We had such a wonderful experience with El Cajon Driving School! They were the perfect choice for our son, who is our first driver. He completed all of his online coursework independently and passed his permit test on his very first try. As a teacher, I'm comfortable teaching a lot of things--but teaching my own child to drive was definitely NOT something I was looking forward to! When it came time for behind-the-wheel lessons, Dan, my son's instructor, was absolutely fantastic. He even allowed me to ride in the backseat during the lessons so I could learn how to better support my son when he was driving with me. Dan was incredibly patient, took the time to explain everything thoroughly, and did a great job putting my son at ease (even while I was white-knuckling it in the backseat! ). He gave him the confidence and skills he needed to become a safe, capable driver. A few weeks ago, my son took his driving test--and passed with a PERFECT SCORE! We couldn't be happier with our experience and will absolutely be using El Cajon Driving School again when our daughters are ready to learn. Highly recommend them, and especially Dan! Thank you for helping our first-time driver become a confident one! read more

My daughter took driving lessons from them and passed the first try with the DMV. The price is reasonable, and the service is great. My son is currently taking lessons from them, and he has had great experiences so far. read more

I can't recommend this driving school enough! Both of my daughters completed their driver's education and training here, and they each passed their driving test on the first try. The instructors were patient, knowledgeable, and really took the time to make sure they felt confident and prepared behind the wheel. You can tell they genuinely care about their students and the quality of their teaching. They were also very responsive whenever I had questions, and scheduling lessons was quick and easy, which made the whole process stress-free. As a parent, that gave me so much peace of mind. We're very grateful for such a positive experience and would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking for a great driving school! read more

Seven years ago we found El Cajon Driving School. We have since had all three of our young drivers (two daughters and one son) take their driving lessons with Dan. His calm and friendly demeanor, knowledge and support is priceless. Not only did our new drivers feel confident, capable and competent after their lessons, but I did too! What I really appreciated was the invitation to ride along during each lesson. Witnessing not only what was being taught, but also HOW it was being taught was invaluable. Having rode along with all three of my kids, 9 lessons deep, I think I would make an awesome addition to the driving staff!! All jokes aside, even after 36 years of driving experience, no tickets or accidents, I can genuinely say that I learned something from each lesson. Dan welcomed my inquisitiveness and most impressively THANKED me for riding along. Scheduling was always a breeze, office staff was extremely friendly and accommodating, and it was clear that preparing our young drivers for the streets was their priority. So grateful for El Cajon Driving School and their expertise! PS All three passed their driving tests first try with flying colors. read more

Denae and Dan T. are a class act! from start to finish they were both detail oriented, organized and communicative. As a father who has been a Class A commercial driver for 18 years and a Class C passenger vehicle driver for almost 30 year, Dan impressed me. My daughter was given crucial instructions and insight that I only learned from yearly trainings from my employer. Keep in mind this review is coming from someone with no tickets or accidents and has driven most common vehicles you can think of. I would highly recommend El Cajon Driving School to anyone and have already told close friends, family and colleagues. My daughter and I felt like family when in the car with Dan and receiving Denae's emails and texts. read more

I cannot possibly recommend them enough. Both my daughter and my son each went through them. Ask for Mark! Best temperament for a teen driver ever. So patient, just an excellent teacher all around. I would give them 6 stars if I could. read more

We are very happy we chose El Cajon Driving School for our daughter's driving lessons. Dan is a great instructor who was very calm and patient and clearly explained each lesson. The office staff was also very helpful. We recommend this school. read more

My son had three driving lessons with Dan Tackett. I was encouraged to go on every lesson with him which I am glad I did because it was such a great experience for me to see how he would drive with a professional driving instructor versus his mom and dad. I learned a lot of new things about driving and I've been driving for many years. Dan was awesome!! He was down to earth, patient and had a great sense of humor. My son felt comfortable with every lesson. My son got his license today and we would like to say thank you to Dan again for all your wonderful driving knowledge and techniques take care Dan and best of luck out there! read more

I love el Cajon driving school and recommend them every time I'm asked for a driving school. My son's teacher in 2022 was Rocco and he was fantastic. When it was time for my daughter to start lessons in mid 2024, her teacher was Dan Tackett. He's so patient and knowledgeable. He also maintains a great sense of humor. I wanted to know how to talk to my daughter while she's driving, so I went on every lesson to study Dan! Wow, I picked up many great pointers simply from watching him in action. I even opted to pay for some additional lessons to take the work off my plate of teaching my daughter how to drive. I regret that I didn't do that with my son. The best learning comes from a professional instructor who is kind and patient. Thank you el Cajon driving school! read more

