Although they were extremely busy, they attended to my problem immediately with a quick fix. I found them friendly, reasonable and fast.

Fantastic Service and prices on repairs of all types. I stopped going to my dealer years ago. They are 20-30% cheaper and much faster. It's worth the drive if you don't have an auto repair shop that you can trust. read more

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I am driving from Eugene, Oregon to Chula Vista. Coming through Central CA my air stops working and it was hot. The gal at the RV park told me her grandfather takes his cars to Bowlin's Auto Repair. So I stopped by and Casey said he would check it out and call me. 30 minutes later, he did, and explained that my air conditioner was fine, but it was the air conditioner control panel that was bad. He quoted me a price: $125 for the part and $200 for labor. He also gave me the option of saving a little money by buying the part used. HONESTY!! I really didn't want to spend $325 of my vacation money, but knew I was gonna need air. I went on Yelp, checked several other repair places, of whom we no where near as FRIENDLY, and all quoted exactly the same price. I went back several days later to schedule appt., I did, but had to change it because I had no transportation. "NO PROBLEM," said Casey, bring it when you can. VERY ACCOMMODATING!! KEEP READING: there is more. When I finally took the car in, I threw my keys on the dash to go inside and my car locked itself WITH MY DOG INSIDE!! Mano came out and could see I was upset. I was going to call AAA, but Mano said, "Don't worry, we will get it open." And he did. These two gentlemen were so nice to me, not condescending, friendly, and not for one second did I feel like they were sleazy or that they were not trustworthy...and they could have been since I was from out-of-town and what could I do. The air works perfectly and my faith in auto mechanics has been restored!!! Thank you Mano and Casey for being honest men and doing me right!!!! read more

Arrogant, talk down to you. Also don't take responsibility for errors, make it your fault because you "don't understand" Very disappointing, would not recommend, especially if you are a woman. read more

This is what gives mechanics a bad name. I took in my Ford to get fixed by replacing the ball bearings and they said it was a nice engine good transmission so we felt confident getting the car back however we had previously taken the car to get a diagnostic and a sensor needed to be replaced so we took it back and this time when we got it back the mechanic said it would need more work on it and may cost 200.00 so since my fiance and his son know about cars they took a look at it and found a spark plug disconnected. That was dirty. Anyways needless to say I wont go back there. It makes me sad cause my grandpa was a good honest mechanic and shady mechanics like them give honest ones a bad name. If anyone knows a mechanic who is honest please let me know. Shady shady shady stay away from them. read more

I'm writing this review on behalf of my Dad. I agree with everything he wrote as Bowlin's has helped me out from time to time and their service has been exceptional. I wouldn't go anywhere else in San Diego. His review: "Bowlins Auto Service is a dream come true maintenance shop. They are exceptionally knowledgeable and competent. They have a hand-picked maintenance staff who have been with them for many years. They are very honest and fair and have a heart-felt compassion for their customers. They put SERVICE in auto service. I have been a loyal and very happy customer for 33+ years with auto work from a simple oil change to a complete engine change. I would consider going to no other maintenance shop. They are my lucky find gem." read more

I just had my car serviced at Bowlin's this week. I've been taking my car here for a while now and I'm very satisfied. Even though their shop is far from where I live, I still prefer to take my car here. Mano is very professional and honest and I've never had any issues with any of the services. I would recommend Bowlin's to everyone. read more

Great honest people! They don't try scamming you and they even try saving you money. These people actually care about their customers! Whenever I need my car fixed I head over to Bowlins! read more

If you're in need of repairs, then look no further than Bowlin's Auto Repair. Bowlin's proves to me over and over again that they are the best in the business. The staff is always available and ready to help with their vast automotive knowledge and their prices are far more than fair. I've had an extensive amount of work done by the gents here (most of it thanks to San Diego drivers! Grrrr) and I always drove away pleasantly surprised by the friendly professionalism shown at the shop. I highly recommend them to anyone who is in need of auto repairs because, honestly, it's difficult to find a mechanic you can trust. I found mine at Bowlin's. read more

