I would give it 6 stars if I could. Sol was super helpful and honest. He really came to the rescue after my catalytic converter got stolen. Open on Sundays is a huge plus. Trustworthy and reliable, best mechanic I've ever worked with. Thank you Sol! read more

Easy money, great service! Sol was super friendly on the phone & in person! Their mechanic, Brian, took care of my battery swap the second they opened the gates for the day. Great experience. Thank you guys! read more

I had a check engine light pop on my dashboard. It is unnerving when you are driving in the rain. Luckily, Berkeley Auto Repair is open seven days a week. Recommended by a friend, I drove down to San Pablo. Sol was great! He checked the light and reset the sensor. He advised that I go to Toyota and purchase a new gas cap. If the light comes back on, he gave me a ballpark estimate and just told me to call him. The new gas cap did the trick and I am so pleased that he is honest and so hard-working. He has a great sense of humor and is old-fashioned, old-school -- a wonderful mechanic. read more

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Sol is the best!! After my car broke down on the 880 Fwy on a Friday night, in the rain! I looked up mechanics on Yelp and found Berkeley Auto Repair was open 7 days a week. What luck! Since we are not from the area, we had no idea if this shop was reputable. Sol worked on my car all weekend & had it repaired at a very fair price by Monday. We were so happy the car was back to normal & we made it home safely which is 6hrs away. Thanks again Sol We appreciate your friendliness, good sense of humor and your honestly. Gina & Dennis read more

Boycott Berkeley Auto Repair. They park their cars up and down San Pablo Ave, taking parking away from customers of neighboring businesses. We have asked repeatedly and despite what they say in the moment they never stop. They can't be trusted. read more

The service provided at Berkeley Auto Repair was exceptional. All the staff is friendly, kind, on time, and very professional. I will definitely contact them for any future needs and would highly recommend them! read more

They are the only smog place in the east bay willing to stay open past 7p- trust me I called all the rest of them ha I think his name was Sol.. he was super responsive and asked for a text when on the way to make sure he was ready. Super quick! Had a great convo with small talk. Seems like a stand up guy!! He sent in the info to dmv for me and was able to receive payment via Venmo. Definitely recommend :) read more

Called to arrange for a smog check (2015 car) and Sol fit me in easily & had the whole thing wrapped up within 15 minutes. Sol especially was courteous and friendly, as was the rest of the staff, and I appreciate that this is one of the few smog check spots in Berkeley that is actually open past 5pm! Will definitely return whenever I'm due for a smog check again. And I imagine it's a great place for repairs as well! read more

Saul fixed my son's car with great care and professionalism. He was very easy to communicate with and a pleasure to work with.

This week my car died on the hill by Berkeley lab - the guy who came out from AAA, Ray, asked me where I wanted him to take the car. I'm relatively new to the area and didn't have a place in mind. He said he had a friend, Saul, at a shop close by and gave him a call to see if he worked with Subaru's. Ray was awesome - gave me Saul's number and told me he'd safely get my car there (this is late in the evening when shops are closed). The next day, Saul checked out my car, gave me a thorough explanation of what he thought was wrong with it and all the steps he took to diagnose it and get the car working.Then he told me that he thought the non-working part was covered under Subaru's emissions warranty, so why don't I first check to see if Subaru will replace it for free before he tried to find a replacement. When Subaru told me they would charge $209 just for diagnosing, I had a frank conversation with Saul who said the car was running now, but it would probably still be worth it to pay the fee and get it diagnosed, as he was 80% sure that it was an issue with that warrantied part. This whole time, the car has been parked at his shop, he's answered all my calls and texts, and has given me a whole host of options for fixing my car that keep my budget and finances in mind. As a woman who is used to shitty misogynistic car mechanic experiences, I appreciated Saul's honesty and kindness. And, as a woman of color with a "non white name", I really appreciated how he took the time to learn my name and pronounce it correctly every time - this may sound random or irrelevant but it's a really important marker to me of the types of people I want in my community. At the end of the three days of our car being in his shop, Saul said that we didn't owe him anything since the car was running again and that he was happy to help us out in this situation. I feel so grateful that the kind AAA employee, Ray, connected me with Saul, and that I now have a reliable, kind and helpful car mechanic in Berkeley. It was such a positive, uplifting experience in the middle of a very shitty week (and month and year) - I'm grateful to have folks like Saul in my community! read more

