I have been bringing my families vehicles here for over 12 yrs because Peter and Alex don't play games and do fair/honest work. They have worked on my Tundra, Ford Escape, Ford Focus and Mazda CX-5 and have always kept our cars running. If you live or work in the area, this is a great place to take your vehicles if you're looking for honest reliable and fair prices. Thank you Encinitas Automotive! read more

They really do take excellent care of their clients and often go above and beyond! I can always count on them to be fair and responsible. read more

Took my car here because I knew two of the lugs on one of my tires had seized nuts on them and they would have to be broken off and replaced. I made an appointment and took the car in. Was told they would get back to me in a couple of hours with an estimate... An hour and fifteen minutes later, I'm being told that 3 of the nuts had seize and they all broke off and it would be $400 in labor and parts to fix it. So rather than an estimate which is what I was expecting, I now have a car with 3 wheels. So unless I was prepared to Fred Flinstone my car down to the next mechanic for a more reasonable quote in the middle of a work day, I had to pay them $400 for something that would take an average person 2 hrs with a few tools and access to the internet. I don't mind paying for skilled labor or for parts. But I have a problem being told I'll be contacted with an estimate (for a problem I knew I had) only to be called and told "yeah we broke 3 more lugs and your going to have to pay $400". read more

I moved to Encinitas in august 2020 after just buying a car from a previous owner and wanted to find a mechanic who I could trust, especially because I didn't know anyone in the area. I am so so glad I found Peter and his team. I had my regular oil changes done, new belts put in, new brakes installed...and I always knew I wasn't being taken advantage of. I was always in and out the same day. I just moved to a new state and wish Peter was here in Texas! Thanks so much Peter! read more

We have been very happy with Encinitas Automotive. We had a tricky problem and debated taking it to the dealer. Peter have us a cheaper price and promised if what he proposed didn't fix the issue, he would keep working to fix it without any additional costs. In the end it took quite a bit of work and several replacement parts, but they stuck to their word and did what it needed to fix the issue. In addition, Peter answers the phone (woohoo) and tells us what the timeline is right away. We now take our car here for an oil change b/c he will check everything for us, top things off, and just make sure our car is running smoothly. It usually is too! He will even coordinate the smog check with the place next door for you, so you can do both at the same time (woohoo^2). read more

Peter is very informative and friendly about my cars issue. I had a check engine light and Peter was able to diagnose a software problem with the oxygen sensor. Great service. read more

Pete is a great mechanic they fix a idle problem that others that could not help and very reasonable on the price

I just want to share my brief but powerful experience over at Encinitas automotive. I recently got into an accident and took the car there for an inspection. Peter, the owner was gracious and helped me get clear on exactly what needed to be fixed about my car. He treated me well and was communicative. Later I wanted to get a second opinion on fixing the car, and he gave me the inspection for no charge. There's a lot of integrity in this man and his shop and I highly recommend them for any of you looking for a good place to bring your car for repairs. read more

My jeep wrangler broke down 77 miles from home. Was able to get it to Peter's and Sanita's automotive repair. Peter was very gracious, and informative.He gave me his expert opinion on what was going on. And allowed me to leave my jeep there a day while I decided what to do. Very nice working with them. Highly recommend their positive and friendly attitude. read more

Took my new car for a check. They did good work for a good price. They are nice and don't pressure you into doing unnecessary repairs like some others do. read more

I have taken my car to Encinitas Automotive on several occasions and I have to rave about Alex and Peter. I really do appreciate the level of customer service that they provide, not only are they nice, but they go out of their way to make sure you are taken care of and are always honest in their assessment of what your car needs. The last time I came in my indicator light was out and Alex, had me come in right away, replaced it as soon as I showed up and I was in and out in 5 minutes . . . Made my day!! read more

I want to give this place 5 +++ stars. Peter is a trustworthy, honest, and helpful mechanic. I was driving home from SD to LA yesterday and my engine started smoking on the 5 freeway, I yelped Peter's auto shop and saw good reviews and went to him right away. He inspected my vehicle and took really good care of me. I was very distressed and not sure if I was going to make it home in my '99 Toyota Camry but he made sure I felt safe and could make it home safely and gave me advice on how to take care of it. I highly recommend. Thanks again Peter. read more

I was recommended to Encinitas Automotive by a family member. They have been in the business a long time and are trusted by the community. My first experience was excellent. Despite being incredibly busy at this time, they were able to schedule me an appointment within a day. Peter and his team were very friendly and even took my car early, over their lunch break! They were thorough with their inspection and yet completed it in a timely fashion. They took the time to show and explain to me the repairs that were needed. I have never been to an auto shop that offered such personal service. I felt like a member of the family! read more

I brought my car in because the check engine light as was on for a few days. Peter and his team were an absolute pleasure to work with. They got me in same day and checked everything out, and found nothing wrong with the car. They did not charge me anything since they did not fix anything. It is very nice to have trustworthy service in an unfamiliar field. I will be a customer for life and recommend to all! read more

My Porsche Boxster was having shifting issues, took it to Encinitas Automotive, transmission needed to be replaced. Peter ordered a tiptronic transmission, car was ready in 5 days at 1/2 the price of the dealer. Peter and Alex are the best! read more

Encinitas Automotive is excellent, Peter is very helpful and honest. He will diagnosis the problem, confirm with you that you want to fix it and does not push you. I will not take my car anywhere else. read more

My starter went out and left me stranded. I had my car towed to Encinitas Automotive and Peter was amazing!!! Highly recommend!!!!

