Car broke down on Sunday evening. Made online booking for Monday, received confirmation of booking within a hour. Communicated process before starting any work, communicated car problems and asked for my approval to work on car, communicated when car was ready for pickup. After driving car for a week, my car literally runs like a new car. read more

Loyal customer for many years. Must have spent over 20K on service for my vehicle. Light was on for tire inflation. My fault for not knowing what this was. It was a simple needed air. They took the car and later that day called and said it was ready. ALL THEY DID WAS PUT AIR INTO IT AND DROVE IT AROUND THE BLOCK. Charged me $117.00. About 6 months later the light comes on again. Went to Big Discount Tire Pros. They put air into it and told me to drive it about a block. The light went off, and it was FREE. I felt I really got taken by Engine Works. I understand they used a tech to do this, but for sure they shouldn't have charged me, or maybe $10 bucks for the air.... :)) I feel like a shmuck. read more

Honest, fast, and fairly priced - Engine Works is my new go-to. I came in on 7/23 for the 90k service on my 2013 Toyota RAV4. The front desk person (there 28 years!) checked my Carfax and caught that the dealership had already done most of the work - something they never told me while quoting $1900. At Engine Works, I got only what I needed for $190, with no pressure, no upselling, and full transparency. He even declined a tip, saying, "I've been here 28 years - I'm not going to change my honest ways now." They gave me a roadmap for future maintenance, the estimate matched the final invoice, and online booking was easy. I dropped off at 10am, and it was done by noon - much faster than expected. The staff was friendly, they welcomed my two trained dogs, and my car is running better than ever. I commuted from Oakland and it was absolutely worth it. I will definitely be back. read more

Very honest and trustworthy. My BMW was overheating so I took it to Engine Works. I was hoping for a simple fix but the total estimate came out to $4400. It requires 10 hour labor plus parts. Needless to say, it was unpleasantly surprising. However, the owner, Eric, suggested looking into California emission warranty. So I called the BMW dealership and surprisingly they said yes they do cover under the warranty. So I towed away my car to BMW dealership and they are working on it as we speak. At no charge. What a relief. Engine works could have not mention the California admission warranty iand pocket the money . They saved me $4400. Again, I am 100% confident that they are honest, trustworthy, and very professional. Kudos to them!! read more

I've taken my 1988 Corvette there 3 times. 2000 took car there for steering problem, they broke the Hood release cable, took the steering column out and forgot to reconnect the Horn. 2025 took car there to fix heating system that wouldn't turn off. Picked up car after repair and now the Radio doesn't work. Terrible read more

Have brought many cars here over the 14 years I have lived in Alameda. Always comprehensive, honest, communicative, and thorough. Never had to return for a post-work issue, however I know the team would take accountability if that were to take place. They do provide great follow-up, and even ask about how prior work/cars are doing. Highly recommend - these guys will work on pretty much anything. We have brought our 911 (996), e30s (two different ones), Highlander, WRX, and C7 Audi A7. I am probably forgetting a couple cars. read more

Our car actually broke down in front of the shop and we asked him to give us a quote for replacing the fuel pump. After a $225 charge to tell us the full pump needed to be replaced (that was ok with us) he proceeded to give us a $2000 bill for replacement. When I sent the bill to my very expensive BMW shop in Walnut Creek , they laughed and said they would easily do it for $1300. He actually had a $112 charge to change a relay which takes about 30 seconds. We had the car towed from his shop. Try not to gouge people. read more

Services requested. Took my car in to have a brake hose replaced (10$ part less than1hr worth of labor). Eric and his crew found a way to charge 800$. The charged a 150$ diagnostic fee to confirm the job we originally requested. The brake hose was leaking, there was a tear, brake fluid showing where the issue was but they charged to make sure it wasn't coming from any of the other hoses. They then charged a cleaning fee for the leaked brake fluid. Then they decided the brake pads were compromised, and instead of changing the compromised brake pads, they replaced both sets of brakes and rotors. When I called to complain they said 'we can't just replace a brake pad, they are sold in sets'. When I complained that they were finding unnecessary work, the owner Eric, explained to me that they could probably have found so much more. read more

I had a check engine light come on, so I stopped into O'Reilly Auto Parts for a free computer diagnosis. It was either a spark plug, wiring coil, or injector. I set up an appointment at Engine Works online. I received an email confirmation for the next day. When I arrived at the shop on time for my appt, I was greeted by the little office, and told they were behind for the day and probably wouldn't get to my car that day, so I could leave it or come back the next day. When explaining the issue, I was told how complex it would be to figure out what the problem was. I decided to take my car back and perhaps return the next day. I wound up not going back, and no one followed up with me to see if I was coming, or find out why I didn't. I have a hard time knowing I had a confirmed appt but when I showed up on time, wasn't taken care of. Of course things happen, but a phone call before I headed to the shop would've been an ideal courtesy for my time. read more

