Owner is reliable, prompt, a brilliant mechanic, and saved us thousands of dollars with our Hyundai Ioniq, which had transmission problems.

I've had great service at Dream Garage. I appreciate the prompt service, transparent estimates and pricing, and the fact that Gustav goes the extra mile to get you back on the road. I recently had a major brake issue with my older Tundra and it looked like there was no hope in resolving it. The specific part I needed (ABS/ brake booster unit) was super hard to find because it was a discontinued item and only made for a very limited number of Tundra's when new...Anyway, I tried for months to locate a used one, along with Gustav's help and he finally found one and let me know right away. He Installed the unit and now brakes are working great! I appreciate his clear communication and dedication to see it through. He has worked on both my Tundra and Tacoma and I will definitely return to his shop for services in the future. Thank you Gustav! read more

Grossly incompetent mechanic. I don't think he's dishonest but for sure incompetent. The way he fixes cars is by basically guessing what part "might be wrong", replaces it and then figure out if it was indeed the reason for the issue or not. If it was, you're lucky, but if it's not he proceeds to replace the next part that " might be the cause" etc etc etc... he will have changed a bunch of parts that were actually ok to maybe finally get to the bottom of the issue. I had an issue, he said that it was most likely a sensor, proceeded to change it and nothing was fixed. He did not even test the sensor before replacing it and was all upset when I asked him why he did not test it. read more

Dream Garage is the best! Gustav is amazing, and twice now has taken care of my car in crisis. He is completely transparent, his pricing is more than fair, and he knows what he's doing. Everyone should have 'my car guy' and if he's yours, you're really lucky! read more

Dream Garage gave me a great service and fix the next work on a 2005 Ford Crown Victoria: 1.- Remove & Replace Drive Belt 2.- Remove & Replace Alternator The work was done fast, only one day, good job, the labor and parts were very reasonable, a lot less of what other shops charge. I recommend it Jaime Jones read more

Gustav is the man! My car's alternator broke down in Richmond while I was driving down to SoCal, and not only did he help tow my car to his shop but he was able to switch the alternator out and get me back on the road same day! He's a lifesaver and would recommend to anyone to go to Dream Garage. Thanks again Gustav! read more

After my 2009 Altima was successfully repaired, I had excellent service. The car's engine needed to be inspected. The mechanic found and determined the problem what was causing issues with the engine. The mechanic advised me that some parts connected to the engine and transmission needed to be replaced. The value of the parts that needed to be replaced was reasonably good. The labor cost was fair. The value for the repairs was definitely worth it since my car needed to be fixed, and it is a better service deal than at dealership store services. I will definitely comeback to this place if I have issues with my car. I strongly recommend anyone to give this place a try. read more

An honest and skilled technician who's quality work I have complete faith in. He took care of my aging Ford truck and shared some knowledgeable advice. read more

Wow, what a wonderful asset in Point Richmond! Gustav runs a clean shop, is honest and upfront about pricing, hardworking, easy to communicate with, and goes the extra mile (sorry for the pun) to be sure you're taken care of. This is the only shop I'll be taking my car to moving forward! read more

Dream Garage, Dream Experience! Gustav totally saved the day. What I thought was an oil leak was actually an almost blown transmission...but Gustav gave great advice and went out of his way to solve the problem quickly and without me needing to replace my transmission. And he never made me feel like a dumb girl in the process. 20 stars. read more

Wow, I'm completely blow away by this shop and the customer service experience. Gustav and Dream Garage are a dream come true. Car maintenance give me the scaries and I'm always second guessing my choices but not with Dream Garage. The appointment was so easy to schedule, drop off was convenient, and Gustav was in full communication about the process the whole time. Upon pickup, I was walked through all the maintenance that occurred in easy to understand terms and was provided thee most professional service. I can't recommend Dream Garage enough. Do yourself and your car a favor and book with this company! THANK YOU for all your amazing work! read more

Took my car in for an oil change, Gustav was very friendly and worked on our car right away. While we waited we walked over to kaleidoscope for a coffee, and about 35 mins later he let us know that he was finished. Great location, great service! read more

I'm getting to this a bit late but we had a really good experience at Dream Garage. We were driving through Richmond and had car issues and they fit us in even though they were closed. Helpful, reasonable, not condescending. Genuinely everything you want from a mechanic. Our only complaint is that we don't live closer read more

Thank you so much for fixing up my car making sure it runs well and I am nice and safe on the road I recommend going to this mechanic space for any issues you may have with your car from a simple oil change to complex breakdowns they know exactly what they're talking about and will be honest about whether they can help you or not reasonably priced and very fair thank you so much read more

Dream Garage - Love my ride. Thank you for fixing this baby up for me. - Auto Repair Near Me - Richmond, California

Gustav is honest and smart. Very helpful - I had an emergency, and thought I was done for. Would definitely recommend and will be back.

