I have found my mechanic for life. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised to leave an automotive repair shop for under $200, NO LESS THEN UNDER $150! Oh and not for VW's only! I brought in an older Japanese car that was stalling out. I am so used to the standard phone call stating you need this and this and this to your car. Yeah, I know that, we wouldn't be driving a 13 year old car if we could afford something a bit newer and nicer. These guys didn't do that. (I would assume if I asked them to do a full on inspection, they would have told me everything I needed, but I didn't, just needed such and such fixed, and thy got it done.) FAST, a lot faster then their estimated time. Anyhow, bye bye to our other mechanic,, and hello to Jim's and the nice staff who work there. The front desk girl is super amazingly nice and friendly, and great welcoming disposition. Honesty goes along way, and rest assured, you will get honest service here, not to mention, reasonable prices. Super friendly staff. I didn't get the chance to meet "Jose", but it was closing time day before the 4th of July, and I will be sure next time though! Thank you everyone at Jim's, you won over a new customer for life. Oh to you 3? people that left 1 star reviews, you all must be retarded.... So here goes (payback a bitch): To: Ziggy seriously? you mean to tell me you can spot a transmission gasket problem, but you failed to see as you put it, ", several hoses were burst and there was evidence of leaked coolant through out the system. Basically the whole thing was dangling by a thread" ? Hmmmmmmmm To: Passenger E. You are exactly the reason this world is coming to pot, leaving all 1 star reviews (except 2 of them). Enough said. To: Doodle T.'- I find your review suspicious (competition?) (and this dude has only left 2 reviews and both weren't good). YOu have NO right complaining about a $95 when the charges are clearly posted up front (and most likely you were also told this on the phone when assuming you called them) No, I am not paid spokesman for Jim's, lol, I am just amazed out of 51 reviews 3 or so had such horrible experiences, that I am sure, if Jim's was told or given a chance, they would have fairly corrected the "problems" these 3 "customers" had. Look, I have only been to Jim's once, but from reviews, and my experience today, and good intuition, I think I am betting on a pretty honest place, that will I am sure make it right for you if you have continued problems, even if your mistake. Businesses that have been around for a long time are still around simply because of honesty and good customer service. Period. God Bless you all! read more

One of the last remaining family owned and operated German repair shops around. Jose, Art and the rest of the team will definitely get your car running, driving and sounding like it should. read more

I can't tell you how lucky I am to have found them. They have saved me from financial ruin. I was having one of those months--where beetle was experience a domino effect. First the left headlight went out, then the signal lights, then the back break light (I changed the bulb--and it worked just fine--until you turned on your headlights at night!). Yes, I had a winking beetle. Sounds cute, right? Not so cute when I pounding the area under my radio to get one or two clicks out of signal light so it doesn't seem like i'm just radically cutting people off on the streets. What could happen next? Well, I was expecting it to spontaneously combust of course! After a few close calls and a few middle fingers slung my way (I'm sorry, geesh!)--I decided it was time to see what the damage would cost me. Here's the breakdown-- McKenna Volkswagon Huntington Beach--$400-$550 Unnamed Volkswagon Specialist in LB (who i've used previously)--$275-$350 I was floored and I was beginning to lose hope... Jim's Auto--$35. Yes--you read that correctly. $35. Yes, I will have to come back bc the signal lights will eventually turn die--but it'll only cost me $65-80. Jim's Auto is honest and trustworthy. Everyone here was super friendly and took the time to explain everything to me. Please do keep in mind that everyone else charges a minimum of $75 just to change ONE headlight. It's absolutely ridiculous! Jim's auto--I have already recommended you to all my friends and you will be my go to spot. Thanks for all your help! read more

