Once again fellow Yelpers came through with recommendations for this business. I have a old 2007 Honda Civic whose AC quit during recent heat wave as luck would have it BRANDON gave me an appointment within 24 hours and rapidly diagnosed a bad condenser. The ace tech also found a little temperature control knob vent gate sticking and advised us on that. With some needed suspension control arms and transmission fluid service plus an oil change I'm rolling great again. Make no doubt doing these were significant services that don't come cheap at any garage but the quality received by Griffin's Auto Repair so worth it to fix right the FIRST time. The new customer discount they gave me was a pleasant surprise too Look no further than Griffin's Auto for quality car repairs. Especially for us down town residents where walking home after dropping off so convenient. Highly recommend!! read more

Griffin's Auto Repair treats you very politely but there is a big problem they tell you their diagnostic and is not really the truth. We need to be careful and get a second opinion. Nowadays mechanics or any labor are getting very expensive and we as customers we need to shop around. That is my advice and I won't be back to Griffin's Auto Repair. read more

Want to give a huge shout out to Griffin's. My car was having electrical issues, and they were able to take in my car immediately. I briefly explained the problem to them, they kept it overnight and I got a call back before 9 AM that my car was ready to go. They did a diagnostic and deep cleaning of my battery terminals for under $120, and did not try to sell me on things I did not need. Will be coming back, and recommending them to others- thank you! Happy customer here :p read more

I took my Range Rover here for an oil change and they were nothing short of amazing. A week later I had a dummy light come on and they told me to bring it in and they would check it for me. Great service read more

Griffin's Auto Repair - Auto Repair Near Me - San Diego, California

I have taken my Volvo to these guys twice. I was not thrilled with their service. They seem more interested in charging exorbitant diagnostic fees that are not applied to the repairs than in fixing the problems. They charge over $200 each diagnosis (separate for AC, check engine light, light bulb issues, etc). I took my car in for AC service 3 weeks ago. They fixed a leak and added Freon (supposedly, no way to know if it was done or not) and after just 3 weeks it is blowing hot air instead of cold. They want $200 to diagnose the problem, then they said it's hot air because it's hot outside! That doesn't even make sense. That's what AC is for, to cool the air when it's hot outside. I've had 15 cars in my life and never had them blow hot air because it was hot outside. Totally ridiculous. I don't trust them, I will find a different shop for my car's problems. Do not recommend. read more

On my drive down to San Diego, my Jeep Wrangler started making a horrendous noise that evolved into physical grinding by the rear axles. I could hear and feel that something was seriously wrong. My local Jeep friend recommended Griffin Auto Repair over the Jeep dealerships in the area. I took it in and they looked at it right away, determined the problem, and got me a reasonable cost for some pretty major work (replace rear differential and axles). The entire time it was in the shop, I was kept well-informed about progress, parts, and any changes to the cost. Everybody I dealt with was professional, friendly, and worked as best as they could within my budget. I just got home from picking up the car and it drives as smoothly as the day I got it. I'm super happy with the service I received from Abraham and the crew! read more

Griffin's Auto Repair - Happy car! - Auto Repair Near Me - San Diego, California

Car troubles are always stressful, but the staff at Griffin's made the whole repair process completely seamless. Their customer service team is polite, knowledgeable, and genuinely cares about helping you out. They gave me a fair estimate, finished the work right on time, and delivered amazing results. Thank you for the outstanding service! read more

Great work. Proactive communication with me along the way. Highly recommend. Would definitely come back

