Fred and his mechanics have always done a good job for me. They also don't treat me like a fool because I'm a woman. I've always dropped the car off in the morning and picked it up later that afternoon, ready to go. When my window got broken, Fred talked me through the differences between genuine replacement glass and aftermarket glass and how much each would cost. When they've found problems while doing other work on the car, they've let me know promptly and also let me know if it needs to be fixed now or can be fixed later and if so, how much later. I recently moved out of Alameda and I'm still taking my car here. read more

Unlike many other reviewers I only had to change some lights in my car, it was reasonable priced considering the labor needed to unhook the bumper and that the car needed to be racked up. Fred is an honest individual that has a humble smile that brings up memories of Santa Claus and because of his service and professionalism if there is any car issues that needed to be resolved in am the island of Alameda he is the man to go to read more

My experience with Fred's was very positive. I grew up working on my own car in the backyard and hung out in the auto shop at the high school (back when they wouldn't let girls actually take shop.) I've had my car in several shops in Alameda and have had a real bag of mixed experiences. I took my car to Fred's for an oil change and some issues with the brakes. Fred was able to turn the rotors, sand down the brake pads and fix the issue for a price I felt was extremely reasonable. I plan to take the car back for a couple of other things I want done and I'm hopeful I will get the same excellent service and great pricing. I didn't realize there was a parking lot off of Webster so I did cruise a few times looking for street parking, nice to know for next time. Thanks Fred. read more

Dude Fred is so awesome. I took my car in this past week, and not only were all repairs done on time, and with cost in mind from the shop's perspective and mine (looking out for those who don't have unlimited expendable income for auto repair), but: 1) The shop fixed my front bumper (pushed it back into place) without me pointing it out, and re-connected a side panel below the window 2) I didn't have my spare key to access the car after he parked it outside upon finishing repairs, so they literally took half an hour and worked to get the door open without even having to call a locksmith. Like seriously you can't find service like this everywhere anymore. read more

I've been taking my car to Fred since 2003 or 2004. I haven't gone to another mechanic since finding this shop. I drive a 1957 Chrysler, which isn't an easy car to find parts for, or repair, but he takes the time to do everything correctly. He even custom built a bracket for the car when I switched from a generator to an alternator. I highly recommend his shop. read more

Fred's was recommended to me by a few friends, people who didn't know each other, so they weren't colluding... And ever since, for the past 10 years, i've brought Fred's vehicles that i owned, both American and Japanese, for work. Fred and his crew are so honest. They are the only mechanics i really trust. I had a Mercury Sable that was truly a lemon. Fred kept it running, and boy, did it need frequent work! But at a certain point, he told me it really wasn't worth it to me to keep dumping money into it, and that i should get a different vehicle. I know that Fred could have kept getting money from me to keep fixing that thing. Instead i bought a used Japanese van that hardly ever needed work. But whenever it did, i took it to Fred's. And Fred often goes out of his way to do good things for his customers. For example, i bought the used van mentioned above from a friend - and prior to me someone had driven it and had a little incident, so it had a dent over the passenger-side wheel well, and the passenger side door didn't open all the way. I took the van in for some minor engine maintenance (replace a belt), and when i picked it up, someone at Fred's had popped the dent out! And no charge! Plus, he's got a very cool self-contained and self-sustained tropical fish tank in his office. So there's entertainment if you have to wait. There are some auto shops about 1-1/2 blocks from where i live. And his rates may be a tiny tad more than some other shops. But i am blissfully happy to take my vehicle out of my way to Fred's because the Wrenchouse is so honorable and reliable. The world needs more mechanics like Fred and his team at Fred's Wrenchouse. read more

I went to Fred after taking my Mercury Sable to the Ford Store in San Leandro. My car had smoke coming out of the engine bay and the Ford store mechanics tell me that all my engine gaskets are leaking (extremely vague) and it will be about $3,000 to fix it. I then take my car to Fred for a second opinion. Fred tells me I have 3 leaks. 1) Valve cover gasket 2) Transaxle oil pan gasket 3) Oil Pan Gasket. which would cost about $1,250 to fix them. But he says that only one of the leaks is spilling onto the exhaust which is causing the smoking. So I paid just for that one and I might decide to fix the other two later. Result- My car no longer smokes. So instead of either having to buy a new car or pay way more than I wanted to for a vague prognosis I pay about $600 to Fred and can continue using my car. Yeaaa! read more

I have taken my Jeep here many many times, and Fred is the best. Good guy, always friendly, honest work. I'll never go anywhere else again.

