The coolant expansion tank on my E46 -- and if you know, you know: the E46 is arguably the best 3-series BMW ever made, the last one built before the brand decided that every car needed to look like it was designed by an angry PlayStation -- exploded in the parking lot of the Oakland Whole Foods. Not overheated. Not leaked. Exploded, in the way that E46 cooling systems eventually do, because BMW in its infinite German wisdom decided to make critical cooling components out of plastic that becomes brittle after fifteen years and then shatters without warning while you're deciding between organic and conventional blueberries and wondering why "baby" bok choy here were the size of my fist. AAA towed it. The dispatcher pulled up the list of nearby shops and Wise Auto Tech had the best ratings and could look at it that day, which on a Friday afternoon in the Bay Area is the mechanical equivalent of getting a same-day dermatologist appointment. It also happened to be blocks from my Berkeley pied-à-terre, which felt like the universe apologizing for the parking lot coolant geyser. Not much to say beyond the basics, and in a shop review the basics are everything: they were friendly from the moment I walked in. They finished the job the next business day. The bill came in at the low end of what I'd been quoted online by other shops, which in 2026 -- a year in which every dollar has been asked to do the work of about a dollar forty -- matters more than it should. I felt slightly guilty asking about the 10% AAA labor discount, the way you always feel slightly guilty asking for a discount from people who are clearly already being fair, but they didn't bat an eye. Here's the detail that stuck with me: when I picked the car up, I noticed they'd plugged in a loose fog light wire -- something that had come undone during an ill-advised encounter with a parking block weeks earlier, something I hadn't mentioned, something that had nothing to do with the cooling system. They saw a loose wire and they plugged it in. That's the kind of thing that tells you more about a shop than any Yelp rating ever could. It means someone under that hood was actually looking, not just fixing the thing they were paid to fix and closing the hood and moving on. Quick, friendly, honest, reasonably priced, and fastidious. That's the whole list of things you want from a mechanic, and most shops manage two or three of them on a good day. Wise hit all five. Recommended. read more

I can't believe I haven't yet reviewed Wise Auto Tech. I've been taking my car to Wais, owner of Wise Auto Tech, for about 15 years now. My car is 25 years old, and still running like a champ, thanks to the expertise and quality work consistently performed by Wais and his team. Wais and his team are knowledgeable and well-versed in all things automotive, honest, and their pricing is fair. You don't have to worry about being ripped off here or sold on things you don't need. My partner and my partner's neighbor have also been loyal customers of Wais for years. I spoke with another customer while waiting one time who has been a customer for nearly 30 years. Wais has a loyal following, and for good reason. On top of being a great mechanic, Wais is also a genuinely nice, stand-up guy, and always pleasant to talk with. My car is my baby, and I wouldn't trust it to just anyone. I am confident entrusting it to Wais and his team, and recommend them for all your automotive needs. read more

Looking for an honest auto repair/maintenance shop? Here it is. My partner turned me on to this place years ago and being an ex auto mechanic I trusted her judgement. I have been taking my Miata here for years and when I was looking to buy a big boy car I brought in 2 used Audis to be looked over. The first one did not pass but the second one did and has been running smooth ever since. Of course with regular Wise maintenance. Fees are more than reasonable and never getting sold on items not needed. I will continue coming here and continue recommending to people. read more

I had been having ongoing issues with my car and took it to a different shop that actually created more issues with my car. After losing trust with that shop, I took my car to Wise Auto Tech and I'm so happy I did! Wais was very kind and communicative. When he found the issue with my car he took the time to explain it to me so I understood exactly what it meant. He gave me the price (which I found fair) and I picked my car up within two days of dropping it off. Having a car that has issues and trying to get them fixed can be stressful and frustrating but I felt so much relief coming to Wais after my bad experience at another shop. This place is now my go-to for car troubles! read more

