I finally can say that I have found a mechanic that I truly trust. As a young female with little knowledge on cars, I am always hesitant to trust mechanics. Barnett Auto Service completely blew me away with their professionalism, honesty, and fairness: My experience: I pulled in initially for the military discount on oil changes. My check engine light had just come on so I thought I'd have them take a look at it. They found the problem and when I told the owner I couldn't afford the work, he gave me an incredibly good deal (half as much as the dealer would charge) and he even paid for my rental car for the day!! Talk about great customer service. I came back a week later because my check engine light came on again. I had a new problem with the evaporation system. The owner told me the problem could be as little as a bad gas cap, and that he did not want to charge me for a full diagnosis test because he wasn't positive I needed it. When consulting my dad (a car genius) he said the EXACT same thing as Barnett Auto Care. I will forever trust the diagnosis and recommendation from this place! My wallet and I are very appreciative and my car is running better than ever. read more

Worst place ever, Marcello speaks about being honesy because Karma exists bla bla bla, he give u a price , then change his mind for another higher price, my car engine was replaced my car is worst now, the mechanics there don't know anything about cars so be aware. read more

I have tried several times to reach this shop. My engine was replaced under warranty and I have had nothing but problems. Now my car wont even start. Oil is leaking now and into my spark plugs I just changed. I would like someone to call me as soon as they get this. I have been without a car for two weeks and have children. Now whether the issue stems from a new engine replacement or others is hard to tell since I cannot get ahold of anyone and the number does not even work. Smh. read more

I have been here a handful of times now and I couldn't be happier with my experiences! Marchelo is the nicest person to deal with, is very informative, honest and gives fair pricing. His mechanics are very well trained and do amazing work! Flawless visits every-time! read more

STEER CLEAR OF THIS FRAUDULENT, UNETHICAL MECHANIC SHOP!!!!!!! They broke my airbag, covered my indicator light with tape, told me it was all fixed, and let me drive off of the lot. The next day, after being confronted about the tape, Marchello informed my partner that the airbag doesn't actually work and they do not have the tools to fix it. **************************************************************** It takes a lot for me to write a 1 star review, but honestly I wish I could give 0 stars because this was the shadiest mechanic I have ever dealt with. My partner brought my 2010 Ford Focus sedan in for a quote on a replacement for the drivers side seat belt buckle (It's been broken for about 2 months and I've used the passenger buckle as a temporary solution) and was quoted a fair price for a new buckle and installation. We brought the car in on Saturday and had our services done, with Marchello (the owner) all smiles after we left. Now, while the car was at the mechanics being serviced, we received a call stating that my air bag was not working properly and asked if we would like them to repair it. I did not bring my car in with any issues related to the airbag. I did not drive into the mechanics with any indicator lights on AT ALL. This new issue was directly caused by Marchello and the Barnett Auto Service team. We said to yes, please repair the airbag, because the intent of bringing the car in was for safety, as I was driving without a properly working seat belt buckle. When we arrived to pick the car up, Marchello put on a show as he handed us our invoice, saying (and I quote) "And the airbag fix took over an hour to do, but that's ok we'll just charge you for 1 hour" which anyone would believe is great service! It took a little after I drove off the lot to realize that my dash board airbag indicator light WAS COVERED WITH A BLACK PIECE OF ELECTRICAL TAPE. The $80 "fix" that Marchello so generously only charged 1 hour for was a fraudulent repair. Now, my issue is not with the fact that they covered my indicator light with a piece of tape (I mean SERIOUSLY, did you think that I wouldn't notice a different colored square in the middle of my dashboard??????) The REAL issue is that my air bag was NEVER fixed. These assholes let me drive off of their property in a car that I was told was safe. I was told the airbag was fixed. Yet, it wasn't. I'm not assuming my airbag was broken; we were told AFTER CONFRONTING the shop about the electrical tape on the dashboard. If I had not brought my car back, they would have never informed my that my airbag does not work. They refunded our $80 tape charge, but made no offer to inspect, repair, or refer us to another mechanic to repair the airbag issue that they caused. My car was returned to me in less safe condition than when I brought it in, and that's saying something since I was driving without a working seat belt.... If you're curious what kind of morals or ethics the team at Barnett Auto Service has, the answer is zero. The only efforts made to resolve the situation have come after the review by my Partner. Marchello tricked him into believing that he would refund the cost of the services by stating (and again, I quote) "Just come by and I'll give you the refund. I don't have the (credit) card on me or the exact amount so you'll need to bring that by, but I want to make this right." When he arrived for that refund, they backed out of their word and said they would only refund him if he removed his Yelp! review. They bribed him to take his review off, to which he refused to do. Luckily for all of San Diego, we care more about a company's reputation and the service that they provide than $400. We will not be removing any reviews, and will only amend or comment on the current reviews that we have if issues are resolved. Thankfully the Bureau of Automotive Repairs exists in California for this exact reason, which we will be contacting regarding the situation. I do not recommend to use Barnett Auto Service for anything and advise to keep away; the owners and mechanics are shady, unethical, have no morals, and do not care about an individual's safety. read more

