I came to Arturo for a diagnosis on my transmission after getting several other estimates that were…read morewildly outlandish. Arturo was great! He was informative and knowledgeable! He didn't try to sell me a transmission, or gouge me on another service. Needless to say, I'm glad I ended up here. I'd definitely recommend this shop to anyone! Thanks Arturo!

Costa Mesa Transmission was unable to diagnose or repair my vehicle and consistently demonstrated…read morepoor communication throughout the process. I paid $333 for two hours of labor for a diagnosis and a relearn procedure that I was told would resolve the issue. At no point was I contacted to authorize any additional work beyond the diagnosis. I was later informed that the vehicle was fixed and paid the invoice, hoping the issue had been resolved. Unfortunately, the problem remained. When I returned, I received conflicting explanations. First, I was told there were no detectable issues. Later, I was told the transmission needed to be replaced. I was also repeatedly told that the repair I suspected would not fix the problem. Even so, I asked them to provide a quote for that repair since a transmission replacement was not financially practical. I was told they would call me with a quote and credit one hour of labor, but I never received a call. After nearly a month of poor communication and an unrepaired vehicle, I decided to purchase the part and perform the repair myself. More than 100 miles later, the vehicle is operating normally. The repair that I was repeatedly told would not solve the issue ended up resolving it completely. I am extremely disappointed with my experience and am out $332 with no resolution provided by the shop.

This has become my new trusted mechanic for all of our car needs…read more As a woman who has driven used cars for most of her life, going to a trusted mechanic is hard to find. I used to go to mechanics in Santa Ana but was not always able to get the services I needed. Now with a new car, I was tired of getting price gouged for a simple oil change at the dealership. At Harbor Auto Service, Mike and John get the job done at an affordable price and take customer service to the next level. For example, when you have already paid and are all set, they park the car right outside for you and send you on your way. They are respectful and take the time to explain what is wrong with the car and give you plenty of options. They also have a nice waiting room with a tv, couches, and offer water as you wait. I have been here twice, and each time has been pleasant. I am already recommending them to all of my friends and family as a solid, trusted choice!

If I could give zero stars, I would give it…read more Mike at Harbor Auto is a complete fraud and does what he can to steal your money. I made the mistake of taking my car back to Harbor Auto after an issue with a new battery that they installed for me a few years ago which died literally a few days later because they messed up putting things back together. Fast forward to my latest predicament. A few weeks ago, my car was dying on the freeway. Had no idea what was going on, but noticed it was not going higher than 1800 RPMs and not going higher than 2nd gear. It put itself into protective mode. I managed to get myself to an Autozone and they scanned the car and got a few codes outlining what the issue was. I said I would get it to a mechanic in the morning. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of taking it to Mike at Harbor Auto. The codes Autozone provided were: P2191 and P1326 and then some commentary about it being my PCV Valve that needed replacing too. I showed these codes/printout to Mike and he said "don't worry, we'll take a look and get it figured out". I waited nearly the whole day before I called Mike to get an update, he said he would call me back with updates "soon". He then called me about 20 mins later suggesting that it might be my catalytic converter that might need replacing. I was curious because there was no indication that my catalytic converter was an issue. I looked up prices on my own to get an idea of what the price range could look like while waiting for Mike to call me back. He calls back and confirms "its definitely your catalytic converter and I'm not sure if you're going to want to put up the $$$ to replace it." He then quotes me $3,175.00 for a a new catalytic converter. I'm floored because the research I did for my car (2011 Hyundai Sonata LE) was approx $1200 for a Hyundai converter or something between $800-1000 for a 3rd party converter. I was already pissed by this point. I just told Mike I'm taking the car back and to leave it alone. I knew he was trying to literally swindle me and I don't know why. Maybe he just didn't want to do the work on the car? Maybe he had NO idea what he was doing? Either way, this just confirmed that I would never go to Harbor Auto Service again. I spoke with my neighbor whose a mechanic as a hobby that night, told him everything that was going on and he agreed that Mike was trying to bamboozle me for the money! He gave me a great suggestion which was to get a second opinion which is exactly what I did. I then took it where he takes his cars which is literally right next door to Harbor Auto to a place called Costa Mesa Transmission. He let the owner Arturo know that I was coming. I took my car to Arturo the following morning and I gave him the same rundown of what was going on. He did some research on the codes from the scanner the other day and calls me back within 2 hours of drop off saying they can't do anything with the car BUT that there was a warranty/recall situation with Hyundai related to my scanned codes. He said I should call Hyundai service first to see if they could take a look at the car which is exactly what I did. Hyundai took the car and it was indeed covered under one of their warranties/recall notices. So everything was going to be covered by Hyundai for free. Arturo also did not charge me a dime when I went to pick it up and take it to Hyundai. THIS IS THE TYPE OF PERSON I WISH TO DO BUSINESS WITH IN THE FUTURE!!! PLEASE AVOID HARBOR AUTO SERVICE AT ALL COSTS!!! TAKE YOUR CAR NEXT DOOR TO COSTA MESA TRANSMISSION INSTEAD!!! SEE ARTURO!!! They do standard work like oil changes, etc and a lot of other work besides just transmissions. You will be saving money and grief by avoiding Harbor Auto Service. I knew from the jump that it was a mistake to take it back to Harbor, but I was desperate to find a place that opened early in the morning. When I should've literally drove my car another 20 feet in the same driveway and taken it to Costa Mesa Transmission. @Mike, I want my $160.00 you charged me back as a refund. You honestly should be ashamed of yourself for attempting to gouge your customers the way you tried with me. Absolutely shameful.

