Today, Chris and his team came to the rescue to get me and the work truck back on the road quickly. I was at a business near their shop and was ready to leave and I see a puddle of coolant on the ground. I open the hood and a heater hose is broken. We reached out and they stopped what they were doing came over and looked at the issue, and said be back in a few minutes, outcomes tools and supplies and fixed the issue and we were back on the road. I thought my day was going to be delayed longer but they got us back on the road. Give them a try! Thanks, Chris. Jeff read more

Simply called for a quote to get a valve adjustment, was asked unnecessary questions instead of just giving me a price. I was never given a quote as I asked, was told I'd get a call back.. never happend. Very unprofessional, guy on the phone was borderline sexist. Treated me as if I didn't know a clue what I was talking about because I'm a female. Little did he know, I've been in the automotive industry for years, so I know exactly what my car needs... read more

SoCal auto did it again! These guys are awesome never disappointed highly recommend they tell it like it is and very reasonable! I went in a few months ago, Chris asked me who did my oil change in the past because they stripped the oil pan plug. (The other mechanic told me I need a whole new oil pan and didn't tell me about the problem.) Chris went ahead and order me a new plug and replaced it for me. Thank you guys! read more

These folks are awesome! I was in need of an oil change and was able to get in right away. They worked on my parents jeep and did a great job, so I trusted them with mine. Got me in and out in no time. Also took advantage of the first time oil change discount. Will definitely be bringing my vehicle back for future maintenance and work. Thanks again guys! read more

Today SoCal Auto gained a loyal customer. The reason I am supporting this business is simple. Honesty!! Background, my son just recently purchased his first car. Within a week of driving it, the Jeep started to make a pop sound when he turned the wheel. We initially tried to get it to the dealership but the earliest they could book an appointment would have been a week. I decided to search for a local shop and found SoCal auto on Yelp. Great reviews and when I called for an appointment Chris said to bring it in same day. We dropped off the Jeep and in less than an hour he diagnosed the issue and called stating it was just a loose bolt. Problem solved and from now on Im having all my service done at SoCal Auto. read more

I found SoCal through Yelp and all the positive reviews. This was my 1st experience with a new mechanic since the 90's and Chris was great. He even took the time to give me suggestions on selling the Eurovan online. I will be back again with any issues I have on my other vehicles. Thanks! read more

I was impressed with Chris's knowledge and how quickly he fixed my sons car. Thus getting him safely back on the road to Colorado. Many thanks! read more

You know that feeling you get when you find an amazing hair stylist and you swear you will never let anyone else touch your hair? Well let me just say, that's exactly what I think of Chris, but with my car, of course! Ever since I have moved to San Diego, he has been the only mechanic I have entrusted my car with. Chris is honest, to the point, and absolutely makes you feel like you are getting the best service/deal with your car...because you really are! From oil changes, replacing small items like air filters, to rotating tires, Chris and his team ensure that they do their job with utmost integrity. I would absolutely, without hesitation, recommend SoCal Auto if you're looking for an honest and knowledgeable mechanic. If I had one hesitation in writing this review, it'd be that I'm selfishly afraid he'll get too popular/busy that I'll have to book my appointments far in advance. ;) read more

Chris is extremely helpful, honest and fair. He took the time to look at my car, give me all my options and didn't charge me. I have had other cars worked on and he always gives me the honest truth and options to save money. The first time I brought my car to So Cal Auto I came for a second opinion and his assessment was a fraction of the first quote I got. read more

Didn't bring my car in for repairs, but spoke to Chris over the phone. What a sweet guy! I was calling around to get a quote for diagnostics on a broken break light (despite bulb change) and air bag sensor light flashing. First of all, Chris said he wouldn't charge me to tell me what was wrong with the break light. AMAZING, he was the only one to offer this. Chris also recommended I have a Nissan dealership take a look at the airbag issue since they would properly fix the issue without wasting my time and Money. VERY HONEST OF CHRIS! UNFORTUNATELY, I didn't call him first... took my car to Drive Auto in Escondido (referred by discount tire). They charged me $220 to diagnose my break light and air bag sensor.... and fixed nothing because with other repairs they wanted to charge me $1800. Too bad we're moving to Arizona in a couple of weeks, I would have loved to give SoCal a try. read more

Great an reliable service. Price was right. And completed on time I would recommend this place. Thanks Chris!!!! read more

Socal was referred to me by my friend Loni. She said Chris and his team of technicians are very honest and reliable..no bs. My son and I both needed to find a new mechanic so we called Chris and brought in our vehicles for diagnosis and maintenance on the same day. Everyone that we spoke with was very kind and easy going-down to earth. Our experience was exactly like my friend had described- even better..no upselling, great communication (Kia dealership never even called me on the phone!) treated me like a real person!. We will be returning customers and bringing friends and family with us! read more

My husbands truck needed a clutch replacement. Excellent price and excellent service. I would recommend this shop to anyone!

