Went to this business because they had good reviews. They failed my vehicle for smog, on three items on visual, but passed emissions. Went to another place in town and was advised that two of the items were ok under California law. Adjusted distributer and they passed me for no additional money. Don't waste your time or money on Automotive Excellence! Note, EZ Smog had bad reviews but they did me good. read more

First, I have to plan my Saturdays accordingly with all the errands and tasks I can't get done during the normal work week. Working M-F and being gone from 6am to 7pm doesn't leave much time to do anything. On Saturday, April 8th, they closed early. No message. No note. Nothing. I called and talked to someone who apologized and verified they were supposed to be open. I made an appointment for 10:30 am for today, 4/15. Today, I arrived a few minutes early to find out I didn't have an appointment. My name wasn't on their board. I was asked to come back again after 2pm. Really? To get screwed over again? This was my first and second attempt to do business with them. There will not be a third. read more

I was well-satisfied at first. They seemed efficient, thorough, and were careful to explain things. Now they're too busy for that, and it takes forever to leave or pick up my car. When they finally get to me, I'm a bother. edit October 2016 The battery they installed for $238 three years ago died yesterday. I replaced it with one that's more powerful and has a better warranty at Walmart. for $104. read more

I usually don't write reviews but this is a special case. I went here last Saturday to get an oil change because I saw their special in the paper. They told me my CV boot was cracked an almost $400 repair. My car started leaking fluid I assumed it was from this crack, so I took it to another mechanic for a second opinion. Not only is my CV boot not cracked they did not tighten the oil plug. At least I decided to get a second opinion, which is something you should always do on a large repair. I will never be back since I can't trust the oil change either. read more

Owners here. Are stupid....Why because I ask for a quote for my car and took over a day and still did not get it....why the owners because when I called for quote I spoke with Randi and told her what I need it.... My tone of voice I spoke scared her and went to tell her husband what happened..... I spoke with the husband and the husband disrespect me telling me why I'm I speaking to her wife like that....I never said anything bad about her I just wanted a quote to match another quote to see which one was cheaper...Not professional and I'm a low income person and still treated me like garbage....over the phone he was just defending her wife when I never said anything...my tone of voice is always loud...defending your wife is fine but not when your customer is complaining that he or she needs something and than the husband come and starts fighting over the phone why are disrespecting my wife.....stupid owners I hope the BBB shut you down for not letting costumers complain and express the way they feel about their service...... read more

Wonderful service by Bill on a repair. Courteous, attentive, and knowledgeable. Thank you!

Way over priced on fixing something so simple. Plus having your vehicle for a week. Think twice before take over there.

This is a classic ripoff business that will work all they've got to solicit unneeded repairs from you for their benefit. I had our station wagon smogged there and they failed it for visible smoke under the hood which they could not show me with the car running, proposed a ridiculous repair with an estimate that seemd way out there. Took it to another smog station in town and had it pass without any problem whatsoever... Absolutely don't go to automotive "excellence" for any of your automotive needs!! read more

000000000000 stars! Dishonest. Worst customer service ever!!!! Paid them once for b&l inspection and it failed. Replaced everything brand new and then failed again. If they have nothing to hide and actually wanted to help the customer they would explain why they failed something so the customer can understand instead of just taking their $ and getting hostile. The grill is loose. What a joke. Complete front of vehicle was replaced all brand new. Nothing loose. If it was a legit fail why the hostility and non explanation as to why it failed for a loose grill when the grill is not loose. You are a joke. No need to comment to try and make yourself look better, but I'm sure you will, since I have read all your other awful reviews and obviously the customer is never right since you can't help but to reply to let them know how wrong they are. Pathetic. With all the bad reviews you have, not everyone is wrong. You guys seem to be well known for having a bad attitude. I just saw your reply to my husband's review on another site. You guys lie so much! Give me a break. Go ahead and reply with your bullshit speil about how we're wrong and you're right. read more

We were pleasantly surprised by the level of service and attention we rec'd from Mike at the front desk and the rest of the AE shop. Background. We had an electrical issue in the mountains that required us to be towed to Placerville on a Saturday morning. Without an appointment and dropping in unannounced, Mike shuffled around the schedule to accommodate our diagnostics check as we were from the Bay area and were stranded without a car. Mike was over the top communicative of the tests and the results. All checked out OK and we were back on our way. These guys were honest and straightforward. I can't thank Mike enough as we were able to salvage a day of skiing after all. read more

