Those guys are the BEST. I been coming here for a few years now and feel bad, I never reviewed them. Super honest, down to earth easy to deal with. I have had 3 different cars here and they had no problem fixing any of them. Their prices are more then reasonable and they even offered to drive me home before. Now, if you want coffee, a waiting area and a courtesy shuttle- this place is not for you. They repair cars- very well. But no frills and bells and whistles. read more

Just had an AMAZING experience at Don's Auto Service. There was an issue with my right headlight. Over the phone it was diagnosed as maybe a connector issue, but once I showed up the technician helping me got right into figuring out what the problem was (it was a problem with the bulb itself, not the connector). They ended up only charging me for the bulb, which I was astounded by and so grateful. Everyone here was so kind and helpful, and I was in and out in about 10 minutes. I can't recommend this place highly enough - their honesty and helpfulness were beyond what I expected to find. Thank you again for the help, I'll be back! read more

My car was in bad shape and could not steer. I drove in to this wonderful shop and was so well taken care of. They made sure it was safe and communicated very well with me, and were very well priced and I I would recommend anyone go here if they wanted a real old fashioned customer service like it should be. I will be going here in the future whenever I have a car need. THANK YOU Don's Auto Service (and Carol). read more

I think these guys are shady. My wife goes here because it's close, but every sense I have is that they're gaming me. I went there to have a check engine light diagnosed and they couldn't find anything, but charged me anyway. I have gotten quotes from them for a tune up and a change of engine coils that are both double what I ended up paying elsewhere in town. On my last visit, I had diagnosed (thanks Internet!) that I had a failing engine mount because the opening to get my oil filter had become too small to get it out. They did the work to replace it, claiming to buy new parts through the "wholesale parts dealer everyone uses." Today I did my first change after the work, and the space is a little better, but still very tight, and the engine mount doesn't look new at all. Maybe they replaced it with some cheap spare part. I'm not going here again. read more

They are so nice and helpful here and I NEVER feel ripped off. I bring my Honda Fit here regularly.

My truck starter motor died last week but luckily I have a stick shift so I could still roll start it and I'm an eternal procrastinator so it took me about 2 weeks to get up the nerve to send my little baby in for a new starter motor. 2 weeks of hunting for downhill-facing parking (actually not so hard in SF) and fear of stalling my truck somewhere flat finally brought me to my senses. Some guys at work recommended Don's. I roll in at 7:30am (they open at 7am) after calling the night before. Amazing moment #1: they said come right in. I get out my bike to ride the rest of the way to work and it has flat tires, the mechanic doesn't skip a beat, he says bring it in, cuts a piece of fuel hose, rigs a way to put air in my tires and off I go. Amazing moment #2: they call one and a half hours later- not only is my truck done, it's done for $100 less than everyone else I talked to. Sweet fuel injected happiness!!! I can turn off my truck at the fuel pump once again and in all other flat areas! Don's Auto Service gets a big 5 stars and I should probably thank all ya'll good people on Divisidero who gave a push when needed from time to time- thanks for doing the right thing. PS- don't even think of turning off San Jose St. if you are southbound- Google is egregiously wrong here, turn off Mission St. Also, try to pick up your rig immediately, there is almost no parking here. Finally- sure you can save a buck or two by bringing in your own parts but you get no warranty action so factor that in...Happy Trails read more

Seriously, why are these people so nice? First of all I called four places to find out how much a 90,000 mile tune-up on my Saab 9-3 would be. Don's came in at $400 (the lowest of the four quotes). Then they only charged me $290. Huh? They were done with everything in one day. Have recommended a hose replacement on my cooling system (which I was expecting) but said I don't need to do it right away. They called me in the middle of the day to tell me everything they were doing and to give me an updated quote (lower than the original by $110). And they made me laugh at 7:00 AM (My husband didn't think that was possible). And now my car isn't doing that herky thing between first and second gear. I wish these guys did dental work. read more

