I've generally had good experiences at this Big O with one annoying exception I'll outline below. I got new tires not that long ago and had an oil change while I was at it. My car is a bit of a pain in the ass to change the oil on so I can't actually go to like jiffy lube or oil changers or any place like that. I need a tech that's at least one step up from that level. Don't need to be a full-on Master mechanic or anything but it's not as simple as a regular old Honda or Toyota or whatever. You actually have to take some parts off of the car to get to the filter. Annoying, I know. It's why I don't do the changes myself. It legit takes at least 30 to 45 minutes of actual wrench time. Anyway, at some point after I got my tires replaced I noticed a slow leak in one of them. Checked the tire, no nails or screws or anything in it. I was due for an oil change anyway so I'll go back to Big O for that and have them check the tire while they're at it. Now, I know it's leaking because I've had to put air in it several times. When I pick up my car I asked him if they were able to fix the leak he says looks at the notes the tech left and says they took the wheel off and dunked it and couldn't find any leak. I was annoyed but also in a hurry so I just took my car in went. I stopped back on two other different occasions to have them fix that leak and they could never confirm that it was leaking . They didn't have any suggestions for me or anything. I ended up getting a valve core tool and replacing the valve core which slowed down the leak but didn't solve it. While I was doing that I noticed that it appeared to be leaking worse when I touched the valve stem, like I could hear the air hissing out, so I went and had that replaced (somewhere else). Now the tire is fine and I'm annoyed with Big O. A tire shop should have been able to diagnose that even if it wasn't bubbling when it was underwater. It's simply should have been the next thing that they checked. I wish I had thought to do so but I'm not a tire tech or anything. Still rounding up to three stars because generally speaking I've been happy with the service that I've received there and the guy's behind the counter are always nice and usually helpful. read more

I had a terrible experience here, and it wasn't the first with the chain. I brought my car in for a full synthetic oil change that was supposed to include a tire rotation and inspection. Because I've had sketchy experiences with them before, I marked one of my tires beforehand so I'd know for sure whether they actually rotated them. They told me it would take about two hours and that they would call me when it was done. After 2 1/2 hours, I called and asked for a progress report. The employee said, "Oh, it's done. I just haven't gotten to call you yet." A little annoying, but ultimately not the end of the world. I understand places get busy. When I arrived, though, I checked for the marked tire before going inside, and sure enough, it was still in the exact same spot. One of my previous sketchy experiences with this company was when they told me they couldn't safely rotate my tires because the wear pattern would make it unsafe. The tires were not very old, and I had never heard of that before, so I took my car to a different shop and they rotated them without any issue or question of safety. I went inside and said something along the lines of, "Let me guess -- you guys decided you couldn't rotate the tires because I need new ones?" The employee said, "No, he rotated them." "Actually, he didn't. I marked the tire, and they were definitely not rotated." "Well, there's no note about the tires, so I'm not sure why they didn't do it." Then he kind of just paused like maybe I'd let it go. I didn't. I instead just stood there waiting for him to give anything resembling an appropriate response. Eventually, with total apathy and annoyance in his voice and demeanor, he went to look at the car and then gave me some similar reason as last time about why they "probably didn't rotate them due to the wear pattern and safety." Then I asked about the inspection, and specifically the air filter, which I knew needed to be replaced. I expected them to catch it and offer it as an additional paid service. Instead, he told me, "Nope. Everything looked good. No notes." At that point, I started getting heated and raised my voice slightly: "There's no way that can be true." Then the manager came over, heard the situation, and casually said something like, "The mechanic probably just didn't do the inspection." Again, no apology or real acknowledgment that this was a problem. Instead, he just said, "We'll do it within the hour." So now I'm being told to wait another hour so they can actually do the job they were supposed to do an hour ago at that point. I asked the manager to inspect the tires first and make sure they were actually going to be willing to rotate them. He just said, "Oh, we'll rotate them," and did not look at them at all. This leaves two possibilities: Either the original explanation was nonsense and this proves they are running a scam, or they were now willing to do something they supposedly thought was unsafe. After waiting again, they finally rotated the tires. I checked the marking and it was gone, so at least that part finally got done. Then I asked again about the air filter, and was once again told it was fine. I said, "The filter behind the glove compartment?" "Yep. The inspection showed no problems." I said there was no way that was true and asked whether they had actually looked at the car at all. The employee responded with, "Well, if you don't trust us..." and then said something like, "Why don't you go look at it and tell me whether it's dirty then?" I'm not a mechanic, but I was so frustrated that I looked up how to check it on YouTube, pulled it out myself, and it was filthy -- covered in literal leaves and debris. I brought it back inside and asked, "Does this look clean to you?" Instead of apologizing, I got attitude and eye-rolling. The closest thing I got to accountability from management was, "I'll talk to my guys later." That's it. At this point, I genuinely don't know what services were or weren't actually performed on my car. I paid for a full synthetic oil change, tire rotation, and inspection, and had to personally catch the fact that at least two of those things apparently weren't done. I wish I knew how to tell whether the correct oil was used, because I wouldn't put it past them to swap it out for something cheaper. I normally try to give businesses grace, but this experience crossed the line from disorganized into actively dishonest and rude. Don't go here. But if you do -- mark your tires. read more

