My son was looking at a car in that area and before potentially buying we make an appointment to get it checked out at this shop. Absolutely 5 star servIce.They went through everything thing , took photos , went over the most problem areas to cosmetic showing us everything. They printed a copy for us and gave us an estimate for the repairs. Because of the work required and estimated cost of repair we did not purchase the car. I highly recommend anyone looking to purchase a used vehicle to get it checked here first. The cost was very reasonable and saved us a bundle. Our thanks to Finn Sims the service advisor for his friendly service and expertise. Al Demmitt Nanaimo read more

My mom needed her car checked because she had some weird sensor warnings coming on. She was traveling in a couple days and worried about the long trip without it being checked. The service was amazing - did diagnostics , left with a plan and reassurance that she should make it home no problem. Price was more than fair as well. Great job!!! read more

Bally and his crew at 12th and Arbutus have taken care of me every time I go in there. Oil leaks, radiator issues etc. I would recommend them to anyone looking for great prices and excellent customer service. Gary A. read more

Was told 180$ to change transmission fluid I guess that was just for the kit with the filter and labour it was over 700 Never again read more

Great quality work and honesty is a rare find these days. Add amazing customer service to the mix and this is a garage I will always come back to! read more

My experience at Minit-Tune and Brake was beyond what I expected. I was roadtripping from California to Vancouver and during the trip my radiator went out on me. I got it fixed in Oregon and was disturbed to hear a high pitch noise coming from my engine as I got into Vancouver. I decided to get it checked in at this Minit-Tune and Brake after being declined from several mechanics due to not making an appointment the week prior (completely understandable). However, Dan from Minit-Tune heard me out and took me in. Thinking it might be a quick fix, the shop discovered there were several issue with my Jeep which was beyond concerning since I was a US citizen, living/traveling in this car, hundreds of miles away from home. All in all, my water pump, sensors, thermostat, crankshaft seal, battery and marker light all had to be replaced and they were able to diagnose all of these issues within a short amount of time. End result, everything was fixed in two days, they worked overtime to have my car up and running and I was able to drive up to Whistler asap which was always the plan. To top it all off, Dan was kind enough to message me in the middle of the trip to ask how my car was running. Customer service like this is pretty rare nowadays. Dan and his head mechanic/team are more than empathetic to the stress of a bad car situation. If you're having car issues in the Vancouver area, it would be a disservice to yourself not to work with this Minit-Tune & Brake Auto Centre. read more

had the full oil change service done, which was to include lube, filter, oil, tire rotation and a number of other 'checks'. Paid $220. When I got home, I found they did not do the tire rotation. Invoice said they did. Not sure if they did any of the other checks noted on the invoice . I would not trust them to work on my car again, as they charged me for work not done. Don't use this shop, they are a rip off. read more

Peter no longer there, now retired .Been with this shop for 25 plus years. Now no longer, new owners do nothing but upsell and their prices are through ther oof. Found new shop . read more

I know trucks and I know my British Rovers. Peter & David & the entire gang at this shop love what they do and are cheerful and happy as fresh clams from Granville Island Market - I had a light out they previously installed and it got buggered again - they fixed it FREE and treated me like a King. Go see this shop and be honest with your car/ truck issues with them - they will help you and be more than fair about the prices and value of parts installed etc. GREAT SHOP MATE! read more

Great service and very trustworthy. I have been bringing my little mazda here for a few years now and will continue to do so.