I cannot recommend Jose highly enough. As a young woman who knows nothing about cars, walking into any mechanic is pretty scary. All of the people at Jim's are incredibly friendly, and make you feel at ease. But here's why you should go to Jim's- I dropped my car off this morning, because it's been making an odd noise since I got in a small fender bender. When I came back a few hours later, Jose took me out to the car, opened the hood, and showed me and explained what was wrong clearly. He told me I could replace the grill, which costs 180 dollars to order, or he could repair it, and no one would know the difference. In addition, while the car was there, he buffed out an unrelated scratch over the back tire. To sum it up- Jose is friendly, thorough, and perhaps of most importance, extremely honest. He does great work, and he will have my business and recommendation as long as I live in Long Beach. read more

Went in for a brake inspection cos the little light in my Jetta had been on for a couple days now. After inspecting it, they told me I needed to get the front brakes replaced and that it'd cost $170. Idk if that's expensive or not but I can honestly say my brakes have never felt better. Id rather get it done right than get it done cheaply for some half-assed job. The guy that helped me was really nice too (Jose?) and suggested I bring my car back in another time for a full check-up, since the check engine car light is on. I'm one of those, If it ain't broke don't fix it, types lol I know, I know. It's bad. But in my defense I am a student on a budget, and a girl. -1 star for almost making me late to work. Maybe I should've came earlier but an hour and a half still seems like a lot to me, & there weren't any other customers waiting (from what I saw). Still, I recommend this place based on their quality, service, and expertise on VWs. I will definitely be back. :-) Ps. If you're wondering, their labor rate is $95 per hour. Saw it on their sign in the office. read more

We called Jose with an emergency repair. He came to rescue my wife who was stranded on the hwy. What other shops told us was a major problem ended up being a minor repair and I took a honest mechanic like Jose to reveal this. Jose is an honest guy and I'd high recommend this shop and I will definitely bring my repairs to him again. read more

I found my mechanic. My little sister Carli took her Frontier to get serviced here and her car ran amazing after. I had trouble with my check engine light and funny noises coming from my 2004 Ford Mustang. Ford dealerships were quoting me at $2000 for repairs! They must be crazy or crooks! Jose took my car and fixed it for a fraction of the cost. I will be bringing my Ford Mustang and all my other cars here from now on. Thank you Jose and your amazing staff!!!! read more

I was driving down the 91 freeway when my dash panel blew up with red lights flashing telling me to turn off my engine immediately because I wasn't getting proper oil pressure in my engine. I'm new to the area, so I turned to Yelp to find a VW mechanic with happy customers. That's how I found Jose at Jim's Auto Repair. I had a lot of deferred maintenance to do, in addition to a failed oil pump. So I asked Jose to make my 2003 Passat road worthy for another five years. So he replaced the oil pump and fuel filter, replaced the rear brakes, corrected an issue with the front brakes (created by my former mechanic), did a complete oil change and tune up, changed the air filter, burned out low beam lights and broken dip stick, took it for a smog check; then he had the car washed and detailed - all for $1500. Jose is the bomb. And Jim's Auto is my spot from now on. read more

Jose is friendly, respectful, and treats fixing cars like an adventure - his love for his work really shows. I felt like he really went out of his way to troubleshoot my car troubles (with no extra "diagnostic charges" like I've received at dealerships). Also, his English is as good as his Spanish. read more

my 1999 vw jetta's clutch failed, leaving me stuck on the side of the road. I got towed to Jim's Auto, where we'd had lots of work done before. total cost for parts, labor, diagnostic, etc.--695. but he washed the car, polished and armor-all-ed the tires, and fixed my bumper, which was hanging off, for free. What a pleasant surprise! read more

These guys are awesome! They not only did a great job but they. Went over and above all expectations! They are honest and fast! I felt completely confident and welcomed from the first minute that I stepped into their office! I came in for a timing belt on my sons 2004 vw jetta and they handled everything! The quote was right on and they even did an oil change and washed the car! Thank you so much and I will not only come back but I will also share this place with all my friends! read more