Gustav is " top-shelf!" He is warm, personable, and exudes the utmost integrity. He consistently puts his customers and their needs first. Gustav goes the extra mile to get your car serviced in a timely, considerate manner. He is extremely knowledgeable and explains your car's issues in a clear, understandable manner.He apprises you of what other underlying issues your car might have. He is very reasonably priced. The best auto mechanic, I know! read more

I own a '17 Nissan Rogue and I had several warning lights and a "malfunction" notice appear on my dash while sitting in commuter traffic on 580. I immediately found a auto zone and ran the quick diagnostic test, found Dream Garage on repairpal.com and called regarding my error messages. It's a google number so I left a message and for a call back within minutes. Gustav was so nice on the phone, went over all the errors, told me what to do and to come in. He eased my fears of driving over there and was so pleasant in person. Explained everything he could see and tell, drove it, looked over it, gave me a positive conclusion and sent me on my way. I will absolutely be back (hopefully I won't need to be back soon but ya know..) and will recommend the shop to anyone looking. I was super panicked and am a very cautious driver and I could not have left feeling any safer than I did. read more

Such a great experience at Dream Garage! Gustav is so considerate and informative every step of the repairs/maintenance process. Will definitely be a returning client! read more

Gustav Rocks. He tells you the way it is, takes pictures of his work, gives good deals, and is fun to chat with, about anything. Including your car. Two thumbs up! read more

Wow! And I thought honest mechanics were dead. Not so. Dream Garage and Gustav are absolutely incredible. He treated me like an equal explained everything he was going to do to my car and did it on time and on quote. And all my 60 years, I never thought I would find another mechanic who treated me like an equal explain what was happening and never talk down to me. I appreciate that more than anything since I used to work on my cars myself. That was back in the day, and I no longer lay on the ground. Moving forward I have found my mechanic for life and if you have issues with your vehicle, I highly recommend that you could check out Dream Garage. Thanks again for your honesty. read more

Hey fellow, yelpers! If you're in need of a knowledgeable and trustworthy auto mechanic, please give Gustav a call! I was stressing out all morning over the check engine light coming on in my VW beetle, (that I bought used yesterday mind you) so I took to yelp to find a local mechanic with good reviews that could help me out. I gave him a call, and two hours later, not only did he identify and swiftly fix the issue that tripped the check engine light, but he did an overall check under the hood and took care of a few more minor things that needed to be addressed. I feel beyond blessed to have found him- and happy that he was available on a Saturday! I always experience so much trepidation when it comes time to finding a mechanic, however, all of that worry evaporated today. I'll definitely always give him a call when I need auto repair. Thanks Gustav! read more

I was driving through Richmond and hit a huge pothole and split my front left tire in half. My car is a hybrid and I don't have a spare. Gustav doesn't do tire repair but he jacked up my car, took my wheel off and drove me down the street to get a new tire! He waited with me while they repaired it, drove back to my car and sent me on the way. read more

The service was bad and the price was changed once my car was fixed even though i was already given a quote , The owner seems nice but as soon as I realize something was off the attitude is completely changed he seems greedy And he's not going to be upfront and honest with customers do not recommend as far as customer service but the service was good and my car was fixed read more

Prompt professional repair & excellent customer service!! I'm very grateful for Gustav and his knowledge, quality of work, and professionalism. I'm not very saavy with car related issues, but Gustav did a great job explaining the scope of work and what was involved beforehand. He's the only mechanic in the East Bay I truly trust to work on my VW Touareg. Thank you! Will certainly be coming back if I have more needs down the road. Blessings! read more

Thank you Gustav for being really accommodating and helping me get an oil change done before ahead of a long road trip late Friday afternoon. His helpful attitude and kind demeanor says alot about why he was able to achieve his dream of opening his own shop. I'll be coming back here for sure! read more

Took my Fiat in for an inspection before finalizing purchase of the car from another owner. Gustav seemed knowledgeable and his customer service was amazing! I look forward to coming here for future oil changes and services. read more

My second time with Tras and he is always very responsive and fast with the work itself. He changed my brakes and it took him a couple of hours at most. Very helpful with navigating me to the places in the neighborhood where I can run errands while he is working on my car. He had more suggestions for me to check out with my car in the future but since I had to pace my financial expenses, he helped me direct me what is the most necessary at given time. Thank you! read more

Was not able to diagnose the problem ended up leaving car for multiple days and then having to pay AAA to tow it to another mechanic who repaired it within 24 hours. read more

Absolutely loved Gustav and Dream Garage! I called Gustav on Saturday and the shop was closed but he met up with me and checked my car and then scheduled in appointment for me for Monday. He was super quick about getting the correct parts and was very easy to get in touch with. They also have a portal with details about your quote and the option to sign and approve before their work starts. Would highly recommend! read more

