Grateful to have a guy like Hector in the hood. Class act, honest, hard working with a good crew behind him.

This review is long overdue. I no longer live in the area so I have not been to Smart Auto Repair in more than a year. But during the time I was driving my Honda, this was my place!! I didn't take my car anywhere else. Hector is great, he is knowledgeable and friendly. These guys are honest and do hard work. Hector always called me back and let me know what was going on with my car and when it would be ready. He would even offer to pick me up if I needed a ride. The best part was one day I had a light turn on and I drove straight over the Smart, they were really busy but Hector took time to come over and check the codes on my car. He informed me what the problem was and said that when I was ready I could call him to have it fixed. It was something really minor but he put my mind at ease. When my car needed to be smogged I went ahead and had the problem fixed. Before taking my car he had me bring it back and checked to make sure no codes popped up and referred me to a smog place. Overall while I was driving my Honda and living in El Cajon, Hector and Smart Auto Repair were the best. I would recommend them to anyone!! Thanks!!! read more

Long overdue review but better late than never. I first visited these guys when my 03 gmc failed smog...Hector spent a whopping ten minutes to find a blown fuse/swap it out. The guy didn't even want to charge me. Obviously he's earned my business. Flash forward a year and my transmission went. Again i visited Smart. Quoted a fair/cheap price and had the transmission re built within a week. Going on 80k miles now with no issues what soever. Lastly i had them do some custom work to a 1966 A100 Dodge i own...cooling system, rear main seal, valves ect. As always nothing but top notch service from these guys. I even got it delivered to my driveway. Thanks guys, you rock! read more

I was first introduced to Hector several years ago by a neighbor and have going there ever since. They do good work, are very fairly priced, are responsive, and are always pleasant. The latest job was replacement of a broken fixed window in my son's car. Hector found a used window back east and had it shipped out. It is in excellent condition and they installed the window. We were all happy. Through the years, they have worked on our Explorer, Pathfinder, and Lexus. And my son's Taurus. They guarantee and back their work. I strongly recommend Smart Auto Repair. read more

Hector is the most honest and fair and helpful mechanic I have ever dealt with. One time, the motor in my window went out but I couldn't afford the $400 to fix it; Hector undid the door, put in his own wrench to hold the window up, didn't charge anything... and the wrench is STILL in there (passenger door). He will give you options, and gives honest info on how long some service can wait. If he doesn't do it there, he can recommend other services, like alignment, smogging etc where you will get the same honest, practical pricing. I can't imagine going anywhere else. He gives me tips on my filters, tires (what kind to get), he is truly interested in mechanics AND people! UPDATE JUNE, 2015 I rushed in to get my oil changed on an already overloaded day. Once my car was hoisted into the air, the mechanic called Hector, who then called me to look at the inside of my tires. Wow were they worn. I had just been into Discount 2 days prior asking about air and tire life but they don't look at the inside walls. (Note to you RE: Discounts tire checks.) I had 2 more appts that day so told Hector I'd get tires tomorrow. He told me not to drive the car off the lot, or if so, to go direct to a tire store. My tires were that bad! I started to wind up not knowing how I would complete my schedule and Hector got me a loaner, I blazed off to appt and an hour later returned to the oil change and 2 new tires installed that he'd recommended. I barely had time to pay that bill, jump in car and make it to the rest of the day, but Hector took it in stride. He had to go pick up my tires himself, and balance at another shop since their equipment was being calibrated next day. Amazing (and fast) service. I was starting to delaminate, ended the day with everything done and wasn't late to either appointment. read more

Wow this review is long overdue. My family, friends, and I have been going to SMAR for about 5 years now. Hector is the most honest and wonderful mechanic I have ever dealt with. I can't imagine going anywhere else. If you are looking for an honest mechanic look no further, I highly recommend him and his team. Andy is great too. read more

Fuel pump went out on my daughter Toyota, I searched several shops in the area for turn around time and the cost to repair her car ...including Auto tech, Precision tune. Smart auto repair was $200 less in cost and completed the repair the same day..The other two shops gave estimated time to complete 2 days. Honest folks...We will be returning for future service. read more

I had some extensive repairs done on my bucket of an automobile and they were performed quickly at a very fair price. I picked up my car and noticed some issues, brought it back, they worked on it the rest of the afternoon and got everything worked out free of charge (as expected). By the time my car was ready I was alone at home with my kids and needed it for work the next day. Without having to be pushy they agreed to drop it off at my house, despite it being past work hours. Everyone makes mistakes, the way they handled it was class all the way. If someone spends that much time and effort to make good then you also know they aren't in the habit of making mistakes often. I will go to them again. read more