Wais Saboory, the owner, is a stand-up guy, kind, honest, and truly a master when it comes to cars. Think 6th-degree black belt in automotive knowledge. His experience and attention to detail are on another level. Zain, their service writer, is also great to work with. Always friendly, welcoming, and clearly knows his way around cars, even if he's not the one turning the wrenches. Between the two of them, you feel like your car is in the best possible hands. They've worked on two of my cars over the years and the service has always been exceptional. Most recently, I brought my car in because a nut had come loose on the turbo (a leftover issue from a previous owner's install). Instead of just replacing the nut, they went above and beyond, replacing all the bolts on the turbo to ensure long-term reliability. That kind of thoroughness is rare. Wise is also a full machine shop that rebuilds engines, so they've got the knowledge and resources to do the job right. My car has never run better. I'm happy to pay for this kind of quality. If you're anywhere near Berkeley, do yourself a favor and take your car to Wise Auto Tech. You'll thank me later. read more

Wise Auto Tech - My Audi A4 Avant after a turbo bolt fix at Wise Auto Tech in Berkeley. The team went above and beyond, car's running like new. - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

Second time with this shop (first for a battery replacement last year, second for rear brakes this week), and second positive experience. Found them through the Costco service program. Both times they've had friendly staff and straightforward, affordable service. read more

Our car started overheating 4 1/2 hours into our trip7 hour trip. AAA towed us to Wise Auto tech. It turned horrible situation around. They were able to get our car fixed reasonably and super fast so that we were not stranded. I would recommend them to everyone. read more

Five stars for this business! The shop took us on short notice to look over our vehicle ahead of a long drive for the holidays to perform a routine diagnosis. Excellent service and we'll be sure to come back read more

Was recommended to this shop by AAA. My truck of over 20 years started to have some engine issues. Great service over the phone from the start when I described my issue. When I went in, the staff was super friendly. They offered coffee while I was there. They called me back within a few hours to provide me with results of diagnosis and a quote. Some parts were ordered and my truck was ready 2 days later. Drove it off the shop and it feels just as smooth as the first day I drove it over 20 years ago. read more

Updating my 2020 review to say that Wise Auto Tech is still my most trusted auto technician! I was part of the "great migration" during the COVID-19 pandemic, and relocated 2.5 hours away from Berkeley, CA. Even with the lengthy commute, I still refuse to take my mini cooper anywhere but here! Weiss (the owner) is trustworthy and honest, he has more integrity than anyone else I have met in industry. I have called him up and taken my car in for servicing - explaining strange noises or sensors that I did not understand - and Weiss is happy to diagnose the problem and honestly say whether I need work done or not. Never have I ever taken my car in for servicing, taken a test drive with the owner, and then be told there is nothing to worry about and that we can simply keep an eye on it in the future without having to pay an hourly maintenance fee! The fact that Weiss values an honest relationship over profit speaks volumes to his care and quality of service. I will never go anywhere else. read more

I found my shop! A huge thank you to Wise for attention and care. Wise was recommended by another local shop (they didnt specialize in VWs). I'm so glad I went to Wise. The ECP light turned on in my VW Tigua while driving on the freeway. Pretty scary, felt like the car lost power to accelerate. I drove to Wise Auto Tech and explained the issue. I was comforted by Wise's knowledge and guidance. He wasn't able to take the car in same day as it was Friday but he assured me that Monday morning they could take a look and gave me tips on safe driving in the meantime. Even though it was MLK day, Wise took in the car and had it back to me in great shape by the afternoon. The shop is also well kept and has a spacious waiting area with refreshments. read more

Wais and everyone at this shop are friendly, thorough, communicative and most importantly -- do great work. I switched mechanics a few months ago and I have an old car that needs work periodically. Every time I go to Wise Auto Tech, I feel me and my family are in great hands and I trust them so much. I highly recommend this business! read more

Their phones don't work. Everyone recommends but not able to communicate. Luckily I found one that has working phones.