I brought my car in with a persistent vibration that another mechanic thought might be caused by defective tires. Jesse took the time to really listen, review my service history, and methodically work through the possible causes instead of jumping to conclusions. When the first repair didn't fix it, he didn't give up... he kept troubleshooting, consulted with a trusted colleague, and ultimately tracked it down to the left front axle. He even test drove the car himself to make sure the vibration was truly gone before giving it back to me. Jesse was kind, honest, (funny!) and thorough throughout the whole process. I'll definitely be coming back and highly recommend Big O Tires for more than just tires. read more

I had a problem with the Tire Pressure Monitoring System on my Honda Insight. Took it to Honda of Oakland, who charged me $200 for a diagnosis, and wanted to charge $445.77 to replace one tire sensor. I took the car to Big-O Tires of Berkeley, and they replaced the sensor in 15 minutes for $127.18. Total savings: $318.59. I would have saved even more if I had just taken my problem to Big-O in the first place. The service advisor I dealt with--Juan Abrego--could not have been more professional: friendly, efficient, polite. Five stars. read more

I was charged over $180 for an oil filter & oil change. They did not change the oil filter & did not use synthetic oil. I will let my video & pictures speak for themselves. These are crooked people who are thieves & liars. One can obviously see the old STP oil filter when on the invoice they charged for a Napa filter. I will be taking an oil sample then send it & my STP filter to corporate office. read more

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I had my car towed here after getting a flat on the road. The people helping check in customers were friendly and helpful. I felt like they try to take each customer's issue with importance rather than haste even with the high volume. I had to replace my front tires as part of the assessment. Prices for the same brand and type of tires were comparable to other stores. A little higher than the lowest price available shown on google. I do recommend using Big O tires in Berkeley. read more

I like the former employee who works behind the counter a little older . Then you got a young newbie who can't get his act together to get things done . Oil change and tire rotation. Oil change done but waited all day for rotation so I got frustrated read more

Bad service , bad communication and really unprofessional , first time and last time using them

I went to big old tires for an alignment and to my surprise I came back and was told they could not align my car because I needed almost $4000 worth of repairs. I listen to their pitch and can tell that this was just an attempt to try to rip me off. I then went to another alignment shop in Emeryville on 891 W. MacArthur Avenue where they were able to check all the parts that big old tires told me I needed to replace and they said everything was fine and we were able to align my car. I've lived in Berkeley, my whole life, and I've heard about how big old tire tires tries to rip you off... This is a great example of that. read more

Big O Tires - This is a picture of big o tires attempts to rip me off - Tires Near Me - Berkeley, California

Big O tires in Berkeley is one of the best tire shops around. John Cook was extremely helpful and extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Got me squared away on my tires in less than an hour! 10/10 would recommend! read more

