I had a really bad experience at another shop with my 05 diesel Dodge. I came by Caledonian and met Terry. I explained my situation, he said bring the truck in and we'll get it right. These are now my go to guys for all my vehicles. They do good work and are honest. He has talked me out of services/parts that I did not necessarily need. Honesty is huge in the automotive repair industry, I wouldn't go anywhere else for car repairs. read more

Honest, reliable and affordable don't begin to describe Terry and his son, Jarod. They are always there for this community. Terry is like a family friend to so many in this community and beyond. Women especially can feel safe and comfortable with them. read more

I had my entire engine replaced with a used/reconditioned engine for my 2010 Nissan Murano. Caledonian Auto Repair came highly recommended to me by my regular mechanic. I was very impressed when I met (we first got to chat over the phone). We were able to get the engine ordered, replaced, and my car is running like a champ! Terry is a very honest and courteous man. His energy is calm and competent. I highly recommend this place, especially if you are a bit nervous about auto mechanics who try to rush you to make a decision or won't take the time to explain things to you. Terry and his team did not try to "talk over my head" or force me to make a decision before I had a clear understanding. We took things one step at a time, and I am a very happy customer! read more

Terry is a guy you can trust to do the right thing. I had a Hyundai Santa Fe sport with 105K miles. It started using oil (of course right after the warranty expired). Terry suggested an engine clean and flush to clean off carbon that he said was an issue with this car. We did it and it worked. Couple years later at 140K, the engine failed. I towed it to Caledonian late a night. The next day, Terry called to say the engine was toast, but that Hyundai was extending its warranty for the exact problem Terry diagnosed. Instead of having Terry rebuild it for me, I towed it to Hyundai Escondido where they agreed to replace my engine for FREE. I have more stories of ways that Terry has proven his honesty on my son's two cars as well. You can't beat his prices too. read more

I have taken both my cars here a few times for issues and I honestly can say this place is the best. I grew up with in a family that works for the big car companies, dating all the way back to letters with Henry Ford. Family Members that own their own shops currently ect. Anyways, I moved across the country from them, and sadly did not choose to go down the same path so I am in my own for my car troubles. I am aware of some details of the car, but fixing it is beyond me. Terry is an amazing, honest, reliable man. He will be honest with you about what needs to be fixed now; what can wait, and what may happen in the future. When we first moved to CA both my cars decided to fail a smog test and terry was able to help me fix it, even tho it was not a "simple" fix within just a few days. This last week my car decided to make an awful noice, I called and made the sound it was making, he suggested it I had AAA to just tow it in, just in case. I did, and I am thankful I didn't put my kids back in that car because the drive shaft broke. He called me later that day and let me know that I had 2 options, the part thru the manufacture of the car is cheaper, but is back ordered, or a off brand was more expensive but could be there in 2 days. He also told Me some other things he thought were important to note on the car (it's a rust bucket thanks to living in FL for several years). We decided to wait since we have 2 cars and it took about 2 weeks because of the mail service, and Ford. Once he got the part it was only a day. You can tell that Terry and his crew care. And because of that, I am comfortable and confident putting my kids into the car after it leaves his shop. I have been to other shops and have NOT had that confidence. So it means the world. Terry is always more than fairly priced too, which of course is a bonus. I try to get a gift card to somewhere nearby to get the crew lunch after we pick up one or both of the cars, THATS how awesome they are. read more

Terry and his team did a great job switching out an engine at my 2500 Silverado. Fast, professional and friendly. The kind of place you feel taken well care of. When a small mistake was discovered, they owned it and fixed it for free - many other shops would have tried to stick it mo me, I know that from past experiences with grease snakes....Terry is the man! read more

Terry is a straight shooter and knows his shit. 3 other truck repair places didn't want to work on my Chevy (because they couldn't figure it out). Terri agreed to a reasonable price for the diagnosis and found the problem and fixed it. Hard to fund good mechanics. He's a keeper! read more

I called Terry on a Tuesday needing an urgent repair to my Diesel truck and he got me in the next day. I know he had a full schedule but he fit me in anyway and got me on the road again asap. He's a really easy guy to work with and you can trust that he's not working you for more $$$. Go see Terry, you will be glad you did. read more

We were so pleased with Caledonian Auto Repair on our visit there. They were so professional, honest and really cared about our car needs. Wonderful on diagnosis as well as superior service. Sad to say these days trustworthy mechanics are hard to find. No matter where you live this is the place to go. Our car is doing great now!! Such fair pricing, honest options , & quality repairs is so refreshing. Definatley recommended. read more

Terry is the only person we would take our cars to. Honest, nice and does great work.

