The very first shop I tried since moving to Modesto and I lucked out!!! This is a wonderful family owned business that they poured their hearts and souls into, which is clear by the way they run things! Tammy, Victor's wife, is one of thee nicest women I have ever met. Her kindest and understanding brings me to tears just thinking about that day. It was stressful for me as a mom of 2 young children in a new city. She was unbelievably sweet about it. Victor is awesome as well! He told me what needed to be done on my truck, what should be done first and an estimate on how much each job would cost. He educated me on what can happen if I didn't maintain the car and I could feel that he was honestly trying to save me money. Will definitely be returning for servicing and all future repairs, as well as recommending them to anyone who asks! read more

I called this place since I had a radiator that had a hole in it after hitting an animal on the road. Since they specialize in German cars (VW, Audi, BMW) I gave them a call. Got a great quote from the owner Victor and took it in to his shop that afternoon, since I didn't have a ride back he even arranged for a ride back to my house. I own a 2000 VW Jetta with around 110,000 miles and sadly, I have not put much into the car besides gas and oil. He called me the next day with a laundry list of items that needed to be addressed including the timing and serpantine belt. I knew the belts were getting bad and were cracking and squealing and the rear brakes were shot. I told him I was on a tight budget being unemployed so we came up with an action plan based on what was major issues and which could be done later. Service was incredible and the personal attention to the customer was great. Got a few calls along the way with updates and was really pleased. Not only was the price exceptional, he even offered to track down a new front grille that got crushed from debris that kicked up on the freeway a few months back and a door lock assembly that went bad -- two small things that were driving me nuts! Long story short....I have had the most incredible experience from this shop. read more

It was a pleasure doing busines with Victor Martell. He was very honest and helpful. I needed my brakes and rotors fixed asap. He told me exactly what I needed and didn't try to give me the runaround as some mechanics may do because I am woman. He gave me a decent price for all four brakes and rotors, and the car was in and out and done in just under 3 hours. Thanks again Victor! read more

I have a 2000 VW Jetta VR6 with about 97k miles on it, Recently we had coolant start leaking from underneath the car and could not physically see where it was coming from. Like most I was on a tight budget but I saw this place and decided to give them a call. The owner Victor answered the phone and I proceeded to describe the issue I was having. He informed me he would like to look at it first before giving me a price and was very up front. But what really got me was I informed him the car is not drivable and I do not currently have money for the tow. Victor them informed me that was no problem and he knows a tow company they go through(reliable tow) that will come pick the car up for me and charge the $35 tow to our total repair bill! This really impressed me and I said thank you an had the car towed down to his shop. Victor looked at it right away and we came up with a game plan. Victor was more than willing to work with my budget. Not only did he take the car apart, replaced the hoses and peace that needed to be fixed. I had told him earlier about a squeaking noise coming from the serpentine belt and if he could give me a quote on what it would cost to fix. To my surprise he called me up and informed me it was some small peace rubbing against the belt and he adjusted it for me free of charge. As well as he noticed the thermostat sensor and the coolant sensor were in need of replacement and went ahead and replaced them at no additional cost to me as well! Once the car was ready, Victor offered to give me a ride to his shop, which we took. Once we got there he let us know they even washed and cleaned our car for us as a courtesy for coming to them. I can not say enough positive things about this shop! Long story short, we had already takin this car to another shop that was going to charge us over $500.00 for this repair and lets just say victor saved us a TON of money! I will be recommending this shop to friends an family and will be a loyal customer for a LONG TIME! read more

