Extremely disappointed with the service I received. I brought my 2017 Toyota Camry to this shop specifically for a clunking/clicking noise when turning. I paid for a full inspection and was told they could not hear the noise and that the axle was fine. I was then advised to replace the axle boot, with the understanding that it would address the issue, "if you don't fix the axle boot the noise will only get worse" (I was told by Rich ). After paying for the repair, the original clunking noise was still there. When I called the shop to report that the problem had not been resolved, I spoke with Rich at the front desk, who told me the noise "isn't the end of the world." As a customer who came in specifically because of that noise, I found that response dismissive and unprofessional. He also asked me if I knew the purpose of the axle boot? Like what did that question have to do with my car still making noise & the misdiagnosis. After I spoke with him about the noise still being there he's saying it's an axle problem & sent me an estimate for $1800. I thought you said my axle was fine? Now this shop is just playing guessing games. I paid for a full inspection. You're the mechanic, find the problem! During the inspection, I was also told that my brake rotors were warped but that my brake pads were still good, and I was advised to "save my money" and continue driving on them. Rather than thoroughly addressing my concerns, I felt like several issues were minimized or brushed aside. To make matters worse, after the work was completed, my car developed a screeching noise at freeway speeds that it never had before. Because I had lost confidence in the diagnosis, I paid for a second inspection at another shop. They identified additional problems that were not brought to my attention during the "full inspection" I paid for here. I contacted the shop directly by email to give them an opportunity to resolve the situation or discuss a refund before posting a review. They never responded. I spent hundreds of dollars, the original problem was not fixed, my concerns were repeatedly downplayed, and I ultimately had to seek help elsewhere. Based on my experience, I would not trust this shop for diagnostics or vehicle inspections. The second shop I went to also mentioned that shops usually don't replace just the axle boot once your car starts making the clunking noise. They said the axle itself should've been fixed! They were in shock by what this shop had done. They wanted to do a quick "fix" and not actually resolve your problems. Any other shop would've addressed this issue. read more

I don't usually write reviews as I find car repair tends to be more nuanced than a simple good or bad experience. Unfortunately so much went wrong here that I feel I have to let my experience be known so that others can be better informed before bringing their car here. Also I feel it is important that one is 100% honest in their review so if something was my fault I will note it here. That and this will be a LONG review as I want to cover everything in detail. In November I brought in my 2018 Jeep wrangler with about 115,000 miles on it. I purchased it new and have had it serviced every 5000 at the dealer and then by me every 5000 after the warranty expired. The engine has been fed nothing but Full Synthetic oil and Chevron gas. When I brought it in I let them know that it seemed to be drinking coolant and running on the warm side. It initially it was was running up about 230, a little higher than when the fans kick on which is around 225-226. The hottest it ever got was 240 where I realized I had a serious problem and pulled it over to the side of the road. Being up in the mountains and unprepared I had to resort to using creek water to top off the radiator to get it home safely. It was also throwing a check engine light that stated that there was a misfire in the #4 cylinder. Also I was curious how the motor mounts were as I had blown one years before and it kind of felt a little off. Finally since it was low on coolant the thermostat didn't open on my way to the shop but fortunately Black Rock Auto is only a few blocks from my house, close enough that it never got hotter than 210 on the way there. I paid for a diagnostic to figure out where the coolant was going since there was nothing leaking and an 83 point inspection to cover the motor mount possibility and anything else I may have missed. I told them to take their time as I worked from home and had my wife's car as a backup. That and I would rather have the job done right rather than fast. I probably should have looked a little closer at the estimate as I was paying for a diagnostic and a hydrocarbon test separately (My fault). In my mind its kind of like paying once to be told your tire pressure is low then again to told how much pressure they are holding. Again this is my fault I'm just stating this so that other customers in the future look their work order over before proceeding. After a few days I got the call that it took a while, and was not initially obvious, once the engine got good and hot that there was indeed carbon in the coolant and that it was bubbling which meant that it could be a head gasket or a problem with the head. The solution to the problem would be an entirely new engine. Being a little bit in shock at the diagnostic and the $12,000 estimate that came with it I said I would need a day or two to figure out my finances and determine how I would be able to pay for it. They let me know they had a company they went through for financing and that they covered repairs interest free for up to a year. Finally I was asked if I still wanted my 83 point inspection. Again being a little out of sorts from the diagnostic I said yes (my fault) and to take their time with it. After a week, which was fine with me, I received the call that my inspection was complete and to pick up the Jeep. When I arrived I was told it was done digitally and at that point we discovered their vendor did not have the inspection of their site. I asked if they had a hard copy of the inspection which they did not. They called the vendor and left a message to please search for the inspection. They let me know I could leave it to be inspected again but personally I got the impression that no inspection had be done at all. I told them at that point I wasn't interested in dealing with that until the engine situation was resolved. I had decided park it for a few months and save for the the money I needed to get the engine for the Jeep. I had about half on hand and would need till spring to get the rest, which now totaled $16,000. I took the Jeep home and parked it, for about a week. I thought about other cars I had known that had the head gaskets replaced. Cars with steam coming out of the tail pipe or with oil in the coolant that still commuted for months before the owner had the gaskets replaced. After talking to other Wrangler owners and researching what most people did with head gasket issues on vehicles with the Pentastar engine. At this point I realized that I might want to get a second opinion. This might seem obvious to some of you but I know if some engines where a head gasket is a death repentance for a car, the Cadillac Northstar engine being one example. Fortunately I was able to find another shop in town that offered a free 2nd opinion diagnostic. After the diagnostic we discussed removing the heads, having them sent out to be inspected as well as inspecting the block surface and cylinder walls for potential damage. I was told that new heads co read more

