I should fill out 2 of these to give 10 stars. I'm on a roadtrip with my family to recreate 4th grade California history. Wouldn't you know it on day one the tire light came on. As any weekend warrior would I checked the tires... good, thought about checking the spare...who am I kidding. [[HIGHLIGHT]]On day 3 after driving puckered called Pacific Motor Service and talked to Beatrice. She was awesome.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I brought the car in went to the aquarium while she kept me updated.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Said the tires were perfect, it was just a rotation notification and they reset it. I picked up the car and they said no charge and carry on your expedition! Gold mining here we come. Thanks Beatrice! read more

Wonderful experience! My 2001 BoxsterS with 71K miles was in need of some service and repairs (failed strut & CV boots). Kyle and the Techs took great care in completing the service & repairs and returned the car to me feeling like it did 25 years ago! I would highly recommend Pacific Motor Service to anyone looking for a great shop when it's time for service & repairs!!! read more

Pacific Motor Service - 2001 BoxsterS - Auto Repair Near Me - Monterey, California

Major Shout Out to Pacific Motor Service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]From our first contact with the exceptionally professional Beatrix; great phone skills and very knowledgeable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]She scheduled us for right after New Year's Day when I could barely get other mechanics to even call back.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were needing a quick fix for our daughter's 2010 Corolla. We came in received a quote for a thorough inspection and diagnosis with a follow up call if needed. The service was completed a couple hours later, and thankfully an easy fix for the transmission fluid leaking. Yes !!!! Back on the road for $230.00 and no extra charges. We will definitely be bringing our other vehicles in for maintenance and repairs as we were told they service VW's, Mercedes and American cars as well. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Thanks so much Pacific Motor Service staff: Beatrix and Rory for starting our New Year off Right!!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Had my 2015 Dodge Ram towed to Pacific Motor Service. AAA only gave me a few choices on where they would take it, so I chose Pacific since they were the closest. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I called PMS and asked if they would be able to fix my truck, and they said they could.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It ended up being a seized engine. PMS wanted more than the truck's worth to install a rebuilt engine. I called Vortex in Seaside, and they were 8k less than Pacific Motor Service. Vortex arranged to have my truck towed to their shop, but before Pacific Motor Service would release the truck to Vortex, they wanted me to pay for the engine inspection. This should have been disclosed when I initially called them. It felt like extortion, since they would not give over the keys to the tow truck until I paid this fee. Not cool. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Rory and the team were amazing.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We had our wires chewed off by rodents when camping in Big Sur and had to tow it to a the closest AAA certified shop. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We got in and were greeted with exceptional care and transparency regarding our situation.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The cost to repair was very reasonable and had us out the next morning! We highly recommend Pacific Motor Service and were relieved to have our unfortunate incident be resolved effortlessly. Thanks to all the team! read more

My Mini broke down a week ago. I took it to another shop at first. After wasting 3 days my hubby found this shop. He got my car there and Rory couldn't have been nicer! They work on Mini's all the time, unbeknownst to me until this week. After the last shop I had anxiety about whether or not they would be able to fix my car. Rory took the time to explain what needed to be done to both my hubby and me separately because I was at work. The work isn't cheap but the service and peace of mind was worth it to me! Happy to have my car back! Thanks Rory! read more

Being a Process Improvement and Product Trainer within the automobile industry for over 26 years I have spent much time in automotive service departments. I have seen it! Pacific Motor Service hits on all cylinders; it is simply "The best of the best." Transparent and competitive pricing, knowledgeable staff and excellent workmanship place them way ahead of the rest. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]They are Honest and always so welcoming.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They are upfront with their cost and knowledge with their work.

