All the fears of a mechanic saying you need this and that can be found here. I came in and the owner was quick to say I need this and that without even looking at my car. As the discussion went further he said I had two bad lower ball joints, again without looking at the car. How's that possible, I don't know. I recently replaced both, however I forgot that I replaced both, as I thought I only replaced one. So when he said that, I said " I just replaced one" he said " ok well you need the other one replaced". Then I went through my records and realized both had already recently been replaced. He had already began on the one, so I let them continue. If you want a mechanic to sell you on things that you don't need, this is the place. Fast talkers, he was in n out of the office so you can't even talk to him. This is the place. If you want someone who will listen to your issues. Will look at your car and diagnose it only after actually touching the car go somewhere else read more

If I could give zero stars , I would. If there's a review you need to listen to ! I PROMISE YOU ITS THIS ONE . If you're a woman or someone who doesn't know much about cars to catch them , this is for you ! You would think after being a dedicated customer for a few years , that they would do everything in their power to remain honest . Twice I took in my car , and asked for them to drive my car and see what might be the issue . Both times they told me something different . The first time one mechanic said my wheel bearing . This last time THE OWNER , said my tires and struts . He quoted me and said it would be 1600 ! After calling around mechanics and family members told me they were over charging . BUT THATS NOT ALL . After taking my car to TWO different mechanics , BOTH mechanics said my tires and struts as well as wheel bearing were in !!PERFECT CONDITION. Must be why the owner tried so hard to make me feel he was giving me a deal just so he can "Fix " something that isn't broken and not get caught . IM disappointed , as I'm that person who stays loyal when receiving good customer service or people I like . However I will NOT be returning . I wouldn't trust it , there's plenty of other mechanics in area who will show you what's wrong visually and show you the prices online and compare ! read more

Nothing but a bunch of "CROOKS" there!!! What vinny does is he gives you a low price to get your business then he sticks it to you buy calling you telling you that everything is wrong with your car. "DON'T BE FOOLED" on his low prices!!! HE'S JUST AFTER YOUR MONEY "TRUST ME"!!!!!!!!!! read more

Good for only smog test.. Don't go there unless you know what you need.. Shop always overquotes, so unless you know how much it costs in market, u should not go here.. I also think the mechanics in the shop are not super expert.. read more

I really liked my visit to save auto. I am driving acura with one headlamp not working. I asked the manager to replace it. He asked for hunderd bucks and it was oky to me. But while working the guy found that modulator is broken and need to replace. Modulater costs arround 500 buck. I refused to replace it and asked him to set the headlight to the actual position. I was about to leave and asked the manger about service charge as the guy took an hour to figure out whats wrong. He dint take a penny from me. Thank you. read more

Very bad workmanship. My car's body paint started to fade only after 2 months. Not the type to complain but when I got the car paint and dust where inside the interior of the car. Recommended a friend but warned them in time. read more

Used to be good, but now it just went downhill. Went in for a simple oil change and they didn't even change the oil filter. Like seriously.

Quick, honest, friendly and good. Will keep coming back. No Amex card accepted but were so kind to help me with that. This website link said they accepted amex but they were wrong. https://www.yellowpages.com/san-diego-ca/mip/save-auto-452247450 read more

Took my 2004 Elantra in last week; occasionally in the highest gear the engine would give a quick shake, reving for a second, then return to normal. I was told it needed a new ignition coil & spark plugs, and would benefit from a full tune up, all for $500. Sure enough the day after getting it back the problem was still there, and is now occurring more frequently than when I brought it in. After $500 the car runs the same / worse than before. I don't necessarily feel cheated, the guys that work there are nice enough and appeared to be honest, maybe they just didn't spend as much time as they should have diagnosing it. Don't go here for any major repairs. With $500 completely wasted to these guys I am left with a very bitter taste. Edit: In response to this bad review, they were apologetic and asked to bring my car in for them to look at again. I left the car with them for a few days, and was told they could not diagnose the problem. Vinny said "I fix your car, you take down star." He spent more time talking to me about removing this one star review than actually talking about the car. Now I see my review has been filtered, and I noticed all the other one star reviews that have been filtered. This is a flaw in the Yelp system. Please read all the reviews before bringing your car here. I ended up having to get rid of my car because of the transmission issues. Why would I have spent $500 when there was a bigger problem that ultimately caused me having to get rid of the car? Vinny if you really want me to remove this star I will do it for a full refund. read more

STAY AWAY!!! i waited 4 hours, half of my day, just for a simple smog check. These guys are extremely slow and it's not worth it!!! You can get your work done somewhere else and it will be 10x better! read more

I took my car into them to have it checked out for a small antifreeze leak, that only seamed to happen when I ran the AC. Vinny told me that it was a head gasket leak and that it would cost $950 to repair it. It turns out that it was the radiator cap, that was causing the loss of anitfreeze by overflowing from the overflow tank when the AC was being used. I am not impressed with their mechanics sloppy diagnostic ability, that could have cost me so much money if I had trusted them. I am so glad I went some where else for another opinion. I have always had good luck with Andy's auto repair, further west, down on Miramar Rd, which I will stick with from now on. read more

