I had the best experience taking my 2014 Ford Edge to get a big repair. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. I was so happy with their service. It was fast and a great price. Dealership wanted 3 times more than what Alternative Automotive charged me. I would recommend them to any person that needs their car worked on. Awesome place!! read more

I highly recommend Alternative Automotive Inc. for vehicle repairs. Our Kia Soul was stolen and when it was recovered it had a broken steering column, broken rear passenger window, broken glass in the interior, and damage to the bumper/rear panel. We happened to find Alternative Auto by chance and we are very glad we did! Armando and his team did an excellent job at making all the repairs, detailing the interior, and fixing our windshield. Throughout the entire process, Armando was nothing but kind, professional, and transparent. He also dealt 100% with the insurance company on the supplemental estimate. We are very appreciative and will definitely be referring friends and family to Alternative Auto Inc. when they need vehicle repairs. read more

Have been getting my oil changes here for a while now and am always very satisfied with the services and expertise. They gave me a coupon and even gave me a free brake caliper bolt for an emergency! Highly recommend! read more

Had a great experience with Alternative Auto. I was dealing with an oil leak that started after service from another shop, and it was becoming a real headache. They quickly diagnosed the issue and were able to resolve it the same day. read more

Not triple AAA recommended. over charged for a bolt. threatened me with storage fees for holding my car with partial payment for less than 2 bussiness days after repair. kept me waiting 25+ min just to pay after rushing me in with rudness. Dont go here was sketchy from jump. read more

Alternative Automotive - Auto Repair Near Me - Escondido, California

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude and to leave the highest recommendation for Daniel. I recently brought a vehicle in for a pre-purchase inspection, and Daniel was incredibly effective, efficient, honest, and trustworthy. I truly wanted to bring more vehicles to him for inspection but was unfortunately unable to due to the location of the other used cars. I wholeheartedly recommend Daniel and Alternative Automotive to anyone seeking an honest, trustworthy, affordable, and genuine partner for their car service needs. Thank you again Daniel for your outstanding service and for looking out for your customers' best interests. read more

Major Service and NO Regrets! Always professional, courteous and efficient. We use them for both our cars and recommend them regularly! read more

Good honest repair shop. Went in based on a referral from a friend. Thought we needed an expensive repair (what another auto repair shop said) ended up with only a brake repair, able to save the rotors as well. read more

Get your next service here! I made an appointment last week for service today and everything went perfect & quick without the ridiculous dealer gouge that I've gotten sick of after 20 years of being a happy Lexus owner. The Alternative Automotive service advisor, Daniel, called me about the inspection and reported that everything was in very good condition and the oil change was completed. I'm a happy customer and will be back with my wife's car when needed. I met another happy customer in the lobby and she has been a customer for 20 years plus! We should have been coming here too! My last two dealership experiences were mind boggling and or super expensive. read more

Was just about to call this shop again when I realized I hadn't written a review yet. The service I've received here has been outstanding. Pricing is more than reasonable, but the biggest reason I wouldn't go anywhere else is the transparency and honesty that comes with the service. Daniel is exceptional at letting you know exactly what your options are and making it clear which choice is best for you. That's on top of fixing a suspension issue I had that several mechanics, including dealerships, couldn't even find. Great shop. read more

Our experience at alternative auto was extraordinary! Daniel and Steve took extremely good care of us. They were thorough and explained every step of the process and why they were suggesting specific services Most importantly they were genuine and honest, we knew we brought our car to the right place. We will NEVER get our cars serviced at a dealership again. They just made us lifetime clients! read more

Got a timing belt service done here on my GX470. Great shop, customer service, and price. Will definitely go back there when it comes due again! -John read more

We've been customers of Alternative Automotive for a long, long time. We keep coming back because the service is stellar and the prices are reasonable. Our 2010 Prius is back to excellent condition and should last many more years. The communication by Daniel was commendable and he let us know the status often. Steve made sure that the repairs were done as quickly as possible. And they are just nice people who we can trust and we want to support. read more

I needed an Oil Change on my newer Lexas and the dealer quoted almost $200 ! They got my Suv in the next day and charged me HALF that amount!! Great people and service,,,Highly recommend them and will use them forever!! read more

Been doing business with Steve and team at Alternative for more than 25 years with every car my family has owned. Japanese make and American cars. Great, honest team. They do good work and happy to have them continue to work on my cars. read more

Called the shop to inquire about an issue we were having with our Dodge Challenger so that we could schedule an appt. Started to explain the scenario of what had happened unexpectedly with the thermostat while we were driving home. Before my husband could finish his sentence the salesman rudely interrupted him & began chastising him for driving the car. He yelled, "why are you driving it?! You're gonna blow the engine!" We wanted to say... "No sh$#* Sherlock!, that was yesterday & we haven't driven it since!". Why do you think we are calling you?!! Since the salesman had no concept of customer service or how to listen & respond to a customer, we took our business elsewhere & they are already repairing the problem as we speak. Obviously, Alternative Automotive doesn't need the money or business that bad. On their website.... "Driven to serve". I think not! Driven to serve themselves. read more

