Once you've purchased a set of tires from Big O, they kinda rope you into using their services for the life of the tire as they have "protection plan", "insurance", "free-tire rotation" etc. with your purchase. I know as I have bought all of my tires there out of convenience. I've begrudgingly brought my car there for years, despite the varying level of service from "good" (only if you are dealing w/ Herbert, the store manager) to "bad" (just about anyone else). Aside from bad service, they are also very cavalier with your requests. I get my oil changed there out of convenience along with tire rotation - every time they spill a ton of oil on the frame of my car which then drips later onto my garage floor. After repeatedly asking them to wipe the excess oil, they've failed to oblige. Not a deal breaker, but super annoying. Today was the final straw. I had the misfortune of working with Francisco (the guy with the pony tail). I brought my car in due to low tire pressure (presume it was a flat - he never bothered to check). He then proceeded to tell me to take my tire elsewhere (down the street). When I told him the tire was purchased there, he told me to come in. There was an existing "plug" from a previous flat - Francisco insisted they didn't do it and cannot work on the tire as the plug wasn't their doing. I haven't taken my tire anywhere else (due to Big O roping you in - see previous statement). We got into a slight tiff over who did the service. He showed heaps of attitude. After telling him I wasn't accusing him personally of any wrong doing, but as the owner of the tire, I am 100% sure it hasn't been elsewhere for service, he blew me off again, dismissed me, and asked his competent manager, Herbert, to step in as he was unable to resolve the issue. Now, I am out $170 for a new tire. In short, Francisco was rude, dismissive and accusatory. They won't get my business again, even for their "free" services ie tire rotation. Francisco just lost the company a long time customer. My advice: shop the store, not the tire price and "protection plans". This is how they rope you into using their tire and peripheral services out of sheer convenience. There are lots of locally owned tire stores in Berkeley with really good/personal service. I will be supporting them moving forward. For any mechanical work, go to Arts down the street! They are simply the best, know their stuff, and super honest. read more

In town from Sac area got a screw in one of our tires. We went to Big O and they said they couldnt fix it. They then told us we needed 4 new tires and an alignment. My husband drove to Oroscos and they fixed the tire with a screw for $25! read more

Really unfortunate that a business will be so dishonest. I bought tires here and was loyal to them always bringing it back there for rotations, balancing, alignment. I got a flat and when they first looked at the tire said it couldn't be repaired, would have to be replaced. They gave me an estimate and I asked if it would be covered under the warranty since I purchased them there. They said yes, then I get a call that they were mistaken and the tire can be repaired after all. I was a little suspicious but had them go ahead, I also asked that they rotate and balance them. I left the next day on a trip and my car began to shake at about 80mph, never did that before! I brought it back in and asked, they said that the tires had not been rotated or balanced! Then said that I also needed 2 new tires, so they could not even balance all of them. I questioned why no one said this before, they gave me some line, then said they could balance the front, mentioned the flat having been on the front and the other work must not have been done because they can't legally work on tires that need replacement. Well the flat had been on the back!! And my receipt said that they had indeed rotated my tires. Lies lies lies, all around they had lied and tried to get me to spend more money. Will NEVER RETURN!! read more

Please don't go to this place ever! I bought a car and asked them to please make a diagnosis because the previous owner said it needed some fixing. I noticed a loud sound and also other things that I mentioned to them. To make it short, they charged me +$900 fixing things that did not solved the main problem. But the worst part of it was that they kept saying me that other parts needed fixing and that I needed to spend more money, etc.... and NEVER told me that the car I bought was trash! Luckily before keep spending money in a car that was trash, I took it to Campus Auto Care near my home, and the owner in 30 minutes of looking at it said to me: "Miss, don't keep spending money. This car is for recycling" I know, my first time buying a used car I was fooled... twice!!! I called the manager of Big o Tired and she told me "well if you say that the motor needs fixing we fix it, if you say that there is a light that is not working, we fix it, but we can't tell you that the car is trash" why not????? You don't know what a diagnosis means??? Ah, and they didn't return my money. Please don't go here. They are not honest people! read more