Charged me $250 for an oil change on my Prius, and then told me to come back after 7,000 miles instead of the full 10 :((((( Very nice though and very cute cats, just a tad expensive.... read more

Very thorough. Using an 85 point assessment tool, they fixed all kinds of things in my 11 year old Chevy Volt that made it safer and feel more solid. They can work on all kinds of cars including EVs and hybrids. Plus offer tires and alignment - a one-stop shop. And they lent me a car to use while repairs were being done, which is a game changer. read more

I don't usually leave reviews, but Black Rock Automotive absolutely deserves this one. I first visited them a while back for a pre-purchase inspection on a truck, and the experience was phenomenal. Their inspection was detailed, professional, and gave me complete confidence in what I was buying. So when I recently found myself in a terrible situation with a different vehicle, they were the first shop that came to mind. I had just bought a hybrid vehicle from Roseville Toyota, and within three days, the hybrid battery failed. The dealership refused to take the car back or fix it. I was stuck with a car that needed a $6,000 battery replacement, and despite contacting attorneys and other legal resources, no one was able to help me. I felt completely helpless--honestly, at an all-time low. I knew I'd been done dirty by the dealership, and I didn't know where to turn. In desperation, I started calling around for battery replacement estimates. When I got in touch with Black Rock Automotive again, Dave picked up the phone. Before he would even give me an estimate, he insisted that I call Lexus of North America and dispute the situation. I pushed for a price, but Dave wouldn't budge--he said, "I'd rather you try that first and see what they say." Because of his advice, I made the call. Sure enough, just like Dave said, the dealership contacted me shortly after--upset--and suddenly willing to give me a full refund. I was floored. Dave's words rang 100% true. I can't overstate how grateful I am for the honesty, integrity, and genuine care shown by Black Rock Automotive. Dave could've taken my money like other shops were ready to, but instead he guided me to the best outcome possible. If you want a mechanic that truly has your back, this is the place. Thank you, Dave and Black Rock--you saved me. read more

This is the place to go. I fell WAY behind on regular maintenance and my car needed quite a few things. While I wasn't able to do all of it in one go, Dave and his fellow mechanics repaired, replaced, and tuned-up the most immediate needs. When I say it was like driving a different car after I picked it up, I truly mean it. My car regained so much power that my head flew back after pressing the accelerator like I usually do (and now it has a working A/C again after two years of being without.) It's a great shop with good mechanics and friendly staff. 10/10, no notes. read more

This shop is one word AMAZING! Brought my Tesla in for a quick service, they provided me with the best service! Keep me updated along the way until my vehicle was ready. Dave and the crew are the most honest people you'll come across in the 916 area. Good people!! I would recommend this shop to all my friends and family! read more