Honestly I can't thank Daniel and Steve enough! I brought my car in because it was making a wierd noise, was driving my grandkids around, when my son told me to bring it to them to let me know what it was. It was a very crucial part of the braking system! I am so grateful to them all for finding the problem and taking care of it! I am so happy to say for the first time in a very long time, I feel safe again! I will never go anywhere else Vicki Dickens read more

I just started to take my 2010 Prius with 208k miles on it, to Alternative Automotive in Escondido. I don't know why I didn't do it sooner. I used to go to these guys when I had my Toyota Camry, back in 2009. Daniel is very knowledgeable with great customer service, and the owner Steve called me to give me all the info about what was going to be done. The repairs (some of them not needed) were going to cost a LOT more at the dealership. While not inexpensive, I saved several thousand dollars by having Alternative Automotive do the repairs. Highly recommended! read more

Love this place They are fast, fair prices and quality auto services. Steve and Daniel will take care of you I guarantee it! Tell them Cindy from the local Get1Free magazine sent you! read more

The front desk guy was so rude did not say hello and would not answer any of my questions, would not even look at me. I called back to check on my car and he was so upset that i even called asking me what I wanted. I will never go back there again. It was the most uncomfortable situation I had ever been in. read more

So incredibly thankful for Alternative Auto and the amazing work that they do! My Lexus's brake lights went out and when I took my car to the Toyota dealership (huge mistake) they said the total cost to fix the brake lights would be $900!!! When I took my car for a second opinion to Alternative Auto they were able to successfully fix my brake lights with refurbished parts and saved me $400. Omar and everyone at Alternative Auto are so great, professional, and provide excellent customer service. I would definitely recommend coming here if you need maintenance work done on your vehicle, safety inspections, etc. 10/10 Thank you Alternative Auto! read more

Daniel is very nice and responsive to any issues I might have with my 2011 Rav4. He books the appointments and makes sure that the operation runs smoothly. I am sure that the reason my Rav4 it is still running is because this repair shop is the best in San Diego. They listen to you and try to find the issue (if you have one). They book their appointments with time to spare so the mechanics are not late giving you back your car. Since I am in my 60's and don't have time to worry about my car, I find Daniel and the repair personnel to be very trustworthy and responsible. They even tell you about future concerns that may need to be addressed. I cannot recommend Alternative Automotive in Escondido more that I already have. Have your car(s) serviced here and you won't be sorry. read more

The front differential broke on my car and since it's AWD the entire transmission/transaxle needed to be replaced. They quoted me $2529.04 Fine. Whatever. Fix my car. They had it for over two weeks because none of the transmissions they received passed their quality control check. Weird?? Get a better parts supplier. They kept giving me promise dates for my car and then going back on them saying "oh sorry it'll be next tuesday".. "it'll be done on thursday".. "yeahhhhh it'll be next tuesday." Talk about a rollercoaster. Anyway after ALL of that they decided to give me a discount on parts and labor for having my car for so long. Awesome :) JUST KIDDING. With the discount it actually ended up being more than their original quote. I paid $2581.06. They also tried to throw in a free oil change as well, but I'm perfectly capable of changing my own oil. If I could drop a tranny, trust me I would do that myself and have completely ixnayed my interaction with this shop. But wait for the grand finale!! Fast forward 9 months my front differential broke again from whatever sh*tty transmission they could get their grubby hands on :) and their shop warranty is one year or 12,000 miles whichever comes first and my car mileage is 2,000 miles over shop warranty so now i'm mega screwed over :)))))) THIS SHOP SUCKS :) DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND TAKE YOUR VEHICLE ANYWHERE BUT THIS PLACE :) read more

Had a great experience with them again today. My entire family uses this shop on the recommendation of my sister in law Michelle. I had my mom's car in today due to the check engine light. And Daniel took great care of us. We have been using this place for about 8 years now and have been very happy with their service. (Half the time my Mom takes her car in because she hears or smells something and there is absolutely nothing wrong, but they continue to take great care of her. (I can only imagine what it says in their computer about her.) LOL read more

Great people. Knew my Chevy. Found my problems and fixed it fast. Great communication and very reliable. I'll be back !

My 2000 4Runner Limited Edition had the classic valve gasket leak which I had been putting off for years. Daniel and George came to the rescue and now my 4Runner purrs like a kitten. I can't believe the performance difference -- even after my baby has 225K miles!! Thanks Daniel and George !! read more

I was recommended to here and to say the less Best experience I've ever had. Omar was very helpful! Within a day I had my car ready to go. Definitely will be coming back. read more

Needed some work on my car and didn't know where to start. I looked up a 5 star business nearby and came across this shop. Everyone is very kind and professional. Had the pleasure of meeting the owner Steve , now I know why everyone has such positive feedback. You can tell he treats his customers like family. Anyways they got my car taken care of and it was reasonable pricing. Highly recommend. read more

Called them to get a rough cost to rebuild my transmission. I was told the owner would be calling me back to discuss. 16 hours later and no call. So, I call them to check in and see if the owner was planning on calling me. I was told he's busy, but will get back to me soon or someone else would call. 5 hours later and still no call. So I call again and this time they don't answer the phone so I leave a message. It's now been a few days and no one ever called me back. I wish I could review their work, but they won't even give me that opportunity. However, if they can't return a simple phone call, what will the quality of their work be? Moving on and going with someone else. read more