Car woes can be a royal pain in the neck! Seeing the red engine light come on is enough to make your stomach turn especially if you are not car savvy. The dealership wanted to charge me almost 200.00 just to assess the problem. That's madness! The problem began the day after I had taken it to the dealership for a recall. Sounds suspect if you ask me! I had to find a source I could trust to tell me the truth. I spotted an ad in the newspaper about Minit-tune's oil change and inspection special ~36.00 for a complete maintenance package was music to my ears! They were fabulous! Danny and his crew identified the engine problem immediately, gave me a full tour of of all the parts and pieces that were working and those that were not. It was most helpful that they were able to explain everything in a way that made sense and was easy to digest. The engine problem was due to a loose hose. Yes, the dealership was going to charge me an arm and leg for something that they probably "pulled?!" I felt really taken care of at Minit-Tune, it's no wonder their walls are adorned with customer choice awards. The service was exceptional. They even washed my car which was a nice way to put a smile on a new customers face. read more

See all

First time customer at Minute lube today As a woman I fear going to these places as I have been overcharged at dealerships and such in the past and treated like an idiot. Minute lube is different, respectful and kind I highly recommend Peter Singh and his team!! I will be returning absolutely I will also tell my women friends this is a safe place for women to go to to get their cars serviced thanks guys read more

If you need HELP with your vehicle, AVOID Minit Tune. Like the bad shops you hear about, they take advantage of ignorant motorists. My employee - who is not mechanically inclined - went to the Kitsilano Minit Tune for professional help with her vehicle that was overheating and going into limp mode. The mechanics there told her the problem was likely due to the presence of oil in her spark plug tubes and immediately jumped to a full seal replacement job at a cost of approx. $800. Even the hobby mechanic knows that the most common cause of this problem is overfilled oil in the crankcase. They say they removed all the spark plugs and claim they cleaned and reinstalled them. I would be choked if I was paying labour for this; if you go to the trouble of pulling my FOULED spark plugs, you best be calling me and asking if I want to have new ones installed. The answer would always be yes. However, not even a call. I have my doubts they pulled them at all. It is also worth noting that they charged $50 for a $20 fuel filter, and $40 to install it - it's literally a 3-minute job if the vehicle is already up. Minit Tune didn't even pull her dipstick, if they did, they would have seen that the oil level was almost double the max fill line, and was practically sludge it was so old. Overlooking this step proves without a doubt that they do not care about due diligence and working from the ground up, they will take any opportunity to sell you the most expensive 'fix' for the symptom they identify. $800 later and they say that the vehicle is still behaving the same way and that there is now a transmission leak. Yes, there was a leak, but it was not a "pouring out of the tranny" problem as they described. So, off my employee goes to the next 'professional' they referred her to. They say it's the front seal (which it was, and costs $10) and that they have to drop the transmission to replace it (which they do). It takes a competent mechanic with an equipped shop no more than a couple of hours to drop a tranny, and no more than a couple to reinstall. However, they quoted her $2000. So, let's say the mechanic sucks and it takes them a total of 8 hours for the drop and install, 2 hours for the seal (which takes 5 mins once dropped), they rip her off with a $50 charge for the seal itself, and maybe another rip off of $200 for the new fluid. This would mean that their shop rate is $175/hour. No way - a full rebuild can be done for $2k. This is another shop looking at an uninclined car owner as a meal ticket, not a professional here to help. I mention this because Minit Tune is a legitimate business and brand, and there is hardly a difference between them running fraudulent services themselves, and them referring their customers to other 'professionals' who will rip them off just as badly. I wouldn't be surprised if the two places are sending people back and forth and sharing the rip-off profits. I got frustrated and brought my employee's vehicle into my own shop. I found the oil was indeed 1.5l overfilled, and guess what? Still oil in the spark plug tubes. It doesn't matter how good your seals are if your overfilled they'll let the pressure out. The fact this wasn't caught is pure negligence. So, I changed the oil and filter, and then pulled the spark plugs and installed UNFOWLED ones. Onto the tranny; found that it too was overfilled, and yes, dripping out the front seal. I decided to TRY THE EASY FIX FIRST and got the levels correct and ran a seal additive. Everything cleaned up perfect, and after days of hard driving/testing, there is yet to be even a drip of tranny fluid. All this (plus and air filter) for $190 and a few hours of labour. The truck is running perfectly. If she was to follow the advice of these professionals, she would be out over $3000 for NOTHING. This DOES NOT justify her being out $800 for nothing. I KNOW she was ripped off here, the manager didn't seem to care at all when I laid it all out for him. This review is going up everywhere this business is listed, we are reporting to their head office, BBB, and consumer protection, and we are also pursuing small claims. I expect my employee's money to reimbursed with an apology. If you need professional HELP with your vehicle, avoid Minit Tune. read more

DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR HERE! Left my car for 2 days, paid almost $300, and nothing was done. Very simple fixes like light bulbs and windshield wipers; who knows if they even changed the oil or actually did the routine maintenance. They took advantage of me because I am a young woman who clearly doesn't know much about cars, but I know how to run a business and this one is DISGUSTING. read more

This is a long due, just had time to post it. Last month I found an Impreza '09. Since these are famous for head gasket issues, wanted to lift it and make sure it got a pre-purchase check. Usually don't do these but I'm new in town and this was my first time buying a car in Canada. Since because of COVID, i was not able to wait in their lounge but wait for them to call after the check is done, in 45 mins they said. After 10 mins i got a call from them about a head gasket leak and rusted spots etc. I don't remember the name but the very kind gentleman over there said: "i would not buy this car and matter of fact it only took us couple minutes to notice these, it's a no go. i do not want to charge you for pre-purchase but if you want i can go on and finish the procedure". Told him want to pay for what they have done so far but he refused. Thank you kind sir, I tell these to any friend who looks for a pre-purchase. read more

Five stars for honesty and integrity. Service for one car was quoted at $720 by a dealership. At this place, ended up costing less than $130. Combination of my own research (google much?) and honesty from Peter Singh. Unlike the endless upsell from the dealership, it was refreshing to have these guys actually tell me the cabin air filter was clean and didn't need replacing. The dealership tried to even replace my windshield wipers for $200. They're not perfect. For one car, forgot to reset the computer and I had to return. For honesty, five stars. read more

I have brought my car in here a few times to get an oil change. Mostly because it's so close. And for the most part I am happy with what they do. This last time, however, really made me wonder if I want to bring my car back. A pure oil change is an easy thing to do: Oil is taken out. Oil is put back in. That part I am happy with - 'Hooray for fluid changes" (trust me, this is as excited as I will get in this review). However, every time I bring my car in they have numerous suggestions of what else I should do. Normally I have no problem chalking this up to "this is how we make our money"; but this last time took it over the top. Upon returning for my car, they spoke with me about how they were "seriously concerned" (yes, "seriously concerned", not just "concerned") about a few things. I know better than to take their word for it so first called my on-call mechanic (aka Dad), and happened to have an appointment with my actual mechanic several days later. Both of them rolled their eyes...yes...ROLLED THEIR EYES at 2 of Minite-Tune's suggestions. I am lucky to have an on-call Dad who happens to know an incredible amount about cars, but it made me wonder how many people, and their wallets, get sucked into these 'serious concerns". I don't know that this location is much different from others, but just a word to the wise! read more

I'm not sure what to make of this repair place. I took my car in for an oil change, and upon pick up the staff advised me that my brake fluid was dirty and corroded. They also said the same thing about my power steering fluid. The brake fluid part didn't make sense, since I had my brakes done last year and had requested that the fluid be flushed and replaced. I suppose it's possible that it's still dirty, but needless to say I would check that myself. When I did a search on replacing power steering fluid on google it said the only people who recommend changing it, are shops who have bought the machine to change it. Fluid should be good for the life of your car, unless you replace a pump. If someone tells you that something is dirty and corroded you would probably replace it. They don't seem to add that you don't need to replace it. I'll probably still take my car for an oil change, but I'll definitely get a second opinion on other tasks. read more