It's nice to find a really good diesel mechanic that doesn't break the bank! My truck had to get towed from in front of my house, the engine just died, no apparent reason, but they had it up and running in no time. I was leaving on a road trip the next day, so the mechanic showed me what to do if it died again, so that I wouldn't be stranded in the middle of nowhere! So, when the truck needed maintenance services, I didn't hesitate to have the services done here. Thanks! read more

Terry's (the owner) expertise, kindness, and exemplary service is beyond excellant, & that's what u will find when u go to his shop. I'm a retiree who lives on a fixed budget, so he's been very fair and reasonable in my opinion. With questionable mechanics out there everywhere, rest assured you are getting a great deal when u go here! I highly recommend him read more

Terry and the crew always take good care of my cars and are fair with the prices. Don't hesitate to go here for your auto repairs.

No one touches my vehicle(s) except Terry. I now live 83 miles away and still use his services. If an emergency happened, I would tow my vehicle to him, (AAA tow, 200 mile plan). My mother found Terry when she lived in Rancho Bernardo in the 80's thru 2000's. She introduced me to him and I have not let another mechanic touch my vehicle(s) since then. When Terry moved from RB to San Marcos, we followed. Very reasonable and VERY Honest!! He truly cares about his customers!!! read more

You can't go wrong with Terry! When Luis at San Marcos Light Auto closed his doors without warning a couple of years back, I was stuck for a good mechanic to take over the care of our stable. I looked for places on-line and stumbled across Caledonian Auto Repair. I've never seen a mechanic with 100% five-star reviews before, because typically it's only the complainers who write reviews. So I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did. Terry does excellent work. If there is a way to get the job done by repairing an assembly rather than replacing it, he'll save you money that way. If he has to replace parts, he passes on his trade discount to you so you don't get stuck with the huge dealer mark-ups on retail parts. The local dealership for one of our vehicles quoted $1400 to fix a problem with our ABS. I googled the problem and found it was due to the failure of a $110 dealer-only part. Terry assured me he could get the part and install it in half an hour. Total cost to me? - Under $200. Why would anyone go anywhere else? Appointments are easy to get, and Terry & his crew will shuttle you around the county to get where you need to go after you drop your car off, pick you up when it's time to get your car back. All in all he takes good care of you. He could be a little more reliable on getting your car back in the time promised, but maybe that's just my experience because I never stress urgency. 5 star service and pricing. It doesn't get any better! read more

Most trustworthy, dependable, auto repair shop in San Diego. I've sent all my friends and family to Terry's shop over the years and they've all become loyal customers too! read more

Honesty and integrity. Not words you usually associate with an auto mechanic. I've been going to Terry for years. He is always friendly and straight forward with what my car needs and doesn't need. And his prices are fair. I always recommend him when anyone asks for an auto mechanic referral. He also employs his son Jared so it's safe to say the business is in safe hands for the foreseeable future. read more

I'm so glad I found Terry at Caledonian Automotive. I recently moved into the San Marcos area and now I have a go-to trustworthy mechanic. My 68 year old mom's car needed repairs and Terry walked us through what was needed inch by inch ultimately deciding it was not worth the price to fix compared to the value of the car. Terry could have easily done all the repairs and hit us with a hefty repair bill, but instead he came up with an alternative solution that has worked out wonderfully. Thank you Terry, you have two new clients for life. Bob M. read more

Great service here, with good communication and honest delivery. They've taken care of several maintenance and service issues for us, and when our Nissan was struggling they diagnosed the transmission problem and knew we might be able to have the repair covered under dealer warranty. Instead of trying to repair it anyway they referred us without charge. read more