Save Auto is the best! I called the day before to get a quote on replacing some serpentine belts and they told me I could come in right then and that it would only would take an hour or so. Unfortunately, I had work later in the day but the very next morning I went in to get the work done with no wait. They replaced three of my belts for $75 including parts and labor! The staff here is very friendly and always do a great job. read more

I had a bad experience with Save Auto. I bought 4 tires from them in April 2021. I had a slow leak in 2 passenger side tires and they told me I had to replace them. I questioned them because those tires have less than 10,000 miles on them. They claimed the tires went bad because I drove on dirt roads. On Tuesday I left a dirt road at 7:30 a.m., hiked from 8 am to 2 pm, started driving home at 2:30 and the pressure light came on at 5:30 pm near Rt. 76 exit from Rt. 15. That's 10 hours since I had been on a dirt road. I put air in passenger side tires and drove home. Wednesday morning the rear passenger tire was flat. They claimed there were sidewall cuts, not a rock or nail,and that they couldn't fix it, and it was my fault because of my driving on dirt roads. I disagreed with them but needed to get it fixed. I said the tires were defective and they should give me a partial refund on the tires since they had less than 10,000 miles on them. My first 2 sets of tires on this car lasted 45,000 miles with driving on dirt roads. They refused to give me partial credit. read more

I needed to get my car smogged and found this place in one of those san diego magazines, I believe it was Buy 1 Get 1 or something like that... the price advertised was great! I called and asked if they did smog tests, asked how much it would cost and if I needed an appointment. I woke up early on a Saturday morning just to go there and get it done, to my surprise, they are not a star certified station. The ad, however, stated otherwise. There was a "state of California licensed smog check TEST ONLY" image on it... the person who helped me then said "oh yeah we cannot do this test here because we are not a star certified station" I then showed him the ad that DID say they were a star certified station. I know this might be considered me over reacting but if there is one thing I don't like is false advertisement. read more

Vinnie and John were helpful and very quick, beating the 30 minute estimate for a smog test, and at their usual low price for an SUV. Nice job, I will be back!! read more

I LOVE this place. For anyone that drives a BMW, you know how expensive and ridiculous the pricing can get. CRAZY. I literally drive up, they ask what I need, I tell them, and they give me a price. I jump out and a little while later...BAM. Car done and I pay. Honest prices, good guys. I love this spot and they are my new home mechanic. read more

Great deal to get your smog check. Check the website or local mailers for coupon. Make sure to pay cash so you don't get charged extra. Their hours are mislabeled on Yelp. They open at 8AM. I know because I showed up at 7:30 and no one was their yet. read more

Horrible place. The waiting room is decked out with Buddhist shrines with offerings of fruit and other things so you might think the place would be polite and courteous. You would be wrong. The person named John who runs the front of the business is hostile and aggressively rude. My first mistake was to pull in the driveway next to the business where I had just seen another car pull in. He came out cursing and told me to move my car. I asked why. He said you had to have an appointment. We had just called and were told to come right over. No mention of not pulling into the garage area.I said I would have made an appointment if I had known it was required. He said you could not make an appointment for a smog check! From there things went from bad to worse. He was yelling at everyone. Someone came in and asked about a car the same make and model as the person with me. I thought it was one of the workers looking for where he had parked his car. So I started to point to his car. John almost had a stroke. He started screaming at me that the guy was a tow truck operator and that he was not talking to me. Then I got mad and started yelling at him. He told me to get out. My friend stayed on a bit and finally got the smog check. We will never return. No price is low enough to make it worthwhile to put up with a sick and aggressive maniac. read more

Very rude !!! I went there for smog check after calling them , when i reached there one of the guy said you have to come back after 2 hours. I said i had called you before coming here , he was like "I didn't answer your call" . Don't waste your time read more

Beware of this shady Repair Business. I went there to have my radiator and was quoted $ 250. Since, the job would take a couple hours, they told me that they will call me when the job is done. Two hours later, John (I believe an Assistant Manager of Vinny) called me and informed me that my thermostat is bad and stuck open and the upper and lower radiator hoses need to be replaced. He quoted me via phone $ 560. I told him that it is too much and lowered the price. I called Vinny and told him about my situation and lowered the price to $450 and I requested to have all the parts old parts back as proof of repair. A couple of hours later, when I went back to the shop and Vinny (Manager) gave the parts. I noticed that the thermostat is in good condition, closed positioned and not stuck open. I then confronted Vinny about the good condition of the thermostat, and he told me that it is recommended to have the thermostat replaced once the radiator is replaced. I told him that John lied when he told me that I have a bad thermostat (stuck open). I then demanded that John deceived me, warning me of a bad thermostat vice telling me of recommended replacement. I then told Vinny that this is deception and I will not pay $ 450 and only liable to the $ 250 as verbally agreed. I demanded that I will pay the full amount as long as they will write in the invoice that the thermostat is bad and stuck open. Vinny refused to write in the invoice, saying that he will only charge me $ 350 and even refused to write in the repair invoice that they replaced the thermostat. I believe that they refused to write about the thermostat replacement because there is nothing wrong with the thermostat and I took possession of the replaced part which in the first place in good working condition. The 2 hoses are also in good condition and I only allowed to have the hoses replaced as long as thermostat is inoperable. I told them that I will file a complaint with the Bureau of Automotive Repair for this deceptive practice which I =believe is "BAIT and SWITCH". Archie read more