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Beatrice was so helpful and kind while I was going through car issues and one of the most stressful days of my life.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]She was patient and helpful through the whole process.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Customer service 10/10.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Give her a raise. read more

Had my Mini Countryman ALL4 towed to Pacific Motor Service due to a power steering issue. I am a first time customer here. Simply excellent service. Diagnosed, researched and fixed the issue the next day and I was back on the road. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Rory was fantastic to deal with ..... friendly and professional.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I would highly recommend this garage for service. No more trips to the Bay Area for a Mini service ! If you have a MINI click n drive system, and have a power steering issue ..... Pacific Motor company will fix it! I will be a regular customer of Pacific Motor Service from now on. Thank you !! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Outstanding, as always. Service with a smile.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Customers are the priority here.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]They remember your name, your car, and what has brought you in the past.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They do the research and go out of their way to make sure you have a great experience at a good price. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I couldn't be happier with them. I trust them and I like them.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Outstanding service. First time customer here. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Beatrice did an amazing job with communication and explanation of exactly what was going on with our vehicle.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Diagnosed and quoted within a few hours. Highly recommend. read more

My 2016 Hyundai Sonata was due for routine maintenance and I decided to go with a local shop rather than get screwed over at the dealership. First off, Rory and Beatriz deserve customer service awards. They were both attentive to my requests/questions and made me feel confident to leave my car with them. They give you an estimate upon drop off, and if any additional services are needed, they call you for approval. I dropped off and picked up without issues. My car drove nicely to Santa Barbara and back, no issues whatsoever. I was quoted $200+ at the dealer. I only paid $63 at Pacific Motor Service. Need I say more? read more

Rory was so professional and helpful and did a great job. This group has incredible customer service and they explained all the options. read more

Pacific Motor Service handled this large job with ease, professionalism and care. Will be back for my next service needs. Easy to schedule online and great communication throughout. read more

My initial problem was some smoke from the very front where the cooling fan is. I freaked out a bit since it was the first time it happened to me and I called triple A. They recommended this place. I was greeted by Rory who took the car in. The first thing that put me off is that they charge $157 for inspection only. No other place in my experience did that. I gave my consent and asked them to check it out. Next morning I come in and they tell me my transmission fluid is "leaking hard" and if I drive it longer than couple blocks I risk transmission failure and complete transmission replacement. So Rory said they needed to tear down the seal between the engine and transmission and take out the transmission to find out what's going on. Again, it was just to find out. This time they asked for $1500. That's triple my old car's value. My car has always been well maintained and I just recently took it for oil change and general service. I went on Yelp and thank God I did. Turns out this business rips people off for a living. They are overly dramatic in their description of the problem and they are recommending completely unneeded services and they misdiagnose. I went to my trusted mechanic that I should've gone to in the first place but was too afraid to drive the smoking car. My mechanic said my transmission is totally fine, nothing is leaking at all anywhere, not just in the transmission. My guy said the cooling fan broke and wouldn't turn. Hence the overheating and smoke. He gave an estimate of $280. Wow. Thank you so much Yelp users for posting your reviews here. Thanks to you I did not trust this place with my beloved car. And I'm warning all future customers - stay away! These guys are just the definition of dishonest mechanics who just want to rip you off as much as they can. And the final cherry on cake: Yelp offers 15% discount for checking in and also there is the owners comment in here offering the discount as well. Guess what Rory told me when I showed him the coupon? "It's only good for when service was done, we did not fix anything" I said "Isn't inspection considered a service too?" He insisted that there will be no discount. Terrible customer experience. I'm just so happy I left the place and went to my mechanic that charged $0 for checking out my car. UPD: The owner replied below to discredit me. I did not drive back up North, I drove 5 minutes to another mechanic who in fact does have the best reputation in the area as opposed to this place. Smoke was coming out due to burnt fuse and fan relay. They were burnt because of the broken fan that stopped turning, my mechanic showed me the burnt parts. He also told me if the transmission fluid did get into the exhaust system, the smoke would come from the middle part of the engine compartment, not the very front from the fan. Lastly, I am not 22 and using my age is yet another low by the owner of this place. All the more reason to stay away from them read more

Pacific Motor Service - Area of the smoke. Doesn't look like transmission does it? - Auto Repair Near Me - Monterey, California