My car needed an oil change amongst various other things including new spark plugs and replacing a coupler in the steering wheel. I do not trust just anyone with my cars and read a handful of reviews to find the most trustworthy place to take my car. The reviews for Black Rock Auto seemed good I paid a premium going to this location as they charged almost as much as Hyundai would to fix the issues. The first issue was a minor one. After replacing the coupler the tech forgot to check the fuse and I couldn't open my trunk or gas cover. So I had to come back the next day and take an hour off of work to have them rectify it.. No big deal, I understand things happen. This second issue was a major one. When the tech went to take off the old oil change sticker on the top left windshield and replace it with the new one. He tore a chunk of my tint out. This is 3M crystalline tint that cost over $1000 do be installed on all windows of my car. I brought this up with the owner Dave and he stated that an issue like this a "reasonable expectation". He offered to patch up the 2 inch by 2 inch tear in my tint with "clear film" or a "small patch of tint". Unfortunately tint cannot be patched, if it could that would be a reasonable fix. I stated to the owner that he needs to return my car in the same condition that it was given to him in, meaning he needs to replace the entire front window tint, he stated that was not an option and he would not do that. I paid the shop $1500, and that's a hefty lesson I had to learn today. I would definitely not recommend this shop to anyone. Thanks, Sam read more

Black Rock Automotive - Torn window tint. I paid over $1000 for this tint not even 6 months ago. - Auto Repair Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Super knowledgeable and thorough. Went through my car with a fine toothed comb. Highly recommend these folks.

He quoted me $211 on an oil change for a 2016 Nissan Altima. Think that was his passive aggressive way to say he didn't want to do a simple oil change. read more

I went in to get my AC fixed. They replaced it with a blower that makes a very high pitched whine when you have the ac on at all. I went back to ask them to fix it, they offered to put a dealership blower instead for even more money. TL;DR spent 500$ for a very obnoxious sounding AC. I would not recommend this place to a friend. read more

I like the way these guys do business, although it may not be your cheapest option. You pay a fairly hefty flat amount (not sure the current fee) for a comprehensive diagnosis with the promise that it'll go toward your repairs. You have to think about this when bringing your car here for "I'm not sure why my car doesn't start" when the possibility exists of a lose wire or just bad battery. There is the possibility the cost of the diagnosis can exceed price of a simple, cheap solution. If you got an older car though they'll give you good advise on whether it's worth sinking more money into your ride. Olders cars probably have a lot of things that should be replaced or are close to it. They let you know which ones are necessary, what you can wait on, and give you estimates for it all. This isn't dishonest upselling. This is good communication. I've overheard Dave advise a lady to take her older minivan to CarMax immediately to see if they miss tiny bits of coolant in the oil when they inspect and offer her a decent price. She came in for some fairly routine repairs, but it probably wasn't worth considering her head gasket was just starting to fail. This kind of diagnosis and advice can save people a lot of money. I've come here with a competitor's expensive quote knowing my car was leaking a good amount oil from two spots. It's something I know I'd need to fix, but didn't have like $900 or so at the time to do it. They showed me a pressure test where one of the spots was where almost all of the oil was leaking out. The other leak was negligible. The other leak was by far the more expensive one to fix. Yeah, I could have dropped a grand and took care of every drop leaking from my car, but I was able to take care of the leak spewing almost all of the oil for like $700 less than quoted elsewhere. Okay, so "I know what's wrong and I want the cheapest place"? BR Auto probably isn't cheapest place if you compare strictly parts and labor of the same exact repair. Maybe you don't go here for an oil change or brake job. A solid diagnosis and communication is valuable though. Something to think about. If you do stop by, say hi to the shop cat for me. Thanks. read more

I own a highly modified Jeep and had transmission problems. I wasn't sure what the issue was but I suspected it was the manual transmission. Dave and his crew did not shy away from my vehicle despite very few stock parts. Dave suggested to have my transmission oil tested prior to just tearing into it (at a huge cost). The oil came back good and they were able to find the issue related to my pilot bearing. 500 miles later, it's running like a champ and I am very happy. I would not hesitate to recommend this shop! read more

I took my car in to have it's AC checked out/recharged and basically got told they won't even look at it before doing a $200 inspection. Sure, fine...I had considering getting an inspection anyway since it was a new-to-me car. I leave my car with them and they keep it most of the day. When I talk to Dave later he tells me in a worried voice "oh dear, there's a lot of stuff wrong with this car" (that's given me no signs of trouble since the day I got it) He proceeds to tell me I need new struts and a new timing belt. That's fine, I suspected as such. But then proceeds to send me a $6k quote to fix those items as well as the AC that I originally brought it in for. I ask about my AC, that's the reason I brought it in. He tells me he can take care of that and he does. I give him my credit card info and wind up paying almost $500 for an inspection and an AC recharge. I showed the quote to several friends of mine who know cars and one even ran his own shop for a while. They all were shocked when they saw the quote. I have since gotten quotes from the dealership, and two other mechanics for my struts and my timing belt and not one has exceeded 4k. I left feeling like I got taken advantage of. I really wanted to like this shop. I picked it for the name. I suspected it might be a shop owned by burners and being one myself, I'd hoped we'd connect...instead I felt like I was met with manipulation. 2 stars because they got the AC blowing nice and cold which is what I wanted, and they gave me a ride to work. I will not be bringing my car back here or recommending this place. read more

