For a person who knows nothing about cars (also raised in NY where I didn't have to worry about these things) you try and find trustworthy mechanics who know what they are doing. After reading a great amount of positive reviews and trying this place out, I go nowhere else. The guys are amazing , honest, fast and super knowledgeable. So glad to have them in Venice! read more

Will and his staff always provide excellent service and do a great job. I always feel reassured leaving my '63 valiant at the shop because I know its being taken care of. Good to have an honest mechanic in the neighborhood ! read more

The local Audi dealership at Wilshire and 10th failed to diagnose a fuel injector problem in my 1991 Audi Coupe Quattro and even charged me for an incorrect diagnosis so I'm done with them and their fancy equipment. I take my car to Leaf Automotive and have been very happy with their work. Once when I was having a problem with my car he went on a test drive and was able to diagnose the problem as loose engine mounts. His crew improvised by drilling a hole and using some new bolts to replace some very old damaged parts that were not repairable. That totally solved the problem. My radiator hose connection broke off one time. Wil and his team ordered an after-market radiator that was a good price and a superior design compared to the original. It works great. My car is getting old so I know it needs work from time to time. So far, William Leaf has come through for me. read more

Years back, June 2006, I took my Isuzu Trooper to Leaf to rebuild a blown engine, who'd always taken care of the used truck. Bill had always been good to me. In November 2006, it overheated and blew again! I had to drop it off early before work right when they opened before the owner was there. The Mexican mechanic showed me how my busted grill caught on the fan and was not cooling the engine. I had them rebuild the engine a second time (another grand). Within a couple weeks, the second engine blew because they had never repaired the grill or fan. When I mentioned this to the owner, Bill flew off the handle at me saying, "I know what you're trying to do (to me)!" I had to scrap the car, it got towed off to charity. The end, never went back to Leaf. My previous high praise for Leaf dropped to nada,'never again'. read more

let me preface this review with some important details for the next reader to come along in search of a trustworthy and reliable mechanic. I am 22 years old, and built my first car with the help of my dad( a radar specialist engineer / experienced mechanic) at the ripe age of 14. My point being, that I KNOW engines, I know body work, I know know know it. So, when my mustang's clutch blew out, I was 200 miles away from my dad's garage where I had planned to replace my own clutch kit ( therefore only incurring the cost of the parts and no labor) however, stuck in L.A., working with a clutch less car, I knew I had to find a truly reliable mechanic and ASAP. I had gotten my oil changed by Will and his crew three months ago for 15 bucks(!) and he did a great job, with great customer service, and didn't gripe about having to hear me mumble on and on about how my father always made me change my own oil as a kid. Nice guy, trustworthy, and patient. So I called William Leaf, and he picked up at the first ring on Monday afternoon. I told him my saga with my clutch, and he gave me an estimate within ten minutes that was dead on with the actual amount that I paid. I was able to bring the car in that next morning exactly when i told him I would be there, and when I arrived, the mechanics were already expecting me and ready to go to work on my clutch. I told him to go ahead and just contact me if he found anything else that needed replacing. He called to check in and give me an update on my car while I was at work, which I really appreciated and thought was very thoughtful and demonstrated excellent customer care. It was ready to go before the end of that day ( Tuesday ) just as he had promised, good as new! I had told him about my father's weird request to have all the original removed parts that were replaced, and without a fuss, he agreed and had them waiting for me when I arrived. In closing, this man reminded me of my dad ( who I admire the most in this world) because he spoke only when he had something to say and meant every word he told you, and more importantly KEPT every word he said. He was honest about the pricing ( which was VERY VERY reasonable) charging little for labor, and his parts cost was less than I would have paid myself for the clutch kit. His crew was equally as helpful, accomadating, and friendly. What a better place L.A. would be if we only had more businesses like this one. ...Hope this review is helpful for all of you who find yourself in the same situation as I did, just remember these five stars are coming from someone who knows how to build a car engine and maintain a vehicle. read more

I just moved to LA from NYC a week ago, and drove my car across the country. My car started making scary rattling noises yesterday. I brought it to Leaf this morning at 9:30, and they had diagnosed and fixed the problem and completed an oil change by 10:15. I didn't even have to make an appointment! Will is such a nice guy and very helpful. I will definitely be going back! read more

I've never written a bad review before, but I had such a horrendous experience with this shop I felt compelled to warn others. I took the car back 3 times for the same problem, each time they say it's fixed and the issue pops up again a few days later. I've spent 500+ dollars and still at square one. When I told the manager in charge (owner?) that I was frustrated, he tells my husband to: "take your wife back to the car" -- in an insulting way as if I'm some crazy lady when in fact I was very calm and simply called him up on not fixing the issue. Sexist comments aside -- the shop is good for your oil change/tune up. But don't take the car in for any issue that requires a mechanic to fix. read more