Always an excellent experience at Pacific Motor Service in Monterey. Rory and Beatrice are extremely helpful and knowledgeable, always providing top tier customer service and clear communication. The maintenance crew is competent and punctual. If you are looking for a well run, ethical, auto repair company look no further. read more

Awful Nightmare of an Experience Last year, I was stuck and I need a tow in Monterey. I called AAA, and they recommended Pacific Motor Service. They were expensive, but they got the job done, and I have been going to them whenever I needed help. Yeah, no more. One night, my car leaks all of its oil, I towed it to Pacific Motor Service, and they "fixed" it. Said the oil line got loose, and just needed to be tightened. They charged me for inspection and service. TWO WEEKS LATER! MY CAR DUMPS OIL AGAIN! I take it back to Pacific Motor Service, and they said the radiator, hoses, and transmission lines need to be replaced, and the whole thing would cost about $1500... I'm sorry, I took the car to you two weeks ago so this wouldn't happen! So, I did the right thing to do and took it to another mechanic. He said "Yeah, you need a new radiator, hoses, and transmission lines." When I asked "How and Why?" He said "Whoever touched this car before me tried to repair the oil lines by tightening it with copper." Are you serious? So what happened was my car was not running at the proper temperature, there were air pockets being created, and it busted some pipes. I'm sorry, but that is so unprofessional. A Motor Service company is supposed to repair your car so it can run back on the road, not damage your car so you have to take it back two weeks later. Thankfully I found a new mechanic, and hopefully I never have to go back to Pacific Motor Service. Expensive and may damage your car. (P.S. AAA will recommend them to you, but I dont.) read more

Thanks for your response Jim. May I ask what details are missing? Pretty disingenuous of you to say when you weren't even present. My wife was there, and she can verify that the events were complete and accurate. To your point, I would never take my Infinity QX60 or any other car I own to a shop that doesn't have qualified, licensed, and reputable technicians and facilities. My reference to Jiffy Lube was meant to be hyperbole. Your comment that maybe I "found a shop in Oregon that jeopardizes manufacturer warranty stipulations in order to save money is the reason for the disparity for the cost" is grossly inaccurate and irresponsible, to say the least. Why would you assume that is the case here other than to discredit me? Is there a section in the "How to Become a Millionaire (or similar)" CD your shop sells on dealing with negative reviews? The facility I brought my SUV in Portland used OEM parts and has a 12-month warranty on parts and labor. I paid $1100 for parts, labor, and inspection from a reputable, licensed and certified shop similar to yours. Your shop charged $2,285 for the same. The local Infinity dealer quoted me $1600 including the diagnostics, giving me more reason to write the review. I agree the cost of living in Monterey is higher than in Portland. Is it a $1200 worth difference? Personally, I don't think so, but maybe it is. In any case, you explained your position and hopefully, you understand mine. FYI: Maybe you should remove the "Millionaire..." Cd for sale on your service counter. I find it weirdly inappropriate in an auto repair shop read more

We got a flat tire on highway 1 and this was the closest repair shop to us. Beatrice and Rory were so incredibly helpful!!! We ended up spending the night in Monterey because our tire wouldn't be available until the next day and Beatrice and Rory were so helpful in assisting us finding a rental car/hotel. Beatrice even recommended a farmers market for us to check out. This duo wasn't just helpful to us but we saw them being so amazing and helpful to other customers in their shop. If you are ever stranded with car troubles in this area check out this shop because they truly want to help their customers and get them back on the road ASAP! I'd give them 10 stars if I could. read more

They are super nice folks and I'm not claiming that I was ripped off. However, outcomes are outcomes and my outcome was changing my own ignition coil in the Napa Autoparts parking lot after spending $1,200+ on a new mass air flow sensor, air filter cleaning, and spark plug re-torque at Pacific Motor Service. While I'm glad I now have a clean filter and a new MAF sensor, those weren't the issues that caused the misfire and subsequent check engine light. After I brought it back when it threw another check engine light the same day I picked it up the first time, they did another diagnostic (that I wished they had done the first time and saved me $1,000) and discovered that it was an ignition coil. They get two stars because they didn't charge me for the second diagnostic but they also didn't offer to make anything right and pre-emptively argued that they were correct in doing the initial $1,200 in work. They also said they wouldn't want to just replace the one ignition coil and recommended I do it myself. I left the shop with the same check engine light that brought me there after two trips to the shop and out $1,200+. The car ran great after I installed the ignition coil at Napa's parking lot. Would not recommend Pacific Motor Service. read more

