I acquired a 2006 ford Focus with several problems: the air conditioner did not work. Oceanworks repaired that, plus the check engine lite said that the thermostat had failed - they replaced that plus the water pump (leaking). The job was done on time and everything seems to have been done properly. They had a rental car available and because they needed me to leave the car over a weekend , they did not charge me for the weekend days. I thought the price was acceptable considering all the issues they had to address. read more

I've been here multiple times now, and I felt quite comfortable with the service received. I will probably come back. read more

Oceanworks - Mazda cx9 2019 - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

Hey, I don't enjoy leaving bad reviews, but it's all I can do here. We've been very happy with the service at Oceanworks in the past. They have been the exclusive service for our Mazda since we purchased it about 5 years ago. That is an important detail here. No other service people have touched the car. Nonetheless, at our last service, we were told that somehow our brake fluid had been topped off with a mystery liquid, which now put the whole brake system at risk of impending (although with unknown timing) catastrophic failure. The only solution was for us to spend over $3000 to have everything overhauled and replaced. In our analysis, the only individual who could have been responsible for the offending mystery fluid (if that's really what happened), is someone from Oceanworks. We certainly never go in there ourselves to add any fluids and the car has never been touched by anyone else. Oceanworks was not willing to take care of the work for free. Luckily we had a warrantee that covered a portion of it, which they completed for us. We then took the car to another mechanic we'd used when we lived outside of Oakland, and he disagreed that the full overhaul was needed and deemed the car safe to drive. Obviously there are a bunch of mysterious unknowns here, but we are left with the bad feeling that Oceanworks was either pulling a fast one on us and/or was incompetent and then trying to cover their tracks. I don't want to believe this is true about a business that we have trusted in the past, but we are struggling to find any other explanation. Unfortunately we won't be returning... read more

Oceanworks - the offending brake fluid that was somehow turned red by the mystery liquid that was used to top it off. - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

I took my car here for a general checkup before I was going to go on a long roadtrip as well as an oil change and tire rotation. Because they don't have the necessary equipment to do tire alignments or wheel rebalancing, I had to take my car to a second shop around two days later, where they told me that my battery was on the verge of dying. I went back to this shop and showed them the picture of the battery, and the man at the service counter and one of the mechanics told me that it wasn't battery acid, he didn't know what it was but it could be "rodents" or what happens to the battery when someone spills hot water on it? I went here because my neighbor has been taking her car here for a long time, and to be fair the woman at the service counter offered me a complimentary battery cleaning and testing - but the relationship with the mechanic, for me, is one of trust, and I don't trust anything this shop says based on my one and only experience, and on the man at the front being totally dismissive when I had the consideration to go in and speak with them directly. There are a lot of other mechanics in the area within walking distance that will treat you decently. read more

Oceanworks - The battery the nice folks at Oceanworks told me was fine ("could be rodents") - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Great people. Great service. Very proactive and helpful! Service recommendations are well thought out, based on experience, and take into account budgetary considerations and such. I very much recommend them. read more

I have been coming to Oceanworks for many years for service on my Nissan Rogue. The entire team is honest, professional and kind. They explain repairs in language I can understand, they do not over charge and they have never recommended unnecessary repairs. Today I received exceptional service again - they helped troubleshoot my jammed sunroof and Brian generously offered a complimentary rear light replacement since we didn't notice it was out until I was leaving and I had already paid for the other repairs. Thank you Brian & David and everyone else - I'm grateful and I'll be back! read more

Best auto repair store in Berkeley... Excellent with my Honda every time I brought it in also excellent with my wife Subaru every time I brought it in I recommend them highly read more

I felt like communication was lacking-no updates, unless I called. The only call I got was right before closing for the weekend and I missed the call, with only 5 minutes to call back, I got no update until the next week! It seemed very expensive as well. Maybe I'm just traumatized by my car being out of commission? Other shops have texted or emailed and given me updates-I think that's really important! read more

Hallelujah! An honest and kind mechanic! All the people I've talked to here have been lovely and helpful. They are great communicators and honestly don't charge you for things you don't need. I'm so glad I found them and I highly recommend! read more