Best mechanic i haven't tried yet! Called Fred to schedule a smog. He was busy but took the time and had me check the DMV paperwork that stated "Test Only" station. His shop "Tests and Repairs" for smog. He gave me the number of the best closest "Test Only" station and let me know to run my truck for a half hour before taking it in. Cool that he took the time. read more

Great quick service, family owned business, good prices, friendly staff, clean (tho cluttered) office. Definitely will return for all future auto service needs. read more

I brought my '85 Cutlass to Fred after I attempted to replace a fuel pump myself... not only did he not laugh at me, but he had all back together the same day, even though he had to search the frame rails for some of the AC bracket bolts that I had left sitting on top of the engine. He also told me what I did wrong for the next time when I attempt it. Only problem is he prefers you call ahead, but the service is worth it. read more

The Check Engine light appeared on the dash of my Cadillac. The original estimate Fred's gave me was $1400, which I paid when I picked up the car the first time. I quickly discovered that If Fred's would of just test driven the "repaired" car, they would've realized it wasn't fixed as the light was still on. I took the car back to Fred's. Fred's then went ahead and repaired the car WITHOUT ADVISING ME IT WOULD BE COSTING ME an additional $400. WHO DOES THIS? However, When I went to pick up the car the second time Fred's said I could make payments on the the additional $400 (that was never agreed upon prior to repairs). HOW NICE OF THEM! So, I paid a total of $1700 to fix something that should've cost $400 if it had been diagnosed correctly. Fred's was also not able to give me a satisfactory answer when I asked why the $400 option was not tried first or why they didn't test drive before calling me to tell me it was ready, when it clearly was not repaired yet. UNBELIEVABLE! This AMATEUR HOUR AT FRED'S turned out to be a VERY EXPENSIVE RIDE for this customer. read more

I would like to share my most recent experience with the automotive repair world. After several months of trying to diagnose a particularly rare 1991 Super Coupe. I found out that Fred's Wrench House actually had an identical Super Coupe in his shop. I decided to ask if he had experience working on this type of vehicle, to my surprise he did. After supplying Fred with a bit of background on our vehicle he asked me to bring in the vehicle just the very next day. Fred responded to me as he promised at the end of the day. No solution on day 1. He would try something a bit different the following day.Commonly known as EVAP Smoke testing. Something none of the prior mechanics had thought of trying. Thanks to Fred and his expertise and unwillingness to give up on this challenging issue, he had found the problem that had evaded so many of the other mechanics we had previously visited. A air valve that was located at the back of the motor closest to the firewall had broken off. If any body deserves praise for not just giving up on a problematic issue it has to be Fred at Fred's wrench House. Fred goes above and beyond the call of duty to resolve this vehicles problem. Thank You, Fred and Crew read more

