Gary is so amazing! My car started smoking right outside of his shop and he immediately helped me and explained to me in detail what was going on. Such a genuinely caring person. I'm definitely coming back! read more

I'm very impressed with this place. It was recommended to me by my neighbors on NextDoor because I needed a place to get my 2016 328-i serviced and I was tired of being fleeced every time I went to the dealership. This place is great! They took care of everything, didn't try to upsell me a bunch of bs, and were quick, skilled, honest, reasonably priced and friendly. So glad I found this place. I give it a million stars! read more

I have been using Gary for my repair/maintenance needs ever since I've owned my BMW 328i. Gary is an extremely knowledgeable technician that will repair your car right and is very fair with the price. read more

Good people... honest and informative. You can't ask for better then that. Highly recommend.

I've never done a review before, but I had to, because Gary and co. are the best mechanics I've ever met! They do a through job, they have integrity and Gary especially goes above and beyond for his customers. I won't be taking my car anywhere else!! I'm really glad I met Gary too, such a kind hearted, good man, who wants to work hard and make peoples lives easier! read more

Finding a good mechanic, is no different than finding a good doctor. I know I am in capable hands when my car needs tending to. Thank you!

I was told by a friend to check this place out. We have the same car, Audi A4. My car was driving great before coming in for a simple Oil & Filter change. After doing this, my car has had all sorts of problems that has cost me thousands of dollars. My car is still not running the way it used to before coming here. My car is only a few years old and the timing is very suspicious. I don't know much about cars but my father is very knowledgable and used to work on cars. He agrees that it is very suspicious. I was also told after bringing my car in a second time (to fix the problem that arose after the first visit) that I would receive a call before any work is performed and would be given an estimate. This did not happen. I did not get an estimate before work was done and the price was way higher than expected. read more

Very thorough and respectful, charges a fair price for the work performed. They are my go to Mechanic for my 1991 BMW 535i

Always have the best service, in a timely matter. The technician are always clean and polite, they go the extra mile.

Gary/jessie and the team go above and beyond what i have expected/experienced in my 30+ years of driving with commitment and service to their customers. I can drop my X5 off knowing Im getting the necessary work it needs done by a team of hard working professionals that are fulfilling a passion of their own that you ate fortunate to reap the benefits of. Most of all, you know your getting an honest group of men and a great value! i havent found any other place that comes close... A loyal customer for life...TOBY read more

Gary's Pit Stop - Auto Repair Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Gary and his team are excellent. Gary has worked on our cars for many, many years, and we have never had a problem. In addition to their knowledge of auto engines and repair, their customer service is unmatched. They offer fair pricing and kindness. G.C. read more

yes $160 for just a diagnosis i think not! even if it does go towards your car being fixed

I researched the local area to try and find a friendly and reliable autoshop for my family's car. Called and spoke with Gary. He seemed pretty friendly over the phone. Asked him if he was able to go down the car dealer's itemized list for the major maintenance I wanted done so we can save some money here as we all like to do. Finally we've agreed on the maintenance and on the price. Dropped off my car and waited about 3-4 days. Went to pick up the car and found out two things weren't performed that was part of the maintenance. Asked about it and the young man there basically said it would cost more and just said if we want to pay for it or not. It's not about not paying, it's about the services and the price we've agreed to from the beginning. Now later it's a different story. We asked for Gary for a call back to clarify but it's been a week and no call back. Every time we call the shop, the young man will say he's busy or he's not here. It's such a waste of time. We now have to take it elsewhere. Anyways, we understand we are being ignored. It's too bad..we thought we found a reliable and friendly shop we can go to in the future for our family but we will look elsewhere. We would like to support small local businesses but when we receive this type of service, it makes us wonder if larger businesses would be more reliable afterall. I gave 3 stars instead of 1 or 2 because they did perform some services we've asked for to be fair. read more