Wow. I found this place on yelp and I am so thankful that I did. They were super friendly both on the phone and in person. I have a large SUV and the charge was only twenty five dollars even, including the certificate. What a great deal! Not only that, they were fast and professional! Thanks Save Auto! I'll be recommending you to my family and friends. read more

Just had a great experience with this establishment. They were super nice from the moment I got there. The receptionist greeted me as soon as I pulled into the parking lot. They quoted me a VERY affordable price, plus a discount for doing a smog check and oil change. I sat in their waiting room watching a movie and listening to them greet several other customers by name. I assume they retain customer loyalty by the way people are treated and the great prices. I was out of there within an hour. I will definitely return here for my future car maintanance needs. read more

really nice staff. prices are cheaper than the other kearny mesa auto shops. I got my Smog check for $25 out the door. The guy estimated half the price to replace my serpenting belt than another place. Definitely coming back soon. read more

Great service the front desk guy Bao is awesome. Every time I come and get my car fixed he always provides excellent service always letting me know whats wrong and needs to get fixed and what can wait to be fixed. He give's me an option but it is up too me if i really want to spend that kind of money. Prices are cheap and hard to beat so i suggest this spot to everyone. I usually get a auto mechanic that usually tries to sell me things i do not need like to change my breaks when they are 40% but Bao actually tells me when i should and shouldnt change and that i can ride it out a little longer haha. This place does get really busy so i suggest calling in ahead of time. They even pick you up and drop you off if it need be which is also awesome. read more

Best service from Vinny. I've been here about 6 times so far and each time they've been so helpful and are truly honest mechanics! Save Auto is the absolute best place to go for anything you need- including smog! I've had them do everything from replace my broken door handle, replace a windshield, put in a new radiator, change belts.. Best service in the city! read more

Fast service, highly recommend. Went in for a smog check, with no appointment. They said it would be about 45 minutes, however they were literally done within about 15 minutes. I have a midsize SUV, and the check including the certificate was a total of $25. Will definitely tell my friends to go here. Thanks Vinny :) read more

Be cautious! I spent $3000 here for unnecessary repairs. I suggest u get a second opinion before getting the work done here. It's funny they keep a Buddha statue in the waiting room but they are greedy and dishonest. It sucks being taking advantage of. read more

Honest and good mechanics: 1. They are prompt to attend to you. 2. They did quick diagnostics on my car. 3. Told me honestly that there was nothing major wrong with my car after quick diagnostic. 4. Did not change anything for good advice. I recommend this shop for all auto work. read more

Just got my SUV smogged this morning. In and out. Great service! Ask for Johnny - he will take good care of you.

This is worse store I never see. No honesty! No idea why the boss allow his works drive my car without my agreement ! It's almost take 200 mile, only reason i hear from boss is they have to make sure my bumpers is fix. What's ridiculous thinking??? By the way, why I know this, because when I go to bank, I saw the works drive my car at the same time! read more

Excellent first time visit. Staff were professional and and very helpful. Everyone is exretemly friendly. I asked for a small work order for pumper pain and some work we got ample accommodations. Parking is limited so plan ahead. I definitely recommend this place for people desire professional service with smile and definitely to save cost of repair. read more

I would give this place no star if I could! I took my car in to have the hood replace and repainted because the first time I took it there they did a half ass job. My hood was not align right and the paint job was mediocre. It seem like they were in a rush getting it done. Also the manger Vinny was more concern on how I was going to pay him then fixing my car. Bad customer service! read more

Came here to smog my 06 Acura TL FOR $20 out the door. Now who can beat that?!?! As soon as I got there Bao greeted and helped me out. I was pretty much in and out. However it is not a Star station but newer cars typically don't have to be smogged at a star station anyways. read more

I have taken 3 different cars here to get worked on. Each with different problems . They are honest, have good prices and get the job done right. The only problem is they are just so busy. Sometimes you have to wait and parking is difficult at times, but that is expected . read more

Found through ad in SD Reader. 10W-30 oil change in 1 hour for $10. Thumbs up.

cheap fast dependable! my family of (6 drivers) have been coming here for our smog check for many years.

Great place to bring your car. I myself am in the car business so I was always searching for a good mechanic and these guys have met up to my standards. Keep up the great work I'll be bringing you guys a lot more cars ! read more

Smog check for $20? Best deal I've ever had, fast, friendly service. Definitely coming back!

15 bucks for my Jeep Wrangler oil change... in and out in 30 minutes. Cant ask for much more.

These guys rock! $20 for a smog check and they were done in 30 mins, no appt. necessary! I only wish they'd ease up on the incense in the waiting room, though...I had to stand outside to get fresh air. read more