Well this review is way overdue. I opened this page for the business owner because of the amazing job and service u got here. I would highly recommend it to anyone. He is Toyota Lexus certified and his prices are more than fair. This is conveniently located by my house so will be my go to going forward. I will be back for sure! read more

MT Auto - Auto Repair Near Me - Gardena, California

See all

We have been going to MT Auto fir years. The owner was a mechanic at toyota headquarters before starting his own business. Trustworthy, and just a bit cheaper than the dealer. read more

Best Toyota mechanic in the South Bay. Better than a dealership in every way. AWESOME.

This is the only auto mechanic I will bring any of my cars too. He specifies in Lexus and Toyota but he's worked well on my Honda and my Nissan. This is our family mechanic and I won't go anywhere else. Prices are reasonable and labor is done in a timely fashion read more

If you want to take your car outside of a dealership, this is the place to go. Thin has all the characteristics of a mechanic that anyone would want ... professional, honest and upfront and competitive pricing. My family has been going to him for years! read more

I have been an engineer for 62 years (I'm 82!) working in UK, Germany and the USA, having driven and been responsible for the servicing of some 20 or more makes of car (either doing it personally or using specialized auto shops.) For the last ten years Thinh has looked after our aging es330 Lexus competently, efficiently and extremely reasonably. Frankly, Thinh knows more about Lexus than at least two Lexus agents I have discussed problems with. And unlike them, if the there is a cheaper and solid repair that will fix it rather than a expensive replacement part, Thinh will tell you and do it. I have met few like him. read more

A friend of mine recommended me to this shop. And I did not disappoint. My 2nd time getting my car fixed from them. Very trustworthy Thinh is very nice and he will tell you what you need and not. read more

I bring all my cars here. No appointments needed and usually done same day. The owner doesn't try to upsell you into any unnecessary services. I've witness several instances where customers were saved a ton of money because the laundry list of issues other shops identified were false. read more

DON'T BRING YOUR CAR HERE! The owner Tihn will try to rip you off if you're not knowledgeable of your car. I went to get an oil change and timing belt replaced and once I left this shop, my car was jerking unexpectedly when it didn't do so prior to his work. He then told me that my motor mounts were broken and that they needed to be replaced when they weren't broken before. The owner is manipulative and will take advantage of you especially if you're a woman trying to get work done. Shame on you for creating additional problems to my car so you can keep money in your pockets and make me a returning customer! read more

Every car owner should have a guy ... I finally found mine. Women don't be intimidated! Mr. Tinh is honest and fair. Won't upsell you on things you don't need and charges a fair price for quality work. read more

Definitely reccommend. Ive been going here for years, they will be super honest with you. They will never upcharge you or try anything shady at all. I always include a tip just because of the honesty and great work they do read more

I've been an on and off customer here for over 15 years. Thihn and his team here are knowledgeable and amazing technicians.

Best mechanic shop and very knowledgeable .. reasonable pricing.. prices and work can't be beat

Amazing place. The owner is honest, knowledgeable, uses very fair pricing, and works quickly to get your car fixed and returned to you as fast as possible. I highly recommend them. read more

I've been here a couple of times and most of the time it seems fair and reasonable, but lately i think the pricing has been very inconsistent. Warning do your research before going, i went there to have my starter replaced on my Honda Civic, and i know he quoted me $280 parts and labor, when i arrived back the bill was $404! He said the starter part was $280, $100 labor and then tax! He said they had no refurbished ones so had to order a new one that was hundred dollars more! I researched later and most starters range from $125-225 either new or refurbished. A Honda Civic one for a 2000 model should not cost that much. And while in the office i heard him charging a lady $37 for an oil change, they should usually be $26, some places are even much less! Next time if there is one really research online the actual prices of the part then print out a list of them, also print a list of averages of quotes around the area. Most of us really cant appraise how much car parts should cost, so go to any mechanic knowing that and protect yourself from being mispriced. read more

