The good. By appearance the shop looked clean & the staff were kind. I asked what it would cost me…read morefor a mechanic to look at my suspension on my Chevy impala as I suspected it may need some work. I was quoted an inspection would cost me $375. !Needles to say I was surprised at the excessive cost so I left. I then went to another established shop who charged me $80. For the inspection. I doubt that I'll return to Pats again.

Pat's Automotive tried to take advantage of my mother. I'm making sure everyone knows…read more I'm writing this as a son who is absolutely furious about how my mother was treated at Pat's Automotive. What happened wasn't just bad service, it was condescending, dismissive, and felt like they were banking on the hope that a woman alone wouldn't know better. Before any of this even happened, my mom was stranded in a Walmart parking lot. While waiting for AAA to arrive, she did a simple Google search for nearby mechanics. Pat's Automotive came up, so she reached out to them for help. They were polite on the phone, gave her the impression they'd be able to take care of her, and made her feel like she had found the right place. AAA eventually arrived, ran their test, and told her plainly: The battery is dead. You need a new one. Straightforward. Documented. Clear. With that information in hand, she headed to Pat's, and that's where everything took a turn. The polite person she spoke to earlier was suddenly nowhere to be found, and someone else took over with a completely different attitude. This associate flat-out refused to install a new battery, the SAME battery AAA had just diagnosed, unless she paid $199 for their "required diagnostic." For a dead battery she already had written proof for. A dead battery any real mechanic could identify instantly. But here's where it gets even worse: They told her she would have to leave her car overnight for this diagnostic, they wouldn't even do it while she waited. Who asks someone with a dead battery to leave their car overnight just to "confirm" what AAA already confirmed? That's not just unreasonable, it's a giant red flag. No transparency. No willingness to help. Just an opportunity to upsell and delay. Let's be honest: If I had walked in with the exact same paperwork, nobody would have talked down to me, nobody would have tried this overnight nonsense, and nobody would have stonewalled a basic battery replacement. But my mother? Suddenly everything becomes "policy," everything becomes a hurdle, and everything conveniently costs more. My mom left feeling disrespected, stressed, and talked down to, all because they assumed she wouldn't push back. To anyone reading this review: If you care about honesty, respect, or not being pressured into unnecessary charges, avoid this place. There are plenty of shops that won't treat you differently depending on who walks through the door. And to Pat's Automotive: You should take a hard look at how you treat your customers, especially the ones you assume won't stand up for themselves. Because they have people like me who will.

On July 22nd my Astro van broke down and both Tony and Roberto jumped on it quickly to get me back…read moreon the road. They confirmed the work done and ordered the correct belt and even did a multi-point inspection to ensure no more issues on my way home. Thanks guys!!

Went in to get an oil change and they were super quick! I didn't time it but it wasn't a long wait…read more Juan and Antonio are super nice and will answer all questions!

I called on 4/2/26 and while I was speaking to a guy on the phone, he hung up on me. I called back…read more7x during the day but the phone kept ringing and no one picked up. I called again the next day and left a message and no one ever called back.

Have a 97 Tacoma, 3.4. Had a problem getting her engine back together, brought her to Tony…read more A day later he's got her running and charged me way less than I thought it was going to be. And, I was so happy I asked him to quote me a new front (bearings and balls) and he honestly said he doesn't do suspension work, and recommended someone else. Honest guy, and know what he does well.

A Shop With A Heart & Quality Work If you're on vacation,…read moretraveling through the Santa Maria area, a local resident with an unexpected car drivability problem, or just plain looking for an honest, down-to-earth shop that provides quality work, don't fret! There is such a shop that you can trust without hesitation! For the past three years, the repairs and services on my 2012 Ford Escape and 2012 VW Turbo S Coupe have been handled solely at Rick's Car Care, without a worry or hesitation on my part about their qualifications to do the work right the first time. Needless but necessary to state, the estimate and cost of the work to be done are reasonable, not inflated. What makes Rick's Car Care stand out above other family-owned independent automotive repair and service shops? To begin with, it is founded on old-school customer service, honesty, and quality work. Something that is becoming extinct when deep-pocket corporations purchase shops from retiring owners. However, a bright light shines on the answer to this dark auto repair and service scenario: Rick's Car Care! A family-owned independent shop owned by Erick Enright and his wife, Amanda, that remains steadfast in providing great customer service and the highest-quality repairs and services to its clientele. If you are seeking honest, friendly shops that provide quality work, I highly recommend this shop not just as a John Q. Public customer, but also as a former sole proprietor and automotive technician at a local shop.