While the owner is friendly, my experience taught me that friendliness doesn't necessarily equate to trustworthiness in automotive repairs. If you're in a jam and have a simple repair: brakes, for example, you can probably have an ok experience with this shop. But if your car needs anything more serious or costly done, you're better off having another shop do the work...unless you want to pay double to have another shop re-do the work at a later date, as I have had to do. On top of this, they don't diagnose problems accurately, which in my case lead to un-needed and costly repairs. And the work was shoddy: bolts and other parts left missing, things loose that shouldn't be loose, plastic parts cracked and no effort made to fix them. Perhaps worst of all, they have no respect for your time. They are always telling you *in a friendly manner* to call them back later or check in with them in a few days, even for simple jobs that should be completed the same day. Bottom line: save yourself the hassle and money and pay a little more for a competent mechanic who respects your time. read more

We were driving up to Berkeley from LA and ended up hitting something in the road that caused a plastic piece from underneath the car to dislodge and drag along the road. Made a horrible sound anytime we would drive. I found this shop on yelp because it was right next to our hotel. I'm SO glad we chose to come here! The man who helped us was incredibly kind and took care of our issue as soon as we got there and didn't charge us anything! We were in and out in under 20 mins and our car is ready to get back on the road! I will recommend this shop to all of my friends in the bay area :) read more

My car went out on a HOLIDAY i was stranded far from help when i called in & spoke with sol because my car had overheated ..not only did he make sure my car was taken care of and he made feel comfortable and i swear i dont trust anyone! lol his work was fast & efficient hes a real top tier service man & a amazing guy Id give this establishment 6 stars if i could not only in a lovely timely manner but great work as well! read more

Berkeley Auto Repair - 2000 honda accord - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

I was looking for a smog place in Berkeley and I came across Berkeley Auto Repair and began to read reviews. Then I came across a review from Vong S. Saying the owner, Sol, had tried to suggest trading oral sex for the cost of repairs needed to fix her car. OMG! That guy used to work at 7 Day Smog right next door to Berkeley Auto Repair. And he tried the same thing with me when he told me how much it cost to repair my car in order to get it to pass smog. I took my car to a different smog shop and it didn't need any repairs in order to pass smog. Sol, the shop owner of Berkeley Auto Repair should have his business license taken and his business should be shut down. What he is doing to women is sexual harassment and abuse of power. This is sickening. read more

Great place to get your car fixed in the Bay Area! I was recently in an accident and AAA recommended coming here to fix my rear bumper. The first time I came here, the workers took pictures of my car and gave me a quote for my bumper after several days. I brought in my car about a week later, and they said that they'd fix my car by Friday (I dropped it off Monday morning) and they were able to replace my bumper and get my car back to me by Thursday afternoon. Once I received my car, everything worked well and they even cleaned the inside and outside of my car! I would definitely recommend coming here for quick, fast, efficient, and reliable service! read more

This was probably the best auto repair experience I've ever had. Our battery sounded like it was starting to give way at 6pm on a Saturday and after frantically calling a few shops most were either not open or didn't have a spare battery. Then we magically found this shop, open til 8pm on a Saturday, rolled up and they swapped our old battery for a new one in a jiffy. Guy there - I wish I caught his name - was so nice and efficient as well. These things never end up well but I was so happy with this service and having dodged a potentially terrible experience. Definitely taking my car to this repair shop from now on! read more

