The good. By appearance the shop looked clean & the staff were kind. I asked what it would cost me for a mechanic to look at my suspension on my Chevy impala as I suspected it may need some work. I was quoted an inspection would cost me $375. !Needles to say I was surprised at the excessive cost so I left. I then went to another established shop who charged me $80. For the inspection. I doubt that I'll return to Pats again. read more

BEWARE, BAIT AND SWITCH! Went today to their location. We received a coupon in the mail for an oil change for 59.00 dollars which includes a oil filter. We were told we needed another filter and the total would be 109!!! Dollars and we could not JUST get what was on The coupon! Total bait and switch!! Cheats and thieves not honoring the coupon they sent out!!! Save yourself the headache and go somewhere else. What a waste of time! read more

Pat's Automotive tried to take advantage of my mother. I'm making sure everyone knows. I'm writing this as a son who is absolutely furious about how my mother was treated at Pat's Automotive. What happened wasn't just bad service, it was condescending, dismissive, and felt like they were banking on the hope that a woman alone wouldn't know better. Before any of this even happened, my mom was stranded in a Walmart parking lot. While waiting for AAA to arrive, she did a simple Google search for nearby mechanics. Pat's Automotive came up, so she reached out to them for help. They were polite on the phone, gave her the impression they'd be able to take care of her, and made her feel like she had found the right place. AAA eventually arrived, ran their test, and told her plainly: The battery is dead. You need a new one. Straightforward. Documented. Clear. With that information in hand, she headed to Pat's, and that's where everything took a turn. The polite person she spoke to earlier was suddenly nowhere to be found, and someone else took over with a completely different attitude. This associate flat-out refused to install a new battery, the SAME battery AAA had just diagnosed, unless she paid $199 for their "required diagnostic." For a dead battery she already had written proof for. A dead battery any real mechanic could identify instantly. But here's where it gets even worse: They told her she would have to leave her car overnight for this diagnostic, they wouldn't even do it while she waited. Who asks someone with a dead battery to leave their car overnight just to "confirm" what AAA already confirmed? That's not just unreasonable, it's a giant red flag. No transparency. No willingness to help. Just an opportunity to upsell and delay. Let's be honest: If I had walked in with the exact same paperwork, nobody would have talked down to me, nobody would have tried this overnight nonsense, and nobody would have stonewalled a basic battery replacement. But my mother? Suddenly everything becomes "policy," everything becomes a hurdle, and everything conveniently costs more. My mom left feeling disrespected, stressed, and talked down to, all because they assumed she wouldn't push back. To anyone reading this review: If you care about honesty, respect, or not being pressured into unnecessary charges, avoid this place. There are plenty of shops that won't treat you differently depending on who walks through the door. And to Pat's Automotive: You should take a hard look at how you treat your customers, especially the ones you assume won't stand up for themselves. Because they have people like me who will. read more

Very helpful mechanic but my sister who never uses her credit card used it there and a fraudulent large charge showed up a week later which is very suspicious. read more

want to pay the same price as dealer, not be able to pick your car up after 5pm unless you want to go empty parking lot ,use key box, and go to your car alone on bad side of town. closed on weekends, really? never again read more

They quoted me a price on the phone for a transmission fluid drain only to find out the price was an extra $120 when I brought in my vehicle. read more

This one is a little different. I have used Pat's for years, and I have always been completely satisfied with the staff and service. I relied on Alex to ensure I understood the work and the cost involved. 100% satisfied. You may notice that several reviewers mention Alex with very high marks. Well, after many years, Alex has moved on and I write this in the hope that I can find some information so I can contact him. He has always wanted an opportunity to buy my car. I called the business but was unable to get any information. So, if anyone has contact information, please forward below. Thank you in advance. read more

My wife and I both had 2010 Toyota Prius's and within a week, they both broke down with almost the exact same symptoms: Running rough with a loud knocking sound. Mine also had the "Check engine" light on. Both cars were towed to the dealership for repair. The diagnosis for my wife's car was a suspected head gasket leak and the estimate for repair was $6700. For my car they recommended a tear down and inspection and they commented that they could swap a used engine for about $7800. Based on these estimates we decided to get rid of the cars and we purchased a new car. We got $2175 for my wife's car, but when I saw her car towed away I realized that I had a sentimental attachment to my car, and I decided to keep it. I called Pat's Automotive and they offered to give me a second opinion. In the end, they repaired my car for $1249 by replacing the coils and plugs, and my car has been running great ever since. Needless to say, Pat's Automotive will be servicing my car from now on. They are professional and honest! read more