These guys failed to properly service a Ford Focus, one of the most common cars in the country. My experience with this shop began on February 25th where I called them asking for a quote on a synthetic oil change and auto transmission drain and refill. Jesse spoke with me and said the oil change would be $98 and the drain/refill $140. In an interesting coincidence the morning before I drove to have it serviced on March 8th my drivers side door handle pulled almost completely out and was non functional. The only way to open it was from the passenger side. I figured I'd mention it to them and see what kind of price we were looking at to fix it since this is a pretty big inconvenience for anyone driving a car. When I arrived I spoke with Gary, who I will say was super kind and seemed genuine. That's saying a lot coming from some of these shop guys I've dealt with. For some background I've been servicing my cars since I was a kid, when I lived in NJ I had the space and my father had the tools. Out here in LA I'm forced to take it to these places to get things serviced. Anyway, I told Gary what I needed done and mentioned the door handle. Also, I wanted to make sure the right transmission fluid was used so I bought 7 quarts of the owners manual recommended brand before I took the car to be serviced. Dropped the car off and went on my way. Got a call about an hour later from Jesse confirming that I wanted just a drain and refill for the transmission because they have to drop the pan anyway and can replace the transmission filter. I confirmed this as I've researched the repair and most sources say that it's unnecessary to replace the filter. Jesse seemed a little annoyed that I didn't want to have the filter replaced. He was going on about how much effort dropping the pan is and how I guess monetarily it doesn't make sense for them to do it unless I also replace the filter. I didn't know how to respond to this as it felt like an ultimatum so I reluctantly asked him how much the filter was and he said $31. At this point I had been planning to have the transmission fluid changed for months, it was overdue, and I finally got it into a shop so I conceded. I just wanted to get this over with. Got a call towards late afternoon that all was good and headed over to pick up the car. This is where the fun began. First, when I looked over the invoice I was quoted $190 for labor on the drain and refill, separate from the $31 for the transmission filter. As I mentioned earlier I clearly called a few weeks in advance to prepare myself for the cost. Jesse quoted $140 so this was $50 higher. After some back and forth with Jesse, Gary could see I was getting frustrated and chimed in saying that Jesse better give it to me for the lower price if that's what they quoted. Gary clearly knows how to work with his customers. The big disappointment was, Gary then approaches me with the box I brought the transmission fluid in and says that there's 3 quarts left that they didn't use. Keep in mind the owners manual states that 7 is needed for replacement. Gary said something about there being transmission fluid trapped in some upper part of the transmission and that most times there's no way to get to this. After almost getting hustled on the price, now it seems I have a transmission with technically half new and half old transmission fluid. I didn't know enough at the time about the repair to question him so I just accepted his explanation. Fast forward to when I got home, I pulled out the factory service manual for the car that I bought years ago. There's a section that walks you through a transmission drain and refill and it mentions nothing about dropping the pan. Actually it just shows removing one hose that then gets drained into a container. Within two or three cycles you pump out old transmission fluid and add new fluid, eventually replacing all of the old transmission fluid. If this is the process for a Ford Focus I can't see a shop not knowing how to perform this basic process. Basically they hustled me on a transmission filter replacement and half assed a drain and refill on my transmission. Second, Jesse also discussed the door handle and said that he ordered the part. From their inspection, which I know wasn't very thorough, it was just a broken door handle but he said labor would be something crazy like $200 or $300 to fix it. I told him I'd open up the door and figure it out myself. Fast forward to a few days later, it took me maybe an hour to remove the drivers side door panel. From my inspection the door handle was completely fine. What happened was the internal reinforcement part broke where it meets the door handle. I was able to rig up a temporary cable to open it in the meantime and I can buy the part for $45 online and replace it in a few hours. read more

Gary is great!! His team is very good. I Have a old Land Rover, had few problems but they fixed all!

This shop is a gem. Gary and his team are so knowledgeable, friendly, and genuine people. They don't overcharge. They explained all of the issues and provided multiple cost effective options to repairing them. Gary also provides me with a much more reasonable quite than BMW gave me (it was almost 50% cheaper and they used all OEM parts). I will never go to BMW again. This is my new go to shop. Gary, thank you for making my first repair / headache such a positive experience! read more

