Brought my car to Tom's Auto Repair and had a great experience. They were honest, quick, and got the job done. Pricing was fair and the car's been running perfect since. Definitely a shop you can trust. read more

My car broke down on the freeway nearby, and I was able to find Tom. He was able to diagnose and fix it right away. Five stars! read more

Tom's Auto Repair - Auto Repair Near Me - Avenal, California

Very helpful, quick, and reasonably priced. I stopped here during a trip from Madera to pismo, my check engine light came on after an oil change at Valvoline. Tom checked under the hood and sure enough found a disconnected house to the engine and let me know that some mechanics do this intentionally to ensure you come back. Nonetheless, he had me in & out in under 10 minutes and I was back on the road for my day trip. Highly recommend read more

My husband and I stopped by Tom's on our way to norther California for work. We had started to smell something burning through the vents, it was 7am, no mechanic shops were open and we were in the middle of nowhere. After finding this Yelp page and calling the shop, Tom himself answered and welcomed us to stop by so he can take a look. We were expecting to have to wait a few hours for availability, so his eagerness to see us immediately was a major relief. When we arrived he greeted us warmly, did a full on inspection of the car, and determined that a busted radiator cap was slowing dripping radiator fluid onto the engine and causing the smell. Where most mechanics would attempt to find anything and everything wrong with the vehicle, to sell you as many services as possible, Tom was honest. He gave us the same service you would expect for a close friend or family member. He resolved the issue, kept us safe, and expedited the repair promptly and with a smile. Excellent customer service, excellent and fast completion of services needed, and pleasant to deal with. We received quality work at a great value. Highly recommended! read more

Tom is my guardian angel!!! I drive on the 5 between NorCal and SoCal frequently. Today I was making my journey when not even one third into my drive the tire pressure light came on. I filled it air, went on my way, and less than one hour later the light came on again. I stopped off at the nearest exit and phoned a friend to help me find a nearby, reliable auto shop. Not easy, as most of the shops coming up off the 5 were another 45 minute drive inland -- yikes! That is, until Tom's Auto Repair popped up. All of the 5-star reviews sound too goo to be true, but they all lived up to and surpassed my expectations. When I phoned Tom, he answered his phone almost right away. I told him about the tire leak and that I could be at his garage in 20 minutes. When I pulled up, he helped me right away. He showed me the problem and told me a solution that could get me back on the road to get me and my car home in one piece. He had me take notes/pictures to order the adequate parts replacements for when I finally get home and can see my local mechanic. He also replaced a busted tail light I wouldn't have even noticed before I backed out of the driveway! Truly a life saver. A sign outside his garage says he's available 24 hours, 7 days a week -- totally unheard of in most places, especially around a major holiday (I was driving Thanksgiving weekend). I was grateful my issue happened during the middle of the day, but it's incredible to know someone this dependable makes themselves available at all hours. Tom's pricing is great, but his honesty is priceless. One of the other reviews calls him a hometown hero, and make no mistake that he really is one. Locals were bringing their cars over while I was there, and they are so lucky to have Tom as their local mechanic. Thank you for keeping us drivers safe, Tom! read more

I almost never post reviews, but I have never met a business owner who deserves a 5-star review more than this guy does. I hate long, wordy reviews, so will be brief. Our 2020 Honda odyssey cut out while going 75mph on I-5. It was a Saturday evening. Nothing open. No services for 15 miles in any direction. Getting dark. Found Tom's 24-hour Auto Repaor on Google maps (20 miles from where we were stranded). Tom answered his phone, was very reassuring, recommended finding money-saving options every step of the way (when quite honestly, he could have totally fleeced me and I couldn't have done anything about it). Car couldn't be diagnosed or repaired that night. We needed a rental car; closest place was Fresno airport (an hour away). There's no Uber out there. He drove us to airport on a Saturday night!!! Yes, we paid him, and I gave him even more than he asked for. The car ended up needing to be towed to the dealership the next day, so he barely made any money off of me, but even so, he still continued to offer his advice and support. If I didn't live four hours away, I would send everyone I know to this guy. He deserves it. read more

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Awesome service he has great dogs I got to to see the backyard and his kids. I asked for him to tow my car very cheap very affordable :)

Tom is great. Took care of a flat I had while driving I-5. Friendly, quick, fair pricing. Introduced me to his dog.

