In the value triangle of quality, price, and service, Adan at The Grease Monkey exceeded all expectations, and he went the extra mile to do more than he promised, for less than he had committed to over the phone, and he was ready for my appointment, on the dot, and he got me out the door when he said he would. I now consider The Grease Monkey a valued resource and one I will definitely return to. 5 stars. read more

Under new ownership as of Oct 2024 I would like to preface this by saying, this is not a complaint about services performed, but rather a complaint of unnecessary white lies told & scheduling BS that is insulting to anyone's intelligence. Utter indifference to customer relations & disrespect to a potential customer's schedule. I called in to Grease Monkey & asked for John (owner, with whom I was familiar) & was told John had to take time off for personal health reasons. Fine ? I told the man (Abe) that I needed an oxygen sensor assessed/replaced &/or anything else that I needed for a smog. I asked him to please check my brakes & give a general once over to appraise me of any issues or problems that could come up in the future. I made an appointment for the next morning. I called on the opening bell because I was running late & I wanted to be mindful that they only had one open bay, & it was raining which meant pretty sucky conditions if a man had to work in the open, & so told them that they could go ahead with another client if they needed to. Abe said "No - get here whenever - 2 cars are leaving & there is no back up of cars needing work." Fine. Arrived 9:15 - plugged in computer to assess oxygen sensor - was told part was in stock & it should take 45 minutes to arrive at shop, maybe 2 hours for all work done. Fine - I left, occupied myself for 2 hours & checked in via text around 11:15 Abe said they were still waiting on the part & that their mechanic had to go to the hospital but that they could wrap it up by 1pm. I decided to walk back to the Anacapa shop & physically check in. My car wasn't there. Abe said it had to be taken to another shop. I had to ask 3 different times where the other shop was, & decided to go over & check out what was going on. I asked a neighboring business (same industry) what was going on at Grease Monkey & they said new owners - so why did Abe say that John (old owner) was away on personal health issues..? Odd & unnecessary. Upon arrival at shop #2 Coast Tire (noon?) my car was sitting outside, so I asked the mechanics when my car was going to up on the lift & I was told they were (still!) waiting on the part & that the car would be ready by the end of the day - I was promised my car would be ready by 11am I called Abe & he said the part was on it's way - I had offered at the outset of this pathetic adventure to go fetch the part myself in the interest of getting things rolling so I could get my car back sooner, and to, you know, HELP OUT and Be Kind...? I left & returned to Coast Tire an hour later = my car nowhere close to being put in a work bay. When I asked where the part was, the mechanic said "At the other shop". Mechanic proceeds to scramble around saying, "I'm going to put it on a lift to check your brakes right now", to which I replied "Not happening" & I got in my car & went (back) to the Anacapa shop. Recap: almost five hours in, 5 total shop visits, 2 different locations, 2 different stories & no work done on my car. Abe pointed at some surly dude behind a desk & said "Here's my boss" and I asked, "What do I need him for? You're the one who knows the story & who I've been dealing with." I asked if I could just buy the part, to which boss man informs me that the part was "at the other shop!" & that he is "Not in the parts business!" Apparently Grease Monkey & Coast Tire are not in the reputable auto service business, either. ************* F I N ************* PS - received an apologetic phone call from Abe which was nice, but I'm not comfortable dealing with/soliciting people to repair my car who skirt the truth & do so poorly. No soup for you!!!! read more

Last week I went to repair my car and I did not see John . They told me he was on vacation then how far later they changed the story and told me that he sold the business.. I took the chance for the repair and pay top dollars . However, the moment I took my car from the lot, I still had the warning on my dashboard. I told the car back and they said there was something else . Abe told me I had two years and 28,000 miles on the warranty . But the owner of the shop has corrected 24,000 miles. I drove the car 5 miles and came back. They did not honor their word. Owners name, Aaron, translate something in Spanish I can't remember was very rude. Long story short, John is gone , their prices are quite high, and they fix nothing. Oh, by the way, you will be receiving a lot of insulting from them . You have been warned read more