If you are a parent looking for a driving school, choose El Cajon Driving School. It gave me real peace of mind knowing they had the best possible training. Thank you, Dan and the ECDS team! read more

The first interactions were really great. The staff gave me some good information about how to get my teen driver through the steps, the first lesson was great and easily scheduled. Things got a little off track for the last two lessons, with scheduling issues and multiple calls and texts not answered. Once that was sorted we finished up ok. If the communication and responsiveness midway through had been as good as the beginning this would easily have been a 5 star review. read more

Our granddaughter, who recently moved to Lakeside from New Zealand, enrolled as an adult driver as she is 19 years old. She had never driven a car before, so she had to learn both driving skills and how to drive on the American side of the road. Jim, in Escondido, was her driving instructor. He was the perfect instructor for her. He had great experience in driver training, together with a wonderful, laid-back way of delivering his message. I rode along on every lesson and learned how to coach her while refreshing my driving skills. She took her driving test last Friday and passed with flying colors - only 1 point was subtracted from her score and the tester gave her a 'great job' notation on her score sheet! All of came about because of Jim's excellent teaching skills. It also cannot be left out that the office staff was tremendous and worked with us to schedule appointments so she could meet her work commitments! Both Jim and the company are first rate, and I enthusiastically recommend them. read more

This was the second driving school we have experienced with our kids and hands-down, the best as well as competitive from a price point. The friendly office staff scheduled our appointments which were confirmed via text and email. Dan is an amazing instructor. He was very thorough in his instruction and very patient. One of the best parts is that they recommend parents to drive along during the lessons. This was incredibly helpful for refreshing on rules and understanding what will be expected during the driving test, as well as knowing which items to focus/work on when driving with the kids while they have their permit! read more

Each of my 6 kids have taken instruction with El Cajon Driving School. They always arrived at our home promptly and my kids all had good experiences. I needed help getting a fresh copy of my son's course completion certificate and they went above and beyond so that he could take his test on time. Thank you!! read more

I'm very pleased to announce I passed my behind the wheel driving test today! A major win for me, there was a lot of personal fear I had to work out and overcome. I'm writing this review because I couldn't have done it without my instructor Rocco Geroche. He has been nothing but courteous, patient, and insightful. My husband actually was taught by Rocco's dad before he had retired, that's how I learned about El Cajon Driving school. Really I've had nothing but pleasant interaction with the couple employees I've dealt with. Karen was super nice. I enjoyed my three lessons with Rocco, it was always a good time and I clearly benefited from them. Wonderful work happening here. Please consider this place as your #1 choice for driving lessons. read more

I had an overall good experience with El Cajon Driving School. Both my son and daughter had a single session on the same day, one after the other. I was in the car for both sessions so that I could beef up my own knowledge and reinforce the lessons the instructors would teach my kids. I chose the school because I saw some great recommendations, they are local, and they follow COVID mask protocols. My daughter had Alex as an instructor. Alex really put together a great lesson and made my daughter comfortable to be in the driver's seat with courteous language and a non-judgmental nature. He wore a mask, as the school had promised as much. Alex reinforces the lessons he teaches during the drive by asking about topics previously discussed to ensure the student learns the material. The only issue I had was that Alex was late for the lesson because he overslept. I'm sure it is because he is overworked and in high demand so I totally understand. My son had a follow on lesson. He would have had Alex as his instructor as well, but there was a change and he had Lucas instead. The school said that they emailed me about the change, but I looked through my Gmail and found no email from the school in my inbox or spam. Lucas was not so great as an instructor. My son was not doing so well on his lesson and Lucas was saying that my son was doing just fine. When my son was having difficulty staying straight while backing up, Lucas provided no tips on how to improve and even touched the wheel to correct the direction during several repeated attempts. He did provide some instruction on how to approach stop signs, limit lines, use of the median lane, and how the DMV examiners will grade. However, there was no reiterating the things he was teaching to ensure my son was understanding the material. I can vouch for the other review by Sandra P. as well regarding frequent discussions of sports, Dale Earnhardt, and his previous job as a mechanic rather than teaching good driving habits during long straightaways. Lucas initially didn't wear a mask but eventually put one on when my son and I were not taking ours off, however his mask was too small and kept falling off his face. I have attached my receipt to show that I am an actual customer. If you choose to use El Cajon Driving School for your children, I recommend asking for Alex by name as a preferred instructor. read more

El Cajon Driving School - Receipt showing proof that I am a customer - Driving Schools Near Me

