I was referred here by a friend years ago and they have become my go-to car repair shop. Honest, kind, trustworthy, and the list goes on... I know a lot about dogs as a dog care professional but very little about cars. These guys keep me on the road! read more

So my right head light went out a couple days ago. I drove on high beams that worked. Searched youtube videos. Looked do able. But decided to check my mechanic today for an estimate to save me trouble... He had me pull in right away and had the bulb on site! Put the new bulb in and it was dark.! Aarghh. He called Dad over and we checked the fuse. Replaced the fuse and new light works! You know how much of a headache it would have been for me to fix this. A new lamp but still didn't work! I would have thought a bad connection somewhere or something. Anyway, Charged me 50 dollars. read more

Honest, fair, and trustworthy; solid work, too. To the person who complaining they fed the cat, really? That cat happens to be Catalytic Converter, and if you can't appreciate Catalytic Converter or be patient for 5 seconds so Cat can get their breakfast, then you obviously can't appreciate quality either. The Car Shop is a gem. read more

The Car Shop - Catalytic Converter - ten stars. - Auto Repair Near Me - San Rafael, California

Excellent, high quality service. Reasonable prices, everyone is friendly and kind. I can't recommend them highly enough, they are the best!

Carlos and family have kept myself and my family on the road through some periods of extreme economic scarcity. The prototypical local mechanic who operates with more decency, honesty, and forthrightness than their competitors. In particular, if you're thinking of buying a used car, bring it here first. They're great at sniffing out lemons. A wonderful local business, family owned for more than 30 years. read more

Bob and his crew did very well by us when they serviced my wife's humble Pontiac Vibe (aka Toyota Matrix) for the first time. We brought it in for an oil change, a headlight fix, and general lookover. We were delighted that they took the initiative to replace several light bulbs and to rotate the tires in addition to the initial list. They did a fairly thorough but affordable job of giving us an assessment of where we're currently at with the car, i.e. brake pad wear, etc. We felt the bill was very fair, and they were able to turn it around in a day. They also changed out the battery for a new one in my older BMW E36 328i while we were out of the country during the pandemic. We will definitely be returning to them for service on the Vibe, and for non-specialized work on the BMW. I have a classic 1960 MBZ 180Db that they did not want to work on. "No Mercedes, no diesels." said Bob. Good to set and know your limits..... and who likes the smell of diesel (even bio-diesel) ! I'm still looking for service on that car. Thanks to the whole crew at The Car Shop ! read more

First time customer, turning up for a service. Read all the reviews, happy to try these guys. Bob is late opening the shop (I'm waiting outside), doesn't even say hello when he arrives, goes to feed the cat, open the shop up before even acknowledging I'm there. I'll take my business elsewhere read more

I've been going to the car shop for a while now for a little over a year I send my son there for his Mercedes as well, every time I get my car back it's runs like a dream!! Jorge and Bob are very fair at the price that They give me for whatever stuff needs to be done to my vehicle and also my son as well . We are extremely happy with the service that we received there we can't say enough good things about the car shop thank you Bob thank you Jorge for your service Serina Breiner read more

The Car Shop is the best shop in town.My mechanic Jorge is very knowledgeable.I have been using the shop since 2003 never stirred me wrong. Sometimes I need an advice just call Jorge and hi will always take the time to talk to me and help me. Always great service and great job. I recommend the car shop very very high. read more

I have been going to Carlos for 20 years. My Mercedes Diesel, Landcruiser, Lexus rx 300, Bmw 318i, my son's went through these by crashing them. He is the best. He is honest and knowledgeble. In fact such a rarity. Highly recommended read more

I've been going to the CAR shop since 1985. Always the best automotive service and Jorge can fix anything.

Of all the repair shops I've been to this place is BY FAR the most ethical, honest and capable of all. Its a (non-dysfunctional!) family business - you feel the warmth stepping into the front door. Flowers are planted everywhere there's space. The gentle way Carlos listens to the mechanics & customers, his iron trap recall of details about each car YEARS after doing a repair is stunning. Every repair I've ever had done has cost me less than I expected. Once the expensive part Carlos thought my car needed and had delivered to the shop turned out to be unnecessary. HE sent it back! I have infinite respect and regard for this shop and its people - I'm so lucky to be able to walk (or roll my car down hill) from home. read more

Really great service... not the cheapest around, but I really feel like everyone is so honest and up-front here. I recently had two oil-changes (two different vehicles), and they re-did the front-end of another SUV of mine. Each time, super-prompt and helpful service. read more

