Go here for smog checks & customer service is always on point. I came today for an oil change & maintenance, they took my car an hour later (walk in) Highly recommend this place for hybrid prius cars. They are respectful, personable, efficient, give honest rates & estimates for the area. Ive been to Joes tires & Toyota in Berkeley.....now switching my support to this business. The area is walkable & theres Jaffa Coffee Roasters across the street where you can work & wait for your car. Lets support small businesses! read more

I did not have going to Berkeley for smog check on my Bingo card for Friday morning. However, I started in Downtown Oakland at 4 Less Smog Check and when I pulled in and gave them my paperwork, they let me know that things are "in process" but they are currently not at STAR station. Then she gave me a card and told me that Fellow's in Berkeley would honor the $40 rate. I decided, what the heck, let me head over there cuz I need this done and by the time I sat in my car & yelp'd up a new Oakland location, I could be in Berkeley. So off I went and it was super easy. I pulled into their drive, & they immediately let me know where to park. I let them know who sent me and they said they could get started in about 5 min & I could wait in their waiting room. It was fine, but a little cold, so I asked if I could take a walk & they said "sure-just leave us your phone # & we'll call you when it's done." So I did. Found a great little coffee shop around the corner, stopped at Trader Joe's, which is just a block away, and boom! Within 35 min my car was done. No problem at checkout - honored the $40 fee, and also let me know that AAA was across the street & I could go in and pay my registration fee there (since I'm a member) and get my stickers right away! Now that's convenience! read more

These guys saved the day. Car was having electrical issues to which the dealer could not figure out. Someone mentioned giving Fellows a chance. Sure glad I did. They not only identified the issue but were able to fix it at a fraction of the cost the dealer would have charged. Would give 10 stars if possible. read more

I was delighted to find Fellow's Auto for a smog check. While they were busy they took my car in without an appointment. The time estimate to complete the smog check was met. They have a waiting room but it's in a fine area to walk. The best part? Su, the manager, completed the smog certificate and sent me across the street to AAA to complete the DMV paperwork since I am a member. read more

This is a decent place to get a smog check or other minor repairs done. The best part is if you are a AAA member and are registering a car you just purchased that needs a smog check, you can literally walk across the street to the AAA Berkeley branch to get it done while you are getting your car smogged. The location is a bit difficult to find unless you know what you are looking for, especially as there is no left turn to the shop going on MLK Westbound. You have to make a U-turn and turn right to get to the shop. The staff is nice and professional, and there is generally not much of a wait. If you do have an older vehicle that requires a smog test, bear in mind that it takes an hour or two to get their machine running to run the tests necessary to smog older cars. Note that they do not take the coupon on Yelp for checking in. Not sure why. read more

Always friendly I bring my University vehicle yearly since I don't drive much super fast service

The owner was dismissive. Do not take your auto there. I took my auto as a new customer to fellows auto in Berkeley for oil change and asked to check if the auto would pass a smog test. I relayed my car usually does not pass it unless I drive it steadily for an hour and I have not driven it yet today. I requested him just to check if it would pass. When I got back, the owner relayed that the car did not pass and that he reported it already to DMV. He had my mobile number and could have called me. He was dismissive and rude when I picked up my auto. He would not listen to my objection. read more

I went in and the guy was about to help me then I mentioned I had a Groupon and he refused to help me. Said I had to make an appointment 2 hours in advanced. Then said to get the F*** out. He is going to lunch. I've never been treated so bad by some one in the service industry before. DO NOT RECOMMEND GOING read more

I've been bringing my car to Fellow's for about 3 years now, and I cannot say enough good about this place and the people who work there. I've always been treated with respect and given honesty. They always give me options and tell me what is actually necessary versus what can wait, in case I can't afford everything at once. They are kind and don't make me feel stupid when I ask "silly" questions about cars (this is great as a woman). When I first started going, I came in with necessary skepticism, compared prices, and made sure nobody was cheating me out of any money. That skepticism has dissipated and it's so nice not to have to worry about that when my car is acting up. Definitely recommend supporting them! read more

This has been the 2nd time I have been to Fellows and I absolutely adore them. I always get really anxious going to auto repair shops because I don't know sh** about cars and I am very worried about someone scamming me. Here at Fellows, they put my mind at ease by explaining every single step of their process, being forthcoming with prices, and being very personable. I have gotten my oil changed there twice and the most recent time we noticed my tire had some physical damage to it (thanks Berkeley). Instead of trying to sell me tires on the spot or make me feel like this was an urgent matter that he had to deal with, Sue explained I can go to another business but that I had time to research and make a good decision. This is now my go-to auto repair shop and I can't wait to continue giving them my business. Thank you! read more