Woke up to find my car had a flat tire (nail). AAA came by to put the spare and I mentioned I was going to take the tire to Big O to replace (since I had purchased 2 tires there last year). AAA tech advised me that Big O would state they can't repair and would try to sell me 2 tires, but I took it there anyway. Only to have it come true. Told him I needed to consult my mechanic 1/2 block away. Mechanic said if there were threads, then I would not need to replace. Went back to Big O and was informed that the threads were almost gone. Then took the tire to my mechanic and he said the tire was good! So I told him if he couldn't repair, then I would go to another tire company nearby. They just lost my business for future tires. read more

I have bought many tires from Big O! Just one week ago I had to purchase more tires. Staff at this location are very rude especially Will he mention to me he was trying to help me. I don't see how he was trying to help me with his unprofessional attitude. Other women in the waiting room witnessed and validated his terrible behavior! Will reconsider sales because you have no customer service skills! read more

Horrible experience at Big-O tires. Quoted me 1 hour on the phone for a simple tire patch. Got in to the store and had to wait 30 min to speak to anyone because a customer was arguing with an attendant. The man was nice enough and after taking a look at the tire he said that it would take about 1 hour 30 min to treat. Fine. Came back 1 hr 30 min later and the car hd t been touched. He said it'd be another hour! This place is atrocious do not come here. read more

Made my appointment online, then went in at the appointed time. Was told "We don't really use the online reservation system. It will be a 1.5 hour wait." Went in when I had more time. Got the car back and noticed an oil leak under the car a few days later. The oil pain drain bolt had only been hand-tightened. Only a couple of things to do for an oil change, and they missed a critical one. Won't be back. read more

CONSUMER BEWARE! RIP OFF LOCATION. I went in recently to have my tires rotated. The tires that I purchased and paid $600 for last year. No problem. They did it and in a timely manner. However, they told me I needed my struts replaced to the tune of $500. What??? I was surprised because my car has really low mileage. Struts at 80,000 miles perhaps. I told them I was taking my car to the dealership this week (today in fact) and guess what, I DO NOT NEED TO HAVE MY STRUTS REPLACED! WOW! I have been going to Big O for years and have been going to the 2625 San Pablo location in Berkeley since 2014 and this is what I get. They just lost my business and they should loose yours too. They offer you free tire rotation and they even sent me an email to get it done, but they then tell you that you need something bogus done to make up for it. Absolutely wrong! Consumer Affairs Department comes to mind. read more

I am from out of town and a tire developed a slow leak yesterday (Sunday). There was a nail in the tire. Called Big O Tire as it is near where I was staying in Berkeley. I brought the car in and they promptly repaired the tire. I am giving them five stars for how easy it was to deal with them, their courteous, friendly behavior, a fair $35 price and the fact that the person who did the repair purposely left my seat covered in plastic and a paper mat on the floor as it was raining pretty hard this morning. read more

Bought a Groupon voucher for $39 for a synthetic oil change. When I got to the location I told the employee who greeted me that I was in for an oil change. Note that I did not mention anything about tire rotation at the time which is inclusive when you get the Grupon deal. Or that I had a Groupon voucher for that matter. As soon as I mentioned about the Groupon voucher the sales rep/receptionist quickly asked for my keys for car information/inspection when he came back he tried to up sale me new tires because apparently my tires were bald which I disagreed (2014 Toyota Corolla moderate use since I have another car as my daily commuter) . I didn't mind the up sale but when I refused to get new tires he immediately refused to do a tire rotation. At that moment I felt like he did not want my business by acting upset and talking to another customer over the phone while I was still talking to him. He also told me that the total was gonna be $50 and asked me to sign something without any explanation. When I asked him why it was $50 he said "that's how we do things here " and insisted i sign. They didn't honor the Groupon by saying they would charge me $20 extra dollars for an air filter and taxes which he couldn't explain in detail to me because he was busy with another customer over the phone . Anyways, stay away ... clearly I should of checked all the other reviews before buying the Groupon. Got my money back and went to the Dealer , where I know they'll take care of my car in a more trustworthy way. read more

