This shop was the best when Roger ran the spot, we went way back and he was my homie growing up in Berkeley. Now this shop just tries to take advantage of you by overcharging and poor service. I asked for a 40k service and was given estimate of 575 to 600. After diagnostic the price went up... to $3000! Dude thought I was a mark seriously... now this did include brakes, but that was only $800 in the estimate! So after paying the diagnostic (which was bull crap after the bait and switch) I took it up the street and paid 1/3 of what he tried to charge... and turns out the brakes did not even need work! Scammers, smh... never coming back here again. read more

MANAGEMENT CHANGE - Previous glowing reviews DO NOT apply to this new management. Contacted Carlos before hand and explain the issue with my car. He replies and tells me to come to the workshop. I drive all the way up to Berkeley to see him and explain the situation again once I arrive. I told him nothing more in person than what I already told him in messages and after 1 min of me explaining the problem, he literally didn't even look at the car despite his response below saying he needed to physically see it. After I told him the problem, it suddenly becomes a $200 for a quote. TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR A QUOTE. He just laughed at me and walked away. The arrogant jerk that made me drive all the way to Berkeley. I've built and raced cars and never have I ever had to pay for a quote. Anyone taking their car here better be careful about what else he will spring on you afterwards. Wouldn't trust this dodgy character using the previous owner's reviews to now rip people off. read more

Responsive communication and reliable service. I'm satisfied with the work I've had done at this place.

This place is the best place to take your car if you are having any sort of issues. I discovered a coolant leak in the morning around 10am, called Berkeley Auto Service expecting to have to make an appointment...but Carlos told me to bring the car in now! I dropped off the car at 10:30 and Carlos and the crew replaced my entire radiator and hoses and were finished before 5:00pm SAME DAY. Super knowledgeable, super friendly, and fast! I can't recommend this place enough; if I lived in the bay area I would only trust Berkeley Auto Service. read more

Total fraud! They quoted me $1500 to replace a water pump after the "check engine" light came on in my daughters car. She's a student and I tried to have the car evaluated during my out of town visit. A woman alone, from out of town, they saw their chance at a scam. Thank God my intuition set off red flags - they just "felt" dishonest - so I refused service, even though they warned me about doing so would "probably ruin my engine." When I started to press them and ask questions, they got nervous and offered to waive the diagnostic fee. Clearly they knew I was on the them and just wanted me gone. We had another local Berkeley mechanic take a quick look and he didn't see any problems. We ended up driving the vehicle 450 mi home, to our trusted mechanic, who found nothing wrong with the car. The warning light was a set off by a one-time spike in temp, which the engine code revealed, but Berkeley Auto failed to disclose as they tried to scam us. STAY AWAY FROM THIS SHOP. Bad news! read more

STAY AWAY!!! Got an estimate and they tried to take 1 thousand dollars from me for illegitimate "problems". I refused the services and reluctantly paid the 150 estimate fee. I didn't trust them and boy I'm glad I didn't, Took it to another shop and the said my car is totally fine and didn't even charge me a dime! I did need oil change and tire rotation but did not need "Engine Air Filter Element R&R, Engine System flush and fuel system cleaner" read more

Brought my 2015 Forester in to have it inspected due to a clicking noise when turning. Carlos reported that not only the CV and axel joints needed to be replaced but also the struts and control arms. The cost wasn't cheap, but it's a large amount of both materials and labor. When I came to pick up the car he showed me all of the parts he took off, and pointed out where they were worn out and failing. This helped reassure me that the work was, in fact, necessary. Unfortunately, I had to bring the car back twice. The first time there was a knocking when I drove over bumps. They replaced a couple additional connector pieces that couldn't be fully tightened (at no cost). Then a couple days later the struts began creaking and groaning when stopping or accelerating. I brought the car back and they replaced the failing strut (again at no cost). I'm giving a star a five star review even though I had to bring the car back twice. Carlos and his team were super friendly and helpful and didn't hesitate to cover the additional work under warranty. read more

Daniel the owner of berkeley auto sevice is a genuinely good person as well as a veteran. I love coming in to get my car worked on, he treats me like family every time, will never try to get you to do work you dont need, will reccomend what needs fixing now and what can wait until your not broke ;) The things daniel has done that have gone above and beyond the call of duty are endless. I will come here for life, and i think if you come in you will as well. Thank you brother. read more

Berkeley Auto Service - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

Carlos was great to work with and debugged a number of issues with our car. He was very methodical and did his best to keep the costs down. Thank you! read more

