No gory details but I spent four months trying to get a diagnosis for a problem and Will diagnosed it correctly over the phone. About an hour and a half after dropping the car off I picked it up again with the problem solved. I can't believe this place is a five minute walk from my house and for years I assumed that they only worked on high-end cars... The shop and the office are well-cared for and show a real pride of place. The mechanics who work for Will seem respected and knowledgeable. I'll never go anywhere else. read more

Alexis has been wonderful to work with! He patiently explains what the mechanics inducate needs to be done, where they're at with the work and what the cost will be. I've found them to be fairly and competitively priced. read more

I've been back and forth at this place since it was recommended by a local. I've had great experiences so far being taken cared for and making sure everything I addressed was fixed. Been a customer since 2013. read more

Great service and super friendly staff. Went here for an oil change and they took care of me. 10/10 recommend!

An HONEST, reasonably priced, convenient, talented, quality local automotive repair shop. Husband and I have taken our cars here for years, and if for any reason Will can't make the repair (we have older sports cars), he tells us upfront. But 9 times out of 10 he's there with a solution and a quick, quality fix! Thanks Will and Leaf Automotive! I LOVE how I never cringe when there's something wrong with our cars. We give Will a call and he's there for us! read more

I went to check out why my check engine light was on and they checked it and reset it. They tightened the oil plug and fixed my tire pressure. He was really cool and friendly. I would recommend you come here. read more

Thank goodness for Will!!! My little ol' Ford Focus was acting up - battery was draining, mystery stalling, weird whiny noises during acceleration. I was trying to figure it out myself - replaced the battery - but there were still issues that I wasn't willing to tackle especially when warning lights go on.... I went to Will at 8:30 in the morning with my car. Explained the multiple issues - electrical system, stalling, had not been using the car for 8 months, etc.... I figured that I needed the car to be checked out systematically. Will quoted me an oil change and promised to test drive the car and check out the battery. He called me back at 3:30pm to let me know that everything was checked out and the main issue was a ground that wasn't connected. My car is running well again. :) So glad that he's in the neighborhood. read more

Did a super honest super good job fixing major oil leak in my car.... Highly recommended and trustworthy mechanics.

Great service! Needed my brakes done ASAP! I called around and the other businesses just put me on hold and forgot about me or didn't offer much help. I had seen this auto shop here for soooo many years and just kept passing it by. Until they got a break banner that caught my eye so I called. William Leaf answered and took his time answering my questions and quoting me the cost for my brakes. Super friendly! I came in the next day at 8am and my car was ready for pick up by 12:30pm. The mechanics were friendly there too! It's a tight space but it's definitely worth wiggling your way there to get great service, honest people AND help independent family owned businesses. read more

Got me in immediately. Answered my concerns and helped tremendously. Also very friendly! I would recommend this shop!

Great local mechanic, highly recommend! I brought my 2015 Mustang in to fit a Mcleod clutch+flywheel, 1 piece drive shaft and short throw gear shift. Dropped it off in the morning and Will called me the same day to say the parts had been fitted and all he needs was to give it a test drive the following day. Note this wasn't your standard OEM part replacement, and Will read up on the parts. Great service! read more

I came here for an oil change for my 2012 Prius. The owner was very polite, attentive, and communicated what he found in my oil clearly. The location is great and the price is very reasonable (about $55 for synthetic with the yelp offer). Would highly recommend. read more

Talk about honest !! I brought my car to William Leaf after the Santa Monica VW dealer told me that it would be $250 just to diagnose my A/C problem on my 2010 Golf. At William Leaf automotive, they had the issue fixed in about an hour for $110. I was able to just drive in without an appointment. Thanks to William Leaf for making my A/C cold again. Friendly, Fast, Honest, and Reliable. So glad that I found these guys. read more

