WOW! After Catrece's scathing review, one would think Pine Valley Auto Repair (PVAR) is a rip off artist extraordinaire . . . nothing could be further from the truth. My last oil change at WalMart cost me approximately $69.00. I use Mobile One so the cost is generally higher than the less expensive brands and I don't know what Catrece uses so it would be unfair to compare prices . . . we may be comparing apples and oranges, I don't know. But oil is generally around $5.00 at quart anymore. It is unfortunate that Catrece"s experience wasn't better but the complaint seems unwarranted based on cost. Anyway, I've been an Alpine resident for over twenty-five years and owned a retail business on the 2400 Block of Alpine Blvd for approximately 8 years. I've also been a member of the local Chamber of Commerce. I was Service Manager of Dealer's Service Auto Body for years and for years I worked for Gulf and Wilshire gas stations. I owned a small car wash business in National City. So, I have some experience in the auto industry. Mechanics at PVAR have always been courteous and professional with me. I've had my motorhome, two trailers, and at least 3 different cars worked on by Joe (Jose) and J.C. His reputation is sterling. When I first moved to Alpine, I checked with two gas stations and the local auto parts store to see who they used for auto repairs . . . all said, "Pine Valley Auto." I said, no, I want someone local. It was then that I learned that Pine Valley Auto was in Alpine. My experience with PVAR has always been great. Only yesterday, I picked up Ford T-Bird and the cost of repairs was very reasonable. As far as the items in the creepy display goes . . . I love 'em! As far as I know, all those critters came from radiators, engine compartments, vents, under seats, etc.. People that had them removed were probably delighted. I sure wouldn't want that rattlesnake in my car! It also shows what our mechanics experience while working on our cars. They probably deserve 'hazardous duty pay' for the exposure . . . . Pine Valley Auto Repair . . . at least for 99% of the customers who use them, will use them again. I certainly will . . . . read more

Great people.Father and son team .in business since 1981 .Happy with the service.Honest people

This shop ripped us off for over $4000.00. Our truck 2003 7.3 was taken in for a check engine light. Cut to the chase they replaced all the injectors both valve cover wiring harness, fuel filter and miscellaneous. They never told us all after market parts would be installed. Upon picking up the truck the owners were made aware the truck was not running correctly. The replied "It only runs rough for a shot time Upon start up" Two more trips back including a $500.00 trip to ElCajon for for diagnostic showing bad injectors was completely ignored by this shop. (THE TRUCK RAN HORRIBLE!) with under 500 miles since their repair and several trips back to their shop We finally took it to a real Ford Certified diesel mechanic for repair. We replaced all part that Pine Valley "auto" repair installed and the truck runs like new. This outfit is very dishonest in my opinion, and does not stand behind their work! Stay far away from this shop. We will be filing in court and with the (B.A.R.) as well and social media sites. read more

These guys are awesome. This place is awesome. You can't go wrong. Going to Pine Valley Auto Repair. They are the best. I always take my vehicles there haven't gone anywhere else. They've always treated us right. read more

Jose and JC are great guys. Just moved to the area, I'm sold. worked on my cooling system. work done fast and reasonably priced. Thanks Mark M. read more

Best most honest auto service shop on east county. Fair prices and they do great work.

These folks are always helpful with any car problems. I have to deal with, and they always give me a fair price.

Went by and did a oil change. They got it done pretty quickly. Good prices too compared to other auto mechanics

The people who own and manage and work in this auto repair shop are solid, top notch and genuinely care about customer satisfaction. New to the area and not having yet established a relationship with an auto repair shop I read up on reviews and listened to new friends and neighbors for recommendations...and I am very pleased to find a trustworthy station in my new locale. You will not be disappointed if you use this shop. read more

ZERO STARS !!! Do NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THESE SCAMMERS!! I paid over $4000 to get service on my engine, after the service was finished and I was told I could pick up my vehicle. The same exact problem I just paid $4000 to fix came back not even an hour later. So I asked for them to make it right by refunding my money for the issue they failed to fix but were paid to fix or do the job RIGHT. Of course they didn't want to refund so I gave them the chance to make things right.. HUGE MISTAKE, not only did they push my car aside and not start working on it for 2 weeks, causing me endless rental car fees, when I returned to the lot and seen no progress being done on my car I just demanded he refund me and let me take my car to be fixed elsewhere being that I couldn't afford to keep paying for a rental at their leisure. That is when he insisted they were starting my car that day and basically telling me what I wanted to hear. Now I've been paying for a rental for about a month now, just got my vehicle returned to me yesterday with the supposed problem fixed. He even lied and told me they drove my vehicle all the way to El Cajon with no issues so how is it that, I drove my car 14 miles and the engine light shot on????? I'll see them in court! Lying scamming scum!! read more

Friendly, reliable service. Enjoy working with them for my regularly scheduled maintenance.

