I believe the owner is Mike. He is an absolute joke. I've bent over backwards trying to work with this guy and he kept putting me off putting me off. He had a back injury. I worked with him through that every time I walked in there he acted like it was the first time seeing me this guy absolutely has no customer service at all and now that I'm reading these other reviews I'm so glad I did not take my car there and let this man hack it up. I absolutely donot recommend this place just for the customer service alone. This guy is a idiot read more

My car takes a special high performance synthetic oil - Muffler & Cat Depot carry it for me & do a quick oil change at the best price in town. They're not condescending to me when I come in without my husband (I hate that this still happens to me at places, but it does). Just all around nice people. I dropped my review down from 5 stars because they refused to honor the price they quoted me on the phone. He said it's because he actually didn't have the oil in stock and had to order it and apparently the price had gone up. Except I called before I came over to verify the price. I asked again if he couldn't honor the price or go any lower. He said no. I told him I left the yelp review- they offer discounts for yelp reviews and he still refused. I get that they need to make money too but this wasn't my mistake - I called first. If he had told me that price on the phone I probably still would've gone in, but he didn't so I feel bait & switched. read more

This place is a NO GO. I had a gas smell in my truck and they said it's your muffler and oil pan seal. They fixed both for $250 each and it didn't solve the problem. They said it's probably your O ring $225 but when I called they said I would have to pay $125 diaognostic fee as we don't replace parts hopping it's the problem. Well obvious you do! You charged me $500 and I still have the problem !! Now you want $125 to tell me what my problem is? They don't understand logic at all. Steer clear of this place they just want to fix obvious problems not what you're asking them to fix. read more

They did a bad job on welding have pics as this knuckle head is so unsure of things he has to ask boss man which is the old head . Still has open welds so double check read more

Muffler & Cat Depot - Auto Repair Near Me - Escondido, California

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Highly recommended for all types of repairs and maintenance. I have came here several times before for an oil change and my car leaves running smoothly. I can't begin to express how great their prices are as well. Thank you for helping me and kindly explaining everything I need to know about my vehicle. read more

Amazing fella to work with reliable and friendly service. Works with all makes and models and does an amazing job.

Thank you so much for installing my new exhaust! I appreciate all the help! I will definitely be back again read more

Muffler & Cat Depot - Apexi Exhaust - Auto Repair Near Me - Escondido, California

Great value and good quality. Special thanks to Mike. Toyota Corolla 2007. f Friendly atmosphere. read more

Muffler & Cat Depot - Invoice - Auto Repair Near Me - Escondido, California

I wanted to like this place, but that's hard to do once bitten. I had my car worked on here, old mufflers removed, new mufflers installed and tailpipe all the way back to the rear bumper. I supplied the new mufflers and tips, and they put them on with new pipe that they supplied. The left side pipe was hanging nearly two inches further than the right, which I showed Mike when I took my nephews car to have mufflers installed up and he said he'd fix it if I brought it in, and agreed the pipe was too low. I could plainly see that the pipe on the left, was an inch too long coming out of the muffler which caused it to strike the spare tire well, the guy who installed it must've been in a hurry because instead of trimming it, he just left it. The fix would require cutting the pip at the muffler, shorten it by about an inch, rotate it a couple of degrees counter-clockwise and re-weld. I dropped it off a couple of weeks later for an entire day. After taking four jobs to them, we learned that they do not call you when your car is done, you have to call them, so when five thirty rolled around, I called Mike and he said it was done. I got a ride over there, and noticed my car was backed into the stall, which they never do but figured they were making it convenient because now from the back, according to the tips, it looked like they fixed it. When I got it home it was obvious they hadn't done the job at all, they simply pulled the tips up tighter, and more evenly with the bumper, and wouldn't own up. This guy will tell you whatever he has to get the job and whatever it comes out like, you're on your own, no matter what you spend. There are plenty of other muffler shops in town, go to one of them because the b.s. here runs pretty deep. read more

