There are mechanics... and then there are the tired saints standing at the edge of civilization…read moreholding together the fragile emotional ecosystem known as "people who need their car to start tomorrow." Buddha's Garage is the second one. Dave has the energy of a man who has looked directly into the screaming mechanical abyss of humanity and simply sighed, grabbed a wrench, and fixed it anyway. I swear half the vehicles in that shop arrive after being spiritually wounded somewhere else. Other mechanics will look at your engine like medieval doctors diagnosing ghosts. Dave looks at it once, tilts his head slightly like a jazz musician hearing a wrong note, and suddenly knows your alternator was installed backwards by somebody named Tyler in 2019. And here's the wild part: he's honest. Like deeply, suspiciously honest. The kind of honest that makes you uncomfortable because you forgot businesses could still operate without trying to sell you seventeen imaginary emergencies. Dave will straight up tell you cheaper alternatives, better options, things you can wait on, things you DON'T need. I almost wanted to ask him if he understood capitalism. The customer service feels less like a business and more like your truck wandered into a monastery where everyone took vows of kindness and diagnostic accuracy. Meanwhile other shops are out here playing roulette with socket sets: "Hmmm yes, perhaps your issue is... all of the parts." Then Buddha's Garage fixes it in an afternoon and somehow charges you like they still believe in human dignity. Also -- Dave knows an absolutely terrifying amount about vehicles. Not "guy who watches YouTube tutorials" knowledge. I mean ancient-library-hidden-under-the-desert knowledge. The kind where you start explaining the noise your car makes and he already knows the answer before you finish making the sound effect. At this point I'd trust Buddha's Garage with anything mechanical. My car. My lawn mower. A damaged submarine. If NASA called and said a shuttle was making a weird clicking noise, I'd probably hand them Dave's number. I'm going there no matter what. If I move across the state, I'll crawl back on flaming rims like a pilgrim returning to holy ground.

Went in for a diagnosis for my truck got told it was a part and gave them the okay to swap then…read moretold it wasn't that part after all and that the new part they needed to bring back my ac was not available and still paid 300 dollars . Bought the part that they couldn't get and turns out it was the wrong diagnosis as well .

They don't know what they doing!!!! charged me $1000 to fix the issue and a week later my car back…read morewith same issue. Don't trust them

Brought my car in for an exhaust leak and had it done the same day. Turned out to be a cheap…read moreaftermarket catalytic converter but Rick welded it back together for me! This is something most mechanics wouldn't do and they would have probably charged me for a new one. Rick probably saved me $1000 easy. Extremely friendly and knowledgeable and I will 100% be bringing my car back to him if I need to!

I sweet baby SL was screaming at me…read more The folks at German auto fixed it quickly and with a high degree of professionalism. They were especially accommodating about the timing which Chris I really appreciate. My baby doesn't scream anymore unless I open her up on the highway which is frankly more of a growl. Thanks guys Cars are more than pieces of metal and being able to leave them with someone is trusted wonderful.

Been bringing my German cars here for years and they always take good care of them. Saves a little…read morebit of money too because the Porsche dealership will bend you over. The staff is GREAT! I'll keep brining my cars here for as long as German Auto Center is around!!!

Needed an hour or so to do a cat-back replacement and very relieved I found the Austin DIY Shop…read morebefore rolling around on the ground in my driveway to replace it the hard way. Being able to rent a lift bay for a bit of time made the job take maybe 1/3 of how long it would have taken otherwise. Was first come first serve, got there in the morning and the helpful staff ran me through how everything goes, where to find tool, etc and go my car up on the lift and ready to get started on. Was very happy with the experience, what a great idea. Also, each bay comes with tools so no need to bring your own. Will definitely be back again.

Complete AC service rip-off, lied to me about my compressor not working, then ripped me off on the…read moreac servicing

I don't trust many places with my car so I came here by referral. Eric checked me in and he was…read moreawesome and let me know everything would be ready for an oil change and general maintenance in short time. They had to order a few parts so there was a little wait but they took my across the street to pickup some food for lunch which I was so grateful for. When I got back, Thu the owner talked to me a little bit and let me know my car was good. They gave me amazing prices for what I needed done and I didn't feel ripped off at all. I would definitely come back here for regular maintenance!