Avoid this place at all cost. If I could give this guy a negative star I would. Both my mom and dad went to Gary and each had terrible experiences. This is the classic situation everyone tries to avoid with a mechanic. My mom took the car in to have some water damage repaired. He had my moms car for over a week and said she needed a new transmission. My mom insisted something got wet and needed drying - turns out she was right. The circuit board was placed in the sun for an hour, dried, and was fine. The transmission was fine too. When my dad's truck broke down he took it to Gary. Gary said the head was cracked and needed to be rebuilt. After a week Gary said the crack couldn't be welded and a new part needed to be purchased. The part was unavailable, but found a head that could be used with existing parts from a guy he sent the head to. OK sounds good right? He didn't charge my dad for parts but charged him for labor. He failed to mention that he also did an oil change, installed a new head gasket, and did a dozen other things my dad was unaware of. He paid for it and was told his engine was like a new cars. When my dad took the car in for a smog, it didn't pass the inspection. The mechanic at the smog place inspected the car and discovered that where the fuel pump is connected to the head an old piece of steel, evidently an old valve was used to make the fuel pump work. This made the fuel pump malfunction since it wasn't the original part and now the truck needs more work done. Gary claims he uses factory parts and that he didn't do it, it was the guy who he sent the head to. Gary failed to inspect the OBVIOUS mistake that was on this new part. While my dad was driving up a hill the car died out because the fuel pumped malfunctioned as a result of Gary's negligence. Fortunately the car wasn't hit or involved in an accident. Gary still charged my dad for parts despite him using parts that already existed. The car was in the shop for 6 weeks and my dad was treated incredibly poorly. Bottom line: DO NOT GO HERE. ***I was just informed that Gary phoned my dad this morning threatening him to go to court for this review on Yelp. Evidently he isn't aware that people can give POOR reviews, not just glorious praises of happiness. This experience from BOTH my parents, unfortunately, wasn't fabricated out of thin air just to give you a bad review on Yelp - it happened. So Gary, are you going to call and threaten EVERYONE who gives you a poor rating on Yelp? That sounds like a tremendous undertaking and a massive waste of time and energy. I think just being a straight up guy, and doing the right thing in the 1st place would be much easier, but again, that's just my opinion.*** read more

HONEST RELIABLE AND FAST Cant say enough amazing things about Gary's. Needed my breaks pads fixed and did a Yelp search for local business. I am so happy I went here, everyone here was so nice and accommodating and you truly can't beat the price. Make sure this is your next stop of you need any quick work done!!! read more

Nice people who treat their customers in A-1 fashion, who are honest and upright, and who do high-quality work. Recently my son's car blew an engine. It was a nightmare until I put the Toyota in Gary's and Jesse's hands. The car had 90,000 miles on it, and Gary found an engine with 55,000 miles and counting on it. Upon examination, they rejected the thing, returned it to their supplier and was given A BRAND NEW one in return -- no extra charge. My son is back behind the wheel and couldn't be happier with Gary's Pit Stop's skills and service. Thank you, Gary and Jesse. We WILL be back. read more

I'm not sure if this place has changed ownership or if the reviewers are being paid off, but something's not right here. These are just the facts: My 2004 G35's Vehicle Dynamic Control light, SLIP light and Check Engine Soon light came on and the car wouldn't go past 20 mph - limp-mode. A friend of mine who used to work on Nissan's recommended Gary's Pit Stop, so I called them up and asked if this was an accelerator sensor issue and how fast the turnaround time would be. They said that if I brought it in early the next morning, the turnaround would be 1-2 days tops. Friday - Dropped off the car at Gary's the next day (Friday early am), and Jimmy (the guy who seemed to be running the office) said he'd call me with all of the details. True to his word, Jimmy called and said that it was the accelerator pedal/sensor and it would need to be replaced which would cost about $400 for parts/labor (their labor rate is$95, pretty high). I just wanted to get it done, so I agreed. Saturday - They did the work, but the issue wasn't solved and so they had to go back to do more diagnostic testing. On Monday, I called asking what the status was on my car. Apparently, put in more time, but couldn't figure out what the problem is. They had called Nissan/Infiniti dealerships and other places and still no luck. I told Jimmy that I needed my car back and asked how much the bill would come to now, since they hadn't found a solution. Jimmy said that they'd take care of it, and went into a one minute monologue about his credentials with Nissan/Infiniti and how he had heard that this was a problem with other similar models, but no recall from the manufacturer had been issued. At this point, after all of this extra time spent on tests, I asked Jimmy what the anticipated charges would be and he said, "don't worry, we'll work something out". Finally on Tuesday, after running all sorts of diagnostic tests, they figured out that there was a chaffed wire that was causing the problem the whole time. So I probably didn't need the new accelerator/pedal/sensor etc. But nevertheless, my final tally went from $700 to $1126, and 1-2 days turned into 5 days. When I told Jimmy that these bills are way too high, he responded with, "yeah, you know, it just took us a while to figure out what the problem was..." Riiiiiight. Needless to say, I won't be going back to Gary's Pit Stop. read more