I appreciate the response. According to the Groupon, I would of been charged $28.25 more due to the year of the vehicle. The moment I told the technician that I had a Groupon he then proceeded to say it's too late for that. So, it's not too late to charge me the full amount? Yeah, I was upset. I read good things about this place and got off work early to do my smog. I don't live in Berkeley and it's an inconvenient. Still no smog, now I'll have problems with the DMV. read more

Fair,quality and honest, I am a mechanic myself and had to get a brake and lamp inspection done, this shop is a quality shop and that's hard to find nowadays read more

I was young and naive when I first brought my 1992 VW Cabriolet to be serviced at Bauer's Auto Repair: I had purchased my car some 6 months prior, and before driving it down to San Luis Obispo I took it in for a tune-up, which ran about $600. It wasn't anything too challenging, so it wasn't until I came back for more significant work that I started to get a sense of the type of people who run Bauer's Auto Repair. I had been driving in SF when my car randomly decided to snooze halfway through an intersection in front of City Hall. After I managed to get the car back to the East Bay (which was a debacle involving a new battery from Wheel Works on Franklin St.), I took it over to Bauer for a new alternator. I was displeased by the fact that the refurbished part was so expensive and that they refused to use a new part. This issue aside, it was the way they tried to sell me repairs that I didn't need and just the general way of handling questions that really galvanized my decision to stop going there. I don't need to be talked to like an idiot, because I used to take care of my minor repairs myself back when I had access to tools and a garage. I have been much happier for the past two years since switching to Berkeley Auto Service, because there they treat you with respect and actually provide good customer service in addition to superlative auto service. I'd think twice about bringing your car here -- there are plenty of better places to go in and around Berkeley. read more

Highly recommend wthout reservation. Patrick and his team dedicated a complete service from beginning to finish for my vechicle. They constantly update me with the service progress. They are completely honest as their vision statement stated. They knew I wouldn't pass the smog check at check in as I recently just changed battery for my 20ish old van, they suggested me to drive more mileage before I have it test again. So save me some bucks right there. Their charges are more than fair with such customized services I received. There are a lot more good things to say about Fellows but my hands are soars typing this on my cell phone. Fellows is the one I would rely on for all auto related repairs from now on. Feel free to contact me if you ever doubt. ^_^ read more

THESE GUYS ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED DO NOT GO HERE!! My Truck Passed Smoke Test & Star Smog Test at EZ Star Smog Test Only on San Pablo these fellows Failed my lil Truck - tried to charge me for a Smoke test $125hr and full hour up front - rarely do they take a full hour - stay away from Bauer Smog in Berkeley go to EZ !! Happy Driving! ps. gave these guys the opp. to refund my $60 & make good. WOT - waste of time- they need a visit from the authorities. :( read more

These guys are good at what they do. They know what they're doing, and their prices are reasonable. Here's a quick breakdown about the place. Pro: -decently priced -quick service -seems reliable -was able to fix my problem w/o too much problems. and they were able to do it at the time requested Cons: -ducked away and kinda hard to find -don't speak "perfect" english -don't have parts in their store read more

I've been impressed with the quality of service I received from Fellow's Auto Repair as well as how quickly they've been able to find the problem with my car and then fix it! As having reliable transportation is essential to my work, I'm grateful for how quickly and effectively this auto repair service has been able to get my car running again, so I don't experience much downtime that can be costly both in terms of time and income. Plus, my experience in doing business with them is that they not only provide quality service to their customers but they are also honest and ethical! read more

These guys did a great job on our truck! The part they changed was a plastic tube about two feet long. The Ford dealer wanted almost $350 just for the part... Allen found an after market part for about half that. This job was done in one day when all the other garages (I called about fifteen) said it would take 3 to 5 days... read more

I bought a cheap old Jeep Cherokee. And the day after I bought it...the check engine light went on so I couldn't smog it, thus couldn't register or drive it (legally) - Su was the best at working on solving the numerous issues and even though it was an older model car - he persisted and finally resolved the issue! Very trustworthy and great pricing for all the work and research he did for me. My mechanic for life. read more

