Ken and his guys took great care of my beloved VW Mk4 GTI! I brought them a car with a failed oil cooler and a coolant reservoir that was overflowing with a mix of oil and coolant. It was a mess but they took care of it like champs. The labor price here is a little high but they have great customer service and after my experience here they have my trust and that's what matters to me most when I leave my baby at a shop. They stayed on budget and the best part was that the mechanic also fixed a rattle that I had been trying to track down for months! Thanks guys :). You're the best. read more

Precision People's Car Repair - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

"When I'm deep inside of me don't be too concerned. I won't ask for nothin' while I'm gone. But when I want sincerity tell me where else can I turn. Because you're the one I depend upon. Honesty is such a lonely word. Everyone is so untrue. Honesty is hardly ever heard. And mostly what I need from you." Rumor has it that Billy Joel wrote those lyrics after searching high and low for someone to replace the clutch on his '74 Scirocco and getting hosed by every mechanic on the eastern seaboard . Too bad he didn't live in Berkeley at the time, because if he did he could have taken his car to Ken at Precision and spared all of us the misery of that song. For the past ten years or so, Ken and his team of sweetheart mechanics have handled my ride with TLC. I first started taking my car to Precision after being hosed right and left by shyster shops who would tell me I needed a $500 Johnson rod replacement (TM George Costanza) when all I really needed was a $50 lube job. Hosed no more am I, for I have found what I once believed to be an urban myth--the HONEST mechanic. Since then, I have had the pleasure to come to know Ken on a personal basis. He is as delightful a man as he is a skilled mechanic and an HONEST businessman. Sometimes I wish he wouldn't keep my car running quite so well, as I enjoy coming in for a little chit chat periodically. Dishonest grease monkeys, stick your Johnson rod where the sun don't shine! read more

you know, i really could never figure out if this place is honest or not. The owner (ken?) seems to have no patience and doesn't like it when you ask too many questions, which really bothers me because if i'm paying a crap load of money for something I like to know if i'm getting ripped off or not. He ALWAYS has an attitude with me and I'm fed up with it. And, to knock off another star- they're only open M-Th 9-5- the exact hours I, and most other people, work- sooo when am i supposed to go there? oh, AND, they're overpriced- i mean maybe not as bad as Karmakanix- but still, I've found a much better, much cheaper and friendlier place in oakland. read more

I've been bringing my cars here for many years and up until a couple year ago I would have given them 5 stars and raved about their service. But my experiences have started going down hill. I'm actually getting the work I need right now done somewhere else. I have this idea that they don't know how to use they're new electronics records system they put in a couple year ago. The problem is that on multiple occasions I've had work done and then needed more work (door handle mechanism replaced, gas lines replaced for biodiesel). They need to get a part so they tell me to take my car and when the part comes in, they'll call me. But they never call me. The last time I called them over a 1 month period 5 times! I finally stopped calling. Surely they've gotten the conversion kit by now (a year later). This last time when I was put in the same situation I said screw this - I'm going somewhere else. And I am. read more

The place to go if you have a Sprinter van. They aren't cheap to fix and maintain but at least at Precision the work will be done correctly and quickly and very honestly. And they are hilarious. A true slice of old Berkeley. Also very experienced in dealing with issues arising from taking your car to Burning Man or the Black Rock Desert. read more

i don't know why this place got best car repair place this year. I had to quit going there because they did so many things wrong on my vehicle. I had a two fires, one in the engine and one in a tire. My brakes were supposedly repaired, and then broke and had to be repaired while i was out of town. I had to sell my vehicle and get a new one because part of the brake that never breaks broke, and there was no replacing it. Then when i asked them to look at the new vehicle i had to get, they didn't find the cracked fan belt and assembly that needed replacing. They also recommended i replace the brakes, when it saw the old ones, it was obvious even to me that they didn't need replacing. Also, i never received phonecalls when the work took longer than i was told. I had to call them, and find out that it would be another day, and then another day and another day.... Things i asked to be fixed wouldnt be, and i was told they didn't know how to fix them. read more

Having just moved to town, it was highly inconvenient to have car trouble right away. I found Precision People's car repair from some online reviews, and they weren't kidding when they said it was a great place to go. My car was taken in quickly, I was given honest advice and pricing options. In the end I got my car fixed for less than I expected, and came away with a huge amount of knowledge about the origin of the problem and when/how it occurs. Ken was personable, and runs a clean friendly shop. More importantly they do good work and are honest- a valuable find. I would definitely recommend this place to friends and family. read more