I had a buyer for my car who would be driving it back to Grass Valley through 110F heat. My AC needed to be serviced to make the ride back more comfortable. The owner, Saul, was very helpful and accommodating in resolving the issue. He's a genuinely nice guy read more

Oh wow where to start?? Darren is awesome and ask for him he will take care of you car with no muss and fuss. They got my car battery repaired and did a full inspection. They also have a convenient location on San Pablo at Allston in berkeley. read more

Sol has been our trusted mechanic for over 20 years. He is honest, does good work, and he does it in good time. When he needs the vehicle longer, he picks it up or drives me back home. When I am looking to buy a used truck or car, he looks it over and gives an honest appraisal of what needs to be fixed, in what order, at what cost, and whether the vehicle is a good deal. I highly recommend Sol. A great guy. read more

My regular shop is/was closed for the holiday season so I ended up calling Berkleley Auto Repair for a starter motor replacement for my Honda Pilot. Not only did the shop accept my vehicle on short notice (towed in), the job was completed in 4 hours and $200 cheaper than another shop I called! I have worked on cars in my younger days so I know what needed to be done. Good honest service, will go back for sure. Btw, Saul the owner is really friendly. read more

Stopped by after getting my car jumped and they cleaned the cirrision off my battery for free! Super lovely folks

Trust these guys. Saul is as good and honest as it gets in terms of a mechanic, the best I've dealt with in year. I came to him after being illegally sold an unsmogged vehicle, with an astronomical estimate from Toyota Berkeley for the repairs that the car needed. The price here was half that of the dealership and they were beyond accommodating and communicative about my car. I will be doing all of my work here and recommending them to anyone in need of a good car guy. Thank you SO much. read more

Today my '87 Volvo 760 Station Wagon passed the DMV smog test. No other mechanic repaired all the necessary parts as thoroughly and completely as did Sol at Berkeley Auto Repair. Sol's patience and perseverance saved my car from the wreckers. With only 230,000 miles on a Volvo this car still has a lot of life left. Six stars and many thanks to Sol. Good mechanics like Sol should be recognized for correct diagnosis and follow through performing hard tasks. Thank you Sol! read more

Wow, I'm really surprised that Berkeley Auto Repair only has 5 reviews. I found this repair shop on unfortunate circumstances when my passenger window was smashed in and some of my belongings had been stolen. My phone had also been stolen the night before, so I couldn't call a repair shop for a quote. I quickly found this shop and yelp and wanted to have my car repaired as soon as possible, so I just brought it in. I don't remember the owner's name, but he was the absolute nicest man I have ever met. I told him what happened and he gave me the price of $200 for the new window, cleaning, and labor. When I asked about nearby coffeeshops I could walk to and wait at, he listed off multiple to satisfy any of my needs. I ended up going to the one right next door (if you show them your receipt from Berkeley Auto Repair, you get a discount!) I walked over a few hours later to check on the status of the car and he was working away, trying to clean and replace the window. I was planning on meeting someone to purchase a new phone and wanted to know around when my car would be finished, and he even offered his car for me to use! He was just the nicest man ever and not only did he fix my car in only a few hours, he put in the extra effort to vacuum every little piece of glass possible out of my car. It's people like this man that can make a horrible day so much better! read more

I happened upon this place trying to go to another smog check station. As luck would have it I got a better deal here as well as some good car advice. The man was very friendly and helpful and yes I did check the place I originally intended to go to and it would have cost more and I doubt they would have offered to replace a missing bolt under my mini van for free. I would come back again. *Note: I don't know anything about cars but he seemed to genuinely want to help me. read more

Berkeley Auto Repair - The street view - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

I took my car by to have my plugs and spark plug wires replaced. This guy has an amazing heart when you talk to him about your car. He was as honest and as fair as you can get when it came to charging me. I would recommend you to take your car to him. read more

Really great! I got a $24 Groupon. Called ahead and asked if they could take me in 5 minutes. They said they could. I pulled right in, they took the paperwork, and finished the test in about 10 minutes. $8.25 for the certificate and I was done. Really nice guys. Note that they are a STAR station which cannot be said of many smog stations. My old 2000 Ford Explorer required a certificate from a STAR station. read more

Carlos tried to rip me off on so many measures. I felt so taken advantage of.