I've taken my car here before to be worked on, and the work is always fast and good. This review, however, does not pertain to the work done on my car, but to the fine-tuned knowledge shared on how to side-step costly mechanical repairs. Recently, my car failed SMOG. High NOX emissions. Not good. Took it to Chris over at SoCal Auto, who ran diagnostics (free of charge). When my car's diagnostics came back problem-free, Chris stood in front of my car, the hood propped, shining a flashlight down into the engine. "It could be any number of things," he said, hitting with the beam of light the myriad different engine components where my car might pose emissions problems. "It could be dirty piston heads, spark plugs, the fuel system. There's just so much. We can't tell what's wrong with it, though, until we replace these things and then retest it." That process seemed long and tedious and, worst of all, expensive. The car isn't worth that much anyway; it would probably cost less just to scrap the thing and buy another used heap than perform a thousand troubleshoots, which weren't even guaranteed. We stared at the engine some more, Chris and I, scratching our heads. Then he suggested something else: rather than spend the time and money required to take the engine apart, piece by piece, I could change out the fuel filter (an affordable component and a simple five minute procedure) and dump into the gas tank a can of this awesome stuff called Sea-Foam which, when run through the system, would clean the fuel system and hopefully pass my car's next SMOG test. I was willing to try. On the way home, I stopped by the auto parts store and picked up a can of Sea-Foam and a generic fuel filter, and then, at home, watched a short YouTube video on how to change my car's fuel filter. The task took less than ten minutes, and I'm not even a "car" guy. In the end, my car passed SMOG with flying colors! Super low emissions. Clean as heck. Dude who tested it said numbers so low were rare, at least for cars like mine (90's Honda). Thank you Chris for the honesty, transparency, and helpful advice! It totally worked! A situation where many mechanics might have pressured the client into shelling out big bucks for costly repairs, you helped me get those tags on my plate for virtually nothing. Cheers to you! read more

Sent this business an email requesting a quote for maintenance service and never heard back from them

thank you for taking care of an old Honda that still has it in her to run. It was unfortunate about the axil as I had that fixed elsewhere in July, but glad you found it and could accommodate the fix immediately. It is also another fun thing to have a dog on site to sit with me for a while. Such a good dog ! Thx... read more

I won't take my truck anywhere else. I little over a year ago I "gifted" my truck to my newly licensed teenager. SoCal Auto did a bumper to bumper and got the truck ready for my new driver. We saved a few items like brakes and shocks for my son and I to do so he'd get a little pride and vested interest in taking care of the truck. So fast forward a year later and an ignition coil cracks, and the spark plug fails. My son and I handle it but a little bit of research had me concerned about a blown head gasket that may be leaking fluid into the engine. I change all the fluids... and check for coolant in the drained oil. I didn't find any but just for peace of mind I took it to SoCal auto to check out. They checked it out and recommended a few future maintenance items to keep an eye out for... and refused to take money for the diagnostic. These guys are solid and honest. read more

I went in here a few years ago because my brakes were crunching. I just had my boyfriend replace them a few months prior so I knew they were new but I assumed he didn't do it right haha. Chris was amazing! Took the car out to hear the noise. I told him just replace the front and the rear get it over with and make sure I'm safe. He told me it was just dust, he cleaned it out, topped my stuff off and told me my rear brakes had about 10k miles left until I needed to repair them. I told him again to just replace everything because I was nervous and he assured me it was safe but if I really wanted to he would. For being a female in this situation I couldn't believe it. I usually get taken advantage of a ton and I was so grateful he was honest!! I have and always will refer people to him because of this! read more

The service you receive at So Cal Auto is definitely a five star experience. Chris is very friendly and easy to work with. I felt completely at ease scheding the service that was recommended. Just picked up my car! So Cal Auto is now my go to service garage. read more

Found Chris and SoCal Auto on Facebook a while back, and seemed interested in one of his posts. My Fiancé and I have been having bad problems with our old mechanic, and knew we needed someone else. Chris was super fast to responding to my Facebook message, and text messages. Brought our first car in for a general check and oil change. We where both shocked on how great of a deal we got, and how informative he was about our car. Been going to Chris for about 8 months now and haven't had a problem yet! read more

My car unfortunately broke down and SoCal Auto happened to be the closest and highest rated car shop on Yelp near my home. I was glad I came here. Chris was very easy to get in contact with. He checked my car out as soon as it arrived. He was very honest with my car's prognosis. He didn't even charge me for diagnosing my car's problems which I know many other car shops will. Chris gave off a very trustworthy and friendly vibe. I am so thankful I found my new car shop in the North County and will be returning in the future. FYI- the sign for the auto shop is a little hidden but continue to the end of the driveway and you'll find it. I recommend calling ahead so that they know to expect you. read more

As a business owner who takes pride in great service, I Just want to share what a great experience I had bringing my wife's Lexus in for oil change today. Chis and his staff were very friendly and thorough. They even found a pond of water in the trunk and drained it for us.!! That was random. I was going to take my F-150 to a different shop but asked Chris to check my brakes out and he took care of my completely worn out back brakes on the spot. Both cars fixed at a fair price with excellent service, before noon. Great job Chis and staff. Paul Hamel MPT Owner North Coast Physical Therapy. read more

