Mark brought our dead engine back to life in a very professional and cost effective way! My wife loves this car and didn't want to part with it. (You know, happy wife, happy life!) Mark has a five car bay garage and an advanced computer diagnostic system. He has every tool at his disposal and there is nothing he can't fix! Having lived on this Peninsula for 60 years and having had engine work done at many shops, we have found our mechanic for life. read more

Mark is a brilliant mechanic who deals with his customers straightforwardly and pragmatically. I brought my 2009 Volvo C30 in to both fix my AC compressor as well as to address the engine oil leaks. I've taken my car to a few other mechanics in the area, and none seemed capable or willing to address the issue. Mark did a thorough diagnosis and outlined everything that needed to be fixed. He then reviewed all the problems w/me and my wife while the car was on the lift. It was not an inexpensive repair, but Mark was thorough and did not put any pressure on me to have the work done. I decided to go forward with the repairs, and I'm absolutely thrilled with the results. When the work was done, he had set aside all of the pieces that he replaced, explained to me WHY he had to replace them and drove the car himself (including a brief spin on Hwy 1 at 70 mph) to ensure that the car was driving to his expectations. Now, my C30 with 210K miles once again purrs like a kitten and will be on the road for at least another 100K miles, hopefully more! If you have a Volvo that's out of warranty, this is BY FAR the best mechanic in the Monterey Peninsula to take it- (yes, I've taken my car into other Volvo specialists here, and they are not as thorough). He's a one-man show, so you need to plan ahead to get time to get it into the shop. That said, it is absolutely worth it. From here on out, I'm going to get everything done on both my Volvos w/Burton Automotive. He's trustworthy, fair and really seems to care about the cars that he works on. read more

They need 10 stars Walked into Burton Automotive with my 2014 xc70 making an odd noise. After starting the car Mark immediately know what the problem was, literally less than 30 seconds Reasonably priced and expert service. What's not to like. And I get my car back the next day. They are my new Volvo service center on the central coast. read more

Very helpful, the service he provides was very helpful and informative. Have a good advice where to look for a great auto body repair shop

Mark B. is the most professional & competent car mechanic I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with. My Volvo C30 T5R was exhibiting some issues that turned out to be a leaking head gasket - a big deal! He fixed it quickly & efficiently, then when another issue came up he fixed that too at his own time & expense, just to make me, his customer, happy. I cannot say enough good things about his honor, professionalism, courtesy & all round ethics. If you have a Volvo that needs attention, there is no one better in the Monterey Peninsula area to go to to have work done, in my opinion. read more

Was very pleased ! First time here and I was so happy to have my car serviced in less than a day. I didn't have to pay and arm and a leg, which I was worried about!!! Definitely recommend this place! read more

My family and I have been bringing our Volvos to Peninsula Auto Service for many years and we have received consistently excellent service. The Burtons know what they are doing and are scrupulously honest and dependable. Robert Mountain Carmel California read more

I have been taking may cars here for 20+ years. Always reliable, always done right the first time. And, don't let the name fool you, Mark works on my Sienna van too so whatever your make and model, he can get it done! read more

I first took my car here when my clutch went out. A dealership recommended me to them. The tow truck dropped off my car and they got right to work. I received a call a few hours later with an estimate and evaluation. I was told my car wouldn't be done until Monday (my car broke on Friday)... BUT Dan (I believe that's his name) came in on that Saturday to finish my car - the shop isn't even open on Saturdays... but he came in and stayed till about 6 to finish my car! What service! NOW... my car has problems again... and I need to get it prepared for a drive across country. At first I was unable to find a ride to work from the shop. So, when I called the to reschedule (for a time convenient for my friends) they offered to drive me to work. The shop is in Seaside and I work in Carmel! Again I am amazed with their level of customer service. They also do amazing work on your car and won't let it out of the shop without looking over it and triple checking their work. Their customer service is beyond anything I have ever seen from an auto shop. I am very pleased with this shop and recommend them to anyone who is looking for a trusty mechanic. read more

Burton Automotive - Auto Repair Near Me - Seaside, California

Avoid Smog checks at this location. Scammers!!! You will always fail the first time. Then pay for additional repairs, which may include a hammer beating on your distributor. Plenty of other competent mechanics in the area. read more

