Why oh why can't Art's Auto be located in San Francisco!! Oh well, Art's is definitely worth the drive over the Bay Bridge. A friend recommended them to me 'cause I was being screwed by an S.F. shop. Everyone at Art's was great! I had a slightly mysterious problem with my car that I was failing to describe very well. They ended up taking it out on three test drives trying to replicate the problem 'cause it seemed to only happen on steep hills. When a drive through the Berkeley hills didn't do it, one of their mechanics drove the car home to Lafayette that night. As soon as he saw what happened he figured out what it was... my ex-mechanic had overfilled the oil by several quarts. They fixed it the next day and only charged me for 1 hour of labor! They had kept me totally informed throughout the process via several phone calls. Here's the kicker: when I picked the car up, I was so happy with the service that I asked for an estimate to get my timing belt changed. My ex-mechanic had been bugging me to do this for over a year but their estimate for $700 turned me off. The guy at Art's looked at me kinda funny but gave me the estimate (which was lower by the way). When I asked about making an appointment, he asked why I wanted to have this done. When I told him that my old mechanic had recommended it quite some time and quite a few miles ago, he told me that I really didn't need to have it done yet.... not for at least 10,000 miles!! So basically, Art's garage actually turned away a job worth about $600. How often does that happen. So yeah, I'll gladly make the drive over the Bay Bridge for Art's Auto. read more

I wouldn't recommend going to this shop unless you actually enjoy getting ripped off. I decided it was time to take my toyota camry in for a tune-up/basic service. I've had pretty bad experiences with the toyota dealership in downtown Oakland, and thought i'd look here on yelp for a good shop. The first place i called was XYZ motors, because they had the best rating and were nearby. The mechanic i spoke to said, based on the info i gave him, that my car was due for the manufacturer's recommended 60k service. And he quoted me from the guide what the service would include (oil change, tire rotation, change the filters, various checks, etc.) He said parts&labor the cost would be $180. I continued to call around a couple of other places to make sure i was getting a fair price, going down the top-rated list here on yelp. Everyplace i called recommended the same 60k service and quoted the exact same list of services that would include. Each place gave me a price between $180-$200. Until i called Art's Automotive. Once i established what service i was getting and the average price, I only continued calling places because i wanted the soonest available appt. When i spoke to the person at Art's, just like with everyone else, i gave him my car info and said i wanted a basic tune-up service. He looked up my car info, and just like with the other four or five places i called, he quoted me the exact same 60k service with the very same list of services and checks that would be included. Everything was Exactly the same, except the price. This fool had the audacity to tell me it was going to cost $430....!!!!!!!! When i asked him why a "tune-up" was going to cost so much, he said "well we don't consider it just a tune-up, it's really a full service because it includes..." And he quoted me again the very same list of various checks and services standard to the 60K tune-up i had at this point practically memorized. There was nothing he told me that justified the more than double cost they wanted to charge. I ended up waiting for the appt at XYZ Motors, and it was well worth it. Great, friendly service- oh and they didn't try to rob me. read more

Great shop. Car work is not usually fun, but with this firm at least it's high quality work at a fair price. From the Subaru to the Prius this place has served our family cars well. Plan for them to have the car for the day and check out their solar panels on the roof. Highly recommended. read more

I was nervous about making sure my baby (Prius) was in good hands. Art's was totally honest and reliable, making an effort to get major repairs done on a tight schedule while also being upfront about existing limitations and possible issues. I could inspect the parts and process as well. My car had a major issue recently; I gave them a call and they talked me through it and told me what to do to get home safely, even though it was pretty close to closing time. Great people. I really appreciate their support and service. read more

Thanks Luke for your advice. I feel not intimidated talking over the phone since english is my second language. It helps to determine whether to go ahead and do the repair which is more than the cars worth. Again thanks Luke. read more