I spent $4000+ on new AC Condenser $255.55, Oil leak in front seal crankshaft $2146.62, trunk shocks $163.55, Alignment $95.99,with Labor cost of $3212.11 Written estimate math doesn't make sense but all in all it cost me $4256.81. after giving the car a once over i discovered that under floorboard paper cover that is generally installed before any work is done hid a huge oily mess on brand new floormats i had just installed more mess on seat and doorway. scratches on hood. I immediately brought it to the attention of Mario who responded with "We take extensive photographs of every vehicle, if that wasn't there before we got it, I will take care of it" he returned in a very short amount of time and stated "ill tell what i am going do, I will give you a multi point inside and out detail, i do those myself I am thinking Sunday. If I cant rub out those scratches i will send you to my painter Detail takes generally 6 hours, I start my Sunday work day at 8:00 just like every work day" I had to return the following day Friday AM to advise I had a check engine light on. Mario brought out a device that he plugged into my under-dash he showed code to Mechanic who stated "evidently i failed to connect this hose" i was surprised his pre delivery test drive he did not see CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. Since i had agreed to let Mario handle all paint issues i have been looking forward to today. I got up early so I would not miss Marios call @ 8am but no call. so i drove down to shop, no one was there, after no call i went back to shop at 10:00 still no one there and no call. Now it is Noonish (i decided not to go down there again) and my phone never rang, no text, I called shop but no answer. Since Mario failed to reach out to me as agreed, I felt as if I had done my due diligence I will have to go to another shop that can repair damage done by Griffin. What a disappointment. read more

For too long I fell for their smiles and nice acts, but this shop is verifiably using tricks and lies. I wish I had been warned and am trying to help others. They claimed to have replaced a simple part with branded materials, turns out it was a lie and it created a cascade of problems in my vehicle and large costs as a result. They also tried to create--what turned out to be fake--problems with car and were giving me huge bill to fix it. When I went to other, more honest mechanics, they found it to be an outright falsity. More examples could be shared, but you get the idea. You get no value out this repair shop, rather it goes into the negative spectrum. Best to avoid and go elsewhere. read more

Admittedly, I don't know anything about cars so I can't really speak to price point, but what I can confirm is the customer service is surpassed by none. Today was my second service on my car with Griffin's Auto Repair. The first time I brought my Jeep here, my engine shut down due to lack of oil as a result of another auto shop's failed oil change. They quickly and affordably fixed what could have otherwise been the end of my Jeep. Today, I brought my car in for a simple oil change. They always perform a full inspection when you bring your car in which gives me peace of mind and helps me plan. While I was there, Dwayne brought me back to show me something they found during the inspection. He and the mechanic, Nicholas, explained what they were seeing and what that meant. Nicholas patiently answered my questions and he spoke with me instead of speaking down to me. After my options were explained to me, I felt I had a fairly good grasp of what I was looking at in the future. Neither Nicholas or Dwayne pushed a service onto me that I wasn't prepared for. Instead, I was offered advice that was best for me. While waiting, I picked Mario and Dwayne's brain on certain car topics and they were both friendly and engaged offering sound advice. They had a great relationship with every vendor dropping off parts and were engaged with what appeared to be many long term customers. In the end if the concern is the cost, I will say you can't put a price on a trustworthy team. I did the quick oil changes with the less than $100 cost and it almost cost me my car. I know every time I bring my car in, I am going to have a skilled mechanic look over my car and make sure I am driving around a safe vehicle. You're paying for what you get. read more

