We were visiting family in Berkeley and our BMW began to skip and shudder, then the engine light went on. I immediately went to YELP and found Frank's. I called him up on a Friday afternoon, and he said to come right over. He diagnosed the issues and then made an early appointment for us Saturday morning. When we arrived, he put the car up on the jack, and noticed a problem with the axel, and he recommended fixing this too. When we returned to pick up the car, everything was done as promised, and his staff showed me the replaced old parts. Because of the great service, our daughter decided to go to him for her Nissan, and when she dropped us off to get our car, she asked to have the staff look at her door rubber molding that was coming off. Franks brother looked at the problem and promptly fixed it on the spot, and refused to charge her! Now both of my daughters who live in Berkeley will go to Franks, and we will travel 300 miles to have him continue servicing our BMW. Great service, great people, and professional and honest, it does not get better than this in car service. read more

I bought a car from a long time customer of Frank. The car had 175xxx miles on it, but $1500 worth of work was performed on the car by Frank 6 months beforehand. I usually would get work done by my personal mechanic, but the previous owner and Frank both asked me to bring it to Franks Engineering Clinic, so I did. The check engine light came on while I was test driving it so the owner brought it back to Frank and was charged $430. I bought the car the day it was picked up from the shop and the light came back on 2 miles after I got it on the road. I bought it back to Frank, he worked on it for a hour and "guaranteed" it would not break down on my way to a job interview in Santa Cruz the next day but the car would not make it over the hill ; I was on the side of highway 17 for hours with waiting for a tow truck so they could bring it all the way back to berkeley so Frank could work on it AGAIN. Weeks later after I've been calling Frank constantly with no reply...when i finally got ahold of him he said there was nothing he can do to fix the car, and that we should scrap it. Thanks Frank.... read more

Beware!!!! Guy is extremely friendly and he will make you feel like you have been his friend for years. He did fix one of my cars and the job was fine, except that there were a few screws and parts missing, which I had to purchase on ebay and fix myself. Moral: never trust a mechanic that does not put all the parts back. Your car will be plagued with problems later......... Then I brought my other car to my friend Frank: When I went to pick up the car - I found screws on the floor and covers were missing. The engine could not start and was nonoperational, stalling and jerking. I asked Frank to look at that. Then friendly Frank turned on the dime: he started cursing my car and basically accusing me of lying. He claimed that I did not have those covers - though it was obvious. (why would I lie that the were there when they are obviously missing !?) (they do a sloppy job and half of your parts will not be placed back) He had no explanation to why the engine is jerking - he said it was the way I brought it in...!? Then what was the fixing about? He then wanted to return my money and have me go away. It was obvious that he is hiding something. I did not want my money back, I just wanted my car fixed as I had no way to leave the garage. I told him it is about his reputation - not about my money. I do not care about money, I want him to be honorable mechanic. Then he reached inside my car, grabbed his invoice which he tear apart and then stuck my check onto my windshield as I did not want to take it back. I told him he just wanted to destroy the record that my car was there and what they did. He wanted me and my car to disappear as we never existed :). Then he threatened me that he can turn nasty. (in retrospective I should have called police at that point, but one does not think quick in those situations) This is my friend that greeted me with a hug when I came to pick up my car! :) I somehow managed to move the stalling car to the nearby gas station where I found that one of the vacuum houses was improperly connected (I do know my car) and I fixed that quickly, the car started working, so I could at least drive it. However, there is still jerking and stalling of the engine so I will have to spend couple of hours fixing the mess that they left behind. Obviously, his mechanic was messing with things he does not understand. ( I will have to go through manuals and set the engine properly as he obviously does not know nor understand. I am also a good mechanic - probably better then he is, but I do not do that for living). I will post an update once I fix it to what they did.... In the end, I paid nothing for his work, but not everything is about money - I just wanted an honest work and I wanted him to act honorably. He obviously is not acting as an honorable man. I told him - it is his reputation and his integrity! Berkeley is a small town and word goes around. Fake friendliness, dishonest and dirty work - this is what this place is about. Sadly this is the business model of many (Dealers included): manager or the owner will be friendly and likable, to get your business. Promises will be made. Friendships too. The quality of work depends only on how much he is paying his mechanics - usually not much as good mechanics are extremely hard to find. One should really look at his mechanics. They are nice guys, but not trained to do a clean job. read more

