I asked that they check my car before I left for a road trip. They were very busy but worked me in so I could keep to my scheduled departure date. They did a beautiful job & fixed all the concerns I had. I've found my new shop. I will be going there for all my automotive needs. You will be pleased. Patricia B. read more

In 2023 I brought our 1981 Buick Riviera convertible into #TristarAutomotive for a SMOG test. While there, they found a bunch of other crap including rear breaks. I trusted them on their diagnosis. So, flash forward to 2025.... today, I was driving down #StoneyPoint Road, and this dude in a White Nissan Van pulls to the right, into the bike lane.... and then makes an amazing left U-Turn in front of me. OMFG! I have never - NEVER ever hit the breaks and horn So hard!! And when he looked out his window at me, he never as much as acknowledged me. Screeching, tire smoke and noise later, he kept going. I am SO grateful that the team at TriStar Automotive helped me with the breaks on our car. Because I seriously see our car getting totaled because of this d-head. read more

Tristar Automotive - 1981 Buick Riviera Convertible - Auto Repair Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

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I went to Tristar for a routine oil change. The service I received was stellar. Ken and Martha work in the office and they are kind, accommodating, and inviting. They provided me with detailed information about what my car needed while being mindful of cost and time. The service Tristar provided was quick and professional. Upon completion, I was impressed to see that my front seats and floor had been vacuumed and the dash had even been cleaned and wiped down. I have some other large things I need done on my car and will absolutely be coming back for these services. Highly recommend bringing your car in for simple oil changes or larger automotive services! read more

Been coming here for a long time and wouldn't recommend anyone else in Sonoma county to bring your car to. The work is always top notch and the prices are as fair as can be, especially in today's world. The work tri star provides has let me stay in my same car for almost 15 years! Amazing work and amazing people! read more

I'm the type of person who can usually take care of the basic stuff. I have a background in electronics and electrical repair, as well some mechanics and machining. I'm a DIY/wrencher, but there are times when I hit the wall and can't solve a problem. That's where Tri Star comes in. There are times when I need an expert to step in and take care of things for me, and in that case - I take my cars to Tri Star. They've been around for a long time, and they have a great staff of knowledgeable technicians. It may take a few days to get an appointment, but I have always found them super helpful and reasonably priced - which seems like a rare combination these days. I've always found them super friendly, and the last time I had my truck in - they found a bulb that was out when they were parking it, and took a few extra minutes to fix it at no charge. If you need help with your auto - give them a try! read more

I was in a bind. I needed my car for work and they went above and beyond the call of duty. My car failed the smog check. I got consumer assistance through the BAR. My letter of approval from the BAR expired. Tri star called the BAR and got it renewed. You must understand the process of repairing a car with BAR assistance usually takes a week. Tri star got my car done in one day because they knew I needed the car for work. They are amazing. Amazing customer service and knowledge. Kierstin Adelman read more

​ I have been taking my car and truck to try star for eight or nine years now . I keep coming back because of their top notch mechanics and great office manager Martha .Jim Dados recently sold the business but the staff is still there . read more

This is our "go to" shop for older challenging vehicles as well as new. Their brain trust of mechanics and vehicle knowledge is second to none. read more

I contacted Tristar to set up an appointment for my radiator to be checked, I spoke with an amazing woman named Martha. She went above and beyond to help me out, she was very thorough with her questioning, and compassionate to my situation. I took my vehicle in to be checked, I did not expect for it to be done on the same day as I knew they were very busy, to my delight, Martha contacted me that same morning with the diagnosis. They are a top notch establishment, clean, organized, stellar customer service. I would recommend them to anyone who is looking for car repair. I am sure you will get the same amazing customer service from Martha, the owner and the mechanics. read more

I love Tri Star!! I found him from my coworker who already said he was trusted. He does what your car needs, not what could be done to make more money from you. Good, quick work for competitive prices! read more

Jim and team are professional and courteous. Work with them on work and personal vehicles. They provide outstanding customer service. I highly recommend Tri-Star. read more

My car would not start and so after calling a tow truck and getting a jump the tow truck driver told me that I needed a new battery. He suggested that he could order one but that it would not be in for a week or so. In the mean time I would not be able to drive my car. In a panic I called Jim Baddus the owner of Tri Star. They have always serviced my car in the past and have always done a great job. Jim was so great. He told me to bring the car in right away and that he would call his distributor to get the battery. Jim also said that it was going to be more then just replacing the battery the car needed to be programed again. I had to wait a while but it was my pleasure. Jim and his team were doing me a HUGE favor. With their busy schedule they were able to fit me in and fix my car. With in a couple of hours I was back in the road again. Great customer service, great team, everyone is super knowledgeable! This is the only place that I trust. read more

The best place ever! Jim is honest and does an amazing job! My family has been taking our cars here forever!

