Great small garage, very rare to find The technician was very helpful, saved all replacement parts and showed me the failed parts Good price and honest Highly recommend read more

Mark has taken care of my car for many years and I have never had any problems. Mark is a professional, honest and reliable auto mechanic. I'm lucky to have found him. I highly recommend his services. read more

I was able to make a call, showed up and Mark was quick and efficient to get the repair done on my vehicle. read more

Monterey Auto Service - Auto Repair Near Me - San Francisco, California

Mark has been taking care of my 1989 Mazda for many years and I keep going back for many reasons. He knows cars, how to diagnose problems and how to fix them. He is meticulous in his work and in his dealings with the customer. He follows all the steps one expects from an expert repair person givine estimates and explaining the problems and showing you everything you need to know about the job, His prices are reasonable considering the speed with which he works and he make an effort to get the best price on parts. Since my car is so old getting parts is a problem. He keeps searching until he finds them. To save money and time, he once sent me to the junk to get parts otherwise unavailable, That was a learning experience and well worth. I love the sound of my Mazda engine and my car still goes up the 29th Street hill in 2nd gearjust like it did in 1988 when I gave it a test drive up that hill. I give Mark all high marks for its long lasting reliability. read more

I can tell Mark is very knowledgeable when it comes to cars. He talks in a very straightforward way that can seem a bit abrasive, but he still helped us out by taking our car in on Friday evening for a look on Saturday morning, even though he was going to have a busy Saturday. After he did the inspection, it turns out his first instinct was right, and he helped us clean up the oil leak under our hood. Mark was very transparent about the price and called us for permission before acting. Also found a broken light and replaced it too. (I will say the oil changes here are more expensive than other parts of the city -- nearly as expensive as my dealer.) After all this is said and done, Mark offers to back our car out of the garage. On his way, he scrapes his own boxes and materials with the car, and the sound is so noticeable that he even gets out of the car to take a look. When he backed the car out onto Monterey, I immediately gasp and curse because there is such a large scratch on the side of our car, but Mark goes back inside to work on other things. When we try to confront Mark about it later, he is super defensive and THEN accuses us of trying to rip him off. We brought up the fact that he even got out of the car when he heard our car scratch his boxes, and he said he didn't know what we were talking about, even though we saw it with our own eyes. Really disappointed that our experience took such a dark turn because we were hoping to have a knowledgeable neighborhood auto shop we could rely on in the future. read more

How lucky we are to have a such a skilled, honest, efficient and reasonably priced auto mechanic in the neighborhood. Mark recently equipped my 2015 BMW with new tires, brakes and an oil change and I couldn't be more pleased. read more

Mark recently serviced my car, an oil change and inspection. His work was amazingly prompt, and I was able to pick up my car in a few hours after dropping it off. He carefully explained some issues I was concerned about, and showed me why two potentially expensive repairs raised by a dealer were not yet necessary. His work was also very reasonably priced. I highly recommend him. read more

We will keep this one short. Mark is smart. We had a problem with our battery being repetitively drained. Although he could not do anything with hunting down the source due to manufacturer proprietary electronics he could install a battery killswitch as a stopgap measure until we could take it to a dealer for a lengthier diagnostic. This allowed us to have the predictability of our car back for our recent move. Only compliments here. read more

Mark is the best Mechanic I have ever had. He is always patient, kind and straightforward. He answers all my questions and always tries to squeeze me in when I have emergencies. I always can rely on him to take good care of me and my car, I am so lucky to be in the neighborhood too! Thank you, Mark! read more

I called with a tire repair need because I was getting a flat in my tire and the owner picked up the phone and helped me within two hours. It turns out that my car needed to new tires and the owner showed me why, which was very helpful. He was able to beat the price of Costco and he gave me my car back within 24 hours. Best local service in Sunnyside! read more

Monterey Auto Service - My tire going flat :-/ - Auto Repair Near Me - San Francisco, California

Mark repaired my tire faster than other tire repair shops could even answer their phone. He is an ace mechanic who is super smart, thorough, honest, competitively priced, conveniently located, and delivers in a very timely fashion. What else could you ask for in an auto repair shop? I don't live in SF but would go back to him whenever I'm in the city. Professionalism at its best! read more