I thought that I got great service until I showed people the conversations I was having with Victor. I was treated differently and given "special treatment." I initially was ready to give this business 5 stars- I was treated well and his prices were MUCH lower than other shops had quoted. After the initial problems were "fixed," I started immediately having other issues, I had to take my car back once or twice, and then Victor offered to come to my work to take a look. He brought me a coffee, and continued to text me things like "sweet dreams" and "Oh I thought you wanted to ask me out for drinks" and then asked me if I wanted to get ice cream. I'd like to clarify that he is at least 20-30 years my senior, and has mentioned that he is married. At this point in time, there are several other problems with my car that he said he had fixed, and now I'm left to wonder if these problems were left unfixed so that I would keep coming back. I'm stuck with a $2300 bill from a more reliable shop- after paying Victor $900 not even 3 months ago. I am disgusted and creeped out that this man who I thought was fantastic, honest and hardworking would treat me this way. I recommend that if you're a female who doesn't want to be sexually harassed that you take your business elsewhere. read more

When my brakes began to make noise and feel unresponsive, I made an appointment here because of the Yelp reviews, and I wasn't disappointed. He was able to look at my car on a Saturday and discovered that my brake pads were in great condition, they just had a little bit of debris which he took care of. Since he had my car anyways, I had him do an oil change and service, and talked about doing some minor body work in the futures Fast, friendly, honest, well-priced, and didn't try to take advantage of my inexperience. I cannot recommend him enough. read more

At first I wasn't too sure I trusted this mechanic to do the work I needed for my car, However I just hoped and prayed he was an honest and trustworthy mechanic. Thankfully he gave me a great price and a beautiful rebuilt engine with new breaks. I felt better knowing I'm getting my money's worth with this guy. I will be coming back for what ever I need fixed for now on. Thank you Victor Martell keep up the great work! Ps he even noticed my passenger window wasn't working and fixed it for FREE!! that was awesome!!!, I needed that window fixed badly. read more

Victor Martell and crew are excellent. My Jeep had several problems, including a broken sunroof. Victor repaired the brakes, changed all the oils, checked the ailment, and did a flush in record time. Martell's automotive were professional and understanding. read more

ABSOLUTELY life saving!!! On our way back from our vacation our car tire blew out. Stuck on the road, we were frantically trying to figure out how to replace it. Thank goodness, Victor, who happened to be commuting back from San Jose, saw our car on the side of the road and got out to help us! So experienced, helpful and just a kind samaritan in general, he replaced it SO smoothly and got us back on the road within 30 minutes. Thank you so much Victor, we cannot describe how grateful we are for you and your help. read more

Called this shop looking for a quote to replace my clutch. The guy who answered barely spoke english, he didn't even understand "Is there someone who does speak English that I can talk to?" Super frustrated. read more

Victor diagnosed a problem I was having with the brakes on my 2001 VW Turbo Beetle which was making the car unsafe to drive. He located the problem which was a worn brake booster o-ring. He also installed new rear brake pads and replaced a broken side view mirror switch. His prices are reasonable and the quality of his work is quite good. I would not hesitate to use Victor's services again; it's a good feeling to find an honest mechanic. read more

I have a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, 5 speed manual transmission. The trans started to fail on me, and I had read about these o2j manuals being a bit complicated. After a few referrals, the road to repair led me to Victor at Martell's. And I couldn't be happier. Victor did a complete examination of the entire car, including dropping the entire transmission and diagnosing it simply as a tore up clutch. In the process, he found my left front boot and axle were in very bad shape with my right ones on the way. My timing belt was extremely worn, a coolant 4 way coupling was cracked and leaking, spark plugs were so bad one of them seemed completely disintegrated (I've never seen anything like it)...including water pump, thermostat, and readjusting the shifter cable. He checked out everything else on the car as well, which gives me great comfort as I expect to put 8-10k miles on it traveling around the country for the next 6 months. In driving the car home, I was overjoyed with the feel, sound, and function of the engine and transmission. The engine sounds and feels brand new. The clutch and shifting are smooth and precise, solid and responsive. The front end feels wonderful. Victor and his team did a fabulous job and the cost could not be beat. Victor took the time to show me the parts he replaced, to see the condition they were in--and absolutely, without a doubt, everything he did to my car needed to get done. Personally, having worked on domestic cars to a fair extent in the past, and after studying many blogs, websites, videos, and parts sales online, I feel so grateful to have found Martell's. German cars can get a bit crazy, so to find an expert who I can trust, a mechanic that is truly looking out for me, is a rare and wonderful find. Thank you Victor and everyone at Martell's! read more

