When I was younger I did my own automobile repairs. I rebuilt engines, carburetors, changed my on brake shoes/pads, spark plugs etc. Now I'm 83 years old, and can't bend stoop, crawl underneath cars, and stand for long periods of time. Luckily I found Richard at Riley Automotive. He is very professional with the most estensive knowledge and integrity of any mechanic that I've had the privilege to know, and on top of that his prices are very reasonable. Thanks Richard & Amber for caring for my 3 cars. read more

They did an excellent job on my 2019 Honday Odyssey and I am definitely coming back for future repairs and service. Their prices are competitive and the best quality of service read more

There was a large amount of mice turds throughout my car when I got it back. The windows and doors in my car should have been closed while my car stayed in the shop. read more

Mario ? on 10 / 16 / 25 this guy is awesome I will keep coming back if you have customer service like him he needs a raise.!!!!

By far the best experience I have ever had with a car mechanic. I know nothing about cars and they genuinely wanted to help. They were straight forward, quick, honest, and the most affordable place I have ever been. I 1000% recommend this place. They don't take advantage of people that don't know anything about cars, like most other places. read more

Consistently reliable and honest service. This is hard to come by these days from auto repair shops so when you find them, you keep them and you tell your family to go there. read more

Great service and pricing. Very happy with the way everything was handled - very chill. I'll go back for sure. Highly recommended!

Came here for a new blower motor. I was quoted 200.00 on the phone and it ended up being 270.00. For 270.00 I could have just gone to my usual mechanic, but I liked their price. I have found that Riley automotive does have reasonable and something cheaper prices than other places for past work I had done or inquired about. I was also charged for over an hour of labor, and it took less than a half hour (maybe the minimum has to be one hour?) Since being fixed almost immediately the fan doesn't blow out where it should sometimes. This wasn't an issue until the blower was replaced. I didn't bother going back to fix the new issue, because it seemed like I was irritating the guy who took my payment. Maybe he is just a no nonsense personality, but I didn't feel like dealing with it again. I have been there before for other work, but not sure about it for anything again read more

If you're looking for a place that treats you like family and ensures your vehicle is road-trip ready, Riley's Automotive Shop is the place to go! We were heading back to Vegas when we ran into car trouble right before they were about to close for the day. Not only did the team at Riley's warmly welcome us in, but they also went above and beyond to fix our car quickly and efficiently, making sure it was safe for the long drive home. Their friendliness, professionalism, and willingness to help out during a stressful time were truly remarkable. I can't recommend Riley's enough for their exceptional service and genuine care for their customers. A heartfelt thank you to everyone at Riley's Automotive Shop! They also have a cute store cat that everyone should visit. read more

If you want fair, honest car repairs then this is the place to go. Richard and Amber give it to you straight. I've never been disappointed even when they couldn't help. I won't go anywhere else. Check out their website for financing offers too. How awesome is that! Call ahead if you can because they are busy busy people!! read more

Should be able to give this family 87 stars Amber is just straight rad, shes super helpful, responds to when you and will it stop until the job is done, example, I have 2001 dodge ram and my front axle broke problem was for just that year they made a different axle so my homegirl Amber literally searched the earth to find me this stupid one of axle which she did in North Dakota, then she bought it, shipped it back here to SD and finally Instsll it in my. AaaaaaaaaaNnnnd didn't charge extra for that all the shit she had to do to get it and install, we're kinda besties now. I have seen the crew in a while but they will be this weekend when I bring the cursed Ram back for some repairs lol. But to be serious they are honest and fair and treat everyone the same way. Being your vehicles here if they need some fixin, Not a. Better more honest shop aroun. I could name 10 right now that are a total scam and will just rip you off. Any who I seriously hoped I talked you to bring your cars and trucks here, Chad read more

Now a days it's extremely hard to find a honest place to take your car where the work is very high quality and the price is fair. I have a friend who recommended Riley to me and I have been hooked ever since. I will take "all" of my cars to Rileys and nowhere else from this point on. If you haven't tried them you are seriously missing out "and paying more then you needed to". Thanks read more