We were in a pinch and Tom's Auto Repair came to our aid!! Our truck/5th wheel was seriously overheating from coast to valley going through Avenal. We called and Tom Jr. said yes come on in he could take a look! (No hesitation) Luckily they are on the Main Street through Avenal and we didn't need a tow. Tom assessed the problem, fixed it, and we were on our way in 1 1/2 hr. Plus, it was a fair price!! PLUS, he called 20 minutes after we were on our way to check that we were ok and it wasn't overheating after going over the hill! That is awesome customer care in my opinion!! They would be our regular repair guys if we lived closer. Thank you SO MUCH for getting us on our way so fast!! read more

Tom is a hero in his hometown. The people know him and trust him because he is thorough and will tell you exactly his thought process. I had a great experience he was very kind works 7 days a week, may God continue to bless this man. read more

My sisters car stopped accelerating on our trip from Oakland to San Diego and Tom squeezed us in last minute to figure out the problem. Although we brought it back home to be repaired under warranty he was very honest, helpful, and thorough. He made a stressful situation better and we were able to get home (which was 3 hours away) safely. read more

Had a starter on my 2004 Tacoma go out late in the day at a nearby I-5 rest stop. Tom was quick to respond to my call, and was able to work on the car early the next day (AAA towed it to his shop). He had me on the road with a new starter by 2:30 the next day, and even went the extra mile to help get us a ride back to his shop from the nearest decent hotel. The cost for labor and the part was totally reasonable. When you break down on the highway, you're always afraid you're going to get hosed by a dishonest mechanic. I can absolutely say that Tom is a stand-up business owner doing excellent work. I recommend him 100%! read more

This was by far the best customer experience of my girlfriend or my life. We broke down in the middle of nowhere and the insurance company couldn't get anyone to get a tow truck to us. We called Tom's and they called around for us (this was like 12AM) to people they knew in the area and found someone. They looked at it in the middle of the night and there were several huge problems e.g. oil completely covering the bottom of the car etc. so they drove us to a hotel (there are no Ubers there), and worked on the car and got it turned around in a couple of days on the weekend, despite a ton of work needing to be done. Tom was super up-front about every cost, always gave options, and took pictures and videos of everything to show us and document what was going on. It turned out that our existing garage had screwed something major up and he was able to explain that to us through videos so that we could get our money back when we got back home (we were able to get our money back only because of the proof from these videos). Besides all of that, Tom may be the nicest person I've ever met. Super straightforward, kind, and considerate person. We will genuinely never forget this experience. It could have been the worst kind of disaster and ended up somehow being great. Can't recommend enough! read more

I was on a cross country moving trip when I received a flashing engine light and error code that made it clear I couldn't drive my car any further without risking serious damage. It was almost 5pm, in Huron, CA, in the middle of a long stretch of the 5 with not much around. I was certain I was going to be stranded, with my kids and all of our pets and nowhere to go. I called Tom and he quickly diagnosed the most likely causes of the problem and set to getting parts delivered right away. He came out to me to confirm the issue as we waited for the tow truck, and after I was towed, he stayed open (past 9pm!) and got me back on the road that same night. Problems fixed, and Tom even texted the next morning to make sure I got home alright. Super knowledgable, super friendly - just the best. Would for sure make have Tom as my regular mechanic if I wasn't nearly 200 miles away. read more

My family's car had a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. We were in a pinch and called Tom even after closing time. He answered promptly and even offered to replace our tires after hours. His service is great and I highly recommend him and his team. read more