Reliable, honest, and friendly. Ever since we moved into the Bixby area, we've been bringing our vehicles to this small shop. It's a little annoying to get in (if you're coming north on Cherry, you'll have to make a U-turn shortly after you see the shop), but it's well worth it. The oil change is a bit pricey (about $50 for synthetic oil, not including tire rotation), but they give your car a pretty detailed inspection. They never try to upsale, and in fact they have discouraged me from buying certain services! Definitely a mechanic I can trust. read more

I've taken all my cars to Jose since 1976 (my 1967 VW), since then I've had Hondas and my current 2004 Toyota Highlander. Jose and his team of mechanics have taken excellent care of my cars. They are all respectful, courteous and honest. The office staff are nice and knowledgeable. It's always fun to check out all the memorabilia in the glass case along with the Bible verses. I've recommended Jim's Auto Repair to my friends and they've always been happy with the service. read more

Maybe take your air cooled here, but don't bring anything after a Vanagon. I brought a 2003 Eurovan here for a pre-purchase inspection. They gave it the green light all the way except for a small note about the transmission gasket, which I already had seen. They failed to notice that the cooling system was in need of major work, several hoses were burst and there was evidence of leaked coolant through out the system. Basically the whole thing was dangling by a thread. Like many shops that service older VW's I'm sure they're great at servicing air cooled cars, but do not bring modern automobiles here. read more

Doing an updated review because we had such a great experience. Jose's place is a little far from us, so we'd tried another shop a few years ago when we started having some issues with our 71 Beetle. Took it to a VW specialty place in Torrance - they tried to sell me a whole new engine for $5500, but admitted on the phone that I didn't really need it, and they could do just the heads for $3500. Yikes? It was still running, so I figured that would give us some time to save up. And then covid happened, Bug won't start, and we've got no way to fix it. So it sat. For nearly two years. Come 2021, we've finally got a little stash saved to get it looked at. I will say that this shop is very busy, so it took a little while but I assured him that we weren't in a hurry, after all we were used to taking Uber by now. (Truth be told, I don't mind waiting because I'd much rather come here than anywhere else. I've learned my lesson on that front.) Before towing it in, he'd let me know that we could be looking up to $2,000 if it needed the engine rebuilt. Ouch, but nothing I hadn't expected given that it had sat so long. Well, you can understand my delight and relief when I called Jose to touch base and he tells me it's running great, it just needed a valve adjustment. What!?!!??? That poor little car sat for two years, for a valve adjustment that would have run a couple hundred bucks? My poor little monster deserves better from me. He spent another day going over the brakes and checking and exchanging fluids and a whole list of stuff to make it road-worthy after being garaged so long. He even had the guys polish most of the pitted rust off the chrome bumper, and they even cleaned up the inside (sorry I left all that random stuff in there guys!) Got away under $500 and I am so grateful, since that meant we could afford the registration too at the same time. Barring a very embarrassing moment as I got used to the adjusted clutch on the way out the driveway (lol I know how to drive I promise ) we were back on the road. Took her over the bridges on the way home to San Pedro and she cruised right up the hills, I even got into the fast lane without feeling any strain. We are so thrilled to have our little car back. Lesson learned: this car is never going anywhere else. It's worth the drive. Thank you Jose, you've made a huge difference for us getting our little blue monster back on the road. read more

Been coming to Jim's auto for YEARS. I don't trust no one else with my car. Jose is honest and will tell you want you need done unlike the dealership that will try to get over on you. My whole family goes to Jim's Auto. Great service!! read more

The absolute best mechanic! I have been bringing my VW Jetta here for about 2 years for oil changes or any problems. They are so genuine and trustworthy; I never feel like I'm being taken advantage of. I used to go to the dealership to get my car serviced and they never made me feel comfortable or cared for the way I am here. Jose is also the sweetest! Highly recommend! read more

Best shop ever, been coming for years and since I moved to San Diego i still drive there anytime I need my VW worked on. Great honest family owned business read more

FINALLY an auto mechanic that I can fully trust. I've been coming to Jose & his team for 6 years now and I can honestly say that they are the real deal. As a female who does not know much about cars, it has always been intimidating to have to walk into an auto shop & worry about being taken advantage of. This is absolutely not the case here. Jose has my complete trust. He treats you like family, gives a thorough explanation of what is wrong with your car, is very clear about anticipated costs, and charges a fair price. I came here on a recommendation from a friend, and have also recommended Jim's Auto to many friends over the years. It's worth the drive even if you don't live near. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. Can't recommend them enough! read more

Great service, great people, trustworthy. That's hard to find in a mechanic. Highly recommended!