There's a reason this place comes up in "the best of Sacramento" on Yelp automotive - they are the La Bonne Soupe of broken cars. A couple guys doing a thing in a funky little shop - who obviously love what they do. My story - I have a Nissan 240SX I bought during a midlife crisis in '96 (it didn't work - I got divorced) - it's our beater car now - squeaks and rattles - I drive like a maniac on meth - so it's been through H-E-double toothpicks. Anyway we would like to extend it's life a bit - it is a fun car - and I'm a sentimental guy - and I'm too cheap to buy that Audi TT I want to replace it. We just put $1500 into it at Japanese Service Center - they did a bunch of work, but the price was a little high and I wanted to try some place new. The fundamental new problem was stupid - my steering fluid reservoir had a split hose - all the rubber parts are falling off the car these days - 12 years in car years is like 47 in human years - hold on, I'm 47...... The steering was screaming because I let the fluid get low - doh. Anyway Dave and Mark proceeded to give my car a very good going over. My fuel system warning light has been going off, so they did about twenty things diagnosing the problem. Sort of like that TV show House, if House was as nice as Marcus Welby. But what really made me smile is that they noticed my rear end was making this thunking sound - my payback for twelve years of punching the gas for the hell of it - 240's are rear wheel drive & I love to burn rubber - see Two Lane Black Top if you don't get it. Anyway, back to the review - I had destroyed a couple bushings in the rear end and to replace them means dismantling the rear which was a $1000 I didn't want to spend. Dave and Mark checked out the racing sites on the web - 240's are popular for "drifting" so there's a small collection of gearheads out there writing about them - and the gearheads had a way of shimming the rear end to fix this problem. Dave and Mark gave me a $200 solution to a $1000 problem. This is not typical car repair shop behavior - usually they try to up-sell services - not save you money with creativity. I was very impressed. Epilogue - just took the "nice" car in (Acura TL) for a check engine light problem - this was a sensor on the cooling system that was causing the fuel system to mix the fuel incorrectly. They had promised to finish by five o'clock but called at one to say they were running late. I said I didn't care as long as I had it back that day (my snowboard was waiting and the rack doesn't fit the Nissan). They called before five and said they had it finished. Wow. Great service. Go here, you won't regret it. read more

This is the best service for cars! I highly recommend them! They were able to complete all repairs needed so my car finally passed the smog test. read more

Pros: I did not have to wait long for my service. I dropped the car off on a Tuesday and was able to pick it up on a Wednesday. Cons: Their pricing is more expensive than the dealership. I was charged for work not performed. They came off as having basic knowledge, but not fit for harder jobs. To start, I came in and told them I needed my car looked at because the heating/air was not blowing, the windshield sprayers were not spraying, and the sunroof is not working. You can see what the pricing was in the photos I have added. They charged me $260 just to look at and diagnose these, which I assumed would be apart of the labor/repair. A few hours later I received a call that the heating/air was blowing and it was the schrader valve that was bent and needed to be replaced, the windshield washer sprayers were working, and that they could not fully diagnose the sunroof because they would need to take the headliner off and it would take 8 to 10 hours. They told me they did test the power on it and there was no power going to the sunroof motor but could not find the exact cause. I ended up telling them to fix the schrader valve, assuming this wouldn't cost much because the part is easy to locate for installing/uninstalling. When I went to pick up my vehicle I was told by one of the office guys that it's better to just get a car with no sunroof because they always have problems and are expensive to fix. (However, don't most nice cars come with a sunroof now days? I feel like saying something like that would be counterintuitive, as they would want the business that comes with repairs.) Anyway, to sum this up I was charged $549.91 for Blackrock Auto to diagnose and replace a schrader valve. If you're curious how easy this is to replace, it is within easy reaching access to the side of the top of the motor and there are plenty of how to videos on it you can google. The part can be found between $5 and $10. To add insult to injury, afterward I ended up taking my car to the dealer to have the sunroof properly diagnosed. They charged me $120 and found that there is power to the sunroof motor and that there is a plastic piece broken in the assembly, which will need to be replaced. Although I cannot prove this and after speaking with the dealership's tech and service advisor, I am lead to believe that their tech did not look at the sunroof because he would have had to remove the headliner. I do not believe I should have been charged the $134 for the sunroof if the tech could not diagnose it. I do not believe I should have been charged $110 when the blower motors were working. I'm sorry, but just because your tech got covered in dust when he turned the blowers on does not justify this charge. The reason I gave them 2 stars and not 1 star is because they were prompt and I was also ignorant to believe their diagnosis would be factored into the cost of repair. I also had not driven the car in a while and should have tried flipping the switch to the blowers and pulling the lever for the windshield sprayer myself before taking the car in. I had read the 5 star reviews and believed them without reading other ratings. I will never be taking any of my vehicles here again because I was overcharged and given the incorrect diagnosis. My recommendation to anyone else, is do your research and read both the good and bad reviews. read more

