Nate has always given us good solid advice and has repaired our car many times. I highly recommend him. We haven't been to him recently because we have a new car but he's got one of those places that stands out for his honesty and workmanship. The only problem I've had... he is busy and in demand and sometimes he can be difficult to get into if we need something right away. So if you have the time to make an appointment ahead of time that's helpful. read more

Nate is the real deal. Drove my Prime 8 years off the dealer lot with no maintenance other than oil and tires. So my ride was way over due preventative maintenance. Talked to two other places before taking it here. The other places wanted to do all sorts of extra things. In their defense they don't specialize in hybrids. Talking to Nate at length he seemed very knowledgeable about Toyota PHEVs and performed only the necessary services and left me feeling good about the whole experience. I'll be back!!! read more

We've been taking our car to Nate's for almost 10 years for any major needs (which has probably been 4-5 times total). The biggest reason is that we get thorough and understandable explanations of everything and feel like we can have a lot of confidence in Nate and his team. He calls you back when he says he'll call you. He takes a lot of time to explain everything, when clearly he could get away with explaining less and save himself the trouble - but it seems like he just likes to help people understand! He answers questions we didn't know we had. And he event tells you when he believes his shop cannot provide the best service for the situation. It's a pain when your car needs work. There's never a time when we're happy about having to get work done. But going to Nate's relieves a little bit of the stress and anxiety of car work when you know you will get clear evaluations and fair recommendations for what you need. read more

Honest, straightforward, empathetic and environment conscious. Wish I found Nate sooner!!! read more

Fabulous from start to finish! I called a few days before Nate was closing the garage to go on vacation as I was worried about a warning light that had shown up on my screen. He told me to bring the car right in and they fit me in and got my Prius c up and running! On top of that, he explained everything as did his partner. I'm now a customer for life! read more

A mechanic you can trust is like hen's teeth. Nathan goes out of his way to be helpful.

Nate's great. ditto Nate's wife, whose name I don't recall, alas. I had our 2009 Prius serviced for a 135k checkup/oil change...and Nate's team did things right....service with a smile. Note: I noticed that the gizmo that calculates MPG was showing ten miles fewer per gallon. I checked oil, brakes, etc... Listened carefully... all seemed fine...drove the car for a couple tanks' worth of miles (several hundred even with vastly reduced MPG) and called Nate. He went through the same checklist I had already checked and offered to have me come in to see what could have happened...said 'that never happens..." but did so in a completely open-minded, friendly, non-defensive way that continued the trust I had placed in him/his biz when there for the first time... Funny story: turns out that 100% of the driving I did after the service Chez Nate was up/down local hills...errands around Berkeley/El Cerrito/Oaktown...nearly 100% surface streets stop/go/up up up...dowwwwwwn...stop stop stop....short jaunts, many only 5-10 mins long. But, before the day for which we had scheduled that check-up of the check-up that Nate had offered, what do you know? I had occasion to take a hundred highway miles....and OH. DUH. the MPGs zoomed back up where they belonged. Prii (Plural of Prius. I think.) get much better mileage when rolling for a while at 30-40...up to 65+ MPH ... FOR AN EXTENDED TRIP. The first five mins of any trip these hybrids warm up with lower mpg. Then, too, they are not all that efficient with stop/go driving 'round town...and they make up for this with much more excellent MPG on longer trips. At least, the gen 2 Prii of 2007-2009 follow this pattern. Soooo...Nate and team: my apologies for calling when the issue was as stated above all along. Thanks for being so open and friendly. We'll be back for our next service on schedule. read more