Great business! Amanda and Bryan at the front desk were warm and hospitable and were reasonable…read morewith the jobs I should prioritize with my old run down SUV. I am planning on getting a new one soon and simply wanted to get an urgent job done (alternator), and they made sure to explain and disclose the other jobs from severe to less serious, and ensure that I can make my own decision without any fluff or salesmanship. They seem like genuine people which I appreciate. The price is fairly decent and they even took off half of the $180 inspection cost given that I needed to get a job done. Originally, I was told it would take until 4:30 (I arrived around 9) to have my two jobs done and they finished by 1:30. They were pretty busy too. Anyways, super cool people and business, and I recommend giving them a visit.

This was one of my worst experiences try to smog my diesel cruz. I have never had a person be so…read morenon communicative. He would ask questions i did not understand, he did not explain himself. I was completely confused. I should have left when my gut told me to. My car didn't pass he charged me 60 dollars and then proceeded to say he will charge 30 more dollars when I brought it back. In all my years I have never had a smog place do this. I felt he was trying to play a scam on me. Taking advantage of a woman. I will never use this place again. I took it to another place and it passed. Imagine that

WORST decision we've made coming to this shop…read more All we needed was a diagnostic on our AC for any leaks. The mechanic said they'd have it looked at within an hour...we check in an hour later and still nothing. We call 30mins before they close, and still no update. We finally talk to the manager of the shop and he agrees to have it done within an hour. The shop told us there wasn't any leaks and they refilled the freon, cost us $450. TWO DAYS LATER, the AC stops working. We took our truck in to the dealership (should've just done this in the first place) and we had a huge leak, needed to replace the condenser, and a freon refill bc of the leak. Dealership was accommodating with the price based on our prior trip to this useless place. I asked the shop for a refund since they DID NOT do their job. The shop gave us back a lousy $150 and kept $300 for "labor". What labor?!! They did nothing, wasted our money for a half ass job. Please do not go there. They obviously don't value their customers.

Good reliable service, the staff is friendly and helpful. As a single woman it is a comfort knowing…read moreI can take my car to someone I can trust.

I always take my car to Tom's for oil changes or any mechanic problems I may be having. They are…read morealways attentive, listen to me even though I have no idea what is going on with my car, are up front and honest about everything. They don't try to push me into doing more than the necessary stuff and I don't feel taken advantage of as a woman who knows nothing about car problems. Today I woke up to a dead car, towed it to Tom's and they fixed it the same day! I will continue to be a Tom's customer and as a woman I can't recommend them enough.

I went to Jaeckels Automotive after my daughter getting some outlandish diagnosis from a…read moredealership. They said brakes were dangerously in need of replacement and catalytic converter was 'trending down' and would need replacement. Jaeckels inspected the vehicle and reported that the brakes had at 20k before they even needed to be looked at and, as I suspected, the catalytic converter was fine and you can't test them to rate as trending down. I appreciated the honesty and the integrity to give the facts when we would have been accepting of brake jobs and been unaware they were not needed now. The dealership put my daughter in a state of fear because they said the brakes were so bad they were unsafe. She even postponed a trip until we could get them taken care of. Jaeckels has earned my future business and my respect for their business practice. I recommend Jaeckels without hesitation.

I have been going here since import auto shut down. This is…read morethe most honest and straight forward automotive repair shop one could ask for.

We called Old Orcutt Quick Stop for a last minute oil change. They were able to take us…read moreimmediately. When I arrived I was greeted by name (nice touch). The service was fast (about 45 minutes) and I was told about upcoming fluid changes due - no pressure to do them early. Price absolutely reasonable (about $40 less than Valvoline). Definitely recommend!

Thank you to Gus, Bill, Chris and Daisy for your great customer service and appreciation. Plus…read moreappreciate the efficient job with my smog certification. Very reasonable prices. Greatly appreciated. Will be back.

On May 14th at 5PM I was driving down from Carmel to LA in my Range Rover when I was getting low…read morecoolant messages flashing. The next stop had a Reilly's auto parts who put in coolant but hard to see what the problem was. Recommended Dwights across the road. Although it was after hours they waited for me to drop my car. I was in the middle of nowhere, no car, hotel etc. Unbelievably Joses sister, who by the way worked on fighter jets in the service, volunteered to drive me 45 minutes to San Luis Obispo airport to get a rental car. After the car was fixed the next day she met me back at the airport the next day. They did a complete inspection after replacing the radiator hose to let me know if there were other issues. I cannot say enough about Dwights...I wish they were closer to where I live. By the way they are the new owners...the old guy retired.

I've used this business for several issues and they are not only AMAZING but honest too. I HIGHLY…read morerecommend this local to Nipomo and family owned business.