I just have to take a moment to brag about how GREAT this shop is! Frank and his crew do the BEST work on cars by far (and I've gone to many places over the years for repairs). When I brought my car in the other day the engine was making the car jerk around, the brakes sounded weird, it was dusty on the outside and chaos on the inside. The car I got back the next day was sparkling on the inside and out, the engine prrrr'd like a kitten, and no scary brake sound at all! Frank was even nice enough to drive me to the nearest Enterprise and got me a great deal on a rental for the day. The shop really is a full repair establishment. They do it all - internal car repairs, detailing, body damage, etc. I would never take my car anywhere else!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND. read more

I've been going to Frank's for 6 years now and haven't been disappointed yet. Frank can be a little short on the phone but is good about explaining things when you ask, great about giving an estimate and calling when the car is done. They do take a lot of different forms of payment which is key for me. When things take longer than expected they always let me know how much longer it is going to be. They also drive me to work or home, or pick me up when the car is ready. A full service shop! read more

I recently took my car into Frank's to get the power steering looked at and it was the best auto repair experience I've ever had. He showed me the problem and explained what work was necessary in very clear terms. He told me upfront that although he may need to replace the steering rack if replacing the power steering hose and pump didn't do the trick, he would do everything he could to fix the problem with the minimum amount of work (aka cost) necessary. Beyond the professionalism and consideration of the customer that makes Frank a good business person, he and his wife are also very kind and warm people. He even asked me what I usually pay for an oil change and offered to change mine at that same low price since I was behind on my maintenance. I got my car back in a day and it's running beautifully. read more

Frank is an all around good guy and is always fair with pricing and beating almost every other mechanic! There are still good honest friendly people out there, Thanks Frank!! read more

Frank is the best! I highly recommend this place to anyone, including girls who may be intimidated by cars. I felt like I was educated on what was happening with my car, and he didn't pressure me into fixing all of the little things that are wrong (which are countless, trust me). Story: my car wouldn't start and so I had to get it towed. Frank recommended a towing company and allowed me to tow it to his place without being physically present. He informed me of all prices beforehand and the diagnostics were completed extremely fast. He called and gave me my options, let me consider his recommendations for as long as I needed, and finished the work quickly once I had decided. He even replaced my headlight for free after I had already left the lot and come back a few hours later, and gave me a quota of my car for free for when I decide to sell it. Highly recommend Frank and his staff for any mechanical issue! I will most certainly come back in the future! read more

I have been using TEC of Oakland for fixing my Astro Van and found that they were just tooo far away and things just did not work very well. A AAA tow truck driver suggested Franks and so my wife and I yelped them. We like what we read and took the van over there. The van started for them but not for us. They kept if for a while longer to see if they could reproduce the issue. Sure enough they could reproduce the problem and quickly figured out what was going on, got the part and did the repair. I am very happy with the servie that Frank's gave us. read more

I brought my 98 Grand Cherokee because it was making an awful grinding noise and the transmission clunked when I shifted. After checking out the car, the guys at Frank's gave me a ridiculously high quote without actually taking about any part of the rear end. I went to a different place for a second opinion and they quoted me less than half of Frank's quote. While I can't speak to the quality of work done at Frank's, I was a bit concerned with the outrageous quote I was given and how far off it was. For those who blindly trust Frank's, be sure to get a second quote every once in a while to confirm the work. read more

The best general mechanic I've run across in quite some time. I rely on him for everything automotive. He and his crew aren't supermen, but they generally provide excellent service at a very good price, and if they make a mistake, they make it right and don't try to hide it. Frank's embarrassed me a couple of times by asking if he could wash my car free of charge, offers I couldn't refuse--they are always soooo dirty. He will take care of you. read more

Very honest and friendly people here. They don't try to talk you in to doing unnecessary fixing for your car. I would come back and bring my moms car too read more

