McCully Auto has been a blessing to the community, serving locals with honest automotive maintenance and repairs for decades. Since my last review over five years ago, Uncle James has helped me with an AC leak diagnosis, engine and transmission mount replacements, front and rear brake pads and rotors, a tune-up when my car was bogging, an alternator replacement, radiator replacement (because I cracked it trying to do the alternator myself), and now a transmission filter replacement. Pretty much every major maintenance or repair on my car has been done here, unless it was something I handled myself at home (the only exception being my CV axles that I saw Uncle Alan for at Kaimuki Auto). I'm incredibly thankful for Uncle James and the team for consistently delivering quality work at genuinely fair prices. I recently spent months doing drain-and-fills on my transmission fluid due to slippage driving uphill and hesitation between gears after cold starts. By the third drain, it became obvious the fluid wasn't improving at all. There's a common myth that transmission fluid lasts the "lifetime" of the car, but the reality is, it often doesn't. Just like ignoring oil changes, neglecting transmission fluid can eventually lead to serious (and expensive) repairs. In many cases, transmission work can cost even more than engine repairs. So here I am, trying to address the issue the best way I can. I won't lie, part of me hates that my car is now at the stage where issues pop up once or twice a year. Financially, though, buying a new car just isn't in the cards right now. Uncle James makes it possible for me to keep my car running safely and affordably while I work toward that next step, and I'm sure many others in the community feel the same way. McCully Auto remains my #1 choice for automotive maintenance and repairs. I've never had a bad experience, and I'm deeply grateful for the generosity, honesty, and wisdom Uncle James continues to share. I don't know what I would do without him, honestly. read more

James has been serving my car and my family's cars for years. He's always fair, does a good job, and I've always left happy with good prices. He's gone out of his was to order parts specially for me when my A/C broke and he's always accommodating when I need stuff like oil changes. He's super busy all the time which is a testament to his business being a neighborhood staple. He definitely relies on family and friend referrals though so if you're a brand new customer you might not get help as fast as you want. But that's just because of his popularity with local families. read more

Only went once, gotta say, they are super busy, but took the time to answer my question and solve my problem. Definitely recommend!

They have created a process for your Auto Safety Inspection that is a lesson in Customer Service. Easy process. Personable Service. Highly Efficient. Reasonably Priced. When I was all done registering my car here in Hawaii, plates and stickers on the vehicle, the young man who completed transaction said..."Have a great year...see you next time" I thought...you sure will. read more

I miss going here! I live on Big Island now and no one in Hilo will work on Volkswagens, but on Oahu I went to these guys all the time and they were super professional, always gave me great value, and so out of appreciation I thought I'd leave a review to recommend them to others. read more

Got recommended by my landlord to this place and met James the owner. Very nice man woth a little chihuahua. Did disappointment me at all . My power steering was fix and my truck is able to drive. Would recommend. read more

Got me in the same day and repaired everything! Nice, friendly & to the point. A lot of other places quoted a lot higher than here too.

Super quick service and nice people too!! Be sure to get there early before 8 am or the lines can get long. read more

Been coming to this business for years. For some unknown reason getting a safety check here is really hit or miss. I came here today and the mechanic performing the safety is hating life, yells at you & doesn't want to perform a safety check ever again. Keep in mind I've made appointments for these safety checks few days prior & than he tries to yell at you and demand to know who said that I show him the number as say this is you guys Mccully Auto right? I understand if he hates performing safety checks but its unprofessional to take it out on the customer esp when the customer is being a decent person & showing Aloha. If you don't want to perform a safety just say so & don't waste our time after we change out schedule around to come here. I think he does this purposely so customers don't come back for safety & he doesn't have to perform safety checks. By law aren't they suppose to perform safety checks? The worst part is he says something about the last place putting down the wrong weight for the vehicle. I look at the safety and ask him where does it say weight on there. He's adamant that there's plenty errors and I'm thinking to myself its only a safety check? Just a thought, kaimuki auto right up the street doesn't take appointments but Alan offers much friendly customer service & will upsell you on getting repairs performed right away not a bad trade off. read more

I have only come here for my safety checks because it's usually fast I just found out you have to make an appointment for safety checks and I think it was Monday, Wednesday and Fridays that they do it but I would call first. Make sure to have all your proper paper work. read more

Service was quick in and out I went in for a Safety Check. Great Awesome Service as Always!!