If you got an American muscle with a manual tranny, don't bother searching further…read more I have zero regrets: Not for schedule. Not for cost. Not for outcome.

at another orange county corvette shop had trans seals replaced. 4 years and a 1000 miles later…read morestarted leaking again. the vette never seamed right rattles and pop. had the same job done at orange county transmission wow put back together better than factory. rides like it is brand new. any one with a corvette knows to complete this task it requires disassembly from the clutch to the rear of the car. really impressed if you want your corvette done and well beyond right now were will you will find this level of corvette knowledge.

10/10: Friendly, professional, and efficient…read more I was losing tire pressure and while they ultimately couldn't patch the tire, they still asked me to come in to troubleshoot it for me, just to confirm the issue. I'm not mechanically skilled, so it was good to see how they checked for puncturing. And by extension, showing that work is being done. Some other shops will say they did services but just cold pitch it to upsell. I appreciate the team for helping me get on my way. Because they are dedicated to helping people, I'd definitely recommend them. Thank you again.

I gave up on my 2006 Acura TL last year, but Jeff basically maintained it for the last 5 years of…read moreits life. He also did some oil changes on my S2000 on occasion. I'm in a newer car now, so I might not be visiting until it's no longer dealer maintained, but Jeff was wonderful to work with and a very honest person. I'm sort of leaving this as a thank you for that service, knowing I might not be able to return for awhile. His service was also provided during a tough time in my life. He always charged me a fair price which is why I respect him a lot. I've never had a BS service recommended by him. Everything is "hey, look at this" or "this is what is wrong". If you are looking for an independent mechanic H & A auto is a trustworthy place that still exists in this day and age.

