I went to Derek's repair shop due to an emergency burst radiator on a Saturday night a few months back. He was friendly and thorough with his explanations, and the price was very reasonable, especially for an emergency service over a weekend. He finished the replacement within a couple days, and we took it for a test drive to ensure that there were no other problems as he explained other potential issues to look out for. Overall, the service was great and affordable. He's someone who knows his stuff and is very accommodating. I plan on seeking him out for other services in the future! read more

Derek is an absolute scam artist of a mechanic. Putting on parts incorrectly tuned and putting parts on that are "just like _____" but theyre just cheap rep parts. He also uses client cars to drive around for errands, i know this because he picked me up in someone elses car when taking me to his shop to pick up my car. Wouldn't recommend this guy. read more

Do NOT deal with this guy. Save your life, your money, your time, and your energy. I went to him for a simple issue: a memory card that had slipped under the gear shifter. Any competent mechanic knows the battery must be disconnected before working around the shifter and airbags. He failed to do that. As a result of his negligence, both side airbags deployed and both seat belts were damaged. One of the airbags slammed into my back and caused a serious injury. I had to go to the emergency room, which cost me a lot of money and pain. Instead of taking responsibility, he completely lost it and kept saying it wasn't his fault. He then had the nerve to say he could install new airbags and seat belts, but I had to buy the parts and pay him labor -- after HE caused the damage. He kept bragging about having "30 years of experience" and being a "trainer," which is honestly laughable given what happened. At first, he agreed to cover the costs. Then he started stalling for over a month, telling me "tomorrow" every single day. At one point, he claimed a family member had died -- and I later saw in his reviews that he told another customer the exact same story. Eventually, he avoided me completely because he didn't want to touch the car again, likely afraid he'd damage it further. He sent one of his workers instead, who couldn't fix anything. I ended up hiring an attorney and taking legal action. This was one of the worst experiences I've ever had with a mechanic. Completely irresponsible, dishonest, and dangerous. Avoid at all costs. read more

What started off as miscommunication and frustration ended in a good understanding and satisfactory service. When I came in today he got in my car and showed me all the live data while my car ran to show separate issues that my car has. He was able to smog my car as well which i've been trying to get done for sometime. He gave me a list of everything I need to do for my car. He is obviously a very knowledgable mechanic who can basically do it all just from my short time I talked to him. read more

If i could give sanil 1000 stars i would. Beo deserve must more. 1st: He works on Sunday while all the mechanics shop closes. 2nd he fun to talk to, he treat me like a friend more than a customer. The changes my pad on my Camaro while i was in sandiego trust me my brake were whining metal before coming to his shop. Not from san diego. I need this pads change so i can drive back 5 hours where i came from. He did it quick. Professional, make sure my vehicle completely safe to drive back. He also fix my unworking power seats chair where i almost spent thousands to the dealership. Hand on this guy, bro does everything electrical work to mechanics to tunning. He the man you need.!! read more

See all

just got my car pass vehicle safety inspection. it a new california law just pass this year . they also do smog check for heavy duty diesel vehicle . read more

D Automotive - NEW VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTION TEST - Auto Repair Near Me - San Diego, California

My check engine light went on and Derek was very knowledgeable and helpful on such short notice! He was the only place open late and explained everything very thoroughly and charged a fair price! I would definitely come back again if I have any other issues with my car! read more

Awesome shop, second time coming here to get work done on my lexus is500. Derek is super cool and reliable. He became my go to mechanic, and only one I'm bringing my car to get work done on. Thanks for the great job read more

My family and I were stranded and we called all the mechanics around La Mesa. He was the only one willing to stay open all night and help us figure out a range of problems!! HONEST WORK!!! I was so appreciative he got us back on the road the next day. Saved us alot of serious stress and money. thank you Derek!! see you next time we are in California read more

All the owner did was run a diagnostic, and still charged me $120. $120 for 10 minutes of labor is a little steep. I understand you need to make money when providing a service, but this is rediculous. read more

Work was done fast and efficient!and! Bring yout car here! No BS work just gets done! read more

D Automotive - Auto Repair Near Me - San Diego, California

This was the worst service I have ever received from an auto body shop. My car was overheating so I took it in to be repaired. "Derek" was extremely unprofessional. He seems to only work at night and is not at the shop until after 3pm. I took my car in on a Saturday and had to constantly call to get an update throughout the week. Everytime I called it was the same thing "I'm waiting on parts to come in" but never specified what parts. Said on the phone that he did an oil change, added coolant, and replaced the thermostat but was still waiting on "parts" to figure out the issue. After a week of back and forth with no real answers I decided enough was enough, thanked him for his service and asked if I could please just come pick up my vehicle. He got upset and yelled at me that I'm still paying (which I never argued) and hungup on me. When me and my sister got there to pick up the car he met us outside with his zipper all the way down and reeked of marijuana. He told me in person that he didn't have time to do the oil change or replace the thermostat so the only actual work he did was put coolant in the car in which he charged me $200. When I got into my car it reeked of marijuana. I couldn't stress more that this man is a scam artist, please don't take your vehicle to him! read more