Barnett Auto Service - I mean REALLY?! Did you think I wouldn't notice that???? - Auto Repair Near Me - San Diego, California

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My daughter broke down close to this shop. I spoke to owner on phone. He told me car had a bad sensor. He quoted me 270.00 on the phone. I agreed to the repair. I told him i just wanted to make sure my daughter was safe. He changed sensor and charged 420.00 on my credit card. The next day my daughter broke down in the middle of nowhere with the same problem she had before. This time i had car towed to dealer. Dealer said it had nothing to do with sensor. Dealer also said they charge 240.00 to replace the same sensor. Not 420.00. These people are thieves and liars. They will take advantage of all women an most men . Do not let these corrupt people work on your car. If you don't know a mechanic take car to dealer. They're cheaper anyway. read more

WORST PLACE EVER! Is it possible to give 'em 0 stars? I talked with Marcelo (or something like that) I trusted those guys to fix my car in December 2021 and they promised the car back running perfectly in one month, they got my car "ready" on time but... I keep going there to fix minor issues of the horrible service they did since then I spent 5.2 thousand dollars there to fix my car and after a month - with the car running weird and they telling that I could drive it normally even going there every holy week to solve new problems - the engine check light popped up again and they told it was the fuel pump but they have replaced this part before (they should've paid for) and charged me extra 830 dollars for the part and service reaching over 6 thousand dollars They never told me what they were doing with my car, just hiding everything from me even I asking every time because I kind of understand about cars and they never made sense but the car was there already, what could I do?! When I asked for the parts receipt that I paid for they didn't want to show me I insisted but they didn't let me see The car wasn't even inside the garage it was covered by an old awning under the sun and rain with the engine on the dirty ground for a whole month For the last the guy who fixed my car for real was Daniel, I'd do business with him again but far from that place, the only decent professional there! Would never step there again or suggest their services to anybody!!! I had to pay for everything or they wouldn't give my car back! I'm probably forgetting about some sh*t they did but they were that much that I can't remember everything! read more

Barnett Auto Service - Car outside the garage - Auto Repair Near Me - San Diego, California

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Just when I thought I found a great mechanic he turned out to be just as shady as the rest. Gave one price over the phone then jacked up the price when I went to pick up my car a second time after check engine light continued to come on. Be ware of this mechanic. read more

Vehicle: 2010 Ford Focus SE ODO: 100'000+ miles Brought in my S.O.'s sedan for repair: driver's seat belt wouldn't catch (she drove plugged into the passenger side for quite some time). We got quotes from 8 or 10 different places, all of which wanted about $500 - $600 for this repair. Originally, I spoke with someone named Joshua at Barnett Auto Service; the actual repair technicians were Marciello and Michael. THE GOOD: Barnett Auto quoted (and charged) only $120 labor and $230 parts for the seat belt, much less than what all other locations quoted on the labor front; the parts were supposed to be new, and thus the parts charge was the same as other shops - it is allegedly a "dealer-only" part. We had them change the oil and oil filter, which was reasonably priced at $19.99 + disposal fee of $5.00. They also rotated the tires for free. THE BAD: Like the proverbial auto shop your parents warned you about, they called regarding the vehicle's need for additional repairs. Specifically, Barnett Auto mentioned that the air bag was not working properly: I asked that they please fix it. I know little about auto repairs, but I'm not totally in the dark, and I already figured that there would be airbag issues tied to replacing the seat belt. THE UGLY: We were charged $230 for a "new" seat belt part, which has clearly been taken from another automobile: it is very much a used part. The air bag "repairs" consisted of putting electrical tape over the warning light on the instrument cluster. After I took the vehicle back for a refund (which they tripped over each other to deliver), I was told that the air bag was left in INOPERABLE CONDITION. CONCLUSION: All in all, this seemed like it would be a great go-to repair shop on the surface. Joshua made me feel confident that our vehicle was in good hands, and all of the people we spoke with seemed very nice and accommodating. However, the end result left much to be desired: -Minus one star for charging the new price on a used part. -Minus one star for utilizing a used part without prior consent. -Minus one star for "fixing" the air bag by covering the warning light with electrical tape. -Minus one star for not letting us know that the airbag still didn't work after the "repairs" were complete. TL;DR - Don't take your vehicle here. They will undoubtedly overcharge for the repairs you get, assuming you receive real repairs at all. read more