Issues with Toyota RAV4: 1 - INCORRECT DIAGNOSIS of rodent damage 2 - NAVIGATION SYSTEM malfunctioning after repair 3 - LACK OF TRANSPARENCY about work completed 4 - Lack of clear response to our claim filed with the Better Business Bureau I wanted to share my recent experience with Nate's Green Garage, before you consider using this Garage in the future. I took my Toyota Rav4 there due to rodent damage. Unfortunately, the garage owned by Nathan Hutchison made an incorrect diagnosis regarding the damage. While Toyota Marin identified damage to the blower box and fluid reservoir, Nathan repeatedly insisted that these parts were fine. To clarify, we asked State Farm's appraiser, Josh Anderson, to independently assess the vehicle. Josh confirmed the blower box was indeed damaged and authorized its replacement, emphasizing that neglecting this could lead to further mechanical issues and cause unpleasant odors in the car, thereby diminishing the vehicle's value. After the repair--which took place from January 13th to 24th and was paid for by State Farm--the navigation system that was working perfectly before started malfunctioning badly. It gave directions randomly and showed incorrect maps. Through BBB claim we requested pre- and post-repair diagnostic scans and a detailed description of the work performed on the instrument panel which had to be removed to replace Blower Box (for which State Farm paid 5.7 hours of labor and 1hr for both scans) but did not receive any response from Nathan Hutchison, even though professional garages typically maintain such records for at least a year. Nathan was defensive in his response, never explained or apologized for wrongly diagnosing blower box issue, denying responsibility despite the fact that the repair required dashboard removal--something confirmed by Toyota Marin, Northern Star, Toyota Berkeley and State Farm Apraiser When we filed a claim with the Better Business Bureau, Nathan's response was dismissive and focused on my demeanor without addressing any factual issues. YOU CAN CHECK ALL DETAILS AT BBB Case# 23390390. Honestly, given all these issues and the lack of transparency, I strongly recommend avoiding Nate's Green Garage in the future. read more

Easy 5 star review. I was recommended by my mom, she has been bringing her cars to Nate for a while and really appreciates his approach and quality of service along with honest and straight forward pricing. My mom's recommendation was enough for me, but if you look at all of his other reviews, you can see he is legit! And there are probably hundreds of people who take their vehicles to Nate's that haven't written yelp reviews. I took in my hybrid Lexus for him to take a look at and diagnose. I was having issues with my car starting consistently. He got it fixed and I haven't had any issues since. Next time I have any issues or if I need a tune up or anything, Nate's will be my first option. Nate is down to earth, honest, and a huge asset to anyone that has car issues and wants to feel comfortable with turning their car over to his care. You are in great hands with Nate's Green Garage. read more

Just a darn great auto shop with great people running it. And it seems like they will work on older cars

Nate's Green Garage is the only place around that I trust and would take my car to be serviced. Nate's honest, straightforward, and always looking out for his clientele. The whole staff are kind and I've never had an issue with diagnosis and the service I've received. Don't miss this gem of a business. read more

I would give 6 stars if possible. The work done on my car was according to the manufacture requirements for 30,000 miles. Nate is a friendly, honest guy. He recommended do what was necessary for the 30,000 miles and no more. He could have added extra things on to the mileage work up like the dealership tried to do ( Downtown Berkeley Toyota, and One Toyota are the worst). His fees were reasonable and the work was completed on time as promised for the price quoted. My car is no longer under warranty and I was hoping to find a good auto shop other than the dealership. Well, I'm so happy to have found this repair shop and have shared his information with many of my friends. I am a new customer for life. read more

I have been going to Nate for about 5 years now. A few different cars and sent friends here. Nate is always thoughtful about how he approaches the work on your car and takes time to talk you through it. With my older car Nate has been honest about what is urgent and what can wait so I don't over spend on it. With my newer car he has helped keep it safe and in perfect shape. Can't beat the service and expertise. read more

This service is totally Amazing . They are reliable. Trustworthy, Honest and get the job done. So happy to have them in our community. Nate is Great. Thanks for providing such wonderful service, read more

As an engineer who does most of the work on our car, I have a high expectation for work done by mechanics. After our '10 Prius started overheating recently, I began working through the repair manual evaluating the possible root causes. In this, I had many concerns about causes which I did not have the equipment to test for. Prior to coming here, I wasted $200 at the Toyota dealership that was unwilling to drive the car at high loads uphill to replicate the problem and at that point I knew we needed to see a Prius expert. Nathan and his team were able to quickly replicate the problem, tested for the range of possible causes, and were able to isolate the issue to a finicky water pump using their datalogger. I was happy to replace the pump instead of the much more expensive head gasket, and would recommend this shop for any complex Toyota hybrid diagnoses. Shop is popular so we had to wait over a week to get in, but it was worth waiting. read more

