Don't expect a full $180 detail. I believe this place is priced accordingly. it's quick and makes me feel fresh. I'd recommend you get a full detail on the car through them. once you get a full detail, come back once or every two weeks to get the gold detail package ($2 off coupon on their websites. and you'll have a consistent clean car that you will be happy with. from reading the reviews, it seems like people expect a way more than what they're paying for. If there are something you are concerned with. El Estero is always very accommodating. read more

Second time coming to this place. First time no good, thought I give them another chance. Got the silver package..nothing special. I just needed my car washed and vacuumed. Car came out, I was watching them wipe it down.. then they said my car was ready.. I looked inside.. nothing was vacuumed! I picked up all four of my mats and put it on the seats to show them.. management came out to check.. I'm sure he was furious too! He told me to wait again, and took my car in for a second cleaning/vacuuming.. I was on my lunch break, this was a total inconvenience and time consuming! If the job was done right the first time.. no one's time would've been wasted! The time and effort that their employees put into this sucks. My advice for the businesses: have management come out and inspect vehicle and approving it before taking customers' money/letting customers drive off the lot. So many workers, but quality of work needs improvement. This could be a management issue. read more

Whenever I'm in Monterey, I get my car washed at El Estero. They do a terrific job and have a lot of staff, so it's efficient and quick. The workers are kind and thoughtful. I'm shocked to see some negative reviews. Over many many years, I've only had good experiences. It's not cheap, which leads me to believe they pay decent wages and the equipment is well-maintained. read more

I pay for the basic monthly service (only exterior wash). I think it's worth the price point! It takes about 10 minutes for them to complete my car. They dry the outside, wipe windows. Sometimes there are still spots. However there has been times they have washed my car twice in a row! Which is fantastic. Wayyyy better than washing my car by hand or going to quick quack. Only downside here is pulling out of this place can be tricky since it's right next to a busy intersection. read more

I have been going to El Estero for 20 years now. I have noticed a sharp decline in the quality of the work being done in the last 6-8 months, and yesterday cemented that thought. I went in for my usual wash and spray wax which totals $59.99, not cheap. The spray wax at the end was done with little to no product being applied as I watched. I brought this up to the Manager at the time and received a shrug. As I left I noticed that the windshield was so bad that I need to re-do it once home. Upon further inspection, I noticed that all windows had smudges, and overspray on all 4 wheels which I had to again do myself. Not sure what has transpired within the operation to decline so bad. read more

I really wanted to like this place but whenever I come without my husband, I get bad service. We signed up for the monthly exterior service in August, which I think is fairly priced. But it didn't auto renew for September and so when I came in alone last week, I had to pay and give all my info again. Not a big deal, tho a little inconvenient. Imagine my surprise when I came alone today and they said I didn't pay for the monthly service so I had to pay it again. I told them that was incorrect, but the girl at the front said the computer said I didn't come in since August 31. She told me to pay the monthly fee, which I did, and i asked if I come back with the credit card statement to show I already paid it last week, would they refund me? She then got a manager, who looked up my record on the other computer and she said the error was they put in the license plate wrong - they listed my husband's plates because we used the same credit card. That doesn't make any sense. When you sign up for monthly, they ask for the make and model of your car and license plates, which I gave. And I put the subscription in my name. But for some reason, they had my husband's info instead. I just can't justify coming here any more. I really wanted to like them but they're disorganized with their records. Keep your receipts! read more

paid $40 and my lights are still filled with bugs for paying for the premium wash i expected a lot more should've noticed when the car was washed so quick bugs still on the front of my car i get it if it were a few spots but both my lights still had big spots of bugs idk if i would've known this was the quality of the wash i could've just done it myself and saved the money literally have to wipe everything down again read more

El Estero Car Wash - bugs on the lights - Car Wash Near Me - Monterey, California

The quality of the car wash is mediocre. They do leave spots and are not detail oriented. Unfortunately, they have stolen things from the car wash- a visor, a pouch. I now hesitate to use this car wash. Very disappointing. read more

Seen mixed reviews on this place and was a little hesitant, but I desperately needed a car wash. For $35, I got a vacuum, car wash and wax and they cleaned the entire interior. I say it was $35 well spent. I showed up around 4pm on a Saturday and the wait wasn't too bad, about 10-15 minutes. read more

Great service and friendly staff. Needed a quick clean up after being on the road and they didn't disappoint

When you pay $40 for a car wash that takes 10 minutes max, you should not be able to see 5 mistakes immediately after driving away. The extra 30 seconds just needs to be taken to make sure these mistakes don't happen. Do better El Estero read more

I have given this place so many chances and each time I always leave frustrated and disappointed. They always miss a spot or when they clean the interior they just quickly give it a lick and I can see the marks or dirt/dust. I have just sticked to self car wash where it's cheaper and I can clean it thoroughly. That place is always busy too so it's fast pace which isn't good because your car won't be as detailed as you wish it to be. read more