If you have a car or truck which predates 2000 I would advise against this place. It took me a few visits and two cars to realize that mechanics who know how to work on cars and trucks from the 90's are not at this place. They returned a Honda in worse shape than when we brought it in and definitely created new problems with my Toyota. Luckily I have found a new mechanic who knows how to work on older cars. read more

Frank is amazing! I have a 2001 Honda CRV with almost 300k miles on it (Snowy). I've taken her in to Frank twice. Both times for suspension issues (that's CRVs for you). Frank does great work and keeps Snowy on the road. Also, he goes above and beyond--this time around he had her detailed!! She looks brand new. I like having mechanic who will take me seriously when I say I want to keep Snowy running. And, I trust Frank to make sure she's safe to drive. read more

Excellent service and details work by Raymond one of the mechanic. Price is fair and honest. I would come back here again.

This place is awesome. Very knowledgeable and honest shop. The customer service is what you would expect at a premium car dealership, but without the inflated prices and questionable ethics of a car dealership. Great diagnosis person--excellent all around mechanic. Employees there are very helpful and nice. The work was professionally done on time and per the estimate. My one phone call regarding progress of their work was promptly returned. read more

Frank saved our BMW that we were ready to junk and did it at a fraction of the cost we had been quoted elsewhere. Frank and staff are friendly and honest and now we depend on them for both our bmw's. It is far for us--we live in so. Marin, but we trust that we will get excellent service. read more

I broke down in a new city at 11pm at night. Not an ideal situation, but Frank's made is much better. I left my car out front of the shop and called the next day. They said that it would be no problem to fit me in. Seeing as I didn't have a car, it was a trek to get down there and the meter at which my car was at was long overdue. I was expecting to have a ticket, but instead Frank's had fed the meter!!!!! Now that is what I call customer service. The repairs on my car were completed that same day, even though they were extensive. My car has been running great. They even washed my car for me. The communication coming out of this shop was great. Not only was the workmanship there, but they walked me through the cost options and helped me prioritize what to get done. Honest and helpful. To sum it up excellent. I would absolutely encourage people to visit Franks. read more

I have had good experiences taking my Saab to Frank. He assessed what was wrong, made a few phone calls to see if parts were available and fixed what needed to be fixed quickly and at a reasonable price. However, I sent a friend there for repairs on her Nissan and she did not have a similar experience and never went back. Frank likes working on the best of cars, and Nissans are not in that category. Other people had worked on the Nissan and "jerry rigged" solutions. In general I would recommend him to a friend needing high quality service on their autos. jw read more

This place has been here for so long and has always had a great reputation. Frank and his team are all very professional. I commute a lot in the Bay Area if I need any service for my car, Frank's engineering is the place to go to. read more

Well, I've been going to Frank's through a referral from a friend for some time now. And, yes I can agree with others that the service you get from him is superb. However when I took my car in for a routine service I noticed that my personal items I had in my car was gone after I had arrived home. Now, I had this item in my car before I took it in to the shop and afterward it was no longer there. Of course Frank's employees will deny that they do such a thing, but employees now days will do anything if they can get away with it. Plus, Frank is always gone, so how can he be so sure of the actions of those young mechanics he got working there. Because I had something unlawfully taken out of my vehicle, (they'll never admit it) it just cost him a faithful customer. (warning to new customers) make sure you take out anything worth value before going to Frank's read more

