Buck and his team are incredible. My family has being going to South Bay Datsun for years but when I was living out of San Diego I took my care elsewhere. I have had two brake replacements prior each costing $1k. Now that I'm back in San Diego. I took my car in to see Buck and the crew. Not only it half the price of what I had been paying but I got my car back in only a few hours. My family will be going to SBD forever!!! read more

The service is terrific and their prices are very reasonable. I had my front brakes done last year and today they are working on my rear brakes. I appreciate Buck and his team and am glad to have a repair shop that I trust. I can easily recommend this shop and have saved good money getting work done at South Bay Datsun instead of the Ram dealership. read more

So refreshing to have a reliable, honest, and fair-priced shop to take our cars! We have been going here for several years and have had nothing but good experiences. Buck and Joe are very knowledgeable and kind. They make practical recommendations, never try to push unnecessary services and treat their customers like family. Appreciate you guys! read more

Buck and him team are awesome. Very pleased with the work they do. Their prices are very reasonable.

Service is always top notch and the staff very attentive to the cars needs, dependable high quality work

I first went here about a year on a recommendation from a tow truck driver. I just got done there with a rough idle problem. The cost was quite reasonable! Buck's been in business a long time and knows his stuff. Thanks again, Buck. read more

Sent my father there, great service, personable and reasonable! Buck has been in busy over 40 years!

They used regenerated parts to fix the issue we were having, then when we asked if we can bring the car in, they told us they were getting out of business, while they are not, so they refused to serve people, like if they want to leverage their trusted customers. Very bad quality. read more

Unprofessional, unknowable. I called to ask for a price for diagnostic, and the dumbass tech that answered was a little rude. He asked what problem my car had, and continued to say I might have a blown gasket. 1. My car is not blowing any type of smoke out of the exhaust or engine. Apparently the are scared to work on actual Z cars. Never ever coming the this FAKE DATSUN SHOP. read more

First time customer at South Bay Datsun, after many years of taking my car to the Frank Toyota dealer in National City, I am taking my car to Buck from now on!! He is honest and very knowledgeable and will only recommend work that is needed. Frank Toyota recently changed ownership to Dalton and recommended $6k worth of repairs when I went for routine oil change. I had been taking my car to Frank Toyota for service ever since I bought my car there 22 years ago. total sticker shock so decided to get another opinion. I took my car to Buck for 2nd opinion, the repairs I needed amounted to $400 and not the inflated $6,000 recommended by Dalton. if you still take your car to Frank/Dalton, buyer beware and look elsewhere, take your car to Buck!! read more

I brought my 1974 Datsun 710 after 20 years sitting in the garage. Buck's team did a complete overhaul on the fuel system, brake system, valve job, tune up and bushings. I would highly recommend this shop to any Datsun Enthusiast. read more

See all

I was recommended to South Bay Datsun by a co-worker. They were very professional and polite. They were fast with getting my vehicle repaired and they prices were fair. I plan to continue using their services. I'm pretty sure they will be my go to repair shop moving forward. read more

Buck is the best! Got my transmission serviced, fuel injectors cleaned and a tow hitch receiver installed in one morning. Got a short ride with my son over to the water park while my car was getting worked on. Super satisfied with the A+ service with a smile here. read more

Buck is awesome. He has helped me many times with multiple vehicles. South Bay Datsun is the first place I go for help with my vehicles. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Tony Jackson - Imperial Beach. read more

Wow. I am so happy with this auto shop!! I drive a 95' Ford Ranger, which I purchased for decently cheap back in Jan. But by the end of February, I was having some real clutch issues. It was sticking going into 1st, and grinding badly when I put it in reverse, and it took a lot of muscle to be able to do either. I tried to repair some parts myself, but admittedly, I am not mechanically inclined enough, and was unable to do what was needed to fix the issue. So after much frustration, and talks with friends, I was referred to South Bay Datsun, and I am so happy that I was. I took my truck in, and within a few minutes and just one turn around the corner, the owner, Buck, knew exactly was was wrong and gave me a price quote. I needed my truck for the next few days, we scheduled the maintenance a few weeks out. It was something I could deal with, but not for too much longer. The day I brought my truck in, they were able to receive it immediately, and within minutes brought it into the auto bay, and started work. Literally, I was there for maybe five minutes, and saw this all happening. The work they had to do involved R&R my transmission, and surprisingly, they even completed the job a few hours before closing, THE SAME DAY!! So Stoked! As soon I depressed the clutch, I noticed an immediate difference. No longer spongy, easily put it into all gears, and no grinding when I threw it into reverse. Seriously so amazed. Embarrassingly, I have been dealing with this issue for way too long, and Buck and his staff at South Bay Datsun did an amazing job, and I could not be more happy. Owning an older vehicle can be kind of a headache at times, and I am so happy I know about South Bay. I will 100% be taking my truck there for any issues that I may have in the future, as well as referring my friends there too. Thank you so much, South Bay! read more