Friendly, Honest, Efficient and Reasonable Priced. If you need a repair this place is unbelievable. Quality workmanship. This is someplace you can send your grandmother to and know she'll not be taken advantage of. The employees actually look like they like working here. A tribute to the owner and management style. A Class Act!!! read more

Why should you bring your car to McCully Auto Repair? Because James and his brother are old school honest mechanics that treat their customers like they want to be treated. I've been here three times for minor mechanical issues and a safety check and each time I'm impressed with them. Their prices are much lower than I've experienced at other shops and it's a relief to know that they are not sneaky like some other places are that just want to pad the bill (I've got a warranty on my car but still have to pay a deductible when something breaks). If you need some repairs, a new battery, or a safety check I can highly recommend McCully Auto Repair and the awesome guys that run it! read more

I always go here to see James, the owner, to get my seafety check and to have my car inspected. They never give me any hassles and their mechanics really know what they're doing. One of their mechanics, Mel, has always taken good care of my cars and makes sure that my dad's car is always in good condition So far i've had everything from my muffler, catalytic converter, and water pump fixed, to oil changes, fluid checks, and safety inpections. This isn't your brand new jiffy lube or lex brodies, but these guys always take good care of you and make sure your car leaves in better condition than when you first dropped it off. read more

Reliable, fast, knowledgeable, and super friendly! I take my car here for everything. Love this place!

I was very pleased with my experience with McCully Auto Repair. I had an emergency situation as my radiator cracked and was leaking rendering my 1999 Honda CRV un-drivable. Fred said he could get me in right away and said he would call me with an estimate. Later that same day he called with the initial diagnosis and estimate. He said he'd do the work and have it ready the next day. Next day, Fred called letting me know that he also needed to replace the timing belt and water pump, and it would take one more day and increase the cost....never a happy thing to hear! Well, the next day arrived, and Fred called early in the morning letting me know it was all done, and that the price was less than he'd quoted....good news. Upon picking up the car, Fred showed me all the repairs, and was happy to answer any questions. I was pleased with work, the time in which he was able to turn the caw around, the price, and the communication. I'll be having any other work needed at McCully Auto Repair, and will recommend them to my friends and colleagues. Thanks Fred and McCully Auto Repair. read more

When I first moved to Hawaii I got a used car, these guys were super sweet and helpful when I came for a safety check. It was quick and easy. Not only that I got in a car accident the week after. My car worked because everything was cosmetic, but one day it died on me. Confused I went to McCully auto repair and asked them what was wrong with it. They were super sweet, super helpful and did beyond their job. Forever grateful read more

Did you ever hear of scary stories of people going into a mechanic shop only to have the guy come back and tell you need to fix this and that and now your bill will be thousands upon thousands of dollars more? Well this isn't that kind of place. If you think this doesn't happen at other shops you will be kidding yourself. I'm not saying on the rare occasion it never happens here, but if it does, you really do need to change, replace or fix what James and his brother is telling you to as these mechanics are truly honest guys. Besides the yearly safety check, they already took care of full tune-ups and even replacing my dad's computer for his car as it wasn't starting up. They troubleshooted and pin-pointed the problem and gave my dad the option of getting a brand new computer or a refurbished one. Totally honest guys. Now my dad doesn't have any problems starting his car thanks to these guys. There is one problem that I see, is that they are so busy, they don't always answer their phone calls. I live close by so I just pop my head in so it's not a problem for me. But thought I'd put that FYI in here. So don't worry if they don't answer your phone call as they are busy trying to fix your vehicle. read more

Changed my oil within an hour of a no appointment drive up! The sincerity of concern with my lack of time felt even more genuine when I realized this was a local braddah institution. I had a two hour window and made no appointment, oil changed within an hour and they even informed me of other problems they noticed during maintenance. I love when you feel trust for the guys working on your car. #rare read more

