Visiting Palm Springs with the family and our Honda Odyssey broke down. I called David at 4:50PM and he said he could see me the next morning at 8AM. It was done by Noon that day and at a fair, honest price. I highly recommend using him if you have any issues with your vehicle. Thanks David for helping me on such short notice. read more

David stuck with the quote he gave me over the phone and it was even a bit less. He is honest with his assessments and definitely worth going to him for a 2nd opinion as well! I will be back for routine maintenance and any recommended repairs needed. read more

David is an honest mechanic with reasonable prices. And he's a very nice guy to boot. I brought in my car because there was a whining sound. I am familiar with auto repair, so I thought it might be that my alternator was going bad. David checked it out and sure enough it was the alternator. He didn't try to upsell me or anything. I would suggest calling in first, though, because he can get quite busy and may be booked the whole day. That was what happened with me. I called him, but he couldn't take me that day. So, I went in early the next morning and he was able to replace the alternator and charge up my battery the same day. read more

Took my car in for a relay for air conditioner. Should have taken a very short time. Not only did he charge me for 2 hours of labor but he literally stole my original Honda radiator. When he put in the after market used radiator my hood arm must have been laying differently and i think when he shut hood it broke my hood arm (that holds up hood) because he switched that out also and never said a word about that either. He did not think i was going to notice the switched out radiator but i noticed it right away as soon as i put my hood up to check my fluids. read more

So happy I discovered David's shop. Took my car there for a couple minor repairs. Price was very reasonable and David even stayed late so that I could pick up my car after the shop had closed, which was a huge help to me. Will definitely go back next time I need service. read more

David is one of the kindest humans around. My car had a gasoline issue and he was able to fix it within 24 hours. Price was very reasonable compared to others we were calling. He explained the issues to us and gave us a breakdown of the charges. Support his small business instead of getting ripped off by someone in Palm Springs! read more

Highly recommend this mechanic. He did a great job at adding power steering on my 1971 El Camino. Reasonable rates. David went above and beyond when we ran into problems finding the right pump. He also worked with my schedule on picking up read more

David Daniel Smith Automotive - 1971 Chevrolet El Camino - Auto Repair Near Me - Palm Springs, California

When we stopped for lunch in Banning on our way to Palm Springs on Father's Day, we noticed steam coming out from under the hood and wet tire tracks in the parking lot. Our car arrived in Palm Springs on a flatbed tow truck. The next day we called David Smith. He diagnosed our problem as needing a new radiator cap which he ordered. In a little over an hour we were on our way back to the hotel. The cost for labor, the cap and a hazardous waste fee added to $87.65. David could have told us we needed a new radiator and kept the car for a few says as we were attending a week long conference. He did not! HE IS AN HONEST MECHANIC!! And a good one too. We highly recommend this business. read more

"That's it?" That was my response for how much he was going to charge me after fixing my car after running over a rabbit at 75mph and blowing out my bumper and my wheel well liner. This is twice now that he has blown me away with his honest practice. Maybe I'm just used to being ripped off at the mechanics, but he has been fair with me two times now, two years apart. I highly recommend him! read more

David Daniel Smith has always been my go-to guy. He's fast, honest, and decent prices. I always recommend him. read more

Had a small issue with one of my vehicles. Very polite and reasonably priced. I was a drop in, so they couldn't see me immediately, but set up a convenient time for me to come back. Very professional. read more

I'm thrilled to have found David Daniel Smith Automotive! My car's dreaded check engine light was on and the engine kept stalling. I took to Yelp to see if I could find a mechanic close to me since the car kept dying. Lucky for me, David was able to give me an appointment the same day. He diagnosed and fixed the issue within a few hours - and at a very good price! He was very easy to talk to, super professional, and runs an honest business. I have found my new mechanic and highly recommend this shop. read more

Got a tune up on my Camero. Fast service, friendly and affordable. Most likely to return for other services. read more

David Daniel Smith Automotive - Auto Repair Near Me - Palm Springs, California

Nice guy Made an appointment for an oil and filter change He seems very knowledgeable Highly recommend read more

Great service and staff. No hassle no pressure shop. Complete honesty and great work. Bring your vehicle here for the real deal. Won't play around with you or add any additional unnecessary work. This should be your first stop! read more

David Daniel Smith Automotive - Working on ma car! - Auto Repair Near Me - Palm Springs, California

Good honest mechanic/owner and he's been there for 25+ years. Has a solid local clientele. Warrantied his work for me due to a faulty part. Quick turnaround too! read more

We are visiting from out of town and my car started making an odd noise. David was able to look at it for me right away, give a diagnosis and recommendation. Fast & honest & knowledgeable. I highly recommend him! read more

Phoned and left a message. Never returned my call. Must be nice to not give a s..t about customers! Will never call back!