Shoddy, overpriced work! I hope this review helps someone avoid a big headache. I had a lot of trouble looking for a service shop and found Frank's through Yelp. Here is my experience: I bought a used 23 foot 1991 RV that had been sitting for a few years, and wanted to have it checked out and serviced before a long road trip. It was hard to find anyone local willing to work on an RV, and Frank's came up in a Yelp review as a possibility. Frank said he'd be happy to work on it, so I brought it in. I asked him to: -check the alignment -fix the key retractor -change the oil -do a major tune-up and safety check to prep it for the road His estimate was really high. He also told me that the tie rods needed to be replaced ($600) and that it needed 2 new tires. The total came to about $2000. I knew it was high but I didn't have time to wait for an appointment at another RV place in Livermore or San Jose and there wasn't anyone else local who would do it. (I later found out that Les Schwab could have done the tie rods that day for $240). But in the end it wasn't worth it. FIrst, I had to bring it back for the key retract. Frank had fixed it, sort of, but not well. Then, it seemed like the transmission was shifting poorly and was sometimes starting out in second gear. Frank had just supposedly serviced the trans, so that seemed odd. His solution was to add more trans fluid, which didn't help. The next mechanic that looked at it told me the trans fluid was over filled. I brought it back to Frank and he removed some of the fluid. There was also lifter noise that would only start once the engine had heated up. Frank assured me that the trans was fine and that the lifter noise would go away. After returning to Frank's a few times, I had to leave on my trip and there was nothing more to do. 120 miles into the trip, I started to smell exhaust. Then I heard squeaking and smelled burning rubber. I pull off to a service station and they show me 2 frayed belts that were about to go --- so much for the "safety check" that Frank did, if he didn't notice major belts that were so worn and ready to snap. There was also a hose to the heater vents that was not connected so it was letting in fumes from the engine. That doesn't seem very "safe" to me. The lifter noise continued. 1000 miles later I was still feeling the burn from Frank's shoddy service. The RV started to jerk whenever it got hot. I spent hundreds of dollars getting a diagnosis at a shop while on the road, with everyone suspecting a radiator issue. In the end it was the distributor cap and rotor, two basic things that were not replaced in my $500 tune-up. Or if they were, Frank had used very low quality parts. The trans problem did continue and the lifter noise continued. I put some stop slip additive in the trans which helped. I also had to change the oil over and over again and keep bumping the weight up to 30W for the lifter noise to finally subside. So, my experience with Frank's -- he charges a higher price for everything. The tie rods were more than double the price of Les Schwab. The tires were high as well. The actual work he did was incomplete. Either he didn't replace parts that he should have replaced, or he used inferior parts. He did NOT do what I initially asked for -- to check out the RV and service it to make it safe for the road. But he did charge me for it. Frank was polite, friendly, and semi-responsive to my concerns when I was there, even willing to drive around in the RV with me for a few minutes to hear my trans issue. But in the end the work he did spoke for itself and outlasted that friendliness. My wife and I found ourselves stranded in auto shops far too many times during our vacation thinking: "shouldn't Frank have taken care of that?" or "if only we had gone to a different shop early on..." RV, car, truck, whatever you've got -- I don't recommend Frank's. He is friendly and you may leave feeling like you've been taken care of and received great service, and that it was worth the high price. But a few hundred miles later, you may feel quite differently. read more

I have known Frank for quite some time now, I have been getting my car service at Frank's since last time my friend recommended. The price is reasonable, quality service, strongly recommended read more

I've been taking my aging Toyota Corolla to Frank since I moved here ten years ago. He gives good advice and never tries to talk me into unnecessary repairs. He even advised me on getting the smog recheck after it failed for the first time, and my '93 Corolla passed the second time with flying colors without needing a new catalytic converter. It will now be passed on to my stepson who can probably get another 100,000 miles from it. read more

In between dropping one of my children at preschool and bringing the other one to swim class, the seatbelt got jammed in the sliding mechanism on one of the doors of our minivan and would not budge. I drove a mile or so with the door wide open and the "door ajar" beep sound blaring, then happened upon Frank's. I had only a few minutes before we would be late for swim class, and in those few minutes, two men worked together to muscle out the tightly jammed seatbelt and free the door. They saved the day. And they wouldn't take a cent from me in return. I would definitely return. read more

Frank's Engineering Clinic is the place to go to get taken cared of, I wouldn't trust anyone for the care of my car. I've been taking my car there since I moved to the bay area in 2004. I can't recall who recommended them to me buy boy am I grateful to that person. My car was overheating and I spent $70.00 to get my car towed over to Frank's they noticed my radiator cap was broken and Michael (the Jet Li of Berkeley) hooked me up with one and sent me off without charging me for it. Where else will you get that type of service? NOWHERE! Any other place would have said it was something else and charge you up the wazoo! If you want honest work done on your car take it to Frank's! Tell them Gerry sent you! read more

Frank and his employees go the extra mile to make sure they get things right! I've taken two different cars to Frank for several years. He is reasonable, honest, and caring. So great to have a trustworthy mechanic! read more

Friendly, trustworthy and professional. Highly recommend and I have done my own car repairs for years. Not necessary anymore!!!!