I've been bringing my car to Caledonian auto for over 2 years now. Terry is honest and has great prices. He's very up front with you on the pricing and won't over charge you. I bring my truck here and have started bringing my wife's car here as well. In my experience, its very hard to find a mechanic who won't overchange you or sell you on something that you don't need. On several occasions, Terry as told me that we don't need something when he could have easily sold us. The most recent was a set of struts that a tire salesman told me that we needed on my wife's car when he sold us some tires. Terry told us that the struts were fine and that the alignment was off. Saved me $500. When it comes to having my vehicle serviced, I will always trust Terry at Caledonian Auto and come to him first. read more

Terry, and his team did a great job, they diagnosis my car and fixed the issue. terry was recommended to me, and I will only use caledonian auto repair in the future. thanks terry read more

We have been using Terry and Caledonian for many years to maintain and fix a succession of cars. He takes care of regular things efficiently, and will work to figure out problems and get them taken care of. It's great to have someone I trust taking care of our cars. read more

It's always a little intimidating to take your car in for repairs, while you wonder if the mechanic is reliable. Finding a honest, reliable mechanic is right up there with finding Gold in my book. Terry La Fuze, the owner of Caledonian Auto repair sets the standard for excellence in service. From the moment you first meet him, you know that your car is in good hands. For years I took my car to Jiffy Lubes until I watched the LA New Team's Fraud Story a few years back . http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/jiffylube.asp It was shocking to think how I could have been paying for services for years that I never received. Ouch If it's an easy fix, that you can do yourself, Terry will let you know - Amazing!! You can find Caledonian Auto Repair in back of the Jiffy Lube on San Marcos Blvd. read more

Let me start by saying I will never take my car to anyone but Terry. I totally trust him and his associates. Its hard to find a good mechanic that you can trust. Well Terry and Caledonian auto repair is that place. My 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser runs like new. read more

I don't know where to start. I have been taking my personal and business cars to Terry for well over five years now. My father takes his cars to Terry, my Grandmother refered us to Terrry. My son's truck, my daughter's Jeep. I can go on and on. Terry and his crew are honest and reliable. The bottom line is integrity and this is where you will get it. No matter what part of town you live in, San Marcos is where you can get your car fixed, on the up and up. read more

My office handles the owner's insurance needs and we think they are a great shop. We use Caledonian Auto and have referred several clients to them over the years. If you want an honest opinion without getting overcharged, go to Caledonian Auto. read more

Excellent customer service and great work. Went in for just an oil change but could not be happier with the quality and speed. If I ever need any real work done on my car there is no doubt I will definitely return. Terry is the best. read more

This review has been long overdue but this needs to be known. I have known the owner of Caledonian Auto Repair, Terry, since I got my first car about 4/5 years ago and I honestly trust no other mechanic than him with any repairs done to my car. Terry is an honest trustworthy man that always looks out for his customers best interests. Even when I'm not in the area to service my vehicle; Caledonian Auto is my first call to get advice on what could be potentially wrong with my car and how much a repair should cost. Caledonian Auto Repair sets the standard for car care and a personalized experience with mechanics who actually care, instead of looking to drain you of every penny. I will always be a forever loyal customer to this place. If you're having any car issues, GO SEE TERRY! I absolutely love this place! read more

This is the most honest mechanic you will ever meet! I have been taking my car to Terry for the past 8 years and he has not only shown his vast knowledge in "all things cars", he is also very honest and fair. He does not recommend repairs that are not necessary and will not rip you off! As a single mom it can be difficult to don a trustworthy mechanic, look no further, Terry is your guy! read more

Called in a panic due to my AC going out in my civic...They got me in within the hour... Super friendly and very professional!

I trust Terry and crew with my cars. We have 4 older cars and he works hard at keeping them going for us. I have never had him try to up-sell me. The last time I took my car there, it took some time to hear back from him and when I checked in, it was because I needed a major repair and he was researching the best options for me to get the price down for me (and, between him and Precision Muffler, they did get the repair down from $2000 to $500!). The fact that we trust him is enough, really, as we've gone to many places for repairs. But Terry really does go above and beyond any other mechanic for customer service. He cares about your experience there and it shows in his treatment of you and his treatment of your cars. read more

