I found this place on yelp last year and although I was skeptical at first, Danny did a great job! I only went to him once because my boyfriend ended up maintaining my car but I'm back because I trust him and is VERY affordable and quick. I am always able to come in same day or next day! I come for an oil change, smog checks and he always checks my car for other redflags. I drive a 4cyl and charged me ~$35 for conventional and adds an additional $20 more for synthetic. Being the girl that I am and kinda unsure about stuff, he always recommends whats best, very upfront, not pushy, and honest. I love that he gives me a breakdown of everything prior to work and has be pay AFTER its done. Also gave me a $5 discount! This place really is his garage!! A little room up front with a couch and chair to wait if desired. Don't expect a crazy lobby because its independently and self operated. Hes located on the east side of Balboa Ave by Motgomery Field- his place is right next to the runway. Always my go-to when I need something. Hes so kind, genuine, and provides great customer service- from phone to store. Thank you Danny! read more

Danny is an awesome mechanic! I called for 2 oil changes and he was able to squeeze us in to his schedule. Super friendly and professional, plus trustworthy. He charged both us less than we were quoted and even gave us each a bottle of hand sanitizer. Definitely coming back to DK auto. read more

I can only begin by expressing my total satisfaction with Danny's Garage! I stumbled across Danny's when looking for a place to get my SMOG check! I have been a satisfied customer ever since with never being let down in service satisfaction. I have a 2007 Mustang drop top that is my pride and joy I think Danny knows this and gives my car the TLC it deserves. I am hooked! And Danny himself, in my opinion is a sincere, sweet and kind in tune man. I am unknown to you peeps, so don't fully depend on my word. Try it and judge for yourself. That's my Review in a nutshell read more

Danny is the man! I tend to get my oil change from the same 3 spots, but after my most recent visit, Danny will be the only guy I go to. He's fair with his prices and very honest! Not to mention he is quick and pays great attention to detail. On my last trip I went in for a routine oil change. To begin with, I had a few concerns from the last time I got an oil change from a different shop. Danny addressed my concerns and did an excellent job in doing so. In addition, his other mechanic Ace let me know one of my tires was on the verge of bursting due to wear and tear. I'm glad they both took the time to let me know of the issue along with other things to be mindful of. It's not often you will get an honest mechanic. I won't have to worry about that (and neither will you) if you take your car to Danny's Garage! FYI - the shop is a little hidden. So if you feel like you're getting lost or going the wrong way, chances are you're probably in the right spot. read more

Here's a lil update:11/25/2011: I just recently had my oil changed and Danny did not waste anytime to give me the fastest, compromising service and he's always in a great mood to assist you. Excellent Service Danny! Thank you for your being an awesome mechanic! :) read more

I was a first time customer here and had to get a quick oil change on a Saturday. I looked the shop up on yelp and seeing that they had exceptional reviews I gave them a call. The guy who answered the phone was very kind and asked me what I may need to get done on my car. We scheduled an appointment and I was all set to go. I arrived at the shop and was surprised to see how small it was. Despite the size I entered and was greeted by a man at the front desk. He was very kind and honest about the service;he did not heckle me into getting additional services and I was quoted for a lot less than other shops considering I wanted to get a Mobil 1 oil change. So he took my car back and it took about 45 minutes for the oil change. He explained to me that he also checked all of my fluid levels to make sure I was all set and reset my meters. On top of that he gave me a discount and charged me $15 less than the actual quote despite the extra small services that were provided. I left him with a generous tip and a smile for their great service. I would highly recommend this service to anyone looking for an honest car service. Thank you Danny's Garage! read more

I have a 2006 Mazda 3 hatchback with 60k miles. My brake pedal started going most of the way to the floor before the brakes engaged. I found this very disconcerting so I looked on yelp. I wanted someone close, because I didn't want to pay for the tow. A little research online told me that by telling my oil change people 'no' for these last 5 years when I thought they were trying to up sell me that I had never had my brake fluid changed and my brake master cylinder was corroded and needed replacing. Danny replaced this for $353 installed with taxes. He was very helpful and reasonable. I plan on going back there. I appreciate a small business where the owner does the work and is directly responsible for the quality of service. I think I have other fluids that need replacing and I plan on talking to Danny about that. read more