I've been taking my 2008 Volvo XC90 here for the past few years. I used to take it to the dealership for service. I got into that habit when it was still under warranty, and just continued to go there even after the warranty expired because I assumed that dealership MUST be the experts on their own vehicles. Boy, was I wrong! I took my car to get routine service at the dealership and was told I would need over $1500 of work done, including having my timing belt replaced. Guess what: my car doesn't have a timing belt! I've never felt so deceived before. As a single mom, I've made it my business to know something about my car to keep myself from being taken advantage of. After that experience, I asked around and was told about Peninsula Auto Service- the Volvo specialist. I called and spoke with Dan over the phone, and was able to get an appointment to drop my car off. He gave me a fair price for excellent work, and I've been going there ever since. He was so honest and trustworthy, explaining to me what would need to be done beforehand and anything else that he recommended I do in the future. I couldn't have been happier with my experience. He was a stand-up/respectable man. I was literally heartbroken when I heard of his passing. However, his son Mark is definitely doing justice to the family business, which is now known as Burton Automotive. Mark is now the one taking excellent care of my car, and he has the same honorable character that his father Dan had. His father would be so proud of him! read more

Extremely knowledgeable about Volvos. Fairly priced. Realistic estimates about time and cost to complete repairs. Highly recommend.

Yelpers! So my Volvo's pressure valve bursts and spewed oil all over the hot manifold. Yes, that's right - my car looked like it had a turkish steam bath under the hood. It was comedy sitting in northbound traffic on Del Monte as people's eyes widened, gasping at the horror, flagging me down to stop...I was stopped in traffic lady, don't worry...I got this! Anyways, just to be sure, I had it towed using my USAA membership(shout-out to Earl at California Towing - he ought to be a Monterey tour guide on the side!). Dan took a look and quoted me $115 parts and labor. He explained the situation in detail - bottomline, this was bound to happen to my old car. Again, in and out in one day, just as quoted. Dan's the man and my Volvo lives again... read more

This is going to be a long review, so here's the bottom line. These guys have excellent customer service, do fantastic work, have competitive prices, and they are military friendly to boot. Also, they're fast AND they give a discount if you pay cash/check. So now for the reason why I'm writing this review... I bought a used Volvo second hand as a surprise gift for my husband coming back from Afg. I took it to these guys to have it checked out based on Yelp reviews and didn't want to be up-sold on service by the dealership. They did an inspection and an oil change for good price, checked the brakes and said I was good to go with some brake life left. I had to go to the dealer after all to get a spare key made and they said the brakes were in desperate need of repair, but the service guy at the dealership who worked on my car was careless enough to take a removable piece of plastic off of the bumper and just left it sitting in the engine for me to find when I got home. I called up Peninsula Auto Service and told them what the dealership said about the brakes and they said they'd take another look free of charge. Dan, the owner, accommodated me and saw me for same-day service once I had the time to bring it back. Turns out the green light was mistakenly given in the first place because it was a new guy still learning who had looked at it the first time. Needless to say, Dan is using this as a learning experience for the new guy and he totally took care of me. When I mentioned it was for my husband coming back from deployment, he knocked the price way down, both for military service, and for me having to come back a second time to get brakes taken care of. They replaced pads and rotors there on the spot with Volvo parts and I just had to wait a little over an hour. I don't know any other way of thanking Dan and the team at Peninsula Auto Service except to write this review so hopefully others can see it. While I was waiting the receptionist chatted politely with me and offered me fresh coffee and Dan himself also came into the waiting room and offered me coffee and cookies. They have earned a return customer in me and I hope this gets them some more business because they deserve it. read more

Great experience, the fastest smog check I have ever had. Their price is the lowest in town too. I will definitely go back next smog I need. read more

Burton Automotive - Auto Repair Near Me - Seaside, California

We have been taking our Volvo to Burton Auto for a couple years now. Mark is an expert in Volvo automobiles. His experience shows whenever there is an unusual problem. For example, he knew that the windshield primer in certain year XC-60 models had a tendency to cause the windshield to leak. For routine maintenance, his estimates are fair, the work is excellent, and his assessments of future work needed is right on. He doesn't try to get you to do work now that isn't needed. We had a specialty part that needed to be installed in one of our Toyota RAV4s. He took the time to research and installed the park perfectly. Fair, honest, competent! read more

Had a check engine light come on on my 2008 V50 Wagon. Was going to take it somewhere else but they were unavailable so I checked Yelp and took it here. There are some changes going on and it is now called Burton Automotive. Car was serviced by Mark Burton. An impressive young man! He quickly diagnosed the problem, (a failed rubber piece inside an oil filter housing) and repaired it. Showed me the broken part and explained what went wrong with it. Also found another problem that I was unaware of (transmission sensor) and recommended I just keep it mind should it become an issue in the future. Really inspired a lot of confidence and trust. Not the cheapest place you can find, but excellent work and excellent customer service. I'll be going to him from now on! I strongly recommend you take your Volvo to Mark Burton. read more

