I'm not sure how I feel about this place, even calling for my car i was greeted with sarcasm an disinterest. I asked if they can help me diagnosis a check engine light an the response was like "sure I guess". I let it go an wanted to give them a try anyway, I should of js said said nvm an called it a day though. came with a check engine light and nothing but desperation to get my car fixed. I was tired of dealing with a p171 code an came here since it was close. I got charged 175 for a diagnosis check per hour. When I got there they said everything was OK with my car, the sensors , mass air flow meter cleaned out, hose fixed. My engine light was cleared out an not even 5 minutes later it came back on. He told me to let him know if it came on, and i messaged them with no response. I'm not going to go back to be charged another 175 for no diagnosis or solution. Fast forward to a monday, I took my car to my regular mechanic and all the problems that was mentioned at this shop he fixed. He replaced my o2 sensors , my hose was incorrectly placed, I had a power steering leak a minor one, and he changed out the mass flow thing. Now my car feels perfect and I haven't had a check engine light since I brought it to him. And he didn't charge me to diagnose my car either. They kept my car all day an called me 15 mins to closing to get it to just clear my light and waste my time. I had faith in this due to the reviews but I just feel scammed honestly. I wouldn't come back everything they said wasn't a issue my mechanic said was. How ironic. read more

High price. Dishonest. I got a major car repair then realized I paid a high priced for an unnecessary repair.

Had shifter and linkage installed along with some smaller items (headlights, fluids, electronics) totaling a lengthier project. Sean did a thorough job assuring the work was done accurately! Great shop, great people! read more

Not a good experience . Had to take my car back after getting thousands of dollars worth of work done . the car sounded worse after getting it fixed . Im not going to get anything done again . read more

This was my first visit to Fred's Wrenchouse, and I had a great experience. My repair could have cost more than it did, but they simply did what was necessary to make my car both driveable and aesthetically pleasing and I was on my way a few hours later. This process was made easier because after I dropped my car off in the morning, I was able to go around the corner to Pete's coffee and worked there for 4-4.5 hours on my laptop, and my car was ready to be picked up before 2 PM. Clearly, with all their high ratings here on Yelp, this business doesn't need another one, but I think it's important to keep reviewing so that new customers know they are still doing quality work, in a reasonable amount of time, for a fair market price, and not doing more/charging more if it isn't needed. I had the repair completed the first few days of October 2023, and 6 weeks later it's still feeling solid and my car drives so much more smoothly after the fact. read more

Been getting my cars worked on here for years. Freds is always fair, professional, prompt and communicative about the process. Thanks guys! Keep up the good work. read more

I had a maintenance fix on my Subaru Impreza and Fred gave me a quick quote over email and got me in the following week! I appreciate his transparency and fair rate for the work as that's not often the case being a woman and requesting work on my car. Great experience will definitely return the best part is it's walking distance. read more

Fred gave me three choices and bids for tire replacements. He explained why and how he chose them. I went home and researched the 3 brands. All of them got top ratings. I made my choice and set up an appointment. The work was done quickly and efficiently. Over the many years I've been a customer, I feel like I can absolutely trust his work and integrity. read more

They helped us out in a pinch when my husband accidentally hit our car bumper on a rail in the 7-11 parking lot next door. My husband went and asked if they could do something about it and fit us in, and they did! They gave us an estimated time of 5 hours. They were done in one. Great customer service and it looked good as new! read more

Always reliable. Provides great service and transparent estimates for older, finicky cars. Will return

I was wrong about Fred and Fred's Wrenchhouse. I praised him emotionally only to later learn he is a hack mechanic ripping off his customers by guessing instead of diagnosing the problem your car may have. Fred does not have a grip on automotive mechanics. This is a warning... Avoid Fred's Wrenchhouse. Fred ripped me off and wasted my time. I own a simple 2004 Chevrolet with basic old school mechanical systems... No high tech stuff. The engine is a common workhorse produced in the millions and found in most big Chevy cars, trucks and vans. The cooling system is as common as it gets. Unfortunately it was way above Fred's knowledge base. I had to bring it back two times to sort it out and today I'm not sure what else he failed to do correctly. And he charges every time you bring it back to have him correct his bad work. Fred ripped me off for around $2,800 and I'm sure he screwed the pooch on my vehicle again. Fred's business is unorganized, resulting in keeping my vehicle for two weeks the last time, two days the time before and one week the first time I trusted his competence. Seemingly being nice people does not mean they can be trusted to fix your vehicle. You've been warned. read more