Just moved to the area a few months ago and needed some car repair work done. I needed to get new shocks and they worked to find the best deal possible for me. They also take the time to explain what is going on with you car which is really helpful! read more

4.5 stars, if it would let me indicate that. Engine Works are still awesomeness even after I switched vehicles quite a few years ago. To be fair, I'd been going to the dealership then back to Big E Automotive, who may as well be Engine Works' Peninsula cousins. But when the codes thrown were too urgent to slog across a bridge, EW to the rescue. Practically walkable. My only complaint is despite having an appointment, I had to call in the next day for an update. A same-day call even to say we're still at it would have been 5 stars. That aside, everyone was friendly, explained specifically what was going on, and worked with me in deciding priority of repairs. Sooo glad EW is still an Alameda fixture with emphasis on fix. read more

Best auto mechanics I have ever worked with, hands down. I value honesty - and these gentlemen let me know what I needed to fix, when it was needed, and offered an extremely reasonable price for an absolute ton of work and got it done quickly. They kept in contact with me consistently and were extremely professional throughout the entire process. My new car is literally purring now - and it's only because of Engine Works. Highly, highly recommend over others in the area. I actually asked them to book me after calling them, not the other way around. I'll be back for every servicing my car needs from here on out, they've earned a lifetime customer with me! read more

I came to engineworks in search of a trustworthy shop that does quality work. What i found was the exact opposite. Dishonest overpriced unsafe car repairs. My power steering was spraying fluid under my hood and i thought it might be the high pressure hose needing to be replaced. I took it to Engineworks to have them check it out and they tell me my power steering pump needed to be replaced and quoted me $675 (thats WITH AAA discount). It took 2 days(thurs, fri) and they barely finished by the end of the day friday and tried to keep my car for the weekend even though it should have been finished earlier and I dont live far i was totally willing to rush over and pick up my car but no they wanted to keep it for the weekend. Anyway we agreed someone would be at the shop saturday so i could pick up the car. They tell me if the power steering is noisy after 250 miles the pump is under warrenty no worries bring it back they will put another one in. From day 1 the pump has sounded very noisy and not turning properly. There's a grinding rubbing sound and feeling when i park, which IS MUCH WORSE THAN BEFORE I HAD THE "REPAIRS" and when im on the highway entering a turn it feels like im steering a yacht instead of my sporty lexus! VERY DANGEROUS!!! How do you charge someone nearly $1k and they willingly pay you and you do faulty work on someone STEERING?! Terrible and shameful. And thats not even it! They mentioned that the power steering pumps they use are rebuilt, yet i see brand new pumps for my car online for $100, so that means they charged my $600 for labor? AND DIDNT USE A NEW PUMP? Do the math... THEN when i finally bring my car back to them to figure out what went wrong and replace the loud pump like they said they would, they claim they loose noisy feeling in my power steering now is due to rubber bushing in my power steering system failing/deteriorating due to being coated with power steering fluid from the original problem. And that the noisy rebuilt pump they put isnt unusually loud. So they didnt notice these bushings when they worked on my power steering system? Soo Then they claim they want $400 to replace the rubber bushing they failed to tell me about when i originally brought my car to them for diagnosis...? Which im POSITIVE cost $10 and could have EASILY been replaced WHEN WORKIN ON THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM... after all this they havent replaced the loud noisy power steering pump they charged $700 for and want another $400. Unacceptable the worst part is not only is covid 19 threatening and stressing us all, but as i told the team at engineworks my mom had a stroke amidst all of this, so i have more important things to focus on. Yet stuff like this jus adds on to the hardship and stress. read more

I've always gotten my car smogs done here over the many years and they never disappoint. They've delivered fast, efficient service and never tried to up charge me. read more

Friendly and accommodating on short notice. I got a smog check and what a relief to have a local place.