Went to Riley on a recommendation and am so glad I did! This shop is amazing. Very knowledgeable, honest and friendly staff who fixed my truck in record time at a very affordable price. Much less than I anticipated having to pay. 5 out of 5 stars. Would take my broke ass truck to them again. read more

This is my first review based off family that recommended this place. If what they say is accurate this place is a 5 star establishment. I'll be going to them for several issues with my vehicle, an A/C pulley that I really think just needs grease in the ball bearings; my compass overheats sometimes so might be at thermostat or water pump, and finally some struts that I installed with my friends which wasn't a great job because they don't sound right and idk, maybe I need people that are on their A game to help me figure it out. read more

competitive pricing and solid work

A gentleman who saw me pulled over on the side of the road told me about Riley's. I drove over and they diagnosed the issue immediately. Turned out it was the cam shaft sensor. Richard and Walter were amazing and knowledgeable, they knew all the symptoms my car had been experiencing. I was able to fix the sensor myself since I have experience, but I will be going back to them for a different issue. Thanks again guys, see you soon. read more

I've been taking cars to Riley Automotive for 10+ years. They're the most honest, helpful, no-frills, reasonably priced, versatile auto repair in the greater San Diego area. I trust them implicitly. Recently acquired by Richard & Amber Ward from Jesse Riley, good people carrying on the tradition. Don't let a dealer stick you with an outrageous bill. These guys do excellent work at a reasonable price. read more

This place is the real deal. How many times have you walked into an automotive shop where you tried to talk to the person behind the desk/counter about your issue and were met with the deer-in-headlights look and the subsequent, "Ok, well let me see if one of my mechanics can help, and you can explain the problem to him"? Well, walk into Riley Automotive and that's not going to happen. Amber not only takes the time to listen to your needs, but often she offers advice and insight towards possible causes/solutions right there. I've even gone there several times thinking I knew what my car/truck needed, and ended up being told that not only was my thought incorrect, but the actual issue wasn't as big as I thought and would cost half as much to fix! Heck, once I went in and asked them for a service that they didn't provide. She referred me to a company that did provide it, and got them to give me a price that I never thought I'd find it for. Now I'll review my latest experience-- I own a Diesel truck which I use for work only. Reliable transportation is something I cannot be without. I had two glow plugs errors popping up on my OBDII reader, and after talking with others, I had decided to just go ahead and replace all my glow plugs (once one goes, the others aren't far behind). I called Riley Automotive, and Amber not only understood exactly what I told her, but offered counter-advice such as, "This seems strange. Your truck and mileage are well under the typical amount where glow plugs start to fail. Bring it in and let's see if that's really the issue, because I think the idea of replacing glow plugs is way more service than you actually need." A few days later I had the opportunity to bring the truck into their shop. Amber came out and greeted me, we discussed a few more things, and she went over to the main mechanic, Richard, to give him the details he would need to help with my issue. Around 20 mins later, Richard was able to come over to my truck, pop the hood, and start diagnosing the issue. Forty minutes after that, he returned the keys to me saying, "All fixed." I replied, "Whaaat? Nobody can replace plugs that fast!" RIchard explained the errors I saw on the OBDII reader led him to believe the issue was with the wires, not the plugs. He cleaned the wires, reseated, looked for leaks and saw none. After his 'maintenance', a rescan with the reader showed no errors. Yes, all fixed. No parts, light labor, and the right knowledge to not troubleshoot in the wrong directions. That's the service I got. And that's why I'll call them again when automotive issues arise. If you read this, visit Riley Automotive, and have a similar experience, please post about it. Others need to know about this place and their service! read more

These kids are the bomb! We had taken our vehicles to Riley for years ... and then the old man sold it. It took him three years to actually sell it because he wasn't selling his business, he was selling his name and his reputation. The kids he sold it to (Amber & Richard) are absolutely awesome! They have the same sense of integrity, pride, good business and craftsmanship that the old man had. Their handshake is their word - and you just don't see that anymore. We continue to take our vehicles to Riley's and highly recommend them to everyone we know. Thanks Guys!!! read more