It was great working with Buck, they stand behind their work. I recommend these guys.

I took my car to Buck for my scheduled 8:00 am appointment. He said there were 4 cars ahead of me and first come first serve, so the appointment ment nothing. He then became very rude and insulting. Felt like a racial attack. Not sure what was going on but I left and will never return or recommend. read more

South Bay Datsun got my car in right away. I needed an oil change and I had oil leaking from my car too. They found the leak right away and got it all don quickly and it did not break the bank. I highly recommend Buck and his crew to work on your car! read more

Brought my 2012 Mustang GT for some pretty expensive repairs, and Buck Sanchez and his whole team were awesome from start to finish with my car. Buck took the time to explain to me everything that was wrong with my car and best possible options. I don't get what the other bad reviews are about, I guess people think they're entitled to something...these guys go above and beyond with their work and I'd recommend them to anybody looking for a knowledgeable professional honest team. Definitely worth the drive all the way from East county! I'll be back Buck! Thank you! read more

South Bay Datsun - Auto Repair Near Me - Chula Vista, California

I had a awful experience here! I literally had my old Buick towed from this place because Buck was so rude to me. It's been awhile but this was my experience here. There are other mechanics who will appreciate your business. read more

The owner buck is very rude !! Not sure if it's because I'm young but should still be friendly, went here a couple of times and he has great prices but with an attitude like that I wouldn't want to come again. I had to get my windshield wiper fluid reservoir replaced and he was only going to charge me $20 to install it. Prices are great if you can suck it up and deal with the attitude... no thanks read more

Buck and his team are honest, trustworthy, and straightforward mechanics. He has been my family mechanic for over 30 years. My Honda Accord has not broken down once-- I've been going to Buck since I got the keys to my first car 7 years ago. He tells me what's coming up (like how my brakes are at 60%) so there's never any surprises. His prices are extremely fair, and the feeling being able to trust your mechanic wholeheartedly is priceless. In addition, Buck takes the time to explain the problem and teach me about my car. He is like family to many, all of his customers that I have seen love and respect him and you can tell his priority is just keeping people safe, not breaking your wallet. I selfishly hope he never retires! read more

Great service and reasonable prices. They are always honest and don't try to oversell you on things. Thanks Buck

We have been going to Buck for 30 years. He is honest and does quality work. I know when I leave my car with him he does what's needed and if anything additional should pop up, he calls and explains what needs to happen. His repair costs and services are fair. I selfishly don't want him to retire. He is a good person. read more

I was referred to South Bay Datsun and Buck the owner of the business by my neighbor who has used and known them for years. I am very pleased with Buck and his crew and the work they did on my vehicle. I had them work on my brakes and tighten the fan belts. It was very easy to call ahead a couple of days to make an appointment, and I showed up on time and Buck's crew was ready to work on my car immediately. I highly recommend South Bay Datsun, and will use them again in the future when my car needs work. Thanks Buck! read more

Buck and his team are the most honest mechanics I've ever known in my life. They do an excellent job and I've never had any problems with them. I've been going to them for over 15yrs! read more

Buck Sanchez is not just a mechanic but a good friend who is always willing to help and educate me on my Datsun. Buck Sanchez solved my low idle issue and pointed me towards the right direction in solving the intermittent dying on my 77' Z in which he said might be the distributor. Took my car home installed a new dizzy and vroom! Car runs great. Buck always gives me tips on how to keep it running great and is always there to help with me bringing my car in for minor adjustments on my air fuel meter which is valuable knowledge he doesn't have to provide where other mechanics would rather charge customers more money . Great shop and great mechanic! read more