My car left me stranded in the middle of nowhere, AAA were not showing up after 2.5 hrs so I called Tom and I asked him if he knew a way for me to get my car to his shop, he put me in contact with a towing company that came in 30 mins. Tom was great, honest and explaining things so I would understand, gave me all my options and did not pressure me whatsoever. Would definitely recommend! read more

On our way home to Sacramento our car needed assistance so we called Tom. He came down to his shop immediately (it was after hours) and we were done in less than 15 mins, didn't even have to get out of the car. Not to mention, tom is the nicest guy!! I wish I could give more than 5 stars read more

How can I thank Tom, his dad and the other mechanics enough who helped me and my daughter that was stranded in the middle of no where since 6pm? I wish I can give them more stars on here because the work they did was just amazing. My crazy drive from LA to Santa Rosa took a toll for the worst. When I was driving near Avenal, my tire pressure came on saying I had a flat tire. I was able to drive it for a little bit because I have run flats. Stopped at EZ Trip and tried to put a spare tire myself, but Mercedes Benz has this stupid lug lock key on there. Well thank God I have 2 keys for that. It would not budge at all!! Had to sign up that day for AAA for roadside assistance. The roadside assistance couldn't take it out either even with the tools he had so he decided to drop me off to a tire shop in Kettleman, CA because they could atleast break the lug nut off if anything. That's where bad just turned to sh*t in an instant. The tire shop which I won't mention his shop here, tried to take 5 different impact guns, getting bigger and powerful each and took my key and stripped one first. He said it's not good, then took the other key with the same impact gun and strip that one too. Mind you, the key itself was $100 each. I was just speechless at this point honestly. Then he decides to give up and tell me to wait in the morning. We were left outside near a highway at around 1 am now at this time. My daughter was with me and I had to bring her home or to safety atleast. I called around and no one would help me or most are closed! AAA also couldn't tow me because I had a 48 hours hold since I'm a new member. Or else I would pay out of pocket a whopping $3,300 for the remaining miles. That wasn't going to happen. Until I called Tom's shop! It said 24/7 on the website and I was desperate at this point. Tom was very prompt to answer and said he can help and has taken out stubborn or frozen lug nuts before. I told him my situation and that towing towards there was gonna cost me $400 plus from roadside assistance just for 9 miles. I remember I had run flats so I told him I was going to make my way there slowly. That 20 minute drive back to Avenal felt like it was the longest drive of my life. Tom started working on the car as soon as I got there around 2:30 am. Well, this lug nut was so anti theft that it could not be broken, hammered, chiseled, drilled, welded with another bolt or anything! I mean anything because I saw most of the process. It would take the hands of Hulk to get that out of there, so I guess a little props to Mercedes Benz for that. Wrong! I hate that lug nut! It's anti theft but also not user friendly! But Tom didn't give up! Broke most his tools and did everything to get me and my daughter to go back on the road. But this lug nut must have been blessed by the hands of God because it took the next day which was at 2pm to finally get out. Tom had the help of his other mechanic community to source out ideas how to take it out. 5 mechanics for 1 lug nut. A total of 100 plus years of experience between them. Mercedes Benz lug nut VS 5 good hearted mechanics trying their best to help me and my daughter. Needless to say, we won the battle in the end. I didn't mind the wait honestly because Tom and his dad was very comforting and encouraging that they will definitely get that out. I felt so secure, safe and at ease that me and my daughter slept in the car since we were so exhausted already, while they were still tirelessly working on the car. It was 12 hours of painstakingly trying to take a lug nut out but Tom made sure I would get home with my car that day. I'm a travel nurse so my car is almost my home. Everyone was ecstatic when we were able to finally get to change the tire. LOL a tire change gone horribly wrong but went great in the end. I jokingly said that I would come back when the other nut gets stuck and they welcomed me to come back for that! 12 hours and I gained a mechanic and almost family type bond. Me and my daughter thanked Tom and everyone and gave them hugs. They are wonderful people and didn't leave me and my 10 year old daughter hanging and stranded. They didn't back down to a challenge and went above and beyond. Thank you so much again. I will make sure to stop by someday and extend my thanks again. read more