Who likes having to have their car repaired? No one. Duh. And I think its especially stressful and intimidating when you are in a new city where you don't know a good mechanic and have the added fear of being ripped off. Also, go ahead and multiply that by three when you're a woman. So needless to say I was dismayed when the Service Engine Soon light came on as I was leaving work on Wednesday. NOOOO I thought. Not now! I just paid to have my crown replaced- I don't need this! Not now!! Please go off, please go off. I promise I'll be better to you... I'm sure you guys have been there. And anyone who has knows you're just S.O.L and its time to go in. But since I live in todays world, I had to go and google it first! Once I realized there really wasnt a way around a diagnostic, I came to Yelp. Double DUH! :) Well I called a number of places, the highest of the most reviewed of course, and prices ranged from $90-160!!! Ouch! Just to find out whats wrong. Thats just wrong, IMHO. Well just when I was ready to settle and drive out to the $90 spot, I decided to ask a city savvy coworker if she had a recommendation. She did, and thats where Don's Auto comes in to save the day. And they did. Not only were they the cheapest diagnostic at $70, they are the most friendly, helpful, timely, explanatory mechanics I have ever come across. I brought my car in around 7:30am and went to a lovely little coffee shop(Nervous Dog) around the corner to wait for the diagnosis. He called shortly to say that I needed an oxygen sensor replaced. He said that he had called to have the part delivered and that he could have me on my way by 9am. The part was ~$30 and the labor was ~$90 and so for $200 and a two hour wait I was fixed and ready to go. He was honest, he showed me where the part was and explained what it did. There were no surprises, no extra charges and no BS. It's a family business and they were very friendly and provided excellent, honest, reasonable and quick service. I was at work by 10 and ready to hit the road for Easter weekend without engine lights or worries. My heroes! *Sigh* read more

The service here is unbelievable. And by that, I mean good. The moment I drove up, Dave approached me like an old friend and kindly asked how he could help. You don't get this at the dealer. Now that I think about it... the dealer sucks. I came here for a smog check and it was done within 15 minutes. Outstanding. There was a credit card machine issue, but waiting while he had it fixed wasn't a problem because there are letters from happy customers stapled to the walls of the waiting area for you to read. I just sold my car, but when I get another one sometime in the future, I'll be sure to bring it here. read more

I came to these guys because I had a case of the check engine light being on. They first changed something in my car that was making a noise but not even a mile after leaving- it was on again. Cost $300 Second time I came and they did a full tune up. New spark plugs, whole sha-bang. 30 miles after leaving, check engine light came on again. Cost $500 Third time I came back they put some transition fluid in my car because they could see it leaking, it was free- but shouldn't have that been done when they did the tune up? Forth time coming back they fixed the leak on my transmition and confessed that they just didn't know what was wrong with my car and that I should take it to a dealer. Cost $200 Soooooo $1000 later I could have just brought it some where else and I'm pretty sure I would have been way better off. Brought it to a dealer after that. Fixed instantly. It was a simple change of a few sensors. Makes me feel like these guys really don't care and are just giving ppl a run for their money. read more

This was the last straw after several smaller annoyances. I went in to get my door handle replaced. The mechanic put the handle on, but it wasn't set into the door properly so it stuck out of the side. I asked him to fix it and he sent me to his boss. The boss said, "The way I see it, if the door handle isn't broken and the door opens, my job is done." I said, "So you don't care about the quality of your work?" He turned and walked away. I went to another mechanic. Edit: A poster reminded me to mention, "Contact the California Bureau of Automotive Repair 800-952-5210 if you have complaints about specific businesses." read more