Just a heads up, I scheduled an appointment for today and they manually approved the appointment. I arrived at the location and they said it was going to be two hours. When I asked what the purpose of the appointment was, they said it's just to get you on the books, and he made the comparison that if you go to your doctor and you have an appointment is that when you're seen? I thought to myself, when I have a 4pm appointment at the Dr's office I get seen at 4pm. He then suggested I go to jiffy lube. Which I did! Same price too. And I was out in 15 min read more

I took my car in to get tires that were pre- ordered when I a day prior. and once they were put on they looked weird, not even and I was told the tires came that way and fitted that way the next day I drove my car and the center hub came off and I notice another wheel rim was cracked. I called and was told that the rims were old. This is not good. I will never take my vehicles to the Big O Tires on San Pablo in Berkeley again. read more

Called to ask if I needed to make an appointment for an oil change that I received on Groupon. Come in they said, no appointment needed they said. Four hours later oil change finally completed. You heard that right, 4 hours!!! They seem like OK guys in the shop but Come on now, this should have been 15 minutes tops. I'll pass on this place and go back to my local spot in east Oakland. Not worth it just to save a couple of dollars. read more

They cheated us out of almost $800. Came in to get two new tires because back tires were worn pretty thin, and one had a huge gash in the sidewall. They took off the front tires, which were only 50% used and kept those themselves. Then they moved the bad back ones to the front, and put new tires on the back. Two weeks later we had an emergency low tire that had the same gash in the front and had to get new tires on both fronts. When we talked with them they refused to consider any refund, shrugged, and said it was our word against theirs. read more

I found a great deal on Groupon for oil change and got just that without them trying to get me to purchase additional services. Will definitely be back. read more

Big O Tires - Oil Change - Tires Near Me - Berkeley, California

Today, I arrived at the shop around 5:20 p.m. for an oil change. I understand it was late, and the staff had already been working long hours -- they were even staying after closing time. Unfortunately, they couldn't finish the job because the car kept leaking oil after they completed the oil change. In the end, they told me that the leak was supposedly there before the service. But if that was the case, why didn't they mention it earlier? I waited for almost 3 just for an oil change, finally they told I have to pick up the car tomorrow, and it became clear that the mechanic either didn't know how to perform the job properly or made a mistake during the process. I understand everyone was tired and it was late, but this situation is unacceptable. read more

the manager their, his name is Early, always provides the best service at a competitive price! Last week, I got new brakes and without asking, he put in a new door handle free of charge! Early is th bes! Eric Oakland read more

After my appointment at Tire Choice in Albany was canceled after I showed up, I called Big-O to see if I could walk in for an alignment. The answer was yes, and the gentleman at the front desk was so friendly and helpful. Got me in and out right away. Great service. read more

Five star review because Jonathan was very helpful and friendly and showed compassion. There was a customer that ran to get in-front of me and was able to understand and empathize with the situation. He was able to make it work so I was able to get to work on time. I really appreciate him and his kindness! read more

WARNING--RIP-OFF SCAMMERS We needed tires rather quickly and figured a Big O franchise would be a safe bet. Big mistake. They sold my wife low-end tires with a high installation cost, and attempted to hit her up for another $1K in dubious "repairs". Other customers seem to report a similar experience. DO NOT SUPPORT THESE FRAUDSTERS. read more

Rip off place. I went in there asked them to change my break light. They then told me that it would take an hr and that it was labor intensive and tried to charge me 200 bucks. I went to jiffy lube and they said ten bucks and took them less than a minute. So don't come here unless you want to be ripped off! Stay away from this disgusting business! read more

I had a great experience here! Service was perfect. I needed all 4 new tires and got a great deal! I was helped right away. Jonathan was a great help. He took his time to explain everything to me and answered any questions I had. I'm glad I came here! read more

I needed new tires and that about it. Wonderful service! The guys are efficient! Excellent tire recommendation for tires. I can take these off road and still get good mileage! (I visit the desert regularly.) I would shop here again and possibly for other services! Great value! read more