Honest, reliable, highly knowledgeable. Best mechanic I've ever had in the East Bay. Fred and his team are wonderful. Anytime I've been in a pinch, they have always found time to accommodate me. Work is done well, at a great price, always with efficient timing. read more

Excellent! I have owned 17 cars and they did the most thorough inspection of ANY AUTO SHOP. AND they provided a detailed print out of what needed to be done. Pricing is totally in line with other businesses. He is extremely busy (because they are good), so make an appointment. read more

Some of the best service I've experienced. Knowledgeable and trustworthy. On two occasions car only needed simple fixes that they didn't even charge me for. I'm thankful they're in the neighborhood. read more

My Honda's converter was stolen. Fred replaced a new set with protect cable on it to prevent stealing again. They did good job on it and were able to finish it in short time that I could save some $ on rental car. I appreciated their patience at explaining the issue to me. Highly recommended! read more

I've been coming here for years. Fred and Barry are kind and patient and always make time to talk through any concerns I have. I really appreciate that they always talk me through procedures and never talk down to me. Both Fred and Barry always remember me and my vehicles (1997-2012, Ford and Toyota), and they've been willing to continue to work on my 20+-year-old car. And speaking of old vehicles, they often give me a hit list of repairs that could be done and repairs that must be done--I appreciate having all of the information about the state of the vehicle and also the help assessing what the most cost-effective plan forward might be. In the past, Barry has kindly provided me with printouts and reminders of previous repairs when I've misplaced my personal records. He's just upgraded their system to an online one, where I can access that info myself, which is also really helpful. Couldn't recommend Fred's Wrenchouse more. read more

My check engine light came on Friday. Bad timing since I needed to use my car over the weekend. I asked Barry if it was safe to drive until my Mon appointment. He said I could come on by and he would check the code. Barry thought it may be the thermastat being stuck open and said it was ok to drive until Mon. He was right. On Mon, Fred was there and was able to fix it and charged me less for the diagnostic (since we just got over the holidays). That was very nice of Fred and I didn't even ask for it. Thanks for the great service! read more

I called just to fix a tire on a Friday but the guy was super busy & still spend time with me on the phone to recommend me a different business thank you very much read more

Used to like this guy. Was profoundly rude twice to my son and quoted him three times what we ended up paying. Retire, Fred.

Nowadays it's hard to find a mechanic that you can trust. I have brought my car into the shop 2 times this year admittedly for very minor things but definitely felt that they were trustworthy and will not hesitate to bring my car in again read more

Quick response time, customer friendly, and knowledgeable. I've taken my car here multiple times and every time I've been completely satisfied with the work, cost and I appreciate them fixing my car in a timely manner. read more

Brought my van in for its annual road safety check. Fred did it and more, finding cracks in my old timing belt and replacing it. He also let me know I needed a couple new tires, so I brought my van to the tire place I use. Fred and his team are thoughtful and trustworthy. I've been bringing my vehicles to him for around 30 years. The previous place I was taking my car was overpriced and untrustworthy (dealership). Fred is great read more

Fred, his son, Berry, and their team have worked on my cars for the better part of a decade. I wouldn't take a vehicle anywhere else. Reasonable, well-priced, trustworthy, conscientious, and kind, these guys are the BEST, period, full stop. I agree with and second every word of Betsy P's review - 10/16/20 - check out her words if you'd like more of a breakdown. read more

Several years ago our 91 Isuzu pick-up just couldn't pass the smog inspection. Fred finally figured out the problem!!!! When the truck wouldn't start while parked at West Oakland BART, we had it towed to Fred's. He fixed the problem: the fuel pump. It was a hefty price but we were happy. Within a couple of weeks, same thing. We again had it towed there. I was hoping that the part was under warranty but ready to pay labor. After all they had to work on it. Well, guess what: no charge!!! It had been a faulty part--not their fault. But they ate the labor. Great customer service! read more

