Will always take my Volvo here as long as I live in SoCal. This guy lives swedish automobiles. And that's a good thing when it comes to mechanics. 2001 s40 read more

OOF. This place should not exist. It's a Saab junkyard. No maintenance bays are open, they work on cars on the sloping driveway and customers cars line the street. brought my Volvo in for an engine light, he charged me 400 for a sensor, and 20 minutes later the light was back on. I didn't go back and contest it because Raphael is just one of those types that talk a bunch and don't say anything. The good days here were long, long ago. It's a grim hole of suck and wastage now. Also, the old guy at the back of the shop that doesn't speak and gives women death glares, congratulations. You're the creepiest guy in town. read more

Great service on my classic Saab, Raphael knows what he's doing and get's the job done! Thanks, there aren't many shops left that know about Saabs and will actually do the work right the first time. read more

Swedish Auto AB (aka SAAB) is THE shop to take your Saab. Rafael takes his Saabs seriously. He knows what he is doing and will take great care of your Saab as if it was his own. Reasonably priced and does quality work - including working with suppliers to locate genuine Saab parts. I needed a duplicate key and Rafael worked with the supplier until they got it right. Ultimate customer service ! read more

I have taken my Saab here twice and the service is both fast and reliable. The first time was a coolant leak, and the repair was much more reasonably priced than I expected and took under 24 hrs. This second repair was a little more expensive than I hoped right before the holidays, but the owner was very transparent about what he replaced when I asked, going so far as to set the damaged parts aside for me so I could see what he had done. And it was still very fast, only a two day turnaround. read more

I've been taking my SPG here for almost 20 years and Rafael keeps it running smoothly. They're super knowledgeable, honest and try to keep costs down. I highly recommend Swedish Auto AB. read more

This review has been long time coming, I'm from out of town (SF) but Swedish Auto saved my bacon when I was traveling, I called them out of the blue last minute for some emergency service when the message came on my Saab 93. Like the reviews say, Rafael isn't all smiles but it's not smiles that got my car back on the road, and it's not smiles that work hard and keeping this thing on the road, I certainly couldn't work on it. After talking to him I could tell he has had many years experience working on these cars, turned out I blew a vaccum hose and trigger a limp home mode code. Rafael reattached the hose and cleared the code, checked my breaks and toped off my fluids and I made it home for Winter Break. Thank you Swedish Auto! I would recommend to anyone, not many Saab mechanics running around these days! Don't let the other reviews fool you, you can spot the nitpickers a mile away! Let them pay dealer prices...if they can afford it. read more

So I have never had any of my Volvos serviced here before but I was having a vibration and thought I would give him this place a try. The Yelp reviews are mixed. There were several issues and when I talked to Raphael on the phone he gave me prices for the parts necessary but never said anything about the labor charges. He charged $100 to read the check engine light codes. Told me my front brake pads were very close to being metal on metal. I changed them today. They was at least 3/16ths of an inch pad remaining on the left side and just over to 1/4 of an inch on the right side. As little as this car is driven monthly these brake pads probably would have lasted 6 months or more. I understand if he doesn't make it sound "urgent" then probably you won't have the repair done and he can't make any money. On the other hand I like an honest assessment of what it happening with my vehicles and I don't believe that is what I got. The lack of disclosure of an estimate of the total bill created a shock when he told me it was nearly $600. All he told me was the prices of the parts and never included any labor or disclosed the $100 cost of diagnostic for reading the "codes" and clearing them. One problem the car has is the alarm will activate for no reason and rundown the battery. One of the main reasons I took it into his shop, and the problem is still there. He thought it could be a computer module but wasn't sure. He complained the car had to be "charged" a couple of times, although I can usually start it with just a battery jumper box, and I still don't know why it is doing this. I will say when I complained about the sticker shock he did remove a $50 charge for 30 minutes of "diagnostics" or looking the engine over to see what he could find. I thought that was the what the codes were for. I feel he was less than honest about the brake pads and if that is the case I would have a hard time trusting him with another vehicle. The location is a little difficult to get into, and very easy to pass it up. This place is not a two star but rates a little more than one star. I will be L@@King for a different shop, you should too. read more