Yesterday I took my 91 Toyota previa, and The owner Victor was really awesome... I have never been treated like that. Very personable, very honest. Our Toyota is our only vehicle, so instead of us being there for hrs waiting for the brakes to be fixed, he dropped me and my kids off at the mall and picked us up when he was done. Great prices and amazing service... recommend him 120%. Ill be going there for my oil changes from now on. read more

This is definitely now my and my husband's go-to place for auto service! Victor did an awesome job on our car. He and his workers are very hardworking and honest guys. Our car, which was having a problem with stalling out, is now running smoothly and it didn't cost us an arm and a leg. Martell's does great work and their prices are very fair!! read more

Great guy, great mechanic and great service. This guy is upfront and honest. At the end of a week of troubleshooting, he was upfront that he replaced all these parts per the book and still didn't resolve the issue and didn't charge me for the repair! How many mechanics would do that? Not many! He has definitely earned my business! read more

I just had timing belt, water pump, thermostat, upper and lower radiator hose, serpentine belt and the rack and pinion all replaced at this shop. It was the best experience I have ever had in dealing with any buisness. The guys here are super friendly and very professional. Also beat all the other shops on price by hundreds of dollars. Plus they finished all this work in less than two days! I will definitely be taking not only this truck back but my other vehicle as well for all future service needs. I would recommend this place 110%! read more

I use to always bring my Chevy to Martells because they are a honest and fair priced shop. Once my vehicle was making this squeaking noise and Victor came out with WD-40 and sprayed something and the noise went away. I felt dumb but it worked and he could've charged me to diagnose it and give me some story of what he fixed. Instead he sent me on my way and it really was all it needed. read more

Victor is the MAN!! My truck started making a crazy noise that was not only loud as can be, but super embarrassing! Being new to the area, I was crazy nervous trusting my truck to just anyone. I went back and forth on Yelp studying each and EVERY review possible looking for someone I felt comfortable with. Not to mention I know jack poop about cars, let alone mechanics. I'm pretty much an easy target to be taken advantage of because I can't even fake the proper lingo. I took a leap of faith and picked Victor's shop and lucky for me, everything was perfect!!! He properly diagnosed the problem and his plan of attack was financially smart as well. After a few days and over 100° heat, my baby was returned. Running better than ever! Thank you again Victor!!!! read more

Victor gave me a really great deal and even taught me a couple things about my car! He even showed me upfront what needed to be done with my car so I could see it for myself. I really appreciated that! I would definitely recommend this family business to friends and family. This is definitely my regular stop when I need help with my car! read more

Just moved to town and needed my brakes done. Not really knowing where to go I came on Yelp and chose to give this place a call based on all the great feedback. Owner was friendly, honest, and very accommodating. Didn't try to up sell or change pricing like many other shops do. As a matter of fact he charged me less then what I was quoted over the phone. I couldn't be happier and I now have a place I can trust and take my car for future service needs. Do not hesitate to give this shop a call. read more

Service Engine light was on in my BMW and I had taken it to another shop in Modesto and in San Jose for repairs. The San Jose shop repaired the problem but light kept coming back. Modesto shop and I am not going to give the name but it is on Oakdale said it was going to cost $110. For them to look at it PLUS whatever the repair cost were going to be. I thought I would try Martells Automotive and so glad I did. Martell diagnosed the problem within minutes, this guy knows his cars! He could have charged me a ton but he didn't, this is an honest shop with a seasoned mechanic and I will strongly recommend him! read more

