Buddy found a really rare 08 Outback H6R SI Drive transmission, factory rebuild for me. Back on the road with all Hi grade oils. This shop really knows Subarus and has outstanding workmanship !! So glad to have found them. So rare nowadays. :) read more

The folks at San Francisco Auto Works are absolutely INCREDIBLE. They are honest, transparent, and do high quality work. I've been taking my 2016 Subaru Impreza there for a variety of repairs over the years, and won't go anywhere else. Why am I so positive about these people? Let me give you one story as an example. A little while ago, nearly every warning light lit up on my dashboard (see photo). I took the car in and they diagnosed the issue: transmission valve body failure. They quoted me (a very fair) repair price. But before they ordered parts and scheduled the repair, they told me to call Subaru. Apparently this is a common problem on my car, and even though my car had 106k miles on it, I might qualify for an extended warranty program. Turns out, I did qualify for the warranty and Subaru did the repair for free. SF Auto Works helped me find a free repair; what an honest shop! I'll keep taking my car here. These folks are incredible, and I feel really lucky to know that they are around. P.S. my dad was a professional mechanic and I grew up working on cars. This is a no-BS shop. Just good people doing great work. read more

San Francisco Auto Works - Dashboard on my 2016 Subaru Impreza with 106k miles. Nearly every warning light is on. - Auto Repair Near Me - San Francisco, California

I absolutely recommend this shop- I brought in my Subaru for an oil change. Excellent staff, got straight to just what I was asking for and what was necessary. Will be returning! Thanks!! read more

Super grateful to have these guys in the neighborhood! I stopped in without calling first to get windshield fluid and tire air topped off and Niko was so sweet and helpful, also replaced my fob battery and gave me some tips for taking care of my Outback, did everything without an appointment and complimentary because these guys are old school cool! Grateful small businesses like this are still around, what we all need a little more of read more

I called SF Auto Works because my check engine light came on. They were closed but told me to come in anyway. They were so friendly, very helpful & fixed my car quickly. They went out of their way to help me & get me back on the road. I will only go to SF Auto Works for all my car repair needs! read more

After learning how much of a mistake my recent purchase of this subaru was I followed the advice of the shop to wait a week to finally drive it anywhere even though I literally just bought it . I didnt think to plan on needing to account for the car only being able to go maybe 15 mph at the most if theres some sort of incline. I thought scheduling a whole day to diagnose a car meant that there'd be some sort of designated spot for me if I was given a opening time and the instructions that the repair would take most of the day. IF i heard about something like cancellation policy. I called on the way there and I showed up yet calling 30 mins after the store opens is a no call no show. How do u say that to someone thats literally there showing themselves The sign outside wasnt even turned to open yet read more

I wanted to express my gratitude to Buddy for the incredible effort he made to bring a really happy ending to a really tough saga for me. The motor for my 2009 Toyota Corolla died unexpectedly and I thought it could be the end of my car - maybe even having a car in general since I was not prepared to finance a new car. But Buddy worked to find a gently-used motor overseas and arranged to have it shipped here. It took a while to get here - my car was in his shop for an entire month - but that through no fault of his and it was sure better than having to buy a new car! I was anxious and impatient without my car - but Buddy stayed focus on the tasks at hand. The work they do here is very thorough and honest - they will never sell you something you don't need! He made sure that everything was working perfectly after installing the new motor - and, probably because he realized how frustrating it is to go without a car for a month, even took the trouble to have my car washed for me! It was all shiny like new when I got it back. But most notable was the surprise that awaited me: He'd taken the care to find a company that would buy my old, unworkable motor - and shaved those proceeds off the end price! Think about it - he could have just done that without even telling me and pocketed the money himself. Or not even bothered to make that effort for me. It made a lasting difference to the price tag at the end for me and I was so so grateful! They are compassionate people here. You won't get a lot of unnecessary hand-holding or conversation from them but I have learned without a shadow of a doubt from this experience that that is because they are incredibly busy and very popular - busy solving your problem in a more thorough way than you might get elsewhere! I really appreciated that the environment benefitted from this money-saving recycling effort too! As an environmentalist, that means a LOT to me! At the end of the day, you get much more here than is easy to find in our cut-throat modern world: you get what matters - some people who truly care about doing the right thing and delivering impeccable, honest work. SF Autoworks is a gem and I'm grateful they are in my neighborhood. Buddy, please know that I can't thank you enough for ensuring that our long month with my car ended with such happiness!!! read more

This place is awesome. I felt like they heard all my concerns. Not at any point did I feel like they were trying to upsell. As a female, finding an honest auto repair place that actually listens and doesn't talk down to me is a wonderful discovery. Kimberly and her team are soo sweet and the work is top notch. read more

