My car wouldn't start because the battery was drained, so I had it towed to a shop that advertised electrical repair. After explaining the issue, I was told they would diagnose the problem and call me with their findings. A few hours later, I called for an update and was told they had found a parasitic battery drain and needed to run additional tests. Later that day, they called back and said the problem was simply a faulty battery and that replacing it would solve the issue. I approved the repair, which ended up costing about $430 for the battery. After picking up the car, I immediately noticed that some of the electronics were not working correctly and it still felt like the battery was being drained. Because the original diagnosis didn't seem to match the symptoms, I took the vehicle to Al's Electric Repair in Anaheim, a shop that had successfully fixed an electrical issue on another vehicle of mine. Al's quickly identified a parasitic drain caused by a camera installed inside the cabin. Once they repaired the drain, the electrical issues disappeared and the car has been running properly ever since. What concerns me is that the first shop initially told me they had found a parasitic drain, but later concluded that the battery was the only problem. Whether the battery needed replacement or not, the actual drain remained and was causing the issues I brought the car in for. Based on my experience, Al's Electric Repair accurately diagnosed and repaired the problem, and they have now successfully resolved electrical issues on two of my vehicles. read more

Orange Independent Auto Repair - Receipt - Auto Repair Near Me - Orange, California

Got the Power Steering line leak stopped! Joe and his team are friendly and super honest and is very upfront about the costs.

Eddie has been working on VW Beetles for 50+ years. He's the only person that will ever touch my car. Please live forever, Eddie. You're the best. I have received nothing but exceptional service from Orange Independent. Rick & his wife are two of the kindest, most honest people I've had the pleasure of meeting. I drive down to Orange from Silver Lake to have my car serviced & will continue to do so as long as they exist. This place radiates positivity & clarity. I couldn't imagine going anywhere else. You want something done right? Take it Orange Independent. read more

Orange Independent Auto Repair - This is Eddie. He's been working on VW's for 50+ years. - Auto Repair Near Me - Orange, California

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I trust this place and really love the owners. Their service is great, they are kind and honest and their pricing is good. This place is a gift. read more

The level of professionalism at this place is super appreciated. I thought the cost of my repairs were fair and done in a timely manner. I valued my experience and look forward to making this my regular mechanic. read more

I took my car in with undiagnosed issues with the fuel system. They were able to locate the problem and give me a very reasonable fix without giving me the run around. I really appreciate the team at Orange Independent Auto! read more

Came in because there were lights on in my car dashboard. Johnny and Rueben were awesome and took care of me and my car troubles quickly. 10/10 recommend read more

This is the best place , best people to entrust your car too! Their expertise, knowledge, concern, compassion and kindness is amazing! They go the extra mile! They do NOT tell you , you need work done on your vehicle if it is not needed .. unlike so many places!!The owners and all who work there deserve a huge shout out!!! read more

If you're looking for a honest, fair, expert car mechanic--look no further. I have been bringing my family's vehicles to Rick at Orange Independent for 15 years and I will never go anywhere else. Rick works hard, fast, and knows cars. His pricing is always fair and reasonable and he has kept our cars running healthy for many years. And Doris in the front office is super helpful and kind. Thank you, Rick And Doris!!! read more

The worst experience I have ever had. Made an appointment and drop it off early in the am. Did not hear from them all day. I had to call them the next day at noon. Talked to some kid who clearly knows not about cars or how to run a garage repair shop. He stubbled around and tried to tell me bits and pieces of what the tech. had found, he made no sense. Very annoying and frustrating to deal with and I was paying for this. The lack of understand what is important and how to inform the customer of findings and stress any concerns. Obviously his parents left him to run the shop in their absence and clearly not capable. Will not be going back. read more