Highly recommended! I had oil leaking from a previous oil change at a different location. The staff here were extremely helpful, accommodating, and honest. They got my car in right away and fixed the problem, without charging me anything crazy. Great place and people! read more

Marcelo and Alex couldn't have been more helpful to me today. Really nice guys where I don't feel like I'm being taken advantage of! I would come here for all my automotive needs :) read more

Love these guys! They are kind, honest and good natured. I took in my car because my check engine light came on and I was sure I was in for a doozy. Peter and his team diagnosed my problem -- which turned out to be just an error in my sensors. They told me that since everything looked ok, to just go to my cars dealer and buy a new gas cap, since that would be cheaper than having them do it. They said if I wanted, I could even bring it back to them and they would do it for me. I was ready to pay them for their time and diagnostics, but they told me 'not to worry' and didn't charge me a dime. I will definitely be back to them from here on out. What a great business model they have. Truly compassionate for the customer and honest, through and through! read more

Peter and Alex were super helpful and trustworthy. I've been looking for a good shop that is honest and reliable. I went to another shop in the complex which seen to be unfair and pressuring me for a huge repair. Turns out everything was fine and only had to do only certain things for my car. Thank you guys for your help!! read more

Because I changed my appointment to the next day, my name was not on the appointment calendar Then I was told at the front desk that I was at the wrong shop and to look further down the mall for what turned out to not exist because, as I was told by a neighboring business owner, Encinitas Auto Repair changes it's name alot. Hmm. When I returned to 318 A El Camino Real I was ridiculed by Peter for being upset for being sent out on a wild goose chase. The other customers seemed to enjoy his antics. It turned out to be lucky for me because I went across the mall to Evans tire service and repair where I was treated with respect, not condescension, and got new brakes for a good price. read more

Peter and the gang were awesome! I have a "87" Westy with a "92" Subaru conversion. And idle issues that resulted in not passing Smog. Not for the timid, and they knocked it out of the park. Over the years, lots of well-recommended local mechanics attempted at fixing the Westy; the outcome was bills with little to anything to show for it. Thanks guys, we love our buggy. Cheers! read more

Hands down best automotive shop around!! I've taken my car(s) to Peter for quite a few years & he always has repaired my vehicles with a high quality of service. A few days before Christmas, my car died and Peter went well above and beyond to get my car up and running again! Being a female it is so important to be able to trust your mechanic, and I have found that trust and high quality of customer service with Encinitas Automotive!!! Don't go anywhere else!! read more

My brother(RIP) was a mechanic and would always walk me through car issues & repairs or ask to speak to my mechanics directly. Since he passed away & can't phone interview my potential mechanics, I have trust issues. I think every mechanic is shady or tries to take advantage of women. Yeah, I know, not healthy attitude. I have to say that Peter and his staff helped ease my concerns. I had the most pleasant experience with them today. I believe them to be honest and fair. The quote was accurate, and car was finished in a timely manner. I plan on doing business again with them. Hopefully next time will just be for routine maintenance. read more

Did a great transmission repair on my Volvo. Good prices, friendly staff. Would recommend to anyone.

We had an issue with our Audi that was promptly identified and given a great quote of the work needed. We didn't move forward with the proposed work because fortunately for us the item was covered by a recently extended warranty issued by Audi due to known issues with the PVC valve. We will be back however with any future issues that inevitably happen. Peter is very friendly and helpful, one of the good guys. read more

Helpful, informative, and so so nice! I found these guys after moving to the area in March for oil changes on my Audi & Jeep. They were fast and I was so happy not to return to a bunch of recommended fixes on my car. They later looked into a check engine light on my Audi and when no problem was found, they recommended a simple fix. No upselling. I will be a repeat customer for life. read more

I have been going to Peter and his team for over 10 years now. I cannot say enough good things about this shop. The most important point I will stress is - they are trustworthy. I have been impressed with how many times Peter has found an issue to be something simple and he fixed it on the spot and he didn't even charge me. (Any other shop would have found "something" and charged me for an expensive repair.) I have also never once been disappointed with the quality of work. Peter and his team have always been able to find the problem and fix it right the first time. I have referred many friends to Encinitas Automotive Repair and I will continue to recommend them to others for the high quality work they perform and the honest approach that they use. Thank you Peter and team! 5+++++ STARS! read more

Had to have my car towed. I saw Yelp reviews and told aaa to tow here with no previous relationship. They were amazing. I called and told them what was going on, was told no problem. Ended up being able to drive it in and they took car of the dragging pieces without charge. I'll definitely be back! read more

