Great value Great Service Fair deal overall Tony and team are straight shooter They got my 56 Thunderbird going and stopping They've worked on numerous Toyota Prius for me read more

We had our Kia Optima's Brakes replaced today, wow, what a great experience! It was our first experience with Belmont Auto Repair after it came highly recommended. Tony took great care of us and had us out in less than the amount of time quoted! The bill was exactly what he quoted and was a fair price!Clearly his mechanics know what they're doing, the new brakes feel strong and safe! Tony was sure to let us know to be gentle on the brakes and not be stomping on them as that would not be good for the life of the brakes! We drove from Lake Forest and it was well worth it! I highly recommend Belmont auto repair! read more

I had a nail stuck in one of my tires. My husband called just as they were about to close, and they were willing to take my car in to patch up my tire. Great service and willingness to help when it mattered most. Thank you! read more

Thank you Pam and Tony!!!! I have been looking for a new place to take my car that I can trust, and so happy I found them!!! Excellent service, friendly, close to where I work, knowledgeable.. I will be back!!! Not to mention, great prices.. thank you again!! read more

i wanna give a huge shoutout to Ed. he is really knowledgeable and even more friendly. i was swiped by another car and had a paint blemish on my car. another place quoted me $900 to remove and paint 2 car panels. this is when i stopped by here to get a second quote. although they do not work on body / accident repairs, Ed took one look at my paint scratch and helped me shine off the flaw. as i didnt mind any other flaws on my car from the accident, that was all the help i needed. i wish i had more reasons to come by here and support their businesses! read more

Tony is great. He didn't give up on fixing my car like others have. He's really nice. I recommend him.

Great service Tony is amazing and his staff can get right down to the problem of the car. He fix the car the first time and also has an amazing Detail person on site to make your car look new. read more

To be totally transparent, I never leave reviews and made this very account just now to shout out this auto shop. I've been going here for years and they always do a great job. First point, yes i agree with some reviews, they are more northeast in nature where they tell you things straight up. Whether they find something or not. Even if you have a light on that you swear means death, as everyone hates anything red on the dash, they'll tell you if it's cosmetic or not. Some may think this means they don't care or didn't fully investigate, but they don't B.S or upcharge. They don't repair things to take advantage of your car phobias. I never got my car back from them only to experience an overlooked failure. They don't over charge, or even charge you at all if it's some rudimentary stuff. Even if they spent their time investigating. Once you get to know them, chat a bit and become a patron, you'll understand they are more caring and honest than other mechanics in L.A. They're always the first people I call and they always sort out what's needed. read more

I took my BMW XM5 to the dealer because I thought it was under warranty to fix my rear parking sensor that went out because I backed into something. The dealer wanted over $8000 and I would be without my car for three months. I brought my car to Tony and as usual, he took care of the problem, and did it a day for 1/10 of the cost of the dishonest BMW dealership in Long Beach. I've been going to Tony for years. He's honest, reputable, caring. I sure hope he doesn't sell his business. We need more people out there like him. read more

The guys at down at the BAR lol... are amazing from the front desk man to the guys in the back are amazing! I'm surprised that places is still standing... holding all that automotive knowledge in! !!! They worked on my Sequoia and did a great job and it was extremely reasonable, Felt like I got great value!!! Now she shifts amazingly read more

My partner went to this shop and they were super rude. We were expecting great customer service, but they fell short. Not worth the time.

This place is your hometown auto shop. I went back in for a catastrophic car issue. They took my car completely apart to find the exact problem and stayed in communication to make sure I approved and understood every charge. Tony took me in the back to show me exactly what went wrong with what part and gave me options on what I wanted done. After approval it was done quickly and dead on the estimate. They were comprehensive and knowledgeable . And not only that, affordable! and I feel the value was worth the effort. I got the exact service I would expect from a professional garage. Can't recommend this place enough. read more

Honest and nice folks. Helped us with our car and told us the service we requested wasn't required.