UPDATE: I saw the owner's response to my posting - thank you very much sir, but the $4500 quote for for the USED ENGINE - so sorry. The new one was quoted at almost $6000, so that response doesn't hold much water... And, yes, you have lower labor rates than the Honda dealer - are you really suggesting that's a feat? I'm so proud of you! :) One line: 'Oh no, that's too much'... Which came from Art's very own mechanic when I told him what his manager had quoted me for an engine replacement. **update** was just reading other reviews of Art's, and I have to say that they may be GREAT mechanics - I don't know, but no one seems to mention price in their comments - everyone is a referral, etc. and I stand by what I say below that everyone is being ripped off - good work maybe, but defense contractor prices and I can't call that 'good work' Who the h**l do these guys think they are? Like they're giving out gold at the door? I really think there's a lot of people that know very little about cars and care WAY too much about the solar panels on the roof - oh they're so nice cuz they're GREEN - than they do about the wads of cash they're dumping into this place. My situation: go in for a head gasket replacement - quoted $1700 - thought it was a little high, but gave the 'ok' just cuz it was close to work. 5 days later I get a call - they finally just opened up the engine - 5 days to just look at the car??? Turns out someone did a bad head-gasket replacement already and the engine block was shot - need new engine. Fine, not their fault, just bad luck for me - cost? $4900!!! Are you F**king crazy??? Side note - I went to Oakland Auto Tech (see my review of them) and got the same thing for under $2K. Abandon this place and go to people like Ed from Oakland Auto Tech; they are the true Americans that make this country great.... Anyway, so now my engine is pulled apart (which cost me $400! - yes, $400 to tear apart my engine then quote me a ridiculous price to put it back together), so I get a tow truck to take my car out. When I arrive to pick it up, and get to the front counter, they guy says 'hold on' then goes to the next person behind me. Because I wasn't going to SPEND more money I was attended last. It wasn't until my tow truck arrived and I went to go get my car on my own that the manager came running outside after me saying 'oh we have your paperwork ready now', like he thought I was going to just drive off with the car and not pay.. This is when I met one of their mechanics who asked why I was taking it away, told him I got quoted $4900 for the new engine and he literally said 'oh no, that's too much, it's only one-day's worth of work plus the cost of the engine' - most used ones from what I could see are around $800, so hardly justifies the quote. Not even a thank you, good bye or good luck from the pretentious a**holes. I hope I don't offend any readers when I say this, but if you get your car serviced here, you are taking it you know where. But hey, if you have money to burn, and the safe, white faces, nice smiles and solar panels comfort you while they take you for all you got, more power to you! :) read more

Alright, get ready for an epic tale guys. I took my '06 Prius in for it's 30k service recently. Eric showed me the deluxe package, but I opted for the standard oil and filter change plus inspections etc. I mentioned specifically that I needed more wiper fluid because I was totally out, and Eric suggested that I may also need some new wiper blades which I agreed to. I dropped my car off and made the somewhat difficult public transit trip to work. Eric called me and started listing off a bunch of stuff going on with the car including a cracked mirror (which I had never notice, but figured I could have overlooked it if it was on the passenger side). They said my battery was coming up close to dead on their tests and would need to be replaced. I hadn't noticed any of the potential symptoms they mentioned, but I didn't want to end up stranded with my car dead either, so I said ok, go ahead and replace (~$200). Eric called later that day to say it would be ready to pick up after 5. I made the public transit journey back to get my car. I paid for the 30k service and battery and got in my car. Immediately upon starting it, I noticed that my 'maintenance required' light was still on. That was weird, so I ran in and told Eric, he came out and said they probably forgot to reset it and showed me how to reset it. I went on my way home and nearly there I realized my windshield was filthy and then remembered they had topped off the fluid so went to get that going and... nothing. It basically dribbled out like my tears on that $400 check I had just written them for this service that was rapidly becoming suspect in my mind. I got home and immediately called the shop. I got the main man, Art on the phone. He was really surprised that they hadn't filled up the wiper fluid and told me to bring it in as soon as possible so they could top it off. I agreed and the next day I left work early to bring it in. Before I left my work's parking lot I decided to check on the in cabin air filter, cause I knew where that was. I pulled it out - it was FILTHY. Leaves and dirt all over. This was certainly not a 24 hour accumulation, they had clearly not changed my filter. At this point I'm starting to get mad and I'm pretty convinced they had done nothing to my car, so I decided that when I got to the shop I would make them show me everything they had done. I also snapped a picture of the air filter just in case. I get to the shop at about 5pm and Art comes out and pops the hood. Immediately it's apparent that they hadn't even gone under my hood, there were leaves everywhere (something that Art and his employee both confirmed they always vacuum out) and the wiper fluid was bone dry. He also noted that the wiper blades had not been changed, they were still cracked and old. He then went around back and checked the battery. He took the cover off, and immediately Eric says 'look here, you can tell this is a brand new battery that we just put in because the terminals are still notched' (or something like that). Art was still skeptical and then noticed that none of my mirrors were cracked, which cemented in his mind that my car had gotten mixed up, and they had in fact done NOTHING to my car. There had been another '06 Prius in that day that had the dead battery and cracked mirror that got my 30k treatment. Art apologized profusely and said that this had only happened one other time in his long career. He refunded the battery (they had not, as Eric asserted, replaced my battery, they hadn't done ANYTHING to my car) and scheduled me to come back in the next week when he would do the full 30k service on my car for no extra charge (a $400 difference). I really do think Art is an above-the-board type of guy who really does care about customers and their cars, so I agreed to bring my car back. He had also checked to make sure my oil was ok, which definitely gave me peace of mind to drive it around for that week. I brought it back the next week and things went smoothly. Art called me and recommended I replace the front two tires, which I had personally noticed were getting a little bald so I agreed. I picked up my car at the end of the day and paid for the tires. My car is running great now, and I am definitely satisfied. TL;DR: Brought my Prius in for 30k, it got switched with another, NOTHING was done to my car. Eric tried to convince me several times that they HAD serviced my car, but Art was honest and thorough. Art definitely made things right and treated me well. I would go back, but will continue to double check that things I pay for are done. read more

