We have unfortunately been rear-ended twice in the last six months. Besides no injuries or significant damage to the cars involved, the only saving grace has been that the process of getting our car repaired has been so easy and seamless with our insurance and Berkeley Auto Body. Berkeley Auto Body is one of our insurance companies' options for car repair and, given their Yelp reviews, we went with them. In both cases, they were very responsive, completed the work quickly (and well!) and also communicated well throughout the process. The intake process for the car was easy and thorough - Lupe took a ton of pictures to document the damage and also walked me through the damage she could visually see and where they would be looking more closely for more substantial damage. Everybody at the shop is very professional and friendly. I appreciate that they are responsive both via phone and email. read more

They did a fine job repairing my car. They decided to clean the inside and outside of my car before returning it to me. They also decided to take valuables that were inside my vehicle (purposely stowed away under seats to prevent enticing someone looking inside to steal anything). I'm a single mother who's resources are precious. I'm missing expensive children's sunblock, expensive glass cleaner for tinted windows, latex gloves, paper towels. It's mind boggling and sad. Put peoples items back where you found them!! Don't just take what you need from their car!! I will not be returning. read more

Someone backed into the rear of our Subaru Ascent while it was parked, causing significant damage to the bumper, taillights, and tailgate--and disabling the electronic safety features, including the blind spot detectors. This happened just before the holidays, and with a road trip planned, we needed the repairs completed quickly. Berkeley Auto Body did an outstanding job. Everything was restored to like-new condition--both visually and functionally--and they expedited some of the work so we could have the car in time for our trip. I really appreciated their efficiency, friendly service, and the high quality of the repairs. I highly recommend them. read more

Johana was great. very professional and pleasant.She also had helpful suggestions to get the price lower, as it was not a total repair. In addition, without my asking, she found an aftermarket part, saving me a lot. I highly recommend . read more

Been here twice and it's been a great experience both times! Service is great and quotes are fair. They did a great job on my car both times and they were really fast, efficient and did great work! First time was for a bumper fix and second was for the splash guard. Definitely recommend them! read more

Tool good care of us with a tough situation (accident). Great communication and patient with explaining the process and next steps.

SERVICE These guys are a**holes. First off, I was given a date for which the car would be ready and when the day came, I called them because I had not gotten an update. They then extended the date.. not once, but multiple times. Each time they would promise me a new date in which they would fail to deliver or call me to let me know what was happening. They knew I was not local and had to book myself a hotel while the damage to my vehicle and repair was done, but they lacked any consideration on being clear about timing. This costed me a fortune in hotel and rental fees, as I kept thinking I wouldn't have very much time to get home and back to pick up the vehicle, so I opted to stay close. Had I known it would take almost 2 weeks, I would have flown home without a car and saved a fortune. REPAIR When I finally picked up the car, I asked if they checked to make sure the repair was done correctly and the headlight was working. The gentleman clearly confirmed with "yes, of course". I stupidly trusted his word and hopped in my car excited to finally get home to my kids. I am now stuck with only one dim headlight driving along a dark hwy with dust clouds flying everywhere and minimal view. I can hardly see a thing. This was such complete carelessness on their behalf. Now I'm at least five hours drive away from the shop and have kids waiting at home for me another 2.5 hours away. It's really hard to see, but I have no choice but to drive. It will cost me money, time, and my sanity to drive back, but I doubt they care. I paid for a service that wasn't even completed. Complete robbery and waste of time. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Husteads Auto Body - Central Berkeley - How hard is it to check if the headlight actually works after installing? - Body Shops Near Me - Berkeley, California

The customer service is sucks. Tony was the estimater, I got rear end damaged, when I drove on the street the steering wheel approached to right. Called my insurance, the adjuster said: you needed to talk to the Berkeley auto body shop to revise the estimate. Called twice to them and left my phone number to Tony never get back. The third time called them again, the female (I assumed she is the manager) who answered the the phone most of time said: Tony never call back to customers (sounds like not his job to call the customers), I said: why don't you let me know earlier, I'm like a idiot keep leaving the message to Tony. First time with them ready to drop my vehicle for repair, I changed my mind, never go back again. read more

They came recommended by AAA, and I can see why. Excellent work. They kept me posted the whole. read more

Amazing service!! If you need work on your car come here. Juan knows what he's doing and service is excellent!

