As soon as I met Jim, I knew he was the right person to do this job. He did a fair & appropriate quote quote and beat the guy who recommended a price three times as much. my car looks like a brand new car! They did what they were supposed to do. They exceeded my expectations. They cleaned the inside of the car and out and I highly recommend the extraordinary job they did. read more

I highly recommend using Waters Auto Body. It is a reputable and trustworthy business. Jim is reasonable, timely and honest.

My car had minor damage. They were able to replace the trim and polish out the scratches while I waited. The cost was very reasonable.

I just had some body work done on my Lexus, and I am so very, very pleased. Jim at Waters is super professional; charged substantially less than another estimate I had acquired; he kept me posted; and acquired a discount autobody rate for me at my local Enterprise car rental while my car was being repaired. They did a stellar job. I absolutely recommend this family owned shop! read more

Return customer here. Recently I damaged the housing of the right side mirror on my Prius, it was literally in pieces and one of them was twisted out of shape. Amazingly, Jim managed to fit the whole thing back together, and he refused payment because, as he modestly put it, "I didn't fix anything"! Very nice people to work with and I highly recommend. read more

I went to get my car repaired at Waters.. and the professionalism was so outstanding and detailed to my expectations. Will recommend it to anyone else interested. read more

Best auto body shop in town! The owner, Jim, is one of the friendliest guys you'll meet. Reasonably priced, efficient, and very communicative. I wouldn't take my cars anywhere else. read more

Waters has repaired several cars of mine over the last 30yrs. Jim runs a tight, efficient business and you'll never have to worry about cost overruns or the unexpected. The last vehicle he worked on, the final cost was less than the estimate. When does that ever happen? There's a reason he's run a successful business for so long. Quality work, at a fair price and on time. No need to go anywhere else. read more

Shout out to Waters Auto Body Repair in Palms. I have been going there for many years and have recommended many people. Jim is the current owner. I started going there when his father was the owner. They are the most incredibly honest and dependable people. Just last week, I rec my friend for a small repair on the rear bumper of his Tesla. Any other shop would have replaced the bumper. But Jim knew that wasn't necessary -- he was able to repair it instead. Thank you, Jim and employees for being so honest and professional. read more

This is one place you know for sure you're NEVER going to be over-charged or given an exaggerated estimate of what is wrong with your car. Jim is scrupulously honest and, on top of that, pleasant and friendly. Most people who suffer damage to their car are already stressed when they take it for a repair estimate. Jim takes all the stress away even in the way he speaks with you. You KNOW he will do the very best possible at the most reasonable price. Honest, reassuring, and stress-free. read more

Jim is a perfectionist when it comes to repainting your car after an accident. 5 stars from me!

My good ol' Kia Optima got into an accident and I called Waters as recommended by my mechanic. Jim was quick to respond, and I got the car towed there. Jim gave me a very reasonable quote and was flexible to adjust the repair items and prices as I was just looking to make the car safely drivable, not cosmetically perfect. Not only did he completely the repairs quickly, the final prices came out lower than quoted. And the shop was very responsive the whole time. 10/10 service! read more

Got my 2024 Prius looked at. Changed front bumper and Jim was the only person around that talked about the new car technology (driving assist sensors) that needs to be taken care of apart from the mechanical parts. Gave great suggestions. Highly recommend him for all new cars. read more

If you are reading this review looking for the best repair shop in LA, well look no further because Waters is 1000% your place. Jim made an otherwise stressful and worrying task of repairing a car into one of the best customer service experiences I have ever had. Maybe I got lucky with the time I chose to stop by, but when I came in on a Monday afternoon, Jim immediately assessed the damage on my car, explained each of the fixes that would have to be done, and even gave me a printed estimate at the end of it all for me to take home and review. He was incredibly transparent about the process and displayed the utmost commitment to preserving the value + quality of my car by doing things like retaining as many of its original parts as opposed to just replacing everything. When I went to pick up my car today I was stunned.The dents, scratches everything were completely gone and my car honestly looked better than when I picked it up from the dealership. The team even cleaned the dash better than I ever did (honestly the amount of dust inside was embarrassing) and from this day on, I swear to give my car as much love and care as it received while it was in service. Thank you so much to Jim and the Waters Auto Body team for all of your hard work! read more

Waters Auto Body really came through in my hour of need! I rely heavily on my car for work and school, and needed to get back on the road ASAP after being struck in a hit n run. I found Waters off of a recommendation and confirmed they were an Allstate approved dealer. They weren't on the list Allstate provided me after my accident, but I'm so glad I found this shop anyway. Jim from Waters worked smoothly with my insurance to get by car repaired wall and back to me quickly. Waters was even able to source all the necessary parts from Toyota, rather than after market substitutes. I also appreciated the regular progress updates and delivery-tracker-style repair progress page for my car. Once I picked my car up, everything looked great: the body was perfect, electronics and sensors all functioned fantastically, and my car was washed and cleaned inside and out. Later that night, I only noticed one loose light switch, which Jim took care of in minutes the next time I was in the area. Since Jim is the main contact for the shop, it can be hard to reach Waters over the phone, at times. I suggest leaving a message and/or just heading over to discuss things in person. Message replies usually come within a business day. read more