Thinh is my car angel. Thinh is a certified Lexus/Toyota technician and has worked at the Mission Viejo Lexus for over a decade. He STILL works there. He is very knowledgeable about all cars not just Japanese cars. He charges way less than the dealerships. I've been coming here for about 7 years. I cannot stress how honest and nice Thinh is. I got in a car accident and a different body shop used non-Toyota parts and messed up my alignment. Thinh spent two hours trying to fix it, but couldn't succeed... he refused to take my money, no matter how much I insisted. Two hours of labor!!! When I do big services with him he will throw in the oil change for free because he doesn't want to charge me so much. He is dependable, always on time, always accurate with his prices, and never oversells. Sometimes I will request a service and he will tell me I can postpone it for a few months so that I can save money. He has never given me wrong advice. He's so nice I don't even do oil changes here anymore because I'm afraid he's ripping himself off!!!! He'll even come in on Sundays just to service my car. I've referenced my entire family (at least 10 regular cars) and everyone I know here and no one has ever had a complaint. read more

I would highly recommend this mechanic shop. They specialize in Toyota, but can handle most import cars. Just call them up and ask if they can handle your car. Its hard to find a good trusting mechanic, but after take my car for much needed work they took care of me and car. If your car is broken they will let you know, and if its not they won't try to up-sale you on unneeded services. I have an old Honda, and I take to them as much as is needed. The car still pass smog almost with brand new car numbers. read more

Fantastic! I came here from a recommendation - thanks Trina!! Trinh is a hard working, honest technician. I was quoted $350 at the dealership for new brakes and told I need new front and back brakes. As soon as I showed up at MT Auto, he took my car in and was HONEST, which is hard to find in any car repair place. He said, yes you need new front brakes, but the back can last another 8 months. He only charged me $180, and was done in an hour and a half. I just sat on the comfy couch and watched some old movies, and before I knew it I was on my way. I will definitely be coming back! I am so happy to have found a trustworthy car repair place! read more

Last time I brought my Toyota Supra Turbo in for a Clutch Kit install since my Throwout Bearing was Squeeking, these guys did an awesome job. In fact, they even took $70 off their original quote for me. Heck, during that same Clutch job, they even flushed out my Radiator no reason, just cuz they noticed that I only had water in there with no Coolant what so ever (I haven't checked the car in months at the time) and didn't charge me. This time, I brought my Lexus SC300 in since my Rear Wheel Bearing were shot, and was making a thumping noise. As they took it apart, turns out there were more problems than I thought (I saw them take the Rotors out on the passenger side, and my Parking Brake Hardware Kit all just fell out, and the Bolts that held them in were gone), and it took two more days extra to get the job done. After two days, my SC300 was finally running silent in the back. NO MORE THUMPING NOISE!!!!!!!!!! These guys kick ass with repair work. The guy to talk to is Thinh, he is very calm, very professional, and knows all about Toyota's and Lexus vehicles. read more

I agree with the previous reviews of this auto repair shop. The owner, Thihn, really cares about his business. Due diligence, he worked for Toyota as a certified mechanic for quite some time until he retired and opened up this shop. Now when you say retired, he worked for Toyota quite early in his career. He handled a lot of fleet cars for the Toyota employees back in the day, so rest assured Thihn is quite knowledgeable. How this helps you is he will never waste your time figuring what it wrong with your car. He will honestly tell you what needs fixing, what can wait, and what is not fixable, too. He has helpful staff that learns from his knowledge and get the job done...even the elderly guy in the office (former owner?) to make sure you get your car back ASAP. My short experience, dealership said I had a major brake system problem about $2000...was only the master brake cylinder for (parts + labor) $200. This garage handles other foreign makes, but do get there early to avoid the crowd aka standard oil change services, if you think your car needs work. His prices, in my experience, is very reasonable considering parts and labor prices at other garages. Why not a 5th star? Tell me when you were really happy when your car breaks down... PS - Used my AAA card for towing and had Enterprise Rental Car (at the nearby Toyota) that drove there with the rental car. read more

This is the only place I will bring my car to. Even when it was new and the dealership would give free oil changes, I still only came here. They are always honest and will never try to sell you bogus repairs. As far as I'm concerned, there's no other repair shop on earth read more

Mt auto is by far the Best automotive repair shop I've ever been to!!! This is the only place my family and I ever use or refer our friends to, for over 15 years. They are very helpful, knowledgeable, trustworthy, efficient and hard working people with the best prices on their products as well as their labor and skills! A good mechanic is a very precious commodity in todays world. Thank you so much, to the owners and employees at, MT Auto!!! We'll be seeing you again soon! -Sincerely- Crystal Church & Family!!! read more

Getting work done on my suburban. Drove from Victorville to have the transmission rebuilt. Thin is a great guy and all workers are professional. read more

