I had been debating on writing this review as I hate to put shops on blast as I used to work at one, but after talking to a few people whom have had similar experiences here, I'm going to post it. I brought my two front wheels, and new tires to dependable for install. I will admit that I've had "acceptable" work done by dependable before, hence why I went back. I brought them the wheels and tires dismounted from my car, meaning, they didn't even have to take my wheels off the car. I had cleaned them thoroughly before hand, so they wouldn't have to deal with brake dust, etc, and so they'd have a clean surface for the adhesive wheel weights. All they had to do was mount tires, and balance the wheels. They said it would take a few hours as they were busy and they would call me when they were done. Ok, cool, no worries. Few hours later I get a call that the tires are mounted. I arrive, pay, and the woman behind the counter says "they're in the shop". Not a "thank you", nothing. I walk out the side door and start wandering around for a few minutes, only to find them on the floor in the way back in a dark part of the shop. I pick them up, and admittedly didn't check them out, because why would I over such a simple install? However I did notice that there was tire mount lube smeared ALL over my wheels, along with white dust from a rotary buffer wheel (I should've checked the wheels when I saw that). I get home, and start putting my wheels back on the car, and that's when I see that they completely BURNED the paint off of both inner barrels of my wheels while removing the old wheel weights. Then, on the right hand wheel, to add insult to injury, they literally put wheel weights back on top of the area where they burned off the paint. Basically like saying "we don't care". Utter carelessness. On top of that, they also dented and nicked the lug nut holes on one of the wheels, even though they didn't even dismount the wheel. There is also burn on the very edge of the wheel lip. Which I'm guessing happened when they installed the new tire, despite the massive amount of tire lube they used. These wheels are forged and were over $1000 each. I had to spend hundreds of dollars to get my wheels repaired because of this shop. The wheel repair guy said he had never seen such carelessness in his 20 years! As another reviewer said, if you're a car enthusiast and you actually care about your car, avoid this place! Imagine what damage they're doing to your car if they can't even mount wheels and remove wheel weights properly. Please look at the pictures and seriously, once again, avoid this shop! read more

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I was dragging a plastic rock guard under my car and pulled into this shop hoping to get someone who could help me. The owner came at me in a rage, pointing his finger and said "if you ever drive through my shop again I will shoot you"!! I apologized, profusely, he then told me he can't help and leave his shop. I was in a bind and needed a little help.... and this guy was incredibly mean and acted crazy! read more

Super responsive, ordering the parts and scheduling the work was fast and efficient. People and quality of work were top notch. Thank you

Don't go to this shop! $254.00 for oil and filter change. Asked them to check my breaks and rotars. ,owner asked his mechanic about breaks and he stated I didn't check them and walked away. The receptionist was defensive and they acted like I did something wrong. I went to the business that recommended them and told them and they said they will no longer send him customers. Sad he felt it necessary to rip off a single mom. Owner didn't know how many miles until next oil change. He said 3000. Wrong! It's 5000. Very unprofessional and a ripoff. read more

I was referred to Dependable Tire and Brake years ago by the service manager at the Subaru dealer. What a great referral! Dependable Tire offers great service at great prices. The best part is they know their tires. I now drive an Infiniti and they have been just as helpful. During Christmas week I had a slow leak in a tire and called to see if they could take a look. After they confirmed I was a regular customer, they squeezed me in despite their booked schedule. The price? Only $35! I can't even buy a pound of steak for that these days. Check them out. You won't be disappointed. read more

I highly recommend Ron and his team for any tire and alignment work that your car needs. Ron was super helpful, honest, and communicative while helping with my BMW's alignment. The car now drives perfectly and I can't thank him enough! read more

Purchased new wheels and tires for my Dodge 2500 4X4 from tire rack and decided to give this business a try for installation... Although tire rack dropped the ball with the size of the tires Ron took great care of me and made sure everything worked out. It's always nerve-wracking dealing with an auto shop you don't know and it's a wonderful experience to feel so well taken care of! read more

Dependable Tire And Brake - Tires Near Me - San Rafael, California

Exceeded my expectations!!!! After reading reviews on Yelp and getting a couple personal recommendations, I decided to give these guys a try! I need a lift kit installed and new tires and wheels for my Subaru Outback. I met with Dan on my first visit and not only did he give some great advice, he called my several times for follow up! My car was completed in less the quoted amount of time and they're attention to detail was second to none. They made me feel welcome and like they really appreciated my business! They definitely gained a customer for life and recommend anyone to check these guys out first. Also, thanks to Ron, as he runs the show and runs a great operation! Joe Kavosick read more