Derek P. had my car from Thursday evening all the way to Sunday evening and never updated me on the diagnosis before charging me 500$ WITHOUT even fixing my vehicle. I told him my situation and how I needed to drive 8 hours to a different city and he still didn't fix my car before telling me that it was safe to drive. I left with a engine that still hesitated to start despite the fact that he claimed to fix that, but I trusted him (big mistake). I got a couple hours out before my check engine light was back after he supposedly restarted the computer system. On prominent part of this is that I wasn't going to be here today writing this bad yelp review because, all I did, despite him risking me and my passengers' safety... plus everybody else on the road with me, was ask him civilly to return my money since he ALSO requested me to pay him personally to his cashapp instead of to his business so that he could avoid the taxes. He would NOT return my money and instead began telling me that this "typically happens with women" in which we get "confused" even though I was not confused and very obviously deceived because I was an easy target for him. He also said he added brake fluid and that it was the only problem with my brakes, yet it takes me adding even more pressure to the brakes to actually stop the car ever since he gave it back to me. Interesting. He will deceive you. Considering the statistics of the other one-star raters (all men) that tell you he is going to steal your money 9 times out of 10 and not even properly fix your car, do not go to this man or receive service from his company. While he seems like an accessible and knowledgeable person, he is only helpful to you when it is helpful to him. Additionally, this man began to threaten me with lawyers because he was afraid of the consequences of his own actions (me suing for the damage he has caused). He also called me "dumb" for not coming back to him a second time for that "warranty" as if I would trust him for a second time with my car let ALONE anywhere near myself. I do not feel remotely safe around him either because of the fact that once I brought up him giving me a refund, he started YELLING at me even when there were other customers. By the way this review is NOT fake and some "competitor" business and I don't know for sure, but chances are the other ones aren't either. I would consider asking family friends for trusted mechanics that won't overcharge or take advantage of you if you are a lady. Hope this helps! read more

Derek is awesome. He saved my life and my car. My car broke down Saturday night at around 5:30pm and he was the only mechanic in the area that answered my call and was willing to help. Extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. He worked after hours until 9pm to make sure that the car was good to go for us to drive home to LA. Selfless and helpful. Very trustworthy. I would recommebd D Automobile to my closest friends and family if they ever have car troubles. read more

Derek, the incredibly kind and helpful owner of D Automotive, happened upon me and my stranded vehicle last night and immediately offered to help. He saved the day! The car had lost all electrical power, and the dealer advised I have it towed to them. Well, Derek knew how to re-engage the electrical power, completed a charge of my battery with the help of another Good Samaritan's charger, and used his diagnostic equipment to determine that the issue was not with the battery but with the charging process. He made a few recommendations, told me it would be safe to drive my car a couple of miles to my home, and left only after ensuring my husband had arrived and we were set. Thank you, Derek, for coming to my aid and showing what an incredible resource we have in you and your shop! read more

Derek at D Automotive was patient and honest when I needed to get back on the road after I blew a coolant line and a connector shattered. He was very flexible with me and walked me through all of my options and troubleshooting what had caused the issue. His pricing was fair and transparent. It also helps that he is kind and nice to be around. I would highly recommend coming here if you have any troubles automotive related. read more

Had a problem with my Cadillac overheating and took it over to D automotive to get it fixed. Derrick from D automotive fixed my car and now it's running like new. He was knowledgeable, courteous, and fairly priced. Support your local small businesses and give him a call for any car repair needs. read more

I am so glad. This place was open late! I would have been stuck out on the freeway! He is a honest man! He was able to fix my alternator. Thank you! read more

Long story short: I highly recommend going to Derek for your automotive needs. The service is excellent and he will make sure to take care of you and your care no matter the situation. Longer story: I have a 2000 Corolla (which I love) and drove down from LA to visit family over Memorial Day Weekend. The car has never had any major mechanical issues since I bought it 4 years ago... until Saturday night of MDW. As I was driving home from my cousin's house, I noticed the check engine light come on and my oil temperature was through the roof. I managed to make it back to my hotel but was worried that given it was a 3 day weekend I would be stuck in SD until at least Tuesday. When I woke up on Sunday morning and started to figure out what to do with my car, I noticed that the only automotive repair shot open was D Automotive. I gave Derek a call and he said he could help. I brought the car in around 1pm and after they did an analysis (busted radiator), Derek told me that he'd make sure I could get on the road by the evening (which he did). I am very thankful to Derek and his team for fixing my car in a pinch and making sure I could get back on the road and back home even over a long weekend. Highly recommend. read more