Bill Leaf did a great job on my Subaru. One mechanic tried to talk me into giving up on my car, but Bill fixed it at a reasonable price and was very professional and honest. Thanks Bill! read more

I'm one of those people who dreads taking my car in for anything so much that I ignore the oil change alert until I feel that my life my be in serious danger. I just hate all the Jiffy Lubes and the like of the world and the gross people that work at them and the gross way they do things. Thanks to Yelp, I found this place, where I was helped by a super sweet dude, work was fast, and it was only $15. Made my day. read more

This place is fantastic and a surprise to find in Venice (or anywhere for that matter). They are reliable, efficient, honest, up front mechanics. I've had mufflers and shocks/springs replaced, oil changes etc. on my Toyota Tacoma and never had a problem. Their pricing was also completely reasonable (especially given the neighborhood). Highly recommended. read more

you guys don't care what was wrong with my car, so i'll spare you the detailed descriptions of leaky fluid, smoke, and whatever else might befall an automobile in crisis. what are the odds it will be the same problem you're having? what i can tell you is that will, and this place, are amazing. i have had the worst luck with my '01 jetta (let's just say i've had to get my car towed 25-30 times since moving to LA) and for the first time, i actually feel like the person fixing my car knows what they're doing, isn't ripping me off, and is nice on top of it. will is awesome. he fixed my car recently on the SAME DAY i brought it in, let me pay over the phone by credit card from san francisco, and left my car outside for me w/the key on the wheel so that i could pick it up after hours that night. he has never led me astray, overcharged me, or condescended to me, which is more than i can say for many other "auto mechanics" in this fine city. on top of it, he is super smart and pleasant, and his prices are beyond reasonable. i will be returning to him until i eventually end up letting this car drive itself off a cliff (empty, obviously). THANK YOU!! read more

Leaf has fixed my cars several times, and he's solid. I've gone in with some tricky situations and he's done well. He's fair and honest

I've been using this shop for the last few years, ever since my friend recommended me here. These guys do awesome work and I totally trust William. They are great, honest mechanics who give excellent customer service. I highly recommend this place! read more

I'm always skeptical with auto repairs. I have an Infiniti, and every time I took the car to the dealership it was $$$$. Leaf is walking distance from my home, so finally when the service light came on, I took the car to Will at Leaf. That was several years ago, and now I don't take the car anywhere else. The car (and it's parts) is not inexpensive, but certainly less than the dealership, and the work has always been completed adequately and super fast. I'm a fan! read more

I needed to get my truck smogged. Needed an Oxygen Sensor. He also took the car in and got it smogged for me. $775 bill. So upset. The truck was running fine and just needed to be smogged. I do blame myself, cause I've used William before, and just trusted him to do what needed to be done to pass smog. But that is way expensive to pass smog. read more

Very disappointing "automotive genius" more like "overcharging genius" brought the car for setting the timing. Just bought the car and it didn't pass the smog because the timing was off. William leaf sent a letter welcoming me to the neighborhood so I gave it a try. He wasn't there on December 28th but his workers adjusted it the timing in five minutes and charged me $ 92 for the job. Surprised by the cost but hoping for the best, I brought it back for smogging. But this time, from excellent readings for pollution it had become a gross polluter. Brought it again to W Leaf's shop where they told me that they were not allowed to touch the timing belt, that I had to wait for the boss, that he was coming back on Wednesday, the second of January, I said ok, called on the 2nd, was told he was coming back on the third, then the fourth finally the seventh. Came to see him this morning, asked for some estimate for the job because I had been surprised by the cost of the "adjustment" and didn't want any more surprises. He quoted me $ 325 for adjusting the timing belt. I said that it seemed to me like too much, the car is a Suzuki sidekick, extremely easy to work on, the timing belt is right there, you just have to take a cover out, I complained about the cost of the adjustment, 92$ for a five minutes job, he said that it was not the time but the expertise, What expertise? It is a five minutes job, literally, even the smog technician was shocked when he saw the bill, and it doesn't require much expertise, just a timing light. So I said I ll pass for the timing belt adjustment and that I wanted a refund for the timing adjustment, at least partial, that all I got from his mechanics was to fail again the smog test and that I have to pay for a new one, and that I had to wait for him for over ten days where I couldn't' use the car. Refused. I said I was disappointed. He didn't seem to care a bit. I wouldn't recommend him at all. He is obviously overcharging his customers. read more