Hector works hard to make sure you get what you need at a fair price. He's legit. Great value, honest work, old school customer service, which is what you want when it comes to auto service. read more

I am commenting on the lack of work, yup that's right! Based on current yelp reviews we called and Hector answered at 830 pm on a Thursday night. We came on Saturday for an oil change and safety inspection before a long road trip. We had also suspected some issues with the transmission but let Hector due his thing without influence. He evaluated our car for free and have us some recommendations to fix a sensor issue and then said bring it back for the work. After a quick trip to autozone and a home repair session, the transmission jerking was corrected! We look forward to going back to get the oil change and inspection done! You bet we will go back!!!! Thanks Hector!!!! read more

I had gas leaking from Chevy Silverado and I called Hector. He said they don't really do mobile auto service anymore but that he would come out and see what he could do. One turn of the key and he knew the problem...he ordered the part came out first thing this morning and had it fixed in 20 minutes. For the part and roadside service (he came to my house twice) he was very reasonable priced. The service was only $100 with coming to my house...you can't beat that...Plus two months ago he helped me with a dead battery and stayed open an extra hour so i could get their and get my battery replaced. Great Service, Price and its nice to know an honest mechanic. read more

Really nice guys! I called because I had a nail in my tire, they took care of me immediately and were very reasonable. I didn't get the cold shoulder feeling I've received before from other automatic shops. Highly recommended. read more

Hector and the guys at SMART are awesome! Honest, skilled, and fast are all things I look for and appreciate when I look for an auto mechanic and these guys are top notch in all three areas. Went to them based on my brother's recommendation and their glowing Yelp reviews. Consider me a customer for the long term. read more

Found a car on Craigslist in San Diego (I'm in LA). The price seemed too good to be true, so I asked the seller to take the car to Hector for an evaluation. Set up everything with Hector over the phone. Soon after the car was dropped off Hector sent me a half a dozen photos from underneath the car that indicated serious frame damage. Hector called me and gave his honest opinion which saved me from spending over 10K on a seriously damaged car. I never had to leave my house for the 4 hour round trip it would have taken me to look at the vehicle and it only cost me $60 bucks! Thanks Hector!!! read more

Great experience! I'm not at all car savvy; so I called for a pre-purchase inspection. He saw me very promptly. Hector and I drove around the block and then we returned to the shop. He put the car on the lift, and checked underneath for any signs of prior accidents and checked for any leaks. Then back on the ground, he checked under the hood, checked the tires and the brakes. I felt comfortable walking away with a thorough inspection that was priced very reasonably. read more

I went to 3 different shops to fix my EGR problem with my 01 Mitsubishi Montero and none of them could help. I was referred to Hector at Smart Auto and after speaking with him for 10 minutes he diagnosed the problem and repaired it. He was honest, knowledgeable, and best of all very reasonable in his price. I now have my new mechanic. read more

Hector and his crew are amazing. I've been a long time customer. You have won a customer for life. I would never consider going anywhere else. read more

Been to Hector a couple of times as he was recommended to me by my brother. Went to him again last week to get bearings replaced on my Ford Explorer. I had gone to another shop before him as I suspected that one of the bearings which I had worked on two weeks before was failing prematurely due to me not torquing the axle nut down enough. That shop took my car and told me both needed replacing which was funny because I had checked the other side that morning and it was rock solid. Red flag! I went to that shop to check and sure enough that wheel was loose two hours after I had just checked. Feeling a little uneasy, I asked if they could match the off-the-shelf NAPA price for the part and they declined. Another red flag! (Look at my profile to see the review for that shop as I recommend you stay clear of that place.) Needless to say I took the car to Hector and not only did he say he'd match the off-the-shelf price he said he'd have the car back to me in less than 24 hours as he knew I had to drive back to Monterey two days later. Two hours after I left the shop I get a call saying the car is done! When I got there he informed me that the bearing I initially was worried about was indeed loose and merely needed to be torqued down. What was alarming was that the other axle nut fell to the floor when they removed the wheel. It's because of this fact that I'm convinced that the other shop loosened the nut in attempt to get me to pay for both sides at 250% markup on the parts! Needless to say, Hector had Art tighten that nut onto the axle and he charged me for one hour of labor and nothing else. It's been over a week and not a sound from the bearing. It is nice knowing there are honest mechanics in the world. I highly recommend Hector and will take my vehicles to him from now on. I encourage anybody reading this review to take their car to another shop for an estimate and then to Hector to see what he can do for you. You will not be disappointed with Smart Auto Repair. read more