I had a fantastic experience at the Big O Tire store on San Pablo Ave in Berkeley. I needed a tire repaired and my car guys recommended Big O, so I stopped by. They were super busy; it would've taken 2 hrs. I had an important meeting that didn't work with that timing & was trying to sort that out when the newly hired Service Manager, Jesse, suggested that I go to my meeting & come by after because they'd still be open. He had checked the leak to see how serious it was & figured I'd be fine to come back later. That's what I did. They were still busy & I offered to return the next day, but the manager said he wouldn't have me come back twice & was concerned my tire might be flat by the next morning. So they fixed my tire and I was good to go! Here's what I especially appreciated about the customer service at Big O. Jonathan, Jesse, and then I believe it was Early, the manager who helped me when I came back for the repair, each treated me with courtesy and respect and clearly wanted to help me. Dealing with car stuff that could be dangerous if not managed in a timely manner is stressful. I could really sense that these guys had my back. Highly recommend Big O Tires! read more

My boyfriend wanted to get his tires rotated. Since one of them was going flat, he had a slight hole in one tire and wanted to get them rotated. He put chalk on his own tires and took pictures, and while this location claimed to have rotated, the tires, after he got the car back, he found out the tires were not rotated at all, but the hole was fixed in the tire itself. He didn't want to wait and we try to rotate the tires at another location in San Jose. Upon doing so the San Jose location informed my boyfriend that his tires were below a quarter inch and they could not properly rotate them, because there would be potentially too much thread showing on the tires which this particular Berkeley location did not notice or make mention to my boyfriend at the time. Overall, they were conveniently located nearby a downtown area, so we could get breakfast, and it only took them about an hour to fix the hole in his tire. Rotation or knowledge of tires was a bit lacking. read more

Big O Tires - Corner shop spot - Tires Near Me - Berkeley, California

They failed to diagnose a slow leak in the front passenger tire. Instead they blamed the TPMS sensors never mind that I have to pump this tire up monthly! Then I find the front passenger tire overinflated to 40PSI. Also the front passenger tire was missing a cap when I drove in and it was still missing it when I picked the car up. Call me paranoid but l have doubts that they did a tire rotation that I asked for. read more

Dont come here your wasting your time i been in since 11:30 and its 5:10 for a nail in a tire this makes no sense

I wanted to give a huge shoutout to John Cooks. Last Saturday, 11/2, I called the store 2 minutes before closing time, a bit panicked about a tire sale that was ending that day. I know, not ideal timing, but John was a lifesaver. Instead of rushing me off the phone, he patiently listened to my needs and assured me he'd help. Even though the store was closing, he took the time to look up the tires I needed and called me back to place the order. He told me that he answered the phone right before closing, because he knew that the person calling must need something. John's kindness and willingness to go the extra mile truly made my day. It's rare to find such genuine customer service, especially when someone is already off the clock. Thank you to John for helping me to save some money, and for spreading kindness! read more

Big O in Berkeley came through for me again. I'll keep coming back. They went above and beyond for me. Again.

I brought my vehicle in to get a new tire as the problem tire was completely flat. They were able to get me in with an appointment on Saturday late afternoon and got everything fixed (actually needed all the tires replaced) and aligned by Monday. Great service, delivered on time as promised. Not many places you can get that kind of 5-star service! And they aren't even paying me to say this! Get your tires at Big O Tires on San Pablo in Berkeley. Tell 'em Wayne sent you! read more

I was on a road trip and came in with a low tire warning for my car. Jonathan at the front counter helped me and my family tremendously. He not had his technician - Jose Luis repair my tire but also went through the entire car. He checked all fluids and tested the car. Thank you for the great service. read more

They changed my tire as requested and the price was good, no complaints there. The next day my car was stolen from my driveway. The insurance adjuster told me that it was not a commonly stolen car, and suggested that it would be hard to take without a key. I don't know for sure that someone at Big O stole my car, but they had my address and plenty of time to copy the key. That happened to a neighbor of mine after they got their tires changed and after a police investigation it was a tire place, so... Update: got some not super nice emails from the owner and then he complained to Yelp. I read the other reviews for this store. Maybe you do that too and see if you detect a pattern. What I do know is I'm definitely not going back to this place. read more