RUN! I've been taking my car here off and on for several years. I brought my car in with a problem and described it the best i could. When i got a call about what they found, it didn't seem related at all to the problem i described, but he's the expert and I took his word for it. Radiator leak and motor mount. After that work was performed, 2 days and $1000 later, he was ready to test drive it. After the test drive he found the original problem i brought it in for, transmission! The level of service you receive from this shop is equivalent to a box of rocks. You constantly have to call for an update even though Raphael says he'll call you back. If you call because you never hear from him, he gives you an attitude for ANYTHING you have to say. I'd understand if he had my car for a couple days, but he had it for over 2 weeks! Needless to say, he put my old radiator back in because i told him i couldn't afford all this work, without telling me it's probably not a good idea... $2100 for the motor mount, un-doing radiator work and replacing transmission. 1 week later my radiator failed! Thank goodness for Mike from Swedish Auto Tech in La Mesa. Not only did he repair my radiator for $470 instead of $700 Raphael would have charged, I had my car back in 1 day. The experience is night and day and worth the extra miles to get there! read more

This is a honest shop that charges a fair price for a job well done. I own a general repair shop in Portland, OR. Recently i had a customer who relocated to San Diego. Upon arrival they got the run around from both Jiffy Lube and the local dealer regarding their vehicle. A vendor of mine referred me to Rafael, in short order he got my customers car repaired. He does honest work at a fair price...he took care of the problem for one-tenth of what the dealer wanted to charge. I would recommend Rafael and Auto AB to anyone who wants quality work done for a fair price from a facility that believes in honesty and works with integrity. read more

Great mechanics who know what they're doing. I've always found that independent shops tend to do a better job with auto repairs than dealerships. I dropped my car off on a Wednesday with a list of things that I wanted to get checked out and things that I definitely needed fixed. I promptly got a quote for everything that I had mentioned, and didn't feel pressured into getting any of the stuff done. I saved the minor things for later, and they were able to get the major repairs done by the next morning. read more

Very knowledgable people on staff on Swdish cars! I took my Volvo to an unmentioned auto servicing when my check engine light came on and after 3 days and $600 of troubleshooting they still could not fix the light. I took it to these guys and within 2 hrs they figured it out and fixed my issue. read more

I have been taking my Saabs to Swedish Auto A&B since 1995. They are straight forward, reasonably priced and expert Saab mechanics. I can't remember ever taking a car back a second time for the same issue. There was a bump in the road a couple of years ago, when one of then two owners, became seriously ill- repairs waited a very long time. My car is returned clean, little things I did not notice are attended to. I have been advised several times that I am capable of doing the repair myself and they have sold me the part(s). I am probably more mechanically inclined than most people. If you need someone to hold your hand and make you feel good, this is not the shop for you. All business. They close early so be prepared to be there on time. These guys KNOW SAAB and perform better than any dealership I have used. read more

Have a Volvo that had been making noise (something was loose) and I brought it to Swedish to have it checked out. They figured out and took care of it. Also replaced some bulbs that a Union 76 station wanted to charge me $60 to do. It did take a day + to get it fixed which creates a logisitic challenge to get to/fro there and work, etc...but their small yard looked pretty full and so I guess you let them keep your car a little longer because they don't have a ton of staff. The flip-side is the prices are reasonable and Rafael (the guy I worked with) was a straight shooter and did not try and gauge me. Hard to find good mechanics these days and I loathe the dealer service departments where your rep probably couldn't tell you the difference between a fuel filter and a air filter. They do know how to say that 60K service will cost $649.99. read more

