This place is so great. Friendly people reasonable price. I found my new mechanic for my f150. It's been 6 months since my visit and my truck still had no issues and it's a 2001. Great job. read more

I found Gary's nearly 2 years ago in 2016 when the brakes went out on my truck while we were in the process of moving back to Santee from Hawaii. I've been doing almost all of my auto maintenance since before I could drive (nearly 30 years). My tools were all in shipping and we didn't have a house yet. I just needed an honest shop to do a simple job. Gary came through, and we like him so much that he has since become the go-to shop for our entire extended family and friends. I've brought him my truck, cars, minivans, a classic Mustang. He's done brakes for us, axles, suspensions, timing belts, carb tuning, and he even did an alignment on our motorhome. Whenever I have a project that I just don't have the time or space to do myself, I bring it to Gary's. He always does a great job, checks out the entire vehicle, and is painfully honest. He was also able to give me a reference last year for a shop (Kirk's Radiator & Auto Air Conditioning) that was able save us over $1000 by cutting open and cleaning out a 75 gallon motorhome fuel tank and re-sealing it instead of replacing it like another shop was suggesting. I can always trust Gary to tell me what needs to be done, and who to go to if he can't. read more

Have come her twice since moving to Santee. Both times to get brake work done on my SRT8's. Gary is a good guy to talk to and he knows his stuff. Will definitely be coming back in the future. read more

Can't say enough nice things about Gary. He was patient and kind to a very uninformed car owner like myself and was incredibly accommodating to my work hours and fitting us in the week of Thanksgiving. Honest and fair, thanks Gary! read more

After a long two weeks of requesting quotes from many auto shops in San Diego, I stumbled upon Gary's auto service, which was literally down the street from my house. Gary gave me the best quote and suggested I do a diagnostic testing just to be safe. I dropped my car off on a Wednesday and I was informed of each action taken on my car. By Friday morning I was able to pick my car up and Gary explained every detail about the part that went bad and even made a suggestion that would prevent the issue from happening again. I really am glad I stumbled upon Gary's auto shop and would definitely go back as well as recommend his shop to anybody who has car issues. Thank you again! read more

My family has been coming to Gary's for years, and we've never left disappointed. He cuts through all the fat that you would've received at any other chain auto service store, and does it with a great sense of humor. The prices are fair, and honestly cheap; and with a team that knows exactly what they're doing, it'll be a loooong time before you have to bring in your car for anything more than your next oil change. If I had to sum up Gary's with two words, it would be reliable and effective. This guy should be your go-to mechanic. read more

Haven't gotten my car fixed here YET. Went in to get new brake pads because another shop told me I needed them ASAP. Gary put my car up on the lift and showed me what's left for the break pads and told me I can wait longer if I want to and save money as it's completely safe to be driving right now. I've never been to a shop where they weren't just trying to take your money for every little thing. I'm glad I found a shop I can trust from now on and I'm excited to go back and get my breaks done soon! read more

If you're looking for quick, affordable, friendly service - you're in the right place. Gary was very accommodating to our schedule and fit us in right away. My ac was not very cold and he let us know he would check the system and then give us a call. We ended up only needing a recharge and some freon, but I asked for an oil change as well. He changed my air filter (which it definitely needed as well. My total was a cool 166. I couldn't have been more happy with the service and my now freezing ac. Thanks Gary! We will be back if we need more service on our cars. read more

These guys are beyond amazing!!! My car had a wiring issue, and the blower motor to my air conditioning system stopped working when it was 103 degrees in Santee. So, that was awful. We knew we wanted professional help on this one, so we did some research. These guys looked pretty amazing. So, we dropped by. Gary is such a nice guy! And, so we scheduled to bring it by a couple of days later. When we got there, they were on point and ready to go. They had listened to my description of the problem. They had the parts on hand that I had said we thought we needed and they were ready to go. They quickly diagnosed the issue and determined that that was in fact the problem. They replaced the faulty part way faster than we could have imagined. And, the quality of the parts and installation... they were so much better quality than the original. Their work was immaculate. You can tell their work is so solid. The best part was the bill. It was more than fair... half of what I might have expected. And, it was a small price to pay for such excellent service and quality of craftsmanship. That's not even considering the value of a working air conditioner in Santee in the summer. I am sold on these guys! I recommend you let them blow you away, too. Thanks, Gary!!!! read more

Gary is honest. He tells you exactly what's going on and only does the necessary diagnostics and repairs. I know this from two experiences in which he could have easily run up the bill on me (in fact that's what I've come to expect from mechanics, since I know little about cars). In fact, the most recent time I brought the car in, it was because my check engine light came on and another shop said I needed an expensive repair. Gary did the same diagnostic check that shop did, but found that the other place had been mistaken. No repair was needed. He didn't charge me anything. I learned about Gary from a friend of our's who had an old car with a lot of miles that she took to him many times over many years. She had the exact same experience - Gary's honest and only does what's needed. He has a good reputation. It seems like his business does well because of word of mouth referrals, rather than squeezing customers out of a few extra bucks, like other places do. That's why I drive 20 miles to bring my car to him. read more