My family has been coming here and had nothing but amazing things to say about them and their services . So I decided to give them a try , so far I'm super impressed. Very clean and was greeted with a nice smile when I walked in. Definitely recommending this place to my friends and family . Great,honest work read more

Trustworthy, reliable, and INTEGRITY is what this shop is all about. My car has been serviced here for the past two years and I plan on continuing. They do no charge for diagnostics. You will never leave feeling disappointed or taken advantage of. It is wonderful to have a local go-to shop. read more

The costumer service you receive here is outstanding. The owner Chris is passionate and flexible, making everyone feel like they are his top priority! I got my breaks replaced here and they, not only dropped me off at my work, but Chris personally dropped my truck off to me after the job was done. I will not only be recommending this place to everyone I know but will be back as well! read more

Quality service, fair prices, surprisingly fast. Very clean shop too, no-contact pay, and social distancing measures in place Its hard to find trustworthy mechanics in this area so I've been recommending socal auto to everyone i know :) Thank you guys for doing such a great job read more

SoCal Auto is great! Early morning my car wouldn't start and I had t towed to SoCal Auto. Obviously I didn't have an appointment, but they took my car and had it fixed same day. Their prices are very reasonable. The employees are knowledgeable and respectful. I also need some other work done on my car, which they described to me and have me a quote for the future work. However, they did not press me or strong arm me to have it done the same day. The following week, they followed up with a phone call. I've never had a repair shop give me a follow up call to ensure everything was still running smoothly. SoCal Auto will continue to get my business. 5 stars was an easy rating to give. read more

Hands down a must go to auto repair. They are quick in getting your car repaired & it's a guarantee job! Thank you so much for taking care of my Tahoe, we will be returning customers read more

Have you ever needed that one guy to be honest and also helpful?? My friend George said to call Chris at SoCal Auto. The car...2002 Honda Civic EX. Thermostat and overheating. 170,000 miles. I'm the only owner. My worries is a cracked block. Chris runs diagnostic and confirms the issue. Gives me a few options. In my mind This car should be sold or traded in. It has been good to us. One of the options worked and now almost a year later it still is running and at this point I am going to care for and drive this car till it's end. Such great advice and the money $$$$$ I have saved is phenomenal. Did I mention how courteous Chris is. He is. And his staff is the same way. Worth a drive if you need to or if you need to tow it, he has a drop box. What a blessing to have been referred here!!! read more

I recently visited SoCal auto after getting a terrifying estimate from the Nissan dealership. I wanted a second opinion on what Nissan had said was wrong with my car. I showed Chris the list and he let me know he disagreed with about 90% of the issues my car supposedly had. Chris was extremely friendly and explained everything to me. He ultimately saved me about $1000 and has gained my business for all my car needs. Thank you Chris for your kind demeanor and honesty! I have always dreaded visiting mechanics, especially as a female but you changed that. I will be recommending SoCal auto to all my family and friends! read more

Chris definitely helped my summer out. He helped me and my Honda get my passenger window working again. I definitely plan on going back there for any automotive issues. Thanks!!! read more

Mechanics, barbers and dentist are some of the businesses when you find a good one, you are loyal for life. This seems to be the case wit SoCal Auto Chris and his staff are awesome. Can't see myself taking my cars anywhere else. I could write up a couple of paragraphs about my experience but my 1st sentence sums it up. read more

I trust Chris to get the job done right even though I moved from San Marcos to Oceanside. It is definitely worth driving the small extra distance to work with someone you trust. Chris is an approachable and down to earth guy. read more

SoCal Auto - Rocco - Auto Repair Near Me - San Marcos, California

See all

Amazing customer service and was able to take my car in same day. They replaced my brake pads and I got my car back right away! Love this shop read more

Amazing and professional staff. Chris and his crew go above and beyond. The one and only auto shop my family and will go to in the future.

Chris is a reputable, knowledgeable mechanic shop owner who will thoroughly discuss your vehicle needs, whether the issue is serious or not. Don't hesitate to see Chris, because he's genuine and has great prices! read more

I highly recommend this shop ! Professional, knowledgeable, & reasonable. Chris diagnosed and fixed a very frustrating battery drain problem I was having. And got me going same day ! I'm very happy to have a trustworthy car repair shop in this area. Thanks Chris ! Steve, San Marcos read more

Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. They are going to be my "go to" for my future auto repair needs! Highly recommended!

Love SoCal auto. Chris the owner is always on top of it.. looking for a trustworthy mechanic??. He's ur guy. highly recommend!

Thanks for the great service . Chris is open honest and super easy to talk with. He double checked my questions I had and only did the minimal necessary services that were needed for my 30,000 check in my Subaru crosstrek . And thanks for picking me up when my car was done . A nice waiting area they have as well. So happy as so close to my home to find a nice new shop. read more