When I contacted them they asked me to come in at 8 am the next day. I waited over 15 minutes no one was there when I arrived. Someone finally showed up about 20 after but could not speak english. I choose this place based on the review, if this is the kind of service they provided I am very dissapointed. Up-Date - I was finally contacted, they are coming to get my car, we will have to wait and see. read more

I brought my BMW 740 to victor they did all the work and my 740il is running great. Thanks victor for all your help. I recommend Martel auto to all my friends who are looking for a great macanic. read more

Honest, efficient, and a great value! He treats you like a king! I found my new favorite mechanic! He doesn't try to force things b on you like other mechanics. He will tell you what the problem is and what the cost is. I really love this place. He fixed up my Chevy 1500 trick so he doesn't only work on foreign cars. Altogether AWESOME read more

Such good service! The owner, Martel, knows how to treat his customers and seems like a really good-hearted guy. I called at 10ish this morning and made plans with Martel to be there at 11:30 because I had work at 12 and I needed my car fixed by the time I was off (at 5) so I could leave for LA..He dropped me off and picked me up from work, and was really straight up with me and explained everything that was going on with my car and what I would NEED fixed to make a safe trip to LA, and what I could wait on to save myself money. Also, he really did me a huge favor by giving me an unbelievably great price for the work on my car. And made me feel better after an AWFUL day at work! Next time you need your car worked on and you want GOOD-QUALITY service, go here! read more

Happy to have taken my car into Victor. He's always taking his time to make sure I'm fully aware of what work is going to be done before he and his mechanics get to work. My brakes were done so quick, I didn't even have time to wait. I was in and out with a great price that didn't break the bank. I'll definitely be back with any and all my future mechanical needs. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Martell's Automotive. First of all I had four things that I was looking for in a automotive shop. These things were Saturday hours, honesty, shuttle service and decent prices. All of these expectations were met far and above what I had imagined. I was throughly explained to what needed to be worked on and nothing was done until I gave the okay on it. I will definitely be back and I highly recommend this shop to anyone looking for an honest mechanic with fair prices. read more

Won't take my 2007 335i anywhere else!! Victor is the best!! Awesome service and even better prices!! If you are looking for a reputable, honest mechanic Victor is your guy. Work is always done is a timely matter!! When I came in he quoted me a very good price (more than half off what they quoted me at Valley BMW) but then knocked off another 20%. SWEET!! read more

Martell's Automotive Service - Auto Repair Near Me - Modesto, California

I have a 2001 Saab, and I won't take my car to anyone else. Victor is the best. He's always has a smile and is very honest. That's rare to find nowadays. He has the best prices in town. read more

I don't recommend victor as a mechanic. His after your money. I went their for coupe of service but I'm getting the same problem. He charge more than any other mechanic and the problem is still there. I'm not sure about the other reviews that I'm seeing here. But on my experience with him. I will never go back to this shop. read more

This mechanic is honest and that is hard to find these days! I would recommend him to everyone!

Martell's is a wonderful shop. He was able to fix one of my problems and the other he is still working on but I have complete faith in him that it will get fixed. For now my car is safe to drive and will be back in the shop for a full diag at a later date. Just like all of us he doesn't know it all but he is always ready to work hard to figure it out. Bonus is that he never let's you drive something unsafe. If you ever need a reliable honest mechanic Martell's your place. Call him... You will be happy you did. read more

worst expierence ever i would not recommend this place at all! long story short victor is a pervert for one and 2 doesn't know what he's talking about finds a way to get out of a service he quites. called him for a transmission fluid change, first day he said he can change it so i droped my car off to him came home waited 5 hours then he calls me he couldn't change it so re scheduled for another day went in that day he claimed he didn't have the part to change the oil, went in the third day claimed he wanted to see the codes and refused to change the oil, mind you he's 30 years older than me kept asking me out kept wanting a hug i kept refusing him horrible place to go to read more

Thanks Victor for helping me out so quick on such short notice! My my air conditioning is working as it should.

