The best mechanics in the Bay Area for finicky VW cars. I have a 2002 Beetle, Diesel that Roger and all keep going it in spite of a long laundry list of electrical and other odd issues. They are excellent at diagnosing problems and giving you options to fit your pocketbook. Moreover, they go the extra mile to make sure the customer is satisfied and safe. Thanks Roger! Liz J. read more

Our neighbors recommended this place to us, and we absolutely love it. They are fast, accessible, and friendly and certainly don't overcharge. We took our old Jetta in twice -- once they fixed a sunroof leak for next to nothing, the second time they fixed our electric key (which had not worked for several years) for free when I stopped in on a whim. Roger, who helped me both times, is super-friendly and exudes honesty. I'm sticking with them! read more

All i have to say is "AWESOME" . I have had my VW Jetta for 13 years now, Roger and his team "WOW", he is reasonable and honest, he will tell you what iis exactly wrong and when it is finally repaired he will take the time to show you what the problem was, even though half of the time i did not understand the Auto mechanic lingo, he broke it down for me. I recommend any one who has a VW "Please let BAS service your vehicle, you will not regret it. I wish all mecchanics were as honest and caring as the team at BAS. C. Smith Hercules, Ca read more

I'm the kind of Old School person that judges by performance and track record, not by Flashy appearances and Fancy marketing. I have been doing business with Roger, Dan and there Crew for over 15 years now and decided that it was time to share my good Fortune with others. I have ONLY recommended ONE shop in my lifetime and this is why, I am recommending this Shop: * Honest, Hard working. * Great Customer Service, takes the Extra Step. * Reasonable Prices, Great Value for the Buck. * Knowledgeable, Keeps current on Technology. * Well Equipped, Invests in Business and Staff. * Family Owned, with a Great Reputation! Sorry, to say that YELP will only let you rate a 5 Star Maximum! Fred read more

My wife and I always have a wonderful experience whenever we come here for our automotive needs. The staff are always kind, straightforward, honest, and reliable. In the rare event that our needs exceed their ability to help us, they are always quick to refer us to another (competing, mind you) business who can take care of us and fix our car. I HIGHLY recommend bringing your car here for honest, affordable service whenever you find yourself in need of car help! read more

The battery and alternator on my car went out. I called the day before Thanksgiving and setup an appointment for that Monday. I work early, so I was able to drop my car off the night before. Roger called me early that morning and told me that my car required an expensive alternator ($500!) and it was a time-consuming repair, so it would take 3 hours of labor. To help, he sold me the parts at cost (saved me over $100) and only charged me for labor. The car was in and out same day. He was extremely friendly! I found my local repair shop! Very highly recommended! read more

I bought a Groupon and they did a fantastic job. My tire alignment lasted long past a year.

A mechanic you can really trust! I have been taking my VW to Berkeley Automotive for many, many years and I am convinced that they are THE BEST. It's so refreshing to have full faith in the honesty of your mechanic, and I have always felt this with them. Twice, something has gone wrong with my car and I thought, "uh oh, this time it seems serious" only to find that my Berkeley Automotive bill was WAY less than I thought it would be. Yes, Roger is the man (I agree with k l.), and very good (and quick) at determining the problem. He never does anything unnecessary and his expertise and honesty means you will save money here. He has kept my car (which has 125K miles) in perfect running condition without any big bills. They work on biodeisel cars, too. They're extra busy on Mondays and Fridays, so I try to take my car in Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. read more

I'm not sure why the other reviews are so good, except for the fact that these guys are smooth talkers. It's two guys in a so-so clean, small auto shop. I chose to go to Berkeley Auto Svc because it was near work, instead of my unusual awesome VW/Audi shop in SF. I'm so sorry I did. They came out $43 more expensive than Griffin Autowerke nearby had quoted me for the same standard service (a large, very clean shop with several mechanics on staff) and did a mediocre job. The details: 1) windshield water level warning light was on when I took it in for XX,XXX mile service. Light was still on when I picked up the car, even though I had mentioned the problem to them.[I took it into my SF shop and they said the water pump had failed]. 2) Two months after going it, the engine failure light kept coming on --engine was flaring and new mechanic said that the spark plugs (which should have been replaced in the service I paid for) had not been, and 3) bottom plate of car fell and started dragging the ground on a road trip to LA 1 month after taking car into this shop; the repair shop said that the only way the plate could have split was an extraordinary trauma to the bottom of the car -- like dropping it onto a post or if I hit and went over a large rock at very high speed (which I didn't do). While I can't prove they dropped my car after raising it on the platform, I don't know how else it would have sustained such damage under normal driving circumstances. and 4) Oil light came on 3 months after I took it in for an oil change. Unless my other mechanic somehow drained the oil while fixing my water pump (unlikely), these guys didn't fill up my oil all the way with new oil when they did my oil change. read more