These people are scammers. My car was running perfectly fine before I took it there... except for the nail in my tire. Went here to get the tire fixed and an oil change. Now my engine light is on and my OBD2 scanner says there is a problem with my throttle position sensor. I can also feel my car struggling to change from 1st to 2nd gear. They completely messed up my car. I went back to ask them what the hell they did and they said it was always like this. The people here are trash. read more

It's unfortunate Minit-Tune downtown closed down and Bob retired. We have 3 vehicles and we received awesome services back then (I've been directed to this location). I'm not one to complain for no reason because my time is very valuable... heads up out there. Minit-Tune quoted an hour labour plus parts for a simple starter replacement. Dealer also quoted an hour but slightly higher labour rate. After towing the car on site, I requested for an OEM starter and was ok to pay if the part was more expensive. Surprisingly the labour bumped up to 2 hours. OEM dealer was only a couple blocks away (delivery free). I'm guessing Minit-Tune loses revenue not using their own parts and increased labour charge to compensate. If it truly took them 2 hours, then they are not experienced auto mechanics. I don't "nickel & dime" and I believe what comes around goes around. Sorry Minit-Tune, I'm with another shop...J read more

Zero stars if I could. These complete morons recommended a certain type of strut for my vehicle, so I ordered front and rear struts under the impression they could install it (cause shop guy PETER said they could). Wrong. They call back saying they cannot install the rears and i'd need a mounting kit (Why the EFF was this not discussed prior to taking time off work to get it done). So I leave the shop dissatisfied with a job half done. It gets worse. Very next day, very audible clanking coming from front struts they installed, this goes on for another day before I call them to confirm something is wrong. They ask me to take it in, which I do. They can't find anything wrong, again I leave hugely dissatisfied, clanking still present. Then I actually book into another shop that has a good strut/shock reputation and the mechanic points out to MISSING pieces of the front struts, then he proceeds to tell me that he doesn't want to work on MINIT-TUNE's mess. So again, NOTHING is getting done. Finally, after 2 months of driving on horribly installed front struts thanks to MINIT-TUNE on 4TH, I get proper struts installed at West Coast Off-roader's, in which they explained that whoever installed my front struts had to be an unsupervised-apprentice level employee because of how badly they were installed !! I had to pay for two new front strut mounts as well because of the damage that MINIT-TUNE on 4TH caused to my vehicle. MINIT-TUNE on 4TH recommended the struts ($1000) and then they charged me $450+ for a botched front strut job. Not to mention the unpaid time off work, which in total, PETER and his asshats cost me well over $1500 to get NOTHING done. Furthermore, I asked them to look at my brakes because of a rotational friction sound when the brakes were applied and as well as some steering wheel shimmy. AGAIN, they said nothings wrong and it all "looks good". Well it wasn't, and I tried to tell these "professionals" that but nothing got done. I took it to another place and had them look at the brakes while I was there for an oil change and they pointed out the warped rotor causing the problem. My vehicle runs at an optimal level now, NO THANKS in part to these dummies. Absolute WORST experience with a shop i've ever had. read more

I would never go here again. These guys right royally ripped me off with a sub standard brake job. I ended up getting in touch with the CEO to try and remedy, of course he tried to blow me off. I had them by the balls, evidence of lying and dodgy work which put my family and myself in danger. I got a little money back but was stuck with a SHODDY brake job, some low budget replacement calipers the completely rusted within weeks. They tried to tell me the noise like a jack hammer from the new caliper was normal!! Go to you car manufacturer garage (Ford, Mazda etc), it may be a little more, but at least they are generally good, and use the recommended parts. People like this shouldn't be in business! DO NOT TRUST THESE PEOPLE! read more

Be warned - they may scam you. I came for the half-off brake special for my rear brakes. They recommended replacing the front brakes citing they also had 10% left. It was my first visit - they should've known I had previously gone elsewhere - I had on record that I had 50% left on front bakes. Even with the discounted price, total cost was just slightly less. It also took an hour and a half longer than initially quoted. read more