I familiarized myself with Art's by way of reading the preceding nineteen 5-star reviews and exploring nearly every link on the official Art's Automotive website. (Don't miss "What can I do while waiting for my car?". I followed one suggestion and walked the nearly two miles to the AMC Emeryville movie theatre where I approached the box office and briefly considered the showtimes but ultimately decided against taking in a film since it seemed pitiful to waste a beautiful afternoon indoors, and continued my walking tour in my poorly-suited-for-walking flip flops which, in the end, produced several blisters and cuts on my feet which still have not fully healed over (Oh dear god...Diabetes?); nevertheless it was an enjoyable tour of two cities and several distinct neighborhoods as well as an opportunity to pluck several ripe figs from a tree which overhung the sidewalk on a lovely residential street, read a few stories in Poe Ballantine's "Things I Like About America" on a stretch of grass outside the perimeter of a schoolyard, on a school day, which wasn't nearly as creepy as the group of adults seated in folding chairs fifty feet away who sang a few jubilant songs, one of which featured this lyric which I jotted down in my notebook and googled later to no effect " Come Sail Away (Chorus: Come Sail Away) / On a Sunny Sunny Day (On a Sunny Sunny Day)" -- and, finally, to converse with a man and his young, video game fan of a daughter. The man, I might add, bore a silver front tooth with which I became startlingly infatuated.) Those are a few things I like about America, minus the high incidence of Diabetes. But what do I like about Art's? Having visited the website, I felt charged with a giddy anticipation when I called the shop to make my appointment and then drove my troubled car clear across town to their garage despite the (correct) assumption that I would pay, what seems anymore, the requesite $400. minimum for any vehicular diagnosis and repair. Web savvy aside, how did these guys do in the garage? Fantastically. Diagnosis was quick: a 3rd cylinder misfire requiring the replacement of the ignition coil and spark plug wires. BUT, the diagnosis was made while I was on my walking tour and it seems repairs began without my prior authorization which goes against the Art's Automotive practice printed on my work order/invoice, and because of this I contemplated a one-star deduction. Did my flip-flops betray my highfalutin lifestyle? Not sure what happened, but because the salesperson gracefully backed my car and pocketbook out of repairs for the moment, I was and am willing to call the mix-up an aberration. And also because they did fix my car, and fixed it well, the same day I dropped it off on "stand-by" basis (be prepared for a week+ wait for an appointment) a couple days later. And because, asked if I had any questions, I asked away and received answers. I admitted to my car's near absense of regular maintenance and requested assistance in prioritizing future maintenance. I received it in the form of three work order estimates which the salesperson talked -- rather than scolded-- me through line item by line item. Check out the meticulous documentation in their online auto parts room. This garage does a much better than average job of demystifying cars and their parts with such features as "Ask the mechanic" and "What's a...?" As other reviewers have mentioned, some folks might find themselves spared a trip to the mechanic after visiting these pages. Others might find themselves spared excess expenditure of dollars on non priority care. Most, like me, will go on to visit the shop but will do so wielding some trust, knowledge and anticipation they've never before wielded at the mechanic. read more

