I came here when my check engine light went on in my 20114Runner. Joe was eager to help me diagnose the issue at no cost. He discovered the issue was with my catalytic converter. I knew this would be a costly repair but Joe assured me that I wasn't going to be ripped off by them. In effort to save me about $1000, they tried to clean the converter prior to replacing it. When that didn't work, he applied the amount I paid for the cleaning towards the replacement of my converter. The way they do business here is unbeatable. Joe is extremely knowledgeable and trustworthy about all things Toyota and has been working with them since he was 11 years old. I'm always hesitant going to a new mechanic since my dad is a retired mechanic, however I knew I would be able to trust them when they went the extra mile to make sure I wasn't going to pay an insane amount for the labor. Joe did everything in his power to get me the best replacement part with lower labor costs than any other shops. I would highly recommend taking your Toyota or Honda here. They know what they're doing, they are fast workers, and they ensure you're getting the best deal. Thanks for everything! I'll be back. read more

Not a good repair shop. The shop I had to repair my car at after coming here told me the parts that were put on my car were warped and messed up my car. They said they also looked very cheap and not meant for my car. Tom will want to tell you it will take days or weeks to find what's wrong with the car before he can even fix it. He said he uses his own parts guy and I had to use them and wasn't allowed to bring my own parts to be installed unless I was willing to pay extra. He will throw all sorts of quotes out and keep changing it. He will yell at you anytime you have questions. Worst and most uncomfortable auto repair business I have used. read more

I like Magnolia auto repair, because of the friendly service. Their mechanics are fast They do their best to give me a discount. read more

Great service! Great work. These guys repaired my car from a collision and my car looks great - back to new! He is very prompt when working the insurance quotes and was great in keeping in communication with me period. While I had it at the shop, I asked for my passenger seat recliner to be fixed. He did not just quote me like everyone else had. He tried to fix it first and gave it some time to settle and called me to let me know it would be best to get a new piece for it - his quote was a third of what it cost in other places and he still contacted the same places the other shops and dealership contacted! Turns out he does more than repairs! He's a full car shop! He does oil changes, A/C, engine, oil changes to auto full detail plus more! - again to the standards we all remember getting for a job paid. The prices along with the amazing job and great service - it's a business I will return to. I live in LA and it's worth coming here to get the job done right while I go and make a trip of coming to San Diego!! Win-Win! THANK YOU, TOM!! Give him a call! 619-440-2246 TOM read more

They do good work. They work and try to accommodate your schedule and needs . They were very patient and understanding about explaining the scope of work and diagnostics of issues . read more

Tom was a great guy overall best experience with a mechanic. I had them come check out a used car for sale and thanks to Tom I was confident in my buy. Definitely recommend and will come back read more

Incredible service. I've had experience with other auto repair shops and these guys are the best in the business. Honest, thoughtful, respectful, reasonable pricing, fast turn around. Don't take a risk elsewhere, unfortunately shady repair shops are the norm. We need more people like Magnolia Auto Repair. I was not asked or paid to write this review read more

spent close to 6k here for them to fix leaks only to find out they just use silicone and break bolts in your engine. Thought it was good work, until everything started falling apart months later. Janky work. Highly suggest going anywhere else. I should be taking these guys to court. Anyone know a good lawyer? read more

Great work by these guys! Took both my vehicles here and they were in and out without complications. Very professional as well, highly recommend read more

Okay so Friday I had called to get AAA to tow me so I could get some tires on my Ford truck. He said he knew a good honest mechanic, with free estimates, so I had AAA take my Dodge truck to this place. So the auto repair guy called me back on Monday He tells me that there was a loose wire and it took him 3 hours to find it and it's going to be $480. I'm like dude that's freaking ridiculous. You said it was going to be free estimate. He said oh the first hours free and the other two hours that's how they come up with $480. I said that's freaking ridiculous I was supposed to get an estimate out front and he's like well how much do you want to pay and I said I don't know somewhere under $300. He said okay, 300 then, I said I said below how about $280 and he's like okay. So I asked him if they can put any parts that they changed aside, there were no parts. $280 all labor. If it had been my normal mechanic, you would have charged me nothing for a loose wire. This is a scam between the triple a guy and the shop. Don't fall for it. read more

I was looking for a place to change my brakes and this Auto Repair was only 5 mins away from my job. I am glad i found this place. The service was quick and i am very happy with my new brakes on my car. There is no squeaking noise or anything. I definitely recommend this place to anybody looking for a reliable place to fix their car. read more

Excellent service and a very good price. I had my car towed to Magnolia Auto Repair based on the recommendation of a tow truck driver. I was skeptical when we arrived. Its a small shop, amidst other businesses and not directly on Magnolia. I'd have never found it on my own. However, they quickly determined that the radiator needed to be replaced, showed me the damage, and within an hour the owner called and gave me a quote. I called the dealer to compare prices, and Magnolia was $200 less, They also gave me a 5 year warrantee on the new radiator. The work was done the next day. In all, I was very happy with their service. read more

Excellent service and very good prices. Good, reliable, honest and fair mechanics are hard to find in San Diego. The tow truck driver recommended this store, I called Tom who gave me a quote on the phone. I shopped around and no one could match this offer. So I towed the car there. I was skeptical when we arrived. It's a small store, in between other businesses. I never found out myself, but they are so kind, honest, and well done. They received the parts and the job was done the next day. All in all, I am very satisfied with their service. I will be back if I need to do anything else in the future. Thank you Tom! read more

I used to take my cars over there back 10 years ago when Rad owned the place. I believe he may still own it. He also has a place over behind Am/Pm. Great prices. Fast. You'll be fixed up and out of there quickly. Highly recommend. They can literally fix any car especially if it's a Camry. They seem to know Camrys well. I definitely recommend Magnolia Auto Repair. You'll be treated well and pay the lowest price in town. read more