To EVERYONE out there: DO NOT TAKE YOUR BUSINESS HERE! This place is one of the best...at ripping you off! My car was towed there after a brutal accident where I was injured. While my insurance company negotiated the removal of the car (as this place apparently charges WAY more for daily storage fees, which is part of their racket), the owner had decided that moving my car daily to and from a metered parking spot ON THE STREET was also the best way to proceed. Since they NEVER FED THE METER, I got multiple parking tickets, too. When I asked them to cover those costs, they refused. So, yeah - this place is run by a bunch of JERKS who care nothing about you and only about how they can jack up your bill and make money off you. Because, see...they have to depend on a continual flow of customers, since they all will be one-time customers, as nobody in their right mind would go BACK here to be abused and taken advantage of a SECOND time. Just look at some of the other reviews up here, as there are MANY that talk about how bad these people run their business, and how bad the service is. And so is it any surprise that I too have additional complaints to pile on? There are so many bad reviews that's it's been suggested by other reviewers that this place just HAS to be posting FAKE positive reviews, since nobody who has actually dealt with this business would say anything remotely positive, as they are bunch of shisters. I would have to wholeheartedly agree. Last: BEWARE on telling any tow-truck driver to tow your car here. Honestly, they must be giving kickbacks to some of the AAA drivers in the area, as the guy who towed my truck was the one who suggested I have my car towed here in the first place. It ended up being totaled out, so they did NOTHING helpful for me at all, and it ended up costing me hundreds of dollars more - just for the overpriced storage fees (meaning: they are not aligned with their industry, and are ripping people off) and the parking tickets THAT THEY GOT ON MY CAR! It's truly unbelievable a place like this has not been shut down already. Time to contact Better Business Bureau, the city of Berkeley, and the State of CA to see what can be done here. This place needs to close, so they cannot continue to financially hurt other customers like they did to me. WITH SO MANY OTHER AUTO BODY SHOPS IN BERKELEY, JUST DON'T GO HERE. That's the best advice you will read today - trust me. read more

I have used this shop twice and will recommend it to everyone. It is a warm family business which cares for the client as well as the car. When the car is returned it is absolutely spotless inside and out. The repairs make the car look brand new and they stand behind their work. I had a special interaction this time. I got a call telling me that when they took the seats out to clean up the glass from the break in, they found an envelope under one seat with money. They locked it up until I could come for it. The thieves never found it because it fell through the crack between the seat and the console. read more

Years ago I went to this shop and they bold face lied about damage to a car on their lot. Over the last 2 decades I have heard nothing but complaints from fellow neighbors about their poor quality and horrible customer service. Save yourself, stay far away! read more

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They go an extra step. The cost was lower than the two other estimates and yet they do excellent work.

My car was rear ended in a parking lot & GEICO sent me this shops info for repairs. They worked quickly & efficiently to answer my questions and get my car back to me freshly detailed & with a brand new bumper/pristine paint job. I hope I don't have to use their services again lol but if I do I know where to go and I'll recommend to anybody that asks. Special shout-out to Justin & his wife Breanna for handling my baby & me with care. read more

Husteads Auto Body - Central Berkeley - Body Shops Near Me - Berkeley, California

Rude and condescending. I have previously used this body shop back when it was family owned, in the early 2000s. It was a no brainer for me to come back. Boy, was I wrong. I had an extremely unpleasant interaction with Tony. He essentially acted like they were too busy to provide me with an estimate. He advised that I needed to come back some odd hours later, to get a simple estimate for some bumper damage. He reluctantly told Lupe, to take the necessary photos to provide me with an estimate. Lupe, must have sensed my annoyance with Tony's attitude and advised they had just taken over the shop, and were trying to get things in order. Here's a thought, it's probably not a good idea to be rude to a potential customer. To put the icing on the cake, even after Lupe took pictures of my vehicle, I never received an estimate. I went right down the street to 101 Auto Body, where David not only provided great customer service, but I left with an estimate within 10-15 minutes. read more

I went in for an estimate on my vehicle and the owner, Henry, helped me. Right away I was turned off, something seems off about the place. Their estimate was higher than everyone else I went too. So if you're looking for collision repair, go somewhere else. Really disappointed because I was referred by a friend who used to work there. read more

Had insurance repairs done here. Everyone was friendly and courteous and they did a great job in a reasonable time frame. Discovered after I got it back that the front wiper fluid wasn't working, gave them a call and they had me bring it by immediately and fixed it in a few minutes (hoses swapped). Again, everyone was friendly and courteous. To me, making it right is more important than never making a mistake, I would bring my car here again for body work. read more