Zero stars...I'd like to strongly caution anyone who considers using Don's Auto to repair their car - they simply do not stand by their work. I took my BMW to them earlier this year to fix a leaky transmission and thought it had been fixed after $800 worth of work. A few weeks later, I noticed it was still leaking transmission oil so I brought it back to their shop. Dave, who had done the work, says that he can't fix the leak because he would have to pull out the transmission to get to it and they do not do transmission work. He suggests I take it to his buddy who does transmission work that could probably do it for an additional $1500! He also suggest that I could just live with the leak and top up the transmission oil every few months. So I then take the car to two different shops for a proper diagnosis. Why two? Dave didn't trust the first shop so we agreed that I'd take it to BMW San Francisco as well. Both places tell me the exact same thing. Not only did Don's Auto fail to properly fix the leak, but they also used the wrong transmission oil! And it turns out that the leak was coming from a $20 mechanical sleeve that Don's could have very easily replaced without having to pull out the transmission. I've spent another $1700 to fix what should have been a pretty simple repair. Meanwhile, Don's has responded to my complaint with nothing but rudeness and denial. From what I experienced and what I'm hearing from fellow Yelpers, Don's doesn't stand by their work and doesn't really care about its customers once they have your money in hand. Do yourself a favor and find a different auto shop! read more

I've been coming here for years, have never written a review but felt like it was time to show some love. I have a quirky car that likes to exert it's issues at the most inopportune times. Thank God for Dons Auto!! Dave and crew always get me in and out at record speed, give fair estimates and are 100% transparent with me. They are completely honest, go the extra mile and always have a smile and funny story to share. As a women, I used to wonder if I was being taken advantage of (mechanically speaking ;) when at a mechanics. NEVER have I felt that way here, quite the opposite in fact. I always have piece of mind upon leaving here, I want to thank the entire staff for years of great service and reliability. This place and everyone who works here is great!! Next time you need a mechanic, try them out.. you won't be disappointed. Thanks Don's Auto, y'all rock!! read more

Fast, cheap & professional. What more can you ask for? As usual, I procrastinated until the last possible day to get my wife's car smog-checked. And with other matters I needed to attend to, I was particularly pinched for time this morning. So I typed in a quick Yelp search for nearby smog-check stations. In response, Yelp informed me that Don's Auto Service is 0.6 miles from my home. And since Yelp reviewers have given strong overall ratings to Don's, I called to find out if they could fit me in post haste. According to my phone's call-log, I phoned Don's at 0732 this morning. I spoke to a polite technician, who informed me that Don's could perform my smog-check immediately. So I hopped in the wife's car, and drove 0.6 miles to Don's. Once there, a specialist guided me into a service bay, where I parked, hopped out of the car, and turned matters over to the professionals. The technician completed my smog-check quicker than I could tap out a brief email on my iPhone. After paying $40.25 for the service, and with a shiny new smog certificate in hand, I retraced the 0.6-mile journey home. After pulling into my garage, I looked at my wristwatch: it read 0759. The service at Don's was so quick as to warrant particular emphasis. Below is the actual time that this encounter took from start to finish: @0732: Place phone-call to Don's Auto Service from home (followed by short drive to Don's). @0744: Technician finishes smog-check & provides me a copy of the relevant smog certificate (after which I pay the bill and drive the short distance home). @0759: Arrive home, park car, look at wristwatch - and smile. That's 27 minutes from beginning to end folks - bearing in mind that I started and finished at home, and not at Don's Auto Service. In the realm of auto service, the speed of this encounter is the rough equivalent of exceeding Warp 9.9 (consider that my obligatory shout-out to Trekkers). I'm still a bit gobsmacked by how quickly Don's handled this matter. As some of my previous reviews should indicate, I'm not shy about dispensing criticism when warranted by the circumstances. But with regard to my experience today at Don's Auto Service, I'm at a rare loss as to how Don's service might be improved upon. [I'm aware that a particularly snarky asshole might respond by suggesting that the experience could be improved upon if Don's shaved some time off the aforementioned 27 minutes; or that Don's could improve on its price by dropping it below $40. But nobody who has had any meaningful experience getting their cars serviced could credibly make that suggestion.] In any event, based purely on my own experience with auto service providers (and I've been driving for 25 years) -- I have never encountered service as quick and painless as that which I experienced today at Don's Auto Service. read more

