I have had a couple of predicaments with my cars. Hien was able to resolve both of them. He seems to me to be very honest and caring. He fixed an air conditioning problem yesterday and explained that he could not guarantee long term results, which I appreciated knowing. Air conditioning works great now. Fixed it in about 15 minutes and charged way less than competitors. The other issue got resolved because he's open on Saturdays. Doesn't get any better than that. My only complaint is that it is hard to understand his English and he only takes cash. Otherwise, yes, I'm a fan. read more

Hien is perhaps the most honest, down-to-earth, and knowledgeable mechanic I have ever used. He insists on showing his customers the problem-identifying and problem-solving steps he uses, so that you feel confident in his diagnosis and solutions. More than that, he knows cars inside and out-- and won't overcharge. Heck, he's turned me away before saying that the repair wasn't necessary and would just be a money-sink. I can't recommend him enough for car maintenance and repairs, and have been exceptionally happy with every visit. I recommend him to everyone in Santa Barbara that I can. read more

I had such a wonderful experience here. I can't believe I can actually say that about an auto repair experience, but it's true. My fan stopped blowing air on one disgustingly hot day a few months back. I was in a bit of a panic to get my a/c working again and, since I had just moved to the area, I had no idea where to go. Luckily, I found this shop on Yelp not far away. Hien was just the best. He was so helpful and friendly and even took the trouble to explain everything to me WITH DIAGRAMS he drew on his white board. I love to learn how things work, so I really appreciated the education. Even though his english isn't perfect, he explained it so well. He should be a teacher. He fixed my problem, after I picked up the part he needed at the Honda dealership down the road and brought it back, and I thought the charges were reasonable. It's still working fine. I moved out of the area, but if I didn't, I would certainly bring my car here for everything. He completely turned my day around. Had I not been so busy during my time in Goleta, I would have stopped by just to say hello. He's just that great. read more

The clutch on my 4x4 went out just outside Goleta and I was towed to Hein. He is just a really sweet, amazing mechanic! Had me out of there super fast - came in on Wednesday afternoon, out first thing Friday morning. He even came in under the quoted amount! If you're ever broke down in Goleta, see Hein! PS: He likes burritos read more

Mr. Hien saved my life this weekend!! :). The Goleta Honda shop turned us away over an hour before scheduled closing time, even though they knew we were on our way from Santa Maria Honda for a specific part my car needed! And it was SATURDAY, so we were told we would have to wait until Monday, until I called Mr. Hien! We brought the part from meanie-Honda and Mr. Hien stayed open late to install it and send us back on our merry-road-trip-way!! Not only was he kind, friendly, and efficient but reasonably priced as well! Thanks to him we enjoyed traveling on to SanDiego and LA, and still made work in SF Monday morning!! Thank you Mr Hien!! ;D read more

High quality family business. Honest auto care at it's best.

I had my car blindly towed here on a Saturday afternoon when I lost my transmission suddenly. As soon as I arrived Hein helped get the car off the tow and could tell I was in over my head. I asked if he could help me out and he went above and beyond. This tiny shop hidden behind a bar on Orange Avenue (go in the alley) had a young girl with a 2004 Accord that needed a lot of repair work done. Within minutes Hein opened up my hood, told me the car had been in an accident and that my power steering pump was bad. He gave me grim news about my transmission and quoted me what I had anticipated such a job would cost. ($2k), but gave it a flush to see if it could be drivable. Monday rolls around and Hein calls to confirm our first plan of action didn't work and that I would in fact need a replacement. Instead of talking me into the job he suggested I take the loss on it and trade it in for something else - which is the direction I was leaning toward. I also must comment about his moral practice. As it would have been a hassle for me to get down there he is assisted another tow truck without my presence and allowed me to mail my payment in as he wouldn't take a credit card over the phone in case of security breaches. A hardship I faced made better by finding a reliable business with great practice that wants to earn my business legitimately. Since I didn't actually have work done I can't commit to the quality of workmanship, but I will feel comfortable bringing my next vehicle here for service when it's needed. read more

Hein may have saved my life! When I drove up to just get an inspection before a long trip, he saw my tire was shredded on its way to popping and urged me to get a new tire ASAP. But before I left, he looked at my car and taught me car basics 101. He also told me I needed to replace 2 belts and then he fixed my license plate which was hanging on with only one screw. Free of charge! Four new tires later, I returned to have him replace my three belts. He agreed to a price that almost matched Big Brand Tire's fee. For the extra ten dollars, I was happy to give him my business because I could tell her really cares and knows his stuff. He did a great job and I feel safe driving my car now. Support Hein and other small business owners! read more

great experiences every time. Brakes and rotors are a real bargain. Timing belt deal. On Lexus LS430.

Best prices and service in town. Hien really took the time to explain to me what was wrong with my car and what needs to be done. Everywhere else I called told me it would take one full day, but Hien was able to fix up my car in three hours! read more

Really great mechanic. He is old school, and really knows cars as the back of his hand. I had a problem with my engine, and I took my car to a mechanic and he changed a solenoid and said it should be good now. But, the check engine light went on with the same error code. I took my car to another mechanic that didn't listen to me saying I already changed this part and it does not solve the problem and changed the part again, with the expectable result. Till I got the car to Mr Hien (the first time) and he just knew what is wrong with the car. He is also honest. read more

Great mechanic! He really knows cars, will tell you exactly what's wrong, and charges a very reasonable price! Best mechanic around!

We have been on the road for 6 months in an'87 Ford Coachman camper van. When our alternator belt snapped on our way through Goleta, CA we called multiple repair shops. Hein's was the only one to tell us to come right over. Since we were in a time crunch he fixed our van right away and explained every step to us. When he was finished he went over the whole process with us and also told us about other daily maintenance we should be doing on our vehicle. He charged us easily half of what other shops would've and was 100x more helpful than anyone we've encountered! Helpful, thorough, efficient, and cost effective. This shop makes every other mechanic shop look bad. 100% recommend! read more

I have had the worst experience with Hien. He is basically a greedy old man who just wants to overcharge. He is smokes like a chimney while working on the car, while being inside my car. One visit to his shop and the car smells of cigarette smoke. As an asthma patient, this is a big deal for me. I have now been taking my Acura / Honda to DiMauro's, also in Goleta. Quite happy with everything there. read more

Seriously the worst experience I have ever had with a mechanic. I had a simple problem with my car (EGR valve needed to be repaired) and it took Mr. Hien over three weeks to "diagnose" the problem. Furthermore, he charged me $150 in labor charges for driving my car around for an hour and a half, and never actually fixed the problem! After jerking me around for over a month, leading to countless hours of missed work and frustration, he sent me to get a part from the dealership, only to tell me he couldn't figure out how to make it fit! Finally, he recommended I go to Garcia's because Mr. Garcia is "a professional." Uh, aren't you supposed to be, too, sir? Huge waste of my time and money. Took it to Garcia's and it was fixed the next day. I will never, ever go here again and I would advise anyone who values their time and money to stay away. read more

5 stars. Mr. Hien is honest, knows a tremendous amount about auto repair, and has a wealth of experience. He cares about the customers and enjoys helping people. Many mechanics or dealerships will charge you for anything they possibly can, but not Mr. Hien. Definitely come here. read more