This shop was recommended by both AAA and Costco. Called to get pricing for wheel alignment. The person answering the phone gave pricing. When I informed that I was still price comparing, (as this was our first call on the list), his was response was "I know". His manner was short and rude. He may be an excellent shop but initial customer interaction left us to find another place to do business. read more

Searched all over the east bay for my AR go-to place. Found Wise Auto Tech by accident and glad I did. The reservation process was super easy. There is a comfortable waiting area and the owner was extremely professional, knowledgable & nice. The prices are reasonably and the shoppe is clean! read more

This is my go to machine shop, usually have my heads back in a day. Ive tried other shops and had to wait a week but not this place. Thanks guys read more

I had to get my car repaired and Wise did an excellent job. They kept me up to date during the repairs and the final price quote was accurate. Very reasonable charges for the services. The person I dealt with at the station was very friendly. Highly recommend this auto shop based on my experience, no complaints read more

NOT recommended! Very rude and non professional people First I did call but he said call me later, I did call after an hour and I did try to make an appointment for a repair, he said no I don't have time, I said tell me please what date is good for you so I can bring it and he hangs up the phone while talking. Very rude people, they don't have a respect to the customers! read more

Very awesome , have a free light bulb cause of a small mistake and also help replace the bulb for free Thank you so much read more

Wise Auto Tech is anything but, Wise about automobiles! This scenario is the conclusion about my terrible experience at this so-called auto repair shop. Took my Maxima into a local Transmission Repair shop, and here is what they found: the drivers side axle seal was leaking and no Mr Wais it did not take four hours to replace. You were off by 2.5 hours. Now Mr Wais claims his technicians are ASE Certified, well the one that serviced my transmission must have been sleeping during the class to drain, and service the transmission with fluid. The local transmission mechanic said he also found the transmission drain plug was held on by just a couple of threads. This is also where the leak was coming from. He went on to tell me how lucky I was that the drain plug didn't fall all the way out, or I would have ruined the transmission. I have already filed a complaint with AAA, and just started the CA BAR complaint. I am a AAA member, but was never offered the 10% discount at Wise Autotech which AAA offers for members. This cost me an additional $151.00 dollars because of inadequate maintenance techniques. The customer service at Wise is terrible!. Don't be fooled by Mr Wais pleasant upfront demeanor, you'll get to experience the villain side of him once you have a problem with their work. If your thinking about doing business here, don't do it move on. read more

Wise Auto was recommended as a Triple AAA Auto Shop in the bay area that was close by (second was all the way in Richmond and we live in Oakland). My partner's car died on the freeway and we got it towed to Wise Auto. Weiss is very honest when he called us and told us the engine was shot and honestly was not worth to spend 7,000 to fix which we agreed. Only 4 stars as Weiss has little patience. I understand the shop is small but should not get overly upset because pick n pull tow truck would come get the car next day and not same day. read more

The transmission on my car went out when my partner was on the freeway and we had to get it towed by AAA and this was the recommended shop that was available after hours to drop the keys off. Long story short, Wise was able to save me a lot of money by putting in a little extra time and care into my repair, which allowed me to keep the car otherwise I was going to have to donate it as the repair was several thousand dollars more than the car was worth. I really appreciate the time and patience and knowledge that he put into my repair and definitely recommend this shop. My car was a Subaru. read more

Experienced, knowledgeable mechanics that are a pleasure to work with and do a great job at a very reasonable price!

