Ron is one of the most honest mechanics I've ever dealt with. I had been bringing my older C250 Mercedes to his shop for years, have since parted with that car, and got a used 535i. The dealership I purchased that car from unfortunately scammed me and sold me a car with a check engine light and hid the codes at the time of the sale. I explained the situation to Ron while trying to deal with a total emotional gut punch, and brought the car in to get diagnosed. Not wanting to spend a ton of money on a car that I might find myself in a legal battle with the dealership, Ron did everything he could and went above and beyond trying to explore what the issue was. For context, it was a low boost code which means it could have been any number of things related to the turbos. Ron spent way more time than just an hour trying to diagnose and address smaller cheaper fixes but ultimately it was determined the turbos were shot. In all of this, Ron only charged me for an hours worth of labor, took the time to explain and show me the issues, and write up the service quote for what the cost of repairs would be. Specifics aside, this is a good shop with an honest team. Ron is empathetic and really went the extra mile to help me out. It's not often you get to say that you really appreciate how a mechanic shop treats you. read more

RUN FROM RON AT ALL COSTS! Go see Ron if you're a female & want to be MISTREATED AND ABUSED. After spending $15k to have my car fixed, the warning lights continued to illuminate my FEMALE face telling me I had NUMEROUS PROBLEMS. It was losing coolant, it was showing a misfire reading and the oil sensor was failing to read the level. Before returning the car, I filled the coolant, drove 100 miles and the light came on. It took 32 ounces of water to limp my way home. When I returned the car and asked politely if he could look at it, Ron said "read the manual!" The solution was reading the manual? He demanded additional money to check the problem. I shared with him that after spending $15K I expected to drive the car without any alarms going off. He finally lost his temper and shouted at me that he'd look at the car or I could call an Uber and immediately leave. I did leave, I left in TEARS. He called back and quoted another couple additional hundred dollars to fix it. My friend took me to pick up the car, Ron wanted me to sign a form acknowledging my refusal to be exploited again. I refused. This pissed him off! He said to my friend "are you her husband? If so, I feel bad for you!" He made highly inappropriate, sexist comments to me and other female customers. He is a predator who manipulates and mistreats women. Check the other bad reviews--the pattern is real. Ron should be ashamed of his behavior. I wouldn't send my enemies to him (well, maybe). Ron has an aversion to strong willed intelligent women who refuse to be bullied and/or ripped off. READ THE BAD REVIEWS, THE PATTERN IS REAL! read more

Ron is the prototypical horrible mechanic you hear about on television or movies. The one everyone tells you to avoid and the one that ruins the trade for actual good, honest and helpful mechanics. I honestly do not know how he manages to run a business and get customers. He talks down to you as a customer and literally berates you. Yes you!...The customer who is paying him money for a service of repairing your vehicle. Reading through these reviews a lot of the negative ones I can testify are basically my experience with this place. When you think about your vehicle as being a necessity for getting around and something that you need to feel safe and comfortable driving, then think about how poorly Ron treats you and his overall attitude and demeanor. This isn't a person I would ever feel safe with putting in charge of repairing my car or anyone who I care about, because simply put it he doesn't care about anyone other than himself. He thinks you are stupid for asking logical and good questions that anyone paying thousands of dollars would want to know. I cannot say enough times, DO NOT GO HERE!! I wouldn't take my car here even if the repair costs were half of what I would pay elsewhere. I would happily pay double the cost to take it to a mechanic who will answer my questions, speak to me at a normal tone, not berate me or speak condescending towards me, or overall just give me utterly the worst ick. read more

We got super lucky to find this place. Mercedes needed an oil pressure sensor/solenoid. Got quotes as high as high as $2800. Ron came to the rescue at $700. He is nice, honest and straight forward guy. Never going anywhere else. He and/or his dad have been there for a long time. They are part of the barrio. You will understand when you go there. They are located in a residential neighborhood in SA. read more

The owner Ron is a scam. Took my running car to him for a little shake @ 2000 rpms. Told me it would be $177 to fix my car then a week later quotes me $460 then $600 the $1100 after the 4th week says its going to be $3500. He takes you on a ride he basically feels you out to see how much he can get out of you. Long story short! I told him i wasnt paying that much and he ends up telling me okay pick up your car by the way its not running anymore i had to tow my car back. Im sure he took parts of my car out since he is such a scammer! Do not go there also treats his customers like idiots read other 1 star reviews to confirm... read more

i found out about this shop after i purchased my CLS and needed to find somewhere to get oil changes and regular service. this place is the only shop that was not extremely rude and condescending to me over the phone, and they were the only shop that did not try to overcharge me. i have been taking my mercedes here for the past almost 4 years and my car has been kept running well in that entire time ron has always been helpful and honest and i have never had a negative experience with any of the other guys who work at the shop either. i would recommend this shop to anyone who is looking for an honest and reliable business, especially if you have a european car. read more