Great place! You can trust them. Antonio and Jesus in the front dealing with all of us and great mechanics doing the work. Pat set the tone and it's great. Professional, courteous, cost-conscious. These guys know how to fix cars and they work hard to find the parts for even the oldest of cars. Real value all around!!! read more

I told Pat about my issue with my drive belt, ( wasn't able to find one ) pat got me in asap and located a belt for me, ordered a transmission line that I also needed very badly ( it was dripping fluid) .. topped off my tranny fluid and off I go quik easy and friendly. Can't ask for anything els. Thanks pat its appreciated. Mac Tools read more

Actually 4.3. Came by because my car was stuttering and the check engine light went on. I thought it was a spark plug problem, a fuel injection problem, or maybe a fuel filter problem. I was hoping not a bigger costlier problem. Anyways, I dropped it off around 1 pm after being towed from the Pismo Beach area. I chose this place because of Yelp and because it was a AAA approved facility. They said they were busy and might not be able to look at it until the next day. They have a courtesy shuttle to take customers home which was very helpful. Around 1 pm the next day they told me that the ignition coil and spark plugs needed to be changed. I knew the plugs should be changed since there is nearly 100k miles on this car. I found out that Hyundai requires special expensive spark plugs. Apparently, you can't use the ones you can buy for about $2 or $3 each. Anyways, the repair total would be over $400 after a AAA discount. I thought the price was high but I have to fix it I was surprised that they charge $156 for a diagnostic test. About 3 hours later they called and told me my car was ready. They provide a courtesy shuttle for pick up too which is great. Most places don't offer dropoff and pickup. Quality of service: 5 Staff service: 5 Pricing/value: 3 read more

Our entire family has been taking vehicles to Pat's Automotive for years. They always go the extra mile in servicing; we even take our beloved motorhome and are confident that it is taken care of properly for necessary trips away from home. They are honest and care about customer service. read more

Ok. Let's hit the road. Passing through Santa Maria on our way home from Paso, and what happens? The car won't start. It will turn over, but it won't fire up. Called AAA. Checked the battery. Added some gas, because we were low. Nothing. They suggested we tow it to Pat's. I called, and he said to bring it in. Alex helped us right away and told us he would get somebody on it, so we could be on our way. We had a view from the rather clean office, and it wasn't looking good. Tech kept working, and he was able to find the problem. Had to get a part from Ford. They sent a guy over to pick it up, so they could get it fixed quickly. And they did at a cost that seemed very reasonable. We were off. Not the way we intended, but it could have been way worse. These guys were quick and efficient. You can tell they take pride in their business and value their customers. Thanks for saving the day, Pat's! read more

Always friendly, knowledgeable and professional. Alex is great at his job, he cares and it shows. Pat is amazing, he won ASE technician of the year a few years ago. These guys are true pros. read more

Had a radiator changed which required the A/C to be vacuumed & recharged after. Never had an A/C problem ever & the car's 17 years old. Get the car back and the A/C works intermittently. Take it back and they say they can't find the problem and they let the car run for half an hour and the A/C worked fine. Go pick the car up a second time and the A/C still doesn't work properly. Took the car somewhere else and they identified the problem and fixed it first try. read more

These guys are honest. They will not rip you off. They are fair with their prices and they really care about the customer.

I took my 2001 Ford Taurus in here today and was easily fixed later that day!! Alex took care of me and he was super polite, sweet, and helpful! The process was super simple and I had no worries or stress coming here. I was referred to this place by a mechanic who I had come to my home who couldn't go any further on my repair. Was told they are the only place I should trust with my car, and I believe it now! They did a wonderful job on listening to my problems with the car and being very clear in what they were doing. Not one thing did I not understand! Lovely place that actually cares about the health of your cars!! And not just cheaply fixing it at an expensive price like many other places. Go to PATS AUTOMOTIVE!!! I will be coming back!! read more

What a breath of fresh air. Professional, reasonable, courteous, can't begin to describe how this business makes you feel. I'm going back. Thank you, Pat. It was a pleasure to do business with you and your team. Kelly Y read more

They have been my mechanic for a long time! They have been my parents mechanic and I always recommend them to any friends.They take good care of you and don't try to rip you off. They rock! read more