This place is a rip off. They charged my wife $800 to change a hose and the oil. I'll never go back there again and will be reporting them to the Better Business Bureau. read more

Absolutely Class AAA+++ service from Patrick. Professional, cheerful, and upfront about the cost. He texted me and kept me apprised of when the car was in queue for service and when the car will be ready for pick-up. Can't say enough good things about their work performance on my car. Highly recommend this place! Keep up the good work!!! read more

Car was making rattling noises so made an appointment to be checked out and see what the issue was as well as give a general look at the car to gauge any potential work needed. They were very friendly, courteous, and welcoming! An approachable mechanic shop for sure :) They got back to me same day and said it was a quick fix, literally just needed to bolt something back down again, and recommended brakes (which I do need) but did not try to sell me on anything or make up issues I did not have. Hard to trust a mechanic but the reviews were great so I tried it and definitely would recommend! read more

Disorganized and tried to sell me over $600 of unnecessary maintenance for my Subaru Outback. I say unnecessary because I compared what Kimberly recommended to what Subaru recommends. It took multiple calls and interactions to work with them, what's more their VM is full, so good luck getting a call back. Other details: I made an appointment after discussing what maintenance & checks I wanted - when I came to drop off, they had no notes of what was to be done and so I told them again. Even after that they ended up not doing everything I had asked. When they did let me know the car was ready, there was less than an hour before they would be closed for 3 days, so I couldn't get there in time and the car was locked in. What's more, my battery was drained when I went to pick it up and they had to jump start it, then I had to drive it around for awhile to recharge. There was some hand waving about it being a small battery but AAA checked it and the battery was the correct size and healthy. I really wanted to like this local and quirky garage and appreciate talking directly to mechanics but must recomend going elsewhere. read more

I've long had my subaru serviced here. They do an ok job but seem to be doing a worse job lately. Got my car serviced recently and apparently they didn't test the battery as I had to replace it shortly after. Also the car had been sputtering on starting before the service so they should have caught it. Also, it's incredibly hard to get ahold of anyone. I have another issue with my car and have called 6x, left a VM, and no one has picked up the phone or returned my calls. I guess I'll be taking my business elsewhere if they can't be bothered to pick up the phone. I get the impression they are too busy and not doing a thorough job or able to communicate effectively with customers. read more

Super friendly and treated me fairly without making me stupid for not having a lot of knowledge of auto repair work. Never tried to upsell me. Would recommend to anyone in SF. read more

The only thing I have to say about this business is make sure you get a second opinion. I'm so happy I went t with my gut instinct after being quoted what seemed like a VERY high price for a routine brake service. I know that rents are high and everything is costing more these days but the shop down the street quoted me the same job for $800 less! The person who ended up doing the work showed me all the parts and boxes they used. I didn't tell them the price of the first quote til after they finished. They just laughed and apologized for other people in their field. ‍ read more

Been going to Kevin for years. This is the most honest and dependable shop I have ever been to. These guys have serviced my 2002 Subaru WRX and it still runs like new. I have had multiple occasions, where I needed last minute help and Kevin fit me in and took care of me. Thanks for caring about your clientele and taking care of the transportation we all depend on daily. read more

These folks are amazing!! Amidst the heatwave, my OLD car threw a spatter of fun lights up on my dashboard that had me worried about the ABS and VCS. I called in and they offered to do a quick check on their computer if there was actually any functional issue and they cleared it and verified there are no issues and it's likely the heat! These kind folks saved me at LEAST $200 for a diagnostic check at another local mechanic in the area. I cannot recommend them enough! read more

This is a minor thing, but in the hands of a my Subaru dealership it could have cost a hundred bucks. I called SF Auto Works to make an appointment to repair a brake light that was not working. They told me over the phone that it probably was just that the bulb went out: "Happens a lot." They suggested that I could bring it in right then, at 4:30 PM. So, I dropped everything and drove over there. They popped in a new bulb in less than five minutes and wished me well without even charging me anything. I was flabbergasted . . . and very happy. Needless to say, I will be returning when the next thing happens. read more

They do great work and are honest! Hard to beat that. Been taking my Honda here for years read more

Took my car in for some brake issues and Kimberly and her team were absolutely fantastic. Very reasonably priced, great service, and super knowledgeable. Kimberly also went above and beyond to get my car back to me when I hurt my hip literally the day I dropped the car off and couldn't come to pick it up. Will definitely be coming back here again. read more

Did a great job caring for a cylinder coil issue on a 110k '13 Impreza (my baby is purring again!), but also wins the award for Best Garage Wookie. I'll be back. Not just for the dog. read more

Our car wouldn't start on a Sunday afternoon, we called them and Kimberly solved our problem very swiftly. The price was very reasonable and Kimberly was very friendly and helpful. read more