I've been a customer of Art's for 12 years, but I think next time I'll look for a shop that's a little hungrier and a little more personal. They still do excellent work, but I'm afraid they spoiled me, back in the day before they got famous. The thing I liked best about them was that they carefully explained not only the work they thought I should have done, but things to keep an eye on and plan to have done in the near future. This last experience was really different. I had to wait two weeks for an appointment, and didn't get my car back the same day. When I called to get the estimate, the guy on the phone ran through the list so fast I couldn't follow him, and he seemed impatient when I asked him to go over it slowly. When I picked the car up, they didn't go over things with me, nor did they tell me that there was a strong possibility that something else would break shortly. It was called out on the receipt but not in a way I could understand. That would never never have happened at the old Art's. They were not at all friendly, nor did they make it seem like they were happy to have my business. This still probably makes them better than most mechanics out there. If you're going there for the first time, be aware you might not get the fabulous customer service everyone raves about. read more

I took a car (from a local Albany small used car dealer lot) in to Art's to get an assessment off its "road readiness". Chris & Paul(+) were very friendly, supportive, matter-of-fact and HELPFUL hearing about my CONCERNS about the used 2003 Toyota Avalon I was bringing in for a diagnostic. I signed for the($125) "160 pt diagnostic" and went home to San Rafael to find a message from Paul urging me NOT TO BUY THIS CAR as "the motor isn't long for this world". All three of the guys had driven my "query car" around the block for 15 minutes at the end of their day, coming to mutual agreement about a "subtle" rod-knock and the fact that the oil light was CONSTANTLY COMING ON (despite the fact that the dealer had topped off the oil carefully before he followed me to Art's to give me a ride back to my rental car). Paul asked for $28.75 for the time they'd spent using their combined expertise to SAVE ME FROM A DEVASTATING MISTAKE. I was MORE than happy to comply, and thanked Paul PROFUSELY for saving me from paying $125. to get the bad news! FRIENDLY, FAIR, HONEST, DIRECT & KNOWLEDGEABLE. LOOKING OUT FOR THE BEST INTERESTS OF THEIR CUSTOMERS! That's MY TAKE on Art's Automotive! read more

armed with squeaky brakes and no service records, i recently dropped my newly-acquired used ride here for a full inspection. i asked the folks at Arts to give me to the run down on what needs to be done. in other words, i just gave an auto shop full permission to exploit my complete lack of knowledge to anything related to car maintenance. i expected a laundry list of problems that i have and have not ever heard of, complete with sob stories of why i HAVE to have it fixed. much to my surprise, Arts Auto told me there was nothing wrong with my ride. WHAT? you're kidding me. you mean you're not going to charge this ignorant ninja an arm, leg and fancy haircut for something that may or may not be needed? are you REALLY an auto repair shop? in fact, they even explained to me that my brakes were squeaking due to the type of brake pad used. not because it needs replacing. in the dog-eat-dog automotive repair world, i will gladly pay for this thing called *honesty* and will gladly return here for future servicing. in my one visit, they were HONEST, prompt, professional, highly knowledgeable and readily willing to answer all my silly questions. 4 stars, only because i've only used them once. will be updated accordingly in about 10K miles. read more

I went in for a timing belt change. Their service on this part was satisfactory. They had perfectly good "bedside manners" as others have mentioned. They did not blow me away, I did not walk away amazed. At the same time, they did not try to take away every penny I had, so that was good. Their prices were perfectly in line with every other shop I called. At the same time, I asked them to diagnose a rattle coming from the front tires. They called me with a diagnosis, and I approved for the work to be done. When I went to pick up my car, I realized it was still rattling as soon as I drove off. So, my car was never test driven after the fix to ensure that the rattling was gone. My mistake was that I assumed the worst of auto shops, and I did not contact Art's about the issue again. So, I then went to another shop and had the rattle diagnosed and fixed without any issues. After writing this review, Art contacted me to say that he warranties the work from his shop, and offered me a refund for the work I had done elsewhere. Had I notified them immediately that the problem was not resolved, he said they would have rectified the problem. Although I was not 100% happy with my experience (it may be a 1-in-a-million situation), Art cares about his business. By reading other reviews, it sounds like he does his best to rectify the situation if you talk to him. read more

this place is awesome. not only are the guys clean and non - smelly, they are honest and friendly. sadly, the muffler fell off my car monday night and i was in desperate need of a new one. the last time something went awry with my princess (see matt h's review) they fixed me up *real gud*. so, i had it towed out asap. they called me to tell me that there was a lot more going on under there than they felt comfortable handling and it would be around $900 if they attempted to tackle it. but rather than try and convince me to have the work done, they referred me to a muffler shop that would be better equipped to take care of my 1990 honda. basically they saved me $700 and a lot of heartache. thanks fellas! read more