Out of nowhere I was given a car from a friend-I know, how kind BUT! Sadly he had paid for a lot of work to be done at this shop including an oil leak problem. I get the car(still have my old car and need to register this one so not driving new car a lot as I need to get ducks in order).I notice car suddenly running rough so I check basics and oil is way low. No bueno, right? I think how can this car come from a mechanic, I drive it around town a handful of times and suddenly it's low on oil and smoking badly? Yikes! I don't really have $ to put in a second car but since Grease Monkey had done the recent work on the car it seemed logical that's where I should go. But wait! Things go South yet again and car won't start. I arrange for a tow and tell Grease Monkey Hey, not starting and engine/oil issue needs to be checked out. He doesn't seem to really be listening but I think surely he will notice the smoke after he figures out why it won't start. I'm called and told car is ready, starter was replaced, about 300 dollars. I say OK but what about smoke coming out of tail pipe? The REAL concern I had even if it did need a starter. He says Oh, that's just normal condensation, it will go away. I leave with little hope all will be well. As I take exit off freeway there's a cloud of smoke behind me like I'm being followed by a dust storm. I take side roads the rest of the way home. He fixed the starter but obviously didn't look at the engine. I have no extra $ to pursue the issue and when I finally do a mechanic tells me there's gas in the exhaust and it's extremely dangerous to drive. I think it's important to note that this all took place under previous owner and I think the mechanic I dealt with at Grease Monkey is gone now. Just seems these days a lot of mechanics plug your car in a computer and don't really sit in a car and listen and diagnose things like they used to. read more

Had a brake inspection, and anticipated repairs, prior to some hauling. John was very knowledgeable and informative, and stuck to his offered communication timeframe. The anticipated repairs were reasonable in scope, and fairly priced, relative to the market. 4 stars instead of 5, because I found the brake fluid master cylinder topped off, instead of filled only to the "max" line. As with a prior brake service and flush at another shop, once I corrected the fluid level, there was noticeable improved braking performance. Otherwise, definitely recommend, and will return. read more

John is an honest, knowledgeable, and fair businessman and an excellent mechanic/shop owner with only a "can do" attitude. I was extremely pleased with my repairs, the price and the overall outcome . I highly recommend the Grease Monkey. read more

Needed an oil change before leaving town and Grease Monkey was the place to go. Easy to book online, accessible location downtown, and friendly quick service. Even got some swag metal straws as a thank you for coming in. Thanks!!! I'll be back. read more

More great service from John. Have used his service 3-4 times and have been so happy with his work.

John is awesome!! He has helped my wife and I out so many times from minor tune ups to emergency repairs and we are SO thankful. We have a 1969 VW magic bus, 2002 Toyota Tacoma & 1998 Isuzu Trooper and he can do it all. If you looking for a very honest, super knowledgeable and very fair priced mechanic John at the Grease Monkey is the man! Thanks John :) read more

If you have a car problem or truck problem? Go see John! He will get you back on the road in no time at a price you won't find ANYWHERE in Santa Barbara!! read more

John is a phenomenal mechanic! I have gone to him for various repairs since I was in College, from Replacing a Radiator to Changing my Break Pads and let me tell you! He is one of the good guys!! While many place in town have brushed me off and made me wait forever to even see my car, or tried to charge me almost double of what John did, or refused to give me estimates over the phone. Or actually took $150 to tell me they still didn't know what was wrong (true story). I realized I was really lucky to find him when I did. From day one he treated me very nicely, and is always quick to explain what is wrong, why it matter, how it works, and what the pricing and timeline will look like. Including how much the part is and how much the labor cost is going to be. He isn't out to try to charge you an arm and a leg like most places in this city, and he does great work. I drive a 2003 Honda Civic and I know my car will run for many years to come with the detailed work he has done in my car. Any college kids out there, please don't think twice about coming in and seeing John! He will take good care of you! read more

John is such a delight that even if you don't own a car you should stop by here anyway... I had clipped something on the underside of my car and it was scraping along making everyone around look at me strangely as I was driving around, so I had little choice except to try to get it fixed fast. I called John and described the problem and he said I should just drop in so that he could look at it. I thought I might have to wait or leave the car but that was fine if it happened. Instead what did happen is that he came right out front to say hello and guide me in and then dropped whatever he had been doing to place some risers in the driveway, drive my car on to them, slid under it to do a diagnosis, told me instantly that the problem was a broken clip, went to his storage drawers to get what he needed, returned to go under the car and repair it, and slid out with his permanent smile on his face. This is not real life-this is a tv commercial that never happens to you. Just watching his moves was a treat. He wanted almost nothing for this so instead I paid him a very little something and made a date to come back later this week to do another job....If you live in Santa Barbara and you own a vehicle, you really need to go here and see what I am talking about for yourself. read more

John is straight up and to the point. He does amazing work and charges fair rates. He really knows his stuff and it shows.