I thought I was in dire need of a brake job on my car, as it was grinding and not feeling right. Took it in to the shop on a sunday(grateful they were open) and was advised I didn't need new brakes, just a cleanup job! When does that ever happen? So the money I saved on that allowed me to get a great tune up and oil change, and I still came out cheaper. The service was excellent, and the HONESTY most appreciatted. We will be back again from New West :) read more

This is my go to garage for any car issues. From my experience they only seem to charge for what is necessary, and sometimes they may not even charge at all. I just got my car back from a scheduled tune up and the charge was $56.90. The reason it was so low was that very little needed to be done and from my experience they don't tack on unnecessary extras. Another example. Last year I was selling my car when I discovered a quarter had become lodged in the mechanism that allowed the front seat to be moved back and forth. I did everything I could to get the damn thing out but it was just wedged in there. I brought it in to Minit-Tune and they removed it free of charge. This is a great local business and I wouldn't hesitate recommending them to anyone. read more

Took my car there for maintenance package and to check an issue I was having with the car hesitating upon accelerating. The manager, Peter was friendly and helpful. They checked everything out & didn't find any issues. I would definitely go back as they were quick and the price was right! read more

Just stopped in here as my signal light was out and was hoping for a quick change. All stalls were busy but 15 minutes later I'm out of there with a new signal light and no charge. Awesome. I've had a honda civic, audi a4, and now grande jeep cherokee and this is the first place I go. I brought the audi in one time as I was told by the dealership that the breaks needed changing and they drove it, checked them and turns out they were still good. No charge. Super nice guys that know their stuff and for sure the first place I stop if I need anything done. Thanks guys! read more

I go to Minit-tune because of Peter who is very knowledgeable and is an all round great guy. Over the past few years he's fixed and tuned up both my sisters car and my car both which are pretty new. We don't go to the dealership as we find that they charge 3 or 5 times the amount. I highly recommend you ask for Peter, he will take care of you. read more

Minit-Tune & Brake - nice waiting area with some art/diagrams - Auto Repair Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

These guys are great for an oil change and the inspection that comes with it is detailed and reliable. The location is nice because you can walk to Granville Island while they work and they'll call you as things develop. Sometimes they take a little longer than they estiamte but that's understandable. They'll take you to your car and show you what's going on and explain it in layman terms without talking down to you. The one issue I have is their repair estimates are often hugely inflated. They'll correctly disagnose the problem but don't freak out when they quote a price - a proper mechanic could cut the cost in half. read more

My breaks were squeaking so I figured the pads needed to be changed - I had them looked at only 4 months before by another car repair place and they were still OK but the squeaking worried me, so I took my car to Minit-Tune. Minit-Tune calls me and said yup need to replace your break pads, and ALSO your rotors. This was going to cost around $400 or something ridiculous. So I went online - turns out you can have your rotors "shaved down" up to two times in order to save some $$, before getting them replaced. So I called back, asked if they could do this. They said yup, $40 ea or something, but that I should bring the car back as soon as I have the money to prevent damage. SO my friend's boyfriend is a mechanic out in New West - says he can do my rotors for me for WAYY cheaper than what Minit-Tune quoted. So when he takes my car apart to check the rotors he says THEY ARE FINE. AAAAND they haven't even been touched!! So not only did Minit-Tune offer me a service I didn't need, they didn't even DO they service they charged me for. Minit-Tune took advantage of me and I AM NEVER GOING BACK. JERKS. read more

Simply put ... I wouldn't take my vehicle anywhere else. Peter and his gang are professional, knowledgable and HONEST! If they make a suggestion it's usually spot on. Thanks for keeping me up and running boys! read more

What a rip-off! I asked to get one caliper changed and ended up being told that the other caliper needed to be changed also because it was leaking. There were no signs of leakage at all before I brought the car into the shop. Then, when I asked to get my old calipers back, I was told that it would cost $60 each. Are you kidding me? $120 for calipers that belong to me! This place is ridiculous. I had to listen a string of excuses for why they wouldn't give me back my calipers and charged me $800. Save yourself the hassle - go somewhere else. read more

