I'll preface this by stating that I declined to have any service performed. My truck broke the heater inlet connector on a Sunday and I had it towed to northbay's yard to be seen on Monday morning. They performed a thorough first inspection finding numerous issues that I already knew about and some that I didn't. They were very communicative about getting permission before performing services. When I declined services due to financial constraints they were very professional and understanding of the reasoning even going so far as to print out their reports and provide suggestions on repairs for me to perform myself. If my vehicle was not a project truck I would definitely consider bringing it in for repairs and may bring it back for diagnostics anyways. Their services are not cheap but you get what you pay for. read more

This is a great place to go to The people explained & showed what was wrong & how much it'll cost. There's a lounge area that has Internet so if you wait there you can use your tablet The price is good read more

North Bay Auto donated a gift certificate to the Mckinleyville High School Safe & Sober auction fundraiser dinner for the MHS high school seniors. I bid on their gift certificate at auction and won. North Bay auto did an oil change and alignment on my BMW. While they usually don't work on BMW's, they were willing to order the special oil and filter to complete the job. Their communication was great and their staff is really upbeat and professional. I would definitely recommend North Bay auto to my friends and family. It's great to have businesses that are involved in the community and support the kids! read more

they did a thorough investigation of my new truck and took care of most issues, they were honest about everything and I think they did quality work , would recommend them to anyone! read more

I was checking my car before an DMV inspection I noticed a rear brake light not functioning I took it to Notth Bay Auto they had a spare bulb and installed it right away the charge was reasonable read more

best care. car runs better than driving it back from the dealership. and helped solve a minor issue - no cost. saved 200 plus dollars not going to my dealership. friendly, respectful and efficent. highly recommend read more

Had a few problems with my 2007 Tacoma I wasn't personally able to figure out , I was able to call them tell them the problems I was having, they got the truck in the shop in an timely manner, figured out the issue, gave me reasonable prices, fixed the truck same day, staff was super respectful, location of shop is nice too was able to just walk around and find food.... Definitely would recommend read more

North Bay Auto has restored my faith in integrity in the auto repair industry. I, like many of you, have been ripped off or received botched service from mechanics in the past. So I came North Bay with some trepidation. What did I find: they are very clear and upfront with charges. Texted links provide you with all findings and repair options, along with easy ways to approve just the things you want repaired (in addition, Austin was great in walking me through all the options by phone). The price was fair and the work was done right. After this initial experience, I had them check out my other vehicle (I was thinking this was going to be a pricey fix). Surprisingly, it only needed a minor adjustment and my dread of a $$$$ cost turned out to be so reasonable. An unscrupulous mechanic could have tacked on unnecessary work, especially since I had come in thinking it needed several parts replaced. Coincidentally, in casual conversation with coworkers after the repair, I had 2 of them tell me North Bay is the only place they will take their cars also. Thank you, Austin and team, for becoming my first (and hopefully ONLY) choice for auto repair. read more

**North Bay Automotive: A Case Study in Poor Customer Service** I recently had a disappointing experience with North Bay Automotive that highlights a troublesome approach to customer service. After my college son received a quote, I was surprised to learn that I was being charged for it even after agreeing to have the work done at the shop. It was an additional charge. When I asked Wendy for clarification, she responded that since a test was part of the quote, it was a required fee. When I pushed back, she rudely said that they would "push the car out for pick-up" if I didn't want to proceed. I asked to speak to another manager. Chad called me. Chad acknowledged the issue, which gave me hope for a resolution. Unfortunately, he later refused to take any steps to address the problem or offer a meaningful solution. They are free to have their policies and poor customer service to support these policies. I will not support their hardball tactics by doing business with these folks. **Remedy:** If you find yourself in a similar situation, remember that you have options. You can request that your vehicle be released and picked up--without agreeing to unnecessary charges or poor treatment. Don't hesitate to advocate for yourself and seek service from businesses that value transparency and respect with their customer community. Updated: AND THEY THREATENED **NOT** TTO RELEASE THE CAR!! read more

They provided a digital written estimate with prices and the ability to authorize or decline each service. I got an oil change and the complimentary inspection (both wonderful) and we now have a game plan to keep my old Subaru in top running condition. No surprise bills and the ability to budget future work is crucial for me. Plus, the staff is friendly, helpful, honest, and the garage is spotless and well organized. read more