Gustav & his Dream Garage has saved my butt like 3 times in the past 2 months. Speedy service, thorough explanations without an air of condescension (Gustav actually *listens* to my opinion first), and reliable results! He knows my car well by now and I trust his vast expertise. I really appreciate the customer service most of all - he's been very flexible with hours, location (picked up my car in Oakland!), and last minute issues. I found my mechanic. read more

My catalytic converter was stolen for the second time and a friend told me about Gustav and Dream Garage. I called him for advice and service, and I am extremely pleased with the service I received. He quickly responds to every text and call, worked with the State Farm agents, reinforced my catalytic converter so hopefully it will not be stolen again, was very kind and helpful, and had my car back to me quickly. He also found an oil pan gasket leak, fixed that and changed my oil and filter. Love the Dream Garage, highly recommend Gustav! read more

Gustav... if you can get him ... is a first class mechanic. But he is not your everyday and isn't gonna do it because he needs your business- he's his own man - and if he takes your car in it an honor and a blessing read more

Update:12/22/2017 6 years ago I gave Automasters 5 stars - Glenn was a stand up guy who knew his business. Sadly, since his passing the business went straight down hill. Last week I brought my truck in and while the new manager was friendly, I caught him in 3 lies and ended up with sub-par work. 1st lie: when we first spoke he acknowledged that I was a burner (someone that goes to Burning Man)from my bumper stickers, I guess. He said he was as well so he would give me a better "burner rate" of $100 hr. instead of the regular $125. When I picked up my truck I saw about a dozen work invoices on his desk, all with the rate of $100. I asked if they were all burners too. Of course they weren't so I asked why he told me he was giving me a special rate when he gave me the standard rate. He said they were probably going to raise the rate to 125 in the New Year. WTF? That doesn't answer the question. I never asked for or expected a discount so there was no reason to bullshit me except to manufacture a false connection between us. 2nd lie: One of the issues my truck had was the headlights both died at the same time, making the truck unusable at night. He told me they went out because the alternator and battery were bad and would work again when those things were replaced. During two of our several phone conversations, I asked twice if the headlights worked now that the alternator and battery were fixed. Twice I was told they worked. I found out they didn't when I preparing to drive home from work after dark a couple of days later. 3rd lie: Another issue the truck had was a very noticeable chugging at any speed in any gear. There is no way to miss it. Sometimes it is so bad it feels like I could get whiplash. Cars driving along side me can see it. He told me he test drove it the day before I came to pick it up and it no longer chugged. Needless to say, I didn't get a block away before I knew the chugging was alive and well. There is no way he test drove the truck and didn't feel it. So either he lied about driving it or lied about feeling the chug. Seriously, a brick could feel it. Because I had been sick the day I picked up my truck and just wanted to go back to bed, I wasn't as diligent in checking the repairs on the spot as I should have been. They took a full week, Tues. to the following Weds., to replace the alternator, battery and voltage regulator. I did tell them that I wasn't in a hurry but a novice mechanic could have done that in under an hour. It makes me sad that Glenn's legacy has been squandered. I wish Louie, one of mechanics and Glenn's brother, would find somewhere else to work because he is a good guy who shouldn't get dragged down by the new management. Oh, and while the lot was never exactly tidy, (filled with project cars), the new owner has turned it into his personal junkyard. I called yesterday to get some sort of response from them but haven't heard back yet. Do yourself a favor and shop around for a different mechanic. ************** Original Post 2011 Bottom line- Glenn is a great mechanic and is a very honest, good guy. I have a very old truck (1963) which means stuff breaks- a lot. It also means Glenn has seen my truck a few times in the last several months, since I started bringing the truck to him. My last repair was a clutch issue. Glenn found that is was only a broken cotter pin and replaced it, called and told me "no charge." Who does that? He could have bullshitted me and handed me a big bill. But he didn't. He didn't even charge me for the cost of the pin and the time it took to diagnose and fix the problem. I couldn't recommend him more highly, even though I know it will make him even more busy than he already is and I will have to wait longer the next time my old truck breaks down. read more

I highly recommend using Dream Garage for your car repair needs! I found them through the Repair Pal network as a CarMax partner (where I purchased my Jeep). Gustav and team really go above and beyond providing a level of service that is rarely seen in the industry. They took the time to explain the issues to me, took time to answer any and all questions I had, and were transparent through the entire process. They were able to diagnose the issues with my Jeep and even communicated with the warranty company to get the vast majority of the repair cost covered for me. While driving to their shop (prior to the repairs being made), I got about halfway there before my Jeep started overheating severely and I had to pull to the side of the road. Gustav literally drove to me, grabbed my keys, and went to pick up the Jeep after it had cooled off and took it to the shop for me...just so I could get to work on time. That scenario has made me a customer for life. Great team. Fantastic communication (even available via text). Fair pricing. Always transparent. In an industry with a stigma of customers being overcharged and shops recommending unnecessary repairs, Dream Garage is a shop that you can trust. They're really doing things the right way. I cannot recommend them highly enough! read more

