THE BEST. What you want in a repair shop! Elliott gave my new car a pre-sale inspection at the end of the day, when I was in a bind. The service was solid and super thorough. Elliott knows cars and embodies good old fashioned customer service. He's a straight shooter - trusted him immediately and knew he was going to take care of me. If you're looking for a trustworthy mechanic, Elliott is your man. Bonus points for being a genuinely good person who is easy to work with and a joy to have in your car care arsenal! read more

The sign of a truly benevolent mechanic is to stop what you're doing and help out a traveler passing through town. Elliott is an independent small business owner and appears to work alone. We called ahead and arrived around lunch time...we explained our situation and he quickly assessed how to resolve it. We were on the tail end of a month long trip to the PNW in our 89 Westfalia and developed trouble with the clutch. Elliott had us back on the road pretty quickly. We left his shop with other mechanical concerns that we didn't have the time to address. The topper to the story is that Elliott called me the next day to make sure we made it home ok and we were 500 miles from his shop. Now that's service!!! One other thing to note is that he had other customers/vehicles to service and he asked them if it was ok to get us fixed first. So a big thank You for those who gave the ok... read more

Elliott is awesome. I went to his shop on the recommendation of a friend who gave him rave reviews. He has a small shop, just him and one other guy and he gives great, personal service. I think he specializes in VWs but he also works a lot on Japanese cars and others. He has been in business over 20 years. He helped me diagnose a problem with my VW. I thought maybe it was the transmission which the dealer was ready to replace. I went to Elliot and he looked around and discovered it was just the fuel filter. Can you imagine if I had actually had the dealer open up my transmission just to discover the problem wasn't there. Never go to a dealer unless it is warranty work. From the get go, I could tell Elliott is one of those people you can trust and he's very honest, and friendly and is not going to try to milk a job. He's great! read more

Worst experience I've ever witnessed by a shop. I-am a new vanagon owner and purchased 4k in parts from Elliot and paid him over 2k in labor. Be very careful as he tries to use old parts that have been laying around in his shop that he is looking to part with. He put a muffler on my van that had surface rust on it that he tried charging me full price for and then tried touching it up with paint, while also charging me for the paint; unbelievable! Examine your bill carefully as you will find charges for things that he decided to do on his own or items he said he was doing at no charge. Elliot also acts extremely unprofessional if you change your mind on items you've ordered. He charged me the shipping costs to send shocks back and on top of that was telling me that I need to package them and ship them back myself or he charges for his time to do it. In addition to this, he makes money on the parts and will not touch a part and or help out unless its purchased through him. I strongly advise not going to this shop and if you do, cover all your upholstery extremely well as Elliot will jump in and out of your vehicle while drenched in grease. My interior was mint prior to him working on my vehicle and now there is grease and grime on the upholstery that won't come out after professionally cleaned. 8-10-19 update Speedometer stopped working a few hundred miles after Elliot fixed the front brakes. Took it to another local shop that doesn't specialize in vanagons and they informed me that the speedometer cable pulled right out because the necessary clip was not installed when the front brakes were changed by Elliot. Do not go to this guy as he tries to convince you that he is one of the only guys local that can work on vanagons. That is completely untrue as they are one of the easiest vehicles to work on based on my conversations with other local mechanics. Please reach out to me and I can recommend someone who provides excellent customer service at a very reasonable price and is a pleasure to work with. read more

Elliott is an extremely trustworthy mechanic. He helped me decide on whether or not to continue to put more work into my car or buy a new one. He did a wellness check on my car let me know the status before he did any work - he was so kind, understanding and was able to walk me through anything. I decided to buy a new car and he advised on brands and types I will bring any car I have to Elliott and am forever going to refer him to friends and family. read more

Another 5 star review for Elliot. He helped me with my car battery issues, serviced little blue at it's 60k (ok, it was honestly way past 60k), was thorough and I didn't break the bank. He's always super helpful on the phone and tries to fit you in whenever he can (he's def. a busy man). Thanks again Elliot for making my car sing! read more