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Tom is amazing! I started to notice that my AC was blowing out hot air and my engine was making a concerning noise halfway through my trip across the state. Tom drove out and met me in Kettleman City on a Sunday in 108 degree weather. He was able to quickly diagnose and fix the issue and even went on a test drive with me to make sure my Honda was safe for me to continue my trip in. I was able to make the 200 miles back home the same day, and Tom checked in with me later that night to make sure I'd gotten back safely. Tom is very knowledgeable, explains everything clearly, and holds customer safety as a top priority. I highly recommend Tom's Auto Repair! read more

My under carriage started coming off my car on a road trip. I called and the repair guy came in within 10 minutes to help me take it off. 15 minutes later it was off and I was back on the road! Top notch service! read more

Our tire blew out on the side of the 5 Freeway and Tom quickly met us on the spot. He changed our tire with a small spare and we followed him to his shop to get the tire replaced properly, he had the right size and quickly completed the job. Great service, great price, thanks, Tom! read more

Our car check engine started blinking and the engine began stutter in the middle of nowhere. We found Tom's Auto on Yelp and it was the luckiest thing we did. I assume in this small town they don't get too much walk ins at 4:30 in the afternoon and we found the place shuttered but a note on the wall had Tom's cell phone number for emergencies. We called the number and Tom came in 15 minutes, and quickly diagnosed a problem with two ignition coils. He had to call around for the parts but we were back on the road in less than 2 hours after Tom replaced the coils. He went out of his way to get us back on the road as soon as he possibly could. Super Burger two blocks down the road is a great place for milkshakes, and the town itself claims to be the "Pistachio capital of the world", but that topic is for a different review! read more

Let me say 5 stars does not do what we experienced justice from Tom Jr. First off, Tom Sr must be a spectacular person and a fantastic father. He taught his son right! My wife and I drove from Bay Area to see our son in So Cal and engine light came on near Avenal truck stop. Limped to the parking lot. Googled the ONLY mechanic around, my wife calls and sometimes things happen for a reason. Turns out Tom Jr was on his lunch break in the same parking lot. Went all the way back to his shop to get his hand computer and figured it was a Turbo type engine code. Kia doesn't allow you to drive over 25mph when this happens so driving was not an option. My company luckily setup a rental car but of course they wouldn't deliver car that far out. Avenal has no Uber, no taxi no lyft. Tom Jr says "I'm uber"......Dude drove my wife and I from Avenal to Hanford to get rental car. Sure I felt uneasy leaving my company car in a truck stop parking lot but all was good. He kept me in the loop every step of the way on the weekend and told me what was happening and what to expect. Ordered the part and got in Tuesday. Unfortunately, did NOT fix the problem, BUT he explained it may not. I googled online and it was an 80/20% proposition and my luck it was the later. However, Tom Jr communicated, and I could not honestly have found a better company or person to deal with. I could go on and on here. In the end, my company had to two the car to a Kia dealership for a further look, but Tom even texted me photos of the car on the tow truck. I don't wish this on anyone, but IF you break down in that general area call them first. Give them your business for a flat tire, tune up, whatever. I would seriously say in my 53 years, this was in my top 3 of customer service related situations. Maybe the best experience ever! Didn't want to break down, but this could have been worse. Only hotel is near a Prison and we don't know the area. Thanks for saving the day Tom jr and your a good man! Great work! read more

Had my moving truck clutch go out on I5 coming from LA. Was towed to this shop, I was quoted $1800 to replace it which I agreed to. When the truck was picked up it was hard to get into gear and their worker told my driver to "be a man" and just jam it in. Well, the truck made it an hour away and the clutch went out again. They said they would not have it towed back and that I would have to do so and they might fix it if the parts failed. I have since had a shop inspect it and clutch was installed incorrectly and two bolts were never put back that hold transmission to the engine. I will be filing a complaint and requesting an investigation with the Bureau of Automotive Repair. BEWARE OF THIS SHOP!!!! read more