I will be short, factual, and as nice as possible. 2010 chevy colorado had check engine light, needed to fix for smog to renew registration. Friend recommended this shop to me and being a family business man myself i always try to spend money at the mom and pop shops and give back. Shop had great reviews so i took the truck in on sept 22. I was disappointed in the communication, i never received any updates from the shop and i had to call in weekly to get info. After a month and a half, i called and they informed me i needed a new computer-i said lets do it no problem and that was that. I sat tite for a week and called back to see an update-they tell me i have to come pay for the part as its special order etc-i understand this but would have appreciated a call back to let me know rather that letting me hang to dry for a week. So i drove down and paid $800 cash for the special order computer. Waited a week-called-was told they received the wrong computer. Waited another week and was told they are still working on it and should be in touch. A number of weeks later-i am a few days away from this shop having my truck for 3 MONTHS. I am a small business and my truck is part of that so rather than continuing to lose money I had no choice but to get the truck and take it to another mechanic. So i dropped the truck off at another mechanic and within 2 business days it was repaired and i had my truck back. Now it got interesting. The second mechanic tells me when i picked up the truck that the "special order computer" was not needed and the truck was repaired and running on the old computer and the previous shop misdiagnosed this entirely and i needed to get a refund. I spoke with orange independent shop about it and initially they fought this and were only offering a partial refund for this $800 computer I DID NOT NEED. I had to take time out of a job to go to them, show them the documentation from the shop and they even called the shop that fixed the truck to verify i guess? Anyhow, they have all good reviews, but it seems these reviews may be from folks getting brake pads and oil changes because any real repair seems to be out of their league. I will not be doing any future business with orange independent and nor would i recommend them. Wish it was different but id hate to see someone get strung out to dry like i was, and not getting any updates and having to call in weekly for 3 months until you are forced to take it to another mechanic. Lesson learned. read more

Okay, I had been going to Nysco for years and ended up trying Ornage Independent after my original 1963 Bug developed a surprise fuel leak. Doris was super friendly and set up an appt. right away with Rick. My car was serviced and repaired within 1 day and runs great. The shop was professional and the customer service was great. I am in the process of buying an old 1965 V Dub Bus and it's first stop will be Orange Independent for a check up and service. Kelly read more

I've been taking all my cars here for years! Rick and Eddie are no nonsense but nothing but honest and I have never been overcharged for anything and they tell me if it's out of their league or too specialized abs they don't have the diagnostic equipment to do it. Doris is great too! Love the whole crew and struggle to take any of my cars anywhere else as I usually regret it. Only time I do is if I have to. They are only open four days a week and are often booked a few days or week ahead so you have to be patient sometimes. But you don't have to worry about being ripped off, which I can't say about a lot of shops! read more

Very fair, thorough, very nice family owned business. We live 60 miles away but wouldn't go anywhere else.

I had been smashed into (head on!) by a woman who lost control of her car in a parking structure down the street. I had to get home to Long Beach and didn't want my wrecked front bumper to stab a tire on the way. I stumbled into Orange Repair because they were closest to the scene of the accident, and Doris and Rick made everything better. Just to have someone be that kind and thoughtful after a traumatic experience was so wonderful - and then they got me fixed up and on the road and wouldn't take anything for their time and work. Thank you, Doris and Rick! You make the world a better place. read more

I've been going to these guys for about 7-8 years with my 1970 VW Bus and they have always been fantastic. Super honest and straightforward. I would definitely recommend using them. read more

I have to say I am very satisfied with the work and service done at this car shop. They are honest people and also reliable. My friend and his mom have been going here for over 20 years and I can see why! If you need work done I recommend Orange Independent. I gave them my car today and they worked on it and I got it back a couple hours later. My car feels much better, I'm very happy. Oh and the cherry on top was when I went to pick up my car and was waiting in the lobby I was shocked to hear relaxing Christian instrumental hymns. That was such an encouragement to me. Anyhow check em out if you have car problems. :) read more