I just became a new customer with SF AutoWorks and brought my newly purchased used vehicle. Kevin is awesome - I had my planned repair done and my vehicle got a thorough check. My brakes were getting thin but I was told those have a few thousand miles before needing a replacement. When I came to get my car back, the brakes were already changed - however, since it was not a planned repair and it was a mistake on the shop's end - I wasn't charged. If that's not a testament to the fact that you can fully trust this garage, I don't know what is. I'm definitely a customer for life. Great service, great people! read more

Honest efficient service. They encouraged me to advocate with Subaru to replace a valve as if it were under warranty rather than charge me $700 to repair it. It worked.. read more

The team there was amazing! I went after getting a ridiculous quote from another nearby garage for my Saab 9-2X Aero / Subaru WRX wagon for some fairly straightforward work to replace ball bearings and front axles. They also inspected my AC for leaks and refilled the coolant for cheap (giving me good advice since it was a small leak, instead of ripping me off). Highly recommended! Trustworthy, communicative, and quick too! read more

Legit. Honest. Great work. If looking for someone to give you a fair assessment and skilled repair for a Subaru in SF, Kevin & SF Autoworks is exactly that. It's not a coincidence their reviews are mostly excellent. I brought my Outback in from a dealer after the dealer told me a misfire was occurring, the head gasket was likely blown, and oil was leaking everywhere throughout the engine. They told me I would either need a full engine repair/replacement (est. $7.5K - $8K) or I should just trade in the vehicle for salvage value. Kevin took a second look at it, determined the problem wasn't nearly as bad as the dealer made out. Swapped out some old spark plugs, put in a new coil, and set me on my way for a fair mkt price (parts & labor) that was a fraction of what it would have cost otherwise. Car is running smooth. Will return for any future needs. read more

I lived down the street from SF Auto Works for a few years and took my 2003 subaru bug eye there for service. Overall I probably wouldn't go back but they aren't horrible. Regular Service: They charge quite a bit. Even if my car was due for a minimal service I was always out over $100 dollars and the car was there most of the day. At the dealership it is under $80 and I am in and out in typically under two hours. Repairs: Their prices seem fair on repairs. I had a my radiator replaced, it was with an aftermarket brand but apparently very good quality from what I've read. I have had zero issues with it. Happy with that. I also had a clutch/flywheel replaced. The price was fair but the bearings on the clutch blew up on me leaving me stranded. Granted this was five years after it was replaced but seeing as the original lasted 12 years I have to question the quality. My driving definitely hasn't gotten more aggressive in those years. Overall I would avoid them but I don't think they are out to straight rip you off. Their work mostly seems good. read more

Good regular maintenance and advice. Where other shops had charged $150-200 me for a specific diagnostic which came to nothing, they told me I could buy a scanner for $25 on Amazon to check myself when the problem actually arose. Also 3d printed a replacement plastic grippy part so the sun visor would stop randomly falling on my passenger, where the dealership had offered to replace the entire roof. read more

These people are awesome and it's a legit local business. If you have a Subaru take it here - I've always dealt with the dealership and this is a fraction of the headache for excellent service. read more

I was in need of a new repair shop after my longtime mechanic retired recently. I chose SF Auto Works because of it's convenient location, specialization in Japanese autos, and the fact that they are LGBTQ+ friendly. As a gay man, it's important for me to support both LGBTQ+ owned or LGBTQ friendly businesses. Auto repair is a triggering subject for so many, so I think it's important to find a mechanic that you believe is fair and one that you can trust. I needed a new sensor and the estimate came in using an OEM part. I asked if they could look for a lower-priced part if possible. I was pleasantly surprised that when I came to pick up my car, it came in under estimate and the repair was done with an OEM part that was less expensive than originally quoted. I would bring my car back to SF Auto Works and hopefully I had now found my new mechanic. read more