I have been taking my older model Volvo XC90 to Burton automotive for a few years now. I have found them always to be fair and honest with the work that needs to be done and their prices. I highly recommend them and will continue to bring my car there for major repairs, oil changes and routine maintenance. They complete the work in a timely manner and I have always felt knowledgeable the work they are doing. Mark and his team are great!!! read more

CROOKS. I will never be giving them my business again. I've been taking my truck here to be smogged for at least the past 5 to 6 years and Dan always took care of me and provided excellent service. Unfortunately now his son Mark has taken over the business. I brought my truck in today and it failed smog, which wasn't a surprise to me as it's an older truck. Mark let me know that the EGR valve needed to be replaced, and offered to replace it for $150, and retest the truck for free. I told them I was going to consult with my dad, a mechanic, and let them know my decision. He proceeded to charge me $90 for the smog! I've never paid over $60. My Dad was able to replace the valve for $50 in 10 MINUTES. So Mark was going to charge me $100 in labor for 10 minutes of work. So we get the valve swapped out and I return for my supposed free retest. Not only did Mark give a snarky comment about doing the work ourselves, they then proceeded to try and charge me $65 for my retest!! I told the woman that he informed me the retest would be free, and she said only if THEY would have replaced the valve. Absolutely ridiculous. It's too bad that he's taking his father's well run business and turning it into thievery. Would give 0 stars if it was an option. read more

I was on a weekend trip to Carmel with my mom when my battery went out in Marina; I called them at 3p on a *saturday* and not only was Dan there, but he said he'd wait for me! By the time I got there, he'd ordered the battery and put it in while we waited. Super guy, excellent service. Wish he was closer to where I lived so I could go full time. read more

Was new in the area and didn't have a Volvo mechanic whom I could trust. Mark did a great job, told me what up I needed and what would be a waste, charged a very fair price, and even pointed out a tire problem I needed to take care of, and where to go to have it fixed as he didn't do that type of work. . I'll be going back whenever I need service on my Volvo. read more

Honest, competent mechanic! Highly recommended. I've worked on my cars for 10 years and there are few jobs I can't do myself but may career has taken off lately and now that I'm finally making some decent money, I've been taking my cars to Dan at Peninsula Auto. I've been very impressed by his integrity, skills, and customer service. When I take my cars in for repairs, I usually have a pretty good idea what's wrong with it and Dan's assessment of the problem(s) are accurate and honest. He explained it in simple terms that pretty much anybody could understand. No pressure. No scare tactics. No exaggeration. No nonsense. Sure - the problem might not be 100% clear but he'll let you know and you can be sure he's not trying to scam you. This guy is good. read more

Peninsula Auto is the only name you need for quality Volvo service in the Monterey area. Dan, the owner, is a mechanic of vast experience, an honest man, and someone you can put your faith in to "put it right". Whether you have an older or more recent Volvo, they will maintain or fix your car to the highest standards, charge you a reasonable amount, and stand behind the quality of their work. I recommend this fine shop, I wouldn't take my Volvo anywhere else. read more

When Dan passed away last year I am sure many customers wondered what would happen to the level of service when his son Mark took over completely. I know I did. Not to worry. Mark has accepted the mantle of owner and chief mechanic with no change in service. I have taken my Volvos to this shop since the early 80s. Now with Mark in charge I am confident my Volvos will continue to receive the best care until I no longer own a car. Lindsey does a great job with managing the office in terms of appointments and communicating about the progress of the work being done. I recommend this shop to everyone who wants competent, honest service on their Volvo. And now Mark has Richard, a smog genius, working in his shop as well, ready to smog all vehicles, not just Volvos. read more

Dan is honest, reliable, and delivers excellent customer service. We bring our '93 Volvo 240 down from Santa Cruz for maintenance, because these guys are simply the best. We appreciate all your help in keeping our car running in her golden years! Thanks Dan & crew! read more

Since somewhere around the mid- 1980's I have been going to Peninsula Auto Service. Excellent everything. Excellent mechanics. Honest. Fair. You cannot go wrong. read more

I came to get my car smogged and I only waited ten minutes until it was my turn. So, when it was my turn, it only took him 15 minutes to get everything done. Dude was friendly and nice and was talking to us at the same time. Great place to get a smog check. No wait, only 15 minutes. And they offered great customer service! read more