Highly recommend going to Barnett. Marcelo fixed a water pump and leaking thermostat and did a great job. Very honest and reliable company- will not scam you. As a young female, I always get nervous taking my car in but they charged me a fair price and are very kind people. Will definitely be back when I need another repair in the future read more

Best customer service from a mechanic (and the team) that I've experienced in quite sometime. I just wish I had come to them first! They now got a new loyal customer; thank you for the service! read more

I just had a terrific experience with the folks at Barnett Auto Service this morning and I wanted to share. I had been having some problems with my brakes and knew it was time for an oil change (and was nearly Liberty Station) so I gave them a call. Marcello answered the phone, and was so sweet and straightforward - he quoted me a really good price of $19.95 for the oil change (which was $20 less than other places) and he also said they would check on the brakes for me. I drove it in, left it for the time it took for the oil change (not long) and then got to meet Joshua as well who was extremely nice and knowledgeable. We spoke about the brake situation (their mechanic thought it might be an ABS control system issue - which happens with Kias like the one I was driving) and they recommended I call the local Kia dealer to have them look at it. Joshua even drove it once around the block with me to test out the brakes and be sure it was okay. They assured me I would be fine getting to LA and back and I felt extremely confident about their care and commitment to doing really good work for their customers and their community. Would definitely go back to them again! read more

As someone with little to no knowledge of cars, I am always incredibly hesitant when consulting with strangers about getting my car serviced in fear of being up sold products or services that aren't necessary. I was referred by a friend to go here for an oil change as we both work in Liberty Station and the location is super convenient. Joshua was incredibly helpful in telling me which services I needed to have done and which I didn't need right away. I left with having just an oil change ($26 with tax and disposal) but all the information I needed for when to have my next services done. I felt so confident in his advice that I am also getting my tires replaced here at an extremely reasonable cost. (I knew I needed to get new tires but have been super hesitant where to go; again, having bad previous experiences.) Needless to say, I have finally found a trusty and reliable mechanic to make sure I'm getting the best service and value. They care about the safety of the driver and the car versus getting a quick sale on unnecessary services. I'll be sure to come back for all my future car needs! read more

I finally found a mechanic who not only is honest with me about what I need to have done, but quoted me more affordable than a place I had been going to for years. My commute to work is an hour each way and I have been having issues with my front tire, and the older Italian guy who works there (the owner I'm assuming) GAVE ME HIS CAR FOR WORK TOMORROW. This place is literally AMAZING. What a great guy. I also know my dad and my husband have worked with a guy named Josh prior to my experience, where they worked out a deal to get rid of a vehicle we had to do some work on a new vehicle we had purchased. I will never go anywhere else. You have mine and my families business for life. read more

I love these guys! There should be a 10 star rating you can give when people go above and beyond any normal expectation and that's exactly what Alan and Chris do. Being able to say, "I have a mechanic that I trust" is golden. They are knowledgable, fast and fair and go out of their way to help. It doesn't get any better than that. read more

They are thieves trying to come up on people in a bind. The parts that my car needed are less than a 100 dollars the time needed to complete is less than 2 hours. But they charge 700. Tell me my car is in bad shape and ask me if I'm selling it. It's insane but they will get their karma for ripping people off. I hate them so much. Everyone should give me a trophy cuz I controlled my anger and fury like a champ when the lies and deceit were spewing from their scoundrel looking faces. I just said thank u for your time. That's how u do it. Marcelo I hope you suffer for all the lies you tell people. Thanks have a good 1 read more

