Eli's European Auto shop is located in Hillcrest, next to SD Fire Department station. From the…read moreexterior, this auto repair shop looks rough, but don't let that stop you. Getting an appointment is even rougher, because there's already at least a month long wait...that's because there's high demand. This shop's specialty includes repairing mostly European made cars. Every time I've passed by this shop their driveway is filled with high end cars. The owner Eli was able to accommodate me and repair my car on a couple of occasions, he is trustworthy and if he can't fix your car immediately, he can refer you to another reliable mechanic locally. I've waited longer than expected to make sure my car was still running perfectly before writing this overdue review. For people who have a European made car and want to avoid paying ridiculous dealer's higher cost of repairs, I suggest you give Eli a call first. Recommend

I love Eli's! They helped me get my 2002 Bentley Arnage T back up to standards...I bought it off an…read moreauction site very rough with a number of undisclosed issues, and James and the entire team there helped me nurse it back to health. He was great at doing this in stages so that I could make sure each fix was effective, and it went from barely running to being an absolute dreamboat. Their prices are very reasonable and they stand by their work, would absolutely recommend!

Let me tell you, this place saved me THOUSANDS of dollars and probably a life of unending repairs…read more Long story short I bought a 2014 Audi RS7 from Carvana. I took it straight to these guys and thank god I did, they found that whoever had the car previously must have had mice and they moved into the engine area. There were chewed areas around the hood, the engine and probably the wiring. Besides the mice damage the car had issues. So we took it back to Carvana. I appreciate their honesty and customer service was amazing, if I replace that Audi I will definitely bring it here. Thanks again for keeping me from making an expensive mistake.

I called up and they were able to fit me in same day. It also took no time at all. Hayden was so…read morehelpful and took the extra time to look at other issues without charging me more than he quoted initially. Most places would not do that. He also took the time to explain what was going on with my car and what sort of maintenance I needed in the near future to keep my car running like new. I will definitely be coming back here for my 2021 Audi Q5. Thanks Hayden!

I take my Porsche 1984 Carrera and my 1985 Targa for service at Performance Porche for the last…read morefour years. Mark and his son Alex are very professional and super knowledgeable, and to say it all the most honest people I ever come across I highly recommend them .

After trying myself, for several months, to troubleshoot a non-start condition in my 1976 Porsche…read more911S (2.7L Bosch CIS) I finally threw in the towel and contacted Mark at Performance Independent Porsche. He was recommended to me by a friend with a 912, who's father also has a 356 that they have had serviced there for years. He was able to get me in about 2WKs from the initial call, which was a much better timeline than some of the other Porsche shops in San Diego county. During the initial call, after I described the failure mode and my troubleshooting, he suggested that it might be the CDI unit. Due to my work schedule I needed to bring the car in the afternoon before my appointment. I checked with Mark to ensure he could accommodate my request and he was. In fact, when I brought the car down with V&R towing (see my separate review) he was able to look at it that same day. CDI unit -and he happened to have a refurb unit on hand. It was running that same day and back home the next. It turns out it was an easy fix if you're a Porsche mechanic with 40 years experience and parts on-hand. The only hiccup was after I picked it up and drove to work, they called me and sheepishly said they forgot to re-install the heater hose. Could I come back? Luckily I was only 15min away and was able to get back. Steve re-installed the hose and I was on my way about 15min later. The shop is not much to look at (or, to my eye, organized) but the knowledge and experience with two-door Porsches is top notch. And the pricing for this level of service cannot be beat. Personally, I loved the place and the family feel from Mark, Alex and Steve. This was my first, but will likely not be my last experience here.

I literally created a yelp account just to make this review. If you're having issues with your car…read moreand looking for a place that could care less about customer service and looks at dollar signs $$$ when they see your face then go to British Garage. First off, Jamie is extremely rude and unprofessional. My check engine light came on my RRS and I ran the code with my scanner it came up as the purge valve. Cheap easy fix. Not at British Garage. I arrived there and nobody was at the front desk. I called Jamie answered and said to leave my key on the front desk...sure let me just leave the key to my 90K Range Rover on the desk of someone I've never met before. Long story short he quoted me over $3,000 to fix something so simple. I ended up getting it done elsewhere for $390. This place is a complete rip off and the owner is extremely rude and unprofessional

After realizing how over-priced the LR dealership was for service, I searched for another garage…read morefor regular maintenance and repairs. I found The British Garage based on the high Yelp reviews, and I have not been disappointed! Jamie, the owner, is always super helpful and responsive and it's always easy to get my car in, get it serviced, and get out quickly. The prices seem fair and certainly well under what they charge at the LR dealership. I highly recommend the British Garage!