Finding an honest car service can be very tricky. I found Don's on Yelp and decided to give them a try and it worked out better than I had anticipated. I went in my check engine light on which is a great way people can rip you off. They turned off the light and said nothing was wrong. Ended up charging me less than they had estimated! They were really great on the phone answering all my stupid questions. I think it's owned by a couple which made me more comfortable going there. I admit I am girl who knows nothing about cars and they could have easily taken advantage of me or made me feel stupid about something, but they didn't and now they have a life long costumer. When I got there in the morning before work to drop the car off they called me a cab which was there in light speed. All day they stayed in contact with me and even stayed open late so I could come pick it up after work. I don't think they could have made me any happier than they did or treated me any better. I have not one negative thing to say except it may be a bit out of the way, but they are for sure worth it! 5 stars all the way! read more

Don's is FABULOUS. Royal 'Ripoff' Motors (VW Dealer) quoted me $1,310 for repairs . . . and Don's did them for $600.36 . . . less than half. They also kept me informed throughout the day as to the status of the repair. They are honest and wonderful to deal with. Will definetly ge going back . . . and recommending to everyone! read more

Wow, what a pleasant surprise! This place looks absolutely ghetto from the outside, so I was really hesitant to go there. However, they are the closest smog check place to my house, and I'm lazy, so there you go. The staff was incredibly friendly and the service was very fast. They were also very helpful because apparently I hadn't brought in the proper forms (didn't know there were forms I needed to bring in). The prices were also very fair. Overall, I'm a fan, and would go there again. Guess this is why you don't judge a book by its cover. read more

When I needed a smog check for my DMV renewal, I had ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what to do. So I came on Yelp, did some research and selected Don's Auto Service. The staff was extremely nice, even over the phone when I called to confirm the $40 smog check fee. In the phone call, the guy even asked me if I knew how to get there, which I thought was great, not something you typically encounter at auto places. The lady at the desk was also super nice and chatted to me and the bf for about five minutes -- ALL ABOUT YELP! It was a great experience, and my smog check was done in about 15 minutes. Very efficient, and I'll definitely think of Don's if I ever have any car-related issues. read more

Spectacular service, probably the best I've had in SF. I took my Subaru Outback there a few months ago for an oil change. They noticed water in the oil and diagnosed it as a blown head gasket, an expensive repair that's also been typical for Outbacks of that year. I was steeling myself for the big bill, but they discovered that it was a lesser repair, and charged me way less. Everybody at the shop, and I mean *everybody* is super-cool and friendly. Even the mechanics chatted with my 9-month-old daughter when I dropped off my car there. Plus the location is very walkable from Glen Park, Bernal, or the Mission. read more

Don is honest as the day is long. Everyone there is SO friendly and nice. I've had my smog check done here-- it was finished before I had time to go get a cup of coffee! So when the engine light went on in my VW, I took it to Don's. Even without an appointment, they took my car right away. $70 and a quick diagnostic later, they explained that the sensors in VWs can be glitchy (believe me, it would not be the first glitchy thing about my 2003 clunker), and they would rather wait and see if the light came back on before making a major repair. And if the light does come back on, they will not charge me for a second diagnostic test. They also had me back on the road fast-- it took Don longer to write up my receipt with a thorough history of the problem than it did to run the diagnostic! Like another reviewer said, as a woman (and totally ignorant about cars) I am wary of being overcharged for auto repairs. I trust that I always get honest and friendly service from Don's. The heartfelt letters on the walls going back YEARS tell you how grateful and loyal Don's customers are. Count me among them. read more

Everything has been said........ They are wonderful people and I have trusted my old junkers to Don and Dave for many years... They are extremely knowledgable... and MOST important, they are honest! The Wonder Dogs thank you for saving the vehicle SO many times! read more