Leaf Automotive - My Car! - Auto Repair Near Me - Venice, California

This place is the best. My dad recommended I go here. I went to Jiffy Lube to get my tires rotated and oil changed yesterday, and they told me I needed new rotors and brake pads, quoted me $900. I decided to call around instead. Called Leaf Automotive (as recommended by my father), and spoke to Walter on the phone. He was very kind and knowledgeable. Gave me a VERY reasonable quote, that was way less than Jiffy Lube. He made sure that he had the correct parts, and said I could bring my car in the next morning. I brought my car in today when they opened, at 7:30am, and it was done and ready to go at 10. When I arrived to pickup my car, Will (the owner) was there and helped get me taken care of. He's the sweetest older man. They told me exactly what was wrong, what they did to fix it, and thanked me for my business. In these hard times, I found it very warming to be able to give this place my business. They took good care of me and my vehicle. I HIGHLY recommend you give your business to this place. You won't regret it, and they won't rip you off!! So happy. read more

Whoa Billy Boy... "Automotive Genius" my ass... time to cool your heels... I fired up "yelp" to write a couple kind words about Billy along the line of ... nice, how a greasy, grimy automotive shop squeezed into an oddly shaped small building on a bumpy lot along Abbott Kinney Blvd. can do decent work". Then I typed in "William Leaf" and up popped the business description *Leaf William B III Automotive Genius* . I just gasped. William is nice enough, almost spiffy in his embroidered shirts and Dickies shorts, but Dear Monty, the hubris. Automotive Genius? What is this dude smoking? Here are the core facts: a.) Leaf is competent, and so seem his workers b.) the shop looks like an junk yard blown up byan army demo team The work they do is good not great. Served up with a smile (good), but really short to modern diagnosis (bad). A car brought in for a very specific problem got a tune up (that was indeed overdue) but despite the $ 1000.- price tag, the specific problem while supposedly remedied, re-mainifested itself within hours. Turns out, a major part might be broken, or not., or is it indeed? Here the genius starts guessing and sherlock-holmesing. I am all for independent shops, but once a serious problem (in a modern car) manifests itself, even the supposed genius starts reaching, mostly because the hubris does not match the diagnostic equipment at hand. At this point I come ot appreciate a little less intuition and a lot more testing equipment and factory service manual. This is not to say, that some factory shops give awfully crappy service, but it sure shows the sortcomings of small, independent shops in an age of high tech automotion. Suddenly even self-described geniusis are not only human, but less than computerized equipment. read more

He was great, until one of his mechanics forgot to put the brake on my truck after parking it and it rolled and smashed into another customer's car. Then he refused to pay to fix it. Well, he paid $600 of the $1000 I paid to have it repaired. I once thought William was a man of integrity. Now I know better. read more

I took my car here because of a cool little letter I received from them welcoming me to the neighborhood. They repaired the car in sufficient time. As it turns out the fuel pump was broken. They replaced it, gave my car a new set of spark plugs and fixed my driver side door, which was not opening from the outside. All-in-all the price was reasonable and the service was good. Then thinks got screwy. I was driving a couple of days later to San Francisco and on the outskirts of LA when my check engine light came on. I immediately pulled over and checked my owners manual and subsequently filled up with gas. As the tank filled i suddenly noticed gallons of gas literally spewing from under my SUV. I immediately called Leaf Automotive and spoke to a mechanic who told me to simply drive it in. The idea of gas splashing all over the freeway as I drove it to Leaf's did not sound safe to me, so I took it to a nearby garage who took the gas tank down, removed the fuel pump, and discovered that the washer connecting the fuel pump was the wrong size and that the fuel pump hose had a hole in it. There is much more to this story in exactly whose fault it was that the fuel pump had a hole. Leaf Automotive installing it? The other mechanic taking it out? Long story short I had the new mechanic install a new fuel pump. It worked great with no gas leaks or engine light. The entire ordeal was a mess but I know mistakes do happen. William Leaf personally refunded my money. It didn't make up for the time lost (a solid 7 hours) but I was okay with it. It was good of him to do. At the end of the day the tune-up on my car done by Leaf Automotive was successful, but that drivers door that they fixed? It broke 2 months later. I'm not saying I won't return to Leaf, after all, in the world of car repair nothing is certain and they refunded my money. As I said before, mistakes can happen even with a good mechanic. read more

I live downtown L.A. but I drive to Venice for the service at Leaf Automotive. They are the most honest mechanics in the business. It's nice to get an oil change and not be pushed to do a billion other services, like at Jiffy Lube. And i thought I might need new tires so I had them take a look and they said I wasn't ready for new ones yet. They totally could have had a big tire sale from me but that is how they are--they don't try to make you buy anything you don't need. William Leaf is such a nice man. The customer service is great. read more