Looking at the reviews, this garage does not need another 5 star review. However, Nates Green Garage deserves it. 5 stars. I brought my Prius in for a few things that needed attention. I'd never been there but felt as if I'd been servicing my car there for years... Fast, friendly, efficient, and honest. Nates the man. read more

Nate is fantastic. He was courteous and talked us through all the options available to us. He has a ton of integrity and made sure that he advised us to do what was right for us so that we didn't spend on unnecessary items. Nate saved us over $2,000 compared to what a dealer was quoting us. Couldn't recommend more highly! read more

Best mechanic at the most reasonable price, great experience and excellent work. I was thrilled to have found Nate's and he did my front brakes and changed the transmission fluid today. The 5 star reviews are well deserved. read more

Sloppy work, from the insurance paperwork through the repair (the repair wasn't done as stated/paid for and the ONLY reason I happened to find out was my partner decided to jack up the car and take a look). And when we came to Nate with questions about why we had been charged certain prices, we found him defensive and opaque (not to mention entirely unempathetic to our situation). Here's how it went down... I called Nate when my Prius's catalytic converter was stolen based on the rave Yelp reviews. He explained that his shop did a custom welding of several cables to the catalytic converter as a future theft deterrent; he said he would handle all the insurance paperwork. That sounded good to me so I brought my car in. When I was literally already en route to pick up my repaired car, I got a second call from him saying that although my car was ready, he just realized he hadn't actually received approval from my insurance company to do the repairs! He'd been processing so many insurance claims that he'd mixed up whose approval he'd gotten and whose he hadn't. This seemed very odd to me--this is exactly his job, to track this--but there was nothing I could do at this point. My insurance company ended up approving the claim a day or two later, but it could have been a big mess if they had approved some but not all of the expenses and the repairs had already been completed. When I brought the car home, my partner (who is a welder and used to work in an auto body shop) wanted to see what they had done to the car, so he jacked it up. According my itemized bill, Nate's Garage had welded washers onto the bolts that attach the exhaust to the exhaust manifold. My partner didn't see any welded washers, and contrary to what Nate had explained to me, there was only two cables, instead of four, beneath the car. When we called Nate to find out what the deal was, he told us they no longer welded washers and that the description on the bill was outdated. As for the two cables we found, he said that additional cables should have been welded and we would need to bring the car back in. He never apologized or took responsibility for the botched job, except to say that his technician must have forgotten or neglected to add the other cables for some reason. He also showed very little understanding or empathy around the inconvenience for us of having to bring the car back in for something that never should have happened in the first place. In addition, my partner saw that I had been charged for 2 hours of labor to weld the cable. Being a welder himself, he knew a job like that shouldn't take more than 30 minutes or so. Indeed, when my partner brought the car back for the additional cables, it took the technician exactly 7 minutes to weld them to the car. When my partner asked Nate to explain why we were being charged for 2 hours of labor, Nate more or less refused to answer the question, got pretty tense, and hurried my partner out of the shop, saying that he had other cars to get to. Unlike many other reviewers here on Yelp, we did not find Nate to be exceptionally honest. He talked condescendingly to my partner, acting as if my partner probably understood very little about cars; he never apologized for the mistakes he made or the inconveniences they caused us; and he was defensive and not straightforward when asked to explain his pricing. It's hard not to conclude that there's good money to be made in replacing stolen catalytic converters, and Nate's Green Garage seems more interested in churning through these jobs than taking conscientious care of cars and customers. Interestingly, when I look at some of the 1-star reviews of Nate's Green Garage, I see a lot of my concerns echoed. It's a reminder for folks to look at all the reviews, not just the 5-stars. Some businesses are better than others at incentivizing their close comrades to generate glowing reviews, which tends to drown out a more nuanced look. read more

I've been taking my Subaru to Nate for nearly 5 years now and I won't go anywhere else. I truly don't believe there's anywhere more honest, reliable, and knowledgeable! One example: I went to another highly-rated mechanic in Berkeley when Nate was busy and I needed a simple oil change. After the inspection, they told me that my shocks and struts needed to be replaced, with a quote of $2000. I decided to wait and ask Nate. I told him what the other shop had said (so he very easily could've lied and confirmed their assessment just to get my business) but he did his own inspection and said that they looked great, perfectly fine. Nate also always takes the time to explain the work they're doing in detail which I really appreciate. read more