Will always take my Volvo here as long as I live in SoCal…read more This guy lives swedish automobiles. And that's a good thing when it comes to mechanics. 2001 s40

OOF. This place…read moreshould not exist. It's a Saab junkyard. No maintenance bays are open, they work on cars on the sloping driveway and customers cars line the street. brought my Volvo in for an engine light, he charged me 400 for a sensor, and 20 minutes later the light was back on. I didn't go back and contest it because Raphael is just one of those types that talk a bunch and don't say anything. The good days here were long, long ago. It's a grim hole of suck and wastage now. Also, the old guy at the back of the shop that doesn't speak and gives women death glares, congratulations. You're the creepiest guy in town.

A friend suggested Ochoa's after being very pleased with the work (and price) on her older Toyota…read more I read the Yelp reviews (all *5*) and thought maybe they were written by family members--they all raved about the owner--rerliable, honest, humble, respectful, reasonable--etc., etc... I called anyway, after 4 other places either didn't call me back or gave me the run around about my 20 year-old car. Hugo didn't. He answered my questions immediately, and made time for me to come in for him to test drive the car. He took the car out for a drive, came back and gave me an estimate for the new clutch. A few days later it was repaired, no further issues and at exactly the price he had told me (that price was 50% lower than every other estimate I'd gotten). There were a few glitches: replacement parts took longer than expected and the repair did also. But I was so confident in Hugo and his mechanics that I just didn't worry about it. I know these things happen. The car is running great and I'll be returning when the brakes have lived their best life and need to retire. A few notes: 1. There is a small waiting area; very old, has about 5 seats, a few toys, magazines and some coffee. A tv I think, but it wasn't on. 2. This is, I think, a small family shop. Hugo answers the phone, greets the customers, works on the vehicles, handles payment. There's no AI answering the phone, no dealership vibes. Since Hugo treated me as a member of the human family, I repaid the compliment by not challenging him when the repair took 1 day longer than planned. It's only fair. I trusted that things would go well, and they did. HUGELY, highly recommend.

LONG AWAITED: I have been taking my cars here for over the past 2 years. 5 stars. I always drop my…read morecar off and pick it up later, so I do not remember if there is a waiting room, but the service is always solid. The work is excellent, the price is fair, and they are reliable with the turnaround. If you want honest repairs without stress, I highly recommend this shop.

I called several places to service our Mercedes GLE350, and John was super accommodating,…read moreknowledgeable and ready to help. We needed a new battery and he pre-ordered it and was ready the day of service. Between the battery and service, John saved me about a thousand or more bucks had I gone to the dealer. It's a small, unassuming local shop tucked away in a corner. I'll be taking our car here for regular service from now on.

Came back for a second time after a great first experience. John is a straight shooter and made…read moresure I was only paying for what I needed. Looking forward to getting my car serviced there again.

I have exclusively been going to Tony for any of my car needs for the last 8 years…read more He and his team are by far the most knowledgeable mechanics, and have always provided great and reliable service. He is honest and will give you recommendations on how to keep your car in prime condition. Don't go to him if you're looking for cheap, low-quality service. If you want expert mechanic work and are looking to get the full lifespan of your car, he is your guy. Not only that, but Tony has connections all over San Diego for services other than mechanical work. He has helped me get my transmission replaced in an old Toyota Avalon, knows the best guy to get your engine steam-cleaned, and helped connect me with a center that does body-damage/painting after a collision. The reason I am just writing a review after going to him for 8 years is because I was blown-away with my last service experience with him a few days ago. I took my 2011 Toyota Camry in for it's 60,000 mile service, which he did along with replacing my rear struts (which were original). My car is now running better than it did when I bought it 2 years ago at 35,000 miles. Not only that, but he completed all the work in 1 day and didn't charge me for an additional $600 worth of work. He is truly an honest mechanic and I can't recommend him and his shop enough. I won't take my cars anywhere else.

Posting on behalf of my partner:…read more "I am in the midst of a cross-country road trip in a very old Subaru (230k miles), which had its check engine light come on as I approached the San Diego area. I found Sawaya Automotive online and brought the car in. I could immediately tell that I had made a good choice. The owner Tony greeted me in the parking lot and was incredibly friendly and helpful throughout the process. I would say my impression is that he is the most honest auto mechanic I have encountered anywhere around the US. It turned out that I had a very serious engine issue and that it was better to sell the car than get it fixed. Tony was so kind in explaining this to me in detail, and he never tried to convince me to pay for repairs that didn't make financial sense. It was not the news that I was wanting to hear, but that's not the fault of Tony or anyone else at Sawaya Automotive. If I ever need auto maintenance work again in San Diego I will definitely come back here."