I went to Danny's Garage a few months ago to have my starter replaced. I got my quote very fast and left. After checking out the car and confirming it was indeed the starter that was acting up, he called my cell and let me know my available options. I could get a starter from the dealer or a refurbished one. I went with the refurbished one. Cheaper, plus no wait on parts. He finished up the work the same day and called me back to let me know when I could pick it up. A day later I had my car. He also put in a quart or two of oil (it was low) free of charge. I was very pleased with the good service, quick fix, and how he explained to me all my options, the pros and cons, and the prices for each. I'll definitely be returning here for any future car problems I have. read more

I've been a customer of Danny's for over 8 years. He is an excellent mechanic that will always tell you what is best for your vehicle rather than trying to upsell you on items or service that is not needed. His depth of knowledge is broad and he works on many, if not most, types of vehicles. I can always count on great customer service and a friendly smile when visiting Danny. Can't say enough good things about him! read more

We have 6 company vehicles and whenever one is down all I do is speed dial Danny's Garage. The most recent episode: One of my trucks overheated on the 8 east. Called Danny to see what I should do. He diagnosed it correctly over the phone told me to let it cool down, then fill it up with water and bring it in to see why it is losing coolant. Without a doubt Danny and his crew are THE BEST. I am never overcharged, never lied to, and my trucks are finished in record time. Go to him whenever you need anything for your car. read more

Call Danny on Friday evening and left a message. Friday assuming it was his shop late at night. He did not answer. He called me Monday at 6 saying he was busy and just got back to me. I explained my condenser was leaking and I saw it at Toyota on the lift. He quoted $495 to do it. I called him this am at 8-5 not knowing he was open 9-6. He yelled at me saying he didn't have time to get a part price and he wasn't open and why was I calling so early. I didn't know. He then said I'll pull it behind an check it. He barely got it on the lift and I asked if he had a bathroom he said no - I asked for a time frame and he said 1 hour or I'll pull the car down and I can find someone else. I was appalled. This man wanted my time, was rude, judgmental and on me for no reason. Next he says he can't find a condenser leak when he didn't poor frion in it. He didn't wanna work on my car period. He was rude and disrespectful and treated me like dirt. A paying customer! He was yelling at me from the phone for calling early for an appointment and wouldn't give me a reference and didn't care my ac is broken being an Uber driver not allowing my customers to fry to death. Even others told me he is coo coo. He's very rude and not honest read more

Fast, friendly service! And in an unexpected location in Serra Mesa! I am happy with the smog service!! read more

I have been going to Danny for about 10 years now. I have had him work on 2 Dodge Vans, a 1991 Cadillac Seville, a 1997 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, and now my 1993 Mercedes Benz 190E 2.6L. He is always HONEST, and he does not recommend work unless it needs to be done. He truly understands thinking long term when it comes to business. I recommended him & have trusted him with several of my friend's cars also. Danny is always spot on, and I literally carry his cards everywhere I go and hand them out and recommend him; because I think he is such a rare find in this filthy business! read more

Thank you Jugler and Ni! Offered the cheapest price for smog around at $30 for both the certificate and the smog check. It also didn't take long at all. I highly recommend this place. You won't go wrong. They really know what they're doing. Keep up the good work guys! read more

I did oil change here today. Very nice customer service. Warm atmosphere. I definitely go back there. ;) Thank you.

Had a headlight out. Dude was a super nice guy and handled it quickly with a few recommendations of things I needed to take care of.

I have been a customer a little while now: my VW Rabbit has been taking care of by Danny for a while and I cannot complain about anything! Good and fast service, very good prices! read more

Great guy and great service, very upfront and understanding guy! No pressuring or anything stressful! 10/10 would definitely go back!

