Friendly staff, quick and efficient smog. Price seemed a little high compared to other shops around, but it was worth the service. I would happily support this business again. read more

Great customer service, great advice, and highest quality professional repairs, at a fair price. Highly recommend Mark and Jacob Lemke, as my "go to" auto repair shop! read more

Worst experience ever. I've done business in the past. But today I was treated rudely. My car was having issues so I went directly to their shop. Without even looking at it he said I couldn't leave it there even tho it was dead. It would have to be towed. He couldn't babysit my car because of his insurance liability. Customer service at its lowest read more

Mark and Jacob were a pleasure to work with. Professional and communicative, they took great care of my family car. I highly recommend Valley Center Car Care! read more

Can't say enough about Valley Center Car Care. They're honest, hardworking, professional, and do great work. We highly recommend them!!!!!!

My truck broke down and wouldn't start. Suspected a fuel pump problem but I am no mechanic. Had it towed here based on yelp reviews. Big mistake. They did a half ass diagnostics (incompetent or lack of proper tools) and determined that it was an engine problem with worst case being an engine replacement. Since they don't do engine work, they recommended a garage that did. Had my truck towed to a real garage with a real mechanic and they determined it was a bad fuel pump, filter, and water in the fuel. Turns out that I'm a better mechanic than these clowns at Valley center car care. Only thing these guys are good for are smog checks and oil changes. read more

Called and scheduled appointment. Problem was diagnosed and issue corrected. They were very professional and knowledgeable.

Good place to get a smog check done! Very fast and professional and located conveniently on s main st

An auto repair shop you can trust and depend upon. They stand behind their work. Thanks again Mark.

I could tell the tires were low on air. I was in a panic and this place was the closest. The gentlemen was a white man in his 30s and seemed to be overwhelmed. I asked him to check my tires and he handed me the tools And said I could check them myself. I had no idea what to do. He said he was too busy to help. I understand that but it would have taken 1 min. I handed him back the equipment in tears. I made it to jiffy lube where they were happy to help me. read more

I called to get a cost for a battery replacement. Mark was polite and gave me the total cost over the phone. No other bells or whistles. I initially went to the dealership and was quoted $100 more. Of course I went with Valley Center. Mark said I can come in when they open. It was completed in one hour . Mark is a true professional, honest and friendly. I would absolutely recommend my family and friends. Thank you Mark!! read more

Owner Mark and son Jacob were very pleasant and whoever did the SMOG check was very fast and efficient. They actually stick to appointments unlike other places where they say just drop it off and make you wait hours...but that's not how they work here! My new go-to auto shop! read more

Professional and friendly staff. Only place I trust with my car . If my tire is low. I can stop by anytime.

A trustworthy, reliable and knowledgeable mechanic is priceless. Mark runs a great business. We take all our vehicles to him for simple oil change, tune ups to more complicated issues. He's been in the business for many years. We easily recommend him to friends and family. read more

These guys are awesome! Could tell something was up with my battery this morning so I called them up and they get me in ASAP. Total time for diagnostic tests, replacement, to me driving off the lot was no more than 30 minutes. I'll continue coming back to them for all my car service needs! read more

Great shop great owner and mechanics, I highly recommend them, they did my car and at a great time and great price.

We were referred to Mark & Jacob at Valley Center Car Care by a close friend. We are ecstatic to have found a car repair and maintenance shop that is not only skilled and expeditious at their trade but most importantly, honest in car diagnoses tied to a very fair price to remedy the repair or maintenance that the vehicle actually needs. I have had some unpleasant experiences with a couple of unscrupulous car dealers and auto repair houses on the Peninsula that practice dishonest and made-up spurious car problems with subsequent up-sell and price gouging shenanigans. Mark & Jacob are a breath of fresh air in the car repair & maintenance space, and I have no hesitation in highly recommending their company Valley Center Car Care. read more