I was driving in from Vancouver Canada to Los Angeles and my car broke down on the side of the road (i-5 near the kettleman exit) and I was pretty stressed from the ordeal. I called a tow company but they were pretty vague about the cost and how long it was going to take to get to me and the auto shop's around. I then proceeded to call Tom's Auto Repair he was incredibly professional and set me up with a Tow and it's cost and arrival time (less than an hour). Tom did a diagnostic on my car and was able to quickly determine and show me that the alternator on my car had stopped working. He was incredibly honest about everything including the prices. He drove out of town to pick up a new alternator and also replaced it on the same day!! Tom went above any beyond riding the car with me to make sure everything was fine and even checked up the next day when I arrived in LA to make sure that there were no issues. Lifesaver and I recommend this service to anyone who ever finds themselves in a similar situation. Thank you so so much for all the help. read more

Tom bent over backwards to help our family when we were stranded on highway 41. He took our car even though he was close to closing up, and then he drove an hour round trip at 7pm to get us the part needed. He worked until almost 10 pm so that we could get back on the road. He even told us if for any reason it couldn't be done by the end of the night he would help us get to a hotel, and this is in an area where there are no ubers or easy ways to transport a family of 5. He could have easily said that it would have to wait until morning and not offered any help, but he is a super kind person and saved our trip. He made sure we were taken care of and was extremely helpful in advising us with the next repairs needed, very upfront on what he was not able to fix, and gave us a lot of peace of mind driving the rest of the way to the central coast. Thank you so much Tom! read more

My wife mistakenly pump diesel into our gasoline car in EZ track gas station in Avenal, 400 miles from home(San Diego), AAA recommended Tom's auto repair, and I am glad I took the advice and towed it there. Tom was very friendly, knowledgeable and explained what he has to do, and he promptly put us back on the road in ~3 hours. He made this really stressful situation much better, and we were able to get home safely that evening. He even mailed us the tow hitch back that was accidentally left there...Thanks Tom read more

Tom is amazing!! We had a blowout on the I-5 on a Saturday at 5pm during the time of COVID and forest fires!! So we put on the donut spare (you know how dangerous doing that is on I-5-and it was on the side closest to the road), then called the closest auto shop (Tom's), and asked him to help. It was already after hours for Tom. He had already left and gone home, yet he still answered the phone. He told me that yes he could get my size of tire and told us to meet him at his shop. Fifteen minutes later we pulled in to see Tom waiting for us. He grabbed our blown-out wheel from the back of our car, tossed it in the back of his truck and said he'd be right back. Only thirty minutes later we were all fixed and headed back towards the 5 to continue on home. It was less than one hour from the moment of the blowout to getting back on the 5. It was all down to Tom (and a shout out to husband, who did the initial work) Tom is the epitome of kindness. And what a wonderful time for him to show it. Thank you!! read more

If you are in need of professional, kind, life saving service...go here. Our car broke down on I5 which has always been my worst fear and Tom Jr. kept the shop open after hours to take us in. He offered us water, let us charge our phones, and made a miserable night so much easier. I honestly don't know what we would have done without him! read more

my car broke down on the 5 around 11pm and Tom was able to identify the problem in about 5 minutes after it was towed to him. He fixed the problem in no time, charged a fair fee, and was very personable. the 24 hours advertising is real and he saved my ass. i just copied my review from Google to save myself some timw and give Tom some extra rep incase anyone thinks this looks familiar. read more

Coming from Souther California to Northern, car broke down, he fixed it up in under an hour, polite, amazing work, amazing human. If you break down in this area I only recommend him. read more

Tom is the MAN. He was extremely accommodating, reasonable, and just a genuinely great guy - the kind you trust with your car. I would absolutely recommend him, 100%. read more

Tom and his team rescued me when my car started misfiring on I-5. I called him and he guided me to the shop where he promptly took a look at the car and worked to see if any of the parts we might need were in town. I felt so lucky to have had someone like Tom helping me out during this unexpected adventure. He is honest, reliable, and his pricing is reasonable. So grateful to have met him read more