I came for the parts, I stayed for the advice. It's been open since 1968 or something. I think Ken has been there from the beginning. If you own an air-cooled VW, it appears this is a place you'll be coming to to keep it alive. I was in the middle of a major brake conversion project and the last few arcane parts and pieces of knowledge I was able to get here. The shop itself is very unusual for it's lack of blokey workshop feel. There are no noticeable girly pin-ups, rather a framed poster of Babar the elephant in an aeroplane, and speaking of aeroplanes, there are a few dozen broken and cracked RC planes hanging from the ceiling, a mobile of hobbyist joy. I've never been to a mechanic's with such great feng shui. read more

This update is trying to be more fair. I was contacted by someone at Precision People's after posting my negative review. He was very interested in when and why I had had such negative experiences. I have to give them a point (and an extra star) for this. At least they care enough to try. Perhaps it is just to improve their image on Yelp - I don't know and I do not want to assume the worst. So, I must be fair here and vehemently state that my experiences are OLD, OLD, OLD. One was in the late 1980's or very early 1990's and the other was in the mid-1990's. We are now in 2008. We all understand that a lot can change (especially at a mechanical repair shop) in that length of time. So, please do consider other reviews. Nonetheless, I still only currently drive Honda's and use Berkeley Minicar. read more

It has a nice hippie socialist name, and there's a rainbow on the side of the building, but don't be fooled. Ken is a businessman willing to exploit for his gain. I took my 2001 Jetta in with three problems - a leak in the coolant system, a check engine light coming on, and some strange behavior with the remote door lock. He gave me an estimate of about $100, and ended up charging me $900. After a few days I realized he only fixed the coolant leakage. He replaced a mass airflow sensor because it was barely out of range, but that wasn't the problem causing the check engine light. For the remote door lock, he just unhooked my battery and charged me a half hour's labor for the time the back-up systems were discharging. Really? Takes me about three minutes to unhook my battery. And that didn't even solve that problem either. He's very personable, and talks the talk. But if you know anything about cars, you'll start to see some things are fishy pretty quickly. When I was questioning the charges, saying I don't think I should pay for things that didn't solve the problem, he refused and said that was the price I had to pay for farfegnungen. Well, farfegnugen this, Ken. He said I could bring it back in for a "free" evaluation, which no doubt was a path to sell me more services that may or may not work. Um, no thanks. I'll just go elsewhere from now on. Peace, bro. Love the rainbow. read more

Three cars ago I had a Toyota Echo that served me well for more than seven years. When I went to sell her, the buyer asked that I take it to People's Car Repair for an inspection. I found them to be truly reliable, knowledgeable, and considerate. We all know how rare it is to find a good mechanic! If you're close enough to People's Car to make them your own--you should consider it. They even complimented me on taking such good care of my car. read more

I don't know about you, but when the 'Check Engine' light comes on, you pray it'll just magically go away. Well, I'm telling you that it feels like something magic just happened. Left my car with Ken and his crew, and an hour later got a call that it was something really small. They fixed it and I was out of there with only the initial cost of $120 to run the diagnostics. I have an old Mercedes, so it's always a wing and a prayer. It's my first time with these guys, and I am thrilled to say I'll be back. I was hoping to find a trustworthy mechanic in the East Bay (my old guy is in the city) - - and I did! Yeah. read more

My usual guys were closed today for Columbus Day, so I looked on Berkeley Parents Network and Yelp. Everyone agreed to stay away from the Toyota Dealership. This guy (Ken) was at work today and ran a diagnostic for me for sixty bucks and took the time to discuss what was going on. He gave me information that will keep me from getting ripped off by the dealership, if I have to go. We were in sound agreement about how to approach what was going on with my car. He showed me a database that lots of mechanics share and we agreed that just starting with an oil change (which I did at Jiffy Lube) might take care of it. We'll see how that goes. He's honest about the limitations of his shop. (I have a hybrid car, which requires some proprietary equipment) I did see a lot of older model VWs, Volvos and so on in the shop, so I suspect his customers have "normal" cars and he does OK with that. Then he segued to talk about how his business is going to be celebrating a 40th anniversary. He started the business when he was quite young. So, given his low key approach and the fact that he's been sustaining a business for 40 years, I'd recommend the shop. read more