John, the owner, is wonderful. His prices are fair, work trustworthy, and service very timely. I tried out a couple of other mechanics in my first 3 years here in Santa Barbara but was still looking when a friend recommended John about 2 years ago. I've been more than happy ever since. Thanks, Tom, for the recommendation, and thanks, John, for being A+! read more

I'm a single girl with no experience with cars. I have always heard of mechanics taking advantage of people. So having John as my mechanic is seriously the best thing that has ever happened to me. John is the Guy you must go to. He is very Fair and reasonable priced. No BS. He truly will help you get the best deal and will charge you the least amount. He is down to earth and personable. I can't say enough about him. I give him 5 stars. You will too, trust me. read more

I've been taking my vehicles to John for the last few years. Not only does he do good work on my relatively common vehicles, he does great work on my collectible- extremely unique vehicles like my 1990 turbo diesel land cruiser that was Imported from Japan. Not only can he work on my work van, but he can also work on my highly modified 4x4 vehicles. For high performance vehicles or just a regular car, John knows his stuff. He welcomes the challenge and always steps up to the plate when things don't go as planned. I have had him fix issues that stumped other mechanics. Also the best part, for the quality of his work and depth of his knowledge his rates are quite reasonable. I recommend grease monkey to anyone looking for a quality affordable mechanic in Santa Barbara. Thanks John! read more

I was getting my car door repaired by the auto glass experts next door. I was pulling out when John flagged me down to let me know one of my taillights was out. He offered to replace it at a very reasonable price and then noticed my bumper needed a clip to secure it. He courteously fixed it at no charge. I'm so so grateful for such personal service and generosity. I definitely recommend seeing John for your auto needs! read more

John is an incredible mechanic. I bought an older Dodge Ram 1500 from 1998 and discovered that I had a leak in the rear main seal of my transmission and another leak on the oil pan gasket. Previous mechanics gave me estimate up to $1000. I didn't know what to do since the car was old and it was really out of budget for me. I discovered John by chance, a girl from an auto part store referred him to me when I told her about the issues on my truck. When I went to see John and told him about the issue, he went right away under my truck and told me I had two leaks and gave me an estimate at a very good price on the spot. Most mechanics will charge you just to find what's the problem is but John didn't. Not only he didn't but on top of it his estimate was a much better deal than my previous mechanic...!! He fixed both leaks in only 3 hours. When I got back I also really appreciated that he showed me the old gaskets and explained me what he did! I have since used his services to do other repairs on my car and referred him to friends. I cannot recommend him enough! Go there and he will be your mechanic for life! read more

This place was recommended by a friend who had an awesome experience here. As did I! I took my car in when my check engine light came on, and it was making some odd noises. John inspected it at no charge, (he added a dye to see where the leak was coming from in my engine). The other mechanic I took it to told me they would have to start from the top down, fixing one part at a time until they found the culprit...unnecessary and costly! John gave me an estimate, and it ended up being half of what he expected because the timing chain was actually in good shape. He didn't unnecessarily fix things, was completely honest. He even went as far as taking blue paint off of the side from from when I sideswiped a parking curb five years ago. AND suctioned out a dent that had been there for about seven years. Didn't ask him to do this. No charge! It was like having my brother back in town to help me out...except John was happy to do it. Super cool guy who loves what he does and just wants to help people. 10 stars!! Oh and don't think you filling up my washer fluid went unnoticed either. read more

I was referred to John by someone that has used him for years. He really helped me out last minute. He is very knowledgeable and efficient. John repaired my AC for pennies on the dollar (quoted $1000 from a different mechanic for a completely new compressor). He did a couple other services/repairs on the spot. Another bonus is his great location right next to State St. downtown. Makes waiting for your car a pleasant afternoon. Highly recommend. read more

John is the man always ready to help on my vehicles when needed... called him on Monday and woke up super early to get me in on Tuesday at 6:30 am ... highly recommend read more

John has been amazing to me since I moved to Santa Barbara about a year ago. When I had moved here I had recently been in an accident and he helped me get car looking much better. He ordered parts and told me exactly what I needed and he got the job done. I haven't had anyone touch my car besides John because I know he will give me exactly what I am looking for. He is an awesome guy and I definitely recommend him even if you just need a quick oil change and service done. read more