All the way from LA to the Bay. my car started acting weird. My lil bro told to contact Big O Tires in Berkeley. The best service in all of Berkeley CA. they understood the assignment and passed with flying colors. im not good with names but all the fellas who helped me with Pynk hair (pink). Thankyou for your service, it helped me get home! GO BIG O TIRES IN BERKELEY CA on San Pablo! read more

Called earlier in the day to see if they had a tire in stock and time / availability. Had to adjust my ETA a few times but was reassured by Jerrell my service would be same-day and take 2 hours tops (thank you!). I opted to check out the neighborhood instead of using their waiting room. Got a call to verify a new tire purchase once the assessment determined the tire could not be repaired and another once the tire was replaced. Effortless on my end and I left satisfied. read more

These guys do a great job. Me and my sig other have brought our vehicles there multiple times in recent years, mostly mine, mostly routine maintenance on older (Japanese) cars (one sedan one SUV). They are clear, fair, responsive, and efficient. I have friends and family in the business in other states, so generally know what to look for and expect, and this shop is pretty spot on - including value of services. Worth noting it's a chain but independently owned. read more

Jesse and his team were fantastic, and may have saved my son's life. My son was home from college for one week so I had Big O in San Jose put new tires on his car and do an alignment. Then I took it to a local mechanic for routine service and they said it needed some front end work, which they did. Driving back to Berkeley the car was hard to control and was weaving like it was in high winds. We assumed it was something to do with the new tires so my son took it to Big O in Berkeley. Jesse called to tell me that the shop that did the front end work failed to tighten one of the castle nuts and insert the cotter pin, and they sent me video showing the front wheel flopping from side to side. Truly frightening what could have happened. They tightened everything up and inspected it and didn't charge us a penny, even though it wasn't their fault. We were in Berkeley last week and stopped by Big O and met Jesse and his team, who were really friendly and helpful. I'm glad I decided to go with Big O! read more

Great last minute break job...appreciate Jarrell and Jessie and crew. Breaks were down to the steel.

i replaced four tires here, pricing was competitive. however they called to tell me that my battery was nearly dead and needed replacing. funny thing is i just had it replaced the week before when i had an oil change. i drove straight from Big O to the garage that replaced my battery to compare test results. you can see in the photos that they are very different. but makes me wonder if my battery was even dead the first time i replaced it or if this is just a common scam. UPDATE: After reading the business owner's reply, I will only say... isn't that what yelp is for??? I told two people working at the shop that day that the battery was brand new. They shrugged. read more

Big O Tires - this is the tests result from the garage that changed my oil taken after Big O told me i needed to replace the battery - Tires Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is a hard no for me. I had a screw puncture in my tire and took it in for a simple patch request. I had to leave my car overnight. The next day I got a call that it was ready. When I went to pick it up the office was completely disorganized. Several guys working the front and they told me the work had not even begun yet on my vehicle. I told them I received a call that it was ready. After much back and forth, I was able to pick up my car. They told me that a patch could not be performed on my tire and that they would have to order an entirely new tire + labor. They also told me that while swapping my spare out and putting the puncture tire on the rear, that one of their guys completely stripped one of my tire screws. They told me to bring it back a second time for screw repair. I told them to just give me my car back so I could go get a second opinion and not to order the new tire. I left with more problems than I came here with. I took my car across the street to Orozco's Tires for the second opinion. They performed the patch within 10 minutes for 30$! Very nice. Very honest. Unfortunately it cost me an extra 100$ to have them repair the tire screw that Big O stripped. Big O offered to repair their mistake on another visit but I did not want to give them my car after such a bad experience. I will never bring my car here again, I don't trust them and they cost me 100$. read more

I had the very best service, Mr. EARLY WAS VERY KIND and efficient. The Big O tires place gave my Car top service, I am very will please.