I live on the SF Peninsula and was buying a car in Marin. I needed someone to take a close look at the used car and help me decide whether or not to purchase. Elliott was FABULOUS! He was so helpful. Went in on his day off to help me get a response quickly. He drove the car, tested it out, gave me a detailed list of repairs and was helpful in my negotiations with the dealer. All for a great price. He was friendly, easy to reach, and went out of his way to be nice, expedient, and helpful. I appreciated that he was HONEST with his opinions. He didn't hold back with telling me the benefits and drawbacks of the specific car that I bought. I ended up buying the car, getting all of the fixes that he recommended in the purchase price, and am super happy. He was totally professional. I would work with him again in a heartbeat! read more

Thank you, Elliott! You're a lifesaver! I've been going to Elliott's for a little over a year now with my 2000 VW Beetle, and I cannot recommend him more highly. The thing that Elliott gives you? Options, options, options. Do you want everything in tip-top shape? Elliott can do that. Can you only afford to do the bare necessities right now? Elliott can do that for you, too. He will take the time to explain *everything* to you so that you can make informed choices and prioritize your car maintenance and repairs, and plan for what's coming up in the future. That heart-shaped VW logo of his? No joke. This guys loves VW's, and he has a really big heart. Great service, great work, and all with a smile. read more

Elliott is a smart honest mechanic. In my opinion, it's greener to keep an old car running well than to scrap it and buy any new one, even a hyprid, and my spelling is deliberate. Elliott can help in this endeavor. He solved one problem in an older Volvo 240 that stumped many other mechs including one at the Volvo dealer. His specialty used to be VWs, and he remains a true expert in these cars, but he has broadened out and can fix any import. High IQ car diagnosticians are hard to find. I know only three and Elliott is one of them. He can fix the tough dog problems, the ones that stump those of lesser skills. He also is an ethical business person and really wants to help you get the repair done as cheaply as possible. Elliott isnt one of those guys who sees a $600 brake job in every car that drives in. If you just need new pads he wont sell you new rotors. He also knows that old manual transmissions can make noises, have worn synchro cones and can still be quite reliable. Elliott doesnt use every squeak and rattle as a profit opportunity. I was a customer many years ago and have relocated too far away to take my car to him any longer. I just looked him up to see if he was still going. I can see that he is and it's no surprise. Guys like Elliott are a real asset and I can see that my opinion is shared by many. read more

Elliot has saved the day multiple times for us!! He's friendly, professional, thorough, and clearly, knows his stuff. When there was a job that involved finding used parts, he had local contacts that made the job so much easier so there wasn't the need to send away for parts. We're super appreciative of the work he's done on our vw van---we've yet to break down since we've been working with him! read more

HONEST MECHANIC! Yes, I'm admitting that I know nothing about cars (except how to drive it). I've been ripped off by so many mechanics recommending unnecessary services. Every time I bring my car in, I do research ahead and really try to understand the automotive jargon. In the end, it all fails and I end up paying for unnecessary things. I was first referred to this shop by a friend. I had originally purchased a certified Mercedes and had Hien, one of the mechanics at elliots, checked it out for me. Hien had told me that the super charger was going bad. So I took it back and then purchased a BMW. Recently, my ignition coil went out with normal wear and tear and I had it serviced elsewhere. A couple weeks later, the same problem persisted, I then went back to Elliots and Hien had told me that initially I needed to swap all 6 out along with the spark plugs, instead of just one. In the end, the cost of labor would have been the same. I am very happy with the service at elliots and will only be bringing my car here. read more

We just had a great couple of experiences with Elliott. He is a very capable and honest person, and a delightful personality. His advice is excellent, especially on taking care of cars that are a few years old. I recommend him highly, and have every confidence in letting him maintain my cars. read more

I purchased a used 12 yr old Honda and drove to Elliot's on Yelper's recommendation. I had him do a full anaylsis of my car and basically gave him carte blanche, I was expecting to pay some $$$ to get this done. Elliot called me back in 1 hr and said the car was ready to go. He personally test drove it and checked everything out. Oil change and all that good stuff and give me a clean bill of health. Terrific News! Elliot was honest and very fair. He charged me only 1/2 because that's all it took him to check everything and replace what was only needed. I believe in paying more for quality work and customer service. With Elliot, I trusted his workmanship and truly delivered good customer service. read more