My vehicle would not start. I was parked in the corner of the lot and lucky for me there were about 8 different auto repair shops within a 100 yard radius of me. But which one do I go to for help? I looked on Yelp and read the reviews for a few of them. Once I read the reviews for Caledonian I decided to go there. I walked over to the shop and the owner, Terry greeted me. I told him what was wrong and he said sounds like your battery, let's go test it. He grabbed his portable battery tester and off through the parking we went. It was my battery. Terry asked me if I had a mechanic I wanted to take it to or if I needed his help. He could jump the vehicle right here, drive it over to the shop and he could replace the battery right away. I thought to myself that I didn't want Terry to jump my vehicle then I drive off to my guy who may or may not have a battery in stock and maybe save $10 bucks. My time is worth more than that plus the fact that Terry came out of his shop to diagnose my problem and was not pushy about getting the work made my decision easy. I was in and out in about 20 minutes. You saved me! Thank you Terry! You are a very honest and knowledgeable mechanic and I am so glad I found you. read more

If you want a place that is going to treat you like family, this is it! Terry ( the owner ) is the most AMAZING person I've ever met. When my car broke, I didn't know anywhere to take it, and looking at reviews I decided to just call and see if they were good. I was on the verge of tears and I was stressed about missing school for all of this and Terry just took me in like I was family, told me to stay in school and call me on his breaks and that he would do everything he could to fix it for cheap. He kept me updated and fixed my car THE SAME DAY. He even showed me the part that broke and explained what happened. The next time my car broke, he was my first phone call before anyone else. He even offered to drive to my school to see what happened but I didn't want him to have to go out of my way so I towed it to him. Turns out it was simply out of gas but because my fuel gauge was broken I couldn't have known that. He gave me enough gas FOR FREE to get to the gas station, and even explained that it wasn't worth fixing but showed me how to set my miles to remind me to get gas. Long of the short, THIS PLACE IS THE BEST. I would give them a thousand stares if I could. read more

The air dam on my VW beetle had popped out while driving on the highway. Jared took it out back and fixed it in about 10 minutes. Did it for no charge, honest guy. Also popped part of my front bumper back in. Awesome place, nice people, speedy service read more

I've been bringing my cars to Terry for 15+ years. My 16yr old recently wanted to buy a high milage used Honda Pilot. Terry was able to look it over, take care of a few small issues and most importantly gave us confindence to go ahead with the purchase. I'm a customer for life and now my teenage son will be the same. Thanks Terry! read more

Terry is the best! My kid goes to college in San Marcos and its good to know I can send her to Terry and he will fix it right and not overcharge us. Piece of mind is worth a ton and an honest repair guy is hard to find. read more

I always have the best experience here! The only place I take my car now. They're honest, fair, quick, reliable, make you feel like family. The best! read more

Trustworthy mechanics - a rare breed, but that's what Terry, Jared and their team are. I take all my cars to Terry - maintenance and repairs - and I'm never worried about being taken advantage of. Great company! read more

I read the other reviews that are five stars and I concur. Terry and his crew are really honest and do a great job. I have a classic Resto-Mod 1964 Chevy Truck with a 383 CI engine and the guys at Caledonian keep it running. I don't usually take the time to write reviews but they deserve a real "Atta Boy" from me. Thanks fro the great service !! George Renteria read more

This is my 1st Yelp review so i dont know if it will be posted. but that's just because I haven't felt the need to give any one a recommendation until now....so here goes. Terry has saved me again. I towed my 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel here after it wouldn't start. Had a feeling it was the fuel pump. Other guys were telling me $100 to $200 for a diagnosis and then $1200 for fuel pump. Terry took great care of me. I paid $750 (I think $728 out the door) for a new fuel pump and that included the diagnosis. They are busy so it may take a little longer, but after my experience with these guys, I can see why they are busy (and it's worth the wait). So now I'm off to round 2. Just brought my truck back for some more work. This time it's the transmission (it's got 193k on the odometer). Out the gate Terry was fair and honest. I'll keep you guys posted once I get the final verdict. Oh, one last thing about Terry. While I was sitting there waiting on my vehicle, a college girl came in from CSUSM and said that another mechanic told her that she needed struts. Rather than agreeing and then proceeding to rip her off (as some mechanics would with a female), Terry told her that she didn't need struts and that he could take care of her for a less. What mechanic does that?? I'll be bringing my cars here from now on. Thanks Terry read more