It was in a totally different parking isle. It was a tan Saturn SUV and the customer was standing next to his car with his hood open. Again this was just suspicious to me. I have submitted formal complaints to third parties, as I don't feel I was treated professionally and I suspect deception. read more

I went in to get my vehicle smog'd and was met with a little attitude, but I was on a schedule and needed it done. The vehicle passed no problem, but as I drove away I noticed my air conditioner no longer worked. The vehicle is newer and was in perfect working condition before I took it to the shop. The guy helping me seemed spiteful and wouldn't put it past him to cause a problem, lucky I still have a factory warranty and won't be returning to this shop to fix the problem they caused. read more

Negative Star rating! I would never take a vehicle to this place. Extremely rude costumer service. Refused to tell me what they did to inspect my brake & lights. Told me things were not working that in fact were and my truck made numerous sounds and shakes that were not present before this place had my vehicle. I'd rather drive to LA for auto work than ever return to the business. read more

I took my truck in for an oil change, tire rotation and while there inquired why my truck was shaking at 70 mph and was told it simply needs a rotation. Then I asked mechanic who worked on truck if that could be the issue. He replied maybe and then said it may need a alignment. Dissatisfied with service I received, I went to two other tire places who both said that the wheels needed balanced. As the competent Big O guys were doing their job it was discovered that automotive excellence still had my wheel lock sitting in their shop with my name on it. Upon arriving and taking a 30 minute drive each way I was met by rude, ignorant wife of owner who acted as if it were my fault that her husbands company is so completely lacking in customer service and competency. The owner, himself, was obnoxious took no responsibility for the huge lack of competency and respect of my time. This is the worst establishment I have ever encountered in this county. read more

Highly suggest not going here! Im a fan of getting a business a chance to correct itself but these people have no clue on making customers happy and didnt try. So, per a friends recommendation I went in there at 10am yesterday for a smog check. Price was reasonable, job got done and at the time I thought everything was A ok. So I decided I would come back that afternoon and get an oil change . Thing is I would found out later that the first job they didnt do correct. Funny thing is I met with a client told them I had to hurry our appointment as I was going there after to get an oil change. He was a good guy and seemed to know the area and advised me not to go there. He told me the place was known for upsales on everyone that comes in. Well I didnt take his advice and went in anyways to my appointment at 4pm. Got there at 15 minutes to 4pm they advised me that my car would be ready in 45 minutes to an hour tops. One hour later....still waiting in loby. I go the counter service man advices me they are pulling it now. One hour and 15 minutes later....still not done. The owner sees me frustrated and comes up to me and says she will check it out, I tell her I need to go to a dinner date. Owner comes back and has a tray says my fuilds are dirty, coolant, rear diff fluid, transmission fluid and more. Thus upselling begins find out later that they do this to mostly everyone. She then mentiones other problems I inform her again I need to get going. Finally almost wo hours later my car is outside. I immediately notice oil smear marks on the side of my car, and when I open the door notice oil on the seat on the door hinge snd more! I start trying to clean when the guy that did the oil change comes out and aplogized saying his hands where dirty and he was rushed. Well it was so bad I went in tor a towel inside to clean up. Owner asks me whats wrong I inform her of the oil mess and that I wasnt happy with time issue. She immediately goes on the defensive tells me now one of my lug nuts was to blame as it took extra time to take off. She then tells me im a liar basically by saying she saw the guys hands and watched him wash his hands. However, she did not know that moments earlier he had apologized for it and admitted to it. So I tell her finally your guy came out and admitted to it and aplogized . She then says says how sorry she is and that if he is doing this she would fire him. She hands me a wet paper towel and helps me clean up the mess. No other offer for this horrible service was given and I had to help clean up a mess that should have never happened. So....I finally drive away hoping this is the only set of problems hopefully. I get on the road and notice im now on empty!!! I pull over to get gas and notice my locked gas cap cover is not on and is actually on its side where the hole is. Well I know I wasnt on empty before I got there and I have ocd about my gas cap. So I drive back the shop and talk to another man which may had been the other owner. I tell him im not accusing him specifically but I know I didnt do the gas cap and that it wasn't on empty before I got there, he tells me he watched them do it and nothing fradulent was done. I was nice and said was there any reason they may have unlocked my gas cap he said no. I then asked being lifted is it possible because its a truck that it showed less gas then there was? He stated no way possible. I told him I was upset and would leave a review. When talking to a friend they told me most likely that when they did the smog earlier that day on the first job they opened the gas cap and then ignored putting it back on right. So thats a possible senciero. Either way, a two hour oil change, oil all over the car and seat, the extreme upselling, and gas cap and mystery gas disappearance im beyond dissatisfied. I highly recommend choosing and reading reviews before going here. Appears im not the only one with problems here. This is also the longest review ive left on here thus expressing my frustration .Also...ive read some of the responses the owner has left on bad reviews on here and assure you if I had read the reviews especially your rude response to your customers complaints I would have never come in. Update to Owner writing back. Thanks for finally contacting me. You had my number, and I left a message the next day saying I was upset and would review but I guess it takes Yelp to have someone finally respond weeks later? First, there was oil everywhere in and out. Second, I was there for more then 90 minutes. Third, I took my vehicle to a place down the street they checked the fluids and said they looked fine! I also did more work there. As for the gas that was questionable but not putting a gas cap back on is unprofessional. Your message admits to some faults and need for improvement but nothing to make right for my experience. I guess I'll have to take your message response as it for now. But appreciate the attempt anyways. read more