I came to the shop when my car was making noises and met with Derek the owner. He was very nice and professional, he gave me a good deal to fix my car and got it up and running in a timely manner. I will definitely recommend all of my friends and family to the shop. read more

Don't trust this shop with your car!! I took my bmw there about 2 weeks ago and all the guy did was basically take my money. I've been trying to diagnose this problem I've been having with error codes and this guy will literally have you keep coming back just to say it needs something else fixed. The owner of this shop just wants to take your money and does not do quality work. If I were you id just take my car to another trusted shop. DONT GET SCAMMED HERE read more

d has great quality service works fast and knows what hes doing i would recommend to anyone in need of a mechanic

This is truly the best mechanic I have been to. He treated us like family. He is very kind and helpful. I would highly recommend coming here. read more

Long story short, if it wasn't for Miramar Auto Body referring me to Derek, I wouldn't have found a great mechanic whose very knowledgeable and works with you to come to a reasonable payment amount. Been going to Derek for over 2 years and he has never failed to deliver. My first vehicle was a Subaru WRX STI that was completely rebuilt from the ground up. It came to Derek in pieces because of a built mess up, but Derek took over the job and made it whole again. He would suggest what was needed to be done as well as find the best price for parts. He is not afraid to go looking for deals to help you out. Derek is in the business to get you going on the road again and isn't there to lie or rip you off. He will be upfront and tell you what you need to know, unlike other mechanic and their hidden cost/agenda. My second vehicle, a Mazda3, has also been worked on by Derek. My A/C wasn't blowing cold air anymore and it wasn't just a refill and be done issue. Derek was able to find the replacement part for a reasonable price and gave my A/C a new life. Thanks for everything and getting me back on the road again! read more

These guys are the real deal. Super chill and Derek knows his stuff. I have a aftermarket turbocharged car that Derek was able to fix and explain to me what was going on. I'll definitely be coming back to them for future help read more

My boyfriend came here to get some work done on his brakes and the guys here he said are super nice, helpful and truthful. They helped him get work done the same day and the cost was a lot better than what we were getting from other places. He said Derek was the man and we are both grateful to have found a mechanic while he is down there in school. read more

Went to Autozone to buy some tools for my car. Met Derek there and helped me look for the right push pin but no luck. He told me he could give me those in his shop which is 5 mins away. Drove there and really gave me the right ones that fits my car. Hes a real lifesaver. Very helpful guy. read more

I took my toyota cressida to Derek to fix an oil burning issue. He was very knowledgeable and sat down with me to discuss possible issues and the work that needs to be done. Even though he was very busy he was able to give me updates about the car when I called him. My car itself had a lot of problems in addition to burning oil, such as pistons, valves, needing a new head, and taking out the transmission to fix a fly wheel problem. Derek address all these issues and more making sure my car was in good running condition. Overall I'm happy with the work he has done and I would recommend him for your automotive needs. read more

Excellent service and derek will always have you leaving with a smile. Took my car several times and each time i left with my car feeling like a million bucks read more

Derek and the D Automotive team were phenomenal. Seldom do you come across someone who cares so much about the quality of their work and the experience of their customer. He was kind, trusting, welcoming and honest. This was genuinely the best experience I have ever had with a mechanic. And my car, which had essentially its entire coolant system blown out, is running like a charm for a good price! read more

Okay so I purchased an 06 Subaru WRX STI, I'm new to this so I was kind of dumb. Bought the car because of looks and thought it ran perfectly. Then I saw that the car had oil leaks and so I called many mechanics that work on Subaru's and all charged and arm and leg to fix the issues. The previous owner told me that he knew a mechanic that had work on my STI before I live in Whitter Ca I had to drive to San Diego. so I called the guy his name is Derek. I was like he man heard you worked on this car before wanted to know if you can fix an issues. He said, sure I'll have a look. I when there he took a look at the car. Derek is an upfront person so he will tell you every lil thinking wrong with the car- honest man. The man worked with my budget and said - lets start by fixing the big issues fist. I got my car back, I know there is still more work to be done but ill tell you this, there is no leaking and fixed other thing as well that I won't mention. This guys will make you trust him with his work actions because I will say this car feels and drives a hundred times better than when I first had it. I'm telling you if you need a car fix this is the place to go. read more