I would not go here again. The man who helped me pretty much made me feel ignored, then he joked around with an older gentleman for like fifteen minutes and made me just stand there and wait, and when his co-worker pointed out to him that I was waiting he got defensive and said I didn't need help...but I was waiting to sign something and if I didn't need to be standing in line he could have told me that? The co-worker ended up helping me. The original guy heping me also was unecessarily rude to me later on when it turned out I didn't have the right tire rim with me, and talked down to me in an irritable/aggressive tone while other customers looked on. The other staff was nice, especially the mechanics, but the process took way longer than the folks at the front desk told me, then when it was done nobody told me for 45 minutes until I asked them. That was a major waste of my time and I think I could get this done cheaper somewhere else so I won't be coming back. read more

CROOKS! Took my vehicle here, tires had less than 5k miles on them, had a nail in it, they claim it can't be patched and I need to buy a new tire. I know darn well it can be patched because I took the tire to my regular tire shop and guess what, they didnt have a problem patching it!! Maybe only competent tire shops can patch tires. Watch out for this place, if you're a woman or have an accent you will be their willing victim. read more

Should have read the reviews. This service center is close to my home, and I had a decent experience with a flat tire repair last year. Received a coupon for discounted oil change, and thought it would be a good idea to have my tires rotated. I'm not totally upset that they found an additional $2100 worth of work, but I did not appreciate the mechanic's condescending tone and defensive communication style. He was visibly frustrated by my multiple asks about the pricing and purpose of the various parts that were deemed in dire need of replacement, and he became increasingly defensive as I pushed him to break it all down. Silly me, I expected to have a conversation about the benefits and limitations of the high versus lower end parts, to understand the risks and benefits of repair in the present versus future, and to be able to make an informed decision based on expert information. He lost me when he finally sputtered "There's a reason why they put me here (here? presumably at the customer interface) and it's because I know what I'm talking about". Well, that could be, but O Boy, BIg O you lost my trust and ultimately lost a sale. read more

You have to watch this particular company. Good service will depend on who you're dealing with. I had a tire changed today; I always take my items out of my car because you don't know who you're dealing with. Anyways, after the tire was changed, I'd noticed that several of my expensive business cards were missing from the container. I don't give them out to several people. They're for clients. So the few that I had given out made it obvious what had happened. Also. I'd opened my trunk up and they'd left the lug nut lock and container just sitting there instead of putting it back where they'd took it from. I know in the past I had to watch them. My older car, one of the mechanics replaced my old tire with a smaller one. Normally I look. It was when I'd taken it to another Big O, and they pointed this out. Watch these people. They can be shady. Saw a guy today who was complaining that he had brought his car up there, twice for the same issue. I also sit outside while they work on my car. When I was told that my tire was not repairable, I made them show me vs taking their word. Do what you have to do. After deciding on getting my tire replaced, because was very obvious, they didn't want me outside. Lmao! No rules states that you can't. I only set inside because it got cold. If you bring your car up there. Don't leave it and have them call. Keep an eye on your shit. Seriously. You see sense that they're going to run game on you. I'd picked that up as soon as I'd walked in with two mechanics. read more

OK. Down to one star here. After going back to them to fix the brake problem they caused I encounted a profoundly communication impaired guy at the front desk. He basically grunted for me to hand him the keys. I thought they were just going to look at it but instead they kept me waiting while they "fixed" it. Did they print up a receipt, showing me what they did, explaining how this time the problem would be solved. No. Just handed me the keys back. I was in such a hurry I flew out the door. And sure enough, damn brake problem is back again. Never again. Not going back for anything. It is under warranty but free isn't worth it. Going to pay to get it fixed by a real mechanic. read more