Don't know too much about cars, I'm one of those people who needs my dad to talk to the mechanics lol. With that being said, Carlos made my experience way better because I wasn't sure how much I was going to pay and he didn't try to say that something else was wrong because I confirmed with my dad. He really took his time and made sure I understood what was wrong too. Even before my appointment, he was very patient and responsive with my many questions. 100% would recommend to anyone I know. read more

Carlos will give you a fair price for auto maintenance. I took in my 2013 Toyota Prius without scheduling an appointment and got it back next day. I'll be coming back in the future. I recommend if you are in the Berkeley area that you use them. read more

Omg! My car had a severe emissions issue. It was difficult to find a shop to repair it but Carlis reached out via yelp. I took my car in and what I loved was that the shop used an app and QR code to register my car. But through the app, I received in depth explanation of their findings, their suggestions, and the breakdown in price. I could also authorize or decline repair and there is no payment via app. Best shop experience I ever had. I am busy, hate having to call back n forth so the app worked for me perfectly. Carlos also called to check on my car a couple of days later. Great, service, repair, and experience. 2 thumbs up and 10 stars if I could. read more

I just spent $540 for new front brake pads and rotors at another shop in Berkeley with a similar name: Berkeley Auto CARE. They did a great job, but I wouldn't have needed that job if Berkeley Auto Service had done the job right in 2019, when they replaced only the front brake pads and not the rotors, which resulting in the brakes making loud groaning noises immediately upon leaving the shop. See more info on this topic on cartalk.com: https://www.cartalk.com/content/are-groaning-brakes-cause-concern. After Berkeley Auto Service refused to cop to having done anything wrong, I took the car to Precision Motors, and without even needing to look at the car they knew the problem was caused by not having replaced the rotors along with the pads. So, rather than pay for the same service all over again, for the next few years I put up with groaning noises, but over time the pads wore out unevenly, since they were unmatched with the old rotors. Eventually the pads started to squeal again, predictably, and I finally went to Berkeley Auto Care last week to have the job done properly. Groaning and squealing noises all gone! Also, I agree with another review here on Yelp that there was a condescending attitude toward at least this female customer. read more

Can't say enough good things about Roger and Dan. This is the kind of family-owned shop you keep your German car for, just so you can continue to have them service it. They're trustworthy: they always explain everything in as much detail as I want. They never up-sell unnecessary services Pricing is transparent: they have some of the lowest labor rates around, not because they're cheap or unskilled but because they strive to be honest and respect their customers. They go the extra-mile: Several times now I've gone in and they've taken care of my issue on the spot (headlamp replacement, minor underbody repair, etc.) read more

I bought my first Audi a few months ago and having close to 100k miles I expected it would need some maintenance. I was not expecting it to start misfiring after less than 10k of ownership and a large bill of things to fix. They gave me a clear invoice and told me what I could do right now to fix the immediate problem, and other things that had been neglected on the car. I Chose to take care of everything because I believe Carlos when he told me the car is reliable and just needs to be maintained properly. So shame on me for not doing my due diligence when I bought the car from a less than reputable dealer, but the car seems happy now and I will definitely bring it back for future service and hopefully keep it on the road for another 100k read more

Took very good care of my daughter's car. Was honest about repairs needed and was very friendly. Will continue to have our car servced here.

Not an honest business. They cost me additional 1500 dollars in parts. (Went to another mechanics that confirmed amature error) Tried and tested. They changed Front sustention with control arm and reassembled the arm directly to knuckle without noticing the metal sleeve that was removed and that should have remained. They mounted the parts together without the sleeve leaving it on the other part... This caused further damage to the arm that was just changed and also damaged the knuckle. A pretty amature mistake costing 1500 dollars. Not only this the owner now claims it was broken and they removed it. This is extremely shady work and you should pay for your error which you have not. read more

Honest mechanic! Had an issue with my car he was able to see me right away and fixed the problem for a very reasonable price. You can tell her is a hard and honest person and I would trust him with my car again. Thanks for the great work!! read more

I CREATED A YELP ACCOUNT JUST TO WRITE THIS REVIEW Great shop great guys. I've never been a customer here but they took time out of their day to help me, trying multiple variants to get the job done, and did it all for free. Roger is friendly and courteous with charm befitting your best friend. After fixing the issue he got ecstatic and went for a fist bump while smiling enthusiastically. He even got my puppy a bowl of water to boot! Highly recommended. I've never had such a good experience with a mechanic before and I'll be sending all my friends here from now on! read more

Berkeley Auto Service - Shop front - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

I brought in my car explaining the issue and after diagnostics , was recommended to replace the water pump. Carlos was very helpful and thorough in explaining to me other problems that I asked about the car. He gave me a reasonable price and took away the diagnostic fee . I would be coming back again for future services and will surely recommend this business. read more