Ken is awesome! I'm not sure why some reviews here trashed Ken and the shop. My old Honda showed an airbag issue on the light indicator. When I called Ken, they said that they would be able to do a diagnostic for $80 which could be applied to repair work if I chose to have the repairs done at the shop. Another nearby shop in El Cerrito wanted to charge $130 outright for the diagnostic which would not be applied to any repairs. I decided to go with Precision People's Car Repair, and they were honest about the price and work. Fixed the car with no problems and no fuss. I found Ken really friendly, and he's apparently a radio controlled model boat enthusiast. He even showed me some of his boats. I've been looking for a new "go to" auto shop since a bad experience with my last shop, and I've found the place! read more

Meh, you can see from his reply that the place is run by a dick. My complaint is pretty specific, and it's not like I'm someone in the automotive business out to mess with the competition. Any business owner who yelps know that many people have email from yelp disabled to reduce their inbox count. He could have left a conciliatory public message instead of his dismissive and threatening counter complaint. Upshot: Apparently you can be sure that as a customer that if you have a factual complaint, your complaint will be treated as a rant full of misleading lies and disinformation, and he will send you a certified letter making some unspecified threat in return. Lord help your car if he gets his vindictive hands on it- he certainly can be sure I'll never set foot in his shop again, nor will anyone I talk to, many of whom live in his neighborhood. Unless he is ready to kiss major ass, he'd better get ready to take it instead. In the meantime, I take my star for his planes and boats back, and leave him one star for for his jerkness- any rational Yelper can clearly see that by his own admission he deserves at least that, no? Come to think of it, I can't imagine I am the first person he has sent a threatening letter to after an unsatisfied post: who knows how many other people he has threatened in order to keep his ratings up? It's certainly possible, as he has admitted he is willing to do it at all right here before your eyes in his own post below! If I do indeed receive a "certified letter" from this business I'll be sure to scan it and post it here as proof of this guys attempt to manipulate his ratings. His actual un-manipulated rating might otherwise be quite a bit lower- I wonder what Yelp will think when I forward this to them? What a jerk. Hope his business doesn't fold without a Yelp account.... read more

Our VW Vanagon was smashed up in a four-way collision on the Bay Bridge (during our road trip from Tucson, Arizona back home to Seattle, where we live), but it was still drivable (barely). Since there was no structural damage we decided to get the van fixed, and we decided to bring our van to Precision People's Repair based on the positive reviews on roadhaus.com (a website for VW Vanagon shops nationwide). Ken took one look at our van and told us that we would have to get the bodywork done first, logically, enough, since the rear bumper assembly had been shoved up against the engine. (Ken recommended an excellent shop down the street, M&M Garage.) Once the van was brought back to PPCR (Ken picked it up himself), they checked it out and found that the only real problem was that the gasket/filter section of where the transmission meets the final drive was ruptured (not surprisingly, considering how hard the van was hit). We had to discuss this by phone, since by this time I had flown back to Seattle, but Ken explained it all clearly, and he e-mailed me photos of the van -- we hadn't had a chance to see the bodywork yet. We flew back to Berkeley, picked up the van, and had a great drive back to Seattle over the next few days -- no problems at all. I didn't understand the negative reviews on Yelp; all I can say is that we had an excellent experience with People's Precision overall. If we ever move back to California, we will be regulars. read more

They quoted me a price that was lower than the amount of labor that was needed to do the job and still only charged me the quote price. Also met a customer of 15 years that said they're the best! read more

Ken is great, couldn't imagine trusting my car with any other garage. Best auto repair in the bay area!

Ken is awesome. My starter died and Ken had time to fix it today. i had it towed (R and R towing) and I got it back by the end of the day. He was very polite and he made my bad day better. I like it when the mechanic takes away your head ache instead of adding to it! I trust him with all my auto woes! Good man, great work, and a fair price! read more

Drove up with a flat tire at 7:30am two weeks ago and Ken put my spare on in 10 minutes and wouldn't even let me pay. Thank you for making what could have been a painful morning commute as painless as possible. read more

The owner Ken is friendly, honest and always helpful. I have tried many mechanics in Berkeley and my whole family goes to Precision.