Two years ago Mr. Leaf as a treat for his father, stayed at our B&B on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In a conversation about my newly acquired (bucket list) 1982 Mercedes 280SL roadster, I complained about not getting warm air through the A/C system. He suggested a fix and sent me the parts and detailed instructions on how to replace a valve in the cooling system. It worked saving me hundreds of dollars and huge inconvenience as we are in an isolated part of the state many miles away from a qualified foreign auto shop. Twice again he came to my aid for a stuck window and inoperative cruise control with modules (which I gladly paid for) and procedures for replacement. What a guy! read more

William Leaf and his crew are just about the best auto mechanic shop in the whole state of California. Two days ago, I brought my 2003 Silverado in for a complete service, re-key the locks and install the running boards. They did a great job and for a reasonable price. read more

This place has been in business for more than 20 years, which says a lot. In my experience (2 cars over 8 years), they have always been fair and their prices were reasonable. I recommend them to my friends on the Westside often-- way better than going to any dealer. read more

As rare as it is to find an honest mechanic, especially in L.A., I'm definitely glad I came across William Leaf Auto. He's honest, first and foremost, or at least that's what my gut tells me and all the experiences I've had with him. I've been taking my car there for years. I took my car in to a dealership, & they said I should get over $2,500 worth of work done, "...or else." Then I took it in to William, he checked it out & said, basically, everything was fine. That was years ago, & so far, everything's been just fine. Another time, I took my car in because I needed replacement tires. William offered several options for tires, & recommended some of the less-expensive ones that he said were "just as good." That was probably five years ago, and they've been totally fine since then. Sure, if you want to pay through the nose to be served wine & cheese while some guy hooks your car up to a $100,000 computer (that he has to pay for & justify the expense of) to check the battery, go somewhere else. But if you want a good, honest, mechanic, I recommend Willy. read more

Got a great referral to William Leaf from a family friend and have been bringing my car here for anything and everything ever since. Great value, extremely trustworthy and honest, very friendly and great quality work. Finding a good mechanic is really hard and Ive been through several over the past few years and this guy seems like a keeper! read more

Talk about a diamond in the rough. I had an oil change here and it was probably the best experience I had. William the owner is a legit OG and incredibly honest to boot. I will always get my car serviced here when on the westside. read more

I'm a fan! I have a 71 Chevy 3/4 ton and an 04 Jetta. He's done work on both and I see all types of cars when I pull in. I've been charged as little as $40 for a quick fix. I've been in there probably 5-7 times. I ALWAYS leave happy and everything has been top notch work so far. read more

Will is so genuine and straightforward it's hard to believe he's a mechanic! And being female, I never feel like he talks down to me or patronizes me. He has always worked me into the schedule even if I call at the last minute. And it's not beneath him to do a $65 job. I think he is a gem. read more

Haven't had any major work done here yet but they are on my top list vs my other usual shops. Called them up kind of last minute to do a battery terminal replacement, owner said "just come on by." Everybody else quoted me crazy high prices due to the nature of the job (the old 'we we could replace that one broken part but we'd feel better if we replaced EVERYTHING' routine) but not here, price seemed fair and fix was good. read more

I brought in my Ford Escape 2012, which recently traveled from NY to CA, to Leaf Automotive. The staff were very friendly and helpful. After a brief test-drive, they correctly identified the problem and fixed it as promised. I got the car in the same day and the issue was totally gone. The bill was very reasonable and clear. Thank you Leaf Automotive! I like the people and their techniques, and we will continue use this shop for our cars. read more

I have been going to Leaf Automotive for years. Will and his employees of many years are knowledgeable, pleasant and completely reliable. I have referred many to Will and all were satisfied. Karen, Venice read more

One of the best auto shop experiences i've had. Started off the morning with a screw in my tire and these guys fixed it in under 10 minutes. Also, very reasonable pricing for a plug. Thanks guys! read more

I promise I will never go anywhere else! Great service and honest. It's hard to find someone you can trust. Extremely happy I was recommended to Leaf Automotive. read more

Probably one of the few honest repair shops in this City. Just last week, I brought my car in for front brakes and some minor adjustments. When I returned for pickup and the bill, I was told that the brakes were in great shape and the over all charges were $15 for oil filter and change. How often does this example of honesty display itself in this area? They are always willing to check things out for you, like tire pressure, brake wear, check light advise,etc, and when you ask them how much, the answer is always no charge, it's part of our service to the customer. Needless to say, they have a very large loyal customer base developed over many years of devoted service with fair pricing. Try them, you'll be glad you did! read more

I checked Yelp for a local mechanic and found Leaf. He's a down-to-earth seeming, friendly and polite guy. I got my oil changed and a new oil filter (whee $15!) and a tire patched ($16) in about an hour. They've got a lounge upstairs, but I decided to walk a few blocks down to Abbot's Habit and get some coffee instead. Small shop, nice guys. I would certainly recommend him for smaller service-related stuff, couldn't give advice on larger repairs, but other people were impressed. read more