Automotive Excellence??? or Excellent at scamming??? I moved to California and upon going to get my 99 toyota tacoma truck smogged from a different smog shop I was told that my aftermarket air intake was unable to make me pass smog because there was no part numbers registered to show california exempt and a smog wouldnt be done until I had california exempt air intake. I went to the SMOG Referee in Sacramento, who smogged my truck and said it passed fine all I needed to do was get a new air intake. This is when I drove up to placerville got a california exempt air intake from auto zone and took my truck to Automotive "Excellence". After they installed the air intake and smogged my truck (which took 3 hours!!!!), they came back saying I was a 3 times over the legal limit smog polluter and had been entered into the computer as such. After explaining I had just come from the SMOG referee in Sacramento the rude lady at the counter said "well I would like to see that paper work" after going out to my truck and getting the paper work to show her and coming back in she became extremely rude and wouldnt talk to us or look at the paperwork, the mechanic who also had been working on my truck QUICKLY ran out of the room. Upon returning home I called the owners who made every excuse in the book as to why it could have gone 3 times over legal limit from passing in sacramento hours earlier and that "this was the first time anything like this has ever happened"... he finally agreed to refund me some of the ridiculously overpriced and over timed exchange of my air intake which they said was an hour job and I can do myself at home in 15 minutes. Even more astounding we had agreed on a $60 check and the check that came in the mail was for $30 ????? Here is the best part.... A week after taking my truck there, a rattle started to be heard under my hood. A few days later a "loose" spark plug shot out of my engine causing $1,000 in repairs, hmmmmmm??? I can not believe how unprofessional, rude, and scandalous this company is!!! I will NEVER return to this store and would warn anyone considering to go to Automotive Excellence to save your money, time and heartache! read more

Had a great experience here. Just took my car in for a smog inspection. The people were friendly, fast, and it was an easy transaction.

Automotive Excellence failed my car due to "smoke" and recommended about $150 or more in repairs to fix it. I took my car to another place and it passed. I am positive they were just trying to rip me off. I would not go here again. I don't recommend it. read more

As long as I'm in the area, I will always use Automotive Excellence for my auto repair needs. Always fair and honest, genuine care, and most thorough without gouging the customer. So glad I found Ross again. read more

Had my Motor home looked at, was bouncing on the right front tire. Found out it had separation on the tire so I got two new front tires and allingnment. Also fluid changes, brake and oil and power steering fluid. The techs did a awesome job and my ride home was very smooth. Again thank you Automotive Excellence for another great job done. read more

Good with minor maintenance. Not very knowledgeable when it comes to smogging foreign cars or major work. Tried getting car smogged, did not pass twice, technician could offer no advice. Dealership recommeded Quality Tune Up in Roseville. The technician at Quality figured out the problem and it passed smog, no problem. The people are very nice at Auto Excellence. I have a friend that swears by them, but it's all for minor maintenance. read more

Quick and easy smog check on AWD 2004 Toyota. Took about 45 minutes. They have a coupon on their website. They take credit cards. This is about as easy as a smog check can get. I've got 5 cars, I'll be back. read more

Worst auto service experience ever! Manager needs to get his attitude tuned! Save your money and go somewhere else - anywhere else for auto repair and smog! read more

What a great company! From the staff to the service I received I am very pleased. Everyone was very informative and helpful. Highly recommend automotive excellence read more

We came here with a car we were interested in buying, to get a thorough inspection and make sure it was good to go. They were so nice! My husband talked to Randi on the phone and she was very kind and helpful in setting up the appointment. When we got there they took care of us right away, and after the inspection was done, she walked us through all of the mechanic's notes and explained everything. I'm wary of mechanics simply because I don't know much about cars, but I'm definitely glad we came here; it was a really nice experience. read more

I had a recent Memorial Day weekend incident coming back from Tahoe to Livermore where my car was overheating. I had it towed to Automotive Excellence and really pleased I did. First of all, they were not open Sunday, but there were two employees inside painting the office, I walked in and they greeted me as if it were a business day. Secondly, when Tuesday, the day after Memorial Day rolled around Eric called me to ask what happened... I told him about the event and mentioned that I would prefer my mechanic do work to the car instead of having a mechanic that I'm not familiar with, thinking they would point out everything wrong with my car and charge me an arm and a leg. On my call back to them, I was pleasantly surprised when Ross answered and said that a mechanic looked at it (no charge) and said all it needed was coolant. At any rate, there was no work that needed to be done thanks to their honesty. This type of business model restores my faith in the automotive industry and would recommend this place to anyone. If I ever break down again going or coming back from Tahoe, I know where to have my car towed to. Thank you Automotive Excellence I really appreciate your honesty and letting me keep my car there for a night or two until I could get back to Placerville to pick up. Sincerely, Michael K. read more