I can't express how grateful I am for Performance Auto Repair in Costa Mesa. Even though I live all…read morethe way in Chino, something about their reviews made me feel like I could trust them -- and I was right. When my SUV overheated and the engine failed, I was overwhelmed. But the moment I spoke with them, it felt like a weight lifted. They understood exactly what was happening before they even saw the car. Instead of pushing a costly $6,000 engine replacement, Byron found a way to rebuild the engine through a machine shop, saving me thousands. That kind of honesty is rare. The repairs took time, but they never rushed. They kept us updated, checked every detail, and refused to release the vehicle until they were absolutely sure there were no leaks, no issues, no surprises. After dealing with another shop that returned our Honda Pilot with oil leaks, this level of care meant everything. What stood out most was their integrity. Their kindness. Their commitment to doing the right thing even when it takes longer or costs them more effort. If we lived closer to Costa Mesa, we'd bring every one of our vehicles here without hesitation. There truly aren't enough words to describe how thankful I am for Byron and his team. They didn't just fix my SUV -- they restored my trust in what an honest auto shop can be.

I recently moved to Costa Mesa, and when I discovered power steering fluid all over the ground, I…read moreneeded to find a mechanic quickly. With plenty of shops nearby, I went through the reviews and Performance Auto immediately stood out. People consistently mentioned their honesty, expertise, and customer service, and my experience lived up to those reviews. They were able to diagnose and repair the issue within a few hours, kept me informed throughout the process, and clearly explained what was happening. Since several different things could have caused the leak, I appreciated how thoroughly they evaluated it and accurately identified the problem. Luckily, it turned out to be a relatively minor repair. Everyone was friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful during a stressful situation. The repair also cost much less than I anticipated, which was a welcome surprise. It's great to already have a local mechanic I can trust, and I'll definitely be returning to Performance Auto for any future automotive needs.

Awesome service. Kept me aware of what was happening during the repair, very fair and accurate…read morepricing. I will be bringing all my cars to Mikes in the future.

Excellent shop and I strongly recommend Mike and his staff, they are honest, knowledgeable and…read moredeliver your car as promised

I have been using these guys for years now for all my cars. They are amazing. They will overall…read morejust fix your problems. Always reasonable pricing. A few times they have even told me to go to the dealership because the dealership would fix something under warranty even though that loses them business. I had another time where I was quoted $4k to fix an oil leak by BMW and this place fixed it for $350. I recommend them to everybody I know!

My go to guys. I get it. Luxury cars are not cheap to maintain. Originally, I took my car to the…read moredealer for maintenance and repairs but after being charged an exorbitant amount of money for very slow and shoddy service, I came to European Import Service. These guys are the best, thoughtful, professional and excellent. For service, quality and value, European Import Service is the place. Victor and his son are the best!!!

We were referred to Star Werks Motors by Allen Tire next door after replacing all of our tires, and…read moreI'm so glad we were. Geoff and his team are exceptional. What really stood out was the level of transparency and care. He took the time to walk us through everything with video and photos of the car, clearly explaining what was done and what to keep an eye on down the road. No pressure, no upsell, just honest, thoughtful service. Our Mercedes is at about 80,000 miles now and it's running beautifully. You can tell they truly know these cars inside and out. We're based in Palm Springs and will absolutely continue to bring our car to Geoff for the bigger service needs and anything more complex. Worth the drive, and honestly the kind of shop you want in your corner long term.

Had a smart key that unexpectedly failed on my Mom as she was having lunch. Luckily, she wasn't far…read moreaway and was able to bring her the spare key. Called our local MB dealer only to be told that I would have to drop off the car for them to diagnose even though I explained in detail what happened. They wanted $325 just to diagnose the issue. Called another independent MB shop who was able to diagnose the issue (bad key) but referred me to a locksmith who would make a new key but that it would be an aftermarket one. That is when I remembered seeing videos on IG of Star Motor Werks and reached out. Geoff responded within 15 minutes and penciled me in the following week. Decided to make the drive down to Star Motor Werks simply due to the fact that they'd make a new key using OEM parts at an affordable price (compared to a MB dealer). They even loaned me their shop car so that I wouldn't have to wait around as I needed to run a few errands. Couldn't be happier with the service and professionalism provided by Geoff and RJ. Would happily drive an hour and half in the future should I need any major maintenance done on our MB. Glad their vids popped up on my IG feed as they are truly knowledgeable and trustworthy.