Very disappointing experience. Barnett is located right across from the Barnett entrance to liberty station. Great location. When i pulled in, i was approached by Joshua, who was very straightforward and courteous. We went through the work that needed to be done, he gave me an estimate, we arranged a time for friday morning, and off i went. The next day Joshua called to confirm , promising he'd be ready, the parts would be ready as soon as i got there friday morning. So far i was very pleased by the interaction, and thought i'd found my go to shop in san diego. Unfortunately, when I showed up friday morning, different story. Parts hadn't been ordered, the shop wasnt ready, Joshua told me I'd have to leave my car all day, though we had clearly set the time for friday morning and i arranged my schedule accordingly. He kept insisting it wasn't his fault. Whose fault is it when you set up an appointment and at the appointed time you're not ready for the customer? Can't imagine going back to Barnett Auto if that's their approach to customer service. read more

Let me just say this: I waited a while to post this but without any further adieu: Joshua and his team (that is basically his family) were none other than on par to fixing my cars clutch quickly and gave me a wonderful estimate. I called multiple people for quotes only to be given estimates ultra out of my price range until I found Barnett Auto Service who gave me a wonderful quote that made me smile. Then also, I was told to order my clutch and when they received it they told me in good faith that the brand that I purchased was not the best one. In fact, the particular brands clutch is typically replaced within a year (I did my research and it was true). If they had not been honest with me I would have been out another large amount of money to fix my clutch but because they were honest, I dogged another bullet. Oh and laso, my car runs wonderfully. Thank you so much guys! read more

I was driving back home from Cabrillo and all of a sudden, my car died on me. Just my luck, it died right in front if this auto repair shop. I was able to push my car inside and they immediately started to inspect my car. I was really nervous but it turned out to be something very minor. It's was low on oil and the oil was already deteriorated. Joshua suggested getting an oil change right away. After the oil change, my car was back to working perfectly, like before. Thank you Joshua for your honesty and for your amazing customer service! I will definitely be coming back here again! read more

Formerly "Magic Auto," I have been coming here since I bought my car over a year ago. The guys that work here are incredibly friendly, honest, and always give me the best price for everything. I don't know what I would do without them. They have fixed engine leaks, replaced my tires and brakes, and done oil changes-- and sometimes I'll even get a ride home if my car is going to take a while. I would recommend them to ANYONE, especially if you're looking for an honest mechanic in San Diego. I'm with these guys for the long term. read more

These guys charged me $900 for tires (after a discount) but told me they couldn't balance them. Paid to have them balanced elsewhere. Then my car started shaking. After several mechanics and over a thousand dollars later, turns out the shaking is bc these $900 tires are really shitty. Don't recommend. The guys are nice but they seriously screwed me over. read more

This place is the real deal!!! My truck broke down in front of their shop, due to a botched job by another mechanic. The guys at Barnett helped me get the parts I needed, and had me going down the road in the same afternoon. "Barnett auto you've got repeat business from this guy!" read more

These guys are hands down the best and honest. They make you feel comfortable and explain everything very thoroughly. There are no hidden strings or added costs. Excellent customer service! Only place I would ever trust with my car. These guys really go the extra mile to help any way possible. read more

Al is great! All the mechanics here go above and beyond! I would recommend them to everyone for reliable friendly fast auto service and they give you the best price for their work. I dont go anywhere else. read more

Did an Awesome job on my brakes. Very friendly, fair, and honest. Looking forward of coming back to barnetts in the future.

I can't say enough good things about this place and Joshua! Joshua is one of the greatest most trustworthy people I have ever met and always takes care of my car quickly and efficiently. Knowing that I have a 2 year old and a newborn he works around my schedule and is always a pleasure to work with and see. If you are looking for great place to have your car worked on I highly recommend this place. read more

This is a great business, they were professional and went above and beyond. My wife dropped our car off for a tire rotation and I went to pick it up. I was pleasantly surprised by their excellent customer service and can't beat prices! I will be going back for all my repairs. read more

Brought my car in today for a quick diagnostic Josh was super helpful and straightforward which is always a plus when it comes getting your car fixed. It was my first time In and I'd recommend going here. I'll be coming back here next time. read more

The mechanics are fast, friendly and reliable. Get the job done for a good price. I bring my car to them for everything. Thanks Al, Chris and Daniel!! read more

Just picked up my car from these guys and I couldn't be happier. Scheduled an appointment yesterday, took the car in this am, and these guys replaced my shocks, brakes, and pads all before 1pm! Honest, great price, friendly. Originally thought I needed shocks and struts but they told me struts were fine and they didn't need replaced. Highly recommend! read more

Al and the guys always treat me excellently and fair! Great work done for affordable prices, this is the only auto service shop I will go to. I recommend them to everybody I know, and anyone who reads this ought to give them a shot. read more