Raphael knows Volvo! This is an honest, friendly shop, and they always call with an estimate of price that you can count on, no bull. They make small problems go away that other shops would charge you a half day labor to just find the problem. Raphael is very upfront that his shop charges $90/ hour, but I assure you, his guys are worth every cent- they do fast and accurate troubleshooting. I have had 2 experiences, so far, and the work was fast, exactly as estimated (sometimes less!) and fast, easy fixes, that I am sure a dealer would have charged at least 4X for, if they could have even found the problem. I took an old 1985 Volvo in for major electrical problems and these guys repaired with amazing speed and very inexpensive! No hidden charges, no bull, just honest car repair! read more

Rafael and Jr were both very knowledgable and helpful! I have a 2002 Saab that had faulty work done on it by another auto repair shop. While the other shop couldn't figure out what was wrong with my car after having it for a week, the mechanics at Swedish Auto A&B correctly diagnosed the issue and had it fixed within a day. I have no doubt that they truly know how to work on Saabs, as I have found out that not all that claim they can do, and I will definitely be coming back to them in the future! read more

After being turned away from courtesy battery installation at Autozone, because I had a Volvo (more difficult installation) I quickly searched for a garage/car repair shop that serviced Volvo's or Swedish cars. The location was tucked away on pacific highway, so I took a chance and went in hopes that they could help me before my battery completely died and left me stranded. The gentleman working there was quick, professional and honest. We were the only 2 people in the garage, and as a woman, I get nervous in those situations. But, I don't think I was there for longer than 12 minutes total. What a great experience after a crappy morning for needing "a jump" to get my kids to school. I don't know the gentleman's name who helped me, but thank you for turning my day around!!! read more

Rafael is the GOAT! I had a volvo Xc 70 year 2007 that was literally declared a total loss by the CA highway patrol. Rafael was able to fix the car completely and make it street legal again. It needed a catalyst converter, some body work, and issues with muffler and transmission. Timely and cheap repair. Rafael and junior are super knowledgeable and will give honest answers on the state of your car. Highly recommend these guys. I will definitely be coming here for all future maintenance. read more

Raphael knows SAAB!!! He repaired my car, charged me HALF THE PRICE OF THE DEALERSHIP quoted service and it was quick! Great communication with customer and no "surprises" when the bill came due. I recommend this shop to anyone! I just wish he worked on my other car :-) read more

Great group of HONEST mechanics who charge reasonable rates and don't take you for a ride. I've had the Saab dealer quote me $800 for simple things that these people have charged me a couple hundred and told me what was really wrong and what was really going on with my car. They even show Ryan whats wrong and how HE can fix it himself. Wow, what great customer service and honest people. read more

In a nutshell: seems like ok work, but really REALLY awful service. I've been to this shop a few times and each time I walk away with a bad feeling about some part of the interaction. My advice is that if you're a Volvo enthusiast take your car elsewhere, if you just want basic maintenance and don't care about the quality, brand/type of parts they're putting in, don't ask any questions, and don't mind having your car in the shop for a few extra days then this place is totally fine. Pros from them: they replaced a busted heater hose and it still works Cons from them: keep car a day or more over the estimated time, don't call with estimate BEFORE doing the work, don't call to let you know your car won't be ready until late, put cheap parts in after requested specific higher-end ones, really rude. I felt totally bullied after they put the wrong parts in and I questioned them about it, I think they were expecting to be able to easily take advantage of a young female customer but when I actually knew what I wanted and asked why the lower end parts prices were ~40% over retail they were really rude. I couldn't even finish a sentence with Raphael, he kept interrupting me and raising his voice when I said I was dissatisfied because they didn't communicate with me (they said they'd call with an estimate BEFORE doing the work and didn't, said they'd put the requested brand of parts in and didn't, said my car would be ready at a certain time and it wasn't and didn't call until it was too late to make other arrangements). Basically a total failure for parts and service, ok labor. I brought my Volvo 240 here multiple times before switching to another shop -- the reviews from Saab owners seem somewhat better so maybe they just aren't that well versed in Volvos? read more