Ron was rude and dishonest about pricing. Before I handed over my keys, I was told one price -- then once he had possession of my car, the price suddenly went up. I immediately regretted taking my car there. Now my car is just sitting in the driveway because of the situation. I would not recommend this place based on my experience. read more

Ron is the best . He is truthful and smart. He won't rip you off. A stand up guy. We know he always treats us right. The mercedes-Benz dealership charges five times more than what Ron charges. Ron has been fixing our cars for years . Great shop and great value...... when you know you know. read more

Bert's Foreign Auto Service - Is the great work that Auto has done for us, Ron is the best. - Auto Repair Near Me - Santa Ana, California

See all

My review is for Ron, I for sure didn't let them touch my car. I came in to see the shop this past week and to show them my car. Ron gives me a suspiciously cheap estimate and then proceeds to start becoming extremely pushy. He calls me as I'm running errands and he goes "well where are you RIGHT now" and he kept pressing for me to give him the street name I'm on. When I told him I didn't exactly know (bc why would I tell you where I am?) he goes "come on girllll u know where u are, don't give me that" and then tells me aggressively to either "come right now" or just "give him my credit card info over the phone so he can order the parts" When I get to the shop (I detoured from my errands and went to see him) he looks over my car and told me to follow him to start ordering parts. When I asked him to confirm prices, he goes I ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT OVER THE PHONE and basically anytime I asked him a question, he'd say "WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ALREADY" *I've literally seen him twice in my life lmao* When he was inspecting my mirror (it was dangling from the power cord), this man literally told me to CUT THE CORD OFF so it would be easier to store. He HONESTLY thought I was an idiot, like I was about to let him sever all the wiring connections on a perfectly functioning (albeit not attached) mirror. I've seen other reviews about how he tells you one price and then has you walking out paying a much higher price incurred during the course of the repair. So I am sure he was hoping to overcharge me to "recalibrate the wirings" if I wanted a functioning mirror. I tried being nice but was super put off at how aggressive he was being towards me FOR NO REASON, I told him straight to his face that I was talking to other shops and comparing prices and how some shops underestimate me because I'm a girl. His face immediately went sour and he stomped off to his desk. He also basically forced me to show him my other estimates and laughed at how stupid they were. I was really hoping I could trust him to be amicable and honest, but after seeing how he talked to me as a POTENTIAL customer, there was no way I was gnna let him jerk me and my anxiety around til my car was fixed. Bad vibes bad feelings bad customer service. I wouldn't trust him anywhere near my car. read more

Drove cross country in a Jaguar F-Type and when we got to LA the car died. Chose Bert's because they service Jaguars and they were close. They diagnosed a loose electrical connection and only charged me $86. They seem very honest and competent. Their customer service person was great as well. read more

This guy did some work on my Mercedes and charged me $500 only to make the car run worse than before. He ia also a rude and condescending person. Stay away from this business!!! read more

DEFINITELY NOT TRUSTWORTHY OR HONEST. I would not recommend especially ANY woman. I used to come to him till I realized the bad reviews are right he will "fix" the issue only for it to pop back up after you pay to get it "fixed". My engine light popped on so I go to take it to him he says it's probably the coil so we fix the coil for 200. Ron assured me it was fixed, BUT 2 days later the light is back on so I take it back. Now he says haha I knew that wouldn't have worked but I wanted to try the cheaper route first, VERY weird. He could've just told me what it is especially since I've called out of work several days due to not having my car to drive to work. Ok now he says after looking at the codes it's an engine misfire and my cylinder 3 injector needs replacing but it's going to cost me $1100 to get fixed. Cool I really need my car so I pay the $1100 he says give me 5 hours to install this fuel injector. So I go home then I come back that same day. In 3 days the engine light is BACK ON but now it's blinking and shaking really bad. I'm only 5 mins from him when the light starts blinking so now I decided to show up so he can help me BIG MISTAKE. He got so mad that I just showed up and didn't call which has never happened at any mechanic. At this point I realized he didn't fix anything which is why the codes are STILL the same I pointed this out to him with the pictures I took with the codes ma before he tried to "fix" it till now which the codes are the exact same. BIG MISTAKE he starts going off on me. Never had this happened so I started crying I just wanted my car fixed after I paid for a service he then starts to mock me and laugh at me. I decided to call my mom cause as a college student I just didn't know what to do. She's just as disgusted hearing him degrade me. His conscience was eating him up he was guilty. Turns out he NEVER did the job, which is why 2 weeks later engine light is still on with the same codes as before and I missed so much of work I'm screwed. He wrote me a check for the amount I spent but he fucked me car up beyond the original 1k I spent & hopefully the check doesn't bounce. As I'm walking away with my check he has the audacity to tell me after I stated I found someone to fix it he says " WHY DIDNT YOU JUST GO TO THAT MECHANIC ORGINALLY" like WHAT? Please go somewhere else I will attach photos with proof of the different dates showing my car has been messed up due to this guy Ron. He is deleting my reviews on google so Stay away read more