Called 4 times in the past hour (during business hours). 3 times it went straight to a computerized message that said "No body is available to take your call" and wouldn't let you leave a message. The fourth time it was a busy signal. Think I'll look elsewhere. read more

Wow. I would give these guys more than 5 stars if that was at all possible. This was one of the best customer service experiences of my life, and by far the best customer service experience I have ever had in anything car related. I took my car in for a basic oil change, but also a comprehensive vehicle check to make sure everything was OK with my subaru. They understood that I wanted to do any necessary repairs, but didn't try to talk me into doing anything I didn't need. Chris talked me through the simple services I ended up needing, and explained my car in a way to me that made it easy to understand! I was in good hands, from start to finish, and they noticed I needed new wiper blades and installed new ones for free. Boom! I am sold. I will be taking my beloved Subaru here from now on, and can happily recommend these guys to anyone who wants to be treated well, fairly and honestly. Couldn't be happier! read more

Based on positive Yelp reviews, I took my car to Art's two weeks ago for the first time. They had it for a week and were very good about explaining everything over the phone. When I picked it up, the car wouldn't start because the battery was dead. When I confronted them about this, they didn't consider that they might be responsible for killing my battery. The battery was totally fine when I took it in to Art's--it had never displayed any problems. I find it highly unlikely that Art's is not responsible for wasting my battery. read more

Dear Art's, thank you for fixing my broke-ass lil' scraper wannabe Honda, and not treating me like a dumb girl even after I told you that I don't know when I got a tuneup last. Thanks for treating me well and fixing my car same-day even though I'm sure it had to do with the 6'8" football player I had in tow. read more

Art's Automotive is an award-winning auto repair shop specializing in most (if not all) Japanese makes and models, ranging from Acuras to Subarus. I've never been to a friendlier, more knowledgeable, honest (and busier!) repair shop. Their service writers have always been up front and honest about what my car needs and doesn't need: a rarity in a world where the auto shop usually takes a me-first attitude whether your car needs it or not. Got a question? They'll explain it to you in plain English without getting impatient or rude. The only noteable downside to Art's is that they are almost always *busy.* Make an appointment if you can, otherwise, leave a few extra minutes to wait in line to get into their little office. All in all, though, it is a worthy wait, considering the quality and price of service they provide. Art's also offers an entertaining and informative website: www.artsautomotive.com. Their site does everything from offer details on selecting a good mechanic, offering referrals to other shops (including their competitor, Berkeley Minicar), price estimates for common jobs, and more. I swear, I don't work for Art's, I'm just a big fan. read more

Even though I didn't end up needing to bring my car here after all, I had to write something because I got such amazing service even just driving in to ask questions! After my car was broken into I went to several shops for advice and estimates. Two mechanics here talked with me at length about the damage and ways that I could get it fixed while costing the least. Lute especially was great at answering my questions, and suggested I look for the part I needed at a salvage yard in town first in order to save some cash - turned out to be a fantastic suggestion, as I got a great deal on the part and everything was fixed there in no time! Truly great service, especially considering that they could have lied to me and ripped me off so easily but did the exact opposite instead!! read more

Took our Prius in for service. I had a list of services and inspections that we didn't have a record for ever having been done. Also gave them a 'check engine light' code that it had been giving us intermittently (I did half their job for them by pulling it myself). Their sales person named 'Lute' told me that the Toyota recommended services were too frequent and most of them didn't needed to be done. He also told me that since the engine code wasn't currently showing, they wouldn't do anything about it, even though we said we'd rather have the part replaced than deal with it later. Fast forward to 5,000 miles later. It's time for the next factory service, and it needs to be re-re-registered. It FAILS inspection due to the very same code that it was showing before, the same service that Art's Automotive REFUSED to perform for us. Not only that, but they claimed to perform some of the full vehicle inspections and give us an attached list of the ones that they deigned to perform for us, but it wasn't attached, so now we have to take it back to another mechanic to perform the services they refused to do, pay a second time for all the inspections they claimed to have done, but never gave us the report for. These guys are crooks. read more