Gary is amazing! I found his shop about a year ago when I was new to Santee. He has helped me with everything from transmission issues, brakes, a broken water pump, and even putting on my new windshield wipers that I couldn't figure out myself. I have been weary about going to the dealership but I know that I can trust Gary. Thank you for all that you have done for me and my Ford Fiesta! read more

I have used Gary for a couple years now for multiple services. He and his crew are awesome and have completed several repairs from easy to complicated on two of my vehicles. Gary is no nonsense and will tell you exactly what you do and don't need. I recently asked him about doing a service on my car. Instead of charging me a bunch of money for an easy job he told me I could do it myself in a short amount of time and just save the money for another service I actually needed. I really appreciated his honesty and assistance. I'll recommend this shop hands down. Great service, honest guy and competitive prices. read more

This is the only place I bring my car to. I trust Gary and his staff to fix it right at a reasonable price. Have been coming here for over five years and have had my Corolla for almost eleven years at over 220,000 miles! And still going strong thanks to Gary's! read more

Trustworthy mechanics are hard to find. So when you find a shop that's honest and able to help with most maintenance and repair issues, it's information worth sharing. I've been a longstanding customer and trust Gary's Auto Service for all my auto repair needs. They've completed standard maintenance, tire replacement, balancing, and alignment, and I've always found Gary to be very friendly, forthcoming, and reliable. Bottom line: Gary will beat dealership prices by a mile, and will provide upstanding and honest service. read more

I was very happy with the service we received here after a different shop was unable to identify the issue with my car. Gary was able to find the problem and fix it within a day, and even waived his diagnostic fee! Plus he stayed open a little late so I could get back in time to pick up my car at the end of the day. We will definitely be using this shop for future service on our cars. read more

It was a pleasure doing business with Gary's. Prompt, fair prices, and friendly service you can trust.

Worst place I ever went they say they do the work and they don't !! Horrible will never go there again.

I'm a fan of Gary too. Been using for a couple years now. Always fair and reliable. No issues with him. Very accommodating too. read more

I usually take my car for an oil change at the dealership I bought it from, but I just moved to Santee and thought to try something else, so I went to yelp for help (: I've been in contact with Gary through Yelp at first, because I was still looking around to see which had the best pricing and good reviews and I found both of those qualities at Gary's Automotive Service. When I got there, Gary greeted m. Filled out some paperworks and my car was taken back. I had originally only planned on getting an oil change. Side note: my car had a reminder for an oil change and something about my wheels (which has been there for a while, even after I got it checked at the dealership a while ago). Gary then took me back and showed that I had 2 nails on 2 different tires. At first, I figured that since I've been driving around with that for a while, it'd be okay until my next paycheck. But Gary gave me the same speech, my dad would've given me if I had told him about having nails on my tires. Gary explained everything to me and broke down the additional costs for it, so I went ahead and got those fixed Overall, experience at Gary's was good and my car is all good. They also offer military discount. I'm not a fan of spiders, so other than the spider webs I saw, your car will be in good hands at Gary's. read more

Honest, professional and very knowledgeable. I had a great oil change experience with them. Reasonable prices as well. Custumer forever.

I was told by the business I got my oil change done at that my car was leaking transmission fluid. I made an appointment at Gary's for 10 this morning. I was welcomed (by Gary I presumed) with a smile. My car was taken back within minutes of me sitting down. Curtis (the mechanic) checked out my car and talked it over with Gary. I was taken back (my hood still up) and Curtis showed me and explained what he found. Or, in my case didn't find. He said it wasn't leaking anything. Explained what the other business probably saw and how they could have made a mistake in the diagnosis of a leak. Curtis & Gary took the time to explain and talk with me and also showed me what they were talking about. They were awesome and I will for sure go back for any of my automotive needs. Oh, and no money came out of my pocket for this service. read more

Gary had messaged me back on yelp within minutes of messaging his business with an exact quote and everything I needed to know before coming in. I called to set up a time to come in and he couldn't have been easier to deal with! I come in for my appointment a little late because of traffic and he welcomes me with a smile and brings my car right back. 45 minutes later, car is parked back out front with everything done perfectly and my car in great shape, not to mention his prices are great compared to other auto shops and dealers I was shopping around at earlier in the week. Would recommend him to anyone and definitely plan on coming back! Got my transmission fluid changed on my honda which requires a different method than normal cars and I also got a normal oil & filter change. Both done perfectly! read more

I've only been here once but, from what I can see, Gary is of the rare population out there who's friendship and honest is placed before money. read more

Gary's is a great place to have your car worked on. Friendly, professional and Good prices.