Waters Auto Body - post repair - Auto Repair Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I had scratched up my accord backing into my parking space and promptly headed over to Waters the following day after being referred by a different body shop. Jim was incredibly helpful and generously applied some touch-up free of charge. I will definitely be returning for any significant future work on my car. read more

Ha! I forgot I had reviewed them 12 years ago! I guess my love runs deep. Jim is so awesome. Thorough and great at what he does. He really has a passion for doing it right. My husband's car just re-emerged from a bad accident thanks to Jim. Only place we will ever go! read more

Jim at Waters Auto Body is such a good guy, I'm hesitant to write this review because I want to keep it secret so the place isn't overwhelmed. I've brought two cars now to Jim and he has always tried to do reasonable fixes first before going to a more pricier solution. Even his pricier solutions are always much lower than other auto body shops. read more

John and his crew are professional, courteous and do great work! Prices were very fair and my car looks great.

The work they do is GREAT. But more important, Jim wont do anything you do not need. A more straight-shooter you wont find anywhere.

The first time I dealt with Waters Auto Body was back in 2013 when I had my new car for not even a week, and a lady backed into me at a Trader Joe's (known for their terrible parking lots along with Whole Foods). Even though I'm not a car lover by any means, seeing a dent in my door on a car I've had for less than seven days was just wrong. My insurance highly recommended Waters, and since I was living on the west side during this time, I took their word for it and headed on over. As far as I'm concerned, Jim himself is a no-nonsense, non-bullsh***er kind of guy, which I appreciate since we are all used to the fake promises you hear mostly everywhere else in any line of work. My track record with cars in general always makes me wary, but I didn't really feel that way here. I honestly can't recall how long it took to be fixed, but when my car was ready, it looked fantastic. I was very happy with the work and I was on my way. Fast forward to almost seven years alter, I was rear-ended and desperately needed work done on my rear bumper. I no longer live in Santa Monica so I will admit I was seriously debating on taking the car to another auto body shop much closer, but I knew if I wanted the job done well, I had no choice but to make the trip across town. Jim took care of me dealing with the opposing insurance company in addition to getting me to and from the Enterprise rental close by. The estimated time did take a little longer than expected but this was worth it. I had to call to get updates but he would return my call right away after I left a message. When my car was officially ready a little over two weeks later, I was at a crucial dentist appointment yet I still made it over right before 5p closing time. Thanks to Lupe who was still there, he was on hand to give me my keys. From here, I was able to drive the rental back to Enterprise, and then had one of their guys bring me to where my car was safely parked in Waters parking lot. Once again, everything looked great and I appreciated the extra time and effort made to restore it back to its original condition the best it could be. Although I am very pleased with the work that has been done, I sure hope I don't have to see him again anytime soon! read more

Great service, great work. Replaced front bumper after I hit a pole. Honest. Worked to give me the best results for the problem I had with the bumper. Highly recommended. read more

I've lived in this area for years and somehow never really took note of this body shop. Recently, some unkind soul ripped up the lock on my car trying to bust in. First I took it to another body shop that I had been happy with before, but their estimate was way higher than last time and they wanted a deposit too. So I got a second opinion at Waters. Tried calling and no one picked up, but I saw some reviews that said to just stop by so I did. Jim was very easygoing and friendly. He got my car fixed within a couple of hours the very next day, no deposit or anything. The reason I'm not giving full marks is because it's CASH ONLY if you owe out of pocket. I didn't realize this until I went to pay, and I had to run to the bank. They probably do this because of fraud, which I get, but producing hundreds in cash for car repairs could be a hardship... be aware of this before you commit. read more

Jim fixed a large dent in my car and did a fantastic job. They even fixed another dent in the door, but didn't charge me. He finished the job on time and returned the car to me clean which was an added bonus. Good guy, would definitley recommend and will use again myself. read more

What a luxury having access to a shop such as this. Good people good communication . Really remarkable folks

I got referred to this place for a paint job + replacement part of the plastic piece above my tire. Pretty old school place that uses paper files and prints your estimate, we were told it's a mom and pop shop that's been around for a while. Stopped by in person and Jim in the office is usually in and out between speaking with customers, he was super helpful and sweet and able to give us a quote within 10 min and printed out a car map and outline of the breakdown of services and costs of each. We tried calling back a few times to let him know we'd like to proceed and get my car lined up on the calendar after getting higher estimates from nearby body shops. My car was able to get in in 2 weeks and they took M-Fri to finish the job and called as soon as it was ready, they also vacuumed the inside and washed my car so it looked amazing as soon as I saw it pulling into the lot to pick it up. Heads up they only take cash/check and aren't open on weekends and close by 5pm each day. Highly suggest taking the time to stop by irl since Jim doesn't always pick up the phone. Overall great value and quality service! read more