Oceanworks is not the friendly neighborhood mechanic that they are made out to be. They proved to be extremely unhelpful and inflexible in helping me with an issue that they caused. They installed a faulty starter in my car, refused to give me a refund when I had it looked at elsewhere, or any consideration whatsoever. Basically got told to "kick rocks" unless they looked at it themselves. If a car stops starting a week after a new starter is installed and then a new starter (from a different mechanic) leads to the car running perfectly, gee maybe you guys installed a defective starter! But that was not sound logic according to Oceanworks. They can stick to their policies all they want but at the end of the day pissing off customers and wasting their time (and money) is not good business practice. They should've made it right but decided that it was their way of making it right or nothing. read more

Fast turnaround, reasonable prices, and above all, honest! Oceanworks is my go to mechanic.

I'm not happy about being charged a $160 fee to read trouble codes when actual repairs are going to be done. Makes sense to charge that if we're only doing a diagnostic but we're not. They should really waive the diagnostic fee if they're going to do real work. This is known as gouging the customer. I would have pushed back on this but I wasn't the one who brought the car in. read more

The work was fine. I got a transmission fluid change and also a coolant change. I got the transmission fluid change first then took my car back about a month later for the coolant change. I did not take my car to any other mechanic. When I got the coolant change they gave me a call that my coolant cap was missing and that I would have to pay $30 extra for a new coolant cap. I didn't think about it at the time and just said yes but now that I'm thinking it over if my car was missing a coolant cap they would've said something the first time I took my car in. I think they inspected it and forgot to put the cap on when I first took the car in and made me pay for their mistake. Edit: The manager called me and made things right and refunded me for the coolant cap. I realize I should have spoken up but in the moment I didn't realize it was wrong until I called my father and told him about it. I'm young, cars are new to me. But I am happy and I would love to come back again and have work done because the work was fine, my car runs great, I was just upset about the coolant cap situation. I am very happy now that things are resolved. read more

Had a fantastic experience at Oceanworks Friday before Labor Day. They were super busy but they very nicely fit us in to help us evaluate a Mazda we were considering buying from a seller up there. They did a thorough job and gave us a lot of their time, answering our questions and helping us determine the value of the car. They clearly had a lot of experience with Mazdas. They were reasonably priced too. Really nice people and do very good work. I recommend this shop!!! read more

I've been taking my cars to Oceanworks for over 20 years and they have always been great. While their prices may not be the lowest, I've never questioned their skill and integrity when it comes to diagnosing whatever issue my car may be experiencing. I've recommended Oceanworks repeatedly to family and friends and everyone appreciates them! read more

This is the best shop in Berkeley, probably the whole East bay. Mainly because they really CARE. You bring it in for an oil change and get quality, full service results. I took my car in and it was turning over slowly, so they checked and it turns out I needed a new battery. They also offered advice over the phone on other matters, and let me know it's probably due for some new tires soon. They never mind having a chat about your car issues. It's like having a dad that knows a lot about cars and loves talking about them. Don't get me wrong though, the women who work there are amazing and helpful too! One of them guided me through my last car failure, sale, and purchase of a new car. She helped me avoid a bad purchase and saved me a ton of headache researching shit online. Basically, this is the best it gets. read more

Oceanworks - New wall art at the corner of Carleton & 10th - Auto Repair Near Me - Berkeley, California

Really glad I found this place! I am the new owner of a 2008 Honda Accord and I wanted some place I could take it for tune-ups. I was really happy with the location, service, and pricing at Oceanside. They gave it to me straight about which parts of the car are OK to leave as is, and which ones it would be smart to replace. Excited to return and glad to have a dependable local repair shop! read more

Not cheap but know what they're doing. I felt they were honest and earnest in their repair and assessment of my car.