*Update Had our Infiniti FX35 towed there. I'm glad they do Japanese cars too. They diagnosed and replaced the radiator within one day at a reasonable price and gave me a 12 month warranty on the parts and service. The people are courteous, the service is great but most of all I'm confident I'm dealing w honest people that won't rip me off. That's a rare experience at an auto shop. This was a lucky find. read more

I could say that Gary is super knowledgeable about cars and he's the first mechanic I've encountered that not only is fair on prices but, he's over the top generous where my boyfriend and I both felt compelled to hug him on getting our beemer back in perfect running shape with All sorts of little extras Gary did for no charge. But, that would be one giant run on sentence. So, I'm going to repeat something Gary said and let that speak for the shop- When I said how knowledgable and amazing he was with cars his reply was "If I won the lottery - I'd still keep the shop open and fix people's cars for free." Ummm...can we give this shop owner a medal in niceness? Why would you give anyone else your business? (This review was written by my girlfriend on my log in) read more

Love this place and have been going to it for everything for my M3 for the last 2 years. Service has been great, people are accomodating (dropped and picked up my vehicle off multiple times after or before hours), and on top of it Gary is very honest and upfront. Only knocking a star because pricing has ticked up since the last time I went. read more

I took my 2010 BMW X5 over to Gary on Monday 9/11/17, because my radiator fan wouldn't turn off all of sudden, then my engine began to overheat over the past weekend. So, Jesse ran a quick diagnostic check to later determine I need to replace my water pump and thermostat. Oh, not to mention my AC hasn't worked for almost a year. I'd delayed getting that fixed because McKenna BNW Norwalk had previously told me it would cost $900 to fix it. Well, rather than take the diagnostic report from McKenna and negotiate a lower price, Gary CHOSED honesty !! He told me, all I needed was AC freon and a recharge for $150 !! Come on people $900 vs $150 + Honesty = PRICELESS. You have a new client Gman !! read more

I've been taking my BMW Z3 to Gary for the past 5 years. He's AWESOME. Very laid back and completely honest -- shocking, but true. He always takes the time to show you what's wrong with a full explanation. My whole family brings their BMWs to Gary (3 in all). I'll say it again... Gary = awesome. read more

I was looking for an honest mechanic who isn't going to rip me off and give me good pricing and I feel like I've found that in Gary! I called couple other BMW mechanics about my window making crunching sound when rolling up & down and Gary was the only one who knew right away what the issue was. He came highly recommended by my friend so I thought I give him a try. Upon inspection of my window, he patiently explained the issue and told me he won't charge the extra hour of labor for removing the airbag in order to fix my window problem. I was pleasantly surprised by his generous gesture. He fixed the problem in couple of hours and when I went to pick up my car, I casually mentioned a minor problem with my right blinking light speeding up occasionally and going back to normal. Again he knew right away what the issue was and replaced the light bulb and the socket and didn't even charge me for it!!! What mechanic these days fix anything for free?!! I'm so thrilled to find Gary and will definitely will be taking my BMW to him from now on. Give Gary a try. You won't regret it :o) read more

My family just moved to LA's South Bay, and on day two from our arrival the warning brake light accompanied by a car graphic on a hydraulic lift popped up on the dashboard of our '04 BMW 525i's - not how we wanted to start the move considering we recently had the back breaks completely replaced. On the other hand, (in retrospect) the timing of this new brake problem couldn't have been more perfect since we were driving on Lincoln Blvd. as we noticed Gary's Pit Stop shop, which had a BMW sign out front. We knew we had some miles to spare before having to just drive into any shop, so after getting home, I looked online and compared Gary's Pit Stop to a few others. After a few late afternoon phone calls it was Gary who won my business. He took the time to explain some of my options, and he mentioned it could be dropped off and picked up, all during the following day. Luckily, it was just the break pads and sensor that needed replacing. Gary's is a smaller space with quite a few cars, so make sure you call to let him/them know you're stopping in. It's a good sign that they're busy, and it really feels like Gary's Pit Stop is a shop built on strong loyalty with a happy clientele of repeat business. I'm thrilled we found this shop when we did, and I'm relieved there's a trusted owner and repair shop who will do a great job at servicing my vehicle. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM! read more