Given all the good reviews for this place, it's a shame that I had such a terrible experience with Fred's Wrenchouse. But I did. Back in December 2017 my glass headlight broke and my usual auto mechanic was closed for the holidays. Despite being closed they did recommend Fred's Wrenchouse so I went over there thinking I would get that same great, HONEST, service as I do with Al's. I was wrong. First, the quote I was waiting for on Friday didn't come until the following Tuesday. This was a bit unprofessional but that's OK, I understand that things happen. The thing that made me so frustrated with Fred's was the HUGE overestimate of cost and time. I had done some preliminary research on how much the headlight would cost because I wanted to know how much this piece would set me back. I looked online and found that the average cost was around $100, with most places selling them for around $80. But Fred's estimated it at over $200. But what makes that estimate even worse is the fact that I was told "I spend a lot of time looking and this was the best I found." Again, I understand that mechanics need to make money but more than doubling the price was crazy. The next thing that blew my mind with the fact that he was estimating it would cost over $400 in labor. I know for a fact that (with a single wrench and very little knowledge about cars) I could take the old headlight out in around 30 minutes. I know this because I went to Pick-n-Pull and did this. 30 minutes to take out the headlight. So to take out a headlight and put a new one in should probably take an hour at most maybe an hour and a half if they ran into trouble. So how can they get $400 as their best estimate for labor cost? They can't. Now at this point in the conversation I knew that I was being taken to the cleaners so I graciously declined their offer of a $600+ fix, but what irked me even more was that I was told that l "really needed to take care of the headlight as soon as possible, otherwise the lightbulb itself might get wet and will explode." Really? Why even play up that possibility? Are you really trying to trick me into paying an arm and a leg, just because of the risk of a lightbulb breaking? I'd rather pay for a new light bulb. Needless to say I never went back. Because of this bad experience at Fred's it took a while before I actually got around to replacing the headlight. Fred's was a tiring ordeal, and honestly I didn't want to go through another ordeal over a relatively minor replacement. I knew that I could continue to safely drive around because the light itself still worked, and the glass itself was not going anywhere. That brings me to today. 2 months later, my light still working, no explosions or other issues (other than it looking ugly), no fix-it tickets, and I finally got the headlight replaced. The cost? Less than half of what Fred's quoted me, and I even bought a brand new headlight. The amount of labor? An hour and some change. And a quality of service that I expected from Fred's, but DID NOT receive. read more

Based on positive yelp reviews, I gave Fred's a try 12/09 when a recently purchased '04 PT Cruiser needed work. I was not disappointed. Extensive work was done on the car -- struts, motor mounts, pump, etc. at a good price and in a reasonable amount of time. A year later, a motor mount that had been replaced failed. Called Fred who graciously offered to work with the parts supplier to get replacement parts for no charge (though 12 month parts warranty expired). And promised to have it back within 24 hours. Turns out I struck an object so the owner failed vs. the part or installation. I gave 4 stars because I've only used their services once. read more

I can't remember the last time I had customer service this great!!! Fred went out of his way to help me when nobody else would! he also went above and beyond the call of duty on several counts! I won't go into all of the details, but basically, some jerks tried to steal my tires. They were unsuccessful, but left my car without most of the lug nuts in the tires and with my car resting on the loose tires. I called AAA and they refused to tow it in that state and had ZERO suggestions for me as to how I was supposed to get the car to a shop. I have been to Fred's Wrenchouse before and have had great service, my car was repaired well, etc., so I knew I wanted my care to go there, just wasn't sure how to get it there. I called Fred to let him know that my car wouldn't be there as I thought it would be because I had no way to get it there. Fred ordered the lug nuts for my car and came to my house the next day (Thursday) to secure my tires so that it could be towed (it wasn't safe to drive because the back panel had been bent). My car was finally towed to his shop late afternoon on Thursday. By Friday morning, Fred had replaced all of the lug nuts, put locking nuts on the wheels (to prevent this (hopefully) from happening again) and had repaired the damaged back panel. My car was repaired and ready for pick up Friday morning! Fred went out of his way to help me when nobody else would. He went above and beyond the call of duty on several counts. He kept me updated on the status of everything with car frequently and he provided thorough and quick service at a very reasonable price! He was proactive in getting me locks for my tires, which I needed and wanted. I really, really appreciate everything he did for me! EXCELLENT SERVICE! I highly recommend Fred's Wrenchouse and really can't say enough good things about Fred and his shop! read more

I've been here twice to get my oil changed. The price is good and the service is fast and friendly, would definitely recommend coming here and I will continue to bring my cars here as the need arises. read more

I couldnt find a shop that would help me with my wild and out of control car alarm, and finally called Fred's based on the Yelp comments. He is wonderful! Loved his no-nonsense approach and the service was just great. He knew exactly what to do and was very reasonable in the cost of repair. I will return and happy as can be to have found Fred...go there right away. read more

Fred has been great to us and our Jeep since day one!! Good prices, good work and fast service!!