Five Star Auto- was highly recommended to me by a sister of mine and let me tell you she doesn't…read morelet anyone near her vehicle only Five auto. My 2008 LR2 SE was leaking antifreeze. I arrived at the shop at 10am on a (Friday) morning 2/20/26. I told them what was happening and immediately they took my truck in and around 2:00pm it was ready! Boy was I so ever great full. I had taken it to two different places and both said something different. they replaced my water pump and the serpentine belt I think that one). I highly recommend Five auto. Very very affordable.... I am going to bring in my other vehicle as well. Jae. B

I no longer live in Austin, have moved out to the country in Bastrop county. But when I was in a…read morebad collision in December 2025 & my car was totaled, I had to scramble to find a used car that the insurance payout for my wrecked car would cover. I looked for a month before finding a good used Prius. I had 7 business days after purchase to change my mind, so I needed trusted mechanics to check it out in that limited timeframe. I took it to Danny Luu bc he was my trusted mechanic when I lived in austin. And though he's not a hybrid car mechanic, I wanted a thorough check of all the nonhybrid components. I took my Prius to him, met a friend at Kim Phung next door for lunch, and he finished the inspection in a little over an hour. This was a whole car exam, the kind like you might get before going on a long road trip. Danny gave me a 2-3 page report on all the systems and components (except the hybrid stuff) which pointed out a couple of things that would need attention sooner rather than later. This was exactly the kind of very useful exam I wanted for my car and it gave me peace of mind about buying an older used car. Then 2026 arrived and hello high gas prices! I'm so glad I went with the Prius--best car purchase I could've made! And Danny Luu made it possible--thank you Danny So glad you're still working after all these years! He's one of the most honest, reliable, trustworthy mechanics in Austin.

Long story short, Be aware of how they calculate your "estimate"...it's not for the actual time of…read morework put into your car...its based on arbitrary time calculated by a software program. They are honest...but they are honest about how they are going to overcharge you for work. In this economy, it isn't right. I recently brought my 2019 Buick Encore here for an electrical issue with the cooling fan and relay. The owner was polite and responsive, which I appreciated. The hourly rate of $110 is fair and standard, but what I can't overlook is how the shop calculates time and parts costs. The estimate showed over 2.5 hours of labor for a job that takes about 30-60 minutes to complete. When I asked for clarification, the owner said their pricing comes from a software called PRODEMAND, which sets "national standard" labor times. That may sound official, but it doesn't reflect how long the work actually takes. It's a flat-rate billing system that inflates labor on simpler jobs. In other words, you're paying based on software, not the real effort or time spent on your car. The parts markup was also steep. I was told that I needed a new relay sensor and that the cooling fan ***RESISTOR*** was the problem in my quote notes. But I kept reading and on the list below the notes he quoted me the cost for both a relay sensor fuse (way over the market price) as well as a FULL COOLING FAN/ ASSEMBLY ***way*** over the market price. Not simply a resistor. What? Let me rephrase: A relay sensor/fuse that costs $15-$20 at retail price was quoted to me at $42.82 by this shop, and when I asked for transparency on the "local cost," I never got a clear answer. Likewise, I was told the sole cooling fan resistor part couldn't be replaced separately and that I would have to buy a ***full brand new fan unit*** even though RESISTOR replacements (only) for this model clearly exist. When I asked why? That's a shop policy, he says. I even TRIED TO NEGOTIATE a lower price by offering to BUY THE PARTS MYSELF, but he was unwilling. Here was his response to my questions: "To answer your question, 1. Any part you search online will always be cheaper than the local cost. The price you are quoted is the local cost plus shop mark up. 2. The resistor has failed, and the resistor is connected to the fan motor. We will not be able to use your parts. -Every shop works differently, in regards to replacing parts. For us to do this job we would replace the full fan assembly. We cannot replace the resistor independently. 3. We charge $110 per hour and the calculated rate is based on PRODEMAND which is a national software estimating guide. 4. Replacing only the relay will not fix the problem. You have two separate issues. Thanks," I'm not saying they're dishonest; I believe they follow their own internal system. But customers should know how those estimates are built, especially when money is tight and car repairs are essential for work and daily life. I would search for a different mechanic if I were you. However, If you go here, ask for the PRODEMAND labor hours up front, ask for the part's pre-markup price up front, and confirm whether a part is truly unserviceable or just replaced by policy. The transparency matters...because without asking, you'll pay more than the repair actually costs. I don't like it one bit. You shouldn't either. Good luck.

do not waste your money on this company. not only did they send a independent contractor who…read moreshowed up late during the evening he did not want to do anything more than change the oil on my truck. i paid 401.00 to be completely ripped off. do yourself a favor, do not use instant car fix. i am so disappointed that i actually believed that they could perform a service call for my tundra.

What these people have done is unspeakable. I indicated that I "thought" the car needed a new…read morethermostat (?), all in the spirit of cooperation, but without any certainty. The mechanic came, told us that the thermostat was replaced - even though it looked like it was not necessary. Of course he also managed to fish more work, outside of the company's purview, I learned later, to replace a serpentine belt. Total cost: $900. The punchline: I took it to Austin Automotive who informed me that the original thermostat was still in the car, and what's worse, the thermostat is part of the water pump system. You cannot replace just the thermostat in my car. Phone calls were not returned, and when I finally heard back, they asked me if I wanted a new serpentine belt... Unbelievable. Too bad that I cannot give them zero stars.