I came in with service recommendations from a shop I've used for over 10yrs because they would take ALL day to get an oil change and rotate my tires-it wasn't the first time My wife jumped on Reddit and told me about North Bay. I called n they quoted me much less...the work was done efficiently and my truck feels stronger than ever!!! They are my new "go to" for any work! And that old shop has a sign in their office bribing people for 5star reviews...I have givin this review for free read more

Great service at a fair price! I have been taking my car there for years and they always explain what needs to be done versus what is optional or can be delayed. read more

My husband always took his work vehicles to North Bay Auto because they did it all and did it well. I decided to take my old Honda in for the 180,000 mile tune up. They did an excellent job - everything the dealer would have done, they did in the same amount of time, and there was a genuine personal, but professional touch that let me know they took pride in their work and customer satisfaction. The cost was reasonable too. I would not hesitate to return. I would not hesitate to recommend them to you. read more

I am so grateful to have found them!! My alignment was so bad I was afraid to drive after I hit a big curb and flattened two tires ! They were able to fix it when three other shops couldn't, and I called them miracle workers! I had a long trip ahead of me and thought I would have to rent a car so I was so happy with North Bay!!! read more

I have had multiple experiences of excellent service, friendly staff, & always a very thorough explanation and understanding of the issue and how it needs to be resolved. highly recommend this shop. read more

I can't praise the team at North Bay Automotive enough, for their service. As soon as my truck was towed in, Wendy asked what happened and do I have any other concerns. From the very start they gave me a quote with a detailed explanation. I was frustrated with the situation and I was rude the the service advisor, Austin. But instead of being rude back, Austin understood my frustration and worked with me by prioritizing what is needed to keep my truck working. The work needed was less than the initial quote. This team did an awesome job and they have a customer for life. read more

This shop is amazing! Great communication. Our truck is old, but we need it. They went thru the truck and helped us figure out what we could afford now and things to do in the future. They were listen to my question and gave clear answers. read more

They quoted me 600 dollars after my inspection saying for just the brake on the phone but when I went to picked up is was double the price for just the brakes they quoted me read more

Super grateful they got me in last minute to replace a starter on an F250 truck. Was en route on a trip with a very short turnaround time for the repair. The business was very responsive, kind, direct, and I love the estimate that they sent via text link for you to either approve or not. Repair and service request was completed within 24 hours. As far as values is concerned, time is money, so it was spot on. Thanks again! read more

Place has zero accountability or ethics. Been going here for nearly 10 years. -put newspark plugs in my 2014 BMW M5 and cracked one while putting in. Cost about 8k in diagnostics and finally decided to have another shop check the new spark plugs... one was cracked and causing misfiring. Damaged engine. Would not even give me money back for the spark plug install!!!! Ended up selling car greatly discounted... Cost of about $16,000 in loss -put new shift lever in a Ford F-250. Had to take back as it would not shift in to 1st gear. Redid, then was very hard to get in to park but would eventually go. Truck was parked and went out of gear with nobody in it. Went off hill crashed in to greenhouse, shipping container... damages well over 10k. Refused to even fix the shifter so it would go into park correctly. Pathetic disgusting people who would be out of business in any other area but Humboldt County. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!!!!. They will ruin your vehicles and basically tell you to fuck yourself. Should not even be ASE certified. See you in court guys read more

I was perfectly satisfied with the multiple jobs done on my old pickup. I like the texts which keep you scrupulously informed about each step. No complaints here! read more

A great auto repair shop but it's very hard to find an available opening. Also, they don't really seem to care about your schedule. Going without a car is major inconvenience and sometimes you have a very small window of time to schedule. They really seem ambivalent to the customer's time to the point where you have to wonder why you're giving them hundreds of dollars. If you can get an opening, good for you. If not, they aren't the last repair shop on the planet. I'd recommend having a solid Plan B. read more

If I could leave zero stars I would, here's a little backstory... I took my vehicle (2000 BMW) to German Motors. I received a diagnostic about a coolant leak, they were wrong and I paid about $300 for a diagnostic that got me nowhere, around $300 for parts that I supposedly needed to change because they were "warped" or "damaged". A week later with all new cooling system overhaul, and my expansion tank is still leaking from the same exact spot. I called Northbay and gave them ALL of my information, and simply said I went to German Motors and received a wrong diagnostic from German Motors and they refused my service because "they are friends". Mind you this is a dire time in America and I need to go see my family back home. I'm a recent graduate from HSU with little to no money, and this is how we are treated in Arcata! read more