I was referred to Bowlins for a fairly major auto repair by a colleague. I consulted the dealership first and was totally unsatisfied by the level of explanation I was given at the service department. On the other hand, Bowlins gave me a detailed explanation of the suspected bad parts, which was consistent with the research I had already done. They kept me informed at every stage of the repair, and delivered the car early, and for much less than the dealer was asking. They work on high and low end imports, domestics and even track and racing cars, as is evident by the cars in the service bays. I can see why they are popular: great service and communication and fair prices. Highly recommended. read more

Have been going here for years and love it! They are honest, friendly, and willing to help. It's also great that they are super reliable and fast. read more

Nice guys who explained ac charging and dye placement for uv light leak detection !!! Gave me a price and explained that leak detection of a small pinhole type leak may require a return trip or two to find the leak ! read more

Took my 2008 Ford Ranger with 54,000 miles on it because I had an transmission oil drip from the transmission cooler. Paid $45.00 to have the problem diagnosed. Four hours later they said I needed a rebuilt transmission. I took it to National City, Transmission Experts, they looked at it while I was there, and said it needed a new hose at the transmission cooler and additional fluid. I was out of there within an hour and the the charge was $70.00. Bowlin's Transmission service either knows nothing about transmissions or they are ripping off the public and putting the money in their pockets. I will tell everyone I know Do Not Go To Bowlin's Transmission for any Transmission work. Don S. read more

I signed up for yelp just to write about how great this place is. They are very trustworthy and super friendly. We had to get a tune up and a new throttle cable and was expecting to spend a lot since much needed to be done on the tune-up but they were very fair with the price and are getting it done quick!! If you are iffy where to take your car I would definitely recommend this place. read more

Just took in my mitsubishi eclipse to the guys at bowlins and I have to say they did a FANTASTIC job. Feels like a brand new ride. He took his time with detecting the real issue after my old mechanic told me nothing was wrong with my car. I appreciate their honesty, and customer service. Prices are fair, and they do wonderful work. read more

I replaced the serpentine belt on my van this morning at my house. Then, I decided to have the transmission serviced. I am a shade tree mechanic, but i hate changing fluids. So I went down the street and dropped the van at Bowlin's. They were friendly and the price was reasonable. I dropped it off at 10:00 am and was told it would be ready by noon. I pick my kid up at 1210, so i ended up back at Bowlin's around 1250. When i arrived, the guys in the office were eating their lunches. They stopped what they were doing to settle up the bill and i was on my way. However, when i started my van, the "check engine light" was on. I explained to them that the light wasn't on prior to me bringing it in. They promptly brought out diagnostic readers and began scanning the computer. About ten minutes into the scan I had an epiphany, I removed the air box when i replaced the belt and i didn't recall plugging the mass airflow sensor back. When i told them they climbed up and replugged it. I told them that i could fix it, but they insisted. They then cleared the code and shook my hand. It was my fault and they were in the middle of their lunch, but they took the time to made thing right.....Now that is customer service! read more

This auto repair shop is the best in Chula Vista. Very knowledgeable and honest. They can walk you through entire repair. Always has the old parts in a box for inspection. read more

Full service automotive repairs done here, and "SERVICE" is a key word, as service is what you get. Want your repairs done right? Come here. Want your repairs done as only what is necessary to be repaired? Come here. Want honesty in an automotive repair facility? Come here. Want the repairs costs at the best possible? Come here. Even have a class 1 certified mechanic in their lineup, so you're just about assured that whatever problem your vehicle may have will get fixed!!! Yep, just go there and see Mano and, or, Casey and you and your ride will be singing a happy tune!!! read more

ABSOLUTELY GREAT!!! The guys were assume, their price was very reasonable and they fixed my car in just couple hours .I highly recommend it to everyone. read more