Black Rock Automotive - Final charges - Auto Repair Near Me - Sacramento, California

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What can't I say about Black Rock Auto? I called just to inquire and was greeted by Dave. He listened to my complaints and then assured me that he could take care of all my worries after a thorough inspection. He also gave me a breakdown of the costs involved with that inspection and an estimate of how much time it would take. THEY GAVE ME A LOANER VEHICLE! Cool Chevy pickup. It was clean and ran great!!! Along with daily updates on the inspection findings, Black Rock Auto made sure I was involved in every step of completing the maintenance. They made absolutely sure to get my permission to do ANYTHING to the vehicle during and after the inspection. I got the car back today.. IT IS RUNNING LIKE A NEW CAR! They actually finished the work earlier than we anticipated which was awesome because the loaner was cool but I missed my car! They washed it and even did some minor touch ups to the car for free. Amazing service. DON'T GO HERE IF YOU WANT A CHEAP FIX. They do damn good work and it's worth every penny. I'll be back whenever my car needs anything. THANKS GUYS!! read more

"By law, the auto repair shop must provide a written estimate before doing any work. ... They may not legally substitute parts or change the repair method without your consent. The technician will ask you to sign the estimate/work order, which gives the shop permission to proceed with the work." 'https://www.bar.ca.gov/Consumer/Auto_Repair_Guide.aspx' Earlier this week, my son took my car to Black Rock Automotive after the car wouldn't start. Black Rock had replaced the battery a year earlier, and we had gotten a good battery in the vehicle. They told my son they would diagnose it and would call him. When they called, they told him the diagnosis was done, and it was going to cost $160.00 for it. Then they told him over the phone I needed an oil change and to have the leaves cleared out of the cowling. He told them to go ahead (he was still hyperventilating over the $160.00 diagnostic charge). When he went to go pick up the car, the owner dropped $100 off the top because we weren't told upfront about the diagnostic charge. They charged $321.00 to change the oil and clear the cowling. At no time was my son given a written estimate. Then to add insult to injury when I went grocery shopping and went to open my trunk, I saw they had changed the license plate holder to their own. I was livid. It is NOT their business to be changing my license plate holder without my permission. Apparently Dave is a nice guy but he doesn't know California laws and used a really sleazy advertising tactic. Beware. read more

Black Rock Automotive - Plate Holder - Auto Repair Near Me - Sacramento, California

This place is fast, thorough and very fair and HONEST. Dave explains everything and helps you prioritize the work you need. They have a lender car available or will offer to pay for your Uber. read more

Black Rock Automotive - Friendly, honest and thorough, plus lots of puppy love - Auto Repair Near Me - Sacramento, California

I was technically a drop in, and they fixed a problem so quickly that I was in and out in fifteen minutes....where else do you get that kind of service? They have helped me before, and my brakes were fixed in less that two hours. Personalized service, the old fashioned way...a hand shake, and quick, expert repairs. Dave and his team are professionals of the first order without pretentiousness. Couldn't recommend more highly. read more

No worries when it comes to this place. They do the best they can to work with you as well as still giving you the dignity you deserve. Great honest work with no short cuts is completed here. read more