I have trusted OceanWorks to help me keep my 2009 Honda alAccord running. That has required some fairly expensive repairs at different times, but the vibe I get from them is they are honest and competent. That's reassuring. Brian, the owner, knows his stuff and helped me understand why it made more sense to fix my car, expensive as the repairs were, rather than buying a new car. Miles, their front desk service writer, is a gem. He's very nice, personable and knowledgeable. read more

I've been taking my recently purchased vehicle here as they are a certified Subaru service center. Brian, Chris, Daniel and the rest of the team at Oceanworks are patient, professional, and honest. They carefully explained not only their diagnostic process but their plan and outcome of their work. I will be continuing to take my vehicle to them and I recommend their services to any Subaru owner looking for a certified service center. read more

I had an absolutely awful recent experience with Oceanworks and would recommend avoiding them at all costs. I called Oceanworks because my 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid began to overheat when I drove it on the freeway for approximately 40+ minutes, at which point a red warning light would come on and it would say "stop safely now" and no longer accelerate, which as you can imagine is unsafe on the freeway. I went there in-person and explained my problem very clearly to Chris, their service advisor, and the other guy at the front desk I believe his name was Brian, and trusted that they would be able to diagnose and fix it. They called me over the phone and said that they had diagnosed it and gave a large list of potential repairs to be done. I told them that I only wanted the repairs necessary to address the overheating problem such that I could drive my car again without it breaking down. I never went in to sign any estimate in person - which I've read may be legally required on the part of mechanics - but I did authorize them to fix the problem over the phone. They called me on May 31st and said they were waiting on an original part from the manufacturer to arrive and that it would arrive on Friday, June 2nd, and that they wouldn't have the car ready until then. They then texted me on Thursday the 1st and said that they were all done with repairs. I paid them $1,107.17 on Thursday June 1st. On Thursday June 2nd, the very first time I drove my car on the freeway after spending the $1,107.17, my car broke down in the exact same manner as it had before I went to Oceanworks for repairs; after about 45 minutes, the red warning light came on, the dash said "stop safely now," and I could no longer accelerate. I was very nearly rear-ended on the freeway, as I did not expect this sudden loss of acceleration, and I pulled over and had to leave my car in Milpitas for the weekend. After pulling over I took a video on my iPhone to prove that I was having the exact same issue. I was able to get my car back to Berkeley that Sunday - Yet once again on the drive back it overheated and I had to pull over, pop the hood, let it cool for 20 minutes or so, and resume. I went back to Oceanworks the following week and explained that in spite of their expensive repairs the problem had not been fixed, I had almost gotten rear-ended, and I still did not have a functioning car. I showed them the video I took. They tried to gaslight me and told me that I had not adequately explained the problem the first time around. I asked if they could take another look and actually fix the problem. They immediately said that there would be another diagnostic charge but that "we would be able to work something out." I assumed that they would offer either a cheap or free diagnosis/repair the second time around, seeing as their initial fix did nothing to solve my problem and had nearly gotten me rear-ended. They called me later that day and said that after further diagnosis they found that my car needed a new MECS hybrid cooling pump. They told me over the phone it would cost $831.65 to fix. I asked them a couple times if they would be willing to discount it or meet in the middle somehow given the circumstances, and they said the best they could do is an $80 discount on the second diagnostic charge. I told them over the phone that I would think about it. I ended up returning to them in person on Friday June 9th and demanding my car back. They admitted in-person that they had made the wrong initial diagnosis/repair but did not offer a discount on the second repair nor any sort of reimbursement for the initial repair. They waived the second diagnostic fee and gave me my keys back. I returned on Thursday, June 22nd, to ask again if they'd be willing to offer a discount on the MECS Hybrid Cooling Pump replacement. Chris said that he would talk to the owner and call me back. He called me back shortly thereafter and said they were not willing to offer a discount. Evidently the exact problem that I'm experiencing is very common problem with 2007 Ford Escape Hybrids and that Ford issued a recall, although my VIN was not part of the recall. I don't know all of the intricacies/legalities regarding these situations, but it doesn't seem like an autoshop should be allowed to charge you $1107.17 without fixing your problem, and then attempt to charge you another $700+ to actually fix the problem. I'm not overly upset about the erroneous/extraneous initial repair, as people make mistakes - Moreso that they made no attempt to compensate for it and behaved in such an obnoxious and disreputable manner, which surprised me given the generally positive reviews online. I've dealt with shady autoshops but have never been quite this furious in light of a recent experience. Avoid at all costs. read more

Took my 2000 Tundra here for a bad starter. I explained the issue to Natalie and she said more than likely the starter is the issue. I got my scheduled appointment and got my truck back in working order. Easy transaction great service. read more