Danny is the man! Brought 3 different cars here. He always takes care of anything. I will forever and always be a Danny's garage man!

My engine malfunction light came on,and I didn't want to go to the dealer because of a bad experience. But Danny plugged in the analyzer to read the code and troubleshoot the oxygen sensor and had it replaced quickly in time for me to get back to work. Even gave me a tip on avoiding gas additives that may be causing the reddish crust on the old one. (Not Arco; but Chevron with Techron to be OK.) read more

This is the third time I've been to Danny's Garage and it's been great! I found this place on here because I was so tired of rude mechanics jacking up prices for things and over charging for no reason. Danny's and Ace have been wonderful and I will definitely keep returning and spreading the word about them!! Thank you!! read more

Did old change and smog today and this guy Danny has great customer service skill and does a great work in will definetly be going to him for ally car repair needs he seems very honest and legit great prices quick service I'm happy I tryed his shop for the first time. read more

Even though Yelp consistently places all of my reviews under "Other Reviews Not Recommended" (their computer doesn't like me!), I must praise and commend Danny and his repair service. He is expeditious, thorough, and--above all--very honest and reasonable with his charges. He is top-rate, and I highly recommend him (as do so many other Yelpers)! read more

Honest shop, Quality Work, Great Service! He was a dealer Mastertech before he opened his own shop. If he's good enough to work at a dealer, he's good enough for me. He tells me what can wait and what can't. He doesn't fix anything if it doesn't have to be fixed. He's told me when brakes can wait another 6 months, even when I thought they had to be changed right away (I don't know much). He explains what he fixed and shows you. Hard to find a shop like that nowadays. My bro, my mom and my friend get's there car fixed here. Has my thumbs up. read more

I found Danny's Garage on yelp and decided to give them a try. Their high star ratings don't lie. Small shop, superior service. Staff are very friendly and fast. read more

We've been here twice for different issues and all I can say is Danny is super knowledgeable and friendly. My wife took the car on the second time and Danny treated her the same as he treated me which was absolutely fantastic. I wouldn't trust anyone else with my car. read more

Thanks Danny for always taking care of me and my family! He's our go to every time we have car issues or even car maintenance. Danny is very informative and honest. His customer service is what keeps us coming back as well. read more

It's about time I left Danny a review. It has been the best finding him since I moved to San Diego. Extremely fair pricing, honesty regarding fix options, and overall fantastic mechanic is why he is the only one I trust with my 2011 Mitsubishi. I value Danny's opinion and honesty if it is something I can do myself. Thanks Danny! read more

been taking my 14yr old car to the dealer for all these years, but wanted a change. The reviews for this repair shop looked great to gave it go. As in many things that are hard to find (this shop), the effort is well worth it. Will be taking my biz here from now on. read more

Reliable and professional, one of the best auto repair shops in San Diego. They have reasonable prices and always do the job right. I have a 2006 G35 and these guys have done a great job taking care of my vehicle. I have been doing business with them for over a year and will continue to do so... I highly recommend this place to anyone they are very reliable and have great customer service! read more

This guy is the best! The check-engine light in my '07 Dodge has been on and off for the past few years and I've spent a small fortune at various body shops and dealerships who have yielded unsatisfactory results. I recently moved to California and was dreading the process of getting my car registered since I knew it would not pass smog with the check-engine light on. I took it to Rancho Dodge for a diagnosis, hoping that they would have my cars' history on file with the previous dealership I took it to. After not calling me back numerous times, not answering the phone during service hours (a woman at the actual dealership said I should just "go over there 'cause they're not answering the phone"), and after quoting me over $1k for random issues, I said no thank you. Also, this process took two weeks! I searched Yelp and found Danny's! After taking my car in late one afternoon, he called me the next morning with the diagnosis and a fair quote. (Also, the issues he found were NOT what the dealership diagnosed). My car was fixed within two days and he didn't charge me for the re-smog. Car is registered and running great. That's why Danny's has 5 stars and Rancho Dodge has 2! read more