Another well deserved 5 star rating. Appointment to service your vehicle absolutely necessary. The shop is usually booked for a full week out. Prices are very reasonable. My previous B1 service for my Honda at the dealership cost $187. Same exact service here at Tri Star was $80.45. Nice, friendly and knowledgeable service manager gave me helpful information. I waited for my car to be serviced in the customer room. Lots of magazines on the table to browse. Total wait time was 80 minutes. That beat my previous too long visit at Honda by a full hour. Tri Star will service any make or model. Highly recommended! read more

Jim is just the best. I've been using the original dealership for years and have never been quite happy with the service since about the fourth year. I've kept up on scheduled maintenance and oil changes over the years. The dealership quoted $6,000.+ for and "issue with the wiring." Jim charged me less than $150. for a part and installation. Problem solved. More recently, I took my 2003 Toyota 4Runner in for a overall check-up. Like me, she's getting old. Only a bit of minor work was required and done in a day. I cannot recommend them high enough! Just the best auto repair place within 100 miles. Honest, knowledgeable and thorough. read more

Jim and Rick are very good at what they do. They were recommended to me by a good friend and client of mine who likes things done right the first time. I have a few classic custom cars and some pretty high end new performance cars. I would trust them with any of them. They did an awesome job assisting me with tightening up all of my loose ends on my 69 Pro Touring Camaro. All done now! Time to start another. See you guys soon and thanks very much. read more

Tristar Automotive - Auto Repair Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

My daughter recommended Tristar years ago and I've never been disappointed in their work. I love my very old Mazda and no matter how silly or serious the problem is, they fix it. Recently I called Jim when the oil I added was gone the next morning. "Bring it over," Jim told me. A mechanic checked it out, couldn't find anything wrong, added oil and I was instructed to bring it back if the problem recurred. It hasn't. They have earned my highest opinion, which is, I trust them and my Mazda loves them. Ann L. read more

This is my second review for TriStar Automotive. I can't say enough about the "last honest" auto shop. I absolutely love Jim and his crew. They are the best in the business and the most reasonably priced mechanic shop in the county. I've been going to them for about 3 years now and my 16 year old car runs great. I recently went to TriStar for a minor issue that was my fault. I pulled up too close in a parking spot and the front bumper went slightly over a wooden railing so when I reversed, the windshield wiper storage tank started to leak out and the bumper was slightly pulled out on one side. I took if to Jim to fix. I picked up my car and the bumper looked like new, the wiper fluid light was off and Jim said "no charge" when I got there. Who does that? I didn't know what damage I did to the windshield wiper storage tank. He could have said that it was cracked and they had to replace it; etc., but Jim is honest. He said the plug came out of the windshield wiper storage tank so they filled it with washer fluid, plugged it and put a pin back in the bumper that had pooped off. Even though the repair was minimal, his guy still had to deal with it and take some time out to fix it but he didn't charge me a dime. I'm telling you, these guys are the BEST!!! read more

I've known this company for over 20 years never ever have had a problem very responsive does all my family cars absolutely trust Jim and the team! read more

Highly recommend - went elsewhere and they quoted me a LARGE amount without even looking at my car, and even larger amount after looking. A coworker recommended this location. I called the same-day (Friday, they fit me in early the following week. Extremely professional, reasonably priced, honest. Can not recommend enough. read more

Tristar Automotive - Auto Repair Near Me - Santa Rosa, California

Watch out for little BS issues getting a smog test. Any hoses /tubes with slight fissures is an auto fail. They wont look at it first and just point out any auto -fail problems no mater how slight before telling you, "it failed you owe me 70 bucks sucker." I would call this a crappy practice not conducive to return business. Also, when I directly asked the old guy behind the counter if I should pay for a pretest since I have an older vehicle, he says No, don't think there will be any problem passing. It would have saved me 70 bucks. Instead I ENDED UP PAYING FOR THE SMOG TEST TWICE after I replaced a 2 inch piece of rubber hose. The crappy part about this whole joke of smog testing is my car's emissions were on the very low end on the first smog test, but a crack in one of the pvc hoses is enough to fail. The whole program is designed to put profit in test stations pockets while generating revenue for the state of California. The air is so much cleaner above our heads and the wittle animals happier here in California since the spend happy state has initiated more comprehensive , to make more cars fail, automobile smog tests. Oh, and our health is so so much better too since implementing ObombaCare. read more