All three of our kids went through El Cajon Driving School. All had Dan Tackett as their instructor. He gave them sound & solid instructions. We went along on the training and listened how he calmly and throughly covered all the basics of safe driving and gave positive constructive criticism during their training. All of my kids passed their behind the wheel DMV tests. My youngest only had one point deducted on her test. Simply amazing, as I've heard stories on how hard those DMV examiners are. Of course ,I'll always worry as a parent when my kids are driving alone. I know though that El Cajon Driving School and Dan Tackett gave them the knowledge and skills to be safe & competent drivers. read more

Paid for first session and scheduled for 9/2/23 at 0900 with "Rocco." Nobody showed up as promised and nobody answered the phone. Total waste of a Sunday morning. Very unprofessional business practice. read more

El Cajon Driving School - Receipt for services that were not provided as promised. - Driving Schools Near Me

1st 2 hour driving session was on the side of the road parked for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Asked for a different driver the 2nd session but the secretary refuses to talk on phone and will only text. Secretary communication skills were horrible at best. Finally had to take a time I didn't want because it ment missing work. Confirmation email comes and it was 2 hour later than agreed time for session 2. What a waste of money!!! read more

I just had the absolute worst experience with the receptionist. I had scheduled a lesson and provided my credit card info. We had just about finished the conversation when I asked a quick question about the "mask requirement" they have listed. She yelled at me and raised her voice and repeatedly called me "honey" in a demeaning tone. She was on speakerphone with my family listening and we were all SHOCKED that she spoke to me this way. I concluded the conversation by telling her to cancel my appointment and that I would find another driving school. Hire people with better customer service, they are representative of your business! read more

My granddaughter went to this driving school and I highly recommend it. Rocco was her instructor and he did an amazing job teaching her. He's very patient and soft spoken. She took her behind the wheel test today and passed with 100% and the person testing her put good job on her test. read more

We had a wonderful experience with El Cajon Driving School. Karen in the office is very knowledgeable about all things pertaining to new drivers. She even helped with advice regarding the process at the DMV. My daughter did the online education and then behind the wheel with Dan. She and I were very comfortable driving with Dan. He was calm and reassuring as he took my daughter from no experience to passing her drivers test at the DMV with flying colors. Great organization, caring team dedicated to helping young people become impeccable drivers. Thanks EC Driving School Ps. I graduated from EC driving school way back in the 80s so we have kept it all in the family. read more

worst place ever! my daughter went here for her first lesson. The driver was over 30 minutes late and the lady in the office had no idea what was going on. Lesson went well once he showed up. Second lesson was scheduled by me. I received a call around 11am the day of her second lesson. i was told the lesson was cancelled due to non payment. I was a little confused as they had my credit card info. I told the lady that i was glad she called as i needed to reschedule due to my daughters school finals schedule. The very rude lady then told me a $50 cancellation fee would have to be paid. So even tho they were calling to cancel, once i was ok with it they wanted to charge me. Now they will not allow me to schedule my second lesson without paying the $50 fee. needless to say, i am starting all over with another company and refuse to give this place a dime of my money. read more

First session went great! My son worked with Rocco who provided me with feedback after the drive. Next session scheduled, no show (said we weren't on the schedule). They rescheduled quickly, but to an excited sixteen year old that wasn't enough. They never charged me for the second session which I didn't notice. Last session scheduled for Saturday 11:45 am, so that he would be done before his DMV driving test the following Monday at 8:00am. No show again! 16 year old stressed that he will have to rebook his drive test. I reached out to the company and was told he wasn't on the schedule (again). She said sorry and that she would fit him in the following day at 9:00am. Guess what? No show again! I again texted and she said she emailed me (never received) that it had to be moved to 11:45. Rocco called and actually came early. I understand people are busy, but poor representation of the company when 2 out of 3 times we didn't make the schedule. And an email that I didn't receive. Oh and she had to tell me I wasn't charged for the 2nd session and so charged me for two now. She gave me a 10% discount and said sorry. She also said that she handles almost 200 requests a day. This is a lot of errors for one customer. Ultimately they followed through from all the errors and made it right, but only 3 star rating for all the errors and the added stress it caused my 16 year old and me! read more

My son, Kevin, went through the in-class and behind-the-wheel hours with the instructor, Dan. I was encouraged to go on the behind-the-wheel lessons and I improved my own driving habits while listening to the instructor. Dan was knowledgeable, thorough, and displayed a good sense of humor. Kevin just passed his driving test this Friday while only losing one point and I am thoroughly satisfied with the driving school and instructor. When my daughter, Kristie, is ready to start lessons, I'm coming back to this school. read more

The personal attention was amazing. Lucas was the best. My son had a great experience!