Daylight robbery! They charged me $200 for a $55 "check engine light" code check. I was running late and was stupid when I agreed to let them have $200.00 to see simply what codes were listed when my engine light came on. They even made me leave the car overnight for a 1.5hr procedure. I then left for Santa Rosa Transmissions, where they retrieved the codes for $55 and took them less than 2hrs. Please check reviews first, then compare prices at multiple shops before settling. Lesson learned! read more

I love these guys. Very thorough and thoughtful. They did their darnedest to save me money and effort when my VW was taken down by oil sludge. They did research and sent me off to the dealer to get a recall issue taken care of before they proceeded with their diagnosis. Ultimately, we decided that the engine was not worth resuscitating. But the entire time I felt like we were in good, honest, thoughtful hands. read more

I have a great fear of mechanics and Bauer's didn't help. I went here because I had to have repairs done after failing a smog check. The state of California provided some monetary assistance for repairs, but I had to take the car in to one of their certified mechanics. Bauer's was the closest to my house and received the best ratings on Yelp (most of the other places got very low ratings). The man who helped me seemed really nice. He listened to what I had to say and answered all of my questions. They replaced the catalytic converter, which had been replaced two years before. The man at Bauer's assured me this one would last longer because standards for catalytic converters are higher than they were two years ago. When I first got back in my car, I noticed that 100 miles had been put on it while it was at Bauer's. This bothered me, but I figured maybe they were running lots of trails on it to make sure it passed the smog test. This was about six months ago. More recently my car started making a loud buzzing noise, and when I took it in to a mechanic I trust, they told me the welding on the catalytic converter had come undone. I'd take it back to Bauer's, but I'm very afraid something else will go wrong while it's in their care. Try Oceanworks in Berkeley or RC Imports in El Cerrito instead. Both seem incredibly honest and get great ratings on Yelp. I think RC Imports has lower prices. read more

I went in for a routine smog check after checking several other places nearby. I chose Fellow's because they offered a $20 off coupon online, which once applied made the total price, $39.99, more or less equal to rates at other places. When I went for my appointment my coupon was not honored. I was told "$39 was the special we have now" and that it was a better rate than the $64 I would otherwise be charged. However, the website never indicated that a smog check for my vehicle would be $64, and that $39.99 was a special. Despite showing the man who helped me the base price I found online as $39.99 (and it not saying anything about that being a promotional price), my coupon was still not honored. read more

I highly recommend their smog check and oil change service. Fast service in reasonable price. The owner, Patrick, is nice and knowledgeable. I don't normally write reviews, and they definitely deserve a five star review!! read more

Don't go here. Just don't. I have an 1996 ford explorer, which failed a smog test due to the check engine light. The test station gave me the code, which indicated that the cam shaft sensor was bad. So, I take it to Bauer's. They charge me $200 for the diagnosis. Fine, I thought, since I had looked into the part before hand and saw that it was about $150, but I'm okay with that as long as I'll have a passable car under $500. They then quote me for labor, which seems extensive, but okay... Looking at $600 for this fix. They call me back the next day to say that a magnet or something had dropped off, and that somehow this was going to cost an additional $500. Also, they would have to reset the computer, which would add $150. I knew this only involved driving the car 60 miles to reset it, which they admitted after I pressed them. I declined the fix and told them I'd pick it up the next day. So I go to pick it up, and even though absolutely nothing had been done, they charged me $600 total for labor, nothing fixed at all. I understand some labor was involved, but $600??? Unacceptable. I took the car to Smog Repair on Auto Row, who are awesome, and they're fixing it for $360 total. That's parts and labor. Long story short: Bauer's will rip you off and screw you over. Don't go here. p.s. This is the first review I've ever written on Yelp. That's how much frustration this place caused me. read more

190$ for a diagnostic of the wipers. No comment. Plus the guy was not nice at all. Reading the other reviews it is not surprising

This place is totally shady and I won't go back. I failed my smog test and they suggested I get a diagnostic test for over $200. I told them I did not want the diagnostic test and would take it to my own mechanic. They tried to convince me that this was a mistake. My own mechanic was able to do a computer diagnostic reading in 1 Minutes and for free. My own mechanic also gave me advice about putting in premium gas and warming up the car before I take it in for another smog. I went to a Different smog test station 2 days later and was able to pass. read more