JOSE IS COOL!!! THANKS YELP!!! The wifey car needed the radiator replaced. I was told by the dealer to pay $$$$ (eff that) I was told by Pep Boys to pay $$$ I was told by Joe at Jim's Auto Repair to pay $$ The staff is cool, and I got the car back in a timely manner. Although I just got the job done, its been smooth riding in the car so far. Although Jims Auto specializes in foreign cars, the car I brought him is a Ford and Im satisfied. read more

I have 75k miles on my Volkswagen GTi MK4 and after I heard about my 2 friends had their timing belt snapped! I won't take no more chances to wait a few miles to replace mine! I had been shopping around for a shop that specialized in VW in the area and I came across with Jim's Auto here in yelp. I called them for a quote and got surprised for what I heard! They will charge me waaaay lower than the previous shop that I used to take my car to. I asked lots of questions to Stephanie and she answered all of them with a smile on her voice. So I set up an appointment to drop off my car on a Saturday morning and told me to come back Monday afternoon. Monday came and before lunch they already had the car done! When I came there Junior showed me my old belt with few cracks on it. I guess I replaced my belt just in time. They replaced my timing belt and water pump plus the tensioner for a very reasonable price and they only use OEM parts! They also flushed my brake system although I provided the fluids which I got from Audi dealership. I did this service 2 weeks ago and now I have no more worries of having my belt snap or at least for another 80k miles. I am really happy with their service. Highly recommended! Found a new shop for my car. Very professional group of people! Thanks to Stephanie for the great customer service, to Junior and Jose for an awesome job! read more

First I should say I haven't gotten any work done here yet but I fully intend to. I have a 64 bus that aim restoring. I originally took it into TnT in Long Beach - BIG MISTAKE!!! Don't use Nick at TnT under any circumstances, they SUCK!!! You'll find a review from me on their site. Anyway, Jose and his sones were very friendly and informative and gave me some referrals to get some non-mechanical work done. When I need to get work done I will certainly be back and give them a crack. I'll update my review then but for now their vibe and friendliness can't be beat! read more

My boo told me about this place when he got his clutch fixed. He said the mechanic was really honest and gave him a really fair price. I decided to take my car here after the bumper came off. I had driven over a parking cement block and it took it off.. I know I can probably put it back myself, but I'm not that car savvy. When I called for an estimate, I was expecting like $100-$150 (again I'm not that car savvy) but they quoted me at $35. Most places charge an arm and a leg just for a little bit of labor, but not this place! I took my car back here again to have my brake pads checked and they changed them for $164 in like an hour and a half. Not bad at all. This place gets incredibly busy on Saturdays (must be from all the yelp reviews..), so make sure to either make an appointment or drop your car off at 8am, when they open. read more

Jose and his staff are all really kind people. Had to get my alternator replaced and they could've gotten it back to me the same day but I brought my car in fairly late in the morning. My car was ready the next day by noon which I was happy about. The pricing was more than fair and I left very satisfied, thank you Jose and team! read more

Jose is a very honest man, I'm glad I found my mechanic. Very hard to find one that's honest, good and doesn't rip you off. One incident I had were random times my car wouldn't start. It would spin when I turn the key, but wouldn't start. I called him and he suggested just replacing the gas cap. I suspected the injector or fuel pump. I did as he suggested and haven't had any issues ever since. Saved me tons of $$$! Very honest man, he keeps my car in tip top condition for my Vegas trips. read more

One of the best and most trustworthy mechanic's you can find that works on Volkswagens. They are a family owned business and it is definitely good customer service and attention to detail this is a generation in the making excellent help and support when it comes to getting the right work done on your Volkswagen. Just talk to Jose he will take care you ! read more

Always top work. I've brought 2 bugs here, a 72 and an 03. Good work fair price each time.