Owner accepted my car as i towed by AAA and since he is supposedly one of AAA's recommended shops, I thought I was safe. Well I wasn't. I was out of town when my car's temperature began to run high. To make a long story short, Wise, for some reason did not want to take the time needed to properly diagnose my car. He told me it needed a new radiator so I o.k.'d that. What else could I do? I was 1 1/2 hours from home. I paid him almost $800 and 5 minutes after driving my car off the lot the temperature shot up to hot again. I called Wise. He kept saying the car was fixed. All I knew was I was not going to drive the car home with it in the red. He 'allowed' me to have my car towed back to his shop. I had to pay for the tow this time as AAA didn't have anything available for 4 (FOUR) hours. The nerxt morningiIhad not heard from him so I callled and once again he began telling me that the car was fine. But he added a thermostat just for good measure I guess because it certainly didn't fix my car. After picking i t up for a 2nd time it ran in to the red zone again I stopped and called Wise. He began to argue with me and told me the car was fine.I told him I needed to bring it back to him. I could not drive my car while it was overheating. He told me it would be ok to drive it home. He said I should drive it home and add more coolant to it tomorrow morning. This just sounded all wrong to me. Why on earth would that brand new radiator need more coolant? If it did then there was obviously a problem and he had not corrected it yet. But when I asked repeatedly if I could leave my car at his shop, he just kept telling me reasons I would not want to do that. He said I would have to park my car in the street and he would not be responsible for it. He said he didn't have room for my car on his protected lot as he was completely full. He said it would be over one week before he could even look at my car. He just did not want to work on my car. He kept urging me to drive my car home. He would not accept my car coming to his shop and that was that I really had no choice but to do as he kept suggesting. I thought to myself, well I can probably trust him....I mean he is a recommended AAA shop. I learned that does not mean anything at all. The next day I took my car to a local, reputable auto shop.First they wanted to know who had allowed me to drive home with a code PO302. They said whoever let you do that significantly put your safety --your life- at risk. Then they told me that my car now had 2 codes on it. They said we're sorry Teri but you need a new engine. If the mechanic in Berkeley had just taken the time to diagnose your car properly. you would probably still have working car. I was shocked. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I had an overheating engine on my car which I had treated so well. It was paid for and I had planned on trading it in sometime in the next few years but now I had nothing to trade in. I certainly couldn't go out and buy a car now. So this man , in all his haste, had cost me my car. What he did is criminal. I think AAA should take a closer look at which shops they recommend. Stay Away! read more

Did my brakes with them, very knowledgeable mechanics, super friendly owner. This is my new spot from now on.

I am overjoyed by the quality of care given to my car by Wise Auto Tech. First, I visited Firestone who could only assist with 1/3 issues. I later found Wise Auto Tech on AAA's verified mechanic list and I wish I would have come here first. In less than a few days my car was back up and running. Updates were provided to me throughout and I even received a check-in call the day following pick up just to ensure everything was working to my expectations. I have definitely found my go to mechanic! read more

Wise is number one. Brought my 94 Tricel in with an engine oil leak. Now my car runs like new. What a beautiful engine job I got back. Give Wise a try, and I know you will not be disappointed. I have four vehicles and have been using Wise for years and I am very satisfied with these excellent services. Chris T read more

I can not recommend Wise Auto Tech highly enough. Wais is trustworthy, thorough, and a lovely person. He did some work on my old CRV, let me know of other work that should be done in the near future, and was straightforward without being the least bit pushy. I will be taking my new(er) car to this shop as well. read more

Ended up having more problems with the car then when I originally turned it in. It took over three weeks to fix the transmission problem (they would not contact my insurance directly) and then I had to return it five different times. My car has been checked by other companies recently and never had any of these issues before I took it to them. Then it all of a sudden has a bent oil tank (which they replaced). The check emissions sign came up the first day I got the car back and they said it had nothing to do with them. What? I brought it back a few times to show them this emission sign coming up and they would just reset it, saying there's nothing to worry about. Now the sign won't reset and is continuesly on, but they won't repair something that wasn't on before I took it there. I'm now going to my original auto shop, where I'm going to have to spend more money to repair car issues that shouldn't be here. They might be good to other's, just not me! read more

Now how many autoshop owners have elegant, clean furniture in their offices? Not many, but Wise does! The owner/operator is a very friendly guy and makes taking your car in for service a delight. read more

Only go this guy if you want to be robbed of your money. My boyfriend paid this man in cash almost if not $5000 in cash for different repairs to his car. The last repair to his car was the shocks which was over $1200 my boyfriend paid in cash and threw away the receipt big mistake. Any way this guy asked my boyfriend how he had been this guy knows my boyfriend we've been there a lot and he (bf) has a distinct accent and appearance. "Wise" claimed he didn't know him or remember him after he complained about the work he did. We won't even discuss how he didn't properly fix my car either. This man is a crock a liar and a thief. Lesson learned keep receipts and definitely pay with card so you have proof for criminals like wise. Don't go here he will only fix it enough to get your money and play stupid read more

