Well I called them to set an appointment. I told the guy on the phone that my car was leaking oil from the cylinder head and may need a gasket replaced. He said they don't work on that, that they only do brakes, and smaller jobs. Yet there is a pic of a receipt that they do work on head gaskets. Anyways either they lied to me or didn't understand what I needed. read more

Ted's used to be great and trustworthy, but something has changed recently. We brought our car in for work on the head gasket (had been diagnosed elsewhere). They told us the engine was destroyed and there was nothing else they could do with the car. They referred us to someone else...it was a cash-only auto salvage. We returned to a Toyota-certified repair shop and they confirmed it was only a head gasket issue and the entire issue was resolved for less money than the bizarre auto salvage referral was going to charge to replace the entire engine with some salvaged car's engine. I don't know what happened there, but we certainly won't be using Ted's anymore. read more

Great service and very honest! Gave me a few tips on what I could do to keep my car running smoothly.

This is an honest and trustworthy auto garage. Their prices are fair and reasonable. They have excellent customer service and high technical skills. read more

I went here around last week and had a man named Derek "help" me. I say help very loosely because this guy has terrible customer service. He's very hard to work with. He doesn't have respect and he even insulted my intelligence when he told me I don't know what I'm doing when I clearly do. Sure I'm not as knowledgeable as mechanics but there's no excuse to treat your customers like that. He also hung up on me on the phone. It's embarrassing because I actually had Woody's auto shop in Pacific Beach recommend me this place. To get this as my first impression, it's very likely I won't be going back. read more

Been taking my car here for years. Always quality repairs, honest assessment , and competitive pricing.

So I wrote a great review for this company. I've taken my same car there a couple times now and never had an experience like this time. But this was the first time I needed real work done. My previous review stated some work had been done to my car elsewhere and I brought it here and they verified I had a brand new water pump and radiator cap. Fast forward a little over a year and my car is backfiring. I take it once and they can't get a good read and don't want to charge me for something they aren't sure of. We'll end of July my car is worse so I take it back. I get a call from the shop after a few days and they say it's my intake manifold and it needs to be replaced. Ok but I know the second cylinder is what's acting up from the previous time I took it there. Ok replace the intake manifold. Well doesn't solve my problem still an issue with the second cylinder. So now they've had my car 3 weeks and couldn't figure out why so they needed to take off that side of the head gasket bringing my total cost to $2103. Ouch! But ok. Handle it. A week later, same guy calls me and says it's ready to go. For the low low price of $2560 and when I asked him what happened to $2103 he tells me he never told me that price. I didn't pull it out of my ass though so yes you did. Then I get the paperwork and find out they sublet my car to a different shop and that's why it's more. AND I was charged twice for the same thing. Unfortunately, I won't be bringing my car back to this place or recommending it any longer. read more

Ted's Garage - Shows head gasket twice. And a charge for a new thermostat, radiator cap and water pump that we're still new - Auto Repair Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Best service and straight forward with customers- they explain what is wrong with your car and answer any questions you may have. I like how Ted's garage manages to provide the best outcome for their customers. Great mechanics! read more

My previous mechanic passed away, he was awesome, I'm trying to look for a guy like that. You will not find it here though. I wish someone had yelped this place before I decided to give these guys a shot. I only did it because they are around the corner from me. So I called without an appointment. They asked if I could come in a couple of days, I said I only had today off, so they fit me in there. Good start. My check engine light was on. The problem code prompted them to suggest getting the plugs changed. So got the plugs changed. What I really enjoyed about my old mechanic was the time he would take to explain things to me over the open hood of my truck. Pointing to a part, showing me stuff so that I don't feel like "what the heck happened" and my wallet is 300 dlls lighter. I got the rushed feeling with Ted's Garage. When I went to pay I was greeted by the receptionist and when I asked her a question about the service she called the owner and he came in handed me the spark plugs, hurriedly answered my question then left again. As I was leaving, I remembered to ask them if compression was fine on all 4 cylinders they said yeah everything was cool. A few days later the check engine light came on again, this time I called my cousin in Mexico He found a mechanic that found the problem in 10 minutes by checking **guess what**. The compression on cylinder 1 was about half what it should be. Ted's garage broke whatever fledgling trust I had in them by lying to me. The owner seems to be a nice guy; it was one of his workers that fed me the b.s. However that doesn't do anything for me. I'd rather goto Mexico and pay 20 percent of what I would here even if they do lie to me. Who knows maybe my next mechanic is somewhere in TJ. (btw, I had a damaged cylinder head and got the whole thing plus reconditioned head for $350 in mexico) read more