This is a great family run business. Tony the owner is super fair and their prices are so reasonable for the quality. No price gouging just straight talk with excellent service and communication. Solid work through and through. This is my second time using them for fix on my 4Runner and I will continue to do so. Highly recommend using them for any and all service and repair needs. read more

I never write yelp reviews but I got a nail in my tire and these guys were so kind, quick, and respectful. They took the time to explain everything to me and didn't try to scam or mislead me. Truly honest work. Could not recommend this place more. read more

It's Monday after the Superbowl and the LAST thing on earth I want to do is go to work! All I have to say is: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR! I got into my car to find the clutch not working. Seriously? I thought maybe was dreaming... afterall, it was early and I was sort of in a daze. It took about 30 seconds for reality to hit: I was NOT going to work and what the hell was I going to do with my car? The mechanic I use is in Santa Ana and there is no way I was going to get the car towed that far. After a minute of thinking, I logged into yelp to see what fellow yelpers had to say. This was the first place I came across so I called them up. Glenn answered the phone and I told him my clutch wasn't working and asked him for a quote. Before I could go any further, he skeptically told me he didn't believe it was the clutch and asked me to repeat the story. He told me he was convinced it was the Master Cylinder and that I needed to go check the fluid level. He walked me through it but I got my dad on the phone to help me locate this thing. I mean, I didn't know I even had one of those. It turns out that on a manual transmission, I actuall have two!!! (The other is for the brake). As you could see, someone could take me to town on my car so I do my research not to get ripped off! ;) After a few minutes I found it, then hopped on my bike for 3 miles to Pep Boys to get the Dot 4 fluid. Glenn told me to pump the clutch and that it should get tighter. I did this for what seemed forever and finally I felt something. I was finally brave enough to pop it into gear and as the car moved and as I shifted, I felt it getting tighter! Wow! Talking about amazing! I took the car 6 blocks to his shop where I was told to replace it or else the fluid would keep leaking. All I could think about it being stranded somewhere in the desert so it was a no brainer. It took about a day to do but the good news got better (considering I had to change it). It was the minor slave (part of the master cylinder), which was cheaper than replacing both and was about 1/5 of the price of a new clutch! The point is, he was honest. He broke out the billing by part and labor and tax. He tried to do what he could to save me money (step 1 was to avoid a tow truck!). I definitely recommend this place if you need some work done! read more

My daughter was down at CSU Long Beach at college and her car got towed, and they ruined the transmission. I was panicked! How do I find a reputable garage in another town?! Thank God I found Tony at Belmont Auto. He assessed the damage and helped me to get almost 50% paid by the tow company. He was responsive and knowledgeable and now he has a customer for life as long as she live in Long Beach. Thank you Tony and staff!!! read more

Tony and the guys here did a great job. Very friendly & got me in on a Saturday! Ed gave me a ride home this morning while they worked on my Van and I picked it up this afternoon. My Van sounds great & I'm glad I came to Belmont Auto. Tony I'll definitely be back, thanks again! read more

I've taken my car in a few times, and my experience has always been the same: They are honest people that do decent work for very high prices, and they are generally crabby and short to me. I always get my car back having the problem fixed, always do a double-take on what I paid for a simple service, and never feel like they were the least bit happy for my business. They are also extremely poor about calling me: Once, they went through with an expensive service that I didn't approve ahead of time. I would have told them to go ahead with the repair, but they didn't check with me first. And I always have to call them to ask when the car will be done, not the other way around. Maybe they are too busy all the time? Whatever the case, I've moved on to another mechanic that is more my style. UPDATE: I recently discovered a motor mount that was not replaced after seeing this on my invoice: "Remove and replace engine mount at radiator and install customer inserts." I called Tony, and he attempted to justify this by telling me he had to "remove and re-place the part on the car to install my inserts". Replace DEFINITELY means install a new part, not take off and re-install the old part. Extremely shady business move, and very disappointing. I will not be going back. read more