Muffler & Cat Depot - Auto Repair Near Me - Escondido, California

excellent service e, Mike was very professional, helpful and good listener. they repaired my Mercedes Air conditioning at a very reasonable price, plus airbag reconnected a not charge. they have experienced technicians and the inspection Fee is only $125 to be applied to repair. Low prices for the quality work offered, trustworthy business. read more

Nice and friendly people here! Easy to work with and reasonable pricing. The guy working the desk is awesome, he was patient in explaining to me my options and what to expect after the he installation. read more

Would not recommend anyone going here from experience I came here multiple times to never have my issue fixed with my car and also waited hours to sometimes never have my car checked out I took my car in to have exhaust leaks fixed and left my car here for a week hoping it was all fixed up and even had them check it out one more time turns out when I took it to a professional it ended up having multiple leaks all around the car which I had to get fixed and never told me issues wrong with my car like the fact that my rear gear differential is leaking this place is reasonable cheap but not worth it at the end of the day have a professional look at it it will be cheaper in the long run. read more

Brought my car in for lifters took about 3-4 weeks and about 1800 got the car back and was running great then a week or so later I was driving on the freeway and my car started to sputter real bad then the check engine light started to flash so I pulled over and turned my car off and got it towed home. I tried to find the issue and when I pulled the spark plug coil pack it was ripped in half and taped up. I just replaced these myself 6 months ago and no one has touched my car since. Terrible that they wouldn't replace if they ripped it read more

Muffler & Cat Depot - Ripped coil pack with electric tape on it - Auto Repair Near Me - Escondido, California

I bought both groupings for oil change and brakes and the oil change went well and pretty quick, but my brakes were not as great. The customer service is nice and they are pretty helpful, but after a lot of conversation I had to pay extra for premium brakes and resurfacing. Totally fine, but literally the next day and since that day my breaks are so loud! Highly doubt I actually got "premium" breaks, but I'm assuming that's what they were betting on. Just won't be back and I do not recommend them. read more

I had to smog three vehicles. They were able to take my cars on Saturday. Very convenient. The work was done promptly and I was able to get on with my day. read more

STAY AWAY FROM THESE SCAMMERS!!! Called this place for a quote on getting a catalytic converter installed. Some kid over the phone didn't even ask for the information on my vehicle and just blurted out a random price for a "universal" cat. Then he proceeds to try and "upsell" me on a smog because apparently when you install a new catalytic converter the computer will reset itself. My CEL is not on and all my monitors are already ready but he claims that the car needs to drive over 1000 miles to be ready for "smog". Not only was the quote DOUBLE the price of other shops but he also threw in some BS scare tactics about issues with smogging the vehicle. AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!!! This business has been reported to the Bureau of automotive repair and consumer affairs. read more

I'm so glad I came here For my brakes they also informed me of an oil change I needed. And took care of it...Mike and his co-workers are honest mechanic one you can trust especially since so many other places try and rip me off.. I will definitely be coming back... read more

I had called a week before and made an appointment for this Saturday 9/24/22 assuming I was set for that day. So I called again on Friday the day before just to reassure that I was set for that Saturday. I was told that they were going to be closed either I can go on Monday morning or wait till the next Saturday. That right there is poor communication if he would of told me or at least called me early morning I would of had time to called another shop. I wont be calling them again. read more

You could not ask for better customer service. They were incredibly responsive and I would highly recommend using them for any of your exhaust needs. I've used dozens of shops over the 20 years of car customization and the responsiveness, quality, and care that they put into the job is as the top! They treat you like an actual person (that might sound weird to some, but if you've ever had a bad experience somewhere you know exactly what I mean!) read more

Muffler & Cat Depot - Getting ready to go under the knife - Auto Repair Near Me - Escondido, California

Great prices and quick service. I had a large exhaust leak on my Honda Civic and they had me in and out in 30 minutes. Very reasonable too.