The guys at TriStar are AWESOME!!! I had some annoying issues regarding failed smog tests and trying to get a smog exemption from CA for repair parts that are no longer manufactured. Jim and his team, while making no profit at all for the excessive time spent in helping me, solved the problem! As a result, the State has given me an exemption so that I can register my car! They are my HEROES!!! read more

Took my truck to Tri-Star automotive they fixed my truck the first time around the service was five-star very nice reception when I brought my truck in , it's nice to trust in a place that you give them the keys to your vehicle knowing that they will be honest and fair on the repairs thank you Tri-Star auto motive. read more

Great service! Fair and very affordable! I wanted to get my car fixed by Empire Too, but they were booked so they recommened me to TriStar. Nice, Honest and very trustworthy. I will definitely go here again if I have any problems with my car. Thanks Tri Star for the great service. :) read more

What is there to say. I had trouble with my AC system. Everyone seems to love them so I had to wait to get in (about a week), but it was totally worth it. Friendly, easy to talk to, patient and willing to explain. They found the problem, fixed it, tested the results and charged a fair rate. I would not hesitate to recommend Tri Star to anyone. read more

Came to Tri-Star based on prior experience and high internet ratings. Just bought a 2000 Xterra and wanted to get the fluids changed, belts replaced, etc. Nothing major (not even the timing belt). They were somewhat dismissive when I came in, but I am not thin skinned so went forward with the work. Of note, I am extremely polite and soft spoken; I highly doubt I was insulting and caused a lack of communication. Here is what I found when I started looking at the engine compartment (as I do when I change the oil). Three bolts missing on the timing belt cover; like I said I did not ask them to replace the timing belt but these missing bolts (or empty bolt holes) would probably have been right in the mechanic's face while doing the other belt replacement work. I would have really appreciated a heads-up that these were missing. Missing splash pan side shield. Looks like this robber piece has to be removed to access the oil filter. This seems like a bad design, but it is what it is. The splash pan showed signs of the shield being recently (within the last 2,000 miles) removed (still shiny where it was as opposed to the rest of the splash pan which was not shiny). Granted, this may have been pulled off and discarded by the previous person who changed the filter; but still, this is the kind of information I would have liked Tri-Star to convey to me. Splash pan held on with two screws instead of five. This is just obvious when under the vehicle. Also, one screw look very new which leads me to believe it is likely that Tri-Star installed it. More information I would have liked to have known. The big one, and the only one which Tri-Star is definitely responsible for. This engine (a VG33E six cylinder) calls for 3.5 quarts of oil with a filter replacement. This is unusually low for an engine, especially a six cylinder). Nonetheless, this is the specification. When I drained the oil I used a five liter measuring paint bucket to catch it. It came out at a little over 4.5 liters (I figured another 0.5 liters in the filter). This is way above specification and not what I would expect from Tri-Star. Bottom line is I won't be going back. Three stars because the vehicle is not damaged (as far as I can tell) and the work they did seemed fairly priced. read more

Jim, Rick and Ron have taken care of us for 20+ years. I would not take my cars anywhere else. Honest and highly skilled they always deliver more than expected. They care about complete satisfaction on every visit. read more

The saddest part of my decision to lease a new car is that I am required to now go to the dealer. Jim and TRISTAR gave me impeccable service for the past 15 years, and three cars. I have referred friends, and everyone has been equally satisfied. I hate to end this trusted relationship, and will go back in a heartbeat if I should need their services again. My best incident happened less than a year ago, when my electronic car key stopped working and I went to the dealer, thinking I had to. I was told I had to pay $600 just to diagnose the problem. I left, figuring I'd use the manual key forever if need be. When I told Jim at my next oil change, he checked it out and provided a $15 fix! What can I say? Thank you Jim and TRISTAR for many years of great service. I'm delighted that the secret is out and you are BUSY! Many blessings, your happy longtime customer, Winnie P read more