If you're looking for a reliable honest mechanic this is the place for you. They do the work fast, if there is any complications they will call you immediately. They do not try and oversell you on work. They do exactly what they say they are going to do in the time that they say they are going to do it, or less. I have 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander(not fancy but i like it) that I recently took there to get the front axel replaced, an axel for a 2003 car is not something you usually just have sitting around, they ordered the piece, received it and installed it, in less than 8 hours!!! The only mechanic i will go to in Santa Maria. read more

I had my 2012 Toyota Camry serviced two days ago. I had some concerns about how my car was driving and it had some noise coming from the brakes when in reverse. The mechanic spent an entire day trying to find anything wrong with my car. He was able to find a small rock that was wedged between my rotor and caliper and made sure it didn't do any damage to my brakes, rotors and components. He also noticed my battery was very weak and it will need to be changed soon. Other than that he said he couldn't find anything else wrong with the car. They ended up only charging me for finding the rock and and checking the brakes and components. Even though they spent the entire day on my car, they chose not to charge me a labor charge after not being able to find anything wrong with the car. They told me to contact them again if something does come up with my car. I was so pleased with their generosity, professionalism and customer service. A special thanks to Antonio Carreno for explaining everything to me and for not charging me a diagnostic fee. You guys are awesome! read more

I've had nothing but professional, honest service at Pat's. Their conscientious check during an oil change found something that needed fixing on a wheel. Had they not checked, I would have been in big trouble on my next flower delivering route. Thank you! read more

I went to Pat's Automotive at my appointment time to get my car smogged, and was treated very professionally by the staff there. They took my car right in and it wasn't very long thereafter that I was advised that my car had passed. About a wek later, I paid my registration fee to the State of California and waited for my tag to arrive. I got a Notice from the State of California that they had not received the certification from Pat's Automotive. Now for a little negative comment....I immediately called Pat's Automotive and the man who answered the telephone seemed like he really didn't care about my problem and wouldn't do anything to remedy it, but later on, Pat, the owner, personally got involved and explained the problem to me and helped me out quite a bit in realizing that it was the State's failure not Pat's Automotive's fault in failing to get my new registration. I was truly impressed in how Pat, the owner cared enough about his customers to personally get involved with a problem that was not even caused by his company. His actions far outweigh the negative response that I originally got from one of his employees and to the degree that I will positively be back to Pat's Automotive for any car maintenance concerns that I have in the future and would recommend this establishment to anyone who needs a car repair. GOOD JOB PAT!!!!!!!!!! read more

Pat's Automotive may not be the cheapest in town, but they are the best! I have been taking my personal and commercial vehicles to Pat since he went into business 35 years ago. Even though they have grown in size, Pat and his staff give each and every customer that hometown, personalized, attention to whatever your vehicle repairs may be. They are honest, reliable, knowledgeable, and fast at getting your car or truck back on the road as quickly as possible! Just recently my work truck, which has over 200,000 miles, needed a new transmission and radiator. Pat was aware that I needed my truck for my business with as little down time as possible. I supplied my own transmission and as soon as they received it, they went to work. All the while Pat kept me notified of their progress. In just under three days, I had my truck back in service running better than ever. Thanks again Pat, Chuck, and your whole team for all your hard work! Ron W. read more

They did a great job on my Toyota Tundra. I had the transmission oil flushed, and a head light fixed. Great staff and fair prices.

I can always count on the guys at Pat's. Chuck in the front office is always courteous and thorough. Any service or repairs are communicated effectively I always feel that I am being given complete information. Thank you for taking such amazing care of your customers! read more

I have had a lot of work done on my cars over the years and Pat's has always been top notch in customer service and skill. I had a mini cooper and they are notoriously difficult to find a mechanic that knows how to work on them. Pat's did an excellent job and I have since brought my truck and cars to them for other needs from small to big issues and they are the best I have had work on my vehicles. read more

I was having some issues with my car, so I took it into Pat's. As they were running the diagnostic code reader, transmission codes came up. They gave me a heads up that my transmission was going out and called around to see if it was still under warranty. Alex at Pat's Automotive went out of his way to ensure that I didn't have to pay a penny on a new transmission! Now I keep going back here for all of my routine services. This place offers quality service at very reasonable prices and you know you're dealing with trustworthy people. read more