The true test of a mechanic, for me, is whether you can trust him or her. I don't know enough about cars to be able to advocate for myself intelligently, so integrity is the most important quality to me. Elliott has proven himself on that score. He's away on vacation as I write this review on a Friday afternoon. On Monday, my power steering pump, which he replaced almost a year ago, failed me. I called and got the vacation message, including his assurance that he was checking messages. Indeed, he called back in less than 24 hours. From thousands of miles away, Elliott arranged for the replacement of the pump by the manufacturer and labor by another shop he trusted in San Rafael. I got the car there on Wednesday afternoon, and I just picked it up, working fine. Now I understand why Elliott has earned so many five star reviews from other satisfied customers. read more

This guy is honest and smart. He gave me the time I deserved and listened to all my issues. I wanted to change the brake pads, he told me I didn't need to change them, so he won't charge you for anything not necessary. He even dropped me off at home when I brought him my car. I definitely recommend Elliott's small business. read more

I've been to many different mechanics and dealerships, and this is the first place where I feel like the mechanic is honest and fair. Elliot will make sure your car is running safely and smoothly without adding any additional charges or suggesting parts need to be replaced that don't actually need to. What's also great is that he will call you throughout the repair process and update you and he won't make any repairs without your consent first. One time I brought my car in because of a squeaking sound it made with sharp turns- Elliot squeezed me in, took a look at my car and made a simple repair that only cost $20, no additional fees and my car is running great. I also recommended my friend to go see him and she is a very satisfied customer as well. This is a great place, please give him your business! read more

I live in Oakland, and was interested in a car in San Rafael, and called Elliot to schedule a vehicle inspection. As it turned out, various things disqualified the car I was interested in before I even went to look at it, BUT in discussing the potential inspection with Elliot, he took a generous amount of time to discuss things to look for with that model of vehicle, and used cars in general. I am very grateful to Elliot for taking his valuable time to share his knowledge which was instrumental in helping me eventually find a great car. read more

Need a TRUSTWORTHY mechanic? Elliot is your guy! I've been going to Elliot since I was in high school (over 10 years). There is not a mechanic in the world who I trust more than him. He always looks out for his customers with integrity and realness that you just don't find at big shops. Just one example amongst many: My car wouldn't start up when I was living in SF. Had to get it towed to a local SF shop to avoid tickets (sorry I cheated on you) They got it started but said I needed a new starter and alternator that'd cost $X amount to fix. Seemed unreasonably high so I gave Elliot a call. Long story short, upon hearing the story he found the REAL issue and fixed it up for a MUCH fairer price. The same day too! Look, I'm not saying he's cheap or cuts corners. He is straight up honest and skilled and puts in the time to diagnose the exact problem! He kept my '98 VW Wolfsburg running strong to 200K and has already done great work on my new(ish) '05 Subaru WRX. You'll never feel uncomfortable following his advice unlike at dealerships and big service shops. Elliot is a straight shooter, New Yorkish in a way! He'll be real with you and you can be real with him. Maintaining a car can be expensive for us working millennials; it means so much to me to have a mechanic I can 100% trust with my steed. Thanks for everything, Elliot! -Chris read more

Elliott's Auto Repair is terrific place to get your car fixed. Elliott Zalta is thoughtful, helpful, attentive, talented, and knowledgeable. It is a privilege to have our 1974 VW Bug Convertible maintained by a person of such integrity and good humor, not to mention his high degree of competence and experience. read more

We've been looking to find a reliable place to work on my husbands VW, a neighbor recommended Eliot, he was great and really saved us a huge headache. My husband has been so unhappy with dealer services and is now a complete convert to Eliot. read more

Elliot was absolutely amazing to work with! Will continue to go to him and refer family and friends. He was a breath of fresh air. Honest, consistant communication while he had my car for a couple of days, great service and experience overall! Thanks again, Elliot! read more

"This wonderful man saves everyone's volkswagen bus/college car in Marin. He saved my Toyota Corolla by replacing her transmission for just $1400 in 2002. I love this man dearly and I hope he stays around forever! Yay, Elliot!" I wonder if he has any volkswagen busses for sale? read more