Don't go here for anything that isn't obvious. Got charged $116 for a diagnostic that led to absolutely zero information (except that I need new tires, for which they could charge me $550, gee thanks). My car was making a terrible grinding noise, the noise subsided when I got there, they couldn't find anything wrong with it, and they still charged me the full amount. I get that time is money and that you can't find every problem, but if you literally find nothing, at least don't charge the full $140 per hour for literally nothing. Give a little discount, take the hit and find your margins elsewhere like car parts we all know are overly inflated anyway. Rude and greedy. read more

Taking my car in for service happens to be one of my least favorite activities. I have a 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid. Awesome car. Dealer quoted the work needed for a 40k service at just under $400. I called this place and talked with Wendy, who was friendly and efficient. She made an appointment for the next morning and assured me the parts were available. I dropped of my car, took like 2 minutes, and 3 hours later it was ready. I spent less than 2 minutes paying to pick it up. For someone who doesn't like dealing with this kind of thing this is a HUGE bonus. And the cost was the added bonus. BIG bonus. Only 132 for everything! I am never taking my car anywhere else. This is an affordable, no nonsense establishment you can trust. They work on diesels too. Our other vehicle is a 2007 4x4 Dodge Ram diesel and they did some major work on it a few months ago. read more

I am shocked!, firstly I have never had such a poor experience at any auto shop EVER!. I took my car in for a basic oil change and left feeling like I cannot ever trust a mechanic again. They not only lied about issues that simply don't exist, they lied about replacing these already working parts. Originally I told them I really don't want anything else but a oil change, but they essentially forced me to replaced my head gasket. They told me the car was not drivable though it drove in perfectly fine and everytime I asked for my car to be returned they gave me more and more fake excuses on why my car was still being held. the worst part of all of this was seeing a mechanic taking my "broken car" out on joy rides via my dash cam. I have hours of footage of several mechanics all taking my new WRX out to drift, speed, and break all sorts of laws. The footage is all being processed by my lawyer and it won't be long before North Bay shuts down for good. absolutely never trust these people with any car, they will lie, steal, and repeat. I hope no one has to deal with this unprofessional and shady company ever again. My brand new car is now scraped all over and the tires have been burnt down to the bone BY THE WORKERS!!!! read more

North Bay Automotive - All the marks left on my brand new car by the mechanics - Auto Repair Near Me - Arcata, California

I am visiting the coast right now because I was forced to evacuate my home in Douglas City (about 2 hours away) due to the massive Carr Fire that has affected Shasta and Trinity county. As I was packing my car up to leave I noticed how low my tire was, so I filled it with air and hoped for the best on the drive to Arcata. As soon as I could after I got into town I called North Bay Automotive to get my tire fixed. They told me to come over whenever I could. I chatted with them for a bit, and talked about the fire and my hope that my home wasn't going to burn down. Long story short, they fixed my tire (there was a hole in it!) and then didn't even charge me. These are good good people here and I am so grateful that such caring people still exist in this world. Thank you so much North Bay Automotive for your generosity and kind words to me and my family. I will never forget this amazing act of kindness! read more

The ladies at the front desk were really rude for no good reason and had bad attitudes.....sarcastic and out of pocket...never coming back if that's how they're going to talk to paying customers read more

Took my car here on 3 separate occasions and I can never just get done what I know needs to be done because once they start on my car something else always needs to get done and they can't just do the one thing I brought the car in for. The last time I brought my car here. I needed spark plugs changed. Then I was called every couple of hours and told that more "parts" were needed for other stuff (coils etc) and the price kept going up by the hour. I was led to believe that my car wouldn't run and would keep misfiring if I didn't agree to these repairs. I had a noise in my rear tire due to lug nuts being missing (thanks to Antich). So, North Bay told me that my less than 2 year old brakes were badly done and I needed new rotors and brakes. I had another shop take a look and they said I didn't need the brake service at all. They just wiped away some dust and that was it. North Bay was going to stiff me for $300 more dollars on top of the $800 I paid for the tune up! They told a blatant lie about my brakes and even got the other shop to lie and say that they both gave me the same diagnosis about the brakes. It's a good thing I record all phone calls and have the attendant telling me my brakes were put on wrong and needed to be redone and it would cost $300. I have a really good friend that said she's never had problems like this with this shop, so I am led to believe that they give preferential treatment to certain customers. That's the only conclusion I can come to. After having spoken to other women in my peer group they experience a similar thing at other shops in the area and looking at the numerous one I've had. So maybe it's just what a lot of Humboldt shops do to certain customers they don't like. Shame read more