My mom had been taking her car to Griffin's for over three years. When she left town early for my sister's wedding, I brought the car in on her behalf after the battery died -- fully trusting this would be a routine visit with a shop we'd both relied on. Instead, I was handed a $7,000 repair quote for supposed engine overheating and head gasket failure -- even though I never said the car had overheated. I only mentioned (in passing) that a red light briefly flashed on the dash. No one asked to see the light. No one confirmed what it was. That moment -- when I was preoccupied with family wedding plans -- was blatantly taken advantage of. The technician (Tallon) later confirmed to me he was never told the battery had died. As a result, he didn't test the battery, alternator, or starter -- which turned out to be the actual problem. I replaced the battery. The car has been running perfectly ever since. No head gasket issue. No overheating. No $7,000 in repairs needed. I spoke directly with Carlos (GM), Mario (Service Advisor), Abraham (Current Owner), and even Tom (Previous Owner) -- trying to resolve this privately. My email was literally trashed and "found" later. They told me to leave the car at their shop during the wedding -- then charged storage fees anyway. And here's the kicker: I live across the street at Acqua Vista and OWN a parking space. There was zero reason to "store" my car except to add charges. My mom, a senior citizen who was recently laid off due to a workman's comp injury, also filed a chargeback for her $147.69 diagnostic fee -- for work that was later admitted by Griffin's to be unnecessary. Between my $336.36 chargeback and hers, our credit card companies fully reversed the charges -- because the documentation was clear: this was a misdiagnosis and an abuse of trust. One of the hardest parts of this for me is that while trying to resolve this, I actually met Tom, the original owner, outside the shop. He was delivering pizza to the guys in the shop -- just being kind and supportive. He had no idea what was going on behind the scenes. It broke my heart, because it's clear that he built this shop with care and integrity -- and the current management is absolutely running it into the ground. They're taking advantage of that legacy and of loyal customers like my mom, and I genuinely hope Tom becomes aware of what's happening under his family's name. To be clear: this wasn't just a bad experience. This was a calculated attempt to scam us out of $7,000 when we were distracted and vulnerable. They leaned on the trust my mom had built over years -- and tried to use that trust to push unnecessary, high-dollar repairs on her family. And yes -- I'm fully aware this is a shared inbox and the team is reading this. I've seen the emails where staff members lied to their own owner about what happened. The back-and-forth to even get a response took months -- and the level of dishonesty I've encountered is why I've filed formal complaints with the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) and the BBB. I'm also going to say this openly: I used ChatGPT to navigate this entire situation -- and it literally saved me $7,000. Without documenting everything and pushing back in writing, they would have happily let us pay for unnecessary repairs that were never needed. If you're thinking of going here, GET A SECOND OPINION. Do not assume years of loyalty will protect you -- it won't. read more

The team got me right in for an oil change and inspection all went well .the price was what I was quoted and fare. I'll be back next time I'm in town. read more

I came here today to get a coolant flush for my BMW E93. I had been experiencing overheating issues and had gotten a few fault codes on my OBD2 scanner relating to a possible blockage within the coolant system and possible pump failure. I asked them to do the flush. I received a phone call less than hour after leaving the shop. They told me that the engine cooling fans had switched on as soon as the engine was started, and that this was a really bad sign. They didn't give me any actual technical details but simply said that this was bad(which it is). I was already aware of this problem, as my OBD2 scanner had indicated that the coolant pump was being shutoff due to a blockage, which resulted in the car trying to cool itself as much as possible by running the fans at their full rpm. ​They didn't mention anything regarding the pump error codes at this point. Instead, they recommended a pressure test on my coolant system. I agreed knowing that it's a relatively simple and USUALLY inexpensive($80-100) procedure involving connecting a pump to the coolant reservoir and pumping the pressure up to the car's functioning coolant system PSI amount. This allows them to check for any leaks within the whole system. There weren't any. That cost me $193.33 for the pressure test alone. That's literally double what they charge at another shop down the street from them! I get a 2nd call an hour or so after the 1st with no mention of how the pressure test went. It's at this point they mention the fault codes showing up on their diagnostics equipment and make the recommendation that I replace the pump and thermostat(which is the most likely fix for this issue given my cars age, mileage, and the history of pump failures on all E90 series). It's at this point I realize that they hadn't even bothered to run a quick diagnostic on my car's system before recommending and completing a $193.33 pressure test. Knowing this, I declined their recommendation, and asked that they just perform the coolant flush with the hope that it might get rid of the blockage which would allow the pump to run again. I never assumed that this was guaranteed to solve the issue as I had mentioned to them that I may just need to replace the pump when I first got there. I knew this was a common issue with E90s. They told me it was unlikely to work(which it didn't) and that I would eventually just need to do the replacement(which I am). After picking up the car and arriving home, I plugged in my OBD2 scanner again just to recheck what error/fault codes were showing up. While doing this, my car notified me of my battery charge being at a low level. This had never occured before but was also indicative of a common problem that occurs when you bleed the coolant system and run the venting process. When doing this, it's recommended to connect the car to a battery charger because during the venting process, the electric water pump pulls a lot of power from the battery. During this process the engine isn't running. I called the shop to ask if their technician had connected my car to a battery charger during this process. They said that he did. When I told them that my battery was drained they took absolutely no responsibility and instead told me that they would go "check" to make sure that the 2 battery chargers they had were functioning properly and that my battery would eventually recharge itself when it's running...I will never go back here again and don't recommend anyone else does either. read more