I was on vacation in Southern California with my family and parents when the check engine light on my Lexus RX 99 popped up, the car stopped accelerating and shifting to the overdrive. I took a look under the hood, googled about what may happen, changed MAF sensor, but the problem still appear. With the help of another service I found out that chances were the problem had been in knock sensors which was really complicated to change without proper tools and a garage. I called to the service, these guys told me to come over. They confirmed my knock sensor guess for free and quickly found a time window even though it was Friday noon and the work promised to be long. I was happy since about dozen other services had declined to accept me because of the end of the week and workload they had. This the shop does look like an junk yard blown up by an army demo team, but this it what I'm looking for as I think this is how busy shop with good guys usually look like. I left my car and voila in about five hours I get everything fixed and oil changed. Meanwhile they called me twice to confirm the progress, told me that my brake pads need to be changed and invite to come and get back my car repaired. Everything was quick, polite, clean and nicely done. They were honest with money. The price was about I had heard from other services and they told me all the details what cost what. I have been driving the car for about a week after the repair, which is about 500 miles so far and no any problem appeared, no new sound heard and I'm happy to meet those knowledgeable and skilled mechanics. Thank you guys for my vacation saved. read more

This guy saved my car! The head gasket had blown and the car overheated badly. Estimates for the repair ran between 1300 and 5200 dollars! The kicker was they really couldn't tell how much until they tore the whole thing apart. Mechanics were very negative, saying that my car had water in the oil and needed a new engine, or that I should trash it and get a new car. My boss highly recommended Will, saying that he had been taking his car to Will since the 80's, before I was born. We called him and immediately, he gave me answers that made sense. He told me that if I could still drive the car and the engine sounded normal, the bottom half of the car was fine; the price was closer to1300. My car was worth saving! He fixed my car within my budget and in a timely, professional manner. There you have it the competent and honest automotive genius: William Leaf. read more

Fantastic. My battery died, and I called William....and 10 minutes later, someone was there to give me a jump....followed them back to the garage...he figured out the problem was battery terminals....and they changed them in 10 minutes....24 bucks! what a deal. Great Great service! I was expecting big problems and most of my day. not at all. Thank You guys! read more

I have been going to Leaf Automotive for 4 years now, ever since I moved to the L.A. area, and have never received anything but great service and fair prices. I recently took my 12-year-old Saturn into Leaf Automotive when the "Check Engine" light came on. Now, let me preface: it's 12 years old, has been well-taken-care of, but has not needed any major repairs recently, and is nearing the 100,000 mile mark. In the back of my mind, I was expecting some fairly major work being needed soon. They worked me in same-day (they always do), and had my car assessed within an hour or so. The result was them telling me that they had done a thorough check of all the systems that the car computer indicated may have a problem, found no problem at all, and said I should come pick the car up. When I did, the technician handed me the keys and said "thanks a lot, you're good." I hadn't paid them a dime, and tried to offer to at least pay for half an hour of labor for the inspection, but the technician would not accept. Understand that in this situation, I was realistically expecting that it was time for repairs, so they definitely could've sold me on a few . . . no problem. Both the honesty and the generosity were second-to-none!!! I have had other experiences with this shop that had similar punchlines to the last one. When I have had work done, the price is always fair and the work gets done quickly. I have 100% trust for what they tell me about my car. If this isn't what you're trying to find in a repair shop, then what is? Don't go to any other repair shop! read more

William is the best. I've been taking my vehicles there for decades for expert and reliable service. He and his staff are unfailing polite and honest. They always present options when available and try to save me money when possible. When William first started out at his current location he had a neon sign that read, "William B. Leaf III, Automotive Genius." After he took it down I asked him why and he replied that since he'd hired other mechanics as he got busier he didn't think it was totally honest to leave it up. I think he should've left it up. read more

This place is great. I have had him resurrect my 94 Volvo over the past few months and it is like new. He was more than fair and accurate with his prices and a pleasure to deal with. His staff really care about doing a good job. I can't say enough good things. read more

i'll give it 4 stars... they fixed my car fast and pretty good customer service. but they didn't listen to my instructions all that well. i needed to keep my costs down so i brought them 2 different belts to use since i wasn't sure which was the right one for the obviously shredded serpentine belt. but they put BOTH on, so now i can't return the other. and they charged me a little bit more for labor because of that. otherwise thought, they do good work, prices are good, and did't take long at all. read more

We had our 99 Toyota Tacoma stop working on us, and we pushed it down the street to Leaf William, and we were expecting the worst. Worried that it might be a big fix, or a costly bill which we could not afford. Much to our joy, they fixed it for under $30. Love these guys! read more

These guys are fast, knowledgeable, and reasonable. Excellent service and always easy and pleasant to deal with.