How often do you go to a mechanic and the bill is *less* than the estimate? That never happened to me--until I went to Fred's to have my master cylinder replaced. I had been avoiding getting my car repaired because I didn't want to deal with the expense. But after checking out some reviews on Yelp, I decided to take it to Fred. This guy has 5 stars and a number of reviews--he must be doing something right. Fred was extremely helpful from the very first phone call I made to his shop. I started describing the issues with my car in lay-speak: Jamie: Umm, well it's not really shifting properly. Fred: What is the size of your engine? Jamie: Umm, how would I know that? It has two doors. (haha!) Fred: Okay, well I'll give you a rough estimate based upon your description of the problem. I think its probably either the master/slave cylinder or both. Fred was so cool. Before I even came in, he gave me a couple things to check out to see if I could identify the problem myself. I, avoiding having to actually open the hood of my car--of course, just decided to take it to Fred to figure out. And he did. He had it all fixed and ready to go that afternoon. I'm not quite sure why I think this is relevant...but I also thought it cool that Fred had a fish aquarium in the waiting room/reception area. No one likes having to get their car fixed, but Fred made an undesirable situation a pretty positive experience. read more

I understand a fee is charged to look at cars and is waived if repairs are going to be fixed at the shop. But you guys literally broke my center console area ( cup holder is broke abs you guys said you fixed it but found out all you did was glue it to where it doesn't rise up anymore like it's suppose to do) ( and when you guys replaced the shift knob part now the Console doesn't match up with the ash try door , so when you close the ash tray its a 1 inch gap .. and when I first came in there I had a list of things that I wanted checked and fixed and the check engine light was the 2nd thing I mentioned so when I paid for the car and left the check engine light comes RiGHt back on so I take it back to you guys and let you know ylu didn't fixed this problem then you tell me I never mentioned the check engine light which I FORSURE did I wanted my car fully fixed I'm not going to not mention one of the main things. So then you guys say I have to pay $250 to look at the car AGAIN which is ridiculous because the check engine light was one of the main reasons I brought the car to you guys in the first place . So what should have happened was you guys actually fully fix the center console you guys broke and already admitted to breaking and then go back and see why the check engine light was on since that's one of the reasons I brought the car to you guys in the first place , Not just got the shift module thing read more

Been a customer to FW over the last 3 years: -Upfront pricing, sometimes even less than the estimate -Quick turnaround, drop off at 8AM, usually receive a call at 3:30PM for pickup -Respect my car: putting down a paper mat and not changing my seat settings -Significantly less than the dealer, about 40% less and they don't charge just to DIAGNOSE Of course, still not as cheap as those Asian places in Oakland, but c'mon, they use genuine parts. read more

These guys really saved my a** last week. Long story short, my van wasn't starting and I had to get it towed over so I could get down to Monterrey later in the afternoon for a wedding. These guys made space for my van (literally moved 3 cars) and got me back in the road in time for me to make my date. I'm sure some of it was luck but I super appreciated the effort, transparency, and service. I've had great service with them in the past as well on other vehicles so this spot is definitely one of my go to places for full service work now. Seems like they pretty much do everything here as well. Thank you Fred, Barry, and the rest of the folks at this shop. read more

Quick & easy oil change at a very reasonable price! Reliable staff even replaced my air filter & it was cheaper than just a standard oil change alone that I used to get in San Diego. Will definitely be back when necessary! read more

These guys saved the day. I was planning to do my own oil /filter change on my new CR-V before going on a road trip. I've had a CR-V before, so I'm quite familiar with doing the oil changes. As I was trying to loosen the drain bolt, it became obvious that the person (shop most likely), who did the last oil change drilled the bolt on so tight that I couldn't get it off and my efforts only started to round out the bolt. So here I am past the oil service change time, according to the OBC, and can't get the drain bolt off, AND had a road trip to get to. I called these guys and luckily they were able to get me in very quick, to take care of business. They removed and replaced the drain bolt, and they used the oil and filter I brought in to complete the job. They only charged me for the labor, bolt and oil disposal. Awesome service and great staff. I'll definitely be back. read more