I am sad to write this, being a customer for over 20 years. Belmont Auto Repair was my go to back in the day, when Glen Thornson ran the shop. He had a 67 Galaxie, I had a 68. Perfect. I got reasonable quotes and turn around times....and good work. Over the years, I don't know if it is just me, turn around times got longer...phone calls didnt get returned as often. When the work was done, it was good work...always seemed to take longer than it should. Latest: brought my truck in for work, which was probably going to be warranty work in the short term, but ultimately big work in the big picture...my truck sat for 2 weeks without Tony or Pam returning phone calls about what we were going to do despite my at least 3-4 phone messages to them. Tony did leave one message after a week of sitting on the street, but did not return my call to him later in the day. When I went to get my truck without work being done, it was on the street, unlocked, and almost no gas. I did not bring it to them that way. I asked for my keys, I got some "I called you back" blah blah blah...he didn't. Not the way to treat a long term customer. Tony knew I was pissed off, did nothing to try and keep me as a customer despite our long term relationship. And really, I don't expect him to. Belmont Auto Repair does do good work, when you can get them to do it...but I will not be going back. I am tiered of getting jerked around when I need work done. They have a couple of guys that have been there a long time and care about what they are doing, but the management (Tony) prevents them from getting to it. Jamie, thanks for all the good wrenching you have done on the Galaxie and the Truck, but it is time to find a shop that takes care of their customers. Again, maybe it is me and my relationship with Pam an Tony, but it is not the shop I started going to when Glen (RIP) ran things. I won't be going back. Time to find another mechanic. read more

i bought myself quite a little lemon a few months ago, which i realized pretty much as soon as i got five minutes from the seller's location. i called the dude back and was like, 'hey, i think there's a hot mess of shit wrong with this car,' and he was gracious enough to tell me to have a purchase check done on it and if it turned out the car was a disaster, he'd take said car back. no harm no foul. so, that was awesome. i quickly rifled through yelp for an independent local shop with good reviews (i haven't gone to an indie in ages, so had no personal experience to go on), and belmont looked good, so i dropped it by. it took tony awhile to get to the counter, and when he did, he was pretty gruff, but that's fine - it was a saturday, they were busy, and he's a car dude - those types aren't known for their sunny dispositions. no problem. he assured me they'd do a thorough inspection and call me when they were finished. i felt fine about it. six hours later, i called to check on the car, and lo and behold, it had been completed an hour prior to my call. that was kind of annoying, but whatever. i went down there to pick it up and was surprised by the $125 charge, but the inspection itself was, indeed, THOROUGH, and they uncovered a heartwrenching number of serious issues with the car. none of which i doubted for a second; a good half of them i predicted. i asked about how much these repairs would cost, and tony said he'd have to work up an estimate and he'd get it to me on monday. in the meantime, i took the car back to the seller and got my money refunded (screw that noise, sez i), so when tony failed to get back to me on monday with that estimate he'd promised, i was like, whatevz. SO. fast forward to a few days ago: i bought ANOTHER car and had a reasonable amount of confidence that this one was in pretty good shape, but i still wanted to have it checked out. since by this time i trusted these guys to do a good inspection, i didn't hesitate to call and schedule another check, even knowing it was gonna cost me. i called tony on saturday to see if i could bring it by monday around noon. he told me i had to drop it in the morning, because they needed enough time to take a good hard look at it. i was kind of surprised by that, since i dropped the prior car off sometime around 11:30, but fine, whatever. so, i dropped it monday at 7:30ish. he told me they'd call it when it was finished. as with the last time, i didn't get a call, but when i followed up myself around 1:30, it was done. i went in there and received the good news that though there were a few little things going on with the car, the bulk of it was just general service-related stuff, and the other coupla things were normal wear and tear for a 14 year old car. i felt pretty good leaving, because i knew that if these guys said that was all that was wrong, it was more than likely ALL that was wrong. they definitely seem to know what they're doing, they don't hesitate to explain in detail anything you have questions about, and they don't talk to you like you're an idiot. so, positives all the way around. but here's where it gets a bit negative. believe what everyone else says; this place is SPENDY. when i called back the next day to get an estimate on the service, and to schedule an appointment time, not only was i informed i'd have to leave it for an entire day (really? for a tuneup and tranny service?), but that the cost would be $401 - and that was EXCLUDING the $95 flush. keep in mind, these were the services i was asking for: replace fuel filter top off brake and power steering fluid replace spark plugs replace burnt out taillight bulb transmission service - undecided on whether to do drain and fill ($18 plus fluid) or full flush ($95) that's IT. $400 - $500 for the above? REALLY? i called another well-reviewed shop and was quoted $150 for the same work. my car is currently there being serviced, so we'll see what the bill comes to in the end and how the work was done, at which point i'll write that review as well. of note, i was chatting with one of my son's friends last night - an 18 year old kid - and told him how we needed to get some service done on the car but the first place we called quoted us a small fortune. he laughed and said, 'belmont, right? they told me the same thing when i needed the same work done on mine.' and honestly, i feel bad for writing this review, because i really do like the shop and the folks, and i completely trust them insofar as dedication and quality of work. i guarantee that if i'd taken my car in to have the service done there, i would've been pleased as punch with the results. but $400+ for some spark plugs and fluid on a 14 year old car is kinda beyond the pale. that said, if i ever need major work done on the car, belmont is probably the first place i'll call. but for basic maintenance, their prices are easily beat. read more