Nothing against the staff. i was treated very well. However, I am not satisfied with the diagnosis I received when I brought my overheated vehicle to Art's. I chose Art's for the four-star-plus rating while in a jam with AAA on the way. Just the facts: 1. I was told the water pump had to be replaced for about $800. Not true. The gasket seems to be all that was needed. 2. I was told the water pump was old. Not true. The water pump is only 3 months old and under warranty. I had the work done for $400 from a local dealer. Again, not a typical routine repair, but they missed this diagnosis and could have cost me $400 more. read more

What an honor to be the 100th review for Art's. I rarely write reviews on Yelp but today is an exception. I have a 10 year old Honda Civic and for the most part my car has been worry-free. Earlier this week the "check engine light" turned on so I searched on Yelp for a recommendation and Art's stood out from the pack. When I called 2 days ago to inquire about the cost of checking the system, Art's quoted me about 50 bucks less than a local competitor. I had the audacity to ask for a discount and a worker replied, "At Art's we don't give discounts; we give a fair price for fair work." I really liked that response and what's best of all....it turned out to be TRUE!! Today I dropped off my vehicle in the morning and by 2pm they had solved the issue. It was a relatively simple thing and they charged a fair price for great work. Due to my positive experience, I will gladly extol the virtues of Art's Automotive to everyone I know who owns a Japanese car. Too bad my husband owns a Saturn. read more

OK, I've finally had it with Art's. The latest....take my old Toyota truck in for a transmission complaint and check for suitability for passing smog check. The result....a $200+ bill, failed smog check, and bad diagnosis on the transmission. This despite my almost leading them directly to the transmission problem, and in the case of the smog check, existing documentation on a slow responding oxygen sensor. An ongoing problem with Art's is their "business model" of charging for diagnosis time. Doesn't mean they will fix it in a timely manner..chances of doing that in one day seem to be slim. It does guarantee they can make money upfront on "low value" repairs. Several times I show up at business opening..endue a difficult public transit..hear nothing until late afternoon when they say they will need to order parts the next day. This is for basic stuff folks! They want the car ASAP and then do next to nothing all day? I do believe they are knowledgeable . They give lip service to "caring". They are not the cheapest, nor the most expensive hourly rate. However...if they can't do the work in a efficient, timely manner what difference does it all make? Go ahead and take your Prius here. Maybe you can ingratiate yourself to these folks to where they can be consistent. You're over the barrel anyways with that car. I am done with Art's though. I ended up doing the diagnosis myself ( with a little help from Art's O2 sensor diagnosis of a year ago). Repairs were accomplished by a asian shop in east oakland for $100, with me watching..and providing the parts. Serious lack of attention to this customer by Art's. Now a ex-customer. Sorry Art..."sorry" is not enough, ~S read more

I cannot comment on Art's Automotive mechanical capabilities. I did not get past dropping my car off for an assessment. They must be great mechanics though. Yelp says so. Friends say so. The hefty amount of business they are doing also implies so. However, there are a few standard practice's at Art's I found frustrating. Hopefully this post will help other's make an informed choice in going to Art's and thus have a more positive experience. Standard practices I found frustrating: 1 - a $98 fee for assessing a lit "Check Engine" light. 2 - Estimates are not free. 3 - If one needs to communicate with the shop after scheduling an appointment, there is no voicemail and calls must be made between 9am and close - even though they schedule appointments at 8am. Reasons I found these standard practices frustrating: 1 - I spoke to someone on the phone at length about the possible meanings of seeing the "Check Engine" light turned on given my specific list of vehicle ailments. Never once did this person mention the $98 assessment fee for "Check Engine" lights. 2 - Upon simply dropping my car off, I was asked to sign an agreement to pay $220. This includes the estimate and assessment for the "Check Engine" light. It did not feel good to know I was already in the hole $220 just for showing up to Art's. It certainly did not feel good to hand over $220 to people who don't have time to answer their phones at 8am. - see point #3 below! One must get an estimate when having a car repaired. If there is a fee for estimates, a customer deserves mention of this before scheduling an appointment, scheduling their day and taking the time to drive into the shop. It is common practice for businesses to do so. YES, I should have asked about this. And regretfully, NO I did not! Though I did try to call the day before to ask this question and could not get through to anyone or leave a voicemail. 3 - Upon driving to my 8AM appointment, my navigation system sent me to some foreign land. Heavy traffic and and a great number of U-turns later, I finally contacted someone on the phone about 9am. I arrived shortly after 9am for an 8am appointment. I would love to have reached them at 8am. As I said before, Art's must be a great mechanic to have such a large amount of business. However, I wonder if they are so busy perhaps they are in a position to weed out business by being unavailable on phone/voicemail. I hope this posts helps people to make an informed choice in using Art's and saves someone else a wasted morning and a tank of gas - not to mention the time spent looking for another mechanic, waiting for another appointment, praying the car lives and one is safe until the next appointment, etc!!! If one understands how scheduling works at Art's - takes a week to get an appointment and must leave car there at least one full day - and knows to expect these standard practices listed above, I doubt they will experience as much frustration as I have today. Cheers! read more