I live in the North Park area and was in Otay for work, when out of the blue my car would not start. I googled some garages from my phone and was recommended Ted's Garage by another garage that was too busy to help me that moment. I called Ted's, was told they could take a look at my car and they recommended a tow truck. Shortly after the tow truck gets me to Ted's they discover my problem was super minor and I was out of there paying only a few bucks more than the tow. As far as garage reviews go, I think most people worry about the honesty and when i went into Ted's with my dead car, I was justifying to myself how much I was probably going to have to spend to get out and was super pleasantly surprised to only be out pretty much just the tow. Awesome. read more

I was in search of a garage to take my car to immediately. Teds garage was more than accommodating and had me in within 2 hours of calling them. Brian was very helpful and explained everything to me, with a breakdown of what was needed. My car was in and out and runs like a dream! I'd absolutely recommend them to anyone needing services. read more

I have been coming here for years. Great honest repair shop. Prices are good also. We will continue to go to Ted's. Ted Glen and Derek are fantastic. read more

Great prices an nice staff feels like your local neighbor mechanic spot....PLUS THEY GIVE FREE RIDES HOME if you live in a reasonable close area I assume....talk to anyone here but I have been dealing with Derrick for over a year and he's great.....an they take care of MILITARY... read more

Update: Derrick thought my post was funny. Guy is a joke. So after today I have a lot to say. My family and I have been coming here for over 20 years. We stopped coming here regularly about a year ago. Things all changed when mike no longer worked in the office. Derrick the guy who has been in the office has jacked up prices and always seems to find something new that's wrong with my car. Earlier in the year he quoted me at 1k in repairs so I went else where. For my oil leak and brakes/ rotors to be fixed I got them fixed for $600 else where. This already had me reluctant to come back. Today I went back for a smog and oil change. I got there 5-10 mins after opening and Derrick says I'll be right with you. 15 minutes pass he sits back down and asks if I've been helped? Yet he is the person to check people in. He then proceeds to tell me it'll take an hour to finish. I wait on my phone and the next 2 customers who come in are offered rides for having to wait yet I was not offered one? Derrick then tells me that I need a new air filter, rotors and tires. Like I stated earlier I got brand new rotors in February. I gir filter, smog and o then went straight to my new mechanic. He checked all of them and a neighboring mechanic also checked and confirmed they are perfectly fine and Derrick had been trying to scam me. Everyone here was always awesome and it's a shame to see it go this way. I could never recommend this place to anyone anymore. read more

Paolo and his guys at the garage did an amazing job on our car. We were told by another mechanic that it needed a fuel pump and would cost around $1k to fix. The guys at Ted's found the problem to be much less. They were honest and quick with service. Made a life long customer today. read more

Had been taking my business fleet to Ted's for years and have sent many people their way. Always very honest, fast, and a pleasure to deal with. In the last six months, EVERYTHING has changed. Since Mike left we've never had a good experience and they seem to change staff weekly (all treating us like an inconvenience). Several times they recommended expensive repairs that did not fix problems, (full charge though). Recently found out we were billed for major work that was never done. - Go elsewhere. read more

One of the WORSE honesty people ever I wouldn't go back again. I ask for a quote for my Honda i was having problems i dont know my car so I went to ted to see the problem was going on, the told me my line hose for my fuel pump was linky and would let me know more issues until he lifted my car. He call me back and said only problem was the pump told me 400$ . I said why so much because cost labor and part Labor 120$ per hour and the part 200$ So u get the math When I look up the park its cost less than 120 i found one pump for 90$ my honda is a 2001 my part are cheep and labor should not take to much , after the payment i think my car completely with all problem and shoot this with me ,and one more thing we found another problem with ur car so when I have a chance to bring it back so we can fix that when I have a chance. That why I came in the first places to see ALL PROBLEM with my car they just milk ur money, read more