Wouldn't recommend due to awful experience and customer service. This man had no patience and interest in my business and this is after I accommodated his schedule to come down. "Don't complain to me. When it breaks down you come to me.", after me explaining the situation which was not dire enough for him to assist me with. read more

Quick service for oil change. Great communication and the owner is honest and transparent on pricing, and doesn't try to sell things you don't need. read more

Overpriced and long wait for a new tire

Great work and affordable price. I had my transmission fluid changed and he was very up front and helpful providing the details for what type my car took. read more

Mark helped me to fix an issue with my brakes, and the annual routine oil change. He's been very honest and clear about the service from the first moment with me, and after taking the time for an initial free assessment, gave me a call to give him the green light to proceed, so that I had no surprise. I'll definitely come back in case I need anything. read more

Mark is a very friendly guy. We've been getting car work done on our old car, and when we recently thought of purchasing a new car we brought it to him for inspection prior to buying it. He is very helpful and explained to us all the issues that were wrong with the car but explained to us that they were all pretty minor. He is more expensive at $105/hour than some other places that charge $75/hour, but we feel that he knows what he is doing and has worked with us in the past with any issues that have come up. I'm glad to know that I have a reliable mechanic just up the street from my home. read more

I think I've finally found a trustworthy mechanic! I stumbled upon this place accidentally hoping to fix a horrible grinding noise from my car. I called to see what their availability was and he told me he would be able to see me in an hour and a half. I promptly took my car in and the gentlemen in the shop were very kind and calm, unlike the usual rushed and irritated mechanics. I left the car so he could diagnose the grinding sound and 30 mins later he called me back and confirmed my fear- a whole bunch of work and a whole bunch of money. Now usually at this point I'm skeptical of what work I actually NEED to get done and as a woman I often feel mechanics think I have no idea what's going on, hoping to rip me off. Not this guy! He kindly took the time- without my asking- to ACTUALLY SHOW me what was wrong with my car and thoroughly explain the problem and how he could fix it. I asked if he would be able to fix everything today, he looked at the clock and said of course, giving himself only about 4-5 hours to fix a bunch of problems, saying he could even stay late to finish. Before I even signed the work form, he was already ordering parts. Just about 4-5 hours later I went back to pick up the car and they were still finishing up, but were kind enough to pull out a seat for me while I waited. The car came out feeling brand new and I am beyond thankful! This place has great customer service with employees who take pride in their work and want to show you what's actually going on with your car. They have great rates and I would definitely recommend this place. I will be back in the future! read more

I live in the Sunnyside Neighborhood and have always heard so many good things about Mark, the owner of Monterey Auto Service. As it turns out, I needed a new radiator for my 2002 Toyota Avalon which had a serious problem. I find it always concerning to bring a car into a large shop for repairs because you never hear from the mechanic, only the service writer. So I called Mark to request the service and he immediately calmed my nerves by communicating to me what needed to be done for this repair. When I brought the car to his shop Mark opened the hood and explained, in detail, what he would do to make my car perfect again. Mark keeps exact notes of all the work that he does and the related costs. His prices were so much better than what the Toyota Shop would have charged. Mark is careful to protect your vehicle as he works on your car, and his automotive knowledge is remarkable. I had a secondary problem with my car that the large Toyota Shops could never find the time to suggest, let alone solve for me. Mark diagnosed the problem and found the solution for me so quickly. We, in Sunnyside, are so lucky to have Mark and his auto shop in our neighborhood. I would highly recommend Mark for service to repair your car. He is great ! read more

I am the first one to tell you- accessorizing an outfit, I am your girl. Cars- what? I know how to use the stereo. I am so lucky that we live less than a block from Monterey Auto Service. Pretty much ANY time that something goes wrong with my car, I can bring it there for a FAIR price, and I know that he is not lying to me. I actually hugged him for his cheap prices and quick turn around a month ago when I had a fan belt replacement. Frank always tells you about upcoming repairs that MAY need to be done as well. The only reason that I am not going the "full five" is that I still am a bit suspicious of car repair people- I can't help it- I don't know anything about cars! So really I am the dumb dumb. read more