I called them for a oil change in my 2 year old van. Response was... "You have a bad connection, call us another time." "Let's see if your connection lasts to make an appt." "No we do not have a shuttle to drop you 3 miles from our shop" "There are many options, you can cab, walk or bike" I am sorry but no thank you. I do not want this kind if response on the other side when I am trying to figure out that little window in lives with 2 kids and work. I had called them after reading reviews on Yelp. Never considering them again N read more

Been taking my Toyota to Art's for 7 hrs and have never been disappointed. Very professional service, they never oversell you on unnecessary maintenance, and they always do a great job. I don't trust anyone else with my car. I've since moved away from the area, but still take my car back to Art's every year because of their incomparable service and high quality work. read more

I made an appointment to have my Prius serviced over the phone with a pleasant service writer and then took it in the next week. Only took a few minutes to leave the car off and was told to expect a phone call with an est for repairs. Got the phone call promptly and was told I would be called later when the car was done. Got another call to say the car was done by another friendly person. Picked up the car which only took 5 minutes and was on my way. Was impressed with their knowledge of Toyota Prius, and their ability to progarm "smart keys" Thanks Arts. read more

thanks so much to this place! I was driving along Ashby and the red light came on meaning check oil. I pulled over to add oil and yikes, the oil cap was missing! I poured in some oil then headed straight over to the first auto shop, Art's. A guy came up to me and i explained the problem. He dipped the dip stick into the tube and said i was basically out of oil. He went back and returned with a cap that fit on my car! YAY! He did not charge me one cent. then, he grabbed the hose and filled it up with oil. He added a lot, since it had been down so low. It was gonna be 4 stars, because of the Japanese rising sun logo. THat's the logo of Japanese imperialism, and was used to invade and wreck havock on other Asian countries during WWII, earning Japan the hate of most of the rest of nearby Asian countries. I had never gone there because of the logo. But hey, you can't get nicer than this! I was running late for work, and it was an important day to be on time. The guy helped me out absolutely free!! The last time it happened many years ago, at Berkeley Gas and Smog on Shattuck, the guy was going to smog my car but saw the missing cap. He yelled, "Oh no!! Your car could explode!! You cannot drive this car like this!!" and then charged me like $35.00 for the gas cap. Well, i'd been driving who knows how many days on both occasions with the missing cap and it did not. Obviously that guy was just a greedy opportunist. THANKS to Art's for being so nice! They get 5 stars in spite of the logo, because the service was the best!!! read more

Art's certainly lived up to the high expectations I had after reading all these glowing Yelp reviews. For the first time since the glorious days of having my car fixed by my Midwest mechanic uncle, I didn't feel like I was being swindled by shady fast-talkers. I took both cars in for a tune-up and it was a hassle-free process through and through: quickly got an appointment, was given a quote upfront, didn't get charged a dime extra, and was carefully explained any "next step" repair priorities. I'll never take me cars anywhere else, if I can help it! read more

Art's is the best. The only bad thing about it is it's no secret they're the best. You have to have your car in early in order for it to be seen that day, and they're often booked weeks out. However, it's worth the wait. Luke just coached me through a two month long saga with my SRS light on my Civic. The problem was covered under an extended warranty, but for some reason no Honda dealer could bring up the warranty when they entered in my VIN. Luke gave me a hard copy of all the info and encouraged me to keep trying and not take no for an answer. This was especially honorable because the repair would have been about $1000 if I would have had it done in their shop Finally Oakland Honda came to my rescue and I got it all done for free - this would not have happened without all the help I got from Art's. Highly recommended; they are honest, nice and super knowledgeable mechanics. read more