My family has been going to Dependable for decades, not only for tires and alignment, also for general service and maintenance. Tire prices are better than online and quality of work is great. I trust them with some pretty exotic cars too. Also, if you have a vintage hot rod, muscle car or sports car, this is the place to go. read more

Ron and the team are experts. There aren't many folks willing to go the extra mile to get it done right nowadays. This team falls into the category of getting things done right! Would recommend. read more

I have been going to this shop for years ever since an alignment problem with a BMW. We buy all our tires from them for several different vehicles and the family atmosphere of feeling welcomed and valued is tangible. Ron's expertise has no boundaries and although Dan has retired, Johann maintains the spirit of caring and friendship. I was in today with a diesel pickup because the district rep for Interstate Batteries mentioned them. Ron got things straightened out and I will be back for new batteries when they are needed. Thanks Guys! read more

They have done both tire and brake work for me. The work was done quickly and efficiently and at a great price. Dependable Tire and Brake is definitely my go-to tire shop now. read more

Bought tires from them several times, but no longer. They were good with my sports car, good tire advice and flawless work, but not so good with my low-miles Ford Econoline van. Only took the van there once. The mechanic confided to me that Fords had lousy front ends and were not nearly as good as Chevrolets. Huh?? He then did a wheel alignment that produced very uneven tire wear: I later had to prematurely replace the front tires with nothing left of the inside edges, but plenty of tread otherwise. They neglected to replace a valvestem cap, which was no big deal because those are easy to find. But the first time I hit a pothole with the van, I lost one of the front hubcaps, and had to hunt up a matching replacement, 60 bucks! Coulda just been the mother of all potholes, but I suspect the hubcap was not fully seated on the wheel when the van left their shop. I've found a nearby tire shop that I like better (check out Tire Rack's recommended installers); haven't taken any of my cars to Dependable for years now. read more

I have been a customer of dependable tire and brake for a couple years and bring all my car's to them from my work truck's to sports cars. Ron and the rest of the staff are on point and bring a personal touch to every car they work on, and back it up with the know how knowledge and experience you would expect from a professional team. I highly suggest dependable tire and brake to anyone searching for a experienced mechanic for there daily driven commuter to there weekend race car. read more

Tread lightly. If you are a normal person and don't really care about nicks in your wheels or mismatched hub rings then Dependable is a 5 star place, very nice people and, well, dependable. But if you are a car nut or OCD at all be sure to go over the wheels carefully before and after and ideally mount them yourself in order to manually torque the bolts. Most shops are hard to rely on when it comes to preventing wheel damage from the mounting machine or airgun, even if they say they are careful more often then not, it seems, an issue arises. This is why I didn't heap too much blame on them for the various wheel chips, some I accepted as par for the course, but I have to say the apparently misplaced metal valve caps and hub rings partially replaced with mismatched plastic bits was very disappointing, as was the nail in a tire that was not mentioned and remained for our later discovery. read more

This business is hands down the BEST. When you first walk in (they always greet you), they actually listen to you when you explain what problem you have, they ask questions, and follow up on everything. Dan always takes the stress out out of getting my truck fixed! Every time I have brought my truck in and I get an estimate as to when it will be ready, they finish my truck early. Dan and team go out of the way to make you feel comfortable and to get you and your vehicle back on the road. I highly suggest if you need new tires get them here. If you need brakes, get them here. They are Dependable and honest and friendly; all that goes a long way in auto repairs! read more

Doesn't get any better than dealing with HONEST car folk. Super happy to have made the move from the big tire company in San Rafael. I got a great review of options for my Prius, from very cheap to not so much, but with great explanation of what each option brought- wear, noise, comfort. Very happy. Definitely plan to bring my other cars here. read more

I was referred to Dependable by a friend. I'm so happy I listened!! First off everyone there is great! Friendly and kind. They did great work, explained some issues with my car. I'll definitely be back and it's great to have a shop to go to that you know they care and that they know what they are doing. I can't thank them enough for helping me out and fixing my car!!! read more