I consider myself to be a little bit of a high maintenance customer and Dave and Black Rock Auto really go above and beyond. First of all, they are super responsive and detailed. Since it was my first time in, they did a full assessment of my 2013 Prius and had a detailed breakdown on everything that could be done and needed to be done. Then he went through and let me know anything that wasn't urgent and answered all my questions. This was great because I'm super picky and always a little skeptical about work on my car. It almost felt like I was getting honest advice from a trusted family member. After this first experience, I have complete trust in them I have to say the car is running better than ever! read more

The first time you visit them you have to go through a 70 point inspection thing... which for me was approx $200-240. I wanted to check if my car needed attention so i thought... ok I guess. Few months later.. last week to be exact, my car is due for oil change. I called and Dave picked up. " we have to do a 70 point inspection" I said I'm not going through that since I just need an oil change and last one was only 4 -5 months ago. "Oh well, if you only need that .. I guess we can only change the oil" can I get a quote ? " yes so ... are you keeping the car?" - ehhh yes? ( so I guess if I wasn't I could put dirty kitchen oil in it ?) " ok, so you need this synthetic oil and on top we put this additive made of so and so.. so it's going to run for about $160... I called Paul Automotive ... the guy was yeah ... same oil, Weve never heard of that additive stuff ... but we do a COURTESY 50 point inspection, and make sure everything goes well... it's going to be $118. I'm a new Paul Automotive client... still sad IAA left, Nichole and Kay were more than my mechanics, real honest people I considered friends.... but Tom at Paul's auto start with the right foot with me.... Dave can take his 70 point inspections up his muffler for all I care. read more

If I could give Black Rock Automotive 0 stars I would. Please don't let the 5 star reviews or the website fool you. Black Rock Automotive charges 40% more than the dealership. They advertise first in class service and provide less than adequate service when it comes to your vehicle. The service advisor was terrible. There was no clear communication up front and he was very difficult to work with. I had to ask several times what work was being done and what I was paying for since the initial quote changed several times. Although they send you an electronic copy of the detailed inspection nobody goes over it with you. In addition the electronic inspection did not match up with the quote of recommended work. As a result I was left wondering what exactly my car needed fixed. Also they charge you for everything. Including the "shop air" they use to dust off the filters. They "washed" my car by hosing it off. The car had streaks all over it and looked dirtier than when I dropped it off. Not too mention they backed my car up into a tree in the parking lot and did some damage to the rear bumper. I wasn't expecting to pick up a dirty and damaged car. My car was dirtier than when I left it, they tried to charge me about 40% more than the dealership, they dented my rear bumper, and provided awful customer service. I read all the reviews and was very hopeful Black Rock Automotive would be my new one stop shop for my car. Instead I wasted a whole lot of time and money. Don't make the same mistake I did!!!!! Black Rock Automotive will not provide you with the level of service they advertise! read more

I brought several cars in for inspection about 6 years ago. This was the first time I actually paid for an inspection from an outside mechanic instead of just trusting the dealer. I purchased the car that got a clean bill of health following inspection. It's been running smoothly, with no major issues for 6 beautiful years. I would definitely trust this mechanic again. read more

Friendly and communicative staff with very fast and efficient service. They provide a lot of little convenience perks (drop off, flexible scheduling, loaner cars, great website) that make them very easy to work. They were very transparent with what the work the wanted to do and what they recommended. The only possible delta is that they're fairly pricy though given the quality of everything else I think this is a case of you get what you pay for. read more

So I've only made this Yelp account JUST for black rock auto. I drive a lexus GS400. I came here for a timing belt and a ball joint all the way from DAVIS just for these guys! (thanks yelp) Both times, they have done the following.... + They usually hit at or below the estimate price! + They are thorough in their description of what they did, and showed me what they got done...even though I know NOTHING about cars! + Dave truly cares about his customers and their vehicles! There really is nothing negative about this auto shop-- I wish I could take Black Rock Auto with me to the bay when I move back! read more

What an amazing shop! I came to Black Rock for help with an electric conversion of my 1974 Triumph Spitfire. Dave spent the time to figure out what I needed and what was the best solution for my unique situation. I cannot say enough good things about guys in the shop and the expertise that they have. After rewiring the entire car, the first time we turned it on, everything worked as advertised. If you want it done right the first time go to Black Rock Automotive. read more

Looking for tons of details about your repair and integrity from your mechanics?? Oh buddy. I recommend Black Rock to all my family and friends. read more