I took my nearly 15-year old Isuzu into Leaf Automotive this week when my engine started smoking. Thinking this was probably the end, I was ready to hear that it would cost too much to repair, or simply wasn't fixable. What I got was a matter-of-fact assessment, great customer service and a new radiator for a reasonable price. They do close on the early side (5pm), but they offered to park my car on Abbot Kinney so I could pick it up on my way home from work. Will definitely come here again (although I hope for my car's sake that I don't have to anytime soon :) read more

When my car over-heated, I called around and got estimates on a radiator and thermostat replacement. Mr. Leaf came in over $200 less than the next lowest estimate. The work was done swiftly. A few months later, it overheated again - the radiator cracked, again. Mr. Leaf replaced it overnight, on warranty, without charging a dime. Then it happened again - and he found that through no fault of his own, a bracket was bent and had rubbed the two new radiators. But he fixed that, and also replaced the radiator again, free of charge and over night. I found an honest, competent mechanic who takes pride in his work. We should all be so lucky! read more

Jeep grand Cherokee was spewing white smoke so I took it to William to have the head gasket replaced. Picked up the car two weeks later and paid my bill thinking everything was great. 5 days later engine is overheating. Check the oil and it is milky / full of coolant. Have it towed back. Two weeks after that check engine light comes on again combined with rough idle and I send it back again. Car seemed to drive fine for the next 5,000 miles but then slowly began eating oil to the point where it eats a quart every 200 miles. Probably bad rings but that is something he should have addressed when he had the engine open for the original repair. William is a nice guy, seems honest, and I'm sure they do decent maintenance work, but their engine work is junk. Will never return. read more

Came in Friday afternoon less than a half hour before they closed... with what i thought was a slow leak (turns out i had a huge nail in it)... Most places would just turn you away (15 min before they close....i member my retail days) but these nice gentleman took one look at my tire and told me to pull right up. 15 minutes and $20 repair later we are good to go! Thanks so much! read more

The high reviews are for a reason. William is a kind man, with fair prices and honest work. I have had multiple great experiences there, which is something most people can't say after visiting a mechanic. The work has always been extremely fast with full satisfaction and piece of mind after the work is done. Their pride in service shows through every time he thanks me for my patronage with genuine sincerity. read more

Very strongly recommend Leaf Automotive. William runs the shop and is always there. He's a great guy. In general very knowledgeable and trustworthy, willing to explain exactly what's going on and what your options are. His prices are reasonable. I had a truck that frequently needed work, William was great at explaining what needed to be done immediately and what could wait. read more

Like doctors and lawyers, finding a good and trustworthy auto mechanic in Los Angeles County is a crapshoot. For the longest time, I've known that one of the battery terminals in my car was corroding. However, the corrosion seemed to have stopped, since the old leakage had turned brown, crusty and dusty. This all changed when I took my car to the local dealership in SaMo for a regular tuneup two weeks ago. I should've known something was fishy when the representative, who I'd never seen before, asked at least three times if I wanted to replace the battery cables even though I kept saying no. (I know it's just the fucking terminal, dude.) He quoted me a total of $606 for the repair. The car started to turn weird immediately thereafter. Last night, my car wouldn't start. When I popped the hood, I noticed that there was brand new white and blue leakage coming from the subject battery terminal. Yeah, I got fucked. I had an important 11am meeting today. You can understand how desperate I was. After calling four local auto mechanics I found on Yelp!, I decided on William Leaf Automotive Inc. Both William and his associate, Walter, were very helpful and to-the-point on the phone. The others didn't give me a good vibe. I called AAA to jump my car. [By the way, if you're stranded in the Venice/Marina del Rey area, call Donald at Villa Marina Club Service at (310) 821-6868. Honest and goes the extra mile to get shit done right. Funny, too.] Drove it down the street to William Leaf. The repair bays were all full, and more cars waiting for servicing lined the sidewalks. However, before I knew it, one of the mechanics squeezed my car into the lot and started working on the battery terminal. He was done before William and I could finish the paperwork. The total charge was so low that I was about to pay in cash. William Leaf works on all types of cars. He also does high-end vintage cars, too. Saw some sweet treasures up on the lifts while I was there. If you need a trusty mechanic, I HIGHLY recommend William Leaf Automotive Inc. Fuck the SaMo car dealership! I'm going to William from now on. By the way, the shop is right next door to the Market Gourmet shop. You can get Fishlips sushi and great coffee there while you wait. My repair was done in about 10 minutes, so I couldn't go! read more