David is the nicest mechanic I have ever gone too. He is extremely honest. He gave me a very reasonable price to change the starter on my car. He was also very responsive and quick to finish the job! I highly recommend this place and I will surely be going back for any future car issues. read more

David was really nice and fair in pricing... BUT.... after 1 week of having my brakes done... I heard a knocking sound every time I would go over a bump so with that concern I took it to the dealership... wellllll they informed me that the Brake Calibers were loose!!! They were nice enough to TIGHTEN the calibers up at no charge!! Guess if ya have work done make sure all bolts are TIGHTENED before you have an even more costly mistake! read more

I needed to get some work on my Jeep and Dave fit me immediately. His shop was perfect for my needs and he was very honest and professional. I will be taking back my vehicle if I need any work done in the future. read more

David Daniel Smith Automotive - Resealing the front differential cover and changing the fluid in my 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7 - Auto Repair Near Me - Palm Springs, California

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Really! I - 10 Toyota tells me the power steering lines are leaking and if not replaced, damage will occur. Okay, I'm not really having a problem, and after agreeing to an $800 tune up, well, enough for one day! Well, 6 months later, yea, there was an awful noise, sounding like something scraping against the tire. Rather than I - 10, a friend suggested David. Took it there, showed him what Toyota told me and left. 5 hours later, David calls and tells me that there were no leaky hoses, a clamp was loose and needed to be tighten! I - 10 wanted almost $500 to fix it. David charges $40!!!!! Why go anywhere else??? read more

Dave is wonderful. My husband and I came all the way from Reno to Palm Springs for our one year anniversary and my car at about the halfway mark started misfiring at higher levels of speed. We were really concerned that it could be a transmission issue, and an expensive repair. We brought the car in the next morning and he knew what it was before even looking at it. The coil on my spark plug had gone out, and needed to be replaced. He ended up fixing it in a matter of hours and my car was as good as new! We were both so relieved. A lot of auto repair places aren't reputable or honest like Dave is and he knows his stuff. I'm so happy I went off of all the positive YELP reviews! read more

Dave saved my butt twice now. He is honest and reliable. He quotes more than fair price and work is done fast. Most recently, I got my alternator and battery changed for $350 total and picked it up on the same day. A previous incident was with my engine shield. People that changed the oil didn't screw it back and that caused the car to make a loud sound due to the shield being dragged on the ground. Dave charged me $20 for the bolts to bolt it back. If you are looking for an honest mechanic, he is your guy! I really didn't want to write this review for selfish reasons. However, I am compelled to write him a positive review because I feel people should know about him. read more

Dave is the best! He is knowledgeable. He does good work. He is honest and fair. His prices are reasonable. I love this mechanic! I have had cars towed in needing major repairs, and I also go in for routine maintenance. He is friendly and personable with everyone, whether their car is old and ugly or brand new. He is always busy--a by-product of being an excellent mechanic--but he juggles all the different jobs he is working on to meet the needs of all his customers. When he is done with my car, I generally say, "Already? That was fast!" I had a bad experience with another shop right before I found Dave. They charged me more than the initial estimate and damaged a hubcap. Then my bf recommended Dave. It was like night and day! I haven't taken a vehicle anywhere but Dave's shop since then. read more

Found David via Yelp, took my 2005 Toyota Tacoma in for the 85K maint. 1. Easy to schedule, no wait when I got there. 2. Changed oil, rotated tires, checked fluids, etc. .... total was $50. 3. In and out in an hour ... very easy. 4. Very convenient for North Palm Springs. read more

I rarely if ever leave reviews; however, in this case felt the need to share my experience since so many people get taken advantage of by mechanics. I would highly recommend Dave to anybody in need of automotive repair. He was professional, very reasonably priced, and fixed my car in shortest possible time. read more

Got the job done quickly, was fairly priced, and was very friendly. Would recommend 10/10 times, has definitely earned my business.

Can't recommend this shop. Went in for an oil change. He didn't seal the plug properly and the next day I found the oil had leaked out onto my garage floor. I took it back and he said he "fixed it" and refilled the oil no charge. OK - or so I thought. Next time the car was up on the hoist (at another garage) it was obvious that the oil was still leaking. I called him back and he said he could only take me at 7:30AM. When I said I couldn't make it at 7:30AM he said "let's just forget it then." So let's see - incompetence and bad customer service. I'll find another garage thanks. read more

My driver's side window stopped working. My partner called David and he told my partner what part to get and we got it from Amazon to save money. I took my car and the part in and David was a great guy and he did a fantastic job. Suffice it to say that I have found the only mechanic who will ever work on my car from this point forward. His prices are reasonable, he does great work and he's a really nice and honest man. Kudos! Thanks David!!! read more

David was great, quick and affordable. Like the other posters, I thought I needed an expensive repair (new starter) and David told me it was simply the battery. He easily could have charged me for something I didn't need and make several hundred more dollars that day. I will definetly go back next time I need a repair. read more

Dave is a great mechanic and a genuinely nice guy. Very trustworthy. He won't recommend work unless you really need it.