Excellent shop! I've been taking vehicles here for several years. Family owned, quality service and fair prices. José and Juan are great, honest, hard working gentlemen. Come here for anything you need - if they can't do it, they'll give you a solid recommendation of where to go! read more

This is my first time using Pine Valley auto repair and I could not be happier. Their service was fast, communication was clear and the prices were reasonable. I recommend calling ahead- they went above and beyond and I get the feeling it is business as usual. I'll be back. read more

knowledgable and friendly stuff. One stop for all my needs honest and reliable auto mechanics. Appointment is best so you can take advantage of your time. Your cat is in excellent hands, in the hands of Pine Valley Auto Repair...serving the East Community since 1981. read more

I picked up my car on 8/30/21 at about 4pm after sitting in the shop for about 2weeks pending a diagnostic. I understand vehicles can sometimes take long to diagnose, specially if they're a little older. I am a very patient guy and I didn't mind the wait specially because I've had exceptional customer service in the past . At pick up I was pleased to be informed my diagnostic would be free due to uncertainty of what made my car malfunction. The receipt showed they recommended a battery replacement and I jumped right on that to avoid a headache. I was happy! When I got home I switched out the battery and wiped my car down a bit and discovered a pretty noticeable scratch on the driver side front fender. I probably didn't notice it at pick up due to the thick layer of dirt caused by the rain we got 8/29. It definitely looks like some other vehicle in the lot skinned it or hit it. I know they have a lot of customer vehicles in the lot and it's tricky to maneuver vehicles in and out for repair. I GET IT! Accidents happen. The reason why I'm taking the time to write this review is because I was not informed of the accident at pick up and they weren't professional enough to admit it. I feel cheated and fooled for placing my trust in them based on passed experiences. I will attach pictures because I'm sure some other customers vehicle will have dark purple paint and the scratch that matches my front fender. I tried calling them to report this after hours and was directed to full voicemail so I had to swallow my anger for tonight. Pine valley auto, you guys are good people but your lack of professionalism has lost you a customer and warned you a bad review. You can deal with the other customer that will soon call you about the scratch on their car that was caused by mine. I'll fix my own car and swallow the cost cause I just don't trust you. I wish you guys luck. read more

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I took my vehicle in for a check engine light misfire issue. They did a very thorough diagnostic and found that it was a loose wire and bad coils. They replaced a couple of coils and soldered the wire connection within a couple of hours. I got another quote from another local repair shop for $1,300. Pine Valley Auto saved me over $1,000 read more

Very busy! Set an appointment to have four tires mounted- well done at a great price! Of course they are busy!

Very good service. Had my car towed in Thursday evening. I was expecting a call that evening but didn't get one. However the place was very busy (that speaks for itself). They had the car repaired the next day for me to pick up on Saturday. Reasonably priced and took the time to explain to my wife what exactly was wrong. read more

Wife called in to see if we could get smog. They accommodated our time due to having a 10 month old. Super nice people. Would definitely recommend. read more

I have a 1999 Cclass Motorhome. Took in for an oil change charged $74. A little tight getting into but they made sure I was able to back out into the road with no problem after work was done, Also, did a service check and no charge, I don't know why someone earlier said they charge for a service check, they never did with me. Great Old Fashioned Repair Shop. Don't know how they are on newer vehicles. read more

I picked up a nail in the tire of my new Prius. Juan got me in and out in just a matter of minutes. He is always so courteous and treats this old lady well. Thank you to my bro in law for recommending pine valley auto repair when I needed my f250 fixed. read more

Great service, very honest service, best place in Alpine for auto service. Highly recommended

My car battery died close by this repair shop. I had them replace my battery, but after I picked up my car, the radio would not turn on at all. Afterwards, I brought my car back to the shop, and they had the nerve to tell me the radio was bad, and they didn't want to do anything. They also basically just stared at me until I left on my own. I do not recommend this repair shop to anyone. If they can't fix a small mistake like this, then they will cause headaches on larger issues for anyone else. My radio still doesn't work and I will have to pay extra out of my own pocket for their mistake on a small repair. read more

I've been using Pine Valley Auto for years, and have never been disappointed. It's somewhat hard to find, as it's tucked back away from the road, but it's worth looking for. Joe and his staff are very friendly, and his prices are very reasonable. In addition, if it's something that Joe thinks I can take care of myself, he simply points it out and lets me solve the problem on my own. I've never felt the least bit taken advantage of there, and always had the car problems dealt with quickly and completely. Joe and company are now servicing our fourth family car since we began using Pine Valley Auto. read more

They do a great job on basic things with older vehicles, not at all experienced with newer cars. They do to much guessing on the problem due to lack of knowledge or proper equipment to analyse the problem correctly. Spent over $800.00 without getting the problem fixed, was told to take it to the dealer. Went to a more experienced garage and found out it was just a cam sensor, which cost me $150 with parts and labor. read more