Thanh is a great mechanic. His shop is small so don't be disappointed if he asks you to wait a day or two. His prices are good and I've never had to take my car back for the something he just fixed. read more

Very honest and great work I've been going here for about the last 15yrs. Prices very reasonable. Thin the owner and his staff are nice and polite overall Good people. They specialize in Toyota but they can fix anything. read more

Thinh is extremely knowledgeable regarding any issue for a car!! I've brought my Prius here multiple times and he's consistently fixed every issue!! I don't know much about cars so I'll usually give a vague explanation of what my car is giving me problems with, and he immediately will tell me what the issue is. I've gone into other shops and can tell they try to take advantage of me because I'm a young girl, but here they have very fair prices and a business run by a really honest guy! read more

My family has been coming here for years. My mom took her truck to a dealership and they told her she needed a repair that would cost $1,000+. We knew better and came here and found out the repair was not needed. read more

I am never coming back to MT Auto!!! I came here because a friend suggested it to me, but I was definitely ripped off!!! I don't know if it's because I'm a woman, or because they're bloodsuckers in general, but they definitely were making extra cash on me!! The first time I came here I had some parts that needed replacing. I went to the nearby Starbucks to wait and ended up waiting for almost 5 hours! The shop did not have the part I needed so they sent someone to get it. After returning, they found out the employee had picked up the wrong part! So they had to go back and do an exchange before driving back to MT Auto and STARTING the work! The second time I went I needed my oil changed. I also mentioned that I was worried about my tachometer (the indicator that shows the engine's RPM) running higher than what my old car showed. Since the main mechanic wasn't there, I had to wait at Starbucks until he arrived and could look at the car. I got a call from the mechanic and he only mentioned the oil change. I told him my worries about the tachometer and he said he would take a look. I asked how much he would charge for that, and he actually ended the call without saying!! Since I still wanted to know what was wrong with my car I let it go and waited for his return call. I kept waiting, and waiting... I finally called the main mechanic back to ask how come I haven't gotten a call back, and he says, "I thought you were coming in." ARGH!!! I took a deep breath and said I'd be on my way. After speaking to him face-to-face he says that to fix my tachometer, my clutch needs to be changed ( I also needed new breaks). He gives me a quote and I agree to it (I should've just left, but I didn't have any other recommendations for a different mechanic at the time). Then, he charges me $10 for looking at my car. ARGH! The third time I come by I remind the main mechanic of the work he said he would do, except this time he ADDS $100 to the total!!! I am in a bind because I need the breaks done so I go for it. Before leaving my car I SPECIFICALLY say, "Call me if the price changes AT ALL from your original quote." Of course, when I return the next day to pick up the car, the amount has gone up $50 even though he's thrown in a "free" oil change. I could've gotten an oil change for $25 so how come they're charging me double and calling it "free?!" The worst part is that my tachometer is still running high! They charged me HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS for a new clutch that didn't even fix the problem! Also, I think they didn't replace the clutch, but said they did, and still charged me!!!!!! I WILL NEVER COME BACK HERE AGAIN. I AM SO FRUSTRATED THAT I SPENT OVER $1,500 HERE!!! THEY DON'T DESERVE MY MONEY FOR THE SERVICE I GOT!!! Ladies, be warned! Women are not safe coming here!! And always have them show you the old part that they removed because it may still be there!! If you want a reputable shop go to Westchester and see Mike at Frio Automotive. Even if it's farther from your house at least you don't have to worry about being screwed over!! read more

This is the spot to go to if you have any car problems. Been coming here since I got my license at 18 years old and I don't plan on going anywhere else. You hear stories of pep boys or ghetto car shops ripping people off, but not this place. They always have honest and very fair pricing. I've worked with the owner Thihn and his son(?) Ryan when I came. They got that genuine smile and tells you the good, bad, and the ugly. Their customer service makes you want to grab cold 6-pack with them. Ignore those 1 or 2 star reviews of being ripped off here. It's not really ripping off if you're paying for that extra premium quality work. In auto repair I realized you can only pick 2 characteristics out of: QUALITY, TURNAROUND, and PRICING. Personally, I'm going to pick turnaround time and quality work. I might save $100 if I go to some random shop in Santa Ana, but I'm not taking the risk of them half-assessing the work. After all, I'm putting mine, my friends, and my families bodies into a $5,000 metal box on wheels going 75 mph next to other super fast metal boxes. Is your life worth that $100 haggling or saving? You tell me. read more