See all

Ron Jakobs, the owner of Berts Foreign Auto Service is probably the most honest mechanic I've met in my life and that's saying something considering I'm 62 years old. He's funny, engaging and he will just flat out tell you if you don't need something done even if you think you need it done. I've caught mechanics in the past telling me that I needed some thing done only to get a second opinion, and find out they were trying to take advantage of me. I've never experienced that with Ron or his crew. I've been taking my cars to him for several years now and have bought a home all the way in corona. It's still make the drive to Santa Ana whenever I need my car's work done. I would use anybody else but him and his crew... I highly recommend anybody use Berts Foreign Auto read more

Excellent value for your foreign automobile, not as expensive as the dealers by far! Work was done quick, and everything was explained in detail; highly recommend. read more

I have been taking my cars to Bert's (Bert isn't there any more, but I forget the owner's name) for a while and he is the best mechanic I have had. He doesn't try and nickle and dime me, work is done well and on time, and the costs is right. If you have a problem with something he did, he will be happy to fix the issues and make you happy. I have an older BMW and Lexus, and he takes care of both cars for me. In the morning, he has one of his helpers drop me off at work and I get a ride back in the afternoon. I have had a few coworkers go there and no one has every complained to me about the cost or the quality. The shop is a little tricky to find, at the end of dead-end residential street, but it is worth going out of the way to track down. read more

I brought my car to this place because it was overheating due to not having coolant unfortunately I had the pleasure of the meeting the owner today & as soon as I met him I knew he was trying to OVERCHARGE me for things that were UNNECESSARY, and this "Owner" Ron still had the audacity to call my car a piece of shit when it was picked up what a unprofessional asshole, NEVER going to this place AGAIN the workers are cool and helpful but Ron is a Scammer that likes to take advantage of people. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS SHOP his exact quote was " You buy shit, you get shit" this guy had the worst customer I've ever experienced. read more

Great customer service. Super knowledgeable and explained and showed me everything that was going on so I knew exactly what was happening. Super fast- super service! We'll be back for any all auto service needs! Thank you Rob! read more

If I could leave zero stars I would. This guy Ron is pretty rude, watch out for him. ..But really watch out for his "guarantees". I take my vehicle in for a repair and it's my first time there recommended by Midas. Ron promises they will figure it out and get it fixed. After a couple of days, he calls me and says my car is fixed and then makes a huge point to say, "I guarantee, the problem is fixed, or you don't have to pay". Says it multiple times over the phone. I should have recorded it! So I thought it was kinda strange when he said this since there weren't any doubts that I could think of from our initial conversation that gave me those impressions, since the initial meeting was good and pleasant and he was confident in finding and fixing the problem. I pick up my car the same day and as I am driving it home the same exact problem starts happening. I call him immediately and I was nice about it, he tells me to bring it back so I do. They have it for another couple of days and then calls to say it's fixed. I go in and he gives me the bill for the new service. I am reluctant to comment about the "guarantee" because to be frank, they got my car still and a couple of mechanics hanging around and I don't want to stir any problems. Anyways, he must of knew about his blatant "guarantee" that he had said earlier as he's handing me the bill, Ron rudely makes a comment about how they have to charge me because it wasn't his fault that they didn't fix it the first time because of such and such, etc. Not even a discount!!! On top of that, I hadn't even complained about anything yet!!! So I basically got charged twice for repairs with a false guarantee and then intimidation to pay or else. I'll never bring it back for that reason alone and if you hear him say "guarantee" watch out. Ron lets his mouth make guarantees that he can't cash, so obviously intimating the customer to pay more regardless is his motto. He did fix the problem tho, but too bad I was rudely intimated to pay twice for it. read more

This place is so amazing and Ron is a awesome businessman and Mechanic. This place is awesome and the worker are so wonderful and nice.