Shady. My wife went there for a smog check, he conducted a visual inspection and said he found the dipstick was broken and therefore it wouldn't pass the check. Cost to fix the dipstick: He quoted her $25-35 for labor and had to call his vendor for the cost of parts. She didn't wait to hear the cost of the parts. She took the car to another place, where it passed with no problems and no additional work needed, and no mysterious "dipstick problem". read more

I called in the morning to see if they had my tire size and asked if I could come after 5pm and be out the same day. They had the tire I needed for a great price and changed it in less than 45 minutes. The owner was very nice and efficient. This shop is also in a convenient location on Monterey and open until 6:30pm - good for after work hours. I will return to this shop. read more

I took the Ford Mustang in for replacement of a burned-out bulb in the tail light. Even though he was busy, the mechanic started the repair within 15 minutes and had me out of there forty minutes after I walked in. The initial estimate was $50 + parts, but the final bill ended up being only $30 TOTAL! This is a great neighborhood auto mechanic's shop! I would go there again in a heartbeat for this sort of job. read more

I don't understand why people have to be so rude over the phone!!! I am a person who would like to be treated with respect when spoken to especially when I treat people with common cutesy. It seems that they are less interested in servicing your car and more interested yelling at you. I didn't feel comfortable with the people at the shop! I used Yelps email business option to contact the them abut three services I needed on my car. I was replied to answering some questions but asked me to call in to answer the rest. When I called in i was asked what i wanted because I guess I wasn't speaking fast enough. I asked to speak with the person who responded to me and the man on the phone said she wasn't in and would never be in and then said good bye. I stopped him by telling him I needed to take my car in and I wanted to spend money with him. At that point he said I needed to speak to only him and then said just tell me what you want. After I explained what I wanted he continued to ask me why I even wanted to those services. At this point i was so frustrated by his tone and way he was talking down to me. There are many other good mechanics to go to! Use someone else! read more

When a radiator hose began to leak in my car, Monterey Auto Repair was a no brainer considering it's only a block away from my apartment. Not having my tools in San Francisco and not wanting to release antifreeze into the rain gutter forced me to pay someone to make the repair. Overall I had a positive experience with this garage. The owner helped me out with the estimate and was genuinely concerned about getting the car back to me quickly. I dropped off my car around 9am and got it back before 1pm the same day. My only complaint would be that they are on the pricey side. A lower radiator hose for my car at any auto parts store would run at most $25-30 and an unmixed bottle of antifreeze around $20. Monterey Auto Repair was going to charge me over $200 to replace the hose, flush the cooling system and add fresh antifreeze. Being a poor graduate student I asked the mechanic to just replace the hose and add water. I could drain and add the appropriate amount of antifreeze at by parents house, saving me some money. I should also note that replacing a radiator hose such as this, is not that difficult. The entire job consists of removing just two clamps and working the hose off In the end, I paid about half of what the mechanic estimated, which I felt was fair considering that I needed my car ASAP. read more

So, here's my situation. I've got this check engine light on. I showed up at Monterey Auto Service at 8:00 am without an appointment. Mark was booked up for the day, but understood my predicament. He grabbed the diagnosis computer and hooked it up to my Jeep which was still parked in the street. He tells me to check the gas cap. Apparently I didn't tighten it down when I filled it last so an emissions sensor went off. We had a laugh about it and he sent me on my way at no charge. That's the kind of neighborhood mechanic I grew up with. Just great service and not looking to pad any bills. Thanks Mark! read more

I am a neighbor and have used this garage (Mark) for a Lexus, a BMW, and a Miata. He has always been very clear and fair and knows how to repair cars. I can promise you you won't be ripped off. He doesn't do more than necessary, and didn't charge for an inspection that lead to a repair that he couldn't complete because it turned out to be a dealer only fix. read more