Jim's Auto Repair--Great. Timmons VW--Bad, very bad. I had been taking my 2004 Touareg for years to Timmons and, of course, I paid through the nose. The last straw was this week when they quoted me over $2000 for some complex repairs that I still don't understand !! On top of all that, they pointed out other things they "recommended." I found Jim's on Yelp, took my vehicle on Wednesday, and within a few hours they fixed what was wrong with it. It only cost me less than $300 !! Jose Jr. there was great and explained to me exactly what was happening. They even replaced a break light that was out. Jim's is truly a God-sent. read more

I have been with this place for about 4 years now.If i could give 10 stars i definantly would.All that fear i used to have of never finding an honest and great shop are gone.This place has saved me so much that i just be waiting for something to go wrong on my car so i can get it here right away.Definitely the best read more

Jose is amazing!! I have had alot of work done over the years with them. Very honest and understanding. Ive traded in a few cars and always stop by to have them check as well. I do try and call first because they are always busy but definitely make the time for you. read more

I am a super happy camper here! :) Papa Jose was very honest and trustworthy mechanic. Speedy service...that's a plus! I will go back to his shop for my 2013 VW Passart! Thank you, Papa Jose! :)) read more

A+++ in my book. My brother was having issues with his Audi and we were thinking the worse. It was shaking and driving like it was gonna die any moment. It end up not being as bad as we thought. Bottom line is he took it first thing in the morning to fix about 6 or 7 issues that needed to be done. He was out by 2. Very honest people and really caring about their customers. Very reasonable too. Didn't feel like I was getting ripped off for quality work. Thank you! read more

Honest people! Hands down. Cannot find any place better than this. People are great will treat you right. Can't find any negative words or things to say about this place and people would never take my 66 bug anywhere else. Art thank you for building a reliable motor. Thank you mr jose! thanks everybody! read more

1st time here yesterday. Everything went pretty smooth. I needed something close to home. Jose (the owner) seems like a genuinely nice guy and tries to explain what's going on in simple terms for people like me who don't know much about cars. Minus 1/2 star for pricing (once I left i compared prices with 20 different auto shops this place runs on the higher end of pricing, their synthetic oil change is even more expensive than at a VW dealership . I only wanted one service done as it was needed to be done ASAP) another 1/2 star for slow diagnosis on car. I was estimated 45 minutes to diagnose the car it ended up being 1hr and 45 minutes. Overall, they solved my problem correctly. Thank you. read more

Professional, Experienced, Courteous- I recently took my 2009 VW CC in to Jim's. There was an engine light on for months and I have been too busy to get it in to a shop. I have also been reluctant because of my past experiences and general distrust of auto mechanics. I came here because I read the reviews and was pleasantly surprised to see they specialize in VW, Audi, etc. I was also surprised at how professional they were in diagnosing and fixing my Vdub in a timely manner. It turns out I was in need of two fuel pumps. Jose was courteous and professional every time I called. I will definitely be bringing my car here again. I'll also bring my wife's car in for repair at Jim's. read more

Called for a simple estimate. Was told I'd get a call back. Never did. Called back a few days later, he grumbled "I probably just couldn't reach you".. No. You didn't call. We all have caller id these days. You didn't call. So I asked for the estimate again. This time, he said "I don't want your number. Call back in 10 minutes!". So I did.. he was gone. The guy at the shop called him and quoted me 150 dollars more than the dealer quoted me for the same thing. How badly do these guys NOT want business? read more