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New to area and found them online search for service needed on my BMW. Great communication with Carlos & Mario and car was done within a timely manner! Would definitely use them again...but hope I don't have to! :) read more

Great spot! I'm usually a little skeptical about auto bodies because I don't know too much about cars but this place is really sweet and explains everything really nicely to make sure you're okay with it. I left feeling really confident and with a new go to auto body shop. I would highly recommend. read more

Wouldn't recommend using their online booking service since it seems like they don't calendar the appointments in very well. The guy who helped me was sincerely apologetic and nice but what's the point of having a booking service to make the appointment but they don't have it on file. I showed up at my time and they said they were all full for the day. Boo h read more

Griffin's Auto Repair - Auto Repair Near Me - San Diego, California

We will no longer use this business. The bill was extremely high. Expected more from a neighborhood-type shop. This business must cater to high income people. After a bill of $298, and their refusal to provide an estimate it's obvious that they don't want customers on a limited income. I'd recommend looking @ all these reviews, before going in there. read more

The most disappointing Mercedes service imaginable. Failed SMOG test turned into a "let's try one more expensive component after another". My mechanic, who will remain nameless, failed to meet his first, then his second, and finally his third promised delivery date after replacing the "oil separator", a "frozen oxygen sensor", and one more expensive item I can't recall. Parts that were expensive and hard to secure, plus $157/hour labor charges eventually totaled over $4,000. There could only be two possible reasons for this result. I'll let readers guess what they might be. The car's owner for whom I was house and dog sitting for 4 full months refused to pay and threatened to involve his attorney. Griffin's cut the bill in half, but threw in a 12-month warranty. What a deal! Who wouldn't want these guys backing up their work? In case readers are wondering, I once worked in new car sales for a class 1 MB dealer after undergoing 90 days of rigorous dealer and MB USA corporate training. In all fairness, that was about 15 years ago -- but what do I know? read more

They are just plain excellent. Customer service great, mechanics great. And the most impress you feel they are completely honest!!! Prices higher than others but very worth it!! read more

Excellent experience Dwayne and the team were amazing. They were fast, cost competitive and high-quality. read more

Do NOT go to this place. If you do get ready to get ripped off. I made the mistake of going to have them repair on my radiator. I knew that it was the radiator because I had my car checked out at the dealership and you could see the leak! The only thing I needed was an estimate. Other places could give me an estimate over the phone, Dwayne told me I needed to bring it in. I didn't have very many options because it was over the holidays, and this was one of the few places that was open. When I got there, they took took an hour, to give me an estimate. Dwayne told me my repair was going to be $1450. That seemed very expensive for me. I called 3 other repair shops. All three came in about a half price. When I told Dwayne, he told me that I could my car there figuring that I couldn't have the car move to another shop because of my mechanical issues. Unfortunately for me, I didn't get the estimate in writing. I decided to take my car to another shop. It was at that point Dwayne, explained to me they have to charge me a $100 for diagnosing the problem even though I came in and told him what the problem was. When I tried 3 months to get this refunded by the manager Duane lied to his manager and claimed he was only going to charge me 895. I wouldn't needlessly damage my car more for a measly $100 by taking it to another garage. Needless to say, they scammed me out of $100. After reading some of the other reviews, I see that this place has had many issues. Don't go here. They will rip you off if you are new client. If you are an ongoing client, they are probably ripping off as well. read more