Very much the same as the first two reviewers, went in with a coupon, they changed the oil etc, did not even do a very good job of that, left underside really dirty, oil grime everywhere, very unprofessional. They recommended I change the break fluid, change air filter, and change front brake pads. Showed my friend who is a mechanic, he said front brake pads had %90 left, break fluid was clean as can be, air filter was not even close to needing to be replaced. Same old story, lied to my face, do not trust your car to these guys. go elsewhere. read more

My car was messed up right after the oil change. Smoking smell :(. Not going there again.

STAY AWAY. Especially if you don't know much about cars. I normally go to my trusted mechanic but my car was acting up and this was close. They said they fixed the problem but after I paid and when I started the car, the problem was not changed at all and within seconds the car was acting up again. They said they need to do a "diagnostic" to find the problem which is $110. My gut said something isn't right and I declined. I barely made it to my mechanic further away and he fixed the problem for HALF of the price of the "diagnostic". Really disappointing. On top of it my mechanic said they didn't even place the wires back correctly. I will surely tell everyone I know to stay away because there are actually some honest mechanics out there and they're the ones that deserve our business. read more

I would not recommend going here. I went in for a basic oil change and they had a promotion on for $36, so I went for that. When my bill came it was $47 and I inquired if I had received the promotion or not? The gentleman said I had and that it was taxes that were extra...Hmm more than 10 dollars taxes? I think not, so then he pointed out that there was a charge for parts and labor. That is ridiculous. You don't charge extra for parts and labor for an oil change. I feel ripped off and will not be returning. If you want to gain new customers, this is not the way to do it. read more

Very good service they did a excellent job fixing my brakes and I am happy that I went there. I will go back because they were very helpful.

I would never give this location my business - EVER. Peter was completely rude, disrespectful, and unprofessional. I came here to get my oil changed and booked an appointment in advance. Since I am a rookie finally getting my license not too long ago, I was unsure if I should pull into the shop or a parking spot. I pulled into the shop as there was an extra spot and asked if it was ok to park here. The first guy I talked to said that its not usually how it's done, but since I had already pulled in, it was ok. So I am about to put my car in park and get out when PETER comes along looking very confused and asked his employee what was going on. I asked Peter if there was a problem and he said "Yes there is. You don't just pull into the shop like this" I told him I didn't know what the procedure was. and that the other guy said it was ok to park here for now. He told me that his employee would not say that. He told me I had offended him by pulling into the shop. I couldn't believe the way he was talking to me! Then he proceeded to tell me to either get my service or leave! I was in such disbelief by how disrespectful and demeaning he was being that I left and took my business to Jiffy Lube on Kingsway, which is great by the way. The man was very friendly and even got me some coffee while I waited to get my oil changed. Bottom line, how was I supposed to know the procedure if I had never been to an autoshop or got my oil changed before? If I was in the wrong, he could have said it nicely and that would have been it, but instead Peter chose to talk to me very disrespectfully. Minit-Tune has definitely lost my business because of him and Jiffy Lube has now gained a loyal customer. Never again. read more

Had an oil change and service package done here recently. Feel that they are reasonably good. Basic stuff done so can't comment on other auto services. Their inspection also seems reasonably thorough and detailed with some suggested work. My only note is that I called first thing in the morning for an appointment and was told to come in 10:30am and it would take about an hour to hour and half to complete. When i showed up at 10:30am, the place was full of cars and they told me they were backed up and it would be about 2 hours. An hour and 15 mins later, they took my car into the bay to start the service which took an hour or so. By the time I was out of there, it totalled about 2 - 2.5 hours which caused me and my family some inconvenience. I guess it happens and businesses need to take the work that shows up, but an apology would've been nice. Other than the timing, the work seemed good and explanations were clear. read more