If I could give 10 stars I would! I was recommended to come here by a friend and so so glad I did come here! Came here for a smog check. Excellent customer service, was in and out in 30 mins tops. Also within that they processed my registration-- literally a one stop shop. I have my sticker and dmv registration all in one place. I now can skip out on a dmv trip. I don't write too many reviews for car related things, but the experience here left me wanting to share it with the world. If you need a smog check without a doubt come here, quick, professional, and reliable. Lastly I came here with my little one... and John was so friendly to him-- this isn't required of a mechanic but he was. As a mom I genuinely appreciate the above and beyond actions like his. read more

First off, they've handled COVID regulations well and have seating that is socially distant, that is a plus. I came in for one thing, understanding that more could possibly be required. The team here took a look at my vehicle, and then took me back to show me what was going on and their recommendations. After that, we went back out front to see how much things would cost. Unlike other shops I've experienced, there was no pressuring to get things done and they worked hard to get me the lowest price possible for the work. They also dropped me at home and picked me up when my car was ready. These guys are very friendly and you can tell that they know their stuff and have a great reputation with customers. I've only been here for a year and a half and I've found my shop! I'll definitely be back! read more

These guys just don't care. I have them work on my CATs (they are good I just needed to swap the left to the right to pass smog requirement). When I came to pick up the truck, my battery was dead (new battery). They were kind enough to help me jump started it. Then I waited about 5 minutes before I drove it out. But right after I left the parking lot, smoke and water (probably engine coolant) started coming out from the front hood. I stopped at the side of the street. Called them (before 5:00pm) and tried multiple times, nobody answered the phone. I had a friend drove to their shop to get them on the phone. I asked if I could borrow their jumper again to start the truck, they wouldn't. Seriously, I was just out of the parking lot. So my friend had a jumper, I started the truck and took it back to the parking lot. I went in and try to tell them what was going on. None of them would even listen, especially that Mike guy, insisting that it's already his time off. Although he literally needs to pass by my truck to get to his vehicle. Worst customer service ever The next Monday Mike got back to me, and told me the radiator was broken for no reason, completely irrelevant to his work. I really doubt that. I have been driving it for 3 years and nothing wrong happened. The moment I let his parking lot and it just broke? That's too much of a coincidence. But what am I going to do. Proving that he messed it up and sue him? I might never be able to do so. Don't listen to the 5 star reviews. This is my personal experience. January 2023. Be careful when you put your vehicle here. It might get broken worse and then you will be like me, having to pick up your messed up vehicle before he start charging you parking fees. $50 a day. read more

Muffler & Cat Depot - Auto Repair Near Me - Escondido, California

I took my car in due to shaking. I let Mike know it was probably my axel as someone had told me. He said he would have to diagnose it $125. He comes back and says yes, it is your axel but I recommend you fix both and your control arms. I told him if he could just fix the one that was shaking(RIGHT SIDE PASSANGER) he quoted me 400 something each side. I told him I could only do 1 but 400 was too much. He said he could get me a cheaper part and it would be 305. I agreed! when he fixed it he fixed the left side(driver side) I asked him why he fixed that and not the right. He argued that he told me the left was bad. FYI that isnt even the side that is shaking. I paid and left. The car felt a little better but still shook and i let him know. I was planning on returning in 2 weeks to complete the other side. WELL few hours later the car starts shaking worse than before and now it is also cliinking and leaking oil in the axel. I took it back to him and now he tells me that its my Rack-and-pinion. I asked him why he didnt know that yesterday when he did the diagnostic. He just said he didnt. To top it off I called autozone to price the axel so i can get the other fixed and its $95 I got charged $180. When i asked him today where did he get the part from he said autozone. So why the hell did he charge me 180. his answer was this is a business and just like anyone else we charge more. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. you buy a part and you add almost 100 more to my cost. You are a bunch of rip offs and dont even do the job right. Just like you ripped off the kid before me whom you charge $267 to clean his filter and do an oil change. His check engine light came on as soon as he left. and when he returned all of a sudden you find out his solenoid is bad. You just make things up to get money out of people. DO NOT FIX YOUR CAR HERE read more

Not worth your time. Horrible customer service and very deceptive. Beware of this so called business. Take your vehicle to a better shop. 0 stars. read more

This place is a treasure, and you may not expect it at face value. I had multiple problems with my Honda Element that turned into a riddle that the owner and his crew painstakingly solved. It's highly unlikely a mainstream autoshop would have been willing or able to do it. I'm thousands of miles in now from when I was there at their shop and my car has been running SO well. I'm incredibly grateful for their time and work and I couldn't recommend them enough. read more

Rip off said they fixed my car but they put a band aide on it, gave me a big bill and send me home with a worse mess than I came in with.