My 2004 infinity had a cooolant leak and they quickly diagnosed the issue, fixed and got me going again. Very knowledge. Completely transparent. Would highly recommend and will definitively be using again. read more

Came in with a strange AC issue and team was able to figure out the issue. Worked with Brian who was very knowledgeable and honest, and kept me informed. read more

My go to shop. Always quick and does a great job. Can even swing by if I need my fluids checked and topped off. They educate me on what's going on with my car and what is being done and don't treat me any less bc I'm a woman. read more

I needed to have my 20 year old car's transmission rebuilt, along w some other work. I asked them to do their more extensive assessment of the vehicle given its age and value. The technicians were thorough and informative. They were familiar w my vehicle and made solid recommendations. I ended up replacing the clutch, having the transmission rebuilt, replacing the battery, rear brakes and rotors. The cost for the rebuilt transmission was about $800 less than I was expecting to pay and the cost for everything else was fair. I am very impressed w this shop, the owner and the technicians . If you want a car repair establishment that is honest, skilled and will help guide you to make the decisions best suited to you and the safety/reliability of your vehicle , you will not be disappointed. Rave reviews!!! read more

I started going to Oceanworks recommended by my best friend after my local Nissan dealership closed. We have a low mileage 2014 Nissan Rogue. When I say low mileage--fewer than 13,000 miles after 10 years. I appreciate Oceanworks expertise and reasonable prices. They are really busy which is a good sign. I do have to make an advanced appointment but that's fine with me. My nearest Nissan dealership is a bit of a drive so I go there for service only occasionally and of course, for any recall repairs. If you have a Japanese car, this is the place to go as an alternative to a dealer service department. read more

Not sure what happened to my original review... Our car had clicking from the relay and would cut off at stops... Chris said bring it in and we'll see what's going on...his mechanic said it was the battery cable so he cut it off and put an extender on and said the problem was gone... charged us $133 dollars...We got in the car to leave and it was clicking still and at the stop light cut off! I told Chris and he said maybe change the battery...I was told the problem was fixed! It wasn't at all , in fact, the cable they cut and put the extender on was unnecessary! I went to another mechanic and he said the battery just needed to be grounded better and sanded the paint so it could have better connection and boom! Problem gone! Took him 2 minutes and he felt so bad for us he did everything free! read more

They were great to work with and helped me price hunt the part we needed and talked to me like a person. Haven't had such good customer service in a while and its worth sharing with yall. read more

I can praise this shop enough. We were in our way back to Los Angeles and our 2014 Subaru Outback overheated on the freeway. It was 4:30pm on a weekday. We called one local shop who were full and they recommended Oceanworks. We called and they were able to take us but not able to look at it until the following day. They let my wife use their computer to find and book a local hotel. They were comforting and seemed very knowledgeable. We were expecting a high bill but were pleasantly surprised it was an inferior radiator cap! As I write this we are 100 miles from home and very happy that an honest shop with good people exist in this polarized world. Thank you Oceanwork!! read more

I have been going to Oceanworks since before 2000. Angus, Natalie and crew kept my 1997 Acura TL going for more than 260,000 miles and 20 years. It was by far, my favorite car! (The person I sold it to says it runs remarkably well and is still driving it . ) Brian is now the new owner and I just had my 2007 TL serviced at Oceanworks. He and his team, comprised of Billy and Rich (superstar mechanic) had to do a major service to it and the car runs like it's brand new. I'll miss Angus, Natalie and Mikey, but I am happy that Oceanworks has found a new crew that will allow me to drive my 2007 to 2027. Thank you, Brian and team, for maintaining the quality I've come to expect and appreciate at Oceanworks! read more

Update: Brian from Oceanworks reached back out to me and did a thorough analysis of the new brake pads and rotors that were installed. While he couldn't find anything particularly wrong with the previous installation, they did replace the brake pads with a new, different brand of brake pads and that almost completely resolved some of the issues I was experiencing. Thanks, Brian! read more