My family and I have been taking our vehicles here since the 70s under Leon Browning ownership, whom sold it in the 80s. I feel a need to give advise for anyone requiring a transmission rebuild, to request a much better warranty and mileage than 1 year. I brought my truck in for a rebuild with 250k on the original transmission, handed them the better part of $3000 for a lasting, reliable rebuild. Luckily it made the only long trip of 1000 miles. My truck was never subjected to heavy loads (like a 5th wheel trip to Denver per say), and under 2000 miles overall on the rebuild. Barely 3 years later the transmission components disintegrated and filled the pan with chunks of debris and roasted the fluid. They have no integrity to make good on a very expensive useless rebuild by fixing it at no cost to the consumer. Caveat emptor- let the buyer beware...by the way they tried to pass it off as an engine power problem and the transmission was working fine... it's a dually and the wheels spin from the torque..wrong answer. Another repair business dropped the pan to reveal the prize. Carefully choose your business. read more

Me entire family and I have been taking our cars to Bowlin's for many years now. Mano and his team are very professional and respectful. I've taken my car there for regular services and tune up. The price is very reasonable and service is excellent. These guys are very honest and do what's necessary. I do recommend this place to everyone. read more

I was on my way home from work one day and my check engine light came on and my car, an automatic VW Golf, felt like it wasn't shifting into high gear on the freeway. I figured it was a transmission issue and turns out I was right. I brought it down to these guys and they ran a diagnostic and concluded it was the transmission. They told me what my options were and I made the decision to have a rebuilt used transmission installed. They were really fast, and efficient, and even brought up some other issues that they had noticed so I had them fix those too. They were great and gave me great prices for everything. Highly recommended! And I will return to them for my service needs. My car runs like a charm! read more

These guys are great. i've had many cars worked on here from mid size cars to SUV's. They've done everything from AC, transmissions, engine replacements, manifold changes for me...so some pretty serious work. In all cases I've been very happy with the service here. Even in cases when I asked for additional work to be performed they assured me it was not necessary...honesty is always a reassuring and difficult trait to find in a mechanic. Can't say enough about these guys...very well managed business! read more

Went here to get a deep scratch taken out the side door of my new 2013 vehicle. I was given a price of 100 bucks for a less expensive repair, which is what I agreed to, but was told that incase I didn't like the results they could redo it and paint it. Of course this would cost more, 400 dollars to be exact, but eventually I thought this would be up to me if I didn't like the results of the less expensive procedure. I thought this was a good deal. Unfortunately they never got ahold of me and started the expensive process because the owner didn't like how it looked. I saw that I had a miss call and when I called back, the guy had already started on my vehicle but the price was going to be 280 instead. I asked why I wasn't informed first, and the guy said, "I called you, but you didn't answer your phone." It hadn't even been an hour since the missed call and I immediately got a bad feeling. I even called back to double check that the price didn't go up a second time otherwise I wouldn't be able to pay. When I piked up my car, yes the scratch was gone, but the whole door felt like it was repainted and it was no longer smooth to the touch, but grainy. Mind you the damage was only at the very top of the door, yet the whole door was repainted. And the whole door is grainy! I'm giving this place 2 stars because although the scratch is gone, there is damage where there wasn't, (I was later told by another car place that the car door was painted and it wasn't done in a closed area and the grainy stuff I feel is debris that stuck to the wet paint) and because I wasn't notified that more work was being done. read more

Crooked. Took my car in for a second opinion and they found something wrong that was not even in need of repair. How do I know? Took it three other places after their assesment. Do not use BOWLINS! read more

So the AC on my Honda Accord was not blowing cold air, I do Uber on the side so I knew that I had to get my AC serviced as soon as possible. I Found Bowlin's Auto Service on Yelp and saw their 5 star reviews. I went in to get my AC checked out on a Friday morning, they were nice and friendly they checked the AC and informed and showed me that the AC discharge hose from the compressor to the condenser was bad and leaking. Quoted me $300 out the door. I said sure after knowing that labor would cost more than the part, which is about $80. After 30 minutes, he tells me a customer before me needed his car that day and tells me to come back on Monday, their closed on weekends, and that there's no charge to me. I took the day off to get my AC serviced and after waiting awhile he tells me to come back!! He apologizes and says he'll give me a discount on any future services, almost two hours of nothing done....I took my car to another AC service shop in Spring Valley, got quoted $250 and took 2 hours to finish. My AC blows super cold now. I'm disappointed in Bowlin's service to me and I just have to give them 1 star for the inconvenience. read more