I love this place; I've been bringing my Audi A4 here for years and they have never let me down. The owner is really fair & honest, & he lets you know all of your options up front. Additionally they do their work fast- I've always been able to get my car back by the next day. It's always special when you can find an honest auto mechanic- & if you are in the Santa Monica/Venice/West LA area, look no further than the guys at Leaf. read more

I took my car to William Leaf for an oil and filter change (only $15 courtesy of his friendly 'welcome to the neighborhood' letter). He was super nice and did the job quickly and efficiently. My check engine light was on and he checked it in his computer for no extra charge. I chose not to have the service done yet (nothing imperative) and he was cool and communicated with me clearly what I needed to know. He even shared his snack with me :) read more

The most honest mechanic you will find in the area. I brought my 2002 Audi A6 to them, because I was leaking coolant and that my power window motor seem to be dying. They said they'll take a look and call me. When they called, they told me my reserve tank needed to be replace, the window works fine, they just put some lube on the motor, and they also told me that my bushing were destroyed and needed to be replaced. I told them I knew about the bushing, but it's a $2500 problem I didn't want to fix( because every mechanic tells me I need to replace the whole control arm) They said the bushing only cost $25 each with labor be around $600. They're the first shop that didn't try to get me to replace the whole system. I'm taking everything to them from now on. read more

Let's face it... In the world of automotive repair some things are easily diagnosed and fixed while others can remain elusive. Just listen to the "Car Talk" guys on NPR if you don't believe me. Much of what mechanics do is pure VOODOO!! It's trial and error sometimes. Honest mechanics would rather not replace what they don't need to if it's not part of the immediate problem. Especially with older cars because tinkering too much can really open a can of worms!! It's easy to replace air-filters and the like but diagnosing even the most obvious things takes a mechanic with a certain... well, GENIUS!! That's where William Leaf Automotive saved the day. I recently noticed my 1998 Toyota 4Runner hesitating off the line when I accelerated and it felt to me like the transmission was slipping. The truck has 142,000 miles on it and to this point has run like a top... I love this truck! Never had a problem with it. I was worried about a possible transmission replacement as I know they can be quite expensive. My wife had suggest calling William Leaf Automotive as she had heard from a friend that he was a great mechanic and very reasonably priced. So, I gave the shop a call. They said to bring it in and the owner would drive the car with me to diagnose what I was noticing. I like it when a mechanic wants to experience the problem themselves. Many mechanics never drive the car, they just attempt to fix what they THINK is the problem. Long story short... it turned out that it wasn't the transmission after all. I was quite relieved to say the least. It was suggested that the plugs be replaced and a new set of plug wires be installed because of the high mileage of the car. Well, contrary to the few negative reviews here, I had a wonderful experience at William Leaf Automotive and would recommend their services to my family and friends. They were courteous, professional and fixed my possibly expensive repair at a fair and reasonable cost. I appreciated William Leaf's honesty, integrity and quality of work. As the saying goes... It's hard to find a good mechanic! They saved me a "Butt-Load" of money by properly diagnosing the problem and fixing ONLY the problem. The car runs like new and has the pep I always knew was there! William Leaf III is truly an automotive Genius!! Thanks so much for the great service!! James S. Los Angeles read more

This is a tough call...so my car won't start and it seems battery related. I have it towed to Leaf's and everyone is really nice, helpful - so far so good! A few hours later I get a call with what needs to be fixed (brake pads, routers, shoes, axles, disabling a car alarm etc.) It's an old car so I expected something to be wrong but this seemed a little excessive. Called a mechanic friend for an opinion - "get your battery fixed and get out of there", he also thinks the prices they are quoting for the work are high. So I call back and get an oil change and a new battery - next day it's done but they didn't do what i asked. I was peeved and called the owner who figured out what happened - long story short it was a miscommunication with the guys and he was very apologetic and helpful to fix the situation. Three stars for a $15 oil change and being nice - maybe they are over fixers but I think they do good work. Just go in knowing what you want to do. read more