I am a long time customer of Art's. My children are even the next generation of satisfied customers. Clocking 200K on my 98' Honda Odyssey seemed like an auspicious time to (finally) get around to Yelp them up. In the words of yelp themselves: "Woohoo! They are as good as it gets!" Honesty, courtesy, professionalism and COMPETENCE stand out as reasons I keep going back to Art's. They deliver--period. I am not a fix it kind of gal. I can completely rely on Art's shop to give me sound advise, which translates into a sound night's sleep! I also love that they are a "green business." If you're looking at yelp reviews, I take it you're looking for a new mechanic. You have hit the jackpot by finding Art's. read more

This is the best auto repair place I have ever taken any car to. They always fully explain everything about how the part in question is supposed to work and what is going wrong. Their prices always seem fair and I never feel worried that I am being lied to or taken advantage of. They just adjusted a belt in my car for no charge and then the mechanic also zip tied a plastic thing that was hanging off my bumper, just to be nice. I always have such a good experience here that I felt compelled to write my first review in YEARS because they deserve all the business they can handle read more

From the moment I spoke to someone about needing to find a new place to take my car I was impressed at how friendly, professional and knowledgeable these folks were. This is a busy shop with longtime custometsThey did a great job, you can tell they are a top notch service company because of their paying attention to details. And I gotta say-- what does it say about a car repair place that is so clean it looks like they just opened even though they've been there for decades. I will be bringing my car here for years to come. read more

I love Art's. They saved me big money! I brought my Toyota Camry in to Art's because it was making lots of noise. They looked at it and said a part integral to the catalytic converter had a hole. They said the only thing they could do was replace the whole part, at a cost of over $900. They suggested I take it down the street to Ron's Mufflers, welding specialists, and see if the part could be repaired for much cheaper. (Art's does some welding but this repair was complicated by rust and other problems.) Ron's did the repair for a little over $100 and now I love Art's. Hurray for Art's. read more

I just had a terrible experience in terms of service. I had made a reservation for the maintenance of a 370Z Nissan two weeks earlier and when I arrive I face a grumpy guy who talks to me while doing two other things on his computer, and indicates that they can just do minor things in terms of maintenance that day. The reservation on the phone had already been unpleasant. It seems that they expect you to deserve to have your car serviced there. You know what? I think not! read more

There's not really anything I need to add to what everyone else has said, I just wanted to put up one more stellar review because they deserve it. I've been taking my Subaru wagon there for years. Service is extremely competent, pricing is absolutely fair, customer service is also excellent. The only downside of Art's is that they are careful and very popular, so it can take a bit longer for your service than in the quick-turnaround places, for example, I pretty much have to leave my car there all day for an oil change, BUT the oil change actually includes a little mini-checkup, which the quick turnaround places sure don't do. Frankly, I am not bothered in the LEAST by it taking any longer because I am so happy to have an honest, straightforward, competent place to take my car. These guys are The Shit. read more

I found out about Art's through a long line of female recommendations, and have in turn referred at least five friends to them over the years for major repairs and checkups. Art's is pretty honest and direct, and they don't give you lines about things you don't need know about. Their costs are a little high but reasonable for the quality of work and service. Again, as with my other two auto reviews, this is a great place for females tired of the usual jerkwad mechanic. They aren't going to waste your time because they've just got too much business to tend to. (So true: call ahead of time to get an appointment to drop off your car, as sometimes they won't have any availability for more than a week!) read more

I brought in my car last Monday and it was done by Tuesday. Art was informative, nice, and really honest. They call you and update you on your car and always make sure you want the work done before they do it. The whole staff is easy to deal with and they're so friendly. This is my first and only auto shop I will go to!! They are grrrrrrreat! read more

Art's is the hands down best car repair shop EVER. On a whim, I checked out what folks had said on the Berkeley Parents' Network and they all recommended Art's. I took my noisy Toyota Highlander there & unlike my own Toyota dealer who recommended a $500 steering job, Eric at Art's suggested replacing all of my tires. Once that was done...the noise was gone....and I'm a huge fan. GREAT service. Just superb. read more

Thank goodness for Yelp reviews... thank goodness for Art's. I brought my 2002 Subaru in for a 60,000 mile tune-up. They were professional, honest, and provided cost effective recommendations. They also explained things so I (someone who does not know cars) could clearly understand. read more