After spending $1,000 at the Niello Audi Dealer in Sacramento for rough idle, engine light and my 2004 Audi A6 was still not able to pass the smog test AND the problem still was not solved. I drove my car back to Frank my mechanic in Berkeley. He did EVERYTHING to find out what was wrong. The Oakland Audi dealer told him I needed to replace the car's computer-because it was malfunctioning and sending bad codes which would have cost thousands of dollars. But Frank figured out it was a malfunctioning heating sensor and not the computer itself saving me thousands of dollars. He did this without all of the fancy AUDI dealers computers. Those dealers have great coffee, free wifi, and they give you the royal treatment but they didn't have a clue. Frank is honest, concerned, and does everything to work it out. He is the BEST!!! read more

I definitely recommend this repair shop! They take the time to explain to you what needs to be fixed and why and Frank even saved the old parts that were taken out to show me why they hadn't been working. He said he does this for many female clients who don't know a lot about cars. They fixed my car in 4.5 hours without an appointment on a Saturday and the mechanic who worked on my car was responsible for driving it to make sure that everything was indeed fixed. The mayor and many other Berkeley VIPs all use Frank and now I know why! read more

In my opinion, Frank is a crook. I write this following multiple phone conversations with Frank over the last several weeks. He took the title of an older car registered to me and driven by my son for repairs owing. He did not file a lien sale as required by the state. The car ended up back on the street and the new owner drove it on an expired registration and racked up about $1,000 in red light tickets and parking fines until the car was impounded. Frank admitted taking the car and title but has refused to produce a bill of sale or any documentation that I need to clear my name from the title. read more

Really great customer service, but they tried to sell me a radiator I did not need. I went there for brakes, and they replaced my front rotors. I got it home and my mechanic said those rotors were too new to need replacing. My mechanic checked out my radiator thoroughly and said he had no clue why they would say I had a very dangerous radiator leak. I'm not going back. read more

great shop, friendly owner who pays every attention to your car. they also wash your car. top of the line service, at very low prices. all quality work with all factory parts. always got my car same day. read more

I started using Franks a few years ago on the recommendation of a friend from whom I'd bought an old jeep. I first took the Jeep to a shop specializing in Jeeps; they kept the car for 4 days trying to fix it, finally giving up saying the Jeep was not worth the price to repair. I took it to Franks, where it had been worked on before. Frank had it fixed & smogged in a day or two for a very reasonable price. (I think he gave me a special deal as a new customer) Since then I have had all my cars serviced by them (Frank is a smart businessman too - he wants to keep his customers!) . They are all extremely honest , knowledgeable with all cars, reasonable (not cheap, but fair), and they stand behind their work. They'll tell you what has to be fixed now, and what is a problem that can be deferred if you can't afford it yet. This is like a family business and they treat you like family - or maybe better. I recommend Franks to all friends looking for a good mechanic that they can trust! read more

My car is very important to me, as it's the only way for me to get to the BART station--which, in turn, means that it's the only way for me to get to Bay Fair BART. I trust the guys at Frank's to keep my routine going. Knock on wood, I haven't had any car troubles since I started coming to Frank's, and I'd like to keep it that way. God knows I need my daily Bay Fair fix. read more

Back in 2007, my mother-in-law took her car here to get serviced. She never removed her newly repaired computer from her trunk, only to discover when she returned home that it was stolen by one of his grease monkeys; probably because she's black and a Senior citizen and felt they could take advantage of her? They didn't do a good job with installing a new (or used) water pump either because it started leaking again 2 yrs later. I dont even think they're AAA approved or ASE certified???? Take your business somewhere else if u care about your car and belongings. read more