Two months ago, when that dastardly "Check Engine" indicator lit up in my dearest Ruby, I took her to this cutesy little shop next door to my office. (I say "cutesy" merely because they use a cool typeface in their signage and that's clearly a key selling point when I seek out professional services.) Anyways, Mr. Leaf & crew were pleasant, quick, efficient, and I must say, compared to the snake oil handlers I've dealt with in the past, pretty dang affordable. Then last week, Ruby started choking up. Coughing, burping, heaving. WHY, RUBY, WHY? So I rolled up into my parking lot (from which they silently and conveniently retrieve and replace my car - such service!) and walked next door. A short time later I received the call and an excellent explanation of what was wrong. And Mr. Leaf totally didn't flinch (at least so much as I could tell) when I made a strangled screaming sound into the phone after he quoted me for the work. All in all, they fixed the dang car, and both times I've had work done, it's come in under the estimate. Ruby is fine, I'm fine, they're fine. PLUS they gave me two extra free coffee coupons for Market Gourmet this time around - 4 total! - so I could drown my credit card spending sorrows in caffeine. Really - fancy fonts, free coffee, and the fact that it's next door to my work all add up to great service. Mostly that last one. read more

I've been coming to Leaf Automotive for almost 2 years. Having found them on Yelp after some horrific experiences with Pep Boys, I first called in to arrange an appointment. Their customer service and honesty have been much appreciated; obviously, they also do great work on my car since I keep coming back. The only downfall is that they're only open M-F 730-5 (or something like that). I wish they'd stay open a little later due to work or on their weekends, but I respect that they want to enjoy their weekends as well. Will is a very nice guy; Alex is also just as nice. My car is almost due for servicing again, so I will be back to tune my car up for my summer trips. =) read more

William is one of the kindest, honest, top mechanics in LA.. if not the country. As a female owner of a vintage car, I have had other mechanics try and trick me or 'mansplain' me into confusion. William is always super attentive and not patronizing when helping me with my MG. Can't recommend him highly enough. read more

Good and honest mechanic. When dealerships were there to rip me off, Leaf swooped in and saved the day! I'm very happy with the services provided and will come back whenever my car decides to break again. read more

I've had my car serviced at Will's shop for about a year now and I'm very pleased. I've mostly had oil changes there but have also had major engine work done there. His prices are excellent and he's a very trustworthy guy. I get the distinct impression that he's in the auto repair business because he loves cars, not because he's out to make a buck. He even gave me a substantial discount on a repair when it wasn't completely fixed on the first attempt. I'd recommend Will to any friend without hesitation. read more

Went there today to take them up on their oil change introductory offer (the "letter" that others have posted about). It's a really small neighborhood shop. Parking is not great, but if you schedule an 8am appointment, it shouldn't be a problem (it wasn't for me). I chatted with William for a bit after my service was done. He was courteous, friendly, and came off to me as an honest guy (a lot of things on his wall would suggest this as well - a Better Business Bureau plaque, "4 customer rules," a local newspaper article with the headline saying the same). They may not be the most high-tech shop and granted all I have to go on is an oil change, but I'm definitely comfortable with and willing to go back to give him another shot. read more

Fair pricing, great service! They only charge you for what you need, and they do great work. I came in with my car squealing, not sure if it was breaks or a water pump. They identified it as just the rear breaks, didn't try to upsell me on rotors or anything, and fixed it straight away! Definitely happy to have a reliable mechanic like this! read more

Great service!!! Bill helped me find a knocking noise that I have been chasing with replacement parts. He found it, showed me the problem, which doesn't need replaced, and asked for no money. I will now be a lifelong customer. Thanks Bill read more

I asked through yelp for a quote and William got back to me super quick. I dropped it off that morning and got my tire's rim fixed. Super easy and they did an awesome job! read more

Will runs a great business! He has done quite alot of work on my 1965 Mustang and he really knows his stuff!