The Car Shop is a place out of a foreign country right in downtown San Rafael. You go there and wonder if you are still in the country. And yet it is probably the car repair shop i have trusted more than any i have ever worked with. Carlos, a lovely older man, with his thick Cuban accent seems to lull me into submission with his sweet honest straight forward approach. I have taken my 88 Toyota 4Runner there for years and even tho' i haven't always had a lot of money, it seems he's kept me running for the last 10 years even on a shoe string budget. His prices are 10 less per hour than any where else i believe. One thing i really like is that they have rebuilt things for me that other mechanics would laugh at or just replace and throw away. His nephew and chief mechanic Jorge is brilliant in knowing my car and everything about it. Jorge is always willing to give me much more of his time, research and expertise than i have ever asked for or expected. There is just something so old school, so based in trust and an old culture that i have always felt comfortable taking my car back to the Car Shop with every problem it's had mechanically and other. Now if i could just get them to work on my motorcycle! read more

Cory was polite,professional and down to earth! He helped us get a great deal. After so much hassle and unprofessional car sales men in the surrounding area(Hanin motors and some other lot), I was so pleased with my experience at The Car Shop. I will go back to them in the future! Thank you so much! read more

This auto shop is absolutely, by far, hands-down, the best. They are quick to accomodate and calmly resolve any auto issue you have at a price that makes me embarrassed for other swindling repair shops. The service was hospitable and combined with the low price I would be at a loss for words if anyone went anywhere else. I got my battery replaced and had been having electrical problems wiht my VW Beetle. Those cars are notorious for being difficult to figure out and I was expecting them to give me some grief over bringing it in without notice, however the true instance was that they looked at it and then they fixed it. No muss, no fuss service. Since I found them, I absolutely refuse to go anywhere else for my auto repairs. read more

What a marvelous experience! A friend recommended the Car Shop for work on our 2001 Honda Civic. I was greeted by Carlos, who has owned the shop for over 30 years. I asked if I could wait to have the car serviced in addition to a noise investigated. Carlos said they could do it right away, took the car for a test drive, and reported that we might need new front disk brakes. That diagnosis turned out to be true. Knowing that we were waiting, Carlos put two mechanics on the job, one for each wheel! Within the hour our car had been serviced and the front brakes repaired, all for an excellent price. Thank you, Carlos and family, for excellent, friendly and reasonably priced service. read more

professional, reliable, not expensive and friendly. Almost too good to be true. Worked on several of my cars and always helpful.

I've been bringing my car to these guys since I was sixteen. They are everything you could want in a repair shop, timely, honest. and trust worthy. I always am so happy when instead of trying to sell me a new hundred-something part, the guys fix the broken part. The shop's office is somewhat disorganized, but what do you expect? These guys fix cars, they're not interior designers. Anyhow, I love them and trust them, and best of all they always give me the best deal in town. read more

I second all of the above. The best mechanics in town and the most honest I've ever encountered anywhere. For example, two summers back my power windows and the a/c stopped working (imagine driving around in a car during the summer with no way to open a window or turn on a fan!) I was in a pinch and my brother recommended seeing Carlos. I came in, explained the situation, and Jorge stopped what he was doing to take a look. He got in under the steering column and was inspecting the fuse box, looking at the wires, and all of sudden everything started working again (obviously it was a loose wire.) I was very pleased that it worked again and asked him how much it cost and he said 'Nothing. I don't know what I did so I can't claim to have fixed it. If you like, bring it back and we can go over the entire thing. If it keeps working, probably no need to bring it back.' It kept working just fine. Now they're replacing the timing belt, which came off on the bridge. Other mechanics will tell you that you probably need to tear down the head and replace the valves, etc. but Jorge said 'let's see what's wrong--we'll get a belt on and test the compression manually.' Turns out there was no valve damage and my repair is going to cost about $1,000.00 less than I thought! These guys are exactly the folks you want to see when you've got car trouble. read more

A friend referred me to Car Shop and I'm so thankful! Jorge fixed my vehicle in the same day, explained everything and gave me some really good tips to help me save a lot of money. He looked over everything without me even asking, to make sure my new-to-me automobile was safe and otherwise road-worthy, and he did all this for a very low price. I found him to be very intelligent, skilled, and professional while also being very courteous and down to earth! I would refer my loved ones to them. Best auto shop around! read more

Carlos, the shop owner, is a great person. He is kind and knowledgeable. I have trusted him with all my vehicle for the last 15 years. Highly recommended! read more

I've been going to The Car Shop for years - Great service, great prices, great attitude. If you like shiny waiting rooms and mechanics dressed in matching overalls then look elsewhere, but if your main concern is getting your car serviced, then The Car Shop is the best! read more

Jorge is a car GOD. He knows cars like the back of his hand. Knows em on a level I don't think most people understand. He's the best

Friendly , excellent work and fair prices make this a great choice for auto repairs and Carlos is a joy to deal with. It's nice to find a business that still believes in old fashioned customer service. read more

Carlos took care of my wonderful old Olds Cutless for many years. Like everyone else I can say nothing but praise for this shop.