Called late this afternoon and was able to get right in and fixed the tire quick- they are always super professional and care about their customers.thank you Evans! read more

We have been going to Encinitas Automotive for years after finding them on AAA's carefully screened auto repair rating service. Peter and Alex have done outstanding work on our foreign and domestic cars and trucks without exception. They help us understand repair options and spend our dollars carefully. We have both new vehicles and some with close to 200,000 miles thanks to their good work. I have recommended them to many friends and none have been disappointed. They are friendly, plain spoken in explaining issues and always timely with repair completion. They have also been a good source of referral for auto work they do not do (e.g. body damage). Rating them five stars was a no-brainer. read more

Peter and his crew are honest and professional. If ever I have any other car trouble I will look nowhere else.

Oil pressure gauge light was on in my car for the last couple of months. In addition to that, the gauge needle was jumping around from 0 to Max rapidly. So, I thought it was the time to go and have someone check it out. The problem was about the oil pressure gauge switch. I took my car there in the morning and a few hours later it was ready to go. Peter was nice and helpful. Hopefully not, but if I have to go to a repair shop anytime in near future, I would come back here again. read more

Marcelo was awesome! My brakes were squeaking, so I figured a replacement was due. Upon bringing in my car, Marcelo advised me that my brakes were in fact fine, and that it wouldn't be worth replacing them until a later date. He went ahead and checked out the rest of my car, and found that everything was in order. I left without spending a penny, and with a good feeling. These guys are HONEST, and they won't charge you for looking at your car, as any good mechanic should. I'll be bringing my car back to get the brakes done when the time comes, and likely for any other services. Thanks for being honest guys, you rock. read more

Went here again for an oil change. Peter is so honest explained about my check engine light and did not charge or push extra service on me. Will keep bringing our cars in this place is awesome. read more

Our family has been going to Encinitas Automotive for the past 15 years; Peter has taken care of all our cars with honesty and professional workmanship. We have recommended our friends to EA, and they also have been very pleased. We appreciate you very much! read more

Came in this morning to have my car smog check . Also saw that that there a complete car care service. Was told by a previous car center that I need front breaks. They out beat the price of the previous center. Their staff was great, courteous and welling to work with me . Thanks will come back for any service my car needs. Rose read more

Went to Encinitas Automotive for an oil and filter change because I like to support small family businesses like this. I had a very specific "ultra" premium oil I wanted and made sure that was conveyed clearly. Got to the appointment first thing in the morning and sat for 30 minutes waiting for the oil to arrive because the owner Peter said he never orders the oil until the customer shows up, even if they have an appointment. Eventually the oil shows up and I ask to see it to make sure its the right stuff and it turns out it isn't. Honest mistake, not a problem. So they check with their suppliers and can't source it, so I said go ahead with the oil they got. I paid and left. When I checked the invoice later I noticed they charged me $14 a quart for the "ultra" premium oil I originally requested which is about $5 more per quart than the oil that was actually used, and my truck takes 7 quarts, so $35 more than it should have been. Not a huge deal, an honest mistake surely, but enough for me to drive a few blocks to sort it out. So I figured, I'll go chat with Peter and let him know. This didn't go as expected. When I showed him the invoice he immediately got defensive and instead of investigating the issue blurted out "I paid $12 per quart for your oil, we need to mark it up a little to make some money". I am absolutely in support of a business making money of parts and materials sold, but his claim of him paying $12 a quart is either not honest or he got ripped off by his supplier which I told him he should look into because maybe he did get gouged because I could get the oil at any auto parts place for $7.50 a quart. But he wasn't interested in looking into it. By that point he was convinced I was a jerk just trying to get money out of him. It got tense and I just told him I was going to leave but I wasn't happy about the interaction. All I want is a mechanic I can trust and have a conversation with and by that point I knew this wasn't gonna be the shop I was hoping for. As I was leaving he walks over to my truck and says "What do you want ten bucks or something? You want money, here take everything in my wallet" and he empties his wallet of some bills and dumps them in my front seat after I said that is not what I want. I had to walk back into the shop to give the money back while getting some unfriendly looks from the staff. It is a real bummer because Peter seems like a cool guy and I just think he acted reflexively instead of investigating the problem with me. Running a shop is never easy, and it pains me to be someone not leaving a perfect review, but figured my story should be shared. It wasn't ever about the money for me but entirely about having a relationship with someone I can trust and communicate with, without having an incident like this. read more

Peter is absolutely wonderful. I was having car issues, my battery kept dying even after getting a brand new one, and know very little about cars, after taking it to several different places and getting super taken advantage of by terrible people in the industry I am SO HAPPY I finally found my way to Peter, he is so warm, genuine, and honest! He made me feel taken care of and safe, did an amazing job on my car for a really low price and saved the day!!! I will be sending everyone to him from now on! He is a genuinely good human and I wish there were more like him! Thanks Peter, you're the best! read more