Busted Knuckle is the best! Really - they are. Jay and Calvin came thru with rush work repairing each of my 3 vehicles to get them road ready for a move south. One needed a lot of work to get road safe. It wasnt easy, as they were having to fix bad work done by other fortunua mechanic and a bit of front end damage to my blazer after a spin out that hit the hillside at 55 mph (damn hwy 36). One mechanic (JC Auto) took 2 1/2 months and $3000 to do an "improper installation of a new intake mainfold" per the dodge dealer. And another expensive fortuna mechanic (Rocha's) didnt know how to fix the a/c system on my ford ranger but billed $1800 to try (they forgot to put refrigerant in). Calvin fixed it in half a day for under $500. In my 8 years of experience with local shops, out of 7 of them only 2 really shine - Busted Knuckle and Mike's Brake Service. The others are over priced and will kill you with diagnostic fees. read more

I had to take my car in for more repairs than I had originally anticipated. Jay explained every issue in detail and, even more amazing, he walked me through it beforehand so I understood what needed to be done and why. He kept me informed about every detail, and I truly appreciated how much communication and patience he had. I am incredibly pleased with the quality of service and the work. I highly, HIGHLY recommend Busted Knuckle to everyone here and I will not hesitate to recommend them to all my friends and family in the area. read more

We started a long drive early in the morning when shortly in the check engine light flashed. After going to O'Reillys to get it diagnosed, this auto shop was able to fix it as soon as they opened just 20 minutes after I called. Turned out to be a cylinder misfire so it was great to get that fixed ASAP. Felt like we got good value for what was done, only took less than an hour, and my car has been running much better than before. Got us though the rest of the 12 hour drive and we are very thankful for this shop! The workers were very straightforward and friendly as well. read more

This Busted Knuckles is over by Ponci's... Evidently there are two locations - the shop on 12th street took the the car over to the other Location. I took her car in because it wouldn't turn over. When we picked it up (and paid $500) it barely turned over and got to the house. Haven't been able to turn over again. Went in and spoke to the guy he said it would cost a lot more money. Rip off! Don't go there! read more

I took my car for a timing belt and a leak and they charged me 3 thousand and two weeks later it brakes down on me I do not recommend them

I have found a long-term automotive repair shop! The work ethic and attention to detail that Jay and the crew at Busted Knuckle have is extraordinary; and I do mean extra ordinary in the sense that there is a minimal chance that you will find mechanics like these. I'm thankful for reviews that others have left because they are the reason I towed my Toyota Pickup (1990) from Arcata to Fortuna (About 30 miles). Services Received: Took in for a leaking head gasket and decided to change the timing belt at the same time. Why I'm coming back: 1) Communication: The response time here is less than an hour. Once, I called on a Saturday morning, left a message, and received a call from Jay from his personal cell phone. Every single mechanic at this shop is kind and helpful. They communicate well with each other and work as a team to fix the vehicle. 2) Detail: Looked the entire truck over before and after working on it and found everything that needed attention (e.g. loose headlight, disconnected speed sensor, brake pad wear, everything!). 3) Value: mechanics are just like any service; If you focus on cheap labor you will wind up loosing more time and money in the long run. I felt like I got more bang for my buck. The truck runs like a dream. They guarantee their work and are happy to fix anything they overlooked. After this $2200 dollar job I was able to take the truck back for the leaking valve cover gasket and have it repaired for free. For other shops I bet that they would have charged me for that second service and claimed that it wasn't their responsibility. It would be very easy to lie about the location of the leak and charge the customer. Not these guys! You truly get what you pay for. Timeline (If you care about the details. Brief version is above): Brought truck in and told Jay to take as long as he needed because I have alternative transportation. Three weeks later the job was finished and the crew found a busted wire harness (which they showed me later) and a loose headlight, which I had previously noticed myself. Picked up vehicle and Jay communicated everything that they had done with the truck. He told me to bring it back if there were any issues. Brought it home and noticed an oil leak. Called Jay and he told us to bring it in ASAP. Brought the truck in and he received it with enthusiasm and was genuinely apologetic for the inconvenience, which was unnecessary because annoying issues are an important component of a vehicles nature. They put dye in the oil and had us drive it about 20 miles. They located a leak in the valve cover gasket and had it repaired in a few days. Jay called the day before Thanksgiving and offered to be there on Thanksgiving for pick-up. He told us that he likes to be there on holidays because he doesn't want anyone to get stranded during vacation. Amazing right? We picked it up the next week and are still happy and convinced that we made the right decision. Thank you Busted Knuckle! P.S. They appreciate donuts and probably any other treat. They truly deserve to be treated with respect. read more

Great service, reasonable price. They were able to get me in and fixed in one afternoon. I will return for all my automotive repairs.