Apparently, Big O Tires in Berkeley, CA used to be a franchise (local business) but was recently taken over by the parent company back east. They dumped all but one of the employees and they do not have access to any of their customers' purchase or service history. None of this is necessarily a BIG problem. However, recently I went to Big O to have a tire checked out and while on the lot, my car was backed into by one of the new employees and seriously damaged. The regional manager who was on site when this happened said he'd take care of it but the day after he said so, he hopped on a plane and I have not heard from him since. Meanwhile, the Big O parent company is dragging their feet on approving the low-end body shop quote I supplied. Needless to say, although I HAD been a happy customer for nearly ten years, I will find a new local tire company to handle future purchases and service. read more

I called to get an appointment to fix a flat tire and was told they do not make appointments, so I came in on a Sunday at opening time (9 a.m.). The workers arrived but none had a key to open the shop so I left after waiting almost a half hour. When I came back on another day, it took 1.5 hours for a tire repair and oil change--apparently they were short-staffed. The place room was ridiculously cold, making those waiting keep their winter coats on. The manager was not friendly at all except when selling tires. And, finally, when I left, my engine sounded louder than normal. I pulled over, looked under the hood, and found the oil pan cap lying on top of the pan (not screwed in). Corporate needs to look at this store's customer service--and pay the heating bill! read more

I will give them one star, because I hope they put the right oil in and a new filter.. But, they tried to sell me two new tires. Said two of mine weren't safe for the road. I could have paid their quote of $270+, but declined. And they would not rotate the tires. When I went to get in my car I looked up my last tire purchase receipt and they only had 17K miles on them. I walked back in and asked an employee to show me which of my tires were bad. As we walked out to the car, he insisted they had less than 4/32 inches of tread left. Well, when he looked with me, they all looked fine; lots of tread on all of them. He said it was a technician error. They also quickly rotated the tires for me. Then he reminded me that they found a leaking axle boot. It is 'really leaking now'. I declined that. I do not have any leaks on my garage floor. But when I crawled under the car when I got home; guess what. The axel boot is leaking grease all over. It will surely drip onto the floor overnight. So, I am wondering if he might have stuck his pocket knife into the boot to create a leak. It is a $363 repair that they could have 'generated'. They almost got $270 out of me for un-needed tires. Why not tear an axel boot?? I am really saddened and I am now distrustful of Big-O in general. I have usually sang the praises of Big-O. Other outlets have been very good. Just can't do it after this very bad experience. read more

I took my car in here a few weeks ago to get two new tires. I asked them to check the brakes since I heard a little squealing. Francisco who took my order called to inform me I needed rear brakes at a cost of $375. I knew that was higher than I ever paid ($175 to $235), so I declined. Last week I took my car to the Honda dealership to get a tune-up and brake job. They called me back and told me I didn't need brakes. The front were at 50% and the rear at 36%, and they recommend new brake pads at 10%. Thanks Francisco for trying to rip me off!!! I will give them props for getting my tires on quickly (45 min.) Otherwise, buyer beware. read more

I got an oil change at Big O, which went badly two months later when my engine ran out of oil. Thankfully, the engine was spared, and an inspection (from them and another shop) revealed a faulty oil filter. Big O took full responsibility for it and have paid for the inspections and engine steam cleaning. I'm so thankful for their professionalism and honesty, and for their willingness to do what needed to be done to get my car running smoothly again. read more

Today before I come to here ,I made phone call to make sure they can change oil, and I also asked if the coupon applied which i purchased via yelp. they said yes. but after I came to shop, and the guy finished check my car, he said $130 for oil change, I said I have coupon, but he said you can't use it for oil change. I told him that i've made phone call before im here, and he said "hold on ", after 40mins... there is guy told me your car's engine sounds wrong, so that we can't change the oil for you . WTF ?? 40mins ago you said you can do it for $130. 40mins later you said you can't ??just because I have coupon ?? Are you kidding me ?? read more