The name says it all "dependable", Ron and the crew truly care about taking care of your vehicle and giving you honest service. I trust them to take care of my entire families car. Such a great shop and thankful to be close by which makes it even more convenient. Keep up the superb work my friends! read more

best alignment shop in marin I have them get me tires and align all my personal Vehicles . I also have them do alignments on most of my customers vehicles . Ron (owner) and John (alignment tec.) have been doing alignments 30+ years and they are the best Alignment techs in Marin Kevin owner Imperial Automotive read more

If there were a zero star option, I'd give it to them. Summary: They don't know what they're doing and they're pushy. Stay away. I walked in to get a quote on some tires and an alignment for my car. The tires would have been Kumho Ecsta SPTs (sticky, dirt cheap), the car was a Volvo 700 series station wagon. On this car you can adjust how much the front tires point towards or away from each other (called toe), and that's it. Nothing else is adjustable up front, and on the rear axle, there's absolutely nothing adjustable. In fact Volvo calls this their "Constant Track" design. A more common term would be "live axle" for rear wheel drive cars, and beam axle if you're talking about the rear axle on a front wheel drive car. Constant, as in never changing. Remember this. With this in mind, my opening question was "how much will a front end alignment cost?" The woman behind the counter spots one of their resident grease monkeys and asks "Hey Billy Bob, does this car need a two or four wheel alignment?" Before he can answer, I reiterate that I want a two wheel alignment. Billy Bob answers that it needs a four wheel alignment. Of course he does. I give him a chance to save face and point out that it's a wagon and has a live axle. No change. So I quiz him. In between grunting he mentions "rah yah big bar, we loosen a mystery bolt and yadda yadda yadda". Well, they couldn't possibly be any more inept at trying to sell me tires. Right? I roll my eyes and ask the woman behind the counter for a price on those tires. "Oh, we don't carry that brand. Let's see what we can find." Ah. Well I kinda liked them because they were cheap and sticky. In the size I was interested in, they are W speed rated (safe up to 168mph even if the car is not -- tirerack calls this speed rating suitable for 'exotic sports cars'). The woman behind the counter heard cheap, and only cheap, and replied that "Oh you can get some nice economy tires from Michelin, they're even on sale." Before I crumpled the quote up and threw it away, I checked out the prices. As expected they were trying to upsell me on tires that were way more expensive than I was interested in... and a needlessly expensive alignment. In the end I went to an America's Tire / Discount Tire in Santa Rosa. Even a lowly chain store was able to provide more honest, professional service than these jokers. The only reason I stopped by here was because Ric at Mellow Motors recommended them. Suffice to say that I haven't even considered patronizing Mellow Motors nor Dependable Tire & Brake in a long time. read more

Professional, courteous and knowledgeable. Pricing was fair and work was completed quickly. Really what more could you ask for?

Been going there for years, always helpful about what is urgent and what can be deferred, can count on them for honest assessments without worrying about over charging read more

The guys at Dependable are, well, dependable. They have worked on seven of my cars over the years, if memory serves. Everything from a complete rebuild on a 60-year-old motor to a nail in a tire. They are honest, reasonably priced, friendly, helpful and dependable. read more

Honest and will tell you good news along with bad. They have a reputation within the industry as "go to guys' for the local dealerships. They replaced my Mercedes tires quickly and at a good price. Back now to have the MPV put right. They can fix anything but a broken heart. read more

This place is just awesome. I've been a customer for about five years, and they have earned my unquestioned trust throughout their work on four cars of mine (one of which has now moved on to a new owner). Absolutely salt of the earth people, polite, friendly, honest. I purchased tires as recently as last week, and their first quoted price to me was the same price as Tire Rack...no haggling. Once, about four years ago, they sold me a set of four tires for a Chevy Tahoe and also an alignment. The alignment did not hold, and the front tires wore unevenly and prematurely. Without any extended questions, six months later, they gave me a brand new set of front tires. Now, I know that this of course is the right thing to do...but they really made it no big deal, did not play a martyr. Oh, and they've done a number of other alignments for me without incident. Also, I've done many of my oil changes there. Also, just to let you know, I happen to be a pretty anal BMW owner, and they have serviced three different BMws in addition to my Tahoe. No surprises with my wheels. It is always a pleasant experience, and other than the money I spend I look forward to visiting. I've tried most of the local tire guys in Central Marin over the years, and these guys are as good as it gets. read more

Awesome customer service, awesome employees would not take my trucks/trailers anywhere else. Highly recommended

Having a problem with my new tires staying in balance. After a local shop could not balance my new tires I called Dependable. Dependable has a "Road Force Balance" and they knew what they were doing. They found out that two of my tires were installed incorrectly and that the previous tire installer had bent one of my rims. They are also a certified installer for tire rack. Once my new rim arrives they will be installing it and then a new set of tires. Excellent and quick Service!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Great Service, on time and have even ordered rare to get parts for my car. Thank you!