It started with a call. I've been to this place before (about 3 weeks ago) with a friend he had the throttle body on his Lexus fixed. When I was there the person that helped was Buck. Buck seemed like a really respectful guy in person. We explained our issue handed over the keys and he said no problem. The car was fixed no more issues. So I called today wondering if he would fix my Lexus it has an evap leak issue. I call and ask for Buck he says "this is Buck" I explained my issue that I have code P0442 and I wasn't exactly sure what to do to fix the code. I'm confident it's an evap leak I'm just not sure where and I don't have a smoke machine. His response is "fix it yourself if you already know it all" I was kinda baffled because I thought you call mechanics to explain the situation with your car and then they fix it. I explain to him that I just wanna take my car in to get it fixed. He says okay bring it in and will test it. I'm like " okay sounds good I'm just not confident in doing to myself that's why I called" on second thought I shouldn't have said so much. But after saying that he immediately said fix the car yourself if you know everything and he hung up. Not sure if he's just having a bad day or he's always like that. I met him in person he was cool so idk. But just watch out for saying too much around this guy. read more

Brought my Dastun 620 truck to get it checked for a sound it was making that was not normal. Drove the truck with Bucks brother inside to show him the sounds it was making. I leave the truck so it can get checked, i get a call back from his brother stating that the truck is ready and sounds really good BUT as soon as i pull away its starts making the same sounds so either bucks brother is deaf or just straight up lying about it sounding good. I call buck to tell him that the trucks still making same sounds and he tells me i need to bring it back in and drive it with his brother which i replied to him that we had already did that, his response was "oh you did", well of course i did that was the whole point of me showing up in the first place, and the reason i was charged for the work that was done. Why would i have to come back a second time to show him the same sounds, if they couldn't figure it out the first time why not just let me know. As soon as i tried to ask about his brothers behavior he got defensive and told me that if i had a complaint he didn't want to hear it and told me to go somewhere else lol. So i am going somewhere else and yall should too. Very disappointed as i really wanted to give these guys the benefit of the doubt. read more

Buck and his crew is amazing. My family has been coming to him that's how I was recommended. A big bulk of his business is based on referrals. He is extremely trustworthy. I have so much trust in him that I just drop off my car and pick it up without discussing what I am going to pay. If it's a major expense I know he will call me before doing anything to it. When I've tried taking my car to other mechanics I've felt uneasy and questioned whether or not they were trying to take advantage of me because I'm a girl and don't know much about cars. Highly recommend him and if he cannot do a particular job he will recommend someone great to you (transmission work alignment etc) Thanks Buck! read more

My car got towed here because it was my bad alternator that needed to be replaced not my battery since I just bought a new battery at OReilly's. I got referred to Buck who is the owner of the repair shop. He gave me a good price for the part and labor. I'm truly grateful I had my car working again. I was frustrated this morning but luckily I have great people surrounding me. My car arrived around 11 am or so. I got a phone call from Buck saying my car would be done by 2 pm. I had a friend take me there to pick it up. I'm so glad they fixed the problem. Buck said if anything else goes wrong with my car, just to take my car to him. I honestly think these guys do a great job. I'd rather take it here than at a dealership. I save so much money here. I was happy to see my car running again. Thanks Buck! read more

I have been taking both of my cars to Buck for over 10 years. Buck and his staff are friendly honest and considerate. Best of all, they tell you what is important and what is recommended. Price is always reasonable and I will always recommend this business to my friends. Thanks read more

Honest and conscientious garage. I've gone there for two decades. Buck Sanchez and his crew do consistently great work at a great price. They're also very good at figuring out what's wrong. Tell them the symptoms and they'll find it and fix it without breaking the bank. Not just that but in those cases they could have suggested unneeded expensive fixes many times, but often simple fixes and when not they call, explain, and check before pricier fixes. I can't recommend them strongly enough. read more

Thank you South Bay Datsun. GREAT SERVICE. Very reliable, very affordable ,if you need your car worked on go to South Bay Datsun.