I went here because it had good ratings on yelp and I'm glad I did! Fred is so sweet and it feels like a family business when I go in. I went in for a oil change and smog a couple months ago and went back today for tire rotation and filter change. I will continue to go to Fred for all of my cars needs. It just feels honest and good in there. read more

Great customer service, quality work, and honest pricing. What more can you ask for in a mechanics shop. Took my car in for scheduled maintenance after walking in and setting up an appointment. They were very thorough on what was going to be done to my vehicle and assured me I'd be notified if anything else was needed. Luckily there were no issues that needed immediate attention so they called me to let me know it was ready, earlier than I expected. Once I picked up the car they even gave me suggestions on how to keep my car running better! This is definitely going to be my go to spot for my car needs. These guys are great, and if you need work done on any of your vehicles give them a call they won't disappoint. read more

Really nice mechanic. I can say I trust them. I went in for an oil change and they did a really wonderful job. Nothing was messed up, my messy Benz was just as messy as I left it, but running tons better. I am definitely bringing my car back here to work on other odd and ends. Thanks guys! read more

Easy to deal with and very professional. Get my oil and tire rotation done here on the regular. A bit out of my way to have it done here but worth it. Staff is efficient and knowledgable read more

I really like the guys...no nonsense, up front about costs...quick. And since they are in alarmeda, the work pace can usually be same day service, rarely a long wait...unless it is for a part. read more

Fred is the best - honest and fair. He's keeps my piece of crap, over 200,000 mile packin' car going.

These guys were great. Very efficient. Very fair on price. Took my old Rav4 in and they took great care of her. They explained my options and had my car back to me in a day. It was an awesome experience all the way around. Highly recommend. read more

Fred over-quoted me by several hundred dollars and then hassled me when I chose to take my business elsewhere. Once I got my quote, I called my mechanic from back east whose been a trusted family friend for years, who quickly realized he'd do the same job for literally half. Since Fred wouldn't work with me when I explained that my car is a beater and that I was just looking to do the bare minimum, I explained that I'd be by in an hour to get a second quote before committing - pretty reasonable on a ~$1600 job. When I showed up, my entire car was still taken apart and Fred proceeded to repeatedly pressure me to just get the job done at his shop, said my car wasn't drive-able, and that he wouldn't let me leave without a tow. Bear in mind, I drove my car in, and while in rough shape, by all means functional. When I got my car back, the brake peddle was going to the floor and not stopping. Potentially a function taking it apart and putting it back together but I'm inclined to doubt it. Overall, Fred is just sort of a miserable, slow moving guy. I don't necessarily doubt the quality of their work although I can't attest first hand. If you're looking for a straight-shooting honest mechanic who will take your wallet into genuine consideration, you do not want to use this shop. read more

I took my car to Fred's Wrenchouse for the first time for an oil change, tire rotation and possible brake reline. I had been told in July by my former, long time mechanic (who has since retired and closed his shop) that I didn't need brake pads right away, but possible within the next 10,000 miles. I thought I'd be proactive and wouldn't have minded replacing them early, but after inspection, Fred and Barry told me that, no, I didn't need my brakes relined this time, but possibly next time. At no time was I ever upsold anything I didn't need. So there definitely will be a next time! read more

This is my personal story and maybe an isolated case. But this is what happened..... About a year ago, I went Fred's Wrench House to get my 60K maintenance. What he did was pretty regular checkups: tire, air filters, and others. I told him that my (front) breaks are pretty old although I am pretty gentle to my car, I 'd like to have some expert's opinion. He called me later afternoon saying that my break pads were almost done, and recommended to replace them. I told him to go ahead. At the end he charged me around $350 for the break jobs. (I still have the work papers that he handed to me after the jobs done.) Two weeks ago, my breaks made problems, and I looked at the paper, and thought that it should be okay, because the break done a year ago.... but who knows. This time I tried to do it by myself. I jacked up my car, and took the (front) breaks off. And I was very much shocked. The break pads that must be new, was not new. It was the SAME OLD ONE.... I looked at my paper again, and again, but the words on the paper did get changed. What can I do..... at this point??? Well, this is the only way that I can share my story with others. Again, I do not want to leave a negative review that may hurt the business, but I can't just let it go. So careful!!! Read the paper and make sure that you got the service what the paper says and what you paid for. read more