HONEST, SMART, DOWN-TO-EARTH, AMAZING. I've been a little down on LA lately.. people that don't say hi back on the running path, people that pretend to be on their phone in an elevator with no cell reception to avoid eye contact.. it gets a little old sometimes when you could use a little "good morning" back.. But when my long abused but rarely complaining Lexus wouldn't talk to me after a long day of work, I was over it. We'd been through hell and back for five years and the presence of me and the key-fob doesn't even warrant a spark of life? Bitch. She completely ignored me, the roadside assistant guy, the battery store guys and all their friends- tormenting each of them for hours at a time, never even once flashing a warning light. We gave her a new fancy battery and still, not even a "thank you". Finally, we hauled her ass over to Belmont Auto Repair where my hubbie swore they'd whip her into shape. These guys not only said hello, they told stories, they took her in even though the place was packed and, by the afternoon, their crack team of detectives had it all figured out. Not only did they refuse to whistle and say "Oh wow, that's a crazy electrical problem... EXPENSIVE!" but they also refused to assume the obvious, give up the cause, or worse, charge me thousands for a non-fix diagnostic. Within hours, I got a call saying that underneath it all (literally), was a simple issue of the electrical current not being grounded.. a tiny little fix and shazam... perfectly normal. I didn't even have to reset the radio stations. Now, not only am I the proud-by-association discoverer of a brand new Lexus design flaw, but I saved hundreds probably thousands of dollars because these guys were HONEST, SMART and SAVVY. Oh, and they were awesome. Fun, down to earth, nice and straight forward. Tony and his team were so stunningly good, fair and honest that I had to come back to Yelp after a long absence to shout about it. I can guarantee that no other repair shop or even the dealer itself would have found that issue. Not only did they find the issue but the only charged me for the work completed which was EXPONENTIALLY less than I was expecting to pay. Thank you Tony and team. I now have faith in LA again (and my sad little Lexus!) read more

The reason I came here is because I ASSUMED (like most small repair shops) that they wouldn't charge you as much as the dealer. I was wrong on that one, they charge RIDICULOUS rates on labor, so you're pretty much paying dealership repair rates. Decent work, but they can't even give you a car wash after dirtying up your car and getting greasy handprints on your doors... instead, they REFER you to a "special rate" to their car wash next door. read more

They're good people, but as others have stated, they never completely fix any problems. It's like going into the ER with a bleeding wound and having them put duct tape on it. Yeah, it may temporarily stop the bleeding, but you'll eventually need stitches... I'll be looking for a new mechanic. read more