I've gotten tires from this Big O before so when I had a flat recently, I went back. After they replaced the tire, they told me my car needed new belts, brakes, new air filter, and that the transmission fluid was bad. Since I had a mechanic, I thanked them and went on my way. My mechanic, the fabulous Marty of Marty's Metrix, told me my brakes were fine, as was my transmission, and air filter. The belts were old, though. Just be careful - use them for tires but I wouldn't trust them if they start listing major mechanical problems. read more

This is a horrible place to get your tires and this is why. I waited for over 1 hours. After, they guy explained to me his diagnosis of what is wrong with my car. He said the brakes needed work. He also said that i had an emergency to take care of because the left front Rod was bent and needed repair ASAP. Of course, I told him to write it down and that i was going to take it to my mechanic, which is what I did. My mechanic said there was NOTHING WRONG and they were just trying to robe me!!! I will never go back here again. They had estimated work needed to close to $1000!!! I didn't need any of the work they suggested!!! DON'T GO HERE!!! read more

Absolute crooks. Got a coupon in ValuePak for an oil change and took my car to them. They told me the oil plug was stripped and it would be an extra $90 to rethread it. I had them top off the oil in case of a delay in getting the oil changed and took my car away to my regular mechanic. There was nothing wrong with the oil plug which they said came unscrewed with ease and by hand once loosened. It ended up costing me about $125 for the oil change. I returned to Big O for a refund on the oil top up. They gave it to me no questions asked, no apology, no acknowledgement of what they had done. It was clear this was business as usual and they had gotten caught and didn't want me to make and further noise about it. These people are crooks. read more

Poor customer service. I won't be patronizing BigO any longer. I took my wife's car here to fix a tire with a roofing nail in it since we purchased the tires at BigO when it was in El Cerrito. BigO has a lifetime flat tire fix policy. I attempted to make an appointment on the BigO website. However, the email response was not a confirmation,but a 'we will let you know' if you actually have an appointment. Can't they manage online scheduling? Other tire stores can. Minus 1 star. I came before the store opened at 7am to get in and out as quickly as possible. The person did not even open the front door until 7:20am. Minus 1 star. They found my wife's car in the system, but did not have enough information to even determine if I purchased the tires at BigO. Minus another star. I had my paper work.with me and they looked at the date of purchase, 2011, and expressed concern if they would be able to do the repair. He inspected the tire and found a very small crack. He said he could not patch the tire. I mentioned the lifetime tire repair. That did not matter after 5 years. He said the tire was also cracked on the inside (which I highly doubt, surface cracking is due to UV damage). He said he patched another customer's cracked tire and it exploded on the customer and he had to cover a new tire. (Never mind the safety of the customer, he was concerned that he would have to pay for a new tire). He suggested I go to a small shop because BigO is a large corporation and does not want the liability. I reminded him that BigO shops are individually owned and operated so it was this shop's decision, not some far away corporate office. So his logic is that the tire is too unsafe for him to patch but OK with me driving off with the unsafe tire as long as he did not have to give me a free tire. He had no response. I mentioned that America's Tire treats me much better and he said what are you doing here then? (throwing up his arm as if to shoo me off). I said, I bought these tires at BigO (duh). These are the last tires I will buy at BigO. Minus many stars Use America's Tire if you can. read more