This review is long over due. I have been going to Rileys for over 8 years or so since Jesse Riley owned the place. Amber is so knowledgeable about cars it just blows my mind. Richard is a cool laid back guy who does everything he can to help. He's done so many little things to my car without charging me, I always feel like crap not tipping him. Amber and Richard go above and beyond. I will never go to anyone else. Unless I buy a beamer from a dealership and get free repairs for life but I don't ever see that happening. read more

Amber and Richard the owners and are very friendly and helpful. They go out of their way to explain your repair needs and give you the best possible price. Highly recommended! This is the second time I brought a car in for service and I must say, I just found my full time auto mechanic!!! I won't go anywhere else... read more

Friendly and honest! After hearing the brakes on my car start to squeal, I started calling around to various places. Everyone was overpriced and some dealerships didn't even call me back. I was getting frustrated when a friend of mine told me about Riley's. They had nothing but nice things to say about the service. So I thought I would give them a shot. I gave them a call and had my car in the shop that same day. They took a look at the brakes and told me exactly what was going on. Everyone I saw was very friendly and down to earth. They were honest and extremely helpful. I will definitely be using them again! read more

This business is what all businesses should strive to be like!!! My wife's car had an alternator problem several months ago. The guys at Riley Auto replaced the alternator. Last week, the alternator failed again. Unfortunate, but we took the car back to Riley Auto and they replaced the alternator...NO CHARGE!!!! This female-owned business rocks! These people are tops!!! read more

Went in after searching El Cajon for a mechanic to do a pre-purchase inspection of a potential buy. They were thorough, honest, and extremely kind. After they even gave us suggestions to save us money later at the dealership. The best mechanic experience I've had for sure! read more

I purchased new tires and rear breaks (supposedly the best OEM breaks) at Evans tire in El Cajon, at the time Evans recommended I replace the front breaks as well, Evans stated I had less than 25% left, after the tires and rear breaks I was into $1200 so I said I'd get them later. This past week I was hearing a loud noise, I assumed it was the front breaks, I took to Riley's, to our surprise Richard at Riley's called to say the front breaks still had 50+% left and didn't need breaks, he looked further and found it was the bearings that needed replaced, in doing so he checked the back breaks, he said the ones Evans put on were NOT OEM and they were the cheap non OEM. We've been using Riley's for years, they are honest, efficient and VERY reasonable! Thank you Riley's for being an outstanding shop!!! Attkisson's read more

Car trouble is so stressful, Riley automotive will handle your car stress efficiently, quickly, & you can guarantee a fair price! Support family woman owned business! Even when they're super busy they'll take the time to figure out your issue! read more

DEFINITELY RECOMMEND no bs no over charge. Always honest. Hard to come by these days. Thanks guys! -Gary and Kyle Norris

Always honest!!! Thank you for working on my Camery today and getting it back to me so quickly! It's really hard to find a good family owned business that is honest and cares about it's customers. My family will continue to support you and send others your way. read more

I had Riley Automotive install a new power steering rack, power steering pump, reservoir and hoses on my 2005 Mercedes ML500. The service was excellent, very fast, and they did the job perfectly. Their labor rate was also slightly better than most other places I quoted. I am impressed with their quality of work and their service. I will use them again read more

We had been using another shop on Washington in El Cajon but were charged a ridiculous fee for a little nothing job. And I truly mean nothing. A friend recommended Riley. We went there today to have our brakes looked at as they were getting squishy. We will now NEVER go nowhere else. Richard is professional, knowledgeable, fair and offers excellent customer service. He checked out our car and said everything was fine. We were very relieved. His prices are excellent. I trust Richard completely and will not only use him exclusively in the future , I will recommend him to everyone. Thank you Riley Automotive ! read more

Big thumbs up for the folks at Riley's Automotive. A friend of mine referred me to them, and he always said they were honest and affordable. A few days ago our Accord started leaking oil. Took it in to Riley, and they diagnosed the problem. Amber was also cool enough to let me know it should be covered under the Honda warranty, and to take it to the dealer to be fixed for free. That was way cool of her! She could have done it herself and got paid, but she was looking out for us and doing the right thing. Much appreciated. read more