Roger and everyone at BAS were friendly, honest, and spoke to me like they respected my intelligence and knowledge about cars (sometimes hard to find as a femme walking into a mechanic shop). They gave me a fair deal and got the work done in a speedy fashion. Two thumbs way up. read more

Really great service, they were able to have someone come help me right away. I had a headlight out and they helped change it quickly without an appointment and showed me how to change it myself in the future. I appreciated all the help and definitely recommend read more

I went here to have brake pads replaced as my light just went on last night. Nice on the phone and said if I could get right over they could get me right in. After being committed that it would be taken care of by the end of the day, all good, they'd call me when the job was done. It was getting dangerously close to 5, so called them to see what was up. "Yes, all done!" I was promised. So I get there to them pulling out my car, the driver wondering why the alert light was still on. Guess what? They NEVER EVEN WORKED ON MY CAR...huh? How did it go from being fixed as confirmed on the phone to not even being looked at? Ugh. And then I had to hear the pile of excuses why it wasn't done and that the urgency shared in the morning ("oh this pad is really low) was somehow changes to 'no problem, you have 20% left?' So now I am stuck on Friday night here when I was supposed to be driving out of town. Clearly, do not recommend. read more

I've been coming to Roger since my husband passed away, and all I can say is he's the best. I trust him. Excellent mechanic, and excellent human. read more

I just stopped by this place to see about an oil change. There was an employee out front chatting with someone. I pulled up, got out of my car and neither of them acknowledged me. I stood there for a second in the driveway and then said "hello." One of them turned to me and dismissively said "I'll be right with you my man" before turning back to his friend, ignoring me while I stood there in the driveway. Customer service, let alone common courtesy is definitely a lost art. I'm never going back here again. read more

I went to these guys after bus labs didn't even have time to take a quick look in my bus. I have a 1971 Vw bus and on a roadtrip through the city, literally losing power at every stop sign. Roger was super kind and looked in the engine hatch, found the problem, an easy fix, a bad wire connection, fixed it right away and sent me off with a box of fresh strawberries!! Thank you roger! You totally made my day. read more

I live in Walnut Creek and ran into car trouble in Emeryville. Not knowing where to seek help I wound up getting towed to Berkeley Auto Service. I was extremely well treated as was my car. Roger took care of me and my car. I felt immediately reassured that I had found a good and honest mechanic. The price was more than reasonable. Even though I was a last minute add on to the schedule the service was prompt. I am extremely grateful and think I was very fortunate to fine this place in my time of trouble. read more

Amazing service, good honest folks. Roger is the best mechanic I've ever been to- hands down!

What a good shop! I just called in today to schedule an appointment. Unfortunately, they won't have any time available until next Friday, but they like their potential customer. The guy at the other end of phone asked me a few questions about my concerns, then recommended to me a couple of auto shop closed by. This five starts is for remarkable customer service. Thank you. read more

Roger and Daniel are great. My car runs better than ever and their prices are very reasonable.