Steve, Jorge and Omar are the boys to go to to get your Toyota fixed It was well worth my energy to get my 4Rnnr towed 50 mi for them to look at. Vehicle was repaired as diagnosed. read more

Alternative automotive saved my butt this week. My car started acting odd and my check engine light came on during my long commute. I really had to go to work but I also wasn't sure if I could drive it. The guy at the front desk, Omar, was very friendly and told me they could at least do a 10min diagnostic check. They did a quick check and let me know that it wasn't something I should drive with. Omar called me a rental car so I could get to work and within hours called me with the issue and a quote for repairs. It was ready for pickup the next day. When I started having issues with my car, I was worried how this would impact my busy schedule and my kind of light wallet, but they got it done quickly and for a very fair price. read more

This was the second time I have used Alternative Automotive, both times I have been extremely satisfied with service, price and communication. This time I took my 2012 Chevy Equinox in to have a HVAC mixer valve replaced and to find a rattle in the dashboard. They were successful in solving both issues and the service was quality work without paying dealer shop prices. I will continue to use Alternative Automotive and recommend them to my friends. Omar is the service manager and does a great job of keeping you informed and has been very honest in communications with me. read more

Great shop. Steve, the owner, is a former Marine and Toyota Mechanic. They do great work at a good price. There have been a few times where my car has been fixed and it still had the issue after it "was fixed". But they have always admitted mistakes and done right by me. I will use them again and do recommend them to anyone with a Lexus or Toyota. read more

Honest & quick. Sometimes auto shops can be just about as bad as car salesmen but this shop differs from the rest. I've had them replace my brakes and they noticed a few other things that needed attention, but they thoroughly explained how I could postpone the work. I also like how they are conveniently located in the Auto Park area. read more

I've gone to Alternative Automotive a few times over the last year and have been very, very happy with everything about the experience. Had a particularly challenging repair recently and they communicated clearly and worked hard to resolve the situation in the best way possible. Great customer service, great attitudes and I'm more than happy with their work. read more

I am writing this review more so for Omar who has the best customer service in my opinion in the automotive industry. When I was looking for a shop about 8 months ago to repair my Lexus I called around a lot of places and felt like I was rushed off the phone and or was given incorrect information about the repairs for my vehicle, I was dreading taking it to the dealership because I knew it would be very costly, another shop actually recommended me these guys and my initial interaction with this shop was very positive-- Omar actually treated me like a person and not just a number!! Alternative fixed my Lexus from a bad Harmonic Balancer, the vehicles loud screeching went away and I have not had any issues with the repair. Their pricing is extremely fair for the quality work that they do! Now I am returning to get a bad brake job that was done on my Corolla. I definitely learned my lesson to just take my car here for maintenance and repairs, there is truly no other place I will take my cars to, I recommended these guys to my Mom as well when her Camry had some engine issues and she was extremely happy with the repair. Do not risk taking your Toyota/Lexus vehicles anywhere else! this place is professional, clean and fast. I cannot express how happy I am with this shop. Keep up the good work guys! read more

I've been with Alternative Automotive for years, and am always pleased and satisfied with their work.

Had to mention how great my experience was coming here. For the past few months, I had problems with my right turn blinker and I already changed out the bulb and the assembly twice. I called multiple locations and even though I had an idea of what was going on, they wanted to charge me $100 or more for JUST the inspection only and any additional charges for anything that they deem "necessary" to do to my car. For that reason, I was discouraged and refused to look for any further help. A few months later, I simply googled nearby car electricians and found this place. I called and I spoke to Omar (I'm positive it was Omar) and he was professional and very understanding of my situation! After taking in all my info, he tells me the inspection was going to be $30 along with any additional charges to fix the problem. I was so surprised and ecstatic to hear so! I made an appointment for early Friday morning and left my car so they can inspect it. The problem was very minor compared to what others have said it could be, and overall charge was $50 with tax included. I was overjoyed to have my blinker fixed at a reasonable and realistic pricing! Not to mention Omar was very helpful throughout the whole time. Even though hand signals were able to assist for so long, I couldn't risk any of my lights being non-functional any longer. Thank you to everyone here, it's nice to have a shop you can trust in. Highly recommend this shop to anyone in need of car troubles and/or people who feel intimidated by other auto repair shops with such ridiculous prices. Give them a call! It'll be worth your time! read more

We couldn't afford to go to Mossy Nissan El Cajon anymore for car maintenance. The labor costs were enormous. Way out of our pay scale. We unfortunately paid over $300.00 just for labor for brakes and an oil change and they wanted to charge us another $400.00 total for fuel injection maintenance for next payday. I told the manager we won't be back and luckily found Alternative Auto Escondido who did the job at half the price! We are so lucky that a co-worker referred us! We'll be back! It helped that they have really good reviews on Yelp too. read more

I've been here a handful of times to get service on my wife's Lexus. They've always been fair and honest. I've been very happy with their work. read more