Called for a quote. Guy was extremely rude. I usually have a mechanic locally that I go to but it's a Saturday. I ordered the part online in advance because every place was charging double for the part. The man on the phone said "of course you have the part, everyone buys their parts online but can't install it these days." He then went on to say "put it on" tauntingly, which I could not do because I didn't have a 32 mm combo wrench. Take your car anywhere but here. They must make significant money off the parts people buy through them. He could not provide a quote on the spot, just a "I'll call you back." read more

I would not recommend Belmont Auto Repair even for the most desperate of individuals who are in need of vehicle repairs. To begin, they claim fair pricing, but there overpriced from everything of labor down to installation of simple parts. Pam and Tony are generally nice people, but there have been numerous of occasions where I have come into the shop and no one even cares that Im there. For my specific situation my car ended up costing triple the amount of the original quote and on top of that broke down the EXACT DAY I PICKED IT UP FROM THE SHOP! And when I went to pick up the car, it was overheating, leaking fluids and I really felt like my car was not taking car of! I wish I could make it up. When I arrived again to return it, they barely and purposefully gave a non-acknowledgement and then re-quoted me something outrageous as it was a greater issue they stated. It's almost like they don't care if they receive your business or not. I was very surprised about the lack of reassurance that your in a great place to get your car fixed...almost like an snobbish arrogant demeanor from Pam and Tony. It was a terrible decision to trust this shop as I believe that there repair costs are extremely overwhelming and overpriced, there customer service is absolutely non-existing, and they even have a track record of further damaging people's car leaving them with more headaches then when they first came in. My experience was a direct connection to this. I looked into other individuals cars that dealt with the shop after I had my run in and all the reviews were not good. I wish I could say good things about this shop, but truth be told, it's lagging behind the times in the service automotive industry. read more

While getting tires, a local tire Shop did some tests/inspection.They told me that my wife's car had an A/C leak and might need $$$$ parts to repair . Hmmmmm Since Belmont Correctly diagnosed and made a previous repair...= I took the car to Belmont, Fearing the $$$"worst, Pamela called: "tests showed no leak"...needed some A/C gas" A/C nice and cold $90 Peace of mind due to an honest business I highly recommend read more

I've never taken the time to write a review on yelp before- but these guys are definitely noteworthy. I recently moved to Belmont and am just getting acclimated. I was on my way home from the grocery today when my check engine light came on. I've never had any issues with my 2004 Toyota Tacoma and rarely take it in for service. So, as I often do, I turned to yelp for advice. This shop happens to be around the corner from me and they had great reviews. Why not? I called first and Tony (the owner) answered the phone. He told me to come on over and they would check it out. Within 5 minutes of arriving, he had found the problem (something with my O2 sensor). He explained exactly what an O2 sensor in and how it works. Then he looked up the part. He did some searching for the lowest price and gave me a quote on how much it would be to fix it. While we were chatting up the area and he was searching for the part, one of the guys fixed my leaky tire.... for $15. Less than half of what Big O was going to charge. All of that is great and the staff what fabulous- but this is the kicker: He told me that although it would need to be fixed, it was not urgent. He explained my options and told me to give him a call when I was ready to have it repaired. Overall- this was the best experience I've ever had with an auto shop. They can count me as a loyal customer, for sure. read more

Flat tire no more!! Brought the ol'Subaru in for a flat and got it replaced quick and painless. Tony was rad and made the whole thing easy. Thanks guys, hopefully I won't have to be back but will recommenced for sure. read more

You don't come here for ambiance, you come to get your darn car fixed without having to worry. So what if they smoke inside the shop, they fix your car. So what if they haven't updated their lobby since 1970, they fix your car. This family shop that has been around for a loooong time. Tony has always taken care of my bmw and even picked up the car from my house when I had a sleeping baby to contend with and no ride. I've taken the ride in for Mobile 1 oil changes, silly tail light issues, and even warranty work. They charge fairly for quality work. read more