This business refused to take my car for an estimate because i "drove it". My insurance company classified my car as "not driveable" i drove it to the shop with all the warning lights on. The man (approximately 40 years old, long hair in a hat) did not like me saying that i thought they should keep my car here (as it is undriveable). He was very condescending and rude to me and then told his co-worker, Lupe, not to talk to me or to take my car. I mentioned that maybe he should not tell lupe what to do. I also mentioned that it seemed he was not able to hear me or listen to me at all despite me not ever insulting him -i simply said what i needed and that seemed to make him very, very angry. He said he thought i was entitled. I mentioned that a woman saying what she thinks and needs seemed very upsetting to him. i asked lupe if she would please call my insurance to verify that my car was classified as undriveable so that they could keep it (according to their rules). she refused. lupe was a good communicator overall. i wasted a LOT of time due to the rigid thinking, sexism and unwillingness to put any effort into serving me at this place. dont waste your time. Check out Continental auto body which is very close by, has better reviews, and has no affiliations they have to abide by with certain insurance companies. read more

You would be quite nervous if your wife drives a Bentley, and she cares for it like it were her pride and joy. You too would, look for a shop that will meet your wife's demands for perfection. The Bentley is a hand made car and my wife wants it to remain a show piece. I worried about their experience with the paint that Bentley uses, would they be able to match the beautiful and unique "Magnolia" color paint? The sun roof and around the trunk lock had rusted under the paint. I had been told that to keep the rust from showing up again later, the old paint had to be removed and the metal sandblasted prior to repainting. I was told that they would take great care and treat the car with respect and do a good job for me. They even sent me pictures of the sandblasted panels. When I got the car back, and before I let my wife inspect it, I carefully checked it out. It sure seemed good to me. BUT! What would the WIFE say? Well, I put it in the sun and let her look it over. She took her time and went over it carefully and then exclaimed: "WOW, it looks GREAT" Thanks to all of you at Berkeley Auto Body who did a perfect job. Happy wife.... read more

Husteads Auto Body - Central Berkeley - She LOVES her car! - Body Shops Near Me - Berkeley, California

50 days that's right it's been 50 days since my car accident after calling to find the status of the repair I was placed on hold for over a half hour then transferred to a general mail box that was full and then hung up on. When I attempted to call back.. you guessed it straight to the mailbox. I'll be contacting the insurance company about finding a different body shop. read more

Came here through Geico referral - they aligned to the Geico estimate (another shop had said it would cost double!), and found a way to work around a manufacturer part delay, saving me time and money. The work was excellent and seamless. This was my first body work needed, and car came out looking as good as ever. read more

This shop did an outstanding job installing my off road bumper and winch. It is not something they normally do but the results speak for themselves. I definitely recommend them for any future body work. read more

Husteads Auto Body - Central Berkeley - Body Shops Near Me - Berkeley, California

A friend of mine had her car repaired at this shop. On her way back home at night she notices her headlights were not operating correctly. Drove with barely any lights on; making it very unsafe. Please make sure everything works before you head out from this shop. read more

I cannot say enough about Berkeley Auto Body. I have been coming here for over 20 yrs. I live in berkeley on a narrow street. I can't count how many times I have been side swiped or random parking lot bumps. Since Don is no longer there, I am partial to Justin When I walk in he even remembers my name! The work they do is meticulous always . I took my new car which 2 days after I got it home was scraped when I was not there. Justin was so sweet and helpful. Go there to get your car fixed! You won't regret it. read more

Bill, Dan, Justin and the BAB team once again did an amazing job! If you love your car and can't bear living with minor bumps, scrapes and dents that can occur when living in an urban area, this is the place to go. Justin who's very friendly and courteous wrote me up first thing on a Monday (no waiting. He had just gotten in off his bike and immediately took me out to look at my car). After my insurance adjuster checked in, they had me out in six days (luckily no supply chain issues for my rear fender). They go the extra mile to make sure you're satisfied. In fact, when I picked my car up, I had to check the plates to make sure it was mine. They washed it and even put tire black on my tires making it look brand new. This is my third car in 15 years they've worked on. I wouldn't trust any other shop. read more