The company reports that they do excellent RV services. When I had reminders on my dash that I needed an oil change and fuel filters replaced, I first made an appointment with Freightliner since the RV is on a Freightliner chassis and has a Mercedes diesel motor. Because of my time limitations, I wasn't able to set an appointment until I will be returning from a flight out of town late in August- 3 plus weeks away. Consequently, I called this business to see if they can do the work. I was assured by Mike on the phone (front counter) the filter part numbers I provided were available and that there would be no issue, they could do the job and allowed 2 hours. I asked that he call me should there be any problem getting them so I didn't drive from Pollock Pines unnecessarily. No call. I arrived early for my 10am appointment and learned they had found the filters but it would take longer than expected and the job wouldn't be done until about 4 or 5pm. So I had my wife come 23 miles to pick me up and we did some local chores. At a little after 3 my wife dropped me back off having other obligations and I thought I would wait. Without even a phone call to let me know, they have drained the oil without having the oil filter but hope to have it later today so that if I want to drive it home and come back again for the fuel filters, I can do so. When they said when I first came in at 10am that they didn't have parts and wanted to proceed with the oil change I explained that if there was any anticipated problem, I would prefer to just take it into Freightliner for the complete job and avoid any issues. I was assured there shouldn't be any problem- wrong! Now, I am waiting to see if they can even get the promised parts and if I want to leave my RV with them for a few days or take it now and get the balance of the job done in Sacramento. Everyone here attempts to be as polite as possible but they blame the parts company, suggest faulty part numbers shown on my last service invoice, etc. It is wonderful to have a friendly conversation but in order to gain good repeat customers, you need to be reliable and meet obligations. That means good mechanics, reputable vendors and most of all, good communication. I should have known about the problem prior to my coming in expecting to drive home. read more

On a Sunday, I sent an appointment request (they asked for 48 hours notice) through the website for a 50k service on my Toyota Yaris. On Monday, I called and asked them if the appointment could be scheduled. First they told me I could come in earlier - at 2:30 that afternoon. But then they changed their minds and said they would have to call me back. But they never called me back!! Well, they may have so many customers that they don't need my business - but you can be sure I'll never try there again! Instead, I called Jim's Automotive in Placerville on Broadway and he got me in and out the very next day. They were very very nice and helpful and even saved me $50!! You snooze, you lose, Automotive Excellence! read more

Aside from the friendly girl working at the desk I can't say I'd ever recommend going by this shop unless you already are vehicle savvy. I went in for a smog check and while I sat in the waiting room I heard multiple phone calls that seemed awfully fishy. The fact is if you go in for an air filter you probably don't need new bearings and spark plugs, especially not at $20+ a piece. Don't get sold on everything a mechanic tries to sell you! I promise it is better to get a second opinion than to just buy in to what these salesmen are preaching. To be clear and fair, my truck failed the smog test I went in for. I had a check engine light that was on and nobody told me that this is an auto fail, until after I had waited and paid. The diagnostics test was quoted at $120 and guaranteed nothing but more labor and a goose chase. Thanks and beware mechanics fishing for less than necessary work to do. read more