First bad review. This place was referred to me by a friend and I had high hopes! Unfortunately, because the brake rotors and pads I brought in to be installed didn't fit I had to go with black rock pads and brakes. This tripled my bill from $200 to $605 dollars. Non-drilled or slotted rotors. My 2012 Ford Escape is the affordable commuter car that had lasted 5 years on factory rotors and pads. I'm not sure that the Akebono brand black rock auto installs are necessary. Plus side- they have great people skills! Just make sure to ask ALOT of questions before you give the thumbs up on the install. I called 5 other brake places and asked for the best pads and rotors quote and didn't get any quotes for over $450. read more

I love this place. Dave always gives us honest suggestions and does really good work. I would never take my car anywhere else. These guys are clearly passionate about what they do and are great with customer service. We won't take our Kia Soul anywhere else. Plus we love the chihuahuas. Seeing them all piled together makes our whole day. read more

STAY FAR FAR AWAY FROM HERE!!! YOU WILL BE OVERQUOTED!!! I was referred to come here by my friend's daughter that said great things about this place. She stated to me that they were honest and gave her a fair quote to fix her car. I didn't know what was wrong with my car. The temperature gauge continuously would go to hot/high. I called Black Rock to be told that they would charge $135.00 to diagnose it and if I got my car repaired there then the $135.00 would be applied to my final bill. I agreed to the charge being confident that they would charge me a reasonable amount and be honest and fair. I had to work and my friend was nice enough to bring my car in to be checked. After they diagnosed it, my estimate was over $1,300.00 to replace the radiator, power steering, and hoses. My vehicle is a 2000 year Honda Accord. My friend is 69 years old, so I don't know whether Black Rock thought it was an opportunity to swindle an older person, but he still has all his marbles, and so do I !!!!!!!! After my friend told me the estimate, I told my coworker and he said that was too much that they were trying to charge me. He advised me to go to his brother in law's shop which is Meineke Car Care Center at: 6990 Watt Ave. North Highlands, CA. Robert helped me and was very honest and knowledgeable. He showed me the minor leak the radiator had. He advised me that it would cost $319.00 to replace. A lot more reasonable than what Black Rock wanted to charge me. The value of my Honda is $1,750.00. It made no sense to fix it at that point. I decided to just use Stop Leak for the meantime to get by and I'm going to purchase a new car. Black Rock tried to take advantage of this situation and me. I will contact the BBB Better Business Bureau as well. Shame, shame on you guys!!! read more

I love the way Dave does business. No nonsense. Knows his stuff. Professional and won't rip you off. I took my car in because it developed a serious shimmy overnight. I don't live in Sac and was there for a meeting, so dropped the car on a friend's recommendation, petted his adorable pups, grabbed a cup of coffee. He gives you text and email updates, which is great. He then called in an hour to LMK one tire was separating, which makes sense sine they're 12 years old. He said he could give me new tires, but it would be cheaper to go to Costco. Right there he saved me $300. He also advised me on the real worth of the tire sensors that can be installed when you're getting tires. another $200 saved. I like honest people who are fun and funny. If I lived here, this is where I would take my cars, hands down. read more

David at Black rock Auto changed my cluster combination instrument by my Toyota prius 2008 last year and I was happy for his work and his prices. Newly I got some problem with my navigation system because I could not register some address on it and I wanted him to change my old DVD with new one! He recognized my car's navigation system and told me I do not need a new DVD but I just have to learn how it does work and I just have to download the user manual! and he helped me to register some addresses but he got $120 for his diagnosis in cash!It was too much for me!!? But I got then $60 back! For that i want to give him 4 as rating! But i still think he should be more fair with his diagnosis.! read more

This'll be a wicked long diatribe; but i'm super P.O'd. I've been bringing my car to Black Rock (BR) since i have owned it and have spent over $3,000 on repairs there. Last week I brought my car to Tom's Automotive because it's been leaking oil, BR was too busy that week and only because his shop is next door to my work. When Rick gave me the cost of repair and told me most likely the water pump and timing belt will need to be replaced, I told them to hold off so i could check the overflow of receipts from BR to see if that work had already been done. And in October of 2012, BR had replaced the water pump, timing belt and the gaskets that were leaking at that time. (I don't put much mileage on my car either) Rick suggested that I bring the car back to BR, since they had already done that particular work before. I brought my car in to BR Thursday the 30th at 8 a.m. By 3 p.m. I hadn't heard from them so i called to get a status and Dave said "Oh, i haven't even looked at it yet!" At 3:31, Dave called me back and said he doesn't know where the oil leak is coming from; but, it's an old car and things like that happen. He said i had 3 light bulbs out (which i knew about and was planning on replacing) and did i want him to change them. I said 'yes' because that saves ME from doing it. When i went to pay my bill, it was $135.81 / $33 for bulbs (not outrageous) and $100 labor (outrageous). I went in today to suggest that maybe he made a mistake charging me $100 in labor since he did NOTHING to my car and his response was that it costs $95 for him to just look at it...And that it took him an hour to change my bulbs. Um...i can change 3 bulbs in 15 minutes and i don't even know what i'm doing! I just talked to the staff at Tom's Automotive and Rick actually took the time to explain to me why i shouldn't ignore an oil leak, since it taxes the timing belt and eventually wears it out til it breaks. I'm so disappointed in Dave. I have been a good client for years, wrote him rave reviews, have sent friends in his direction and in just 60 seconds, he lost a loyal customer. read more