I took my Rv in because my service engine soon light was on. I was told that it would be $745 to check everything out. I rented a car to use for a week. I got no calls about the status after 5 days. I was in town and stopped by to see how the work was going at which time I was told that there was too much water damage and they refuse to work on it. The Rv had not been moved. There was no charge however they did nothing to charge me for. They did not call to tell me this at all I found out by going to the shop after 5 days. Since then I have heard some the the same stories from other people. Very poor customer relationship. DO NOT GO THERE!!! There were new faces to me working the front desk. I have used the shop and got good service, this time very poor. I will not be returning. read more

Excellent friendly service, Heather was able to fit me in for smog check service and it was very smooth. Gordon was great and so was the service writer Heather and Michael !! What a great TEAM !Thanks again! I will highly recommend! read more

Our SUV broke down on our way back from Tahoe and the guy who towed us brought us over to Automotive Excellence. He recommended them highly and even called them ahead of time to let them know we were coming. They were very friendly from the beginning and it helped that they had a plethora of toys to keep our kids busy! They also suggested a few places to eat that were within walking distance. It was a holiday and they were closing soon so we were very grateful that they were able to find the problem, fix it and we were on our way in no time. We were pleasantly surprised that it didn't cost us an arm and a leg and they were able to fix the car so quickly! What had started off as a scary experience, ended up to be another wonderful experience in a town that we would not normally visit. If you are EVER in the vicinity and need car repair, I highly recommend them. Thanks again to Automotive Excellence! read more

First off I just want to say that Automotive Excellence is one of the best auto repair shops I've ever dealt with!!! I've been to other places in the past and no longer need to look for a place that I can trust. The staff is SUPER friendly and welcoming. To the owners and your staff, thank you so much for taking care of my car issues and doing it with a smile!!! You guys rock!!!! read more

We called last minute for a smog check so we could finish registering our truck in DMV hell....they were super booked but Michael said come on over we'll get you done.....they were so nice and we were done in less than an hour.....thank you Michael!! We'll be back and with an appt next time!! Now if only the DMV was as fast!! read more

Thank you Ross & Randi. Service on our Venza was fast and thorough! If top quality service and professionalism is what you expect, then this is the spot for you. A special thank you to Michael and crew also. Love all you guys, keep up the good work! read more

I needed a smog check at a "star" station, which usually means big bucks. I arrived on time for my appt. They got me in and out of there in 40 minutes, exactly as they said they would. Both owners are involved in the business, which is good to see. They accepted my expired coupon from "Windfall" which saved me $33! I don't know what you "hater's" out there experienced but these people seemed professional and caring. All mechanics recommend further service, but it wasn't forced on me. I will definitely be going back. read more

I'm pretty picky about who works on my vehicles. Altough, this was my first visit I was very pleased Cust service ,price and preventative advise was a plus. read more

I needed a smog check and when I made the appointment I was told to make sure to print a coupon which saved me $25, thanks. In and out in 20 minutes. Spoke with the owner about a problem I was having with my other truck. He gave me a tip which saved me about $150! I really appreciate their customer service. I will now use them for all my regular service needs. read more

I normally do my own repair work. Trying to find a good, honest, fair priced mechanic is nearly impossible. Find one that has a cheerful, helpful staff that keeps you in the loop on everything that is going on with your car well I had given up on that part of it. However at Automotive Excellence they have it all! No really they are that good! I'm not saying they don't make a mistake from time to time but they are quick to admit it and make it more than right. They have Free WiFi so I can work there while my car is being repaired and great coffee, comfortable waiting room. They deserve all 5 stars! The owners and staff work as a team and it shows! read more

Not very friendly at all. The receptionist was plastic and the one guy who I talked to in the shop was extremely rude. I asked him how he was doing and he replied "I guess I am good because I am the shop manager ". Not your typical Placerville type at all. They are probably flatlanders. Never take it there again... read more

I had my Son's car towed there last month and soon found out from their mechanic that the car had a blown head. Car wasn't worth repairing and I indicated to the staff, after paying my bill, that I was going to pick up the car the following day. The car could still drive but I didn't have anybody with me so I needed help picking up the car. As I was walking toward the door the owner snapped and barked at me about leaving the car there. He wouldn't allow me to leave his business without leaving the keys for broke down car. He implied by his rudeness that I might be the type of person to dump the car on him. Needless to say I was embarrassed and humiliated by his implied accusations as well as pissed off. I immediately went home and found someone to drop me off to go get the car. I asked the staff where the owner was when I returned and he had apparently left for the bank. I left that day announcing to the staff that I would never do business with them again if that's how they treat their customers. I'm convinced that I was treated like shit based on my looks (70's long hair/not the best clothes/not a new car/wanting to leave and pick up later). I found it ironic that the owner was at the bank when I returned because this 70's hippie makes 6 figures and his business will never deposit from me. read more