Despite being OVERCHARGED ALWAYS I will speak on a new issue that has just arisen with this hell of a mechanic shop. I too have taken my car to buck for a couple years and I don't know if he is mad at his life now or what happened but he has been rude to not only me but MY SWEET MOTHER and father who are always very nice and respectful and I overlook it because it is not natural for me to join in confrontation when I am above this. But this was the last straw. I had my car recently fixed by this BOY buck. This excuse of a man. And called to thank him and ask if I could bring my car in to have another problem looked at. He proceeded in a very rude way being condescending and telling me that he doesn't just look at cars when people need him to he only looks at cars who have an appointment. WHAT IS THAT?! I WAS CALLING TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT!! I finally had had enough of this piece of shit and told him how I really feel and he got scared and hung up. I proceeded to call back and he asked me if I want to play games or talk to which I answered "which one do you want to do?" as at this point I honestly wasn't sure. He hung up on me and when I tried calling back he just let it ring until it went to voicemail. I called back again and he sent it to a fax machine noise somehow. I don't know how someone can be so unprofessional at their business. It is one thing to not like your life and not understand how to deal with your problems and take them out on everyone else. That's average any loser can do that but to do it to customers who have kept you in business for years is just unfathomable. I am a decent human being but it is obvious to me when others are not. What you do to others you are doing to yourself; he obviously hasn't figured that out or loves self mutilation and his self pity and shame and lack of self confidence to handle situations in an understanding and professional way in today's progressive day and age sticks out like this asshole's sore and defeated attitude on life. Please, for the decency of humanity and karma and the universe's true wishes, find a different mechanic. There is NO LOVE in this poor Boy's heart and his employees know it too. I pray for you Buck and hope that you may find peace and a different outlook on life. I know some people who would do some terrible things if they were treated the way I was by this man. Thank God they are not his customers, for his own sake. 0 stars. Very, very, very poor service. And I NEVER leave bad ratings for anyone. Hardly use Yelp. Always give the benefit of the doubt but this man deserves this 0. His pattern of being rude and then apologizing is a pathetic ritual that he has not overcome in his 60+ years on this planet and that is sad. Go ahead, apologize for this one buck. With no sincerity as always. Apologize to your inner self that knows how right I am. Apologize. Or better yet, just admit that you're Sorry. read more

I have a pretty mint Datsun and needed some scheduled repair. I scheduled an appointment with South bay datsun and I took my car there. It was a long drive for me but seems like South Bay Datsun is the only Datsun specialist in town. Well, I am not disappointed. Buck has tons of experience with Datsun. His Datsun service certification is on the wall dated back 1971. They did a valve job on my Datsun. The price is reasonable. Buck spotted a minor gas leak. fixed it without extra charge. Great and on time service. I will definitely go back (even though it's a long drive). read more

I took my car to Southbay Datsun to get some work done. Buck the owner is super cool and super knowledgeable. And his prices are more than fair. It's so hard to find an honest mechanic. I would recommend this business to any and everyone needing mechanical services. I'm so glad I got place to take my cars now. Thanks Buck! Fred Lohr read more

My friend recommended this repair shop, and let me tell you: I may never go back to a dealership ever again. They diagnosed the problem within an hour, called, and said that the car would be ready to pick up today. After asking two dealerships to check my brakes and both saying, "They look just fine," ... this morning the brakes failed. It was only second to driving in a blizzard as the scariest thing that has ever happened to me on the road. I can't tell you how thankful I am that they were able to take me without an appointment, and fix this issue. Additionally? The dealer with parts and a labor repair estimates came back at $600. SBDatsun came back with a $277.12, and said, "just bring in the $277. Forget the .12 cents." Thank you for keeping me safe on the road, guys. Appreciated. PS. If you're like me and have to get to work? Only about a five minute walk from public transpiration options. Worked out perfectly. read more

Buck and his team are the best. When I show up for an oil change they get right to it. I've never had to more then 30 mins. I'm in and out that quick. My Dad has been going here for years, when the shop was located in Imperial Beach. He is very honest. Need work done on your vehicle? This is the place to go! Hopefully he'll be around for years to come. read more

Customer since 1979, Buck and crew are outstanding mechanics, honest, friendly and very thorough. My family and friends are all enthusiastic about Buck's services! His record is exemplary! read more