This review is long overdue: I went here about a year ago to get my 5k tuneup on my brand new Camry because I was really impressed by their 5 star rating at that time and because this place came highly recommended to me by friends. I will echo what other reviews have said and that is that these guys have EXCELLENT communication. There's a tone of sincerity and transparency that was very much appreciated. I also really liked that they showed me the parts that they replaced so that I could see the damage or work that they were talking about. However, I felt completely overcharged in the end. My car was brand new at that point and I had taken good care of it. I thought that this would be a really quick check up but instead they called to tell me I needed my air filter replaced along with other minor repairs. I remember talking to the guy on the phone for a while because I was really concerned that my new car needed so much work already and I specifically remember the guy saying "if this was my car, I would want this work done because it's worth it on the long run" so I trusted them and went for it and ended up paying close to $200. At the time, I felt ok about paying more money for what I felt like was trustworthy and good service but afterwards, I felt like I'd been bamboozled. I recently took my car into another place 5 star place for my 15k tune up and it cost me A LOT less (about $85) and I asked the mechanics there about my air filter. Without knowing that I had it replaced, they said they would be really surprised if there was anything wrong with it now given how new my car was which only confirmed my suspicion that I may have gotten unnecessary work done. They may still do good work and from the reviews, it sounds like they have some loyal, happy customers but I would recommend shopping around and comparing prices before getting work done here. read more

I called about my car which (according to Jiffy Lube) was having a cooling system problem. Not wanting to pay an arm and a leg since my car seemed to be running ok (but wanted confirmation nevertheless), I checked yelp and called Black Rock Auto because of the stellar reviews. $95 for a diagnostic check?! Is that not what a dealership would cost?? Go to Rick at Tom's Automotive on Q and 8th instead. He told me $15 to diagnose...and when he found nothing wrong (thanks Jiffy Lube!) he actually charged me ZERO dollars! read more

Black Rock Auto is a solid and reliable automotive repair shop. Dave really knows his stuff, and my family has come to rely on him for advice regarding all things related automotive. I highly recommend this shop for car repairs, especially for repairs done on hybrid electric vehicles. read more

I highly recommend this shop for everyone- especially women. I'm very puzzled by the negative reviews here. Dave has actually told me "I won't do that on your car. You don't need it and it's a waste of parts and money." And that is a quote. Well, I guess we will do my rear brakes in a year when it's needed! My guess is Jenae A. had a very complicated & difficult problem that perhaps no-one could have solved quickly and easily. Dave is very respectful, honest, explains everything in a way that is peer-to-peer (not talking down), and is very clear. Like other reviewers have said, he tells you what's wrong, how much it will cost, when it will be done and then shows you the parts and asks you if you want them. He's been working on my car for 6 years and it's in wonderful shape b/c of his attention. It's has a remarkably different atmosphere than every other auto shop I have ever used. I always keep my cars until they can no longer run, so I have significant experience with auto shops. BRA has a waiting room with coffee, 2 lovely shop cats that live there full time and 2 chihuahuas that come and go with Dave. Classical music plays throughout the shop. Not that cats + music= better mechanics, but I feel comfortable going here, not intimidated. I think kindness & respect runs in the family b/c Dave's brother sometimes helps out at the front desk and is also a gem. Sometimes I wait for my car and just walk over to SHINE cafe w/ free wi-fi or the Yoga Seed Collective for a free yoga class. Both are just 2-3 blocks away. It's also an easy walk to Roma Bakery. Overall: honest, reasonable, grounded, respectful, and quality! read more