If I have to trust my car to someone, it is to these people, communication, customer service and excellent quality of work. It is always stressful to go to a bodyshop in my experience, but they made everything easy even by rental car I had to worry because they took care of everything, thank you very much Berkeley Auto Body !! Si tengo que confiar mi automóvil a alguien, es a estas personas, comunicación, servicio al cliente y excelente calidad de trabajo ,siempre es estresante ir a un taller en mi experiencia, pero lo hicieron todo fácil ni siquiera por carro de renta me tuve que Preocupar porque se encargaron de todo, muchas gracias Berkeley Auto Body !! read more

Had my car fixed here and the whole staff is nice and they did a excellent job fixing my car especially on the paint. The manager is also very nice and really cares for his customers. Great service and customer service. read more

The folks at BAB performed a beautiful repair after someone backed into my car. Justin was so friendly, professional, and straightforward from the beginning. The estimates were absolutely on target and the work was outstanding and the communication? Well, I always knew what was going on with my car and when there was a day delay, Justin filled me in and took care of extending my rental directly. I completely agree with David s: this is the place to go. THank you Justin and team!!! read more

Super friendly and helpful staff! They did a beautiful job repairing my car after it was rear-ended. Highly recommend taking your car here.

Berkeley Auto Body was so amazing that I am writing my first yelp review ever. The entire team were incredibly helpful and went above and beyond to not only get my car repaired quickly, but they also fixed a couple of unrelated items that were not on the quote at no additional charge! Everything was on time, the communication was good, the quote fair and everyone I dealt with friendly and professional. Overall an unusually good auto body repair experience. read more

Too bad the rating system doesn't allow for a zero. Berkeley Auto Body is by far the very worst body shop I have ever dealt with in my decades of car ownership. We drove our car (a Toyota Prius) to their shop after a minor accident (left front fender, bumper, headlight), expecting it back within a week or so. They successfully repaired the damage, and then, through their own negligence and incompetence, accidentally DESTROYED THE CAR. After an investigation by our auto insurer and their liability insurer, over a period of several weeks, the car was declared a total loss. Their insurance paid us the nominal value of the car, taking into account the make, model, age and condition. What we received was less than a third of the value of the new car we bought as a replacement. What exactly did Berkeley Auto Body do to the car? The car had been in their shop for over a week and during much of the work they had left the doors open with the dome light on, which drained the battery. So after they completed the accident repair, they had to jump start the battery. However, the car was a hybrid and the mechanic working on it either did not know or had forgotten that jump starting a Prius isn't exactly the same as working on a car with just a gas engine. He apparently connected the jumper cables the wrong way and BLEW OUT THE CAR'S ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. We never saw the car again after this. However, at the time this happened, nobody else in the shop seemed to understand what the problem was. So they had the car towed first to one dealer than to a second one, which finally diagnosed the issue and declared the car to be irreparable. The body shop's liability insurer took possession of the car, had it towed to a dismantling yard far from our home, and gave us a "take it or leave it" compensation figure which we had no choice but to accept. I give the shop credit for repairing the accident damage and for finally admitting their mistake. But we live in what might be the most Prius-populated region of the country and I find it incredible that their mechanics couldn't do a simple jump start without destroying the car, putting us through weeks of inconvenience and uncertainty, and leaving us with a payment that was a fraction of the cost of buying an equivalent new car. My recommendation is that nobody should ever use this body shop. I've never seen such incompetence, will never recommend them to anyone else, and will certainly never take any car I own to them for repair. If your car needs body work, avoid this shop at all cost and find another one. read more

Hi - Berkeley Auto Body goes above and beyond standing behind their work. Through no fault of theirs some bad paint for a given color and year was unknowingly used for a repair of my car. It was fine for a while but started to show issues. They refinished it (using different better paint) even though they really weren't responsible. It looks beautiful. They have worked on my wife's and daughter's cars and always made them feel welcomed and informed. And did an incredible job. Berkeley Auto Body has the nicest staff, returns calls, does what they say and have some real artist doing refinishing. I cannot say enough good about them - wholeheartedly recommended. read more