My wife and I have been taking our cars to Fred's for over 20 years. I think that says enough about how much we trust him and get very good value for the money we spend there. Plus he's a nice guy and has always had good people working for him. read more

These folks were able to solve a problem with my Outback that I had taken to other mechanics with lots of expense, but no result. They are real mechanics, ,not just folks who replace stuff, they actually try to get to the root of the problem. Price was very reasonable for the time they spent on it. Great to find such a place. Not many like this around any more. read more

I drove by the other day on Webster Street in Alameda and I've noticed that the Wrenchouse was still in business after 35 years. I remember My first time there was back in 1984 and I had a 1982 Toyota Tercel that had a broken- clutch. The owner back then was a tall older male, he had assigned a young mechanic to repair my car, and his name was Fred Hogaboom. Fred inspected my vehicle and told me that " he can fixed it", but it will take about a day, without any hesitation, I agree to have him fix it, and he'd did a great job with the repairs. On Another time when I have to make a visit to the Wrenchouse was in 1988, I've to have a repair of another vehicle that was having a electrical problems and he fixed it and he was very patient with me on keeping the cost down.. I will like to thanked him for his skills and his passion for being a good mechanic, businessman and the "owner" of the Fred's Wrenchouse.. read more

An update: Downside: While it took them an unreasonable time to return my car and they had awful communication. Upside: My car has functioned well since getting it back. I'd suggest getting a rental if you can't go a week without your car. read more

Before I became a customer, I had two nails in tires with two different cars in a matter of months. Each time, Fred got me right in, fixed the tires promptly and charged 10 bucks. An "old school" way to get new customers, but it worked, for sure. They service your car as if it were their own - in my opinion. They don't recommend repairs you don't need and they don't gouge in any way. They do what they say they will. Your car is ready when they say it will be. A neighborhood business you can trust. read more

Outstanding service. Had to bring my car in while travelling from San Diego. Fred saw me without an appointment, promptly diagnosed the problem, repaired it (including fabricating a bracket) and got me back on the road in a timely manner for a very fair price. I would gladly bring my car in again anytime if I was in the area (it's a bit far from San Diego). Highly recommended. read more

Car broke down while on a road trip and he got us in right away. Friendly and quick.

I took my Volkswagen Jetta to Fred's based on a recommendation from another shop. My check engine light was on and I was given an outrageous quote from the dealership. I had an oil leak and needed a vacuum pump. I spoke with Fred and gave him the codes given to me from the dealership. He told me two parts that he thought caused the problem. He did not think what the dealership had advised was needed. He replaced two parts on the car and I believed everything was fine. The check engine light was off. He charged me almost $600. A week later the check engine light came back on. The problem was not fixed. I contacted Fred and he told me to come back to resolve the problem. He must have reset the check engine light code because oil was still leaking and covered the parts he replaced. He recommended another part that he thought was needed. He wanted $500 for this work. I declined because he never fixed the problem in the first place and was going to charge me $500 more. I took it back to the dealership and they said that I needed the vacuum pump. I paid him $600 for work that was not needed. When I first contacted him, I asked if he worked on Volkswagens and he said yes. He had a hard time figuring out how to fix my car and I regret having him work on my car. That is money that I could have used towards a mechanic that was knowledgeable about my car. read more

I had a good experience with these guys - they saved me a TON of money vs. the dealership and were up front about what did and did not need to be repaired. I really like the owner and his receptionist is super friendly. read more

First time servicing my vehicle at Fred's Wrenchouse. Very pleased with the entire experience from communication to servicing. No problems or hassles. Look forward to returning to Fred's in the future for all my automotive needs. These guys are very professional. No regrets of any sort. Highly recommend their services..... read more

He is the best in the East Bay. Gives you straight information, his work is beyond reproach, and he is a true member of the Alameda community. read more