I replaced my valve cover gasket and changed the transmission fluid yesterday at this business, this morning, I checked it with my own eyes, found out they put half quart motor oil more in the engine. I took to the oil changers in Berkeley asked them to suck it out. To my dismay, the transmission fluid is also 2 quarts over. I called frank, he simply denied it by saying that his employees don't do things like that. I am very disappointed. I will never let them touch my car anymore!!! I changed my engine there last year, first he said $1800(2000 corolla), and later on, after he already took off the old engine, he called me saying: $2300 since he will put several new parts in it. At this point, I have no choice but accepted the price. What a dishonest man! He said it's a very good engine with very low millage. After I drove 30k miles, oil getting low (that's the reason I changed the engine) again, I brought it back, he said pcv valve needs to be changed charged more than $100. Said they found no leak. I brought to another mechanic he found a lot of leak on the bottom of engine, I called frank, he said he doesn't think so. Yesterday I brought the car to them, now they found out the leak & changed the gasket & changed transmission oil charged me $250, so expensive. If the engine is so new, why the gasket needs to be changed? Frank charges too much, and the employees he hired are so careless!!!(If not purposely) The transmission and engine have not shown any problem yet. At least he should give me a full refund. If later, my transmission and engine show any problem due to the overfill of the automatic transmission fluid and motor oil, I reserve the right of asking him to pay for the repair cost. When I was in oil changers a few weeks ago, they recommended me to change transmission oil, I asked Frank, he said I don't need to change it, it's still good, but yesterday, he said I need to change it, how can I trust a guy like that? I took the car to them several times, they didn't find the leak, it was so obvious, it tells you how careless this place is, when a customer wants to check for oil leak, they should at least look around the engine, apparently they didn't bother to do just that at all, so lazy, only think about money, if I didn't take the car to another mechanic, frank will never see the leak. Now I feel so regret I didn't change the gasket in another mechanic where they charge way less, the reason I went to Frank was they are close to where I live, now I learned my lesson, I thought the extra money I pay is just for the convenience. if they can do good job, it's worth it, but they cannot even do just that!!! So angry!! read more

I can only speak from my own experience, but when I needed work on my car, not only was Frank open on Saturday and able to take my car right away (unlike another "reputable" and very high priced Berkeley shop I have used in the past) his price quote was MUCH more reasonable as well. Frank is very friendly, forthright, and I believe, honest. He showed me the parts that were replaced, and explained the problem. When there was a new noise I noticed after the repair, he immediately took the car back in and fixed it, and even offered further "no cost" repairs if the problem persisted. It is a no frills shop, but I feel that Frank runs an honest business and treats his customers like valued members of his own community. This is hard to find. read more

We were driving into Berkeley from Fairfield and had just gotten off the 80 on University when our truck suddenly died. Lucky for us, we have roadside assistance with our insurance (thanks Geiko!), but they wouldn't dispatch a truck until we had a place to tow it to. I pulled out my trusty Yelp app to find a mechanic. MANY calls later (going mostly by distance from me), I had been told that I was in too much of a hurry, that my truck was too big, and that it was too American. I was sent in a loop of mechanics, all referring each other, and none able to help me. When I called Frank's, they were polite, professional, and happy to help! While dropping the truck off, every one was friendly. They called within an hour and a half after we left with a reasonable quote (I honestly didn't have the luxury of shopping around, but it was right about the middle of the range that Google told me to expect), and told me that they would do their best to get it done before they closed (5:00), as they knew we were stuck in Berkeley. We were pleasantly surprised to hear that our truck was done and hour and a half early, and when we got there to pick it up, Frank made sure to show me the malfunctioning part (fuel pump) and explained the cost of the part and labor. I am 100% happy with the mechanic work that was performed on my truck, but I don't know what to say about the service. 100% happy doesn't nearly express it! We are new to the East Bay, but plan on being here for a while, and Frank has a new loyal customer in us as long as we're here! read more

I've been going to Franks for years and I think they're great. When i started reading the review by the person with the '98 Dodge, I thought "Uh-oh" because I had considered buying a Dodge Ram and they're a mess: trannys that shred, paint that flakes off within a year or two, cracked dashes and the list goes on. I don't know if this person had a truck or not but I wouldn't take a Dodge Truck if you gave it to me for free! read more