I should have written this long ago, but better late than never! The best shop I have ever been to, hands down. I like to do all my own work because my truck is 33 years old and most places won't or can't work on it. However, there are things that I can't do and Ted's is my go to shop. Prices are very reasonable and the quality of work is superior to any other place I have gone. They have also given me some very good advice which they did not have to do. I have them do all the work on my wife's Toyota. We get both of our vehicles smogged there also. We recommend them to friends and family and I recommend them for you too. read more

Let me tell you a story about Teds Garage in Chula Vista. On Karen's car, the gas gauge only registered half after a fill up, and it showed a message that said the gauge would only show 1/2 to E. The check engine light came on as well. So I took it to Teds Garage. They worked on it off an on for a whole day. They reset the computer, fiddled with the flux capacitor, realigned the stick valve and non-plussed the plussifier, only to tell me that they can't replicate the problem. They took it for a test drive, and when it came back, it had fixed itself. Did I mention they worked on it off and on for a whole day. Well, I don't know how many hours their mechanic spent doing what he did, but they DIDN'T CHARGE ME ANYTHING! Yup - charged me NOTHING, because, as he said "we didn't fix anything." That, ladies and gentlemen, is why I always take my automotive problems to Teds. They are good at what they do, and they don't rip you off. If you need a reputable mechanic shop (and who doesn't?), I recommend Teds Garage. read more

These guys are awesome! My car failed smog and they did the repair amazingly fast and they didn't screw me over on the price! Very reliable, Mike offered amazing customer service! I will be back and I highly recommend this crew! read more

Just wanted to say Ted's Garage was recommended Because the shop we go to doesn't want to do this type of work. They were able to give us a quote over the phone, which is not easy if they haven't seen the car. We have a 2003 Crown Victoria and the intake manifold was leaking. I thought about doing it myself, and realized it was going to be a 200 + curse word job. They had the job done in a day, and were close to the quote they gave us. This is the first time we have been here and most likely will come back if we have other problems. read more

Very trusted people. Mike is an excellent service writer and never charges you more then what you need. Mechanics are very knowledgeable on all makes and types of cars. A very trusted shop. read more

Super honest. Great guys. Couldnt ask more from a mechanic!

I am soo excited to have found my NEW auto shop, Ted's Garage! Thanks to Mike and Jose for taking such good care of me and my Honda Pilot!! I was lucky enough to have driven my car onto their driveway before the engine died on me - I was in such distress. They knew exactly what the problem was, took care of it in a couple of hours - all at a reasonale price!! No more second guessing on where I need to get my car serviced from now on...THANKS AGAIN Mike and Jose!! read more

These guys are FANTASTIC! Super honest, if they can't fix the problem they won't charge you for checking it. My parents have been going here for years and suggested to go to them when my husbands car didn't pass smog. His check engine light was on, we had took it somewhere else 4 months prior they said they fixed it and $400 and 2 months later it was on again. Anyway, we took it to teds and the next day they said it was done as there was no charge and to bring it back if the check engine light ever comes back on. We will be going to Ted's for all our car needs from now on. read more

Friendly, trust worthy mechanics.

This place has been in business for years. If you are looking for a reasonably priced and honest mechanic, look no further! They are upfront and honest, they won't tell you that you need to repair or replace parts to make a buck. This is the only place I use now! The staff are all friendly too. read more

Best mechanic in san diego :) him and his team are are very friendly our family been trusting our cars for him for a long time. He doesnt put a front like goodyear or other mechanics in san diego does if you bring your car for an oil change they will do it and tell you what REALLY needs to be worked on. I brought my car once to good year for an oil change then they came at me with a list of stuff needed to be worked on..belts, shocks, and other sorts...(my car was 2007) then brought it to teds shop when glenn one mechanic whose awesome hechecked it out he laughed and told me straight no i didnt need anything good yr was telling me my car is all fine saved me a grand thanks! Labor and parts are fairly a decent price also no eye gouging prices u find anywhere else read more

Got my Smog Check done here no complaints honest and friendly crew 110% service thanks guys