Solid work. Honest mechanic. He did a brake job for me in a timely manner , I've had no trouble with his work.

Super honest mechanic. Dealer said I needed to have a timing belt service and I called to get a quote from them and he told me I have a chain and they don't need to be serviced at regular intervals. They are awesome! read more

We walked in (no appointment) to see if he could diagnose a noise and a leak coming from our car. He remembered our phone call to him from a prior day and immediately retrieved our car from the parking lot and had it up on the lift lickety- split. Within 20 minutes, he had an answer and a quote for each job. I've never experienced such efficient service without an appt. and no attitude about it either. David can add us to his client base as we won't be using anyone else. Thanks for the great service! read more

I found this place through a friend. I had taken my car to Midas and they had quoted me $650. The reason it was so much is because I was getting brake pads and they were insisting on doing all four even though I was in desperate need of only one and I just didn't have the cash to do everything. Smith did one wheel including turning the router for only $136. A year later I went back to him because my radiator was leaking water. It turned out to be a thermastat casing that needed to be replaced. He did that and changed my oil and oil filter for $320. but here is the clincher for me. Smith is the kind of guy who just loves your car. I don't have a fancy car or anything, but he made me love the car again. It wasn't enough for him to just do what I had asked and fix that one problem. It was like he just couldn't resist fixing up some other things too...but he didn't charge me for it. Like my hood just wouldn't stay up--the hydralic sten that holds it up would just ever so slowly let it fall back on your head. He just fixed that. Then my battery was all corroded and green. He just fixed that. Then he noticed my repair engine soon light was on so he just put that on the diagnostics and found that it was running "lean ob #1 and #2" so he just adjusted that while he was at it. Then he washed my car and complained about this stuborn overspray that indeed was all over the hood of my car making it look dull and he somehow buffed that out of the hood. There are probably even more things he did that I don't even know about. Those were the ones I discovered or noticed on my own. He just is one of those kind of guys that is real and efficient and timely (never more than one day). He doesn't try to plus sell, but he does let you know if something needs attention. He doesn't take credit cards, but he rarely charges more than a pocketful. He has all the diagnostic equipment and he has been in his shop for quite some time on the North end just north of San Rafeal off Indian. I would recommend him completely. read more

David Smith is amazing and affordable. My alternator went out on my 2004 Subaru Sunday afternoon over Labor Day Weekend, and I knew no one would be open the holiday weekend but I called David anyway and left him a message. First thing Tuesday morning David called me back and I had my car towed into his shop and within a couple hours he had it up and running, saving me hundreds of dollar over what it would have cost me if I took it into Palm Springs Subaru. David is definitely my new mechanic. read more

I don't usually write reviews but I am about to drive to Daves to get my car fixed and I feel compelled to tell people that you won't find a more honest and reasonable Mechanic than Dave. There are a lot of crooks in the desert who will overcharge and upsell but Dave is as honest as they come. If you're looking for a new Mechanic don't hesitate to go to him. Anywhere else you go, prepare to get ripped off. read more

We have been taking our three cars to David nearly two years now. This morning we took our Mustang over for it's usual oil change but we had noticed the engine service light came on several days ago and our car seemed to be sluggish to start. David found the gas cap wasn't sealed properly and this being the problem. He called a few hours later saying the car was ready, charging us for the oil change. He is very knowledgable, honest and he really loves your car. It's very comforting for us to know we have an excellent mechanic we can trust. Highly recommend! read more

Right now it's 3pm Friday on a beautiful, unusually NOT hot day in Palm Springs. I just got back from the DMV, where I discovered that not only was my registration 5 days late, I had failed to notice that the smog check was due. The super nice DMV lady (seriously, not being ironic) waived all my late fees so I could put that money towards an oil change and smog. Yikes. It's an older Chevy Suburban 4x4 that I haul the dogs around in, and I've never had to smog it before. It's in near perfect condition; only one previous NoCal owner who kept it garaged and religiously maintained, right down to complete engine and transmission overhauls about 50,000 miles ago. Still, there's 200,000 miles on the clock and I'm scared. Smog checks are always scary. Enter Dave. I felt guilty even picking up the phone, but as usual, Dave accommodated without hesitation. He said no problem, bring it by in an hour. (As in 4pm on the aforementioned beautiful Friday afternoon.) We'll do an oil change and hook it up to the computer and look for red flags. In other words, he's going to give me peace of mind when I take it to get smogged. The end. Seriously, what more do you need to hear? OK, fine ... here's the 1-2-3 on why you should take your domestic car or truck (and, I discovered today, Japanese cars, as well) to Dave: 1) He's totally, completely competent. 2) He's totally, completely honest. 3) His rates are reasonable. And here's the real bottom line: I send my Mom there with her Cadillac. This is a lady who has serviced her Cadillacs ONLY at the dealer for the better part of 40 years. And she loves him. Maybe I should get her to write a review for him, too! read more