About a year ago, I was visiting my then boyfriend in Modesto when my BMW 328i broke down. I called several repair shops in the area, and everyone was quoting me at extremely high prices. Then I found Martell's Automotive on Yelp and gave the owner Victor a call... and I am SO glad I did. He quickly diagnosed the problem and gave me a very reasonable quote for both the parts and labor. Over the last year I have gone to Victor for everything from electrical issues, to brakes, to engine leaks. I appreciate his willingness to always work with me when I have financial or time constraints. Although I am no longer dating someone in the Modesto area (and I live in Pleasanton/East Bay), I drive or get towed over an hour to come get my car repaired by Victor. I am normally skeptical of mechanics but his vast knowledge and experience make it completely worth it. He has always given me the fairest price possible, and most importantly, I can trust him! I have nothing but positive things to say about Victor, he is truly the best. I would recommend him to anyone, especially if you have a European car. read more

Best experience I have ever had. Prices were very reasonable. Victor just got himself a repeat customer

On August 3, my RAV4 needed the two wheel bearings replaced, my brother recommended Martell's Auto Shop. The owner Victor was a kind and professional. They gave me a ride home and made sure my car was cared for knowing it was going to be at his shop over night. My car was making this ugly noise when driving more then 15 mph, Martell's was able to find and order the parts, replace and fix the problem. Now, I feel safe driving car again. Thanks again Victor and staff for your help. read more

my truck started making this knocking sound and I do a lot of driving, so dyeing on the road is not an option. Took it in to Martell's (Victor Martell) and he not only found the issue but got it stopped so that I could drive for the week and bring in the following Friday...... got it fixed, found a few minor issues that needed to be addressed and listed what also needed to be addressed in the near future, without trying to scare me into fixing ...today, as most shops do. Price was fair, made an talked about having wife's truck brought in soon......one man shop that takes pride in his work and integrity of a hand shake to seal the deal. read more

This is why auto mechanics are as loathed as lawyers. I took my truck in early January to have a few issues addressed. It had been sitting for a couple of years after my Dad passed away. It was running rough and would get hot. A friend referred me to Victor. I explained I needed a tune up so I could get it smogged and it was running hot. He assessed the vehicle and said it was a clogged heater hose causing it to get hot and needed a tune up. The estimate was for $240, which I thought was reasonable. Upon picking up the car I noticed the maintenance required light was still on, but I wasn't that concerned because the check engine was not going off. After 3 days after the truck would warm up the check engine light started to come back on, although it wasn't running hot anymore. After attempting to have it smogged, I was told it couldn't be with the check engine light displaying. I took it back to Victor who said he'd take a look at it and advise me. That was Monday afternoon. At six o'clock I still hadn't heard anything, I called and Victor stated he was still looking into it. After not hearing from him Tuesday, I called Wednesday and he said he was having his buddy looking at it as his scanner wasn't working. After not hearing anything at all that day I decided to just go pick up the truck. It wasn't there, he said he took it to his friends shop, which made me a little angry because he never asked if he could take it across town to another shop, I assumed Victor was doing the work. Thursday night Victor called and said the tech at the other shop advised him it was two sensors malfunctioning and would cost approximately $740 to fix. I declined and said I just wanted my truck back. He said it was to late to pick it up Thursday but he would have it Friday . Called him at 11:00, called him at 4:00, finally got it back at 5:30. He told me I had to pay $70 for diagnosing the sensors. i told him I didn't authorize the other shop to do a diagnosis. He said if I didn't pay it I wouldn't get the truck back. I reluctantly payed the $70 so I could just get out of there. Upon driving out onto the road I noticed it had maybe a third of the power it had when I dropped it off. On the five mile drive home, and more than an hour and a half, the car had stalled three times, and after finally get it started again, overheated. The car was running great when I dropped it of, I thought it just needed a couple tweaks. I contacted Victor and he stated I should have had the sensors replaced. Now I'm out $310, and the truck is in worst shape ever. read more