A shop that takes integrity and honesty to heart. Imagine this... A woman calls and says her clutch is out. She has her Mustang towed to Riley Auto. Jesse calls a few hours later to tell her that her total charges will be $30 including labor! Really?!!! They could have easily charged more (and gotten away with it, I'm sure), claiming more damage or more expensive parts, but they didn't. That's just not how they do business. Haven't seen Jesse in a year or two, but Amber and Richard seem to be holding true to the same 'fair' values. It's hard to find a shop where a woman can feel safe taking her car...Riley Auto is it! read more

Amber and her husband, owners of Riley's Automotive is the place to take your auto. They are honest and experienced. They replaced a regulator on the window of my truck in less than 30 minutes. Far below the cost at the dealer. They are a fantastic family owned business. read more

Ok, first off, I knew there were still decent ppl in this world. This shop is by far the most fair shop I have ever been. I called around all day to different shops trying to get a diagnosis on a noise from my tire, $100 here, $80 there, until my wife called Riley where I got a $0 fee. Too good to be true? Absolutely not. I drove my car to their shop and within seconds I had a certified mechanic looking over my car. Very knowledgeable ppl, and very honest work. I will most definatley be back. Thanks you guys. read more

They always treat me great telling me what needs to be done and what can wait. Got my evap system done today and with that they fixed my issue with pumping gas. Great place to get your car fixed. Fair prices for great service read more

My truck overheated. My husband took it here because it was close. They told him I had a cracked head gasket and estimated $1250.00. Took it to another another shop, it was the thermostat, cost me $100. I would have given them the benefit of a misdiagnosis but I had taken my truck in once before and was given a long list of repairs that needed doing. I was told if I did not get my spark plugs rewired the engine would catch on fire and the steering wheel fluid was leaking in several places and I would not be able to steer. I had my brother do the plugs, he told me he was pretty sure my truck would not catch on fire and just to top off the steering wheel fluid if it got low. I have yet to have to top it off. To be fair the reason I took my truck in the first time was for a brake squeal and he did tell me that the brakes were fine and it was just a cable and he fixed it no charge. read more

Small locally owned shop, with no frills (i.e. low overhead) and they pass the savings on to their customers. They offer great personalized service, at a fair and reasonable price. No tomfoolery. Diagnosed, repaired, and delivered ahead of schedule. If they're not busy in the late afternoon they do close early, so it's best call ahead if your going in after 3 pm. read more

Been coming here for years. My father owns a construction company with 30 + vehicles and we bring every vehicle we own here. I have recently done a complete turbo build for my integ. Is pushing over 450whp. Amber is always helpful and friendly. Richard is very skilled and more importantly they are both very honest. I have personally been there on multiple occasions when people came in with a problem that was covered under the dealer warranty and amber even set up an appointment to get the service free of charge. We all know most mechanics would fix it and not tell you it could have been free. The hardest thing for me is trusting any mechanic to be forth coming so if your like me this is the spot to be. Great Customer Service and Trustworthy. Riley Automotive is the only spot in town for me. read more

Horrible. I had bought my own trailer hitch online and was hoping to have it installed before the weekend. San Diego Trailer Supply was too busy, and recommended this place as a auto shop they used to send their overflow business years ago. It turns out that the original owner of Riley's has retired, and the new owner(s) aren't so great. Long story short the mechanic told me it would take 2.5 hours to do a simple install (no wiring involved, no drilling, just bolt it to the frame rails). I told him I can do it myself in under 2 hours, and I don't even have a hydraulic lift. I took it to another place just down the street from my house and they had it done in 45 minutes. This is my first review. read more

This place is by far one of the best auto repair places I've ever brought my car. The people are honest, the prices are fair, and the service is quick and dependable. When I brought my car here, the technicians took the time to actually show me what was wrong with my car and explained everything so I knew what I was paying for. They did a very thorough job taking car of my car and it's been working great since! I recommend this place to everyone I know. They've got a customer for life! read more