I finally found a great mechanic. The best mechanic EVER since Car-LOS retired a decade ago. Honest, excellent, detailed, TRUSTWORTHY, fair price (WAY less than dealership), capable, able to work on all three of my old cars (including Lincoln). Most recently, my daughter was given her grandma's 2007 Lincoln, and as we drove away things started happening. Windshield wipers spray on the hood. A week later, back door stops locking. Four weeks later the other back door window falls down inside the door. GREAT. The free bottomless money pit car! Engine works fixed everything and checked the car out totally. Not only is the car literally perfect now, but I feel so much better knowing that it's been checked out by this team. I can't say "I can't wait to come back," LOL but if any of my cars have any issues, I will 100% only be coming here. THANK YOU to Vince and the Engine Works Crew!!!!! read more

They have serviced our cars for over 15 years. Honest, reliable and up front with what needs to be done to your car to keep you safe. We have always felt like family. Highly recommend them read more

I hate being so dependent on cars. I really hate being so dependent on car repair places. So when I had to finally get brake repair -- with no shop in mind -- I felt stuck. I remembered a friend talking about RepairPal (review to follow) so I pulled up the website and started looking for a place I could trust. That's where I found Engine Works. Highly rated, upfront repair estimate, close by with overnight drop off -- everything I was looking for. And making an appointment online meant I could get a spot early and not sweat the timing. Turned out I did not need brakes as I was told by the dealer (email to manager to follow) and I learned some good bits from the guys at Engine Works. Car and brakes are in good shape and I'm driving these mean streets knowing I've got plenty of stopping power. Peace of mind is priceless. So is knowing you're working with reputable and honest folks. Bookmarked and I'll be back. I love a great car shop! read more

Just picked up my truck that needed the tie rod ends replaced....I bought my own parts and brought it to them to do the work. Now, they broke it down and come to find out the parts were not the right ones due to an after market lift which was not disclosed. They went above and beyond and called around for me to try and find the right parts that fit. For one they didn't need to do the extra research but they did. They were already closing and they gave me a part number to pick up at 4 wheel parts. All in all most shops would have charged more in my experience. The techs are great and seems a lot personal than just them taking your money. Would definitely go back.... read more

I needed a new engine. Unfortunately, I bought a lemon and no one was going to take responsibility for it (another story). After a lot of back and forth between the dealer and the manufacturer of my car, I ended up taking it to Engine Works on the recommendation of an awesome mechanic down at Big Discount Tire Pros. From the moment I got on the phone with Vince, and through all of my subsequent interactions with Eric, this shop was nothing but polite, professional, straight forward and efficient. They did everything write, and even helped me document what the original dealer should have done before selling me the car. They replaced my engine for a fraction of the cost that the manufacturer quoted and notified me every step of the way of even the most minor changes to our contract. If I could give Engine Works 10 stars, I would. Highly, highly recommend! read more

These guys are the best! I couldn't find anyone who would smog my '77 dodge. (I had called 8 different shops previously with no luck). Eric and his crew worked with me to help me narrow down my issues, source and test smog parts, install them, and ultimately help me get my truck legal and back on the road again. Thanks so much to Eric, Rem, Vince and crew for your help! I'm finally able to enjoy my truck and I couldn't be happier. read more

Best shop in town, hands down. Eric and his team are efficient, kind, timely and honest. When I first got my truck I had taken it to another shop for a shuddering problem. They had no idea what the issue was but still charged me 1800 to fix what they thought it probably was. The shuddering persisted so I decided to see the folks at Engine Works since they are right by my job. Eric quickly diagnosed the issue and I've taken my truck-o to him countless times now. Honest and fair pricing for a job well done and peace of mind. read more

Brought my 2002 Yukon which was having electrical issues. Engine works diagnosed the part that shorted out very quickly, and Vince communicated this to me and he ordered the part. Highly recommend. Great job ! read more

I took my truck here for its 100k mile tuneup at 95k miles. They did all the typical tuneup stuff like new sparkplugs, wires, serpentine belt, etc. Expensive but it needed to be done. First the belt went bad but I heard a piece of it slapping the hood as it was turning. Then at 120k miles something happened. Rats were in my engine compartment and chewed thru wires to the CPU. There was a lack of communication between the engine and transmission. The transmission wasn't shifting when it should and the engine had lost it's performance. It just forgot how to accelerate and could only get to about 35-40 mph on the freeway with a running start. Maybe 45-50 with a downhill to help. I brought it in and explained this all to them. Apparently the guy who took it in didn't relay any of the information to the guy doing the work. Their diagnosis was 1 bad sparkplug, which I'd gotten from them about 25k miles prior. I explained it all again to the mechanic who was telling me about the sparkplug and he turned away from the phone and muttered that it made sense. He then told me about a loose bolt on my exhaust manifold. Why wouldn't he just tighten it up? When I got it back I checked them and the bolt was broken. You'd think he'd just use that to drum up more business. Newer transmission with only 100k miles, no change. New CPU, no change. I got another truck with a manual transmission and the DMV said I'd have to continue paying insurance for it even though I wasn't driving it. So I sold it to Pick-a-Part to get quick cash for it even though I'd just poured thousands into it. read more