We recently took our 2012 Suburban to Rick to have repairs done. He was referred to us from a contractor we are using that is also great. We had the car towed in. The repairs were done the next day (belts, pulley assemblies, oil pressure sending unit). The service and communication is great and the pricing is affordable. I usually do most of my auto service myself but I will come back here for sure for service I cannot perform. It's tough to find an honest, quality fair priced mechanic. Don't look any further than Orange Independent. read more

My wife has been taking cars to Orange Independent since 1978 when Rick's dad was running the place. The most important thing to me when bringing my card in for service is HONESTY. Equally, important are competitive prices and years of automobile knowledge between Rick, Eddy and Tom. We bring our 1993 Integra, 1997 4-Runner, and 2007 Tacoma as well as our two daughter's cars to Orange Independent every 5000 miles for an oil change and any other routine maintenance that we might need. I have called Rick on numerous occasions to ask for his advice and use his knowledge about any car related issues. We are so fortunate to have a repair shop that is trustworthy, accommodating and knowledgeable, with great customer service. I can't imagine taking my cars anywhere else. Thanks so much, Orange Independent, for taking care of all our needs. read more

My family has been bringing our cars here since the late 1970's when the current owner's father was in charge. The service has been unwaveringly good - honest, reasonably priced, on time, and delivered with care. Did I mention honest? I have had countless times when i have brought my car in for service and been told that it didn't need as much as I thought. I drive from Corona to bring my car here. It's that good. Highly recommended! read more

Excellent job on my new gas tank for my 88 VW Vanagon. My brother in law has a 91 Westfalia and they keep our cars happy and on the road!

I basically agree with all the reviews here! My husband took his Golf in to replace the vacuum brake pump and some other minor repair almost a year ago(I know the review is way overdue) and the car is still running great. We have been back with oil change and some other check up. The husband and wife team are honest and nice. Never hard sell any unnecessary repair like many dealerships do. I had really bad experience with dealership repair before so I try to avoid taking my car to dealer for service. Even the location is a little out of our way, it is worth driving there because we can trust them. read more

My car is the most important individual possession I own, and Rick (and the Orange Independent staff) took excellent care of it when it needed emergency service. I was charged for a very modest service, and yet the repair was comprehensive, addressing my bad gas mileage, my leaking coolant, my broken water pump, and even fixing one of my power windows that wouldn't raise/lower properly. I would recommend Orange Independent to anyone who needs car service in Orange County, because I trusted them with my car. And man, I REALLY love my car. read more

I have a long-standing (20+ years) relationship with these guys, and I can only give them the highest recommendation. I don't worry that they'll fix all kinds of things that don't need fixing, but if they say something needs fixing, I pull out the plastic without hesitation. I drive a '88 VW Fox with over 300,000 original miles and I attribute that longevity to their maintenance and Eddie's gentle nudging for me to keep a better eye on the oil and water. One time, a replacement coolant reservoir for the old Fox was not available, so they actually fabricated a custom mounting bracket to fit a reservoir from a Scirocco! They also maintain our '71 Beetle and 2008 Mazda. Best of all, they're nearby, so I can drop off my car and walk home in five minutes! read more

I have now visited this mechanic twice and each time I have been impressed with their honesty in how they explain the service to me and their price. Before going to Orange Independent to service my Volvo I had been though 2 other mechanics. Both were much more expensive in fact one was nearly double! I highly recommend them for Volvo servicing, they are a great family owned business. One thing to keep in mind though... they are only open Tuesday - Friday. read more

Been going to Orange Independent for 27 years. I won't ever go anywhere else. They're honest, and I trust them completely. They always explain everything, and their work is phenomenal. I always leave there confident in the work that has been done, and I've never had to come back with the same problem. I love this place!! Thank you Orange Independent!!!! read more

Great mechanic. Honest and resonable and gets the work completed quickly.

Trustworthy and extremely competent. It would be nice if they were open a few more days each week, but they're worth the wait.