Don't go to Jiffy Lube, see a real mechanic. Everyone needs REGULAR maintenance to keep your ride moving down the road. What you want is honest service and keen eyes to keep your kitten purring. Berkeley Auto Service is great. read more

My family of 6 was making our way back home from Oregon (my father in law died suddenly last week). All of a sudden we are driving and my car starts overheating. We drove to Berkeley auto Sevice and they helped us right away, added coolant and water and we were back on the road in 10 minutes. They wouldn't even take payment for the supplies or service. There really are good people out there! Thank you Berkeley auto, you saved the day. read more

Finding a trustworthy mechanic can be challenging. Give Berkeley Auto Service a try, and you'll never have to worry about your car care again. Carlos has been my mechanic for years and has proven time and time again, to be extremely knowledgeable, trustworthy, and professional. Excellent communication-- he is always happy to answer any questions and provide thorough explanations about repairs needed and options available. Turn around time is quick, even on major repairs. Prices are fair, and the work is typically guaranteed. I absolutely trust and recommend Berkeley Auto Service. read more

thats BS dont come on here saying you didnt screw me over. YOU HAD ME SIGN UP FOR TEXT AND CALLS THATS IT. NOT A $150 diagnostics. I ASKED FOR A QUOTE AND LOOK AT IT THATS IT. do u have proof of the phone calls? no? maybe you should answer your phone if a "customer" is calling during business hours that you have posted on both google and yelp. i hope my $150 helps you in the long run because im sure that dirty raggedy shop could use it more than i can. hire some movers or a cleaning company to help you out just a little. i signed and gave permission that's funny. read more

We can always depend on Carlos's service. He is responsive, courteous, and very flexible. Above all his work is outstanding. I only wish we had found him sooner! read more

Was in a bind and needed my car fixed so I could smog it. On top of that, I just had my first child so I was a bit pressed on time. Carlos was super understanding and helpful. He took the time to explain why each part needed to be replaced and showed me how they interact with one another on the car. Needed 2 sensors and a thermometer changed out on my 06 golf. Turnaround time was less than a day and my car runs perfectly now. Shop offers great customer service and honest upfront pricing. Glad to have found a new mechanic in the east bay! read more

Have been brining my VW Eurovan here for service a few years now, always easy to work with and transparent. Had a part installed almost a year back that was acting up, they looked at it today and replaced with a new one for free- parts, labor, same day. Was pleasantly surprised and thought it was time to give them kudos on Yelp. read more

Called to see if I could get a quick inspection for a weird noise my car is making. Unfortunately they don't serve Nissans and I didn't know that when I called, regardless, the person on the phone patiently asked me about my car, and provided a quick diagnosis after hearing about the issue. I think I was just pleasantly surprised because they were trying to help KNOWING that I wouldn't bring my car in because it's a Nissan. They then recommended Art's, which does serve Nissans, and that's the place I ended up booking an appointment with. It's great to see local businesses looking out for each other, and being so willing to help! read more

I have a 2007 VW Rabbit 2.5, and 2.5 engine is known to have brake vacuum pump failure. The job is oftentimes quoted whopping $2,000 because you have to gut the transmission out to replace them (for automatic transmissions). But Roger not only found the way to only fix the precise point of oil leak (sealant, no need for a new pump), he did it the "easy" way so he won't have to charge me a whole chunk of money for the repair. I paid 500 bucks for the whole job, including oil change and tensioner replacements. This was 8 months ago. Since then, no oil leaks and the car has been running great. Now I went to another mechanic shop in the city close to where I live recently for a check up and was handed a $5,000 estimate and half the charge was, you guessed it, replacing a brake vacuum pump. They probably just ran the diagnostics and recommended those services. Which is fine and fair. Which makes Roger ever so more special. He literally went out of his way, brainstormed the best way to fix the car and keep the cost low. I am never going anywhere for my VW. I have to cross the bridge to get there, and it's an extra effort during the workdays to go back and forth on BART. It's so much worth it. You stick with good guys is what it is. read more

What can I say? This place is the real deal. They deserve every 5 star review they get. I've gotten my old Infinity worked on here several times. And each time, my fear and stress over the repairs was alleviated. Carlos always gives me a more than fair price and gets the work done fast. I mean, these guys go above and beyond for you. They even took care of some minor damage to the undercarriage for free and without any expectations or deals. I get the impression these folks take real pride in their work and want to keep your car in good shape. I promise you, I don't do reviews often, (fuck Yelp and all their mafioso bullshit). But this place deserves your business. Bring them your car and ask for Carlos. read more

Used for a pre-purchase inspection. Reasonably price, responsive, and boy am I glad I did. Thanks.