This is the first review I've written and I've never been compelled to write one - but now. I do. I've been going to Ken at Precision for almost a year for my Subaru. And it's consistently a positive experience. Especially when my car seems to have a lot of issues, including me letting the oil run low and Ken being super supportive through that process. I've never trusted a mechanic so much. They are amazing there. Ken is super friendly and so willing to give his advice and thoughts on what he thinks I should do with my car - and I can TOTALLY trust he is giving me advice based on what would be best for me and my financial situation and NOT trying to get business or money out of me. Over all they're great. read more

I brought my 1965 Karmann Ghia to Ken and his team for the first time last month. I am the 2nd owner of this very rare, one-of-a-kind, all original vehicle. Needless to say, I wanted to find a mechanic that has the passion for what he does and the integrity to be fair and honest . . . I am happy to say that I found this at Precision People's Car Repair! This was my first service on the vehicle since I became the owner and Ken did an awesome job on the tune up and inspection. Pricing was less than I was expecting and he didn't make recommendation on service I didn't need. After reading some of the other reviews that were negative, I'm not sure what planet these people came from, or, if they were just passing on their negative attitude to the shop, but I can assure you, these guys know what they are doing, have the passion for doing it and pricing is great. If you are looking for an AWESOME VW mechanic, you've found it here! James M. Castro Valley, CA read more

I was so grateful to find this buried treasure Near Gilman and San Pablo Ave. The owner is amazing and has been in business for over 40 years and as a fellow East Coast like myself! They took care of me and my seven-year-old Prius cheaply in a short amount of time. The mechanic was also very friendly and capable and I'm really pleased with their professionalism!!!!! read more

He kept my VW Bug hostage!!! This garage has kept my car for over three days when the work could have been done in half a day. Not only that, I sincerely believe they overcharged me and went through some steps which could have been avoided. They charge WELL over $100 dollars an hour and charge much more for repairs that should have taken less time than the hours it normally takes for part replacement etc... The owner Ken is arrogant and he was swearing at me, a paying customer. read more

i haven't been to Precision for a while, only because i no longer have the VW Jetta i had when i started going there for their VW expertise. i wont go into my rant on buying a brand new VW here but i will say that i had excellent, professional service with Ken. as a woman, i appreciate that i can trust his advice. having gone to many other auto repair business in the past, i have been treated like anything from a giant cartoon lollypop (sucker) to a complete idiot by smug mechanics. but Precision is great! Ken is extremely knowledgeable and understanding of the customer's perspective as far as saving you from unnecessary repairs. their rates are very reasonable for top quality service, including the level of attention to detail and customer care that a much more expensive shop would offer. i live in SF but i found it totally worth a trip over the bay to bring my car to a place i trust and in several years never had one problem with a repair that was done here. read more

My 1974 bug was supposed to pass the smog test. When I came to pick up the car I was shocked it wasn't fixed and still had to pay a $300 bill. The staff ordered me to remove my vehicle, telling me it wasn't worth fixing! Go to Buggy House (B&H Motorsports) where they like working on VW's and are fair. read more

Ken is professional, always on time, communicative, and honest. He has literally saved me hundreds of dollars despite having the chance to make more money off of me. For that I am incredibly grateful and will come back for any future repairs as a result. read more

I think I tried every car shop on San Pablo Ave who said they do VWs, but these guys are by far the best! Prices are fair, advice is honest, people a pleasure to deal with! I sold my VW, but almost stuck with the brand so that I can keep going there. read more

If you are looking for a auto repair shop that not only knows what they are doing, but give it to you honest and straight, then you should visit Precision Peoples Car Repair. I first had my brakes repaired on my 4-Runner at PPCR a couple years ago. I felt the price was right and the brakes are still working great to this day. More recently Ken assisted me with a smog issue I was having with that same 4-Runner. He did some quick diagnostics (with a diagnostic tool that I'm sure costa few bucks), and gave me some helpful driving tips to help reset my sensors. Ken then checked my car after I completed his suggested advice. Presto!...after completing his suggestions everything was clear...what relief! The truck got a smog check and passed just hours later. Toyota service in Berkeley had quoted me over $400 to accomplish the same thing! Thank you Ken! read more