I had a wonderful experience with Waters Auto Body this week. Jim, the owner, gave me a very reasonable estimate and every promise he made, he kept. He was professional, straightforward, and very nice to deal with. I was so nervous because my SUV was in great condition prior to being hit, but Jim made a stressful situation much easier to handle. Best of all, they did a fantastic job. My car is like new. Thank you, Jim and team! read more

Fabulous and responsive service! My car looks better than new. I really enjoyed working with this place and would recommend to anyone needing car body work. read more

I ran into a curb and hurt my bumper -ugh! A friend recommended Waters Auto Body - they immediately went under the car to figure out what was going on and how to help! They were very knowledgeable and helpful -we highly recommend! read more

Today I was involved in a fender bender and my front bumper looked really awful. I was so freaked out about this because I can't go through insurance to fix it and really didn't want to tell my parents. I went to Waters because it was the closest place to me, to make sure that my car was still safe to drive. I was in a total panic, crying. Jim came out and looked at the car and said it was definitely safe to drive. I then asked how expensive it would be to make the bumper look a little better so maybe my parents wouldn't notice. He immediately cleaned up the scratches and applied some "bandaid" paint, free of charge. I couldn't believe how kind he was and he made me feel so much better, and even put my mind at ease about the fender bender and let me know I might not even be at fault. I can't recommend Jim enough. I went in crying, and left feeling so much better. read more

Waters Auto Body - Before - Auto Repair Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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My girlfriend was in a minor wreck when she was hit in the side of her Honda. The insurance company suggested another place for the repairs but having gone that company myself when my insurance company also suggested that other place to me, I knew better and suggested she look for another place. I asked around and my neighbor suggested Waters and since it was near my place I checked it out. I went and talked to Jim who gave me an estimated time and price. My girlfriend then asked the adjuster about Waters and he said he had heard good things and they were fair in pricing, which was great because the insurance company also worked with Waters. She chose Waters to do the work, the price and time Jim gave were almost spot on, the price was a little higher due to some underlying damage which he warned about and I expected, but nothing more came out of her pocket and the price was still in the ballpark of the insurance company estimate. The bonus being it was done on time or a day earlier and was the car was looking great again! Recommending mechanics is a serious thing, most of us don't know enough about cars to do anything ourselves so there has to be trust involved. I have my mechanic for mechanical issues and now I have found one for body work issues. I would recommend Waters Auto Body. read more

Waters Auto Body - Auto Repair Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The people here are extremely nice. I just stopped by super quick because a part of my car wouldn't clip. Its something that I knew would only take 30 seconds. I asked if they could help and they did. Only took them 20seconds and it was something they were nice about they they didn't have to do. If something is wrong with my car I would come back here based on their kindness. read more

Update: Since my last review, we were able to get in contact with Jim after months of being ignored. All the issues have been fixed to satisfaction. I just wish the repair was done properly the first time instead of handing it off to a third party and then not checking to see that the repairs were properly done. The car shouldn't have gone in with 1 issue to return with 4 other issues. It shouldn't have taken more than half a year to get the car finally repaired. read more

We have been using Waters Auto Body for well over a decade. We have take several different types of cars for repair: BMWs, Mercedes and Jeeps. The service is excellent. Always kept us informed of status and the costs were reasonable. Jim is very open and honest about the work and has never charged us for work that didn't need to be done. He stands by the work 100%. The most recent example of how great this place is: My daughter dinged up the right rear find slightly, with a piece of plastic trim popping off. The body has had some scuff marks. Jim reinstalled the plastic trim and remove the scuff marks while she waited (didn't take long) at no charge! Waters is always our choice. read more

Someone lane changed into my car and damaged from the driver side door all the way down to the bumper. I chose waters autobody because they work with Allstate. Jim is friendly, honest and has excellent communication. Both the price and time estimate were spot on. I'm very pleased with my experience and my car looks brand new. Highly recommended read more

I can't say enough favorable things about this place! I twice broke off the passenger side mirror. (yes, I know...). The first time I called Mazda for the cost of the parts. The amount that Jim from Waters charged me for parts and labor was lower than what Mazda would have charged for parts only! More recently I had a slight problem w my bumper. Jim fixed it at no cost, in about 2 minutes! I would highly recommend them. read more

This is the ONLY place I will ever take my car for any kind of body work. Doing business with Jim Waters is a total pleasure. In the time of Covid when everything is so much harder than it should be, Jim makes everything a breeze. There is never a stupid question, he always has time to call you back, and he is above all HONEST. Great experience! Recommend! Five stars. read more

Jim is amazing as are his super skilled staff! We have brought our cars here for a long time!

I have bern going to Jim for years. Expert. Very reasonable rates. Honest. Friendly with a good sense of humor.

Waters is by far the best. Jim has always had his eye on best interest for the customer. Can't say enough good stuff. His workmanship and quality are above and beyond what you would expect. read more