Sadly, when it comes to customer service, Berkeley Auto Body, Inc. did not go the extra mile. To this date, they have refused to pay for an expired meter ticket my vehicle received while at their repair facility, from January 23-February 20, 2023. I was not advised my car had received a meter ticket citation. I sent them a copy of the ticket. I paid for it on 3/5/2023, to avoid additional charges. Berkeley Auto Body, Inc. responded in writing and "claimed" that they paid for it on the day it was issued (2/08/23). Furthermore, they utilized the City of Berkeley website to claim that they paid for it. For the record, The City of Berkeley provided written proof of payment that this ticket was resolved on 3/05/2023 at 7:55pm, via my Master card credit card only. It was paid in full because I paid for it. I sent Berkeley Auto Body Shop a second letter, requesting proof of payment to the City of Berkeley on day it was issued (2/08/2023) as they claimed. I have received complete silence. Sadly, in my opinion, they did not go the extra mile to prove honesty with their work. read more

brought in my partner's 2013 VW Golf TDI that had minor front bumper damage from curb wars wounds which I had inflicted (scrape marks on bottom lip & damaged undershield). I had estimates from 4 other shops (Cook's, Bay Bridge, 101, Allied) ..some of them said I should replace the whole bumper. Robert Nisperos at Berkeley said they could easily repair it The highest bid for repair was at 101 AutoBody in Albany (which I had used in the past). Since I was willing to pay cash, Robert gave me the most attractive price. (50% to 66% lower than any other shop) The work was done on time (2 days) & it looks like new. Thanks Robert! read more

I went to this place three times to try to get bumper replaced. The first representative, Robert, said he would call me back. He never did. This is after I dialed him and left my number on two separate occasions. The second time I visited I dealt with Henry and he said they were busy that day and I should come back on Aug. 21. I thought I was back on track. I came back Aug. 21 and I met Robert the guy who didn't return my calls. He basically went through the process we did last time. He was trying to blow me off again. When I told him that I just wanted to get my bumper fixed, I didn't care what it cost. He yelled at me. Do not go to this place. The representatives are rude, disrespectful and uncommunicative. Horrible customer service. Unprofessional people upfront. It feels like this place was run by the Trump administration. read more

Husteads Auto Body - Central Berkeley - Went to this place 3 times to try to get my bumper fixed, they blew me off 3 times. The last time they kicked me out. That's a first - Body Shops Near Me - Berkeley, California

Hard to know how to rate these guys. I just got my car back yesterday and I have to say that it looks fantastic. They fixed the back bumper in addition to the damage that was done in the fender-bender (maybe worse than that, but no one was hurt) that Adam had. Here's why, though: it took them a MONTH to repair the car. I won't say I was terribly forbearing with them on the phone. In fact, I will admit to being kind of a bitch. But while they were polite, they were also a bit condescending to me ("I don't know if you know anything about body work ..." "Um, I'm 43 years old, yes, I know a little about it.") and seemed to deal in a lot of excuses and finger-pointing. That said, my insurance company (Wawanesa, which sucks in my opinion) was jerking both them and us around, and they did try to move the repairs along. I believe that. Ultimately, though, we were without a car for a month. I'm not sure I can rate them any higher than three stars given that fact. I have a feeling they will respond, and hey, go for it. Y'all have enough good reviews on here that maybe I'm missing something. read more

These guys were the BEST! They fixed a dent in my door, and it looked brand new. They also washed the inside and outside of my car and negotiated price with me. Support them during these times! Thank you! read more

I totally disagree what people said. I brought my car here for a repair, and Justin and his co workers greeted me warmly. My car was scratched by AAA's client and I had hard time reaching my adjuster. Justin provided solution by calling the other adjuster for me and so we were able to move on. I didn't know if I could get a rental car as well in the mean time. Justin immediately asked adjuster for the claim and requested a car reservation on the spot. Luckily, they already had a claim so I was able to get it today! Justin is very professional in going over next steps and addressed any of my concerns. Highly recommend this place! Ps: People need to understand, this is NOT a fast food restaurant! You cannot get your car within a day! Give them a break and be reasonable ! As long as you are being reasonable you will get the service you deserve! read more

We are so disappointed! Somebody scratched our car but their insurance was ready and willing to take care of it, so we went here for an estimate based on numerous excellent reviews. I told them we'd need an estimate emailed to us for insurance purposes. H. looks at the car in detail and promises to send it to me. Day one passes. Day two passes; I call him up and he says, "Sorry! We've been so busy! Will email you first thing tomorrow morning!" Meanwhile, the insurance adjuster is asking me for the estimate, and I'm driving around with an ugly scratch on my beloved Mazda 3. Day 3 passes. Crickets. Day 4, I call and someone else says "Oh, H. isn't here today. I don't know where he is." "Can YOU email me the estimate?" I ask. "Um, yeah, I guess," says the guy. More crickets. Finally my husband says, "Damn, woman! Get back on Yelp and find another body shop!" End of story, we have an appointment for the repair at the very friendly, professional 101 Auto Body in Richmond. As of today? Still no call back from Berkeley Auto Body! read more