For professionalism, courtesy, throughness, honesty, as well as excellent customer service, Automotive Excellance is the best place to go! We have mistakenly taken both our cars to other repair shops, but ended up having A. E. do the repairs ( or at least getting a 2nd opinion from them!) We can't thank themT enough for all their helpfulness!! Try it for yourself! Dave & Judi read more

I have been a loyal customer, spending thousands over the years. My last experience was a disaster. Starting with scheduling the service, lack of follow up, constantly getting delayed. I had to call to check the status, as they came up with additional items for repair, fine. On part of the work they never even gave me a quote. This whole process took almost thirty days. Very, very disappointed. I had trusted them in the past and probably would of had all the work they recommended done. Sadly I had to get my vehicle and take it somewhere else for the repairs. Their lack of care and concern for me a customer has cost them my future business read more

Admittedly, when I heard I needed to get a smog check, my first thought was here is a perfect scam opportunity! Thankfully, after reading the reviews I made an appointment and was treated with professionalism, courtesy and expertise. PLUS I saved money with a coupon in the Goldpanner. A week later, I went back for new brakes etc and the estimate matched the final bill. The excellence in their name is not a joke - it is the real deal. read more

These guys are really nice. They have a nice waiting room (big screen, popcorn etc), are really thorough, and don't mind giving you details on what's going on with your car. At the same time, maybe you just want a tune-up and don't want to deal with a lot of hassle. Consider that. But if you're looking for an honest shop to treat you like a human and do a thorough professional job on your car, these guys can help. Check out their website for specials/coupons. read more

This shop is very professional and friendly and most importantly good at what they do. The owners bend over backwards to ensure their staff treat customer with the utmost respect. it's very refreshing to find a shop that truly cares and follows up with recommendations. Us customers can be a pain to deal with and I appreciate the patience and honest service. Good job guys! read more

This place is horrible, took my car here twice to get the AC fixed and they didn't notice till after the second time it broke that something else was wrong with it. They called and told me it was fixed and when I went to pick it up it still didn't work... waste of my time and money. Do not recommend. They told me it would be $1800 to fix. Thankfully, I found somewhere else that would do it for $700 AND actually fix it the first time read more

Brought my minivan in for several issues. They charged a $130 diagnostic charge for EACH issue, I left it at two issues. They correctly diagnosed a leaking radiator, which is pretty easy to figure out, and quoted almost $700 more to replace it. I checked around and the going rate for a radiator replacement is well under $600. Although it was clear there was very little coolant left, I had to specifically ask them to fill the radiator, which they did, otherwise I would have overheated going home. Also diagnosed a faulty speed sensor for a transmission issue, with no estimate given. As it turns out the diagnosis was incorrect. I replaced the radiator myself for $200 (parts). Not too hard, though of course not for everyone. I had another shop fix the transmission issue for about $700- in fairness, it was a tricky issue to resolve, it ended up being faulty wiring and bad computer module, but they put a lot of extra unbilled time into it, with no extra diagnostic fees. I don't mind paying for a diagnostic fee, but I expect it to be reasonable and accurate for $260, And something like a radiator is a 10-20 minute check- I mean, symptom is car overheats, first thing is pressure check the radiator, a quick process- and I doubt they spent more than that on the transmission diagnosis- and then maybe apply it towards the repair. I gave them two stars because they've done some other satisfactory work for my son, but I think they need to get their costs in line. read more

Just had my car looked at yesterday after Automotive Excellence RUINED my last two oil changes... Turns out the last two times i have taken my car to them for a SIMPLE oil change they have used the wrong type of oil....Did they not look at the history on my car and see that i had SPECIFICALLY asked for synthetic oil to be put in my car the times before... They have been using the regular Chevron 5W30 oil when my car CLEARLY calls for a fully synthetic oil..They/I am really lucky nothing worse happened to my car. I had to pay almost $100 yesterday to have everything they messed up on reversed. My car had to be completely drained of the oil they had put in and a new oil filter installed. When you trust a company with something as important as your vehicle you tend to assume they know what they are doing and that they will do a good job...i guess i learned my lesson the hard way with this company.. if after reading these reviews and you still think its safe to take your car to them, i suggest you cover your own butts and double check that they did their job correctly and didn't miss something as important/simple as putting the oil cap back on... read more