After having a really nice experience here, I was a fan. My dad shortly thereafter had his car blow-up in the driveway 2 days before New Year's. ..seemingly a radiator problem. I referred him to Don's, and he decided to give it a shot. He called up Don's, and they were able to squeeze him in before they were going to close for the holiday. He had the car towed there, and Don's fixed it up right on schedule. My dad was pleasantly surprised at the cost, having had a similar issue repaired previously for quite a bit more. He was really impressed with the friendly genuine people who work there, and said he would definitely come back. In the world of car repair, it's really difficult to find a place where you feel like you aren't getting ripped off. Don's is that place for us now! read more

Ok, so I'm back. Unfortunately, my car has cost me my fall vacation to Fiji, but alas, I picked up my car today, and all the myriad problems have been fixed and my car is running like new again. Turns out I needed a complete rear differential service, an entire brake overhaul (thank you San Francisco), a new serpentine belt, a complete tune-up, four new tires, wheel alignment and an oil change. But hey, I did almost nothing to the car for 85,000 miles, so I guess it's understandable it would hit me all at once. The crew here is unbelievably friendly, and they're happy to thoroughly explain what's going on what they have to do. This shop is as old school as they come, and they genuinely care about customers returning over and over again. read more

wow. Here's how it went: 20 minutes ago, I called Don's, and said :"I have a nail in my tire, and i'd like to see if I can get it patched?" Him: "sure, come on down." Me: "Now?" Him: "sure, anytime." 20 minutes later, and only $20 lighter, I'm back home with a patched tire. can I say wow again? read more

I came in for a smog check and was pleasantly surprised with their honesty. As it turned out the DMV had screwed my registration and I wasn't showing up in the system for my smog. Anyways, the point is they turned me away, told me what the issue was, I got it resolved at the DMV and then finished my smog check back at Don's. Any other shop I think would have done the smog check, taken my money and perhaps play dumb with the DMV registration info. Don's was honest from the beginning and once it was time for the smog check, quick and cheap. Can't complain; I'll be back. P.S. Yes, per the other yelpers the outside does look a bit ghetto, but don't let that scare you. The staff is totally cool, chill and personable. I dig. read more

Sitting next to me as I write this is a receipt for under $200.00 bucks for a repair that was previously quoted at just under $4000.00 bucks. What a great place, really! They fit me in a busy day twice and worked while I waited and worked out a way to fix my problem that was in my means. They're like an old school neighborhood shop, the kind I grew up around. I like them and will never, ever go to anyone else if I can help it. read more

My girlfriend had been using Don's for many years, and many vehicles, so I thought I'd give them a try. At this point, they've worked on my truck several times, and have always done a good job. I have to admit that it is easy to be put off by the absolutely dumpy appearance of the business, the poor lighting, the seeming lack of any modern technology (like computers). However, they do seem to get the job done, with integrity, and at a reasonable price. Most recently, they installed a component that had an issue that compromised another component (components anonymized to protect the innocent!). When I brought this to their attention, they took care of the first problem, replaced the collateral damage, and sent me on my way, with a smile. Of course, everyone should do this, but since everyone doesn't, I'm that much more grateful for this odd little hole-in-the-wall of a shop. So, yes, I'd recommend them heartily! read more

DO NOT GET YOUR CAR REPAIRED HERE!!!! I took my car here based on reviews on neighborhood shops, but was misinformed and ripped off. It would be the scrupulous thing to do and check a customer's warranty status if uncertain, but this did not happen. Rather I was told that the part was not covered under warranty and that if I don't get the work done, it would do further damage to the car. To make matters worse, the owner then back peddled to cover his tracks and said that they never used the word "warranty" but that the part was not recalled. Al tough they made some amends on the service cost, I was made to feel as though it was entirely my fault when in fact the whole debacle was a mis-communication between the dealership who provided the part and the repair shop. Shame on me for wanting to trust a neighborhood business, but shame on them for being greedy then not owning up to their mistake. read more