I'm impressed. This is my second good review of this business. I'd taken my Jeep to these guys for a few years. Knowing I regularly drive long distances in sometimes sweltering, sometimes snowy, and often unpopulated areas, these guys suggested I get a new vehicle. They easily could have strung me along and nickeled and dimed me since my Jeep wasn't breaking down a lot, just semi-minor repairs here and there. Rather than thinking of the money they could make, they were worried that I'd be stranded and vulnerable sometime in the future. It's more than just business (or maybe its really great business!) when your mechanics are concerned about personal safety over the mighty buck. I took their word for it (what mechanics sacrifice money for client safety after all?) and bought a 2012 vehicle. I will still take my car to them for oil changes and will have them do repairs when needed down the road (pun intended). read more

Been using VCCC for many years with different vehicles I've owned. Great service, quality repairs and reasonably priced.

This place is a GEM! I stumbled upon it when in need of a smog check for my 2013 Prius. I am so glad I did! I know it is ironic to say but this place is charming. From the moment you step into the lot and office you instantly feel at home. It really feels unlike any other auto shop out there or any that I have ever been to for that matter. You are instantly greeted by Mark, the owner. He is friendly and he makes you feel at ease. You are also greeted by Kai his 8 month old dog and she is so lovable. The place is decorated indoors and out with succulents and not just one or two. There are dozens and dozens of succulents everywhere. This adds a special touch to the place. In terms of pricing, they cannot be beat! I paid $49.95 for a Smog check that included the paperwork as well. Other places wanted to charge me $69.95 and up. I was in and out in less than 30 minutes! They are friendly, honest and reliable. I feel safe and not taken advantage of. They are a hardworking small business and I am proud to support them. I will definitely be back! read more

Worst place ever. I got my car towed there 3 days ago because my car kept dying all of a sudden while driving or at a stop light and the check engine light was on.. I never got a call from them, I had to keep calling to see what was wrong. He finally said well we turned it on and it sounds fine. They never actually drove it to see what I was talking about and never checked to see why the check engine light was on. I just went to pick it up and when I turned on the car the check engine light is still on.. it also died twice at stoplights on the way home, luckily it started again barely. When it died the oil light came on. He suggested maybe it's my fuel pumps. Funny that I just paid this same man $1100 9 MONTHS AGO, to replace my fuel pumps. He lies to get money from women he thinks are gullible. Never again read more

I love this place! Been taking my car here for years! They are professional, trustworthy/honest, efficient, & great mechanics! Family run & long time Salinas residents! Highly recommend! read more

Keep up the good work and service. Definitely, I'm grateful for Mark and his crew. Wow!!! This business is a model on how to be honest and treat your customers good. My family will utilize this shop in the future. Mark is great to talk to and I wish his business all the best. read more

Went in for a smog check during time of social distancing. It was the most pleasant experience. Treated kindly & was done in less than 20 minutes. They even put air in my tires. If I ever need car services again, I will go here. Glad to go to a local business. read more

Thank you for taking good care of Mario..a senior citizen and a friend . I recommend senior citizen's and Veteran's to give Mark a call.. Honest People.. Thank You again read more

It would be easy to give details so people knew who wrote this review. But to sum it up, I've never seen a more devious and crooked car repair shop in my life. Whatever good things women, senior citizens and church members liked, it must've happened five years ago and it's all discontinued now. Walmart could do the same work five times better without messing up other things in your engine. read more

My all-time favorite place to take my car! I never feel like I'm being sold things I don't need or having work done that isn't necessary. These are very honest people and they always take great care of my car. I HIGHLY recommend them! read more

Thank you fellow yelpers! I've used this site for bars, hotels and food but this the first time I used it for auto care. I was working in Salinas, I'm from Washington state, when my high mileage truck broke down. Being stranded in California was not in my short term or long term goals so I hit the yelp site, looked for auto repair and I found this place had five stars. Well, it deserve 5 stars. They were honest, fair and fixed my truck in just a couple of days. Now it is adios California! Don't get me wrong, I like it here, I just need to get back home. read more