I don't know any about cars so I'm always going Into auto shops feeling like they will take advantage of my ignorance. But Nate's garage didn't not they identified the problem solved all for a great price. read more

I needed to replace a hybrid battery in a Prius that I unwisely purchased from Prius Kings, a company that sells refurbished hybrid batteries. The battery had been incorrectly installed and was of poor quality. Nate installed a new factory battery but went the extra mile by writing a detailed description of how bad the refurbished battery was in an effort to help me get a refund or credit for Prius Kongs' shoddy workmanship. Lesson learned - - stick with a trusted mechanic. read more

Usually when I see that a business only has 5 stars I'm pretty skeptical that they're buying reviews but seriously, I am not at all surprised that Nate's Green Garage has all 5 stars and glowing reviews. Nate is the NICEST car mechanic I've ever met. He explains everything so well to a non-car person like me, and the pricing is extremely fair. He fixed my car the 3 times I went here very quickly and was very communicative about everything. I had a very pricey repair done last time and he discounted it as much as he could, I appreciated that so much. read more

Nate is fantastic! So professional and thorough! Thanks Nate! I'll be back for all my future services!

Thoughtful, knowledgeable, honest! Local ownership who knows Prius inside and out! Can talk about his own Prius as an example which he's owned for many years! I was recommended for service at his shop and I now recommend him to others. read more

I know Nate for many years, I'm 67 years old, and all these years my family and I have been used his service. He and his team are honest and most efficient professionals that we ever met. We have had excellent experiences with our cars and Nate's integrity and professionalism. We can guarantee that you will have your vehicle in great hands, work well done, and your satisfaction. You will agree with this statement! read more

If you have a Japanese car then go see Nate. I made the mistake of taking my Prius to the dealer out of convenience and not knowing any better. When the dealer quoted me $1,200 for my 120k service I knew it was time for a change. Nate did the service for $160 and it was karma and I've been coming to Nate ever since. He's the best. Trust me on this. read more

Nate's is great! We shopped around in a dire situation to replace our Prius hybrid battery which unexpectedly died. After evaluating many options and wasting money on the dealer, we chose Nate's Green Garage because of their good reputation, specialized focus on hybrid vehicles, and their clear communication on options and pro/cons. We plan to make Nate's our go-to for all hybrid service from here on! read more

We LOVE Nate's Green Garage. We make the drive from Marin County to service both of our vehicles. . . Subaru & Prius. Nate is hands down the most honest mechanic I have ever met. He is also a very kind human. We are wondering if this business closed down because we have been calling for the past 3 weeks and it goes to voicemail. We have left a few messages but no response. Fingers crossed they are just taking a much deserved break. read more

I needed a new mechanic for my Lexus after my included services were all complete at the dealership. Nathan was responsive, fairly priced and completed my maintenance quickly. His shop is conveniently located with lots of great stores and cafes nearby if you want to stick around during your service. I am so happy to have found my new place! read more

I had a great experience w Nate. He put a new transmission in my daughters Subaru. He knew exactly what he was doing and stuck to the bid price and timeframe. So rare with automotive repairs. Nice people, expert work, reliable. Now I've been trying to go back for more auto help but it looks like the shop is closed. No answer on the phone and no reply to email. Anyone know if the shop is planning to reopen? Such a bummer. read more

I really love this shop on San Pablo. Yes, there are like a thousand different places on this strip of west Berkeley to get your car serviced, but Nate is the friendliest and also seemingly the most knowledgeable of all things Prius. The shop is also reasonably priced, gets work done as promised, and freely provides the one thing that I cannot live without in a repair house - the ability and willingness to explain whatever my car's issue is in a way that is understandable by anyone with a basic knowledge of car anatomy. Bonuses - next door to Casa Latina where you can get a quick and delicious breakfast burrito, under a mile from North Berkeley Bart, San Pablo bus routes right outside. read more