I had a wonderful experience with OceanWorks. My car (2009 Scion XD) failed to start over the weekend, so I called and left a message since they are closed at weekend. They got back to me when business hours resumed on Monday. Each person I spoke with was fantastic - helpful, didn't make me feel dumb, answered all my questions. Oceanworks got my car running again almost immediately. (It turned out to be a battery issue ... but I feared a problem with the starter after doomscrolling on YouTube with repair cost anxiety the night before). From the time they received my car from the tow truck driver, to the time I received a call explaining the problems with expense estimate, to the time I was able to pick it up, was less than 6 hours. I completely understand that not every vehicle will have such straightforward problems, and some might take longer to fix, but I was very happy with my experience. I did not feel like they tried to 'upsell' me on anything. I was also able to tell them some 'non-urgent' problems with my car, that I had been putting off, and ask them to look into them. For example, "why is the squirty thing on my windshield wiper setup not squirting', 'why is my 'low tire pressure light' always on'? and they followed up on each question. It really felt like they were recording notes and concerns, and following up on each issue. They fixed the problems they said were more urgent or cost effective, and for the others they helpfully said things like "well ... you can fix this now ... but it's not an emergency. It's not going to put your safety at risk, or your car at risk. If you wait until you get new tires, this can be handled as part of that service for free." Honestly, businesses like this are so rare and valuable! They could totally have just charged me for these 'fixes', told me they were urgent, and I would never have known. This is the kind of place that builds lifelong customers, and this experience has made me on. TL;DR: I had a great experience with Oceanworks and would (will) recommend them to family members and friends who live in this area. One other thing: Oceanworks recommended a tow truck driver, who was on time ON THE DOT. I called him the day before, left a message, & he got back to me a couple hours later. He said he would be outside my apartment at 10AM, and was there at exactly 10AM. Not 9:59. Not 10:01. Literally, on the dot. I'm sure this won't be the case for every tow, as traffic & unexpected things do arise, but I was impressed. The price for tow was also excellent. (I stupidly do not have AAA, but in absence of that this was the best case scenario). read more

My Prius was one of thousands that had it catalytic converter ripped off. OCEANWORKS got us back on the road. Thanks Oceanworks!! read more

I love Oceanworks. (When I had a domestic, I loved Oceanworks II, but I have a Honda now.) Angus and the folks at Oceanworks have always taken good honest care of my car, but more importantly, they've always treated me with kindness and trust and respect. Yes, they're good at what they do - they've never tried to sell me work the car didn't need, and they've always done a solid job at a fair price - but how often does that come with genuine warmth and the friendliest possible service? I will never take my car anywhere else in Berkeley. read more

I have been bringing my vehicles to Ocean Works for over 20 years. They do great work and take the time to go over the vehicle from head to toe. They also prefer to use genuine Toyota parts. read more

Overall four stars because they are through with their service job, but somewhat unfriendly. Angus seemed really rude and rushed me off the phone, but Natalie was extremely welcoming, the right amount of straight forward, and knew what to say. Also a great conversationalist. After seeing other reviews, I noticed others who expected friendlier staff, but negatively suprised with the results. I'd reccomend if you want a good service job and do not mind somewhat blunt and inapproachable staff (Angus). read more

My Toyota Prius was making unusual sounds from the fan area. My usual mechanic decided that the remedy involved changing the exhaust fan and it's housing . This was about a $1200 repair which my original mechanic said 'might' fix the problem. Under Oceanworks second opinion program, I brought it in for a second opinion. $75 later the problem was solved. Glad these guys looked at the problem and addressed it. Rather than throw new parts at the problem. read more

needed my car diagnosed so I could get smog he'd checked . they rounded up hours and tried to get me to do unnessary work that didn't relate to smog check... I needed one spark plug replaced they did all of them and the boots tried to do brakes back brakes told me they were two percent in the paper it said 25 percent did them myself they were at at least 35 percent tried to get me to do oil change too.. today got car diagnosed by good mechanic under 200 dollars diagnosed all problems 1 bad catalytic converter getting fixed by another honest mechanic 1 hour at 125$ 1400$ then I can get smog need new tires and rubber around one of wheel joints... I could tell the people at Oceanworks were being dishonest and lying because of there demeanor.. oceanworks2 with Cris whose retired was great Oceanworks sucks and is only for rich people from the berkeley hills that aren't worried about burning money read more

Billy at ocean works really went above and beyond by assisting me with a critical car issue after hours and over the weekend. I am much obliged read more