Been coming to MT Auto for years. They have kept my 1994 Toyota 4Runner & 2002 Toyota Sequoia in top shape. The price and customer service has always been fair and top notch. Take the chance and let them service your Toyota or Lexus. You won't be disappointed. read more

Great work, honest and fairly priced! Tinh even waited slightly after hours for my Prius to be towed to the shop. He successfully repaired my inverter water pump and even had his crew perform an oil change on the spot (shopload permitting, of course). Definitely trust this shop for all my Toyota needs. read more

I can always rely on Thinh at MT Auto to fix my car, he does great work and is very reasonable. He is very knowledgeable about Toyota's and whenever I have an issue I know he can solve it. read more

Tihn is by far the most honest that I have ever dealt with. .Also his experience from years of working at the Toyota dealership makes him the best mechanic in the south bay. .great prices and quick turnaround with your car. ...simply the best read more

Awesome shop with very honest people! Highly recommended!!! I have been to lots of shops where they have been experimenting. Not here, they thoroughly check out your vehicle and get right to the problem if there is one. If there is no problem, they certainly wouldn't create one! I travel 2 hours to get there! That's how good they are!!! Try them, you won't be disappointed! read more

Just left this shop. Heard from a friend that they did good work at a fair price. So I decided to go in and ask them what this clunking noise my accord made was. It was 11 in the morning and he said he was busy and told me to come back at 2:30. So I did. When I came back he seemed to be free to go on test drive with me. When we went to approach my car another car pulled in. He stopped me and went directly to help the other person mid stride. He repeated this not once but twice. So I was literally pushed to the side and made to feel like he didn't want my business. I really don't understand what his problem was. It might have been the fact that they were 2 lexus' and a high end Toyota truck. And I only drive an accord. Either way if he was to good for my accord I happily will move on. Tinh was a horrible man to deal with!! read more

Scam owner, Thing or Thin. Ever since Arnold (who used to greet customers & write up invoices) passed, that fraudster is trying to rip off customers big time. He'll just randomly say "hey" you need a brake job when you come in for an oil change. Magic quote is $150 for each service supposedly needed. Rude too! Beware--he's all out to take your $. Unbelievable... read more

Definitely one of the best and most honest repair shops I've ever come across. Tinh and his staff go out of their way to be straightforward and tell you what your car needs, versus what it might not need. They're quick and very reasonable, which is hard to find these days. We were recommended to this place by friends who actually work at Toyota in their headquarters, which tells you something. Obviously, if you have a warranty, then take your car to a dealership, but when it's out of warranty then take it here. read more

Thin is the best. Came from Toyota TRD shop and really knows his stuff. Shop is nothing special, but her is always honest and fair. He has actually talked me out of doing some work that I asked for that was unnecessary. read more

A friend from work recommended this place to me. Had gone to a dealer for an oil change. They tried to sell me 2600 dollars worth of needed services. Three of the services were already done less than a year ago. I had him check my power steering rack for leaks. He couldn't find any. In fact he said the fluid should be okay for awhile. I had he replace the front brake pads. The dealer wanted $280.00. I took my own pads and he charged me $120.00 for the whole job including resurfacing the rotors. I have two other friends who swear by him. I'll definitely bring my car back for service here. read more

Look consumers being kind is one thing and conscientious of how you spend your money is another. Let's be fair to Tin, I'm not bashing him for being a good person. However he's very slick he's a moneymaker. let's put this in a realistic perspective. I have learned to do my research and get three estimates for every job I do on my vehicle. At that point I make a decision on who am I comfortable with taking my car to. I have trusted tin on several occasions I bought an engine for my wife's car, I have had them work on my car the fuel injectors, and he has truly not shown any appreciation for the hardworking money that I have paid him, I don't know what's going on with our society today but everything we have to question folks we cannot be complacent, recently I have noticed that he's been overcharging my wife and I for the services. Last incident I had a parts vendor on the phone telling him that he was sketchy over pricing us for the part. Right away he felt offended but he offended hard working our hardworking money. Don't trust everything you hear from these mechanics, question everything do your homework with other parts vendors and other Mechanics for labor prices tin can no longer be trusted. read more