This place is awesome ... I had a tough break and broke down here in Santa Maria and I got towed here not knowing what was wrong with my truck... I simply just drove down here to be close to my 2 month year old daughter cause her mom just got up and left..Well after one day being her I got a job and on the 2nd day to work my truck broke down .. so Pats Automotive did the diagnostic for me .. and i briefly was telling the gentleman who was working on my truck my situation,Well after he was done he told me it was going to be .. 149.50 I said ok .. even tho I spent most of my money towing it and trying to fix it the day Before...I had $150 to my name with no place to live but he did not kno that ... he just knew I was here trying to be close to my daughter to be a father..Well as I was easy to pay he said NO CHARGE!!! I was shocked and was like wow thank u what's your name and he said "IM PAT THE OWNER JUST MAKE SURE U RAISE YOUR DAUGHTER WITH LOVE PEACE AND PATIENCE" Amazing soul and great people since I've been here..The truck ended up being a lot more than what I expected I'm still living in my truck and Parker our in front of pats Automotive..And walking to work and back till I save up $1500 to repair my vehicle ..The crankshaft broke..God is good and at least I can see hold and hug my daughter for a hour a day... blue Nissan hardbody ... thank u lord for the blessing.. read more

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I don't normally write reviews but Pat's Automotive was so outstanding, I felt i needed to.We took our Toyota in for service and pretty much gave them a "blank check" due to having over 100,000 miles on it and never having much service other than oil changes. Expecting a $500 or more bill, as is the case from a dealer, we received a bill for just over $200 to have spark plugs changed and a complete safety check. Being new to the area, it is comforting to find an automotive service center so honest and professional. read more

I was visiting relatives over the holiday weekend when one of the coolant hoses on my car burst and smoke started spewing everywhere. Not knowing any local mechanics, I was just going to get towed to the nearest dealer when my AAA dispatcher recommended Pat's Automotive as one of their local authorized repair facilities. Knowing that it was relatively late in the day on the day before a holiday, and also how slow dealership service departments usually are, I decided to roll the dice and go to Pat's, and I'm glad I did. Everyone there was extremely helpful and professional, and they were able to get me in and out in about 90 minutes (fortunately they were able to secure the right parts). The service rep (Alex?) made me feel at ease instantly, and kept me updated throughout the repair process. read more

Always get great service for my Honda Ridgeline when visiting Santa Maria. Very professional service for all my trucks' needs.

On the way home from vacation my car broke down and was towed to Pat's Automotive. My alternator stopped functioning. My car was repaired in a timely fashion for a reasonable cost. The highlight was Alex. He communicated clearly and with a sense of humor. Great customer service! Highly recommend! read more

Was passing through and a light in the car went off saying that we needed an oil change. They didn't have anyone available at the time but the guy at the desk made a few phone calls to see if anyone would take us. When no one would he had us bring the car around and checked the oil himself. He told us that the oil was fine and then he wouldn't let us pay him. He went out of his way to help us and was so sweet. Great place with friendly workers. They are NOT trying to rip you off. Highly recommend it read more

Had my Brother in laws' car towed to Pat's and repaired. work and service was professional and prompt. I am very happy with the experience

I've been going to Pat's for a couple of decades. They have always been honest and fair. In the 40 years I've lived in Santa Maria I've gone to nearly a dozen different auto repair places. Pat's definitely rates among the best. I can't recommend them enough. read more

It is really hard to find a mechanic that is able to or even willing to work on my Mini Cooper. Any amount of work can be super expensive, and I am constantly questioning the integrity of the mechanic. Since I am new in Santa Maria, Pat's recommended to me by a knowledgeable colleague and he was not wrong. They took their time, but did the job right. The car is running excellent and while they were digging around fixing the problem I cam in for, they found a solution to my AC by finding a brand new condenser for half the price. I am very satisfied with the work they have done on my extremely difficult car. read more

I have been a customer for 30 years. Always diagnosed correctly the first time; Always ready when promised and always within their estimate. No surprises! Mike read more

WARNING: NOT TRUSTWORTHY. I brought my car in because I thought it was sounding a little off and needed some fluid/oil changes. I told them that it had stalled once a few weeks ago. After holding my car for three days (not working on it) they decided to take it for a spin. They called me and told me they needed to put gas in it. They filled up the tank, told me nothing was wrong and made some vague reference to the gas tank being the problem for the stalling. 2 weeks later I go to fill up my tank AND THE TANK WONT FILL. I call them and ask them what's going on. They tell me over the phone that the tank is going to need to be replaced which would cost $2,000. Are you kidding? They purposefully over filled the tank to make the roll over valve jam or jammed it some other way. Took it in for a few hundred dollars worth of work and they ruin my car. The car basically totaled since the car is only worth about 6-7,000. DO NOT TRUST THESE GUYS read more

Good people who know what they are doing at a fair price. We take all our work and personal vehicles there. The shop is clean and the guys work well together. read more