Great, honest service. Took my vehicle in thinking I had an exhaust issue. They checked my vehicle thoroughly found nothing wrong with it , didn't even charge me! I will definitely be back, hard to find service like this , appreciate the honesty read more

As with most places I won't write a review unless I have been there a couple of times or the place really blows my socks off but this please definitely has done both. I only have ever worked with Gary himself but he is a straight shooter and doesn't try to 'sell you' on anything you don't need. I admittedly shopped around the first time I needed something done on my truck (Timing belt) and Gary came in around $300.00 less then the next cheapest person, with better service then I have ever experienced at a shop (and I am not new to dealing with mechanics). Since that first time I have had a number of different cars that I have taken there and had the same experience over and over, work is done fast, with high quality, and for less money then anyone else around. Also while I never had any issues I would bet that if I did Gary would make it right. I don't bother shopping around anymore but I would encourage anyone that needs a mechanic to definitely give this place a shot. read more

Everybody needs to know a good mechanic. I shopped several places for tires, but Gary came in competitively and listened to my needs for the type of tire I should have. I drive to Idaho annually so I need something that is not terrible on snow. He explained that I may not actually need an alignment, but he would check to make sure. At the end of the day he not only sold me a great set of tires for a good price, but he gave me the alignment and calibrated the TPMS system for free. I've never been so pleased with a mechanic! read more

Awesome guy.He is honest man which is hardest think to find on his field. my AC wasn't working and he got it running again. Gary also replaced my battery and had him do my oil change too. Great guy. Think found myself my man for all my car needs. read more

Gary was very friendly and provided me great advice. I had just purchased a 1974 Chevy Nova and had him look at the engine. I'd recommend using his service any day. read more

Great customer service. Fast in and out. Gary was really nice and offered us cupcakes they made for veteran's day.

Called some other mechanic shops in area and got the run a round. Gary and his team helped me out and were friendly, efficient and had great prices. What else can you ask for? read more

This place is how you want an auto shop to feel. Almost like a doctors office-- experts who have known what they were doing for a long time, no "menu" of services like chain places, which is what so many of my experiences have been. Hard to trust a place when you have no idea who is taking care of your car. Gary's is different. I trust him completely. Honestly we just went in for an oil change, and when we asked what was included he said "when we take your car in for anything, you get our full service." Meaning they would do a full inspection with the oil change and let us know anything that concerned them at all. They are extremely friendly and will patiently explain anything. For me it's a little like if my dad had an actual shop of his own. I think it's exactly how it should be done. read more

Gary was extremely helpful in I had my truck towed to his shop he fixed it and gave me a little time to pay him, something I needed at the time, there's no good time for your truck to go down, anyways I would highly recommend and go back again!!!! Thanks Gary and team!!!! read more

Hard to find an honest mechanic these days, prices are lower than the competition. Fixes what's broken, fast and reliable work. I had my CV joints replaced on my car, and a radiator plus hoses replaced on my sons car. Getting ready to get some more work done soon so my sons car can pass smog. read more

Gary and Curtis (son) did a great job changing the coolant on my 2008 Jeep Patriot. My wife also got her alignment done here for her Miata. He did as great a job as another well known alignment shop - Clarence Brown in Kearny Mesa. He is also very reasonable with his prices and honest. Would definitely go back here for more service. read more

This place is great!!! Being a woman I am always leery when taking my car in, I don't want to be ripped off. This place is honest and friendly. read more

Took my Honda civic to Gary's Shop, let me tell you IF YOUR IN THE EAST COUNTY AND NEED WORK DONE ON YOUR CAR COME HERE !!! Really professional and honest came in for oil change and Gary treated me like family ! Reasonable price and definitely recommending Gary's Automotive shop to my family !! read more

Can't get your car or truck to smog? Talk to Gary. My Isuzu Rodeo is 22 years old. Failed twice and both times Gary figured out the problem. I now have a 2018 registered vehicle. People told me, "Get rid of it, get a new one," but I now have a car that will last me at least two or three more years with minor repairs instead of a huge car payment. And the repairs were well under $1,000. Go Gary! read more

Had my 1999 Lincoln Navigator towed to Garys about 3 years back. He said my engine seized and I would need a rebuilt or new motor, I went with the new motor. Price was right and I got a three year warranty from Ford on the motor. Gary and Curtis did a great job getting it installed and making sure everything had been put back together correctly. I've been taking all my vehicles to Gary for a good while now. His prices are why better than anybody in Santee and he is very honest. I always recommend Garys Auto Repair. read more

I recently moved to the San Diego area and bought a 1972 mustang mach I. For sure this is a long term project and definitely was in need of a honest well rounded knowledgeable mechanic shop to not only work my car but help guide and direct me along this journey. I have finally found my shop. Gary and his son make a amazing team and are not only subject matter experts in what they do they are very personable, caring and instill that great customer service quality which is hard to find these days. I highly recommend Gray's Auto to anyone in need of automotive services for the smallest thing to a complete overhaul. read more