Mike & Jay and their team at Busted Knuckle are amazing! Mike was able to get me in the same day I called. Within no time they were done. The price was so affordable I could hardly believe it. My car is running great now. I am so happy to have an automotive repair shop that that I trust. Busted Knuckle is truly a hidden gem in Fortuna! read more

Attention to detail lacked badly. Sent car back 3 times and still was not right. Had to redo work at another shop. Jay tried to make it right, but it was poor quality work. Better options read more

****SUCH A GREAT NICE HONEST GUY! GO HERE!**** I had car issues and went to Iveys automotive, they were rude and unprofessional. (After leaving their shop my car had continued problems but they'd lost my trust, so I immediately left.) My friends recommended Busted Knuckle! He let us pick up our own part, was amazingly fast and understanding of our situation! BLESS HIS HEART! Go here! read more

What an honest and caring guy! Highly recommended! I was driving south from Oregon to San Francisco when my Outback's engine started to overheat. I called Busted Knuckle and the mechanic (I didn't even catch his name) offered to check out my car immediately. He was extremely knowledgeable and diagnosed the most likely causes of the overheat (either a problem with the heater core or the head gaskets) in a few minutes. He helped me top off my coolant, since I'd never done it before, and made sure it was safe to continue driving the car. He gave me some advice about road conditions between Fortuna and SF and told me where I'd be likely to find another good mechanic if I had trouble on the way home. Then he sent me on my way, no charge. Wow! Thank you Busted Knuckle! I'd bring my car back in a heartbeat. read more

I had a great experience here. My car had to get towed here do to me falling in a ditch. I had radiator problems and some damage to my front bumper. Jay contacted me as soon as my car got in to update me on what would take place next. Never once did I feel like I didn't know what was going on. He contacted chevy got my parts and had my car back to me in 4 days. When arriving to pick up my car why waiting for jay I then again had a mechanic tell me what was fixed, etc. (truly the best service.) Jay then showed me how to check certain things and I was on my way. Thanks for everything guys. read more

I was buying a used car and needed a pre-sale inspection. He was quick, professional, honest and much less expensive than I was expecting. I would highly recommend Mike to anybody. Thank you again. read more

Great service from a guy whose name I don't recall on a late Saturday afternoon no less. He could have taken advantage of us as total tourist types who were in a jam because my brakes urgently needed checking. Found this place on Yelp, guy who answered the phone was at home but said he could be there in 15 mins. We met them about 5 mins late because they got there sooner and the new Starbucks worker took forever to get my friend her drink. The guy that worked on our car was waiting for us and didn't act irritated. He took the tire bonnets and tires off and determined the brakes and tires were fine. Took my car for a ride, figured out how the D/S paddle shifters worked (even though he had never worked on a Honda Insight), and then taught me how to use them. I know, I know. See I knew we were going to be on a twisty, hilly road (SR-36 west from Redding to Hwy 101). But it sounded doable as long as we didn't rush my little timid hybrid. I was worried about downshifting with the shift lever while driving because once I did it wrong and blew the transmission on another Honda. I thought you had to come almost to a stop to do it right. And I'm sure I read about the paddle shifters when I bought my Insight but my brain probably glazed over at that point with little possibility of understanding, much less retaining, the information. SR-36 was actually fine until one small section not far from the end of the road. I was pumping my brakes and it wasn't braking. I quickly looked around the curve and was able to (and HAD to) drift across to the other side of the road, stopping with smoke coming from my brakes. They only charged $50 for everything. And he had a really nice wife and a super sweet doggy puttering around. Thanks Busted Knuckle for being available and for treating us well! read more

Broke down near Myers Flat while traveling from the Bay Area to Eureka. I knew what happened as a nice man & an unavailable tow truck driver stopped. They told me it wasn't a big fix. Somehow managed a tow to Fortuna and Humboldt towing garaged my car till the next day. I had left numerous messages at mechanics and Busted Knuckle the was first to call me the next day. He quoted me a price which my mechanic friends said was great. I didn't have to go down there. They were extra busy but got to my car the following day. The location is a bit difficult to find if you don't ask, but maps got me there. A great team of honest folks who are working hard. I will definitely bring my car back when it needs repairs. read more

I had just finished a 4 month Camp Host volunteer position and drove my little trailer onto Hwy 101 when the trailer began to lurch. Thankfully, I had only gotten up to 35 mph and was able to stop without flipping over, bad news, it was on the outside lane of 101 and my trailer wheel had rusted to pieces! Clyde's towing arrived and the driver recommended that I call Busted Knuckles to see if they could fix my trailer. It was like I was granted Guardian Angels! The shop owners were fantastic, thorough, quickly assessed what was needed to repair my trailer and get me back on the road. I could not be happier or more grateful for their assistance and very reasonable pricing. They made certain that my other wheel was in good shape by repacking and greasing the bearings, checked the air pressure in both tires, connected the trailer to my Jeep and made sure I was road safe. Thank you, Mike, Dave, and Bill from the bottom of my heart! read more