TLDR: The dealership was trying to screw me and these guys saved me 7k. My check engine light came on and I took my car to Norman Reeves, they told me I had to get my entire timing assembly replaced, which would have cost me 7k. I called Magnolia and told them the error code and they said they thought all I needed was an oil flush. I normally do the oil changes myself, but last time I was in a hurry and took it to jiffy lube. Apparently Jiffy Lube usees such terrible oil that it caused one of my vales to get sticky. Nothing related to the timing assembly and nothing a simple oil flush couldn't fix. After Magnolia flushed the oil, my car is running fine. Moral of the story, take your car here. These guys know what they are doing and are honest. Also, don't go to Norman Reeves or jiffy lube. I will be taking my car exclusively here from now on. read more

Excellent service! I've been to a lot of Auto repair shops but so far they're the best. Trust worthy & reliable mechanic because they're doing excellent job & great costumer service. Mariano "Mark" Bautista read more

Great people and service. We're able to see my car the day it broke down. Recommend highly.

This place provides great service and very reasonable prices. They are always accommodating and trustworthy, we have complete confidence in them.They have fixed my husband's 2008 Cadillac several times and the service is much better than at the dealers. Highly recommended. read more

When my vehicle was being towed to the shop I wanted to go to, the tow truck driver highly recommended a repair shop to me. I was convinced and I took his word for it. He unloaded my car at the Magnolia Auto Repair location and I waited till the shop opened @8 AM. I waited for about 15min. When the shop opened up, I spoke with the mechanic Nick. He told me to leave the car for about 2 hours for diagnosis. I went home and he calls me back about an hour later. I was informed that my clutch went out and I was given a quote for repair. I agreed to the terms. This incident occurred on a Wednesday and the repair was completed by Friday. If you ask me, they performed the repair faster than other shops that I have seen before. Test drove it, and the new clutch kit felt great. I definitely recommend this auto repair shop. I also met the owner Tom, cool guy, understanding and very attentive. Customer service at its finest. Go check them out ! -Rey read more

Great customer service, they start on your car right then and there, which is always a plus. I came in for my brakes to be serviced and they explained everything I had that was going wrong with my brakes and totally took care of me. I feel a lot safer while driving now, thanks to the superb service I received. Fair pricing also helped out as well, I'll be coming back if I need anything else done in the future. read more

Magnolia Auto Repair - Auto Repair Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Getting your car serviced/repaired can be a gamble. I had a negative experience with a prior servicer, and visited Magnolia Auto to complete what the prior company failed to. Not only was the service and repair timely and efficient, my experience with Magnolia Auto's process as well as interactions with the owner have restored my confidence in the process. I appreciate their trustworthiness and communicative approach to auto repair. Would recommend, and have been back with family members for service. read more

I've been a customer for a long time and they have the best service. Today I installed the exhaust and fixed my check engine light. I recommend this shop all the time thanks tarek! read more

I always go by these people they are the best. Great service, and great costumier service. Highly recommend.

This team is amazing. Top notch. Second to none and on top of their game. They are kind, honest, smart, and straightforward. Ask for Tarik. Late at night (well, late for me--it was about 9:30 pm) I was having my Volvo towed to the Volvo dealership (turned out started had died) and the tow truck driver (shout-out to Frank at C&D Towing Specialists) told me about Tarik and this outfit in El Cajon called Magnolia Auto Repair that does great work--fast and at good prices. We actually got as far as the Volvo dealership and I said to Frank, "Hey, let's turn this boat around and head to El Cajon" (or something like that). I left my keys and my car with Frank and his tow truck and Uber'd myself home. Next morning before 8 am I had a call from Tarik who had already diagnosed the problem, had an estimate, and gave me accurate expectations about when I would see my car again. He went overboard to be sure I got my car back that day, which meant he was working late on a Friday night. He makes videos of all his work and shows old and new parts. He is a good guy and his teammates are, too. So nice to meet and support an awesome small business and great people. Obviously, I highly recommend. read more

It is very hard to find a good, reliable, honest, and fair mechanic in San Diego. My 2014 Hyundai Accent GLS broke down, come to find out it needs a new clutch or 'clutch kit' as they call it. The Carlsbad Hyundai dealership I always used to take my car to wanted $3,000.00 to fix this! Tow truck driver recommended this shop. Ask for Tom/Tarak. I got the number of the shop and called, and he gave me a quote over the phone. It was allot less than the dealership wanted and they guarantee their work. I shopped around and no one could beat the quote. So I get the car towed there. Its a small shop with 2 bays. They have 3 total mechanics, including Tom, all have nice uniforms busy working on cars. Shop is right next to a used car dealership. Doesn't look like much but they are so nice, and honest, and do great work. Got my car back and it works great! These are the most honest, nice, reliable people you could ever deal with. I was not paid to write this review. Really recommend this repair shop and I think you'll find they will work great for you. Thanks Tom! read more

It has been a long time since I've had a mechanic that is so through in explaining things to me. They even show me the new parts before they put them in and have excellent customer service. Prices are pretty darn reasonable too! Please tell Tarek that Nancy sent you. Thank you guys for taking good care of my car. read more

I was in the area looking at a used vehicle to purchase at a used car lot nearby and wanted to get it checked out before I proceeded with anything else. It was after 6pm and this was the only auto place open so we drove over and asked them if they would do an inspection on the car. They agreed to do it for a small cost. The two guys there did a great job communicating with us even though there was a small language barrier. They explained that the car was in good shape and there were a few things to be fixed but other than that it was a good buy. I really appreciate them helping us out and taking the time to look at the car. I'm currently on my way to buy it so thanks a lot guys! read more