I used Bauer's for a smog system repair. The State of Califoria offers a $500.00 grant to do smog system repairs. And this is one of the shops. In doing research I was told lies and was quoted all range of prices........ you see they are entitled to 2.5 hours of their shop rate to diagnose the problem - one shop was charging nearly $300.00 to diagnose a problem. These guys work for a reasonable rate. They took all the time I needed to explain the State's program and the process to get the work done on my old Honda Accord. I beg to differ with the negative review....... I often have trouble understanding foreign accents, but understood both Minh and Al perfectly well. AND best of all, they worked around my busy schedule. The work was done three hours ahead of schedule. read more

Why anyone would write a bad review about this place is a mystery to me. They are efficient, honest, friendly and reasonable. What else can you ask of an auto shop? When I come here, I know I am taken care. One thing to note is that they don't push you to do anything. When I called to ask about my battery issue, the owner was very nice and patient to explain to me what the possible causes were and gave me a few options to choose from. read more

My car started making noise when I applied the brakes so I brought my car to Bauer's Auto Repair. The mechanics were thorough in their inspection and very honest. They told me exactly what the problem was and gave me an accurate estimate of how much it would cost before working on my car. Although the cost of labor was a bit more than I expected, I would say the quality of service and friendliness of the employees more than made up for the cost. I would highly recommend Bauer's Auto Repair to anyone. read more

My E90 328i had been leaking coolant and for 2 weeks I've been looking around the East Bay for a shop that I can trust that won't break my wallet. I was topping off my coolant tank every other day and was getting annoyed by it, it was a good thing I found Patrick and his team! And it didn't take long for him to find the leak, turned out my radiator had a crack. It's never cheap, ever, to replace a radiator especially on a German car but Patrick gave me a reasonable quote and guaranteed his work will be worth it. I agreed and left my car on a Tuesday and two days later, I got my car back running amazing and no leaks! Patrick was very helpful that I took my car to him again to put new headlights on which looks great on my car! If you want work done on your German car, Patrick is the guy to go. Anything I need done on my car in the future, I'll be going to Patrick. read more

I dropped in here for a smog check without an appointment and was in and out in 30 minutes. Su helped me and he is great. He even tipped off my washer fluid because he noticed that my indicator light was on. I will definitely return here and recommend them to anyone in the east bay. read more

I brought my Jeep in for a smog test and the mechanics suggested that I get my tires rotated. When I picked up my vehicle I didn't notice that three original bolts were missing until I had went home. When I asked the owner about it, he pretended not to know what happened. These new owners are nothing at all like Mr Bauer who used to own the shop. read more

I have been coming to these guys for years and can't say enough good things about them. They do a great job of explaining things and I never feel ripped off or taken advantage of as I have at other places. Great, professional service! I appreciate everything you guys do! read more

I was referred here by the guys at the Bus Lab after my '77 VW Bus failed miserably at a "test only" smog place who had predicted major engine repairs. The price was a little steep at $300 - but they were able to diagnose and fix the simple issues in short order. I can see why there are going to be some folks who would rate them lower due to cost but think about where they are located in the heart of Berkeley and you can appreciate the cost of operation a little better. Tip- show up and do business in person! I noted some service issues if the phone is involved... Less than professional. read more

I went there the first two times I needed to go to a car mechanics in Berkeley because of its convenient location. Big mistakes! Went there for an engine light and for malfunctioning air-conditioner. Prices were way too high compared to other places. Too painful to think how much they over-charged me. Initially I thought it was just a California thing but then I learned to do due diligence and research online first. read more

These guys did an awesome job with my truck. I needed a smog check but my truck is too old for most places to (happily) work on. The guys at Fellows We're super fast, polite, and conveniently located. Best of all, they have a a great price! I'll definitely come back next time. read more

I was across the street at AAA replacing my license plates, and didn't have the tool needed to remove the old ones. The AAA employee suggested I go across the street to Fellow's. There, Su and his assistant not only took the old plates off for me, but let me leave my car there while I went across the street to exchange them for the new ones. When I returned, they had topped off my fluids, and proceeded to put the new plates on for me, all for no charge. Very nice, helpful "fellows"! read more

What great, honest guys here! Loved the owner Patrick ! Articulate and professional- explained our car problem and did no unnecessary repairs. read more

I busted both my front u-joints and axle assemblies on my Jeep while off-roading over the weekend. This was beyond my ability to repair. I'm not from the area, so I asked around and got directed to Bauer's. Allen and his crew honestly diagnosed my vehicle, were able to line up new and used parts (as per my request), and turned the job around super quick before the 4th of July holiday so I could attend my next trip. The repairs are solid and I had a great experience. Thanks! read more