Danny is amazing. He was honest and reliable. I am about to drive across country and he checked everything to make sure I was good. I am 100% satisfied. read more

Trust in a mechanic is so important these days, and when my roommate recommended Danny and told me that she would trust him with her life, I was sold. I had a minor issue with my car, but i needed is fixed fast. Danny told me that he could have it done in 30 minutes. He completed it in 30 minutes at the excellent price that he quoted me. I have a new mechanic. read more

I trust/love/support Danny's Garage... "Our mechanic" is something my girlfriend and I say now.. He has done work on both of our vehicles ('04 Volkswagen/'07 Dodge) in which each of our dealerships wanted hundreds more for issues.. One instance in particular a dealership quoted an astronomical price and said it still might not even fix the issue we came for. Danny fixed it... He does exceptional work and has literally done 2x more than our dealership would. We always talk about his work to our friends.. and that's why I see so many 5 stars! Thanks Danny!! read more

A little tricky to find them but it's worth the search..... :D My first time there and it feels like I can trust them. Went there for an oil change. Very affordable And he does quick belt ,brakes and other things check for FREE!! I am going back Friday because my car's been squeaking a lot and I just forgot to ask about it....Free inspection....isn't that niceeee!!! So I'll keep you posted but so far they are awesome. Oh and he takes the time to explain when you have weird questions as i don't know much about cars!! read more

I needed to get a smog check for my 1995 Saturn SL2 The smog station had to be a Star Smog Location so I did a search to find one. Danny's Garage had GREAT REVIEWS so I went there. I had an "AWESOME" experience there and would HIGHLY RECOMMEND them to anyone who needs car service done. I will definitely go back there for future repairs!!!! read more

Had a great experience at Dannys. Needed to get my oil changed and I was expecting to wait an hour at another location. Danny and his guys had it done in less than 30 minutes, even with his other projects still in the way. Great people, super nice and great work. Gave me the tip on my oil, as well as to watch my coolant levels. Overall a wonderful experience. read more

Dan is very knowledgeable and is more than willing to give you good information about things to look out for with your car. Brought my 2011 Mazdaspeed3 here for an oil change. He gave me tips about how I can do some preventative maintenance at home so I wouldn't have to pay out the butt for some dealership to do the same thing I can do fairly quickly. I'll definitely be bringing my car here for any upgrades or work I can't do on my own. read more

Just was needing a smog check. No appt. needed at the time. Charged $45 for my 4 cyl Mini. Done quickly. Paid cash but would have taken a CC. I'll use him again. Thanks Danny! read more

Took the 3-series here for a quick smog check as required by the DMV to get my new tags... had my phone guide me here.. aaaaaand I got lost -____-; .. But eventually I did found it. The reviews you read here are correct, its kinda hard to find, but don't let that be factor for you to not to give this place a go. This place is a hidden gem in the car mechanic world, the last bastion of good-ol-honest service , exaggerated? I don't think so.. count me as one of the many reviewers who were extremely satisfied with the experience here. First of all Danny himself does all the work, I saw him interact with another customer and he talks to them like an old acquaintance, and sure enough that was his approach to me too, his mannerisms are not the typical cockiness or bravado as some mechanics out there that might look down on you for your lack of knowledge. Let's face it, some of us out there just don't know about cars, and to those that do like myself just don't have: a) a place to work in and b) time to work with it, if I had these means I would love to work on my car myself, but I don't so I have to rely on people who I hope to be like Danny. Although I only came here for a smog check, I'm pretty sure that the same high caliber level of service Danny provided would be the same had I gone here for a more complicated service request. I had a short chit-chat with a sweet old lady who was there to get the brake pads of her truck checked coz it was "squeeking" and she said nothing but praise about this place. I'm glad this place pop'd up when I was searching through yelp for a service garage, looks like I found a place for my car, and we're both happy about that :) read more