Came in on Friday 12/26 to get a safety inspection. The guy that was going to do the safety check was so rude. I could not believe the way he treated me and the way he was talking to me. He yelled at me while I was looking for my insurance card "turn off your lights you're going to kill your battery" yet I had not been driving the car, my father was driving and was unfamiliar with my car, yet he treated me like I was some dumb girl who didn't know how to turn my lights off. This guy was a complete rude jerk from the moment we walked in and had a major attitude problem. I had been trying to ignore it and just push it aside so I could get my safety check over with, but once he yelled at me like that I was so upset I decided to take my business elsewhere. I've been to the shop before and received great customer service from some of the other gentlemen, which is why I returned. I was actually recommended by my mechanic to go here a couple years ago. However, I will NEVER bring business here again and will make sure that everyone I know who's thinking of going here knows of my horrible experience. If you value your business you shouldn't treat people so bad. read more

The guys there are pretty cool. They do safety checks from the morning till about noon. Just make sure to have all your paperwork including your past safety check. Work was done quick no waiting everything went smoothly. Definitely will be coming back here again for all my automotive needs. read more

James the owner and Mel who used to work with Toyota are really good honest people to work with. They are very generous in helping people, and really intelligent! I would deafeningly recommend this shop to everyone! I'm surprise there ain't much reviews yet read more

I wish so badly I could remember the techs name who helped me with my safety testing. I moved here from mainland and learned it's an entirely different process on island and he directed me where to go for various papers that I needed. He was awesome! This place really went out of their way to make sure they got my business. Highly recommend. read more

Dropped my 2003 Toyota Camry on Wednesday unannounced and the car was done by Saturday morning. Many minor and major problems were all corrected. Very satisfied with their courteous service. read more

these guys rock! twice now, i have taken my '01 xterra in for pretty major stuff and twice they have taken care of me for less money than i feared and in excellent time. they also are patient in explaining the problem & what needs to be done. fast, friendly, & trustworthy service! big mahalo to james, toku, & mel! read more

I was pressed to get my safety check done and was referred to McCully Auto Repair. Mike of Mikes Auto Air referred me to James and vouched for him. James was quick, thorough, and honest, didn't go "fishing" for work. An honest man is hard to find, and I will be back and strongly recommend McCully Auto Repair. read more

Would recommend this place, before thinking about taking your car to a dealership or any repair shops , this is the place to go, owner James and his crew are honest and trustful mechanics , they will do whatever they can to make your car work. Can't find the parts for your vehicle? These guys will hunt for your parts for you, not like some places where they tell you that they can't find it and then leave you hanging, you might have to leave your car there for a few days, but if you've got the patience it is worth it, they are open Mon - Sat, but they will work on your vehicles on Sun . They also do safety checks on Mon - Fri from 8-12, so go ahead & check them out, your vehicle won't be disappointed. read more

I had just got a used suv and took it into these guys from a recommendation from a friend. I wanted to make sure it was running the way I needed. So they find some things wrong, cracked radiator and power steering fluid is leaking from the hose being eroded. So they charge me close to 500$ for parts and labor. I thought it was ok after I did the math, until 2 weeks later when I found my power steering was making that horrible groaning noise & was about to go out. I had a buddy that knew cars really well take a look at it and we found the problem immediately. They installed a new hose for the power steering alright, but it was too long and ended up getting crimped choking the fluid flow. How does a mechanic making $100 + an hour miss something like that? Me and my friend ended up doing surgery on my truck in my @#$%& garage right there and after that everything worked flawlessly. I later needed to get a safety check and decided to stop by there to get it done real quick. I figured since I met the owner he would remember me. I called him up and he seemed to remember me, told me to come in at a specific time and we could get it done quick. I show up and it was like I was a stranger that just interrupted his pedicure. He told me I needed to make an appointment and he wouldn't be able to see the truck til next week. I ended up going to the Shell Station across from City Mill, they had me in & out in 15 minutes after changing some colored brake lights for 5$. Needless to say I learned some lessons and wonder now if my truck really needed that radiator.... I heard this was a family business, but I guess means you gotta be family or else you GET the business.... read more