After I moved here from the San Gabriel Valley I wanted to find a mechanic in Long Beach so that I wouldn't have to drive up 45 minutes north to my mechanic which I've known since I was in high school. A friend from church highly recommended Belmont Auto and told me they are honest and good people and that she has known Tony for a long time. I was very excited to find out that they are about 3 blocks from my house. The service is excellent and they are honest people. Tony is a good guy and very up front and tries to explain every detail to me since I know nothing about cars. He tries and I'm sure he makes sense to most people. I've continued to go back because the service is excellent and they are so close which makes it extra convenient. The only comment I have would be their prices. They are a little pricey, even for the Long Beach area. Before I tried out Belmont Auto, I've tried other mechanics in the LB area. Oil change in Long Beach range between $22 to $26 but Belmont Auto charged me $37 An Intermediate service on my car use to cost me between $120-$150 but Belmont Auto charged me $250. Their prices are close to if not the same as dealer prices. So, as much as I'm excited that I've a close to home and honest mechanic, I feel my wallet hurting just a bit. read more

This place rocks. Tony is a total straight shooter and super down to earth about the condition of your car. The service is top notch, super efficient, most importantly in the neighborhood and not tied to a price driven dealership trying to take advantage of customers. I took my 2006 Nissan 350Z in for some brake work and got my brakes fixed and a complete review of all the stupid recommendations the dealer told me i need when in fact i did not. I cant say enough good things about them......GO GO GO...... read more

When I moved to Long Beach four and a half years ago, I drove my 1973 Chevy Nova down from Nor Cal. Packed with all my stuff, I made my way down Highway 5 in pursuit of my new home. Along the way, I noticed that every time I filled my gas tank, I caught a strong smell of gas. It wasn't until I filled my tank a few weeks later that I noticed that my gas tank was leaking gas. I mean, were talking not just a few drips here and there...I'm talking a steady stream (only when I filled up all the way). Living in the Belmont Heights area, I had been by Belmont Auto Repair a few times while driving down 4th street. Being an earshot from where I live, I was thinking about dropping the Nova off there but was hesitant. I've been screwed by mechanics before and didn't want to get the shaft again. Fortunately, after talking to my girlfriend (who informed me her aunt has been taking her car there for years) and seeing many older classic cars in their lot, I decided to give it a shot. So yes, my gas tank...the original tank too...how many holes were found in it? 93!!! They had to order me a custom tank because of my older car and yes, it was costly but I really liked their customer service (they called me several times to keep me updated on the repairs). I've been going to them ever since for pretty much everything other than the little tune up jobs here and there that come with owning an older car like this. Tony and Pamela are super nice to work with and while the cost for some repairs are expensive, you can bet the work will be done right with quality. read more

I'm sure most of us can share horror stories about auto repair and being screwed over. Happily this isn't any one of them! My husband took my MINI in after I was driving on the freeway when the car stalled. The crappy dealer told us it would be $149 for the diagnostic only. (Just after warranty, of course.) We wanted a more economic alternative, so we came here for $49. He dropped off my car in the morning. My husband called me with many compliments about the service he received from the woman that worked at Belmont. (It's a rare moment when he doles out those types of compliments.) A few hours later they called him and said the car ran beautifully, they couldn't find anything wrong. (I must've accidentally put car in neutral.) They ended up not charging us anything for their time. We were very pleased by their efficiency, honesty and great service. Hopefully, we won't need to any auto repair in the near future, but if we do-- we'll return here. read more

I have been going to these guys & 1 gal, for the past 3 years & I love them. They are so honest. I will go to the dealership for cheap oil changes & they will do their free inspections & always tell me there are things wrong w/ my car. So I will take my car to Tony & the team & they always tell me if something really needs to be done, or if it can hold off, or if it's not a problem at all. Belmont's repair cost are always hundreds of dollars cheaper then the dealership. Thanks Belmont for allowing me to trust a mechanic again. read more