Tom is super awesome. our cars check engine light was flashing on the highway on our road trip and we pulled off at the nearest mechanic from the 5 which was Toms. Even though his shop looked closed, we called and he was there in less than 15 minutes, greeting us warmly and opening up his garage to check it out. Even though the work that it needed was too much for us to get done by him at that time, he gave us some good honest advice and sent us on our way read more

Amazing service! Needed brake check off I5. Highly recommend the drive into Avenal only a few miles off the 5. Tommy and his father were friendly, quick, thorough and competent, and very fair price. Best auto shop experience overall. Thanks Tommy! read more

Tom was amazing. He went out of his way to come help us when our truck broke down the start of Labor Day weekend. Even though he could not get the replacement part, he was able to repair the broke piece which allowed us to continue our journey. He was able to identify the problem and get us quickly back on the road. Even took before and after pictures for our records. Thank you so much for your help. read more

I was driving back up home to Northern California from visiting family in San Diego when I pulled off the freeway to get some gas. While I was at the gas station I noticed an odd sound coming from my car, so my boyfriend looked under the hood and noticed a belt was almost completely gone. It was already almost 5:30, and being in the middle of COVID-19, many repair shops were already closed or almost closed for the day. I called Tom's and Tom Jr said they closed at 6 but that we were only about 5 miles away and that if I couldn't make it to the shop they could send someone out to look at my car. Thankfully my car made it to his shop just in time. He worked quickly to try to get me back on the road that night, but unfortunately the damage was worse than I had originally thought and the parts I needed wouldn't be available until the following morning. Tom Jr told us that the only hotel in town wasn't too safe, so he told us he could drive us to the next town to stay in the Motel 6 and he could fix my car first thing in the morning then come pick us up. He closed up shop and drove myself, my boyfriend, AND our two dogs to the motel and even waited until we were all checked in before he left for home. Tom Jr was so friendly and personable, and he seems like such a genuine guy. He fixed my car for such a reasonable price, I was actually relieved when he told me the cost because I was expecting it to be way higher. I am so grateful for Tom Jr and his dad Tom Sr(he helped find the source of the car problem) and I cannot thank them enough for taking us in last minute and driving us to the motel. If you're traveling through the area and have a car emergency definitely give them a call! I wish I lived closer because I would totally have them be my regular mechanic if I didn't live 7 hours away! Thanks Tom Jr and Tom Sr! You guys are the best! read more

Was stranded on i5 near avenal exit, i called Toms Auto Repair & spoke w Tom Jr. I explained the problems with my vehicle & it lossing coolant. Tommy was here within 20 mins & was very friendly. He explained the pros & cons of fixing the vehicle there or taking it as is, i took his advice & fixed the car there, the whole process took less than 90mins & the car has been running great since!! I was so lucky to meet w tommy & allow him to fix my car!! I will deff visit him if i am in the area again!! Was great!! read more

Tom's Auto Repair - Was a nice day - Auto Repair Near Me - Avenal, California

Fun mother / sons weekend with friends at Hogwarts went haywire when my car broke down in the middle of nowhere off of I-5. We were able to make it to a gas station in Avenal but it was midnight and no one there could help. They recommended we call Toms Auto repair which was nearby and open 24 hours. We called AAA and had our car towed there And Tom jr went above and beyond to make sure we were well taken care of. He had to wait until morning for the part to come in and there were no cabs nearby and he offered to drive us to the nearest hotel which was 20 minutes away and to pick us up when the car was fixed the next morning. That is exactly what we did and we felt safe and well taken care of. He was able to fix the car and charged us a fair price. I would recommend Tom's Auto Repair to anyone. read more

Our window fell down I to the door going North on I-5, and this was the closest repair shop. Even though they didn't have the part in stock to do the proper repair, the guy was able to lock our window into the up position as an interim repair. He was super friendly and worked quickly. The whole ordeal from start to finish took less than an hour. read more