See all

My alternator barely made it to the parking lot and I was out of there with a brand new one within a half hour! Very friendly, budget wise and employees also! Thanks! read more

This repair shop is about as good as it gets. I brought my car in this morning, to have my breaks checked. Mike was kind enough to drop me off at home, and then pick me up later when the repairs were done. They did NOT try to up sell me, nor did they suggest fixing anything that didn't actually need it. Instead, they did what was necessary, and in addition, fixed 3 indicator lights at no charge, and checked my oil, refilling only what was necessary. It is SO reassuring for a single woman to find an auto shop which feels caring, is actually trustworthy! read more

These guys are honest and trustworthy mechanics, which is such a gift to have in our tiny town. Our car was presenting as a possible blown head gasget, which would have cost more than the car was worth to fix. Dave was tenacious in tracking down what was really going on, which turned out to be an EGR problem that was clogging the cylinders. He and Mike saved us a bunch of money, and even helped us out by following us home because we still had a rental car. Good old fashioned down home service at its best! read more

A very honest and helpful mechanic. They know their stuff and are incredibly kind.

I am a visiting grad student from Sacramento who knows almost nothing about this area. Busted Knuckle turned a really bad day into an OK one, all things considered. My alternator died as I was heading to work on 101. I made it clear to the AAA guy that I was a poor grad student who needed to be dropped off somewhere affordable. He said, "Oh, I'll take you to Busted Knuckle. They're a small local shop; they do good work for a very fair price." Of course I was hoping that this was true, and they didn't just have some referral agreement.... Thank goodness, it was absolutely true! They greeted me with warmth, took my poor little Civic, gave me an estimate, and got to work diagnosing and fixing her. The work was done within 60-90 min, including going to O'Reilly to test my alternator and get a new one. The total was less than their original estimate. I really appreciate that kind of fairness and honesty. I will recommend Busted Knuckle to my other classmates who come up here to work/study. read more

Had a couple of vehicles that needed major work at the same time. The folks at Busted Knuckle helped keep one patched together while the other was being worked on. Then, when that vehicle was done, they completed the repairs on the previously patched-up vehicle. They are very nice people, and will go out of their way to help one save money. Honest, too, where if a repair isn't needed that a different shop tried to sell you, they'll tell you. read more

I was going to do an oil change on my truck and found it had an oil leak so I took it in to Busted Knuckle, in part because one of the previous reviews mentioned they solved an oil leak problem. They noticed a oil leak from the valve cover, but the mess I noticed under the vehicle was ended up being from a leaking transmission pan gasket. Got both problems solved without any further ado. One thing though, they are hard to find as they have no signage, and their address isn't visible from the street. I guess they do such good work they don't need to be visible. But turn in where the auto parts store is, go all the way back and they're the shop on the left. read more

These guys ROCK !!! Had a problem with some of the engine belts on my 2002 4Runner...They got me right in, within a couple hours, my car was fixed & ready to go. They even provided transportation! Very professional, and reasonable! read more

I had such great service here! My 2001 Subaru Forester started overheating. I took it in there and Jay was super helpful! He was very knowledgable and within 15 minutes found out my radiator had a leak. I was just traveling through so I needed it done ASAP. I arrived around 2pm and got a call at 3:45 telling me my car was road worthy! I've had bad experiences all through the country with mechanic shops and this place was NOT one of them. The next day I even got a call from Jay wondering how my car is doing. You don't find auto shops that have such awesome customer service and that are very trustworthy very often. Busted Knuckles is the best service I've ever had. read more

Because my brakes had gone out, I expected a huge bill. But the problem turned out to be small. The valve cover on the power assist. As a single woman with no mechanical expertise, they could have taken advantage of me as most repair shops try to do, but they did not. So good to find mechanics I can trust -- and a bonus - polite and responsive. read more

Great Service; able to fix my truck fast for a fair cost. Mike made me feel comfortable by showing me what they repaired and how to look for possible issues for better maintenance. Made my day! read more

It's rare to find a mechanic this good! They treat women and old people with respect and don't try to take advantage. I've stopped to get a headlight changed and they did it for free. Was quoted $1000 at Les schwab for brakes and rotors and they did the job for $580. My grandparents love this place too. I would recommend them to my family and friends. read more

Mike was the bomb! We were just passing through town and needed new brakes and rotors. Not only did he fix our brakes and rotors that day, he recommended a delicious brunch restaurant a block down, did an oil change for us as well (I was going to get one anyway), and had it all done by the time we got back from our meal. Incredible service, super good guy, total lifesaver! read more

Pressure sending unit was puking up oil on a Friday evening on which I had to drive a ways, and these guys hooked me up! Got the part and installed it in no time. Saved my butt read more

Although Jay couldn't figure out what was wrong with my car, he did his best to thoroughly inspect the car over a two-day period and then, since he didn't find the problem, told me to pay him what I thought would be ok. Will definitely be back if I experience car trouble in the Northern CA area. read more