The first thing you will notice when you enter Don's Auto Service, tucked away at the corner of San Jose Ave. and Brook Street right off 280, is that there are dozens of handwritten (some of them misspelled) letters from grateful customers posted everywhere by the front counter. You are likely greeted by Carol, the cheerful and compassionate admin. for the guys at Don's, who is quick to provide a listening ear to your car troubles and will expedite your concerns to Don, Dave, Hector, and Kevin. What I have found with these guys is that they are honest and relatively reasonable in price. Of course, with all the shady mechanics out there, their honesty is worth every nickel and then some! They have ALWAYS, without fail, provided me with excellent service, including a quick and accurate diagnosis, rapid repairs (with one exception, every time they have had my car repaired the same day I brought it in), and a thorough explanation of what needs to be done, why it needs to be done, and the urgency with which it needs to be done. Kudos to Don's for their service!!! read more

The Guys at Don's really know what they are doing, and they do it for a very fair price. I have been taking my cars to them for 10+ years and I have never had a reason to think twice about it. I highly recommend them for all of your automotive needs! read more

The first time I went to Don's was to change my oil, while my car was there they discovered I had a nail in my tire. They asked if I got my tires from Costco and if that was the case Costco would repair my tire for free, if I was too lazy to go to Costco they would do it for $20. The second time I had my car tuned up with new belts, spark plugs and whatever else and they called to let me know that they had to order fancier than usual spark plugs which would make the overall price go slightly higher and they could wait for less fancy spark plugs. The point is they care about my money when I don't. read more

Classic Bait and Switch I called ahead to ask the cost of an oil change. I was told that it would be around 35$. This seemed ok and I brought my car in. When I went to pick up my car, this number magically turned into around(it would have been around 80ish$ but they topped up one fluid)90$. What they had purposefully neglected to tell me initially that there would be a seperate parts(fluids) charge. This is complete BS and totally unethical. I guess this kind of outrageous price gouging is the new normal in SF. Maybe for some folks 90$ for an oil change seems ok, I find it insane, and I find it equally so that I was not told the truth when I initially called on the phone. Find another shop that will tell you the truth from the get go. read more

Very friendly, in and out in one day, inexpensive. I plan to visit them for all my service needs for my 2002 Chevy TrailBlazer and 1995 Mazda Miata. My girlfriend took her ancient Camry in, also had a good experience. read more

Dave, Carole and crew took care of me while they chased-down a potentially serious problem with my FORD ESCAPE.. Dave did alot of wrenching on that vehicle, but in the end, it came down to a simple fix. I'll definitely bring my business to them in the future. read more

I came here for a 2nd time on the recommendation of a friend and had another great experience. I find the owners no-nonsense, communicative and trustworthy. I like their casual and old-school SF style. Have not felt like they are trying to oversell me anything. read more

Honest and friendly. I do the occasional work on my car; I'm not an expert by any stretch but I'm definitely not a novice. I needed to get my front brakes replaced. I considered doing it myself (hadn't done it before but have seen it done and am familiar enough with all the components) but was feeling lazy so I took it to an auto shop here in SF. Long story short, they indicated far more work than had to be done to get the brakes in proper working order than seemed reasonable based on my knowledge. I took a look at things myself and they seemed consistent with my intuition. I was going to do it all myself but didn't have the necessary tools. I ended up taking it to Don's to see what they had to say. They ended up indicating what was far more reasonable work to be done on the car compared to the other shop, but also offered a crazy low price for the work. Sold. Going here from now on. read more

Once again "Don's Auto" takes care of me, Dave had my 94 Blazer back on the streets running smooth. Thanks again guys.

What kind/funny, honest, & efficient people! Just picked up my Mercedes from Don's and although I don't Yelp all that often, the experience was so good that I felt the need to share. My car could have used several major repairs but because I'm trading it in soon I wanted to put as little into it as possible. The car had been checked out someplace else & Don's was my second opinion. Don's was very honest in telling me exactly what needed to be done & what could wait. The bill for what was done, was about $50 less than the other repair shop's estimate! I will absolutely return to Don's in the future!! read more

Excellent service. No nonsense. Appeared knowledge and efficient. I would go back and I recommend them to anyone. C read more

Super friendly staff and they gave my car a full refresh in no time. I didn't have to wait for service and they finished the work quickly.