I really wanted to like Engine Works. Local Alameda business, great Yelp reviews, etc. Scheduled a deluxe oil change for my minivan. We usually have all our major work at a Honda specialist I've been using for 30+ years over several Hondas and Toyotas. But he's 45 minutes away and all I need is an oil change and I'm too lazy to do it myself. Asked we come in early, so we did. We were there at 8:30am. The said they needed it all day and would call us when done. No problem. By end of day, no call. Thought that was odd, so called next morning, they said it was ready (then why no call?), went by and picked it up. They mentioned the brakes needed immediate replacing with less than 1mm left. The rest of the service looked OK. A week later I took it to my regular mechanic. He measured the brakes and said they had 2.5mm left, probably good enough for 10k more. That discrepancy, combined with the no call after service, leads me to the 3* review. For anything other than an oil change, I'm going elsewhere. read more

This was a very good experience. Vince was very helpful informative and the service was great they also maintained well sterilization techniques according to COVID. I would definitely recommend them to anyone needing service for their car! read more

Brought my car in regarding check engine light as well as a rough ride. Was told I had a bad knock sensor and worn belts. Problem is the rough ride I discovered later, was due to a rip in the bottom of my tire tread. My tire ripped apart on I5 on my way back to LA the same day I picked up my car from the shop. When I left I knew the car wasn't right but didn't feel that this shop was competent and was hoping to make it to another shop. If I had known it was the tire, would have obviously just changed it. My issue lies in that I don't feel that my car was properly test driven to make sure it was driving ok. The rough ride was completely obvious and any good mechanic would have investigated further. My guess is they checked my engine code (because i told them to) and looked at the belts and only drove the vehicle from the street it was parked on, to inside the shop. Luckily I didn't lose control of my car when the tire fully ripped apart on the freeway. Another complaint that I have is the car looked like it had been driven through wet cement. There was cement all over the inside of my wheel well, as well as on my tires. Basically I paid $115 (almost tried to charge me $210 for two hours of labor) for an oil change, a not properly diagnosed problem with my car and cement to power wash of my wheel wells. Not being thorough is a real problem for a mechanic and could have put me in a really dangerous situation (if changing a spare at night on the shoulder of I5 wasn't dangerous enough). read more

I would like to forewarn the alameda consumer about this establishment !!!! So today I got a call from an associate by the name of Vince that works for this establishment telling me that my vehicle was not going to be ready today after being told that it would be ! Mind you my vehicle was brought to them on Friday at 10:30 AM. I was also told that this establishment was professional, and knew what they were doing!!! Vince told me that my vehicle was not going to be ready for me today after telling me on Friday it would. He told me what the problem was he told me what it was gonna cost me and I agreed and told him to go ahead and take care of the repair so Monday rolls around and he tells me that the car is not going to be ready and that it's going to be extra money and extra time.!!!!! I don't know what business can tell somebody that your vehicle is going to be ready on one day and then tell him that's not read more

Engine works has terrible Prius mechanics who mansplain over and over as if to suggest that someone doesn't agree because they are ignorant. My Prius wouldn't start at home and then would turn on and shut down with the pressure of the brake and wouldn't shift into gear. I had to have it towed. Engine Works had my car for a 4 days and did nothing to fix it, saying they couldn't diagnose the problem because it started up for them without repeating what it had done at home. They charged me 200 for this "diagnostic" work they did which told them nothing and tried to do maintenance on my car that was not needed. I would have paid 700 if I hadn't started asking questions. They insisted that I must have left the gear in neutral overnight, and repeated this 4 different times! When I would disagree saying that wasn't possible because my car lets me know and won't shut down, they repeated it again! So now almost $500 later, it is happening again in the rain during rush hour after work and I have to find a a mechanic who actually understands Prius engines and spend another several hundred dollars to have the work done that Engine Works didn't do but still charged me for. Terrible business ethics. read more

My car broke down on the freeway and started bleeding fluids everywhere. One AAA tow later, the guys at Engine Works diagnosed the car toasted and found a huge hole in the side of the engine block.. this is too pricy to fix and the guys didn't charge me for the once over. Thank you, I appreciate your service. read more