I am definitely becoming a regular at this shop! Staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. They provided multiple part options for my Audi A7 brake and rotor change. I appreciate their communication throughout the ordeal and their availability. Highly recommend this spot! read more

The first time I went in, service was great. It was just an oil change. Gustav spoke about not trying to hit a home run the first time - but do the work, no matter how small and you'd get repeat customers. My sentiments exactly. The oil change went well, and he even gave me a discount. I thought "this will be my guy for repairs." There were some other issues that needed to be addressed. He put them in order the most serious first, and so on. He said he knew that getting everything done at once could be costly. So he gave times when we needed to get in "you can wait another couple thousand miles, get it in asap" I took it to the Dream Garage a second time...I got the car about an hour and a half after I was told to be there. "I'm really Sorry" I went there a third time - he was overbooked, but gave the impression that the work could be finished that day. We brought it in at 11ish, asked if he was sure he could do it in such short a time - yes 4 or 5. Came back at 5, not ready, come back tomorrow. Came back tomorrow, no car. Had to call him and tell him that we needed our car, it was costing us. I told Gustav to get our car to us right away, he came in early the next morning to fix the problem. He drove our car to us between 8-9; 2 days after promised. We needed an oil change, there was some type of squeaking, and the headlights needed attention. Said he'd order the part for the light...what he got was a wrong part that he would try to make work. Said he'd run a diagnostic to find the problem - it was electrical. Said he'd clean the cover on the headlights, didn't have the cleaner in stock. we were tired of giving him chance after chance and decided to take the car to the dealer. They ran a diagnostic - it wasn't electrical; The headlights needed to be changed. The squeaking, he never found. I know now why it is called Dream Works....take it to him, dream about it working the next day......wait for a day or two and you might have a car. read more

As a first time customer, I am absolutely 110% satisfied with Automasters! I normally don't do reviews UNLESS I am astounded by the work that is done and I have to say Tras, the new manager, was outstanding! Very helpful and polite. The shop is very small and from other reviews it seems to be a family owned shop, which I really like. I called because my 1999 Honda broke down on the freeway due to what i believed to be engine failure but I needed a mechanics word on it. Tras was helpful from start to finish, he was very honest and very determined to help me. He came to my home and looked at my car for me for an EXTREMELY reasonable price. He understood that I was on a budget but still wanted to assist me in any way he could. Although I decided not to fix the car (due to the cost in labor which I really don't think is worth it for my hunk of junk seeing I want a new car anyway) he still wrote out a note for me and advised me to speak with the people I bought the car from because he was certain this was not entirely my fault (which was a relief to myself!) This review is rather lengthy so to get to the point my experience with Automasters was very pleasant and not stressful like you would expect dealing with a mechanic is. I am happy to say I've found my auto home! read more

Tras has been the only mechanic I trust with my car. I have a Suzuki XL and I haven't found other repair shops in the East Bay that have parts for my car or will do the job without charging me excessive amounts. He is professional, transparent, and will only recommend and work in what he thinks is best price/result. I got an oil change, new battery, air filters, spark plugs, adjusted the tire pressure and much more, all done in a full day and really good price! He is friendly, polite, and takes care of your car needs in a timely and efficient manner. Definitely satisfied :) read more

There is absolutely No Truth from this owner, so many Lies and I will be taking them to court because they are the worse when it comes to fixing my car anyway. They promised me they would keep my car inside his yard, but instead he parked my car on the street for two weeks, and it was ticketed and towed. They said "We Don't Have to Pay you for your car, take us to court" So Now that's what I have to do to correct their BAD SERVICE BE AWARE OF THESE SCAMERS" read more

My car's name is "Betsy" and she and I have been together now for 20 years, pounding the pavement, chasing and keeping our dream alive here in California. She had a persistent light on in the dash, a code from the computer system about something related to the transmission. Before we met Gustav, others said it needed this, it was because of that or a thinga-maghig was broken, yadda-yaddah-ya.... Then, we pull into Dream Garage. We meet Gustav. He did diagnostics, pinpointed the issue, resolved a solution and, BINGO, "Betsy" is back to her normal self. Today, she got her smog check (so long, check engine light), and we got updated vehicle tags. The journey continues. We are back on the pavement, California Dreamin'. Thank you, Gustav! Your repair shop approaches and mannerisms are impeccable. Kudos to you. We'll see you again and again for our regularly scheduled maintenance! read more