Went here today just for a used car inspection. Just to start, the price for it was fair. Spoke to Hector, he was very informative and super nice! He even let me use his bathroom and an outlet to charge my iPhone! lol :) I could tell he puts a lot of pride into his work, and he actually knows what he's doing. Not to mention, he stayed open an hour later for me. He took his time, we had cool conversations, and he even has a sense of humor! He gave me estimates on future jobs no problem whatsoever. And wasn't pushy about it at all. I've been to a few mechanics in the San Diego area, but I highly recommend this auto shop to anyone! Gracias Hector! 5 Stars! read more

Just had Hector replace coolant tank on a VW Jetta. He was quick, took it in @ 12 & had it back by 6! I think he even stayed past closing to get the car finished! Can see why he gets his high rating, he definitely earns it! Very personable & easy to talk to!!! read more

Just adding my awesome review to the long list of awesome reviews. Hector got me in on a busy Saturday morning and re-assembled my car door that someone else botched. I can't say how grateful I am that he got my car back in working conditions, on my schedule, and was so pleasant and funny at the same time. read more

Hector and his staff are the best!! I have been taken my jeep and truck to him for years. Hector worked at Mobile gas station at the corner of Severin a few years ago and when they closed, he opened up his shop on fletcher, and is a very friendly, knowledgeable and awesome mechanic. He takes great pride in his work and makes sure that as customer, you are satisfied and happy. Also, with both my truck and jeep, I never had to take them back for the same problem. I have served in the Navy and now I am in the Air Force Reserves and I would have Hector and his staff on my team, because they know how to get the job done right the first time and his prices are really good. Hector's honesty and hard work makes me proud to serve our awesome country. read more

I have been going to SMART for the over 5 years, and I have never had any unreasonable costs or experience any unprofessionalism. Hector has always been top notch to me. Things take longer than expected some times, remember, it is a car, and nothing in this world goes as expected with timelines. I have found older cars can be challenging getting parts. I would never stop going here. John B. read more

I needed a pre-purchase inspection and made a few calls before I read the reviews on Yelp. I am SO glad I did. Severin was the first of 5 places I called that actually answered. I explained to Hector my urgency and he made arrangements for an appointment in 30 MINUTES!! He also saved me money by eliminating a test I actually requested, but apparently didn't need! He test drove the vehicle, put it on the lift for under carriage inspection and performed a series of tests. He also gave me his opinion. Hector is a hard working, reliable, and honest professional. I highly recommend Severin Mobile Auto Repair. read more

I loved their service and the manager is amazing and very helpful, but I can only rate them one star because one of their employees used the words "god damn niggers" in his language because he was unaware that I was in their waiting room. He tried to apologize and make excuses but its 2013 there's really no excuse for using that terminology. I don't hold it against the manager and his other staff because yes they were professional and helpful but it made me feel very uncomfortable being in their establishment since i am an African American woman. read more

I'll never take my car to a retail chain again. This place, especially Hector is awesome. Work and the prices are excellent. Been using this place for almost 2 years. read more

I went to have a 60,000 mile service done on my 2010 Toyota Corolla. I only came here because of the high reviews from Yelp that are on here. I have never been here before, but I will definitely be coming back. I actually had an appointment with El Cajon Toyota today to do the same thing, but chose to give Hector my business instead. Here's the kicker, Hector did not charge me for a faulty cv boot that El Cajon Toyota charged me to replace two months ago. Hector took a picture of it and sent it to my e-mail so I could send it to El Cajon Toyota. So, instead of a $300 bill that Hector could have charged me, he only charged me for the service plus a new battery. Thanks to Hector and his mechanics, I saved more than $150.00 today! He even offered to give me a lift to Denny's while I waited to get the car done. I was in and out there in 2.5 hours! I don't know if Hector reads these reviews or not, but if you are, you should be commended for your honesty and hard work. Thank you so much. You have earned my trust with my vehicle!!! read more

Hector is a very nice guy. He came to my house to check out one of my cars. I had the car towed to his shop and he fixed it. The problem was the fuel pump. read more

I called on Hector to come out and start my car (a 93 Escort wagon). He came out, started my car, and worked his magic for me. His schedule was pretty full for that week, so I arranged to have him come out in two weeks so he could replace a blown head gasket. He called me two days early, came and got the car and took it to his shop. He did the necessary work - AND MORE - and still came in under the quoted price. Prompt, honest, friendly! I will recommend him to all my friends, and I will definitely go back to him if I have any work to be done on my car. Truly lives up to his previous reviews! read more