I'm really happy with this place. I live close to Gary's Pit Stop, but I've never taken my 325i there until recently. I should have went there years ago. The guys are friendly and the service is great. They even stayed open a little later on a Friday so I could pick up my car. You can tell they take pride in their work too. Great experience overall. read more

I bought my 2003 BMW X5 4.4L about 3 years ago. The guy I bought it from swore by Gary and recommended that I take my truck to him when I needed service. In the ensuing 3 years I have done just that and I have been completely satisfied with Gary's work. I grew up working on cars, and when it comes to automotive repair I know BS when I hear it. When Gary diagnoses a problem and explains what's going on it always makes sense and is usually exactly what I expected. His prices on parts are often better than BMW and the cost for repairs is always fair and reasonable. He's also very good at diagnosing issues and he has all the diagnostic equipment needed. The guy is an expert and he may be one of the last honest mechanics I know. These trucks are complex and sometimes sensitive beasts. I had an alternator go out, which is expensive and a little complicated on an X5 for reasons I won't go into. Gary took care of it and everything was fine. He didn't try to tell me I needed a new battery or up-sell me anything I didn't actually need. About 6 months later the new alternator went out on me. People who are familiar with how alternators work know that this can happen sometimes. Gary had the car picked up from my home and replaced the defective alternator (which was obviously something he couldn't control) without question and completely under warrantee. He has also taken care of little incidental issues for next to nothing when BMW would charge and arm and a leg just to analyze it. Bottom line, Gary is fair, honest, and good at what he does. I know there are a couple of harsh reviews here but I have to believe that those were anomalies based on my experience with this shop. I would definitely recommend this business for BMW owners. read more

Gary and the rest of the mechanics are very friendly. They explain in detail what they're done before hand. I trust these guys to work on my 2014 328i bmw Oil change completed read more

Gary is very knowledgeable, friendly and just such a great human being. I wish I had come to him sooner for all my needs. I cannot recommend using their services highly enough. He is very fair on pricing and would not charge me on certain items! read more

incredibly friendly and helpful! I live really close and my car's battery was dead...so he drove here and jump started my car FOR FREE!!!! Gary's Pit Stop made my day!!!!! read more

As good as it gets indeed! A+++ Service!!! I have an automotive background but honestly hate the backbreaking work - so when i look for a mechanic to work on my car, i know exactly what to look for. Knowledge - Gary can talk cars and intricate details all day long, he's someone who loves to teach and explain his craft. That's huge in my book before seeing someones work. Affordability - His hourly rate for the skill level and type of vehicle was excellent, I knew the labor time myself and he was faster than my personal estimate plus his hourly rate was low! Speed - Many mechanics overbook themselves, only work set hours, and can delay jobs by weeks so seeing that Gary's shop ordered the parts immediately - informed me of such - made a repair time estimate that was exact - and then personally came to pick me up and test-drive it on the way back to drop him off was PERFECTION. I knew a week earlier he was backed up, and he was honest that he wouldn't be able to do it and to come a week later. He was staying late Friday and even possibly coming in on the weekend TO MEET THE DEADLINES HE SET FOR HIS CUSTOMERS. That is hard-working diligence to honor repair deadlines while putting his personal time aside. Truly a stand up guy, and a great crew he has! So happy to have a trusted mechanic nearby, they're a rare commodity sometimes. =D Thank you!!!! read more

Gary has been amazing from the very first time I met him. He has been servicing my Mercedes and BMW for the last 4 years and I can always count on him to do fair and quick work. Dependable and very knowledgable he is the man when it comes to all matters automotive. I can't say enough great things about Gary, he has been a breath of fresh air regarding service and parts for me. I highly recommend Gary for your next visit, the best times to check in are in the early mornings - especially on Monday's and Tuesday's when there is usually a little bit of breathing room. Keep up the great work Gary !!! 5 stars !!! read more