Impressed by these reviews, I called for an oil change. Elliott was gruff on the phone, then denied that I could possibly have a 2007 Rabbit and continued to insinuate that I had no idea what I was talking about until I hung up the phone. He may know some VW cars, but he doesn't know mine. I don't like being called a fool by a man I've never met and whose services I'm about to purchase. Thumbs down. read more

After all the glowing reviews I called Elliott. I liked his straight forwardness. I was facing a very difficult situation with both of my cars having issues. So it is difficult to figure out the scheduling with my wife and I. I made the mistake of not having it all totally worked out before talking to Elliott and was very short with me he told me to go some where else. I just found this extremely rude and careless. Often negative reviews I feel reflect more on the reviewer but I'm just not that hard to work with. Elliott may have been having a bad day or something but I just did not need to be treated like that. read more

Elliott is great. He's honest and gives a personal touch to his service. I've been working with him for years. He has fair prices and always has the car ready when he says he will. He also never recommends any services that you don't really need. I would highly recommend him! read more

DON'T DO IT!!! DON'T believe this man!!! A TOTAL LIAR!!! and with only 5 star ratings, why wouldn't you want to go see this guy, right!?! this man pulls the wool over your eyes, takes your money, says he did the job -- AND DOES NOT DO THE JOB. he nickles and dimes you for every little thing that he could possibly take you for -- and whatever you originally came in for --FORGET IT! and all this CRAP TALK about him CARING about YOU? total. B. S. bite the bullet and go to the dealership. maybe they don't 'care about you' -- his whole by-line about why he gets to make you pay for stuff you don't need AND not solve your original problem(s) -- well, i guess that's his way of caring -- caring about his bank account -- and NOT caring about YOUR SAFETY on the road. yes, i'm pissed. read more

i met elliott in 2002 after doing what seemed like endless searches for an air cooled vw repair shop in the bay area. i went to him with a 1974 type 181 that i had just purchased and wished to restore to it's original glory. elliott not only did an amazing job on all the mechanical work that was necessary, he also served as a project manager on the restoration of my dream car. he hooked me up with and even ferried the car over to an auto body shop to do the paint, and an upholstery shop. not only are his prices reasonable, he also insists that the other businesses he refers out to are also fair. he is a truly down to earth man with a wonderful way about him. my husband and i both take our vehicles to him and we now live in pacifica, which is quite a haul for auto work. that alone should be a testament to how great he is. read more

When I lived in the San Geronimo Valley, I asked the residents, through our group list, if they could recommend an auto repair shop. They responded with five, and two of the five recommended Elliott's Import Auto Repair. I have been extremely happy with the service Elliott provides. He's honest, accommodating, reasonably priced, and either he or his assistant does the work, so you can be sure it will be done right. I have also had unexpected car trouble on a few occasions and Elliot has been able to squeeze me into his schedule, check it out, and send me on my way. I will be a customer of Elliott for a long time to come. read more

I love this place! I normally go to the dealer for most all car repair, but after finding Elliot, that has changed. He is fair and speaks clearly about my car problems. I agree with the other reviews, he does not push things I do not need. He fixed my side-view mirror, replaced break pads and tires all for much less than the dealer or other repair shops quoted. He is honest and good and he has always gotten my car done in one day. This is an amazing find! read more

Like another reviewer, I had religiously been taking my VW to the dealer until I hit the 40,000 miles inspection and I was given the estimate price. I called a few places and came upon Elliott's and his reviews. I have to say that everything was true and Elliott went above and beyond any of my expectations. My dad had always gone to the same mechanic and he would get there and hand over the keys and not ask any questions, this is how much he trusted his mechanic, Elliott is this kind of guy. He is honest and straight forward and simply tells you like it is. I am relieved I have now found a mechanic I can trust and will now convince my husband to take his car to Elliott next time he needs a service. I will NEVER again miss an oil change or a maintenance again! read more

I moved from SF to SR in 2010 and needed a boutique VM garage (i.e. somewhere that knows VW's and doesn't charge dealer prices). I found Elliot's have haven't looked any further. read more

I am very satisfied with the good service and fair cost for work done on my Volvo S40.