Brought my 05 Subaru Forester in for a belt that had seized up on me. Needed it for a road trip that same week and had called multiple places that morning that specialized in Subarus-- but none of them had any available slots for me. I called these guys and they told me that as soon as I could get my car towed over there that they were ready for me. I got there and there was a gentleman standing-- in what I thought was the line to talk to the guy behind the desk-- and he turned around and made a joke about my belt being shredded-- "shred life" or something funny. He obviously worked there and was already prepared for me to be showing up and knew who I was. Checked me in in less than 5 minutes, said he'd call later. Which he did. He told me what it was going to cost and said unless there was any unforeseen circumstances after he got the new belt on that I'd be good to go. Didn't know if he was going to be able to get the part that day so told me I might not be able to pick it up until the following day, but ended up calling me right before four p.m that same afternoon to tell me it was good to come pick it up. We had a good talk about things when I picked it up. They mentioned that they thought some of the cables to my sound system were exposed and potentially could be a problem if I didn't deal with it. I'd done the wiring myself and I kind of just laughed because I knew what they were telling me was true. So I cleaned it up a bit at their suggestion. Something that I probably would have just told myself not to do had a mechanic not suggested it. But the fact that they had obviously looked my entire car over to even notice it said something even more about how thorough they were. I had planned on it costing around $500 something. It cost closer to 420 with these guys I felt like they were very personable. Very honest. As quick as I hoped that they would be. Overall I had a great experience-- no complaints. Annnndd to top it all off , the reason I gave five instead of four stars, which is usually what I give anything unless they go above and beyond--- I got a text 2 days later from a woman that worked there asking if I had had a good experience with them and how the work seemed to be holding up. I've had over 30 cars in my lifetime. I've been to numerous mechanics. I've never had one of them reach out to me via text to ask how things were working out. It's a simple thing to have done. But it made me feel cared about It was worth a star even if the work had been shoddy. Luckily for me and them, the work was at least 4 star -- so the text was worth a 5th. I would recommend to someone and I will be going back read more

I had a pretty negative experience and felt compelled to share. I took my car (Subaru) to them for a tune-up, and also to identify a faint rubbing noise I'd noticed it started to make. First, they didn't ID any rubbing noise and said they thought it wasn't an issue. Six months later I took it to the Daly City Subaru dealership, and they knew exactly what I was describing and fixed it at no charge -- apparently Subaru was still covering this despite the car being 7 years old. I know everyone loves to hate on the dealership service, but in this case they came through. That wouldn't be enough to give a one star review, though. In addition to this problem, 2 days after picking up my car from SF Auto Works I got a flat tire. The mechanic (at another shop) I took it to said that the pressure in all of my tires was way off, and that there was no way that they had been topped up properly by SF Auto Works. When I called Auto Works to ask what had happened, they couldn't provide any explanation. No make-good either, not even an apology! read more

Very fast service! Finally a mechanic who has great scheduling skills and blazingly fast turnaround. Fixed issues that other local mechanics had caused. Didn't try to overcharge and pricing was fair. read more

Really wish I knew of this place but I'm glad I found this place through Yelp. I used to go to Midas and it was alright, but nothing memorable in terms interaction. Kevin followed up with an inquiry I submitted through Yelp and was able to get an appointment the following week. Definitely coming back here to support this local shop. read more

Kevin did a pre-purchase inspection on a vehicle I was going to buy and was wonderful. Great customer service and reasonable prices. He is also just a really friendly person. read more

This place is probably the best mechanic shop I have ever brought a car to. Kevin is sensitive about pricing and informs us of the priority work and indicates what can safely be put off. All the work he has done has been done with obvious integrity, big-picture driver-oriented awareness. He genuinely cares about his customers and always goes the extra mile to prove it. With a Subaru extended warranty some of the work gets done at the dealership. Because a long-term service relationship with Kevin is in both our interests, we bring as much as we can to Kevin to do and he is gracious and generous and conveys an honest and complete assessment of other work so interacting at the dealership is successful. This, to us, is invaluable and very rare and we are immensely grateful to Kevin for this alone! All the jobs he has done are clearly done thoroughly, with OEM parts, without a gauging price. He keeps the prices as low as he can, explains all he's taken care of so we walk away better informed car owners. The mechanics working in the shop are friendly and clearly care about what they are doing too. Though cars can be insanely expensive and sometimes a headache to own, having Kevin on our team means both are mitigated. We recommend Kevin to everyone we know and absolutely wish Kevin the best of luck as the new(ish) owner of AutoWorks. read more

I've been taking my 2007 Subaru Legacy here since 2013 and they've been consistently reliable, competent, chill, and trustworthy. Pricing feels very fair, and I've never remotely felt like they weren't on top of it, nor that I was getting worked over. You want local reliable independent mechanics like this one to exist, so give them a shot. read more

Kevin is a wonderful mechanic and goes out of his way to troubleshoot and find the problem. I have always been pleased with the quality of his work. He has been able to schedule and get my car taken care of soon after I call. His prices are always more than fair and about 40% less than I was paying at Lexus. read more

I'd taken my car to the Subaru dealership in Daly City and left with broken windscreen (which I arrived with but they never mentioned) and bits missing which I'd asked them to replace. I was walking past SF auto works one day and stuck my head in. I've found my mechanics! Not going elsewhere. read more

My car is running great! I'm glad I found SF Auto Works on Yelp. I now have a shop for all my future mechanic work for my 05 Subaru. Thank you for your great pricing and communication. read more