pros...best swedish car shop around town. if you have a saab or volvo this is the place to get it fixed. the service is great, their knowledge of swedish cars is very scary. they also have very reasonable prices, and the workmanship is always outstanding. they get it done right the first time. my car had broken down in mira mesa and i had called for a tow, and they suggested a place near by which worked on saabs. i went in and thought what the heck this place works on saabs, not exclusively but i saw a couple in the yard. i got a quote for the repair, it didn't sound horrible (by this time it would take a lot to phase me on saab repair bill prices). i was about to let them do the repair, but then i thought that i would call swedish auto just for kicks to see what they would charge. i called and when i asked for an estimate they quoted a full $275.00 less then the place i was at. i could still save even if i towed it down there for $75, i would still save $200.00! needless to say i had my car towed down the extra 10 miles or so and they repaired it the very next day by 4pm. and the first place i took it to said it would take at least 2 days to get it fixed, even with the parts already there. so hats off to my friends Mark, Raphael and Gary. you guys rock. they are always honest and never take you for a ride. they tell you what you can fix or tell you ways to save on some repairs. cons...the shop is small and you probably wouldn't want to wait there to get it fixed. and since they are a small shop they can't give you a loaner car like the dealer. but the prices are always reasonable even for a european car shop place. read more

Twenty plus years of driving Saabs - and these guys have been my mechanics the WHOLE time. They spend my money like it was their money - and make sure I am happy. When they retire, I am taking the bus. read more

After over 10 years of faithfully coming back to this place, I've finally had enough and given up. There service has gone down hill over the years and I decided to find another Saab mechanic. read more

Ray at the shop was great, he was able to get me in there at the last minute and accomodate all my car's needs before I had to leave town. I'm definitely going back to him anytime my Saab requires maintenance. I've seen a few negative reviews on here and based on what I read I think they may have been posted here by mistake. I tried calling another Swedish car specialist with a similar name and they never returned my calls (and I gave them a negative review for that), this is the total opposite of my experience with Ray and Swedish Auto A&B. Anyway, I highly recommend them. This 5 Star review (and my 1 star review for the other place) are the only times I've ever actually posted anything on Yelp and I did so because I felt like my experience in both cases was worth sharing. read more

Great service and very friendly people. They did a break flush and even found a new Saab emblem for the hood!

This is by far one of the best, most trustworthy car mechanics I've been to. Mark and the rest of the crew give realistic elements and exceed expectations in just about every way possible. I have a 96 Saab that has had problems from time-to-time and they not only diagnose the problem right the first time -- they fix it quickly and correctly. The last time I took it in I expected a broken convertible roof and a service light to cost several hundred dollars. The next day and $120 later it was fixed and ready for pick up. I found them through another mechanic on Yelp. I originally tried to take my car to Randy's Foreign Car Clinic because of their good reviews on here. They don't work on Saabs, but referred me to Swedish Auto AB in Middletown. Thank you, Randy! read more

honest guys know what they're doing they even negotiated with the after market warranty company on my volvo s40 and got them to pay for half the bill. car runs great now. advantec told me it was gonna be 2200 for a head gasket replacement, these guys were like no its just a sealant leak and one or two other things. 700 bucks, i only paid like 350. did an oil change for me also since all my oil had leaked out. this place is legit. if you have a volvo defitinitely take it here. read more

Raphael always does a great job. Great work, fair prices. They also get a great deal of business from dealerships and other shops as they are considered the best in San Diego esp. for Saabs. If you don't get it there early you can expect it will take a couple of days; but it is worth it knowing the job will be done right. read more

Raphael knows his Saab. He is passionate about it. I accidentally entered the saab club and didn't know much about it. My car gave a bad MPG ratio. I got a quote from another nice shop that stated my 9-3 needs a new cassette. They may have been right but it was costly and deserved a second opinion. Existing cassette was only 10 months old and installed at a Santa Monica authorized Saab shop, so it was not "Made im China". Raphael fixed the problem (a sensor and something else) and I saved $$. I didn't need to install new expensive cassette ($500). Do not expect bells and whistles or the 4 seasons customer service. It is a nice, professional mechanic shop and the place where you gradually build a relationship of trust and respect. Raphael is very knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the cars and I enjoy learning a new thing every now and then:) read more