Had my first experience with Elliott's Auto Repair today. My 1990 Volvo 240 DL needed a front brake job in the worst way! I live in Marin, but I'm not made of money and I'm so weary of the boutique Volvo repair shops that want to charge $120/hour for labor. What I got from Elliott was top-notch, no-nonsense service, a reasonable hourly rate and quick turnaround time. Elliott's very knowledgeable, personable and honest. He clearly explained to me what repair work was needed and showed me what had been done, including some very clever custom work, which ultimately saved me $100 off of the original repair estimate. Highly recommended!! read more

Elliotts Auto Repair has always been there for our family. Weve been taking our cars to Elliott for over 15 years, starting with our VW bus, and Toyota. Now we take our Explorer and Jetta to him. We have referred many friends to him too. They have all been happy with his professionalism, casualness, and mechanical brilliance. Our family highly recommends Elliotts auto!! read more

Elliott's the best. Not only is he impeccably honest and impressively efficient, able to sleuth even the most tenacious snafus with my VW TDI, but he consistently goes out of his way to ensure that my car is in good health, even when in the hands of another mechanic (whom he talked to for free on a couple of occasions by phone when my car broke down in Truckee.) He's also very down to earth and always cheerful, making every interaction a total pleasure. Elliott is a true VW Jedi! read more

Words can't adequately describe how wonderful Elliott is. There is no way that my car would be running without him. He is honest, fair, and always finds time in his schedule to help you out. I work in San Rafael, but live in the Walnut Creek. A few months ago, my car broke down in the east bay and I didn't hesitate to have it towed to Elliott. There is absolutely no other mechanic that I would trust. I ran into him today at Starbucks, and mentioned that I had a headlight that was out. Even though he was taking vacation time, he opened up his shop and fixed it right away. Elliot isn't just a great mechanic, he is a wonderful person. I would recommend his shop to ANYONE! There is no reason to go elsewhere. read more

We found Elliott's Auto Repair through word of mouth from different sources, at a point where we were looking for a trusted and affordable solution to repair our car. We were impressed by Elliott's professionalism in the first meeting, and even more so when we saw the excellent results of his work, as well as the considerable savings in comparison with other options. Almost two weeks later, our car is still running better than before the failure that took us to Elliott. It is hard to find a jewel among auto repair shops, and Elliott's has our full recommendation, just as we were told when we decided to go there. read more

My wife started going to Elliot last year upon the recommendation of a friend. She has raved about his honesty and very fair prices. I took my '05 Taurus to him last October for a 90000 tune up and was very satisfied. Today I took the car to him as it was leaking transmission fluid badly, and I feared the worst. It was also getting close to the 100k check up. Elliot's is located next door to Enterprise, so I had a car reserved. Elliot put the car up on the lift, found that the only problem was that the plastic gaskets had gotten loose. He tightened them, had his mechanic check the other fluids, refilled my transmission fluid, said that the 100k check up wasn't really much more than that, charged me $20, and sent me on my way. Wow! read more

I've put off writing a review for Elliot's Import Auto Repair for so long well, because quite frankly I don't want anyone else to know about this guy who is bar none the mechanic everyone wishes for and dreams about. Elliot is honest, fair, has competitive pricing and on top of that is an awesome guy and will get your car (and KEEP your car) in optimum running condition. He's got a tight space behind Enterprise, so he needs you to be prompt about drop-offs and pick-ups, but he and his staff keep the repairs moving. That said, he doesn't take on more than his shop can handle -- every time I've been there he gives my 2000 VW Jetta personalized attention and singular focus. He'll remind you and remind you again to keep your fluid levels up, he explains all his repairs, he let's you know WAY AHEAD of time when to expect more expensive maintenance like brake jobs, etc. Just an awesome businessman -- old school, local, dependable, can't say enough about him. He's also helped my wife out of TWO jams when a sheet of plywood hit the car on the 101 and when an old coolant hose blew when I was out of town. Class act, A #1 all the way. Highly recommended without reservation. read more

I had never taken my car to Elliott before but when we called him he agreed to fit us in the next day even though he was short handed. He worked quickly and when I went to pick up my car he had all the parts that he had replaced available for my inspection, explaining why they needed to be replaced. He also explained to me what work would need to be done in the future to keep the car running well. I felt he was honest and fair and would definitely recommend him to my friends. I plan to return to him for any future work. I have found a new mechanic! read more