Ken and his crew are top-notch folks that are reliable, trustworthy, and timely. I always feel good about taking my VW there for whatever it needs. Highly recommend this shop. read more

BEST SHOP IN TOWN FOR DODGE SPRINTERS. I've been bringing mine in here for two years (having been sent by a Sprinter chat-room) and I had nary a complaint about their work, their demeanor, their timeliness or their fees. They kick butt. 'Nuf said. read more

I have been coming to Ken and his team for the past 30 years and they are premium expert mechanics. No lie. I first met Ken when my first little yellow Honda CVCC was leaking oil a day before a trip to Tahoe. I thought I'd have to cancel with my friends, but Ken told me to pull in, he looked under the hood and found that the oil filter was loose. He tightened it on the spot and when I asked him how much, he waved me away. I'm from New York, so I really couldn't believe it - real service without a catch. Don't get me wrong, I have paid for every repair that Ken and the team have done and their rates are the going rates for auto mechanics. And, they will always tell you what's coming down the pike with your car's needs and how much that could cost you in the future. 4 cars and 30 years later, Ken and his team are my go to guys. I've brought him my first Honda, my newly purchased VW GTI, and when that was totaled by some clown who was running from the CHP, my used Chevy Prizm and now my new used Honda. I tried one other Berkeley mechanic when Ken was on vacation and he turned out to be a scammer par excellence, an expert at making up problems where none existed. Seriously, I don't know what I'd do without the folks at Precision and I refer anyone who needs a mechanic their way. read more

I was stranded at the REI next door and asked them (Precision) if they could jump my car. The gentleman walked over with a portable charger and jumpstarted my car. Very nice, no charge. If I need service I would definitely give them the business. read more

My search for an honest mechanic finally ended here. I have enjoyed 20+ years of Ken's straight answers and fair prices. My VWs, Hondas and Toyotas have all had ridiculously long lives thanks to his TLC. I actually look forward to taking my cars into the shop. read more

Straight-forward diagnosis, reliable service: that's all one can ask for in an auto-mechanic. Plus, Ken is friendly and has a great collection of model ships and airplanes! We've been using Precision People's for years now, sending our 2003 VW Diesel there without hesitation. We'll continue to do so... read more

I completely trust everyone at Precision. They've been taking care of my 2000 jetta for many years. Whenever they're not equipped to deal with the problem they always make excellent referrals. Sometimes they get busy and get a bit backed up, but for a trust worthy mechanic, it's worth it. read more

This is way overdue -- and I don't even live in Berkeley anymore. Nonetheless Ken and crew took care of my VW Jetta over several years and its still running pretty great. I alway felt like I was in good hands. They came to my house and gave my car a jump, they brought me back home a few times, I had Ken's cell phone for some reason and when my parking brakes locked up in Tahoe, Ken walked me through the whole ordeal. (NEVER use your parking brake after driving on wet slushy roads only to leave it sit in sub-freezing temps... its a recipe for locked wheels). Anyway, not too many details at this point -- just know that after tune ups and electrical problem fixes and a bumper that was all screwed up, I kept saying, I gotta do that Yelp thing just to give these guys a good review. So here it is. Precision Rocks. read more

I have been going to Precision since the mid 80's. They have always done good work, explaining what needed to be done and letting me know if a repair can wait. I have two diesel cars (a ford truck and a VW beetle) that I have running on biodiesel and Precision has been really good at keeping them going. I don't understand the review that said they were open 9-5. They have early and late hours, and they have made arrangements for me to drop off and pick up my car after hours on several occasions. read more

I was referred to Ken for my old Saturn and, for several years, he took very good care of that car. So good, that the friend to whom I sold it last summer is still driving it to work every day and is amazed at what good shape it is in at 15 years old. I bought a 2011 Scion xB a year ago and am just about to use the 2nd 'free' oil change that comes with purchasing from Berkeley Toyota. I'm looking forward to going back to Ken after this oil change. Some of the mechanics at the dealership still cling to that infuriating condescending attitude toward females (and the public at large I suspect). Not so with Ken. Plus, he or one of his crew runs me up to BART when I drop my car off so I can go to work and then picks me up from BART after work when the job is done. I've never had such good service as at PrecisionPeople's in the 40 years I've owned vehicles. My only concern is where to go when he will eventually retire! Will be hard to find anyone as good. read more