I feel like writing a quick review of the phone service I got today. I have been calling around for info on a fuel pump for my 02 Chevy Malibu. I was told right up front that this shop does not work on American cars for anything more serious than oil changes, etc. I gotta say that I appreciate honesty. Even better, I was given 2 different additional shop recommendations. Hope this information helps someone. read more

I'm proud to call Jose, at Jim's Auto, my auto mechanic. He has serviced my cars since 1996. My children and friends also take their cars to him. He helped my daughter sell her Bug a few years ago. The service is great and the staff is pleasant. If they don't provide a service he'll refer to a shop the does the job. So far it's worked out fine. I've used two referrals and both have done great work. read more

Yup I'm totally a girl when it comes to things associated with my car. I don't do my regular oil changes/scheduled maintenance. Which in turns leads to my poor '99 Saturn having some major issues that I ignore. In my silly little head I think "If it still runs, it must not be that bad!" Shame on me. THE DILEMMA: My car had been blowing white smoke from the exhaust for awhile. But I got used to it and never really paid it any attention...that is until it came time to renew my registration last year and I failed the smog. I was pretty peeved because I just had over $600 in repairs done a few weeks earlier. The smog guy told me it was probably my Cat Converter. Later that week, I went to the Muffler shop on the corner of my block and he didn't even open the hood or run a diagnostics check, he simply said "From the look of the CO % on your smog check, you definitely have a blown Cat Converter" and proceeded to quote me $500. I wasn't impressed with his lack of enthusiasm and decided to go elsewhere. Still thinking the cause of the smoke from my exhaust was the Catalytic Converter, I got quotes from other places which ranged in price from $200 - $250. Which reminds me, I have some reviews to write on those places. At any rate, I continued to drive around with white smoke trailing behind me, because I have things called a JOB and a LIFE that involve the use of a vehicle. I know, shame on me again!! Riding dirty with expired tags, tsk tsk tsk. Fast forward to last month. I had been running my A/C regularly because the heat outside was killing me, and with my driver window not being able to roll down...the A/C is mandatory. Everytime I drove and parked, I noticed a pool of coolant under my car, and in turn that pool would trigger my coolant light to go on. After going through 3 jugs of coolant in 6 weeks, my common sense told me to take it in to a repair shop. I know, where was my common sense before...on vacation I guess?!? I performed a yelp search for auto repair shops in Long Beach, and found Jim's Auto Repair. I took my car in last Saturday (9/8/12) as soon as they opened at 8am. The nice lady behind the counter told me that Saturdays are appointments only for services such as oil changes, since they are only open until 1pm. I told her I found them online and didn't read anything about Saturdays being appointments. I told her my dilemma (White smoke, coolant leaking) and asked her if I could leave it for an oil change and diagnostics check. She said it would be fine since I was the first person in. Jose calls me a few hours later and told me I needed a new water pump because of the coolant leak. He also said he would look at the piston rings to see where the fumes from the exhaust were coming, perform the oil change, add fuel additive, and some other things I can't recall. I asked him to give me a number so that I can put that money aside. He gave me a figure and I thought it was reasonable and he told me he would have it ready by Monday/Tuesday. I get a call from Jose on Monday asking me if they can keep it 1 more day. I figure "sure take your time, I want to make sure you find the issue". I go in yesterday (9/11) at 4:30pm and my car is ready. Jose even went so far as to take my car to get a smog check (which it passed, YAY), and he noticed the chin spoiler under my car was detached and reattached it for me (another YAY). The cost on the invoice was more than what he quoted me over the phone, and I told him and he kindly revised the costs on the invoice to reflect his quote. A TRUE MAN OF HIS WORDS!! I drove my car home, and no trail of white smoke. I parked last night, left for work this morning and no pool of coolant under my car. I am so satisfied with the work that Jose and his team did on my car. I have had my car looked at and paid for repairs, from 3 different auto repair places in the past year, and none of them could properly diagnose my car issue. No more riding dirty for me, I will be able to get my current registration tags. Thank you so much Jose and team, you are truly appreciated :) read more