I came to this shop after a trip from Los Angeles to San Diego and my check engine light was one. Being from out of town and a young girl I was worried about getting ripped off. Rafael did a great job and was quick. The final cost was less then I was quoted. Overall a good experience and my Saab is running better! read more

I've taken our Volvo xc90 here for it's last two tune-ups, and I've been very satisfied with everything. Raphel is a rare mechanic who takes the time to explain everything to you. I greatly appreciate this interest in me as a customer. He does fabulous work at reasonable prices. read more

I'm really surprised to see so many good reviews for this place, I agree that the work they do is good, but the service can be horrible. I took my Saab 9-3 there for a few years and wasn't dissatisfied, but when my window regulator broke and I took it in I couldn't believe how I was treated. I had removed the door panel and carefully peeled back the weatherstripping myself to see if it was maybe something simple like the window came off the guide (it wasn't, there was mangled metal), then replaced the weatherstripping. Rafael came over and literally ripped off the weatherstripping, tearing it, which seemed like bizarre behavior for somebody in the service industry. The car was like 10 years old and I was quoted about $675 for a new one, about $250 of which was labor. I didn't want to put so much money into a rear window regulator, so I respectfully asked Rafael about the possibility of me finding a used one in a salvage yard or something and having them install. For some reason that set him off. Maybe I caught him on a bad day, but I was so put off by the experience I went back to work and went on eBAY and found a used regulator for $32 shipped (I would have had no idea these were so readily available!) and put it in myself. It took like 2 hours but well worth it after that experience. In retrospect it's amazing how simple that was, if I ever had to do it again I could do it in less than an hour I'm sure. BTW, Mark is actually a very good mechanic there, and much easier to deal with. Now when I have something wring with the Saab I take it to Swedish Auto Specialists in San Marcos, that place is AWESOME. read more

These guys are cool. I have always gone to the volvo dealers to get work done and when my place went out of business I decided to check swedish auto ab out. The guys are straight forward do fast work and everything was about $200 cheaper than the dealer. Can complain about that. Only bummer is that it is in a some what sketchy area read more

I had the 30,000 mile maintenance done on my 07 S60 they quoted $225 and when I picked up the car they charged $177 because it took less time. Nice touch. read more

Professional, Courteous & Specialized service. I was delighted that they repaired a hanging bumper "gratis", after they buttoned-up my Brick. That was the epitome of Customer Service- anticipating a client's needs, before they ask for it. I highly recommend this shop! read more

Again my Saab 9-3 needed a repair. It has been a great car, reasonably maintenance free. I returned to Swedish Auto AB, the only shop I would take my Saab to. I was not disappointed, Raphael, the owner, was ready for me at our appointment time. Got the repair done quickly and at a very fair price. I continue to respect his knowledge and professionalism. read more

I have used this shop a bunch for my daughters 01 S60. For the most part, they do a great job for the price charged. Raphael the owner is a good guy, but not Mr Personality, so if you need someone that is Mr Smiles, try the dealership. I just had them do the timing belt and brake service on my 06 V70R. Saved a bunch compared to the dealership, but it did take two days, rather than one at the dealer. Make your appt on a Tuesday or Wed and all should go well with these guys. read more

rafael rocks!! I took in my alterntaor to get a new one but mine was Japanese and very rare. any other place would have said they couldn't help or thwy could order one for more expensive but he stuck with me and had it fixed in one day for a very cheap price! I highly recommend! read more

rude and dishonest this is a delayed review but i still cannot believe his ill-mannered behavior. he broke a part on my saab denied it but when confronted in front of other customers he promised to replace the part. i went back later and he completely denied that he would fix the part he broke. rude and dishonest read more