I was towed here by AAA. I couldn't steer the car. My power steering fluid ran out because a rodent chewed through the line. The reception people were very friendly. They were able to fix the car the same day. HOWEVER they were way out of line in charging over $1000 for replacing the fluid and a new line!!! Typical charges are almost half of that!!! DO NOT RECOMMEND unless you have no time or choice like me. read more

Holy cow! I'm new in town and notice my Jeep's fuel line has a leak. Fuuudge! Not an easy fix, I know because I just dropped the tank in February to deal with a fuel filler issue, but I didn't think my apartment complex here would look kindly on me on doing the same. So I started calling around, and I'm so glad that I reached Rory at Pacific Motor Service. Best customer service ever! They let it me bring it by Monday afternoon, took Tuesday to diagnose and research a fix, and I had my Jeep back on Wednesday noonish. I look forward to using them again! read more

My college age son brought is car into Pacific Motor 8 times over an 18 month time Frame, 6 of those times were for the same complaint. We spent over $9000 dollars chasing down a relatively simple problem and each time the repair failed. I recently sold the car and within 6 days of sale and under 2000 miles since the last "repair" it failed again - same problem. The new owner brought it into a reputable Audi mechanic in Reno and they found that a substandard after market water pump was put in that was not compatible with the vehicle and would not calibrate to the car. The thermostat, that should have been replaced at the same time was NOT. And, they found that Pacific Motors installed a hose backward, there was a missing bracket rendering the water pump loose, and the wiring was wrapped around the coolant system. I called and spoke with the owner, Steve Donohoe, I asked him to simply have integrity and stand by his work as we had spent an inordinate amount of time and money with his shop trying to solve this problem - he was unhelpful and utterly dismissive. I have to admit that since being widowed and not having my son's father around I am not knowledgable in this area and was fully taken advantage of - it is embarrassing for me, but SHAME on Steve and his shop. read more

I asked them to just read what the indicator light said and to turn it off and I would come back at another time to fix it. Young guy at the front said, with polite smile, they would not... they're in the business of fixing cars not giving away things for free... They just lost a Possible loyal customers read more

I brought my vehicle to Pacific Motor Service for an oil change and to potentially determine the source of a subtle engine noise, that only occurs when the engine is cold. I wanted to know whether the noise needed to be repaired on my 20-year-old vehicle. When I saw the $178.68 estimate for "Engine noise on Cold Start Up", I asked Kevin Donohoe, the owner, to call me after he heard the noise and before he took apart anything on the vehicle, as didn't want to pay $178.68, I merely wanted to determine if he heard the noise, to determine whether to proceed, per the estimate. Mr. Donahoe advised me the next day that the technician determined the noise was from the serpentine belt tensioner assembly. I asked him how much it would cost to repair and he indicated $482.19. I indicated that I wanted to think about it, owing to the age of the vehicle. I asked how much I owed him, and he indicated the agreed upon cost of the oil change, plus the $178.68 for "Engine noise on Cold Start Up." I indicated that I was very surprised that he was charging me $178.68. Mr. Donahoe indicated that he had to take apart certain items in the engine compartment to determine the origin of the noise. I indicated that I had asked him to call me before he took apart anything on the vehicle. His response was that $178.68 was the minimum inspection fee. I explained that I certainly did not realize that included merely listening for an engine noise and I didn't understand why he didn't call me before taking anything apart, as we had discussed. I paid the bill and when I got home, I read the technician's notes for the first time, "Noise concern. Could not hear any obvious noise concerns at this time. Only noise present at this time is