In February, 2014 I took my daughter's car to Pine Valley Auto for a simple oil change. I chose them because they were close and I had had terrible experiences with Alpine Auto repair. I checked in with the owner of Pine Valley Auto and he wrote me up for the oil change service. During our small talk as I checked in, I asked him to "look at the car and let me know if you see anything that may need attention." A couple of hours later my daughter picked up her car and called me. I asked how much they charged and she replied that she paid around $67. I had never, ever paid that much for just an oil change before so I went to the shop to check on the accuracy of the charges. The owner told me the oil change had run around $45 and the "vehicle inspection" was $12.50. I was moderately shocked that "take a look at the car" evolved into a $12.50 inspection charge. I voiced my dismay to the owner and told him that I had never been charged a vehicle inspection for looking under the hood during any of the oil changes I had purchased over the last forty years. He said sorry there must have been a miscommunication. I somehow thought/expected that he would refund the charge due to the random and expensive nature of the service, but he was completely satisfied keeping the money, at the risk of losing a customer. I left thinking there was something dishonest about this business In May, 2014 my daughter had two instances of a "dead battery" over the span of two weeks, requiring jump starts from strangers (not the safest scenario for a young girl). The battery is only six months old so I suspected other issues. When I inspected the car's battery I discovered that the terminals were corroded and the positive terminal was eroded away so much that it barely remained attached to the battery post. Even though I am not the biggest car guy in the world, it was clear upon "inspection" that the battery terminals needed replacing. It was also VERY clear that this erosion did not take place only over the two months since Pine Valley Auto performed their $12.50 inspection of the car. I took the car to the Dealer rather than risk another encounter with Pine Valley Auto. I reflected on the $12,50 inspection performed by Pine Valley Auto and went back to talk to the owner about exactly what they inspected for the $12,50. He said that they checked the fluid levels and belts and hoses for that price. I explained that the most apparent part under the hood of my car was not the belts, hoses or fluid levels, but the battery, front and center with its attached eroded terminals right there on top. The owner looked at his records and confirmed that they had inspected, and charged me $12,50, for my car in February 2014. I asked again how they could have missed the biggest and most visible problem with my car during their $12.50 inspection. The owner said that they get busy, maybe complacent (lazy?) and that they are "only human." Again I thought that this was the perfect opportunity for the owner to say he was sorry they missed the glaring problem and possibly he would offer to refund the most random inspection charge in the history of automotive marks-ups and rip-offs. Instead, and true to form, he simply said that he would make it right the "next time." Unfortunately for me, but more for him and his business, there will be no next time. I strongly advise people to avoid this business. They are either lazy at best, or unethical at worst. Either way save yourself the trouble and go to somebody else, NOT Alpine Auto Repair they are even worse. The other Yelper was right on about the creepiness of the jars of reptiles and bugs in the office, What? read more

I drove up from San Diego to have a clutch replaced in my Dodge diesel. Juan is an ex-Dodge tech and was well versed in the repair. Their rate is competive,but the bottom line is that the work was done correctly. Nice family business. read more

I DO NOT recommend this repair shop! During a road trip our short bus overheated on the highway, so I chose Pine Valley out of convenience. However, when I asked what tests they would be performing on the engine I got the answer, "I don't know." I also checked the engine after leaving and saw that the coolant reservoir wasn't even filled, though they charged me $17 for coolant, and they only performed a water-through test and didn't even bother to check the head gasket. Pine Valley is EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL and with the collection of petrified bugs and animals in formaldehyde jars, I'm tempted to say downright creepy. We took the bus to Alpine Valley less than half a mile down the road to fill up on coolant, where our mechanic Ray was able to fully explain all the tests he wanted to perform and suggest things we might need to look out for in the future. I HIGHLY SUGGEST ALPINE AUTO REPAIR! They are excellent businessmen and very good at explaining all work done on your vehicle. Ray kept us from having another breakdown on the highway and even offered to help us get in touch with other mechanics down the road. Very friendly!! read more

So far so good, Joe and his son are Honest people. Fixed my honda and explained to me about what's going on before repairing.

My wife and I have been taking our vehicles to Pine Valley Auto for the past four years. I can say that they are the friendly, honest in their diagnoses, and fair in their pricing. Probably the best auto repair shop this aging Baby Boomer has ever used. read more

My daughter's car broke down at Laguna camp ground and towing company took the car there. I was afraid they might try to rip us off but it was totally opposite. Jose was courteous and honest. The repair price was absolutely reasonable too. Thank you for taking care of our car. read more

Bad parts, bad service Have taken it to another repair shop to fix. Highly not recommended read more

Just got back from Pine Valley Auto Repair. I had taken my car to the dealer yesterday for an oil change and heard a rattling sound on my drive home. I couldn't drive all the way back to El Cajon so I called up J.C at Pine Valley Auto and he said to come by. He took a look at my car, took some rocks out from under the oil shield and checked the back wheels. No charge. As far as my experience goes, I am quite appreciative. Thank you J.C. read more

Joe is honest and his prices are reasonable. They know there stuff. This is a family owned and operated facility, it shows in their work and atttitude. If I could give 6 stars I would!!! read more

Jeep wouldn't start. Had it towed to Pine Valley Auto Repair. They got me back on the road for about 25% of what I expected to pay, based on the nature of the problem. Jose and Juan have earned my trust, and I will take my Jeep there whenever it has a problem. read more