Both of my teenagers were students at the school. My son attended the weeklong class, and my daughter did the online classes due to the lockdowns. Behind the wheel instructors were Dan and Alex. I had more contact with Alex, and I was very impressed with him, he communicated clearly and was very thorough. Karen in the office was also very easy to work with. Overall, a great team! read more

My son passed the behind the wheel test on the first attempt! Luke made it all happen! Thank you, Luke! The office staff, Karen and Denae are very helpful and accommodating as well! Keep up the great work guys! Very grateful mom here! Will definitely recommend. read more

Some moron instructor doesn't know what he's doing and likes to risks the lives of his students and others on the road. Had one of these silly white sedans with THREE people inside casually cut me off and push in front of me during a merging lane, I had to swerve out of the way because this car decided it didn't want to slow down to be behind me on the freeway. Not even a wave or attempt to acknowledge this huge mistake. I'm not sure if the rules have changed since I took my exam but typically it's instructed to go the speed of traffic when merging not continue your pace and screw everyone else. I think it's safe to say that these people either don't care and just want to make a sale or they're truly inept instructors who shouldn't be teaching. Parents, don't bring your kids to El Cajon Driving School! read more

Highly recommend El Cajon Driving School! They make it so easy on families. Karen and her staff are great communicators and so patient! Both of my kids had Alex as there instructor. He's just wonderful which is why he's in high demand!! Thank you Alex and Karen! read more

Great driving school I had all three lessons with them and it was great. I had Larry as my driving instructor really makes you feel comfortable driving. Passed my drivers test first try. Really recommend read more

This school is great, Dan was my son's instructor for driver's training. Dan is very thorough. I feel much safer having my teen on the road after spending time with him. read more

I was a student of El Cajon Driving School about 1-2 years ago and finally got around to writing this review. I had three lessons, with the first two from Jim. First of all, Jim was an amazing guy and was very understandable and clear the entire time when instructing me how to drive. He got to know me and my interests, and we had very in-depth conversations the whole way through. However, my last lesson was with Sonya, and frankly, it was three hours of pure scolding. I was not used to the controls Sonya's car had, so when I questioned where some controls were before the lesson even started, she was quick to roll her eyes and condescendingly belittle me in my apparent cluelessness of driving. My neighborhood is very watchful of the speed of drivers, so even though the speed limit was 25, I drove 10-15 to make sure I would not put in danger any of the numerous little kids who are often playing out in the street. Sonya did not hesitate to scold how I did not even know the residential speed limit (even though I did), despite explaining my reasons for driving slowly to her. She never once offered any positive feedback, and I maybe heard her smile and laugh once the entire three hours, which was at her own joke. Furthermore, as I was stiffened up, triple thinking every touch of the brake and gas pedal and turn of the wheel to hopefully not make Sonya scold me more than she already has, she continually scolded my mistakes that I made (I went into the left lane too early one time and didn't have my turn signal on long enough another time) and the fact that I did not know where the controls in her car were at the beginning of the session. She made me park numerous times so she could yell at my mistakes and ask what I was doing. Another time, when I was waiting in the lane to turn left, she thought I was going to pull into oncoming traffic as a car passed despite me being completely still the entire time (???) and grabbed the wheel and yelled if I was trying to "kill both of us." At the end of the session when we were done driving, skipping over the numerous other events like these as I would not be able to fit everything into one review, she was required to sign a slip of paper authorizing me to take the permit test. Her last statement was of the words that she should not be signing the slip of paper, but she is anyway and that she hoped to never see me drive in the streets, and to fix my "horrible" driving. She left without any other words, refusing to shake my hand as a last attempt to show whatever amount of appreciation I had at this point, and left. Sonya managed to influence me to not drive for about 6 months after her last lesson with me. I took more lessons with other instructors eventually, to fix my "horrible driving," but not once did another instructor do or say anything Sonya had. In fact, many of the instructors said I did not need any more instruction, and offered constructive criticism whenever needed, and also gave me positive feedback: both things that Sonya avoided doing and yelled at me about or ignored instead. Everything else from El Cajon Driving School I have experienced (the online program and Jim) was top-notch. However, Sonya managed to single-handedly destroy any overall positive opinion I had on this school. I realize now after working with numerous other driving instructors that her attitude was disgusting and was easily the most repulsive and careless I have ever seen. If you decide to go to El Cajon Driving School for in-person lessons and get paired with Sonya, ask to switch instructors immediately. Anyone would be better than her. read more