I am looking for a reliable mechanic for my car - took it here based on reviews. The shop is filthy and the work was mediocre, at best. There were greasy fingerprints all around the interior of the car. Ron's pricing is also highly suspect - quotes low, but charges more upon completion. My wife sometimes takes the cars in so had her call a couple times to see if other reviews from women are substantiated - she said he was very condescending and rude towards her (her exact words are not appropriate here). Interestingly varied experiences by customers based on reviews - we won't be going back. read more

Been going to Bert's Foreign Auto for awhile now so this review is long overdue. Ron is the owner and has been giving me the best and utmost honest service. Great price, great service, and trust , to me are the three things that'll keep me coming back. Thanks for taking care of my 997, Ron. read more

My wife's car was having some problems in a panic we called Bert's service and brought the car in. They diagnosed the problem and repaired it by the end of the day. They are amazing and I have used them before with my previous car. I will continue to use them. Thank you very much Ron and crew. Very honest, knowledgeable and dependable. Won't take my car anyplace else! read more

They had my car for over 3 most and gave it back with broken covers and missing covers on motor scratched top of car by putting my hood up there and put a bolt where bleeder valve goes, not to mentioned a rubber band to hold up a idle control valve charged 2781. And forgot I gave him 1k upfront and 81.00 for non cash fee? Wtf, didn't even tell me. I went back after it over heated got one cover back with a screw that didn't fit and missing bolt and cover for it on other side his workers are rushing doing to many things at once and forget or do wrong shit then instead of fixing water valve they do a bypass which again caused my car to overheat, I'm not coming back. read more

See all

Ron was very helpful with multiple problems our black Jaguar had. He was able to fix em all. A few weeks later one of the calipers was leaking but we took it back and had it fixed. This is indeed our shop we will keep coming too. read more

I'd like to thank Ron and all the staff at Bert's Foreign Auto. I saw the many great reviews and decided to give them a try. Our Jaguar overheated and the engine failed and needed replacing. They took care of everything. They towed the car to their garage, located and put in a rebuilt engine, replaced the cooling system and took care of the multitude of little items that come with replacing an engine. Ron was very honest and upfront about the costs, and never once did I feel I was being nickeled and dimed. In fact, he took care of several small expenses himself. We live in San Diego but will now make this our place to take the car. Thank you again for such great work and service. read more

Extremely rude. And that's based on a price inquiry call only! me: "hey, how much would you charge for blah blah?" him: "this much" me: "can you lower the price or is that final?" HANGS UP! I would understand that people might be busy or having a bad day, but if you're a service provider and you can't even answer a simple question like that, then I guess you're just shitty and people should avoid such businesses. read more

The owner is mean liar money lover and aggressive and used me in the worst way he said that his parts are original but they actually off brand they broke on me less than a year and when I went back treated me bad And didn't fix what was recently was paid for worst place ever read more

I just want to say I had nothing but exceptional service from Bert's. Ron and the whole staff did an amazing job and clearly told me what was wrong with my car and what needed to be replaced on the spot. Everyone was very friendly and professional with their service and answered any questions that I had. If you're around the area, I would say come on down. Thank you! read more

This is the second time I come in to Bert's in the last couple years. Both times I was greeted right when I pulled in. Ron is very down to earth and easy to talk to. I'm not sure why some people felt otherwise but I'd say give it another shot. My car was serviced and taken care of while I hung out in the little "lobby" watching TV on a recliner. And even though I knew I'd be here a while and had no other plans Ron was still incredibly sweet and tried getting my car finished even faster than he had first said it would take. In no way did I feel like I was being taken advantage of because I'm a woman. His pricing is fair, and he's even showed me how much he gets the parts for! Can't get more honest than that. There are no flowers or waters offered as you walk in or leave but I'm saving hundreds of dollars coming here rather than going to my dealership. Totally worth it! read more