So far I am glad with the service he did for my VW. There are very few people properly working with VW and reasonable on prices. Roger is one of them. read more

We came here the morning we were driving back home to San Diego after our car started making a weird noise. The service was professional and fast and we got on the road right on time. I am so grateful for the quick diagnostics and oil change we had done. The staff made sure we knew what was going on, and showed us paperwork diagnostics, and what they were talking about under the hood as well. It was great to not have to worry during the drive. The only reason this review is 4 and not 5 stars is that the price was very expensive. I usually pay way less for labor and an oil change at my regular mechanic at home. However, beggars can't be choosers I guess and I am still grateful for the quick service. read more

What a great experience I had with these guys! They did beautiful work on a dent, fixed my bumper in the back (no charge!) , took it next door to Midas to fix my tailpipe and even cleaned the inside of my dirty car! The were very friendly and explained my different options thoroughly. They were extremely reasonable and took my car right away. Hopefully, I won't need to see them again for awhile but it is good to know that they are there. Good job! read more

Roger and his team did it again. With only a whisper of a problem (and the 98 Beetle cutting out one measly time on the freeway) they were able to tell what the problem was and fix it in record time. All my love to Roger and his team for keeping me and my insane love for VW going at all times. read more

This is the first time I've written a Yelp review and I am so happy to write it about Berkeley Auto Service! My Volkswagon Jetta was locked in park. I called VW roadside assistance and told them I needed a tow and could not get the car in neutral. They sent out two different companies with a flat bed truck and no equipment to load my car on the truck. One was honest with me and apologetic and the other was...NOT! He wanted to drag my car in park. I called Roger and he said absolutely not. I finally sent both those guys away and asked Roger to recommend another company. Finally got my car over there. They had it a day and a half or so. Roger called and quoted me a price of about $600. Not exactly what I wanted to hear but he seemed to be straight up and honest about what the car needed immediately, versus could wait a few more miles. I gave him the okay and when I picked up my car, he not only changed the oil for me, but gave me a huge discount! I will absolutely go back here in a few months for my timing belt! Thanks so much Berkeley Auto Service! read more

My 2000 Passat had oil leaking from the plugs in the heads for the cam shaft journals. Plus one of the oxygen sensors was toast. They fixed both and got it smogged for me. Very good prices and prompt service. I've been other places with mediocre results. These guys are the best. read more

I've had on-going issues with my VW, and all along the way Mike and the shop have been courteous, thorough, and awesome. I'm hoping the latest repair of replacing my alternator will do the trick. Mike took the time to talk to me at length about my concerns and showed me an alternator part and tried to explain how it works! I will always come back to this shop. read more

Backed my car up into their fence, leaving a screw indentation in my Audi A8 L's bumper (when I confronted them after noticing another car's bumper touching their fence and taking on damage due to their incompetance, they made threats of violence towards me and attempted to demean me and name-call). It was only there for an oil change, but they couldn't properly put the air intake back together and the engine light came on after. Taking it back four more times to have them try to put the air intake back together resulted in the engine light still being on-- I had to make a special trip to the dealer to have the air intake reassembled properly. WATCH OUT- they said they can work on an Audi A8 and this was my experience. TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL with a "STREET" not an "EMPLOYEE AT WORK" attitude. They threatened to come after me and steal my wheels if I would state where I "parked them." OVERALL RATING: TOTAL DOUCHES who mess up and OIL CHANGE AND DO UNRELATED DAMAGE TO THE CAR. read more

reliable and extremely knowledgeable. fair prices. good people. Roger was the only mechanic I could find in the East Bay that was willing to take on the task of repairing my rusted out clutch...everyone else said the car should've been scrapped. He knew he wouldn't make much of a profit off the repair but he was still willing to help. read more

I have an old 1997 car, and the windshield wipers stopped working. So I took it to Berkeley Auto Service, and at first I was not impressed, because the quote was over $400. When I explained this car is only worth $1500, and could they find me a second hand motor, they said those are unreliable. So I thought they were just trying to get me to buy an expensive part through them. I did find a new part from a top Ebay seller for 1/3 of the price they quoted me and took it there. Well, guess what...the part worked but the wipers would turn off in the upright position!@!*?! Anyway, Cesar really went overboard in trying to help (he didn't even say I told you so), and thought it was maybe a switch. He said he'd buy a switch and try it, and if that wasn't the problem he would not charge me, which was really decent. That was not the problem, so he then found a used part for me that he thought was still 'strong', put that in and it worked!!! So the motor I got was faulty, and they only charged me another 30 mins to put the 2nd wiper motor in. They really went above and beyond knowing that I was not able to spend a lot of money on the car. read more