I chose this company to help teach my daughter to drive because their program seemed to be one of the most complete and professional available locally. We were extremely happy with how they treated us. First of all, I recommend the classroom training instead of the online course. There's just so much more to be experienced by be able to interact with the instructor. Classes are held at a bowling alley in El Cajon, so it is a nice central location for people who live in East County. The other reviews of this place confirm what we experienced: thorough and professional. We were never rushed and scheduling was very easy. We clearly had the instructor's undivided attention. The training materials and instructions given to the parents are very helpful to reinforce the professional instructions that the young driver received. We didn't choose a specific instructor, but we ended up with Dan Tackett. He was a good fit for us. When the student makes mistakes, they never make you feel stupid. They just help you to get it right. I had the hardest time trying to teach my kid to park and they fixed that for us in about 10 minutes. They encourage parental participation and I decided to go on all 3 of my daughter's lessons. It helped me to become a better driver by relearning things that are taught differently today than when I was first learning to drive. I also was able apply some of their techniques when helping my daughter to get more experience behind the wheel. My daughter felt confident and passed her driver's test on the first try, missing only one point. I would not hesitate to recommend this company to anybody with a teenager that wants to learn to drive. read more

El Cajon Driving school is the best they have taught my twins to be ready for their behind the wheel test. Their cars are clean and in great condition their Instructor Dam was very knowledgeable and wonderful with my daughters. Karen and her office staff were so accommodating and helpful. recommend read more

My son just finished his third class and took and passed his driving test. He was able to develop his confidence through these classes. I accompanied him on the first two hour driving lessons and was absolutely terrified. Dmv says they can't drive until they've had their first lesson behind the wheel. Omg. I thought we were going to die. It was the equivalent of throwing a child into the deep end of the swimming pool and then talking to them about how to swim. But my son was able to learn a lot and we didn't die. The instructor,Vic,was a saint and grabbed the wheel when needed. I will use them again for my other three kids when the time comes. read more

I highly recommend this school for two reasons - the flexibility and especially for the friendly, professional people you'll deal with every step of the way. My phone calls were always answered immediately and I never felt rushed off the phone. All of my questions about the process were thoroughly answered in such a friendly manner. Robert was my daughter's driving instructor and he was awesome! Very thorough, professional and personable. He really made a big difference in my daughter being ready to get her license. He was great at giving constructive criticism, coupled with praise where it was deserved. I don't feel he just told her what she wanted to hear but always told her her strengths and weaknesses to pass the behind the wheel exam with the DMV and to become a safer driver. My daughter really trusted his instruction and opinion and she's a tough customer! As for flexibility, they have a classroom option and an online option which is what worked best for our busy schedule. The online program was trouble free and user friendly. El Cajon Driving School made what I thought was going to be a painful experience a rather enjoyable experience. I have another daughter who'll drive next year and I'm for sure going back to El Cajon Driving School and requesting Robert as her driving instructor. read more

Dan was my instructor and was thoroughly professional, up-to-date, kind and "on point" with his teaching and guidance about the driving permit exam which I took at the DMV in El Cajon. I passed first time without errors and the mock test Dan took me through thoroughly prepared me for the real permit. The driving school were so friendly and flexible in arranging a last minute lesson around my schedule. I was recommended to the school and I highly recommend it to all new young budding drivers as well as more experienced drivers like myself who arrive from around the world. Thank you so much American Driving School of El Cajon. read more

I have had the most pleasant experience with El Cajon Driving School. We started during COVID and they were very responsive. I also didn't understand the certificate process after the class portion (my fault!) and the were so helpful and made sure we got it in time so we could keep our DMV appt. COVID has made everything more challenging but they have been very communicative and dedicated to making sure we were taken care of. I'm almost sorry this is my last child learning how to drive, so I won't get to work with them again. I would highly recommend them! read more

We had a wonderful experience. Dan was my daughter's instructor for all three sessions and he was very patient and thorough. He helped create confidence in my daughter. The thing I appreciated the most about El Cajon Driving School was that I was encouraged to ride along so that I could hear all of the instruction as well. Several other driving schools I called would not allow me to go along. I did not feel comfortable letting my daughter drive away with a stranger for 2 hours at a time, so I was glad that this driving school had a different philosophy and allowed me to ride along in the back seat. I felt welcomed and encouraged to ask questions as well after Dan was finished instructing. Thank you El Cajon Driving School! read more