I have been taking my antique cars to them for years. They are competent, honest, and personable to deal with. I can't think of another shop that could work on cars like mine, and do it with aplomb. It is a great feeling to have complete trust in a business, and this is one place that I have no reservations about either their work, nor about recommending them to others. read more

I have used Tri Star Automotive since I have started to drive at age sixteen. I have used them for anything from simple oil changes and tire rotations to my cars breaking down completely, even being flooded by a flash flood one winter. There team there is like family and welcomes me by name every time I walk in there. They even would remember things about my life and ask how college is going. They have always been reasonable in price and dependable in their work. I moved away recently and still go to them when I visit my family in the area for check ups on my car because I know that I can trust them. read more

My 17 year old Honda died with zero warning right on the Hwy 116 at the passing lanes. A worse spot i could not have selected on a map. Turns out my timing belt snapped and reeked havoc on my valves. My usual mechanic doesn't do valve jobs so he recommend Jim D and his Tri-Star automotive. And i'm glad he did as this turned out to be one of the best auto repair selections i ever made. Jim and his staff of mechanics occupy an impressive looking garage up on Kenwood Ct. They gave me the best estimate i found (i checked 2 others) so i left them the car. Three days later the Honda was fixed to perfection and it came in exactly on the estimate. This Tri-Star is a Five Star folks. If you have major work, be sure to swing by Tri-Star and give them a shot at it. read more

These guys are the best. I will never take my Jeep anywhere else. I had been struggling with an issue for 3 years. 3 different shops.one was the dealership in Chico. They fixed it fast. No more problems. I highly recommend Tristar! read more

I needed to find an auto repair service to check out a classic 1988 Cadillac Eldo Biarritz from Dibs Auto Sales. I looked for AAA approved services not being familiar with auto repair services in Santa Rosa. TriStar offers an inspection service just for this purpose. I called for an appointment hoping to get the car checked the next day but Jim said they were booked up and next appointment wasn't until later in the week, 4 days later. I mentioned that the car was from Dibs Auto Sales on Santa Rosa Blvd and Jim said he had worked with them. He was able to get me in earlier. The inspection service was thorough with detailed description of the condition of the car down to the directional signals operation. The price was very reasonable and the information Jim provided was extremely important in understanding the value of the car and what we could expect in repairs. I highly recommend TriStar Automotive. read more

I love Tri Star! From the first time I took my car there, they have been honest, on time and reasonably priced! I have sent several of my girlfriends there and they have also had good experiences with them. I now recommend them to everyone that has any car problems. read more

I was referred to Tri-star auto by a friend who owns their own shop, but only service Japanese cars. I've been taking my Ford and my boyfriend's truck to Tri-star for the last few years now and they have always been easy to work with. read more

When I bought my car through the owner of tri star I was quite happy. It was priced reasonably well. The very next day the o2 sensor went out and I called tri star up and asked if I can make an appointment to have it looked it at since it was over heating. I was told to bring it in and then they told me that it was the o2 sensor and it'd be fixed within an hour or almost an hour. Come to find out they fixed it gave me the keys and told me have a nice day. They stand behind their work and their attitudes are killer! Great place and great people. Ever since then I tell anyone and everyone you want your car fixed right go to tri star. The prices are really reasonable and service is great too. My parents go their all of the time as well as I do when anything happens to the cars we have. read more

In my 35 years in of dealing with just about every shop in town I can tell u tri star is one of the best hands down and yes I take my two cars here read more

This place is excellent. Professional, courteous, on-time, reasonable. A lot of people in my office use Tri-Star and I have only heard great things about them. read more

The A/C in my nine year old Acura went out on one of our hot, almost-100 degree days this summer. I first took it to the dealership for an initial quote, but the quote I received from them for a total A/C rebuild was almost 5 G's, almost not worth getting fixed given the age and value of the car, so told them no thank you. I then found Tri-Star on Yelp and went in for an estimate based on the great reviews here, and I'm glad I did. Their estimate was about one-third (!) what I'd been quoted earlier, so I had them go ahead and do the work. I was very pleased with the entire experience from when I first called to when I picked up my car a few days later with ice-cold air blasting from the vents again. Would certainly go to them again and would certainly recommend to family and friends. read more

Dealing with Tri Star is an awesome experience. They always take care of our car issues, do it quickly and are very knowledgeable about all the cars systems. I've referred many people to them and they still go to Tri Star for their auto service...great people to deal with! read more