(Read if your a local) North bay automotive does the bare minimum to your car, and charge you for the smallest things. I went here for about two years until my car broke down because they failed to provide me with essential info on my vehicle. A kind tow truck driver( community member of 40 years) also told me that they are known within the community for fixing parts of the problem but not the whole thing- letting people suggest what they think there car needs because they don't want to pay a ridiculous fee for a mere inspection. Meaning you'd have to return to get another inspection. For a specific job they don't do too bad of a job, but keep in mind they will let you tell them what to fix only so they can later tell you about other issues after they get worse and the original inspection is done (requiring more inspections that overlap the last) For General upkeep this is not the place to go! To compare this shop to a more reliable one. Ill use firestone. firestone gives you a full run through of your vehicle tires, fluids, drive test, and more. All part of bringing your car in for a specific issue or service. Where as North bay automotive provides none of these services for just under double the price. Just about any shop in eureka will provide better service and perks that north bay over charges you for. read more

I've always taken my cars here since I first got my license, because my family has always taken their cars here as well. A bunch of honest men and women, who won't rip you off. Being a girl getting your car worked on can be tough because sometimes people will try to take advantage of your lack of knowledge. Not here. I remember when I was a kid the owner gave me a ride home from school because my moms car was being worked on. The new owners are great as well and they take no bullshit, which I love. The owners are great, the office is great, and the shop boys are great. They do nice work with nicer cars and I'm not afraid to hand over my custom built car I use to race. The boys are especially great with Subarus. -A very happy customer read more

After my previous review, my truck broke down a week later. I brought it back and the owner commented that the last part was installed wrong and the result was a screw rubbing against the fanbelt that broke the belt due to friction. He charged me 100 dollars and refused to do the work for free even though he admitted the second problem was entirely his fault. The belt was brand new because he replaced it the week before as well. When I came to pick it up a mechanic could not find the work order and said the owner was supposed to be back any minute. I had just talked to the owner saying I was on my way to pick up the truck and would be there in a few minutes. 30 minutes later he showed up and it took him 20 minutes to find the current work order in the incredibly messy office. Remember, this is the owner. My advice: Stay away from this unorganized and unprofessional place!! read more

We live in Washington state and on my son's drive to college at Humboldt State my son's door stopped locking or unlocking. Since we are not from the area I was in desperate need of a mechanic and one we could trust. After calling my local mechanic to get an understanding of what it would cost to repair North Bay Automotive did the diagnosis, provided a very fair quote and did the work quickly for the price quoted. The guys there understood our situation, were helpful and friendly. I am happy to say we have found a mechanic we can trust and will go back to again. Thank you! Daryl read more

North Bay Automotive is the best of the best in Humboldt! I have tried so many local mechanics only to feel burned by each and every one of them. Honestly I haven't let anyone else touch my vehicles since I found them years ago. I am confident that every time I bring my car in, I will be treated fairly and honestly. If you're looking for a cheap fix then I recommend going elsewhere. They insist on fixing it properly every time and I can really appreciate that. This is a family run business and they take pride in their work. They are trusted even by AT&T and FedEx as I usually see their vehicles on the rack as well. I would give them six stars if I could! read more

North Bay Automotive - Auto Repair Near Me - Arcata, California

I took my 2003 Dodge dually in for a new clutch. They were professional and courteous all the way through and showed me the old parts they replaced. The job was done on time with no cost overrun. I'll be back Greg Mann read more

This shop was recommended by a few locals when we moved here last summer and had to have repairs done to our Nissan for it to pass inspection. They got us in quickly and made the repairs. The price was reasonable and we have not had a problem with the car since. read more

My Personal experience with North Bay Automotive North Bay Automotive was a real blessing to find. I have had this check engine light for over 8 years and they are the only auto shop who could definitely diagnosis the problem. I knew it would take more than 1 diagnostic period to identify the problem. Their Mechanics are very skilled in finding the problem. Not only did they identify the problem and fix it they identified several small issues that I need to fix for free which was included with my paid Diagnostic. The office staff was very friendly and understanding towards what I wanted as a customer. If you want your vehicle fixed right the first time take it to North Bay Automotive. I give them a 5-star rating Chuck, Mckinleyville read more

My ca battery died today and North Bay Automotive went above and beyond. They tested my battery and tried to charge it. Turned out I needed a new battery.. they had one and all is well. Happy they could squeeze me in! read more

Friendly staff, easily made an appointment on the phone. Service was quick, I was in and out in less than an hour.

Took my car in for the check engine light. They found the problem (in addition to another) and fixed it in the least expensive way possible. They were friendly and helpful and kept in contact throughout every step of the process. read more