I'm only giving four stars because we haven't sent our car for a repair yet, so I've not seen the end result. I'll update after we have. My partner brought his car in because the electric seat adjustment is dead. Rather than charge him for a look-over, or disassemble it only to determine that he may/may not have the part, the mechanic discussed with him the things it could be, told him the process for determining the problem, and how they could have the parts on hand to open it and fix it in one fell swoop. Why? To save us money. What he's asking for that work is very reasonable. To boot, he was recommended by my auto shop and they are ethical AF. Strangely, I am looking forward to working with the guy because I think we have found another peach of a mechanic. If we have to pay someone to do this work, I like it when it's good, honest folks getting our money. read more

seems that no job is to big or small. Fred is always there for me and I even save a lot of money. Thank you four being my "go to" auto repair and service center. read more

This place is aweful. I took my 97' toyota tacoma in because my check engine light came on - they said I had a crack in my exhaust manifold and it needed to be replaced or my catalytic converter might fail. Fine, they replaced the manifold. Less than a week later my check engine light came back on, so I took it back in. They said my catalytic converter failed and it needed to be replaced. Fine, they replaced the catalytic converter. Less than a week later, noticed my engine was puttering louder than usual, so I took it back in. They said it was an exhaust leak - instead of order the correct exhaust gaskets, they tried to use the old gaskets with a silicon compound. So they replaced the gaskets free of charge. I asked them to check and replace my spark plug wiring as my car was running rough in the morning, they said they checked it and it looked fine. A month later I take my truck in for a tune-up at AutoTech. Technician said my spark plug wiring is falling apart and needs to be replaced badly. He found a large exhaust leak at the header pope flange. Mentioned whoever installed the new exhaust manifold did a very, very sloppy job. Now I have to purchase a new header pipe to fix the leak. Thanks Fred for the sloppy work and unnecessary money spent. Everyone, save yourself a headache, and some money, and go to AutoTech. Those guys are awesome. read more

Decided to try a new place based off seeing great reviews from the community online. Called to make an appointment for new brakes and was able to be seen within the next few days. I dropped my car off in the morning and was able to pick it up at the end of the day. I really appreciated how they provided a full report and photos when looking at the issues I discussed. As a customer, it allows me to see and understand without feeling like I'm being overcharged. I thought their prices were better than most too. I'll for sure be a returning customer! read more

My 1990 Van got towed to Fred's with a suspected engine flood as it was running just fine and then just randomly wouldn't start. Turns out to be a more serious engine problem and a possible costly fix. I couldn't afford to have the repairs done right now and needed it towed back home, but Fred and his team were really awesome about the whole thing and I just got charged the diagnostic fee which I was told upfront. I wanted to write a positive review because they could have got super frustrated about the space taken up in the shop. I have had previous work done on the van at Fred's and whatever they have worked on has held up really well. read more

Every time my car needs to be serviced, I drive to Fred's Wrenchouse from Marina Bay through Bay Area traffic because I know I'll get trustworthy service there. Fred and his crew are always responsive, honest and hardworking. Thank you! read more

This is my second rating for Fred's. Once again, these guys saved my aging and very abused minivan. They managed to work with my schedule and make everything work. Fred and Barry are the absolute best. Even though I most obviously don't know a whole lot about automotive issues, they both have taken the time to explain things to me in regular English without making me feel like a complete idiot. When I move to a new place, my first two concerns are a good doctor and a mechanic I trust. I'm still working on the doctor, but Fred's is definitely my mechanic of choice. read more

I've been servicing my car at this place for a year. I can say that they're so honest, straight forward professional people. I'm so grateful to have them close by my house, so they save my car when needed. I highly recommend this business for everyone. Thank you so much for all the great work you do for everyone. read more

I had my oil changed here, and it was a super easy experience, would return again in a heartbeat. Really great service. I called in on my way to work to see if they had availability, and spoke to a very nice guy who said to bring it in during lunch. They checked me in super quick, and the price for the oil change was about half what I was expecting, so the whole transaction was amazing, to say the least. Picked up the car 2 hours later and was hassle free. Very nice guys who work here, and really wonderful service. read more

Fred's Wrenchouse is the place for quality, reliable and honest service. We have been coming here for decades and appreciate Fred, Barry and the entire team. read more