The biggest apprehension when taking a vehicle to be serviced is to run into dishonest repairmen that sell you all kinds of things you don't need. That has never been an issue at Orange Independent for me and I have been going there since the late 80's. Rick and his staff have always been great at identifying and fixing any problems I have had with my vehicles and they always do it for considerably less than a dealership would charge. On multiple occasions I have brought my car in with recommendations from the dealer and after Rick and his guys checked it out they told me I either didn't have to do the work at all or I could wait a while. This kind of honesty gives me great comfort in knowing I will not be taken advantage of at Orange Independent. Thorough, reliable, honest service at fair prices. What more could anyone ask for from a repair shop? By the way, I drive 15 miles to take my cars to Rick even though I live a half mile from a Honda dealer. read more

Wonderful, fast, truthful and so friendly. I fully trust their work and would highly recommend their service.

I've been taking my foreign model cars to Rick for 12 years and he is super reasonable. My clutch on my 2012 Subaru Forester went out at 73,000mi and they replaced the clutch, slave cylinder pressure plate, transaxle fluid, spark plugs, rear differential fluid for $1200. read more

Been going here for a few years now with a VW Vanagon and Porsche Boxster. Great guys who are honest, quick and extremely straight forward about any and all repairs. I would never go anywhere else. read more

Excellent, Wonderful, Truthful, Friendly, Reasonable , what can i say .. they are just the best when it comes to repairing your car.. Not to mention Ricks wife Doris, she just makes your day so much brighter.. read more

I took my Speedster replica to Orange Independent Auto Repair because a friend highly recommended them. They repaired a broken transmission mount and did some regular maintenance work. They are very honest people and gave me a fair rate. That's half battle when finding a good auto shop is my opinion. I'm definitely making them my go to shop. read more

Excellent service, reasonable prices and honest, yes really honest. Does the work that is needed and gives an honest assesment of anything else needed but never recomends stuff that is not needed. Thank you! read more

I need to bring in my car I looked up the phone number of Orange Independent when I noticed that they only have 5 ratings! I am not surprised that the few people who did rate them gave the highest rating possible. This shop is amazing. My wife and I have come here for over 10 years with all our vehicles and we have never been disappointed. They are inexpensive, honest, and have a fairly quick turn around. I have never felt that what they suggest is not needed for my car. In other words, if they tell me my car needs something then I go with their advice. They work there because they like cars. Can't say enough about how great the team at Orange Independent is. Wonderful people. Search no longer. read more

We're been going to Rick for years. He & his staff are actually honest & reliable I never realized an honest mechanic existed. He & staff are always polite & professional. His prices are more than reasonable. Doris is always sweet & helpful. We have domestic & foreign cars. If there was anything negative it would be I wish he were open on weekends. Glad he works to live not live to work He is worth the wait . Thanks Rick!! read more

I have been here a few times for some different minor repairs. My most recent visit was to have my vehicle's starter replaced. They did a good job, they were quick, and it was affordable. I recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a new mechanic. read more

The Best and Most Honest Mechanic in Orange County that I have ever dealt with. Rick is a great and honest person. Orange Ind. Maintains my 2000 Honda, 2001 Suburban,2002 BMW 325i and my 2009 Silverado. I trust them with my cars and trucks. They are great reliable mechanics. Do Not Hesitate they are good and can fix just about anything. read more

I am so happy with Orange Independent. Rick , his wife Doris and the whole team are amazing. I've been going to them for the past ten years.. My car is fourteen years . They take care of it. I trust them . I don't know much about cars.. Even when I think I gave this huge problem with my car and feel something has to be replaced... They tell me it's nothing major and don't have to replace stuff unneccessarily.. They are honest, genuine, hardworking, friendly and extremely competent. You can trust them with your little Corolla or your expensive Mercedes! I used to go to the Toyota dealer before discovering Orange Independent. I save a lot of money now:) Great service! Great price! read more