After spending hours, days online figuring out what the problem with my wife's car was, I knew it was something I couldn't fix in my garage and had to leave to the pros. With the help of fellow Yelpers, I knew finding a reputable mechanic wouldn't take as long. Belmont Auto came up in the search, I called and Tony took my call. Brought it to his shop and his mechanic took a look at the car, dropping(not literally) what he was doing. His prognosis was exactly what I figured was wrong. Mechanic also later took me home in my own car and while driving, had a good talk about life, the economy and people who died in traffic accidents on 4th street. Tony called later to confirm the mechanic's prognosis was indeed the problem and the costs/labor was roughly what I expected it to be. Tony explained everything on the phone; from what was involved in the repair to who and when will call for updates and when the repairs will be done. Well, guess what? Repairs were done on time and picking up the car was painless. It's great to know there's a neighborhood auto repair shop you can trust. read more

I have taken my car here a few times for various and sundry repairs. Tony has always been very straightforward and very sweet to me. He even drove me home once in his own car so I wouldn't have to walk. I feel like he and his staff have always been very honest to me, but I also feel that the prices are a bit on the high side. I don't have a lot of frame of reference, though. Maybe cars are just expensive. read more

This place is AMAZING! This is my second time using them. The first time was last month... i thought my clutch went out.... turned out it was my master cylinder... which they told me that was probably it over the phone. Pam referred me to an inexpensive tow company... i got it in the afternoon and they were done by closing... Saving me lots of money. Yesterday after calling around to get me brakes fixed. I called them to see if they did brakes too. Tony picked up the phone and told me that they do replace brake pads and Quoted me a VERY reasonable price! I drove my car there and he himself gave me a ride home. Very nice guy! Tony called me a few hours later and said my rotors were shot too. But said he would work with me to keep the price low and he kept his promise. All I have to say is... Go ahead call around... but they will beat anybody else hands down... but the customer service and honesty makes them the exception in our economic downturn. Their staff is the best! I will for now on HIGHLY recommend them to all my friends and I will for sure be using their services for years to come :) read more

I just took my car into Belmont Auto Repair yesterday. I know my car very well and let Tony know there is a known issue with my oil gasket, he'd need to check that during the oil change and (minimal) tune-up. This morning it started to smoke under the hood, heat up and smelled like burning - I didn't even make it onto the freeway (thank God!) on my way to work. I also had issues with the accelerator making a strange hollow sound which was not an issue before. When I popped the hood the liquids were still at the lower levels as well. I had to take the streets all the way to my old mechanic (in a different city!) and sure enough the pan was leaking, the gasket needed changing and it had dripped onto the exhaust. Further inspection will be needed for the acceleration issue. Not sure how a simple oil change could create issues. Initially I thought Tony's "corrections" were made in earnest but now I'm thinking otherwise... I also left feeling overcharged - I could have changed my lightbulb myself but he changed it for $50, he noted the rust on my car is an issue but 3 other mechanics have said it is not, and he - in passing on my way out - said he removed my "rear drum rolls" without consulting me first. read more

I have been to these guys twice and they are good...but they are expensive! Like another reviewer said, they charge dealer prices. I kick myself all the time after getting the car back and wondered why I just didn't go to a dealer if I'm going to be paying the same price. At least with the dealer, the warranty on parts and labor would be longer. With the guys at Belmont Auto Repair, my warranty on a starter was 30 days, and the warranty on the labor was 90 days (what does that say about their labor? hmmmm). At a dealer, I probably would have gotten a year warranty on the labor and maybe 6 months on the starter. Don't get me wrong, the work they do there is great, but if you want to pay that much, go to a dealer. If you want cheaper, decent priced repairs, I suggest you look elsewhere. I've had great luck with Lam and his crew @ Lam Auto Repair on Long Beach Blvd and Dennis @ Long Beach Muffler on Anaheim (yes, he does other car repairs too, not just mufflers). Give them both a call first before heading to the dealer, if the dealer is too much, then head here for a minor discount. read more