Found my new place for my auto service. Excellent service and very thorough in my car's inspection. All the fluids were checked and refilled. Very nice and friendly workers!! Will definitely come back!! read more

HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. I was disappointed to see the lack of professionalism at this mechanic after reading other reviews. When it comes to mechanical work, they may be average but I'm complaining mostly because of how I was treated and how disrespectful Hector was to me. As a result, I refused their service and was happy to take my business some place else. I will neither come back to this place nor recommend it to anyone. read more

Great Services, Hector is one of kind... Old school mechanic proficient, knowledgable. It is wonderful to have a mechanic that we know provides great service and reasonable prices! I am greatful for the his services. read more

Great experience, shop personnel always treated me with courtesy. They did a great job taking care of several issues with my vehicle so I will definately consider them for future repairs. read more

Went to get my mustang checked out for a few things here because of all the great reviews. Every repair I needed was explained to me in detail and only the repairs that were necessary. Very honest people and gave me very reasonable repair prices. Finally found a great repair shop! Thank You read more

Hector and his crew have been taking care of my cars for at least 10 years. I followed him from one repair shop to his own. He is honest and reasonable in his repairs. He will work with you until the problem is resolved. He has bailed me out of some tight spots with my cars, even coming to a restaurant when my car was having problems. read more

My family and I started going to Severin Auto a few years back because it's near our house and our mechanic of 10 years retired. We were so lucky because Hector, the owner, is the most honest and fair mechanic that you can find! He is an extremely knowledgeable and skilled mechanic. In addition, over the years he has stayed late after hours to help us out, fixed things for amazing prices, and even sent us home when he says nothing is wrong or it's not worth the price to fix it. What mechanic does that? He does. He cares about the people that he works with and takes pride in what he does. He's a mechanic that you can trust, and I recommend him to everyone! read more

Hector,the owner to this company cursed me out after I had brought my vechicle back to him for a job that he did that wasnt completed correctly. When I arrived there I wasnt upset I just wanted the job finished the right way. He didnt take responsibility and told me to fu__ off. He told me that the part that I gave him from pep boys was defected and to take it back and if theres still a problem come back and see him. I said thanks then got into my vechicle. Rethinking what he had just told me I realized he was sending me back to the parts store with the part still installed so I walked back into his shop and mentioned to him that I needed the part taken out of my vechicle in order to return it. He has one of his workers take it out but wasnt happy about it and so I told him I just wanted the wiring harness installed correctly , he said the wiring harness was bad and that it was my fault for brining him a bad wiring harness I told him that I had no idea it was bad, it was brand new when I handed it to him still in the box from pep boys after going to get that specific wiring harness he asked for. I told him its not my fault and that its his fault for not checking the wiring with a tester before I left. He to me fu__ you its your fault for brining him a defective part. I forgot to mention that the first time I went to this shop to have this wiring harness installed was about two weeks ago and I wasnt able two make two scheduled appointments I had with him. Im mentioning this because he shoulve had the tester he said he was going to get by the third time I finally made it there. Anyhow we argued and screamed back in forth out in front of his shop untill I was finally like dude I just wanted the wiring harness fixed correctly,now I want my money back because you didnt do the job you said you were going to do. He tried to tell me he needed a different wiring harness but he must have forgotten that the one he said he needed I still had in my vehicle because thats what I brought him to begin with. I mention that to him and went to my vehicle and got that same wiring harness out and all he could keep saing is that I had brought him a bad wiring harness which is the one that was installed wrong by him so on and so forth and that he didnt want to put that one in originally because he had to charge me more money. I had no problem paying him any amount that he quoted but he just assumed that I had no money because ive got a bunch of tattoos and he was stereo typing me because my jeep was all dirty. Little does he know, money wasnt an object. I just wanted the job done.This guy barley even speaks english and has no right telling me that I am wrong reguardless. I was respectful and I treat people the way I like to be treated. I figured maybe he wasnt understanding me or something after he asked me over five times if I understood him. I asked him if he wanted me to tell him in spanish or english how stupid he looks about such a simple issue. That just made him look even more dumn. Im a light skinned hispanic that doesnt look hispanic at all and this guy thought he was going to direspect me in front of his employees for something he had done wrong . He must not of known that im hispanic as well, only he needs to learn better english. Anyway ... I am posting this because this guy doesnt deserve perfect ratings for his a actions. I hope nobody elese has an experience like this. Maybe he was just having a bad day but thats no excuse because he had no problem taking my money for his services. read more