These guys are awesome. They tell it to you straight, they make you feel important, the pricing is great, they are quick and they get it right. All of the bad things you hear about auto mechanics...Valley Center Car Care gets it all right. We can not recommend them highly enough. Visit them and you will not be disappointed. read more

This lone star represents the phone conversation I held with someone from Valley Center Car Care this afternoon. My question was simple: how much for an oil change for an '09 Chevy Cobalt. The answer: $55 - oh wait, depending on whether it takes synthetic oil or not, because it could be about $100. Really? And the guy was serious. He told me the price range I was expecting (approx. $35, which I told him after he asked) was something they offered about 20 years ago, but Wal-Mart could probably do it at that cheaper price for me. The 5 star reviews must have been for actual work on a car, cuz I can't imagine spending that much on an oil change. read more

Tried to get a quote on some body work, got told that I called the wrong place, then got hung up on. I couldn't tell you what kind of work they do, but there customer service is terrible. read more

Great service. Helped me through several issues with my car. These guys are right on point, honest, reliable.

I'm so grateful to Mark and his business. This is one of the few times I didn't feel completely ripped off by a mechanic. He was honest, efficient, and overall provided great customer service. I dropped off my car before they opened, and I got a call as soon as they opened. A trustworthy and reasonable place, and I'm happy to say I've found my regular mechanic! read more

Mark and his crew are the best in the county! They have helped me with transportation to and from and always done a great repair job. You cant get more for your buck than this place. read more

Came here as a recommendation to get a Smog test. Staff, SUPER friendly. Made an appointment and they took me in right away. They were fast. I would definitely recommend them. read more

This auto repair shop is the best!!! I wasn't getting any heat from my heater and I stopped by to see what it would take to get it working. They opened the hood and filled the radiator and said that this was probably the problem. Well, they were right. I've been freezing in this 20-40 degree weather. They used antifreeze and didn't charge me a thing. I've used this shop for my other car and they were always very honest and fair. I don't trust very many auto mechanics, but I trust them!!! They're really friendly, so I don't know what those other reviews are talking about. When I call and ask when can I bring in my vehicle, they say either that day or the next. I won't be going to any other shops again. Valley Center is the place to go!!! read more

Dave & Marc are great. I moved to Monterey a couple years ago and have struggled to find a garage as dependable, honest and competent as these folks. Don't be thrown off by the appearance from the street. They are always busy for a reason. read more

Good, small place. Mark was very easy to deal with and straightforward. He laid out all my options, told what he thought was safe, and priced out those options for me. The prices were all reasonable and about what I'd expect. All in all - I'd go back and recommend it to others. read more

This past weekend I flew from Michigan to Salinas Ca to spend the weekend with my daughter. On the trip from the airport she asked if I thought her car sounded a bit loud. When we took a sweeping curve and it quieted down I suspect a bad wheel bearing. The next morning I called Mark and he said to bring it in after lunch and he could take a look at it. He did and confirmed it had a bad wheel bearing and he could get it in Friday morning. We planned a trip to San Francisco Friday so I asked how early he could get it done. He was very upfront and said he couldn't guarantee a time but would do the best he could. Long story short, we dropped it off at 7:30 am and he called that it was done at 11:30am. The bill was exactly as quoted and I could not be more pleased with his outstanding service. He even gave us some great travel ideas for our trip to San Francisco. I am flying back to Michigan very content knowing my daughter has an honest trustworthy establishment to take her car to if needed. read more

YES! YES! YES! This place is helpful, honest and they won't try to up sell you, hell, half the time they don't even charge! We even started to get our oil changed here, not because they are cheap for oil changes (they aren't), but because they are so honest and great with all the other things we've been in for, we feel like we owe them the loyalty. Seriously a great shop! read more