I was charged $140 for them to take a look at my car (probably didn't take long) to tell me that what I need they don't have (freon).

Just bought an 02 Subaru Legacy L and of course there were a few problems with it. Brake light out, oil change, and back trunk lock not working. Lots of places nearby weren't able to take me til Tuesday but BAS helped me out same. They fixed everything within 2 hours. Quality and affordable work, they are always trying to help you out with costs while also explaining that quality will sometimes mean a bit more expensive. Oil is 90 bucks but it's high quality oil and they take pride in that. Best experience with a mechanic ever! read more

This shop used to be awesome. The business was recently sold though and I did not have a good experience with the new crew. I felt like I was being hustled hard. I brought my car in for a standard service inspection and they told me I needed tons of repairs. I had a bad feeling and declined. Went to another shop today who said my car was fine and that I didn't need any of the repairs Auto service was trying to sell me (which was going to be about $2k unnecessary work). I will not be going back here anymore. read more

Carlos was so helpful and worked with my fiancé and I when we were stuck in berkeley. Everybody was super nice and affordable! Thanks for everything :) read more

My wife and I had to get a somewhat unusual repair done to our vehicle and Carlos was more than happy to work with us both in terms of the unusual request as well as reasonable payment. What's more, he informed us of a problem that we should be aware of and gave us an honest diagnosis without trying to gouge us. No one will try to seek you "headlight fluid" here These guys are definitely our go-to from now on. read more

These guys are CRIMINALS! I brought in a running car! they said they had taken out the problem part and put in the new one. After (saying) they put in the new part they just said "well, it's not running at all anymore". I also checked with AutoZone and the guy there said" yeah they picked up the part" I had been in contact with Walter from AutoZone for days about this part. EVERYTHING seemed shady so i went down to the shop to hear the car turn over and see what was going on. The BATTERY was dead!(my battery prior to dropping my car off was fine, i had it checked the month prior) it started FINE with a JUMP!! so first SOMEONE FUCKED UP THE BATTERY. Then I found out HE NEVER PUT THE NEW PART IN. .....LIARS LIARS CROOKS (I went there in the first place because it had good reviews, I realize now these ALL are from before the new management) $1300 later for car in WORSE SHAPE THEN WHEN I BROUGHT IT read more

My first (and only) 5-star review, and it's as 100% accurate and valid as they come. My Dad worked as an airline mechanic for 34years. When I grew up, he fixed the family cars. Everything shy of balancing the tires or swapping out a transmission. When I moved out to California from New York back in 90, one important piece of advice my old man told me, "find a good, honest mechanic for your ride." I met the owner Roger in 1996 with a friend of mine who was rollin an old BMW 530ie (a beast of a car). I was wondering why we went Berkeley Auto Service with a BMW, when the venue clearly said "Specializing in Volkswagen & Audi". That's when Roger chimed in letting me know that he'll fix any car if he can. OK... lets see.; Here's my 94 Acura Integra with issues.. Now I know the basic markup for wholesale auto part suppliers, and a ballpark idea regarding labor amounts to fix numerous problems (how much time to do this, swap that, clean this, flush that, etc..), so I'd know if someone wasn't being honest. And being a New Yorker, I have a zero tolerance for bullshit. It's 2013. I'm now having my 3rd Acura regularly serviced by Roger, his brother Dan, and Mikael. I'm smart enough to give the guy PLENTY OF NOTICE because the place is always on overflow. I'm hoping this 5-star review adds to their workload. In short, they are as honest as they come. They are fair and competitive with their pricing (if not a deal...), and lets face it.. everyone should be making the money they're worth. They're always busy for a reason. Hope this helps.. read more

This review is long overdue as I have been coming here since about 2001. I first took my '96 Jetta here, and now I take my 2001 Cabrio. The thing is, VW's are great cars, but they are very finicky. I had never been able to find anyone who could "solve" the problems, they maybe would just put them off, or not fix them properly at all. But BAS know the Volkswagen inside and out! I almost always get my car back the same day. Prices are completely reasonable (Especially for the Bay Area. And especially for VW mechanic!) And the team is honest, friendly, and basically totally awesome. My next car may have to be a VW just so I can keep coming here :) read more

Why can't every auto shop be as honest, awesome, and fun to visit as this place? I wish I *still* owned a VW so I could come here and: 1) Be 100% sure I was dealing with honest people 2) Be 100% sure I was getting good service 3) Be 100% sure my car was actually getting fixed 4) Be 100% sure it would be fixed on time. 5) Be 100% sure I wasn't being jacked (especially important for women!)! Too bad other shops don't emulate these guys! I miss you BAS! read more