DON"T GO HERE! If I could give this place a zero, I would. I work right near here and the first time I went in to find out pricing, the woman was really rude and acted as though I was inconveniencing her. Then I went in the next week to get my two back tires replaced. They tried to up-sell me on the most expensive tires which I guess is their job but I went with the 'economical' ones. An hour later, they call me and tell me that I need new brakes and that they can fix them for $200. I almost did it but my instincts told me otherwise. So I declined and then took my car to Orozcos Tires a block away (where I SHOULD have bought my new tires- I regret it so much) to see how much it would cost for them to fix my brakes. They inspected my brakes and there was ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG with my brakes!!!! They said I had a good 8 months on them when Big O Tires said I was at 10%! Now, I am a single woman and I know that Big O Tires completely tried to take advantage of that fact. So upsetting! Never go here! Especially if you're a single woman- but no one should go here out of principle. Go to OROZCOS TIRES instead! They are family-owned, really friendly, have great prices and are trustworthy! They plugged my flat tire for free once. I went to Big O Tires because I was suckered by their branding- never again!. Don't be put off by OROZCOs "rustic" exterior. They are hard-working, trustworthy mechanics with good hearts. read more

Horrible customer service. Stay away! Tire developed a bubble within 3 months and they refused to do anything but take a look and maybe discount a replacement. Go somewhere else. read more

Normally I go to Orozco's but they were closed during a tire emergency so I went to Big O. I was a little wary based on bad Yelp reviews but had a great experience. I dealt with Luc and he was very friendly, professional, helpful and easy. They didn't have my tire in stock but he ordered it for the next day. I may have paid a few dollars more but the convenience definitely made up for it. No complaints here! read more

Avoid to do business with this Big O. They screwed my alignment, u can't believe how bad they did to my car! They can't balance wheels, they can't do alignment, what else can they do? read more

I brought my car in to check the brakes which were making horrible metal on metal noise. An hour later they told me that I need all kinds of parts: estimate $750. I took it home and my mechanic buddy and I changed all the pads and one bad rotor; parts cost a total of $70. Big O is a den of thieves. read more

i was screwed... literally. i inspected my tires the other day and found a huge screw in one of my tires. i purchased this tire set less than a year ago from the big-o in san francisco on geary street. I was in the neighborhood and drove my car to this shop. they patched the hole in less than hour. my experience with the staff members was great... WAY better than the folks in san francisco. read more

been here twice. make an apointment. fast firendly service.

Bought a new set of tires 4 + 1 spare for our truck and they couldn't even be bothered to scrub off the blue from the white letters on the sidewalls. read more

Bad, bad, bad service. They were extremely aggressive when I showed a coupon for balancing my tires. This is the typical shop when they are happy only if they make a bunch of money with you. I would recommend not to stop here even in an emergency. Terrible service! read more

I give them 2 stars for doing a good job with replacing my tires; they're some special kind of tire that stores never carry and always need to be ordered in. The price was pretty good too. But, when I picked my car up after the work was done, they told me the brakes were almost gone and presented me with a quote and a recommendation to come back asap to get them fixed. Well, I thought that was wierd, since I haven't heard any noises to indicate the brakes are on the way out. So, the following week, I dropped off my car for a service at the dealer who found nothing wrong with the brakes! Glad I didn't listen to Big-O. read more

I went there in July to get my four tires changed together with an alignment. The price was good, including manufacturer rebate. I had a satisfied experience there, the service was fast and professional. The waiting area is clean and comfortable. With my 4 tires change, I got a free lifetime tire rotation. I haven't tried this yet but surely this seems to be a good deal. read more

I called 5 or 6 tire places near me and Big O's quote was the lowest by a few bucks. I looked at their reviews, which were mostly positive and decided to go with them. They were fast and the amount I paid was actually a penny less than what I was quoted, for some strange reason. Anyway, so far so good. read more

I agree with Nikki B - CROOKS!! I took my car in on Saturday morning (5/30). After being told that the tire could not be repaired because the nail was in the sidewall, and that the brand of tires that I purchased had been "discontinued" I drove to another Big O tire location in San Leandro and the tire was patched up with no problem. read more

Herbert and Francisco and the team at Big O Tires did a remarkable job helping me with my BMW X3 and servicing the engine too. I was delighted with their expertise and professionalism beyond helping me with tires - they were able to diagnose and resolve my engine problems, replace some of the hoses and also ensure that everything was working beautifully for my smog check too. Many thanks to the team there! read more