I had just crossed the border at San Ysidro - heading home from a trip to Mexico- on my way back home to Los Angeles- and my car engine started to overheat. I called AAA and they recommended I go to their partner repair shop- but a quick Yelp search showed that their recommended shop (where I would receive a discount) had a reputation for dishonesty. I called back and asked if they would instead take me to Ted's shop because it had such good yelp reviews. Well, I'm so glad I did- this shop is the real deal. I don't know anything about cars and they were kind and honest about the problem (which was minor- so minor that THEY WOULDN'T ACCEPT PAYMENT for fixing it- what? Who does that?) there were a lot of locals milling about who knew the mechanics by name and one older gentleman said he'd been bringing his car to Ted's for years now. I don't live in the area- so thank you yelpers- for guiding me to a true gem of a small business. It's places like this that make you remember not all of the world is bad. Thank you for helping me when I was in a bind, guys! I'm so grateful! read more

Teds Garage is the best place to have your car serviced. It is a family owned and been in business for years. Everyone is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. And the prices are great read more

I have taken my car into Ted'd Garage a few times to get work done with Mike and both trips had amazing service. My mom was told about this place by a family friend and now this is the only place we take all of our cars. The workers are VERY HONEST about what needs to be taken care of and about prices for their services. I noticed in my last bill that my oil change was 1/2 the price of an oil change from a different place I had gone to in the past!! If you are looking for someone to work on your car, here is the place to go! read more

Great price, fast and easy, won't try to sell you out. My car was ready within 3 hours for a broken axel and the staff was helpful as to giving me advice on what I should look out for next or if my car needed anything. read more

Went in bc my battery light had been on for a while so I wanted my alternator to be checked. They tell me that the alternator is good but that battery is not. Because of this, I bought a battery from them. This was about 3 weeks ago. The battery light turned on again about a week ago so today I took it to the shop I usually take it to. They told me that the alternator is what was wrong with my car. I basically spent $100+ on a battery I didn't really need because of a wrong diagnostic from Teds Garage. Customer service was great but I won't be coming here again. read more

11/14/11 Ted's Garage is way over priced and horrible service. I went there to get my rear axle done and they screwed that up by not fixing it properly. I had to bring it back and to get more work done and was charged even for more money for their incompetence! I regret going to Ted's Garage and would never recommend them to anyone! I couldn't even give them 1 star! Their that horrible!!!! save money and go somewhere else!!! read more

this place is good solid shop, i took my daughters accord in for a flashing check engine light, they spent at least 2 hours trouble shooting on why it was missing on 2 cylinders, he could have told me it needs all kinds of crazy work but he was straight, he gave me a quote offered an extra deal (since i work a block a way) plus he didn't charge me for the trouble shooting. car was done when promised. you got a customer for life. read more

I have a 1981 Shay reproduction of a 1929 Model A Ford. Under the hood it's basically a Pinto. I've been concerned about where to take it for a couple of problems I've had with it. Ted's did a great job on a coolant leak and replacing a brake master cylinder. Mike was especially helpful. Gives me great peace of mind knowing I can take this beast there read more

I can't say enough about this place. They are honest and do great work. For being a small business they sure pack in the cars. If you want a great mechanic I highly recommend this place!!!! read more

Finding a good mechanic is hard. Finding an honest mechanic is even harder. Luckily I found both here at Ted's Garage. Mike at the front is funny, friendly and doesn't bs around. If you are having a problem with your car that can lead to a major safety issue he will let you know. I took my 2006 Buick in for a water pump issue that was supposedly fixed 4 months prior when I bought the vehicle it took the dealership's place a week to do it and they obviously didn't do it right. It took the guys at Ted's less then 48 hours. They also fixed a major safety issue with the strut mount bearings that was causing a major booming noise whenever I turned the wheel. Thanks to the guys at Ted's my car now purrs like a kitten. I will recommend them to everyone. read more

I love Teds Garage... you will not find a shady mechanic in this place!!! Always reliable and very trustworthy. They do great work and would never take my car anywhere else. One small thing though... they aren't open on weekends. Other then that I could not say a bad word about this place. You will not be dissappointed, my entire family and I take our cars there for 20+ years. I am sorry to hear about Orson B's experience... I have never had a problem (must be the very rare exception) read more