How much do I love EW...let me count the ways....great service, clean facility, friendly folks and now free service for the second time in a row!! I bought a car in October 2019 and had a problem with a melted battery terminal right after the COVID shut down began. They kept it overnight, tried to charge the battery and advised I return it to the dealer. ( Yes, it was warranty work). Now that we are able to leave our houses again I thought I should have the oil changed even though I've only driven 1000 miles since purchasing the car. Vince checked the oil and all the other fluids, topped off the windshield fluid and told me to come back another time, nothing was needed now. Talk about service!!! I'm so thankful this business has survived the last year and will never go anywhere else. May even need to take them a box of candy now that the COVID restrictions are being lifted. read more

I recently had an experience with engine works good really defines how good an operation this since. My check engine light to come on in my 2007 Subaru outback and I decided, based on many of the reviews here, to have them check it out. The problem was, that that it was not an obvious and easy solution. Even with the aid of the computer system on the car, there were a range of possibilities that could've caused it. They ended up having to go through multiple steps to ultimately figure out what was causing the issue. But, they had an interesting approach of installing a new component, seeing if it made a difference, and if it didn't, they would remove it and not charge me either for the part or the labor. Ultimately, they determined what was causing the problem and the light is off now. I was most impressed with how they kept me up-to-date throughout the process. I was impressed enough that they're going to take care of any future problems with my car. I highly recommend them for Subaru owners in particular. Had my second opportunity to use these guys. I needed to get a new timing belt installed and they took care of it, water pump, a new power steering pump (The old one was leaking badly) and replaced all my belts. The job was done quickly, effectively, and once again these guys were fantastic it's my go to Subaru repair place. I give them two thumbs up and two big toes as well. read more

The staff here are friendly, knowledgeable, and like-able. They explain things in detail. I bring all our family cars here, and they seem to be able to service them all. One of the qualities I seek is trust, and I feel my car(s) are in good hands read more

I completely trust both the business side and the mechanical competence of Eric and his team.

Getting your car fixed is usually a stressful experience but they helped to make it easy on me. They were able to fit me in and take a look at my car on short notice. They set the right expectations up front which help this go real smooth. They worked super quick and even found a discount for me I wasn't aware of. Would recommend to anyone read more

I'm surprised these guys don't have more reviews considering they've gotten "Best Auto Shop" by Alameda Magazine. I was referred to Engine Works by Steve at Big O Tires when I had the Engine Light on in my 97 Honda Accord Station Wagon. Big O did a great job so I was confident that Engine Works would do satisfactory work as well. I was not disappointed! Not only did they give me a great deal on the part I needed, but everyone there was friendly, professional and helpful to boot. They even saved me money by getting a Honda part versus a Napa part. The vintage auto posters in the bathroom are a nice touch. I'll definitely be going back if and when the car Gods frown on me and give me a reason to come back. P.S. Going to Alameda gave me an excuse to stop by Julie's for some wonderful tea. So extra points to Engine Works for getting my butt to Alameda and Julie's! read more

Level of long-term service is amazing. Eric has been honorable and awesome. I brought in my old Prius for a steering apparatus change. We got a part off ebay and I paid 30% more for Eric to accept the warranty offered by the ebay merchant. The part came and was installed fine, and I drove away happy. 6 months later the replacement started acting up and we got another replacement without issue. 6 months after THAT, the 2nd replacement was getting a little dodgy, and not only did Eric offer to replace it again, he also thought of, proposed, ordered, and installed a related part that may have been malfunctioning as well. Throughout he's been open and honest and considerate and friendly. I use Engine Works for everything now. :) read more

* 4.5 stars * Friendly/helpful mechanics, timely service, reasonable prices, and a comprehensive, thoughtful job are all reasons why this place gets 4.5 stars from me. It was hard trying to find something to complain about... but after some thought I guess I wish they were still doing the $19.99 oil change deal (they have a local phone book coupon for that out that they said they're wanting to not honor anymore). Though they only had a waiting bench and not a waiting room I didn't care at all because hey, at least they had a [pretty clean] customer restroom. I'd like to come back for future oil changes (at the special price, anyway) or other auto maintenance... Good work guys! read more

This is late, as it's been a year since I was there for a regular servicing, but really recommend Engine Works. I got my 2006 Scion serviced there and they were fast, professional, and friendly - plus the car has been running great. They highlighted a few things to keep an eye on, but weren't pushy about trying to sell me a whole bunch of extra services. read more

Updated review. Long turn arounds. They do good work most of the time. Too many cars coming in and out which leads to some sloppy work. Being told things were done and they were not. Just not feeling so good about the overall experience. I spent at least 10K dollars with them and I'm not willing to give them any more chances to make it right. Sorry Engine Works but you've lost a loyal customer. Thanks. read more