I first started going to Mark in 2001 after my old shop told me I needed a new transmission for my Ford Explorer, which was 3 years old at the time and I wanted a second opinion. Turns out it was a minor adjustment that had to be made and it was less that $100. He is awesome, honest and does a great job. My car is 20 years old and still running, and he is still does the maintenance on it. He doesn't create unnecessary work, or costs for you. Highly recommend! read more

Mark runs a great local shop. He's expert, helpful, responsive. I recommend Mark for all auto repair needs.

i called because another shop had suggested a expensive repair. i wanted a second opinion, mark correctly identified the isuues and saved a lot of money and trouble. Truly a excellent owner. mike read more

I can always rely on Mark when my car is acting up. I've taken in my VW GTI numerous times for maintenance or if I just ran over a nail (thanks SF construction!). He is great about fitting you in and keeping you updated about your car. Nice guy too. read more

Local people LOVE this auto repair shop. Not that he is honest, which he totally is! Or hard working, which he totally is. Or capable- even expert, again, he totally is. It is because he goes above & beyond to assist people like me in auto distress, even for free on an emergency basis. He is a considerate man and a great businessman. A good person & a wonderful auto mechanic. His shop is clean & organized (his predecessor, kind of a nice guy, was rather a slob at work!) I would go out of my way to patronize Mark and Monterey Auto. read more

I just had my car repaired here yesterday (there was smoke coming out of the hood last time I drove it and to no one's surprise I needed a new radiator). I've taken my car here a dozen times after taking advantage of a brake repair special about 10 years ago, and I find their service efficient, honest, and reasonable. Mark was unsure he could do the repair in one day, and I told him it was no problem since I live conveniently close to a Muni bus line. But he called at 4 and told me it was done. My experience has always been that Mark is scrupulously honest; he gives an accurate estimate, does the work properly, and walks you through what he did when you pick up the car. I think he's a terrific mechanic and will keep going here. I'm delighted to have a dependable mechanic so convenient to my home. read more

Broke my windshield wiper and needed it to be fixed asap so stopped by Monterey Auto Service. Mark allowed me to walk in and fixed the problem in a few minutes at no charge. Knowing what some shady mechanics would do in a situation like that this really means a lot to me and to those who value a good honest service. Seems like I found a my mechanic! read more

Honest, great, straight forward SF mechanic. I took my old clunker into Mark to see if he could diagnose what ailed it. My car was on it's last legs, since I hadn't taken care of it. Mark checked everything out and was able to tell me that the entire engine needed replacement. He thoroughly explained it to me and even gave me a demonstration of some of the issues. When the car wouldn't start to get it out of his garage, Mark and his co-worker pushed my car out and maneuvered it into a parking spot (on a hill!). Above and beyond! I'm going to get a new car, and I know who my neighborhood mechanic will be. Thanks Mark! read more

When speaking with or exchanging questions allow the Russian to think, a period of silence is contemplating not ignoring. Also verbose sentences are customary on their part if you wait for them to finish they are very patiently polite to hear you out it's a cultural thing fyi source: wikihow Russian business customs and I'm part Russian this conversational approach is common panslavikly as far as i know my Polish relatives do it too subconsciously, just a tip for great communication read more

Mark is a man of his word and got me in and out while doing even more than he promised. After spending several days with Sears Auto in Tanforan (the worst in service ever) trying to resolve a tire issue, Mark resolved the issue and gave me back a sense of confidence in my car. read more

Was hesitant to use this shop because of the lack of reviews and its not so high rating, but the guy who helped me (Mark) was friendly and to the point about fixing my tire and getting them rotated, and he gave me a fair price. Will definitely be using them again in the future since they're nearby! read more

Honest and straight forward. A great neighborhood mechanic. I had to get "lamp and brake certificates" in order to register a car. Monterey auto service seems to be one of a very few shops in the city that offers this service. I called around 9:30 am and was offered the service at my convenience. I took the car in and was done by 2pm. The shop is small but very clean. If I still lived on that side of town I would definitely make this my go to mechanic shop. read more

Courteous, convenient and quick. I was hoping to find such a place not far from home, even if just for the occasional smog check, since both my vehicles are notoriously reliable. Prices were reasonable as well. read more