Great Guys! Tom, Ron, and Dan have taken care of a wide range of cars for me, from a '76 Buick, to a 91 Toyota pick-up, to an '06 Mercedes. Always professional, fair prices. No problems. You know from the moment you walk in their office that they run a professional business. In the one case where a repair they performed didn't correct the problem I had, they quickly made the right fix and charged only for parts, no questions asked. I would feel comfortable sending someone who knew nothing about cars here and expect that they would be treated honestly and fairly. read more

I had four new tires installed today. Fast, friendly service at a reasonable price. They seem very knowledgeable and attentive to detail. I'll be back. read more

I brought my 1971 Porsche 911t to Ron at Dependable and it is hard to find words to describe how pleased i am with the job he did. I drove this car off the lot new for my dad in 71. He passed it to me in 1992. I have done bushings, turbo tie rods and konis. I have had it aligned at several other shops over the years and have never been satisfied. Car oversteered at speed. I wanted to replace the yokahama 15" tires that were on it but really had trouble finding a dynamite tire to go on the 15x6 rims. Ron recommended that I upgrade to 16x6 in the front and 16x7 in the rear. I wanted a summer tire so he recommended several but spoke well of the Bridgestone 71R in 205-55r-16. He had to roll the rear fenders to get all that meat on there. Picked the car up yesterday, drove it freeway and coastal roads and the performance was absolutely explosive. Smooth, quiet, straight, the alignment was perfect. The car drives better than it ever has. If you want to breathe some life into your vintage 911, i cant recommend Dependable more highly. 6 stars. read more

This is a great family run business. Ron and his team know everything about cars and did a great job on my Suburban. I had several steering, suspension and brake issues and they did a great job for a fair price. These folks will treat you well. read more

Excellent service. My tire picked up a tiny nail and needed repair. I received very quick and friendly service. This will be my go-to business for tire & brake service. Thank you Yelp for the recommendation. read more

Dependable is a single woman's dream. They are professional in every way and "ever-ready" to explain, suggest and get things done ASAP. Dependable was recommended over 20'years ago and I've never looked back. I feel like they are my second family--truly terrific read more

These are the guys to go to if you need alignment or brake work in Marin. I replaced my entire front suspension system myself and needed it aligned. Their pricing is very reasonable and I give them five stars for their level of friendly customer service. They print out a full report after alignment so you can see exactly what was done. As an amateur mechanic, I know the good places from the rip-offs and overpriced ones and this is one that will treat you honestly and do a great job for you. read more

We first went to Dependable for tires about ten years ago. We now rely on them for all of our automobile service needs. We have a Ford, a Porsche and a Scion. If there is something they can't do (rarely), they always have a good referral. The greatest thing about Dependable is the trust level. You never feel ripped off there. If a service is not needed, they will say so and send you home. They also back up their products. If my tire gets low or picks up a nail, they service that for free. We have always found them to be friendly, efficient and completely reliable. We have referred many friends to them over the years and everyone has been equally pleased with the service. read more

Great service and a timely turnaround. You don't get the feeling of a big box or even a franchise tire store. Reasonable pricing.

So far so good with Dependable. They were recommended to me by an auto-body person I totally trust, so I took a newly purchased (used) Toyota Corolla to them to get it in shape. They seemed honest, friendly, and competent. Fixed a brake problem, and recommended waiting on a more expensive CV boot/axle repair down the line. read more

Dependable has taken care of all our cars for about twenty years - not just the brakes and tires, but all mechanics. Consistently great service. Everything is done as it should (nothing is done that shouldn't be) and our cars are handled and cared for with kid gloves. Ron, Dan and the team are true professionals, extremely trustworthy and always go the extra mile for us. We are very fortunate to have them in our community. read more