My SRS/airbag warning light came on when I had my car full of family, one of which was leaning on the side panel of the car. I was 100% convinced this was the reason the light went on but I couldn't risk it. I called in and spoke to Ron, he couldn't quite say for sure if that was the reason the light went on but said it's a quick test to see what the code was and we could go from there. He didn't give too much information on prices because it could realistically be a simple fix so I decided I'd just do as recommended and stop by. The place was easy to find (thank you Google maps, FYI it's off Lacy and 2nd at the end of a residential area to the left) and packed. You can tell they know what they are doing, just by the fact that they have plenty to do in my opinion. I was greeted by James who was incredibly helpful, he grabbed the tested machine and quickly started on the car. He said it was the rear passenger curtain. So I think I'm right but they say they won't know for sure unless they open up some panels. James asked me if i could leave it (if I could) and they'd take a look. He informed Ron of the code and that I could leave it, but he told him to try and reset the light to see if it went away. Ron let me know it would be $40 for the test, but that if it didn't clear, he'd credit that amount to the work I'd need done. I wasn't surprised when the light came right back on, so I knew it was inevitable. James let Ron know it was a hard failure and the code. Ron immediately did some research, and asked if he could play around a little with it so he could see how much work it would take. Within 2 minutes, Ron had the back seat and panel off BUT it paid off, he found the wire disconnected. He connected the two, started the car and the light was gone! He said jokingly "okay I want my $40 now!" but I did have to pay for the test since there was such minor work. I was super appreciative that Ron took his time to take a look while we were there so I didn't have to come back, I gave him a hug. Haha. Very funny, knowledgeable man. Will definitely come back here when the need arises. Will also recommend to friends and family, and any reading on Yelp! read more

My '06 Mercedes E350 smelled like there was gas leaking, so I took it to our local repair shop and was given an estimate of $4,000 to replace a cracked gas tank. When I started breathing again, I decided to call a few places to check if this estimate was actually on target. I looked up 3 numbers for "Mercedes mechanic" to call. Bert's was the first number, and ended up being the only one I needed. Ron was friendly and polite on the phone, and after telling him the specifics, he asked me to hold on for a quote. It only took a minute before he came back to tell me he could GET THE REPAIR DONE FOR FREE. WHAT??? Ends up this was a problem Mercedes covers! Ron knows what's up with these cars and looked to do what was in MY best interest over his own! I got the car to him and he made all the arrangements to get it to a dealership, get it repaired, AND had them take care of a recall item while they had it. Amazing. He is looking to build a solid business based on doing the right thing for his customer, even if it doesn't fatten his wallet. There are more convenient places to my home to get my Mercedes serviced, but they aren't worth $4,000. Thanks, Ron. You just saved our son's next semester at college! ;) read more

Fast service , took my bmw 3 series to other mechanics and his was the most reliable and affordable definitely coming back!

I was having problems with my 2009 Range Rover. Ron was very professional, knowledgeable, and fast. He also offered a fair price for the cost of labor and replacement of parts. This will be my go-to auto repair spot. I highly recommend this business! read more

been comming here for years. i think the pricing is honest & fair. my car is done within 2 days normally. very happy

Would give them 10 stars if I could , The owner Ron and his staff are extremely knowledgeable in everything auto / foreign auto and made the process of fixing my old girl (B7 group Audi) and making her run again . Ron and his staff were honest and fair about all the work they completed and I left a happy customer If you have a European vehicle I highly recommend Berts Foreign Auto ! Cheers x read more

Ron helped me to purchase my first used Mercedez and I had it for years. I'm now looking at a BMW and will take it to Ron's shop first before I purchase it because he will make sure its up to his standards. Thanks again Ron, Ella Croney- Author of Forever Young read more

10/10 service!! Had to get my car towed because my Audi broke down right on the freeway. I was scared and had no idea what to do, but I am SO glad I found this auto service! Ron made this unnerving occurrence into the most pleasant experience. Called while I was still waiting for a tow and he said I could get it towed to his shop and I had my car the next morning. So quick and easy. Thank you Ron! read more

Bert's Foreign Auto Service is a prime example of what an automotive repair shop should be. Clean shop, and knowledgeable staff makes the experience seamless. I've taken my car there along with my girlfriends car more that 6 times now over the years, and NEVER for the same problem! Quality work in a timely manner is what matters these days. Thank you for the great work Ron! read more

I had a very good experience here. They found and fixed the problem with my 2003 330xi quickly (fuel pump). Friendly honest service. The waiting room is a little funky, that will bother some people. But there are a few DVDs to watch and a TV. My car was done before Fletch was over. read more

So happy we found this business on Yelp. Ron and his mechanics were really kind and knowledgeable. Our Mercedes was fixed in a day and is running perfectly. Great service at a fair price, thanks Ron and team.! read more