I have been taking my old '87 BMW to Gary for service ever since he's worked at this location, long before it was his own shop. He's a breath of fresh air - honest and kind, and always looking out for his customers. If you get to chatting with him, you quickly realize that he's an overall genuine and kind human being, which combined with good service is just wonderful. I hesitate to replace my old car for fear he couldn't service whatever I'd buy to replace it - I trust him that much. A small example: I recently took my car in since a brake warning light came on. They found that the light itself was the only issue, and since they'd serviced my brakes last year without replacing the aging sensor, they installed a new one for free. They also did an assessment of the car and let me know about other issues they found, and gave me options for fixing them or not (I chose not to). Ordinarily this wouldn't be too odd, but I'd left my car there to be serviced while on vacation for 5 days, taking up precious space in their yard. I nonetheless walked away without paying a dime. I can't overstate how great it feels to know that when something goes wrong with my car, I can take it to someone who will do good work and treat me honestly. Most of the other mechanics who work alongside Gary are great too. There's only been one guy in all the years who I wasn't impressed with, but I haven't seen him in a while now, so perhaps he's not there anymore. I couldn't be happier with Gary, and will take my car there until it literally falls apart (though I'm sure even then that he could put it back together)! read more

Gary's Pit Stop is a shining example of what an auto shop should be. I've taken my 2006 325i to them twice and both times had excellent service. The first time I had my oil changed, brake fluid flushed, and my battery changed. I feel I received a fair price: less than half of any of the BMW dealers in town. Just today I received my car back after having the spark plugs changed and a coil changed. They informed me that my valve cover gasket was leaking and caused the previous coil to go bad and recommended it be changed; I appreciate that and will be returning in a few weeks to have that done. What really impressed me was that yesterday afternoon I went to go pick my car up (I called and they told me it would be done in 45 minutes). In that time, a part came in and the supplier didn't provide the right one. Gary showed me exactly what the problem was and apologized, even offering to pay for my Über rides to get there and back. That really impressed me. In short, I will be returning anytime I need maintenance on my car, and bringing my girlfriend's Mini in. I would recommend Gary's to anybody, hands-down. read more

've taken my 2007 BMW 328i to Gary's twice now and both times have been fantastic. My last visit a couple weeks ago was for a simple oil change and maintenance service. I dropped the car off in the morning and picked it up after work (the crew was able to drop me off and pick me up at my office as I'm pretty close). Absolutely NO problems! Gary's prices are FAIR and his service1000% better than any BMW dealership I've been to. I question the validity of many of the negative reviews here; remember there are always two sides to every story! I highly recommend Gary's Pit stop and will continue to have my car serviced there. -Michelle read more

Gary has helped me countless times. So I thought the least I could do is write this review. Quality repairs, friendly service, and amazing mechanics. This shop has served me well and I'm sure for many others around. They're honest about what fixes need to be made and will go out of they're way to help you. Check this place out it's worth it. read more

Gary is my favorite mechanic in Southern California. I'm from Northern California and have been going to the same place for over 10 years. Finding a mechanic that I trust in Southern California has been very difficult. Until now... The first time I went to Gary's pitstop, a light came on in my car. I don't even remember which light it was. Gary looked at my car, reset something, and sent me on my way with no charge. How often does a mechanic do that? I've been back several times since then. Always with great service. I'm happy to recommend this place for anyone with a BMW. read more

This review is long over due. I have been taking my BMW to Gary's Pit Stop for 3 years now and I am 100% impressed and pleased with all the services they have provided. quick example of how I saved over 1000$ with Gary. My BMW headlight wasn't working all of a sudden - not a big deal right? BMW of Santa Monica told me that to fix the headlight they first need to take off the entire front bumper for 700$ to see if its just the light or the control lever as well... total estimate for repairs from BMW = $1,230 (FML right....but wait, not with Gary's) I called Gary up and he walked me through his process, rather then remove the front bumper they go in through the wheel well and check the light that way. BOOM! They did just that, Saved me 700$ + just like that. I am a BMW guy, I have an 11 year old 3 series wagon and I REALLY trust Gary's Pit Stop for all my BMW car related needs. Gary, the owner is kind and smart and will always be upfront with you. Jessie who I have also worked with is sharp and on point and between the two of them I feel 100% comfortable taking my BMW into get fixed, tuned up and looking good at Gary's. My car is under a total extended warranty through BMW and I still take it to Gary's. Your car is only as good as it mechanic so if you care about your car and our wallet this is your spot! Pro-tip #213 from yours truly, -b read more