Nate is seriously amazing!!!! I got my catalytic converter stolen off my Prius. I called him and was ready to shell out $$$ out of pocket for the repair. Not only did he take the time to walk me through the process, he reminded me to check with my insurance to see if I had coverage - AND I DID! He saved me a ton of money, installed all the right parts, and even put custom welded protection so hopefully this doesn't happen again. Catalytic converter theft is so real! But Nate's trusty expertise continues to be the best. I've been bringing my 98 Jeep and my 2011 Prius to Nate at Nates green garage for years now so this review is long overdue--sorry Nate! He has taken such good care of my cars (including putting in a new battery pack on the Prius)! It's so hard to find an honest mechanic, Nate will forever have my business!! read more

This is my boyfriend's experience. The quality of Nate's work and responsiveness is top-notch. While his quotes may not be the lowest in the market, the quality of the work and the time saved by using Nate's services are completely worth what he charges. Take my example: I had my vehicle's cracked radiator changed 3 years ago by Nate's. It wasn't the the cheapest upfront, but it was done correctly as I did not have any further problems after the repair. When the time came to have the radiator fluid and engine oil fluid changed (maintenance), I decided to switch things up and go to another mechanic who was offering to have the service done at half the cost that Nate charges. So I thought, what could go wrong? I felt like I was getting the best deal in town. So I went ahead and had the service done with this other mechanic. Fast forward a couple weeks later, I find that my radiator is leaking fluid in a way it never was prior to the maintenance service; I also noticed that my engine oil reservoir was overfilled as a result of last oil change (bad for the engine) . I ended up having to siphon some of the engine oil out of my own engine myself (not happy about having to do that), and demanded from the mechanic to have my radiator leak remediated. The mechanic tried, but could not fix the radiator leak. I gave up trying to work with the other mechanic after that failed fix, just decided to refill the radiator when the level reached a critically low level. After a couple months, I finally conceded to have the radiator looked at and fixed correctly; this time, I took it to Nate's. Nate found that the source of the radiator leak was a common error done during the last maintenance. Nate patched it up, and also changed my engine oil without overfilling the reservoir. Lesson of the story: I'm never going to another mechanic other than Nate's. If you want the job done right, and value your own time and money, I would not waste my time with the competition. read more

Nate's Green Garage is outstanding. Their service can be summarized in one word - HONESTY. I totally trust Nate. He's direct, upfront, and transparent. Our family has serviced two different vehicles with Nate (both Toyotas), and whether it is a routine repair or a major service, they have been exceptional for both. I really cannot recommend this garage enough. read more

Nate's Green Garage is the best and only repair shop that we trust with our vehicle. Nate is very kind, knowledgeable, reasonably priced, and takes the time to tell you the issues with your vehicle rather than trying to upcharge you for unnecessary repairs. Thank you for always being the best mechanic in town! read more

Excellent customer service and Nate instills an immediate level of trust with his recommendations based on pricing and necessity. He also referred me to a body shop where I received superb service after my car was totaled. In stressful times, you want a mechanic you can trust. Nate delivers. read more

Easy to work with, delivered on promises, on time, on budget...what more could you ask for?

Simply one of the best mechanics I've had the pleasure of working with. Nathan and his team are super responsive, always friendly, and never pay me a dime over a fair price. You know how sometimes you meet someone and they become The Guy you lean on for the very good work they do? Nathan is The Guy when it comes to taking care of my car. Every job, from routine oil checks to something going haywire in my 08 Prius is always attended to with proper care, a nice smile, and lots of back and forth so I can make informed decisions. Been coming to Nathan and taking his recommendations for other shops (for things like tires, etc) for the better part of a year, and I'm so thankful I stumbled into his shop. If you've got a hybrid or a Prius or a Subaru, Nathan's your guy. I have nothing but good experiences, and a wallet that doesn't sting every time I need to get work done. Appreciate so much what a decent shop this is. Rare these days, truly. read more

Nate is great! Had my catalytic converter stolen on my Prius last month, ended up at NAte's garage after checking reviews and helped me through the process with the insurance. Very nice guy , even got me a discount!!! I would definitely recommend and that will be my go to for any work on my car. read more