Dwain and Mario provided excellent customer service. They were fast, efficient & effectively communicated with us the beginning to finish process of our vehicle repair. Their mechanic team did an excellent job in fixing our vehicle. We can tell they take pride in the work they do. Griffin's Auto Repair provides professional work for affordable pricing. We will be a returning customer and we feel confident referring them to our friends and family. read more

I'm a senior on a limited budget and the staff at Griffins were great at devising a financial plan to help get my automobile repaired. So far this is the finest establishment for Auto repair and service in San Diego County I highly recommend Griffins Auto Repair services read more

Can't say enough about these guys. Fast, knowledgeable, great communication and flexible. I've had over 30 cars and been to more than 30 mechanics. These guys got me in quickly, diagnosed within hours and had parts delivered the same day. All while keeping me updated via text. Far exceeded my expectations. read more

Griffins is my trusted auto repair shop and has been since 2022. They are so attentive and efficient, at a great cost. Their team is very kind and super easy to communicate with. thank you as always! read more

I am new to the area and I brought my car in for a break check because my break pads screeched every time I came to a stop. I also requested for a full inspection because it's been some time since I had one on my 2016 Audi Q3. I was recommended here by my brothers who also drives and Audi and BMW. I must say the service here was beyond exceptional. Carlos and team were extremely professional and very honest. Timing, recommendations, value, and service were all excellent. They fixed my car within a matter of hours and really helped me out on the only day I could come in. Repair shops can be intimidating sometimes especially if you aren't a car person or know things about them. I truly appreciated the service here and will definitely come back for all my car needs. 1000% recommend Griffin's!!!! read more

These guys are great. I bought a salvaged driver's seat off eBay to replace the broken one in my car. The replacement seat wasn't a good fit for a lot of reasons and wasn't in great shape, but Griffins harvested the motors and gears from the eBay seat and used them to fix my seat. And the work was done for a price that was several thousand dollars less than the dealer estimate (German car). I'm really happy. read more

After taking my car to the dealership (which wasn't a great experience) a friend recommended Griffins. Dwayne took the time to explain what the problem was and was able to repair my car for much less than the dealership! I appreciate that he took the time to listen and kept me informed along the way - great customer service! read more

On December 02nd 2020 I brought my vehicle in for service to Griffin's Auto Repair. - Griffin's Auto Repair's mechanic left a bolt inside my engine (as I was later informed by its unlicensed sub-contractor, to whom they assigned its repair - picture attached) - I returned it & Griffin's Auto Repair promised its completion in 2 weeks I've been waiting since I returned my vehicle to Griffin's Auto Repair to fix their damage: 1. They sub-contacted my truck's repair to an out -of-business, unlicensed & uninsured man; sent my truck to this person's house, where its been to this day, without my consent. I'm uncertain if Griffin's Auto Repair's has insurance coverage on such an arrangement. - In late 2020, Griffin's Auto Repair's unlicensed sub-contractor informed me that he was hindered by Griffin's Auto Repair, who rejected he's solutions, in order to save money 2. Griffin's Auto Repair has been very elusive. - When I asked to meet with its owner, I received no response. - Griffin's Auto Repair only communicated with me after my aggressive followup updating me with false updates & promises of completion on specific days, which have never materialized 3. Upon realizing that Griffin's Auto Repair is incapable of delivering as they promised and are unable to repair the damage that their technician caused to my vehicle, I've asked for its return. They refused. Griffin's Auto Repair damaged my vehicle, while working on it. Griffin's Auto Repair promised to resolve that damage in 2 weeks. It's been half a year. I'm still waiting for my car. Griffin's Auto Repair's poor integrity makes me sad. I need help? read more

Griffin's Auto Repair - Bolt retrieved from my engine - Auto Repair Near Me - San Diego, California