Thorough, clean, friendly, quick, handy location. Discounts for return business and sometimes on waxes, etc. good gift shop both car related items and etc. read more

El Estero Car Wash - Car Wash Near Me - Monterey, California

Ok, I get it-- this is a car wash -5 stars? Tired of quick and dirty car wash joints that leave your car looking only marginally better after a $25 wash? Suggest you try El Estero. Been coming here frequently and almost always amazed at how good a job they do consistently. 4 or 5 people on the car the minute it's out of the brushless wash. Windows always sparkle in and out. Wheels ditto. I always ask them to power wash the wheels and the wheel wells. Car wiped off head to toe. Even the back is extra vacuumed where my pup hangs out. Note; el Estero is the only full service wash on the Monterey Peninsula. One would think they'd cut corners because they are the only game in town. No so, if anything they go the extra mile and take nothing for granted. The work crews bust their chops. It's hard work. Always smiling. Next time think about a tip. This is one business where they really earn it, read more

See all

I gave this place a second chance and yet again, cleaning n sucked! I could have had my kids do a better job. I paid for the platinum and it looks like I just got a basic wash. Mats are filled with water, center console still dirty, dash screen didn't even get wiped down same as the dash, bask seat and front seat creases still had sand in them. I paid close to 50 dollars to get a god car each and interior clean plus I added all my mats and it looks mediocre. I also paid for the scent and guess what. No scent was added. I was going to complain but I was so disappointed that it would have not been a good look. I guess that's what I get for not doing it my self. I don't normally ever give a place a bad review but for the price of money people are paying here to get your car cleaned this was a total rip off. Never again. read more

$28 for this? Didn't even bother to vacuum behind my seat, and I only have a two-seater. What a ripoff! read more

El Estero Car Wash - Car Wash Near Me - Monterey, California

It's a hit and miss here! Sometimes my car looks amazing and other times... not so much. In fact, lately they don't even dry my car all the way leaving me to have to do it myself. It's not just a few wet spots, it's so bad sometimes my car has streaks all over it. Unfortunate, they used to be so good! read more

They gave me a gift card because I had such a terrible experience. I came back to use them and got my car cleaned, added a little upgrade to wash my mats... man, I get in the car and they don't clean under the car seats, these are just boosters and they didn't even move this to clean. This place needs to be shut down and inspected... 45 dollars and gift cards and still disgusting. Literally a joke at the point... am I on a hidden camera show? If you go here after reading these reviews you are an idiot. read more

I went in Monday morning at 8:30am to get my jeep washed cause it was being traded in. I essentially cleaned it before, but I wanted an extra clean because I was turning it in that morning. I got the best wash and interior they had paid and waited for my car. When the car was ready, I gave the man the receipt and a cash tip. I got inside my car so it didn't look any different. I ran my hand across the dashboard and my hand was black. Everything was still gross looking and dusty so I pulled out went around the block and went back in and asked. Hey my car is still dirty. They wiped down just the dashboard even though everything else was dirty still and said they were done. I'm highly disappointed and feel like I didn't get any type of service, but it didn't look any different from what I had already done. Highly disappointed, and even after I went back, they still didn't care or address the issue. I will definitely go to del Rey Oaks car wash moving forward. read more

See all

Took the car down Sat 16th first thing ~8.30am, had a couple of people cleaning up the car, nobody inspected the job at completion, I could see it wasn't a great job but honestly it was passable on the side I was standing AND it's not my place or attitude to go all picky and tell them how to do their job !.. Got it home, attached are a few snaps of the car on the side I wasn't standing !.. (roads perfectly dry as an fyi so this was as it left the car wash).. the service I paid for was the Gold.. honestly speaking it took me 30 mins and some scrubbing to finish the car off, it was no better than running through an auto wash in a fuel station and finishing it myself and that's $10 .. Inside was the same issue, mats vacuumed but dust all over the dashboard still .. Oh and they must recycle their water as we hat to vent our garage seeing as the water smelled of fart !... Tardy job, not returning EOM read more

See all

I've passed this car wash for years & finally stopped in today cause my car was dirty!! you drive in & several employees around guiding you, you pick what you want & they print out a receipt, you bring the receipt inside to pay, its a bit pricey, $34 for a full service in & out, they weren't too busy today, i enjoyed a cup of coffee while i waited, i was probably there 30 mins, nice waiting room inside & a few places to sit outside, nice experience, plus they did a great job read more

El Estero Car Wash - Car Wash Near Me - Monterey, California

See all

And they ruined a cable my husband had in his car. He spends over $100 a month here. The staff are too busy socializing with each other to do their jobs. I bought him another cable, if they ruin this one I will be demanding they replace it. Totally unacceptable. Charge $30-$50 for a car wash and then ruin your possessions in the mean time? Not ok. read more

See all

I would not recommend this place to anyone. I paid for the interior and exterior package. The exterior still had bugs on it. The interior wasn't even touched. There was dirt and hair in the carpets. The shift boot was dirty. I mentioned it to them and they took it back to "redo" it. Then after 10 minutes gave it back exactly the same. I had to show them the dirt. Not worth the time or money! Go somewhere else! read more

A rip off, had clean the car after getting home. My car was cleaner before the going to El Ester car wash.