I found my new mechanic! Wais and company are completely professional, honest, do quality work and, to a person, offer exceptional, courteous treatment. I ended up paying less than I had expected and driving away with a vehicle in top running condition. I have two vehicles, one a vintage Westfalia, and this is totally my new place. They have a machine shop next door so they can make repairs others cannot by refurbishing hard to find parts instead of installing lower quality, after market parts. Exceptional Covid protocols and a clean, beautiful shop. Highly recommend. read more

Wais is super friendly, extremely knowledgeable and ultra professional. Recommend this mechanic shop without hesitation, the work is priced honestly and Wais wants to keep your business. As a matter of fact, I wish they were open on Saturdays so I could drop my wife's car off this morning for a diagnostic. Also, Costco members get a discount. read more

The team at Wise has been fantastic. I have an older car and in the year that I've lived in the area, I've needed service a couple of times. Every time, I've been able to bring my car to the shop at my earliest convenience. Wise is good about explaining what he thinks the problem is and providing an estimate. Rates are very reasonable and the staff is friendly and respectful. I highly recommend Wise Auto Tech. read more

Wise and his guys at Wise Auto Tech are great. I recommend them to everyone. The owner is extremely polite and helpful, he also does an impecable job at keeping the the shop clean. read more

Wise Auto Tech - I can't believe how clean they keep the shop - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've been bringing my vehicles to waiz for years. Suggested wise to my friends and they've stayed loyal too. Now my girlfriend brings her vehicles to wise as well. This is how all businesses should be run. Especially automotive repair shops. Caring, considerate and the willingness to take the time to explain every issue to the customer carefully. I actually work on cars my self. Hot rodder. But I don't have the time these days, and with the technology of most vehicles, cannot really resolve most issues myself. So I entrust my vehicles to wise when a repair issue is outside of my area of expertise. They will work on just about any car. From modern cars. To hot rods and classic European cars(actually their specialty). Not to mention they have a complete machine shop as well. So they can rebuild an engine and repair most components that might be obsolete. Excellent automotive care. read more

The owner is a very nice man, and they did a fantastic job of replacing the broken blowing motor in my car's A/C. From what I can tell, their pricing is on par or better than other repair shops in the area, and I love that they offer a discount for AAA members. read more

Toyota Pickup 86 - new clutch, parts and labor. Mr. Wais and his team did a great and quick job. I called many places for quotes and his was by far the lowest. Some places quoted 2x what Mr. Wais quoted me. His shop is clean and professional. I dropped my car off on Tuesday and picked it up first thing Thursday morning. Car runs great! Also had a great conversation with Mr. Wais. Real stand up guy. Will definitely be a returning customer (hopefully not too often). Thanks Wais. read more

Wise runs a clean, focused and down to earth shop, probably the best I've seen! He is great guy with an amazing crew, and they deliver. I had a new engine put into my Honda CR-V and it's running like a top. Good price and he stands by his work 100%. Go there, you will not be disappointed. read more

Came here as result of AWESOME review on Yelp. First impressions that the shop was really nice and clean. Wais was really friendly and seem knowledgeable. Asked to have fuel filter replaced in my car. Later, when driving home at 7p, noticed that fuel was splashing/spilling out of engine area. Engine was smoking. Could smell strong fuel odor. Lost 1/4 tank of fuel when running the car for 15 minutes. Fuel filter was not changed correctly. Could have resulted in a much more serious, life threatening situation. Tried to call Wise AutoTech that night to get fixed asap in order to drive home (about 50 miles away). No answer on the phone. Unsafe to drive car with fuel splashing/spilling and too far from home to arrange ride. Stayed at closest hotel for night. Used my AAA to tow car to Wise in the morning, Service manager was not there. Spoke to mechanic and asked him to tell Service Manager to call me. No call for 1.5 hours. I called them and asked to repair/fix the filter, reimburse for fuel lost, and reimburse my hotel expenses. Wais sometimes became argumentative. At one point, even said I was not in danger even though fuel was spilling out the engine. Wise only agreed to repair the fuel filter and refund the service cost and pay for some of the fuel. Would not reimburse other expenses caused by fuel filter problem. Supremely disappointed and frustrated. There are ton of other shops in that Berkeley area, will try other ones out next time. read more