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Took my car in about 6 months ago after it'd been sitting for over a year. They did NOT following my directions of draining all fluids, including DCT, rear differential, engine oil, brake fluid, and so on. It's sad I was recommended this place by AAA. They cleared my DME codes referencing emissions and didn't tell me which amazing the pump was bad, so they missed out on actual revenue. Instead they did the bare minimum, which I am so thankful for the fact it made it from their shop to the actually BMW specific mechanic. If you go somewhere with a car sitting over a year in a high performance car and they don't drain the fluids. RUN. It's cheaper. AAA discount was a joke and they don't validate or support anything. read more

Griffin's Auto Repair - Bill - Auto Repair Near Me - San Diego, California

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I requested an inspection of my vehicle and the information provided was very vague and turned out misdiagnosed. I called for assistance after I made repair elsewhere and was given the cold shoulder. I can pay for an inspection and go elsewhere for repairs. I just needed my car checked so I could find the problem. I'm so nice, just needed a quality inspection.. Ladies beware.. read more

Awesome service here. I needed an air pump changed on my smart car. they order the part and repaired my car with in a week, being that they are closed on the weekend and i was able to bring my car in on a day they were booked AND the part took about 4 days to get there, id say they got it done pretty quick. Very friendly and polite staff. COVID 19 is not taken lightly at this shop, they all wear their mask, also have sanitizer set up for use. when they are done with your car they spray the inside with lemon fresh sanitizer. I was really impressed with the service i received! read more

Thank you to this great team for being Good Samaritans during my minor car accident today. Damaged tire while driving leading to a flat. I wasn't able to get off the lugnuts with my lousy basic tire iron, so I walked over to this store (was a block from where I had the accident) and asked if they had some WD40 that I could use to loosen the nuts. One of the mechanics got some equipment (lube, impact wrench) and walked over to where I was parked and helped me change the tire. The he assisted in finding a tire store closest to where we were, and called over there for me to get a tire ordered. With all of that, they didn't charge me anything for their help. And, they were totally cool/friendly the entire time. Thank you! Thank you! If/when I need a mechanic, Griffin's Auto Repair will be my first call. You guys are amazing! read more

I've been taking my old 2008 MINI Cooper to Griffin's for 3.5 years, and they have done expert and meticulous work for me on a consistent basis. They have earned my trust by patiently explaining each issue we've worked on--and there have been many--without condescension and with empathy and good humor. Their prices are fair, and they consistently fix things right. They've also given me a break on prices, and even fixed things for free (like replacing a taillight , which isn't easy on this car). I feel lucky to have found this trustworthy shop. read more

Griffin's Auto has become my go to for car service and repair needs. I trust Dwayne and Carlos to provide trustworthy, responsive and quality service. I've had my air conditioning repaired, security system reset, and battery system fixed. All were completed with reasonable prices, great communication and within the timeline quoted. As a single woman, I greatly appreciate feeling safe and taken care of by a reputable auto repair company. Highly recommended! read more

It's always a great experience with Griffin's Auto Shop! They are reliable, quick, efficient, and extremely professional throughout the process. I truly appreciate their excellent service and highly recommend them to anyone in need of quality auto repairs. Thank you, Griffin's Auto Shop! read more

Griffin's auto is by far the best shop in the San Diego area! Prices beat the dealership by far and they'll get your car fixed asap. Mario was very helpful and kept the whole process fun and full of humor! read more

BEST staff ever. These people know what they're doing and the best part - they're genuinely nice & reliable. Griffin's took care of my car issue within 2 days (and I had pretty annoying problem to fix). On top of that, they communicated with me every step of the way and educated me about car repair along the process. I'm never going anywhere else... these people know what to do to get life-long customers. THANK YOU GRIFFINS!!! Need to pass a smog?? GO HERE. read more

My first time ever using this business. With all the untrustworthy shops we can easily stumble on , Griffiths turned out to earn my trust. Service advisor Mario was outstanding and one of the main reasons they will continue to earn my business read more