I went here on 7/26 and it was awful. After spending $34 on service, I had to spend a lot of time cleaning the inside myself. I purchased the exterior/interior gold packageI was really disappointed and surprised that my center console and my whole cab was not wiped down at all. The inside hardly even looked vacuumed. The outside had spots I had to wipe down. It wasn't busy there but seemed like they really rushed on doing my car or just didn't want to do a thorough job. Very frustrating. I won't be going here again. read more

See all

This was terrible I just paid $30 to have my car cleaned and it's still dirty. Very disappointing and not worth it. 5 people were drying my car but no one wiped down the inside and the vacuum job was abysmal. Will never go back. read more

See all

Every time I've taken my car, I mean it's been a handful of times. I'm always hopeful because I see other cars being cleaned so well, multiple people, lots of rags, inside outside but no, it's always left dirty inside not the greatest outside job and I always pay you know the top price but no, never going back again. read more

I've past by this car wash for years , we live out of town , it's always packed , so I naturally thought it was a good place I was wrong. I just spent 20 minutes cleaning. The outside cost is $40 really disappointed. read more

Overpriced for the quality of the service. I expected more. The detailed service wasn't thorough read more

El Estero is a quality car wash and honest establishment. They have even told me I don't need some detailing that I thought I might need. Coupons were great. El Estero couldn't be better. read more

Decent price for a hand-wash... could be a little more thorough but for a few bucks more than an automatic wash it's worth the cost.

Used to be a good place to get a good solid car wash inside out. Itemizing all the cleaning services and now do a poor job on top. It's not what it used to be. Quick quack car wash in Marina is much better. read more

Great customer service but the actual car detailing/cleaning not so much. The vacuum job was weak to say the least. Armor all was on some parts on inside and nothing in other areas. It was $55 for a complete wash with wax. Outside looked good. Although busy they move you through very quickly. read more

I have tried this place one too many times and today they got me for $97 dollars. I thought "maybe if I pay for the more expensive option they will do a better job"... nope. Lazy, cutting corners, car still looks like dog shit. I'm sick of it... do not bring your car here. I cannot express how big of a waste of money and time this place is. Not only do I want my money back but I want to make sure no one else wastes theirs. Get it together or go out of business, either way, I'll never be back. What a joke. read more

My cat peed in my car and I needed to get my car interior cleaned to get the smell out. I only really cared about getting the interior detailed and the staff was very helpful in figuring out what service I needed. Everyone was awesome. They answered my questions and concerns. They were able to get it done in a few hours. Car is clean and does not smell like pee anymore lol read more

Continued slide in service. Just disappointing. Lack of supervision and quality control. Cashiers are always super. Just feel that owners feel they can get away with crap being one of the few players in town. read more

El Estero Car Wash - Lack of attention, bad training? - Car Wash Near Me - Monterey, California

See all

My wife swears by them, but every time I see her car after paying $30+ and tip... I see that her car was washed, but not completely cleaned and vacuumed properly.... I usually have to finish the cleaning inside and out, that was missed by El Estero Car Wash employees.... So check your car before getting in and leaving..... I have pictures to back my post review.... read more

El Estero Car Wash - Dirty car - Car Wash Near Me - Monterey, California

See all

I chose their platinum full service but was very disappointed. Did they vacuum inside? Did they wash the exterior and interior thoroughly? My expectation would be much higher than others My Dyson vacuum cleaner would be better. read more

See all

I already know this place is a rip off, and I told myself I would never go back, but I was in desperate need to get my car washed asap. And I was hoping that maybe they just had a bad day, the last time I went. I was proven wrong once again. I have no one to blame but myself for wasting $30 on a car wash. Attached are a few photos I took once I got my car back. read more

See all

As as a local I've been bringing my car to this place since I got my first car at 16, so it has been disappointing to see them steadily decline in service. I arrived at 9:00am an hour after open and asked about getting the seats washed as well (I have a 1 year old so it was desperately needed). I was told because there were 4 other cars in front of me that also wanted "express detailing" that they couldn't do it. Ok. Can I schedule to come back later? No, it's first come, first serve. Can you tell me when the other cars might be done so I can come back then? No. Q Fine, I get it. Ended up getting Platinum Pcapr Wash with no seat detailing. The outside of my car is impeccable. Inside? Not so much. They neglected to vacuum out the open trunk area, there are areas next to the seats that weren't vacuumed at all, and inside surface areas weren't wiped out completely leaving a nice muddy mixture of cleanning product and dirt for me to wipe up myself. Very disappointing. read more

See all