Came in for smog with offer that I printed from Groupon. The gentlemen were very fast paced and professional.

Came to the wrong place but so glad I did. Easy, painless, friendly and DONE! Incredible value. read more

Berkeley Auto Repair - Bertha getting her check-up - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

I went to Berkeley Auto Repair because of the excellent customer ratings it got from Yelp users, and I was not disappointed. The lower control arms on my 2003 Lexus LS 430 had to be replaced, along with the ball joints and rear bushings. Plus the rear end had to be re-aligned, due to the parts replaced. In all, it cost me $1600, which was quite reasonable. The best part, and why I would return and am recommending this shop, is that David, the owner, promised the car would be ready by 5 pm that day, and he was good to his word: in by 9, out by 5. I love it! read more

Got a groupon but couldn't use it. Closed when I came with sign that they'd be back at 3pm, a few hours later. I come back at 250, a little early, to a new sign "be back in 30 minutes." At 335 still no shows. Wait a few more minutes and still no show. read more

These guys are great, fast and efficient, they performed my smog check in 10 minutes and gave an honest price unlike the place up the street that tried to charge me 100.00 read more

Good honest guys who do good honest work at reasonable prices and don't try to pressure you into getting expensive work that you don't really need at the time. Berkeley auto repair is my family's auto body service of choice for the past 3 years after a couple of years prior liking for a good mechanic. JENK & DAVID & now Damian (who is newer to the crew) are great guys! I always feel that they are friendly and honest with me which makes me feel comfortable going to get work done whenever I need. I didn't always have this feeling with past mechanics. I Totally recommend Berkeley auto repair service if you want the same things out of your mechanic. :) read more

They performed my smog check within 15 minutes when I arrived without an appointment. Very helpful, good customer service.

Thanks cenk! He went beyond the certified and quick smog check and gave honest tips on car repair.

Got a Groupon for a smog check. Super friendly & helpful service. And the process was quick & easy. Took maybe 10 minutes.

If you're looking for honest mechanics who will take their time with you and provide great service look no further! These guys are very courteous, honest and friendly. A great place to get smogged and other services as well! read more

I've been driving for 51 years, and going to different auto repair shops for 51 years. Of all those shops, Berkeley Auto Repair is probably the best. The owner, David, is one of the very nicest people I have ever met. The other nicest-guy-ever is his employee, Damien. It is an absolute pleasure dealing with these guys. David did the work on my car. He worked carefully and professionally, and did excellent work for a fair price. Being the super-nice guy that he is, he had endless patience for my many, many questions (which were the result of my being stressed out by a very bad two weeks preceding the service, and not by the shop). I know Damien, too. He has done smog checks on my car, in 2015 and 2017. I do not understand how he got that one-star review on April 21. He has always been a five-star person with me. They've got a lounge, with a television and an aquarium. It's a nice place to wait, while they work on your car. These are great people, this is a great shop. Five stars, for sure. read more

Sounds good, these seem like paid 5 star reviews. I don't get it... The truth would be more like the review of the woman who mentioned the worst experience and terrible customer service, I agree with her, as a woman I personally experienced similar treatment. David was very rude and disrespectful to me as a lady, I feel like my family is unsafe after paying for a smog with this shop. I have been having problems with my car immedietly after leaving #Berkeley_Auto_Repair, my car is not working like it was before I took it to them, and now I am forced to take it to a more professional shop to get it back running right. ALL GOOD PEOPLE AVOID THIS SHOP AT ALL COSTS - Don't let them trick you. read more