Came in for an oil change at the end of the day last Thursday (10/17/13) and you can tell right off the back the worker obviously rushed the job. There was so much oil spilt the inside of my car literally filled up with smoke not even half a mile after driving out of the their parking lot. Had to go back for them to clean up all the excess oil and (the owner, I believe) give me the excuse that "its actually Subaru's fault on how they built the car". Are you kidding me??! How unprofessional! I've been telling everyone I see to steer clear of this place!! They do crappy, rushed, half ass work for a quick buck. Why did I have to come back for you to clean up your mess; why couldn't you have did it before you gave the car back?? Automotive Excellence is straight up lazy, cheap and asinine. DO NOT TRUST THESE FOOLS WITH YOUR CAR!!! read more

Took my car in for a smog check and they charged me for a failed smog because they said their machine wouldn't read my car so they couldn't smog it. Took it to my normal car shop and nothing was wrong with my car. I took it back to automotive excellence and demanded my money back and they tried to read my car again with their machine and I was told their machine may have malfunctioned the first time. They definitely tried to rip me off! read more

I made an appointment to get a smog check. I was 10 minutes late and they said, SORRY, they could not smog the car. I would have to make another appointment. I had driven 25 miles one way and they want me to make another appointment for being late only 10 minutes; I don't think so!! SORRY, this is not a customer friendly place and I will not be bring any business their way. As a side note: I drove my car down the road just a little and another smog place said, "No problem we can fit you in even though I did not have an appointment!! Now that's the kind of place I'm using from now on.... read more

I had struts and mounts, an alignment, and oil change done on 7/3/2013, dropping off my car at 8:30 am. I called at 4:00 to see when I could pick it up. Chris stated my car wasn't ready. Big mistake being cool and saying not a problem. They were closed on 7/4 and when I went by at 11:30 am on Friday to try and pick it up, it still wasn't ready. I was told it would be ready at 1:30 pm. 3 days, really. When I went to leave, there were four scratches on my driver side door. I went back inside and got the owner. He appeared to want to do the right thing and gave me the name of a shop to get it repaired. The shop was closed on 7/5 and my family was in town. My husband took it of Fulmer's Autobody. The repairs would be almost $1,000. My husband received a call from Randy (female) one of the owners stating they were not responsible. Really. Not once was I told by Chris or anyone else at Auto Excellence that my vehicle could be damaged in their parking lot. Randy, "how do you expect us to be responsible for a public parking lot." Auto Excellence was making repairs on my vehicle. Repairs that should have been completed on Wednesday, 7/3. The car was in their care. Shame on you Auto Excellence for not doing the right thing. I will see you in Court. read more

I had a appointment yesterday for a oil change., which they said would take 1 hour. After a 1 hour 20 minutes passed I went up to the desk to ask how much longer.The gus says to me"you didn't have a appointment so we are fitting you in" I said, yes I called last week and talk to to someone and made the appointment.I went and sat down and said to myself I will never come here again. Meanwhile while I'm waiting other people are coming in getting there service and leaving while I'm still sitting there 4 or 5 people. The office manager comes out and says I'm so sorry you did make a appointment ,it was our mistake,here is a $20 gift off for a future service here! 2 1/2 hours later my car is finally ready!! Never again,the fact the office manager treated me different assuming I did'nt have a appointment and took other customers ahead of me and very kinda snotty and quip and then acting like Dr Jekyl Mr. Hyde once he realize they made the mistake. read more

I agree with "Dave K."....this place a total "up-sale" automotive repair place. Seems fishy when owners driving nice Hummer. Each of the "front desk" people gave different answers on when car to be done...always blamed parts not in stock- in fact, not until I went in face to face did someone actually get on phone and order the parts. I think they need to re-group and be on same page instead of misleading the customer. They seem to guess on what needs to be done.....not sure why AAA logo on door as believe no longer on that list. Told me parts $100 & when I called dealer...parts were $40.....be careful & do your homework on what this place tells you is issue/wrong. There are many other honest repair places in Placerville. read more

We took our vehicle to Automotive Excellence for a smog check & oil change. In reviewing the paperwork, at home, there were several items listed as needing repair. One being broken motor mount!!!!! Which I believe is pretty serious for the car. I was sent a quote to repair the motor mount. Stating - depending on which motor mount was broken! Excuse me, are you serious??? You should know which mount is broken!!! Needless to say I did not take the car back to Automotive Excellence as they were evasive about the repairs. I took the car to JR's Automotive for a look at all the issues. Turns out 2 broken motor mounts and one rear shock leaking! Dustin had the repairs done and me on the road in an hour!!! Not to mention the total cost was less than I was quoted for one motor mount replacement! Very, very disappointed in Automotive Excellence! JR's Automotive is the place to take your vehicle! Nice, friendly, fast & reasonably priced repairs! Thanks JR's! Will be referring all my friends and family to JR'S Automotive! read more