I get my synthetic oil changes, tire rotations, brake pads, and smog all done by Michael. He is extremely knowledgeable and HONEST! Hailey, also is wonderful. She is friendly and very efficient. Always happy with all my visits, and the work preformed. Highly reccomend this business. read more

The service at Muffler & Cat was great. Needed an oil change and breaks replaced and was out within 2 hours! They didn't try to push any additional services on me - just did what I asked. read more

Have always came here since I moved to SD. Will stay coming here until I leave. Great service, great prices, and great work!

Great customer service from the get go. Friendly and easy making an appointment on the phone. Check in process was smooth and good communication through out the process. Fair prices, no pressure from team. read more

Very satisfied with the service at the Muffler and Cat depot. Was thankful for his honest and expedited work. I dropped my jeep at 10am and it was done within the hour! I would definitely be recommending his shop to all my friends and family. Happy new year read more

The employees are approachable and kind, quick with the inspection and service, and honest and reasonable with the quote for service. We were able to get an appointment ASAP to bring our car in and broke down the quote for us so we understood exactly what we were getting serviced. Thank you Muffler & Cat Depot! read more

I was just in today for some exhaust repair with my 99 honda civic, Mike helped me out and was a pleasure doing business with him. He was very helpful and was able to attend my needs. Would recommend and ill be going back there in the future for any of my repairs read more

Finally found a car repair that I would return to! In the past, Car repair people take one look at me, then they hear my high pitch sweet Disney voice, and they put on cheap brake parts, recommend non-needed repairs, and charge way more than my male neighbor. This place is honest, less expensive than the competition down the street, will tell you what's needed done and the consequences of doing or not doing it, and I actually left paying less than the quote, as when they fixed the radiator leak, they found it was just a hose clamp that needed to be replaced.They could have replaced the whole radiator and I wouldn't have known the difference. I'm only going here for my future car repairs for my white Ford Transit Connect. read more

My car failed smog due to my catalytic converter. I called up Muffler & Cat Depot and spoke with Michael. He handled me with care and took me in right away. I was in & out within an hour. Fast & affordable! Go to Muffler & Cat Depot! You won't regret it!! read more

DO NOT GO TO THIS ESTABLISHMENT. The service advisor Mike is corrupt and lies all the time about his "work" he "does" on vehicles. He's just like every sketchy service advisor and talks out of his ass to make a sale. TRUST ME, go elsewhere. I tried to give them business but horrible service, sketchy repairs, and outrageous pricing. BEWARE. Don't fall for his 5 star reviews, he offers customers 10% off their bill for a 5 star review. SKETCHY! read more

Worth the wait at this place. Mike and his team run a very busy business and they understand your needs completely. Took my Audi A3 in for the first time, got brakes on all four (front & rear). He was honest & explained the severity of fixing rear and front all at once. I was very pleased with the work done & will continue to take our cars to him. We appreciate his business very much & respect his hard work as well. Five star service read more

Visited Muffler & Cat on Monday, March 1st, 10:30am. I did not made appointment but Mike took care of me right away. I bought oil change over at Groupon. Mike is very informative and knowledgeable. Mike informed me that my car required synthetic oil change. My previous oil change shops did not mentioned anything like that. I am glad that I visited Muffler & Cat. Now, I know requirements for my vehicle. The service was great and fast. I will visit for all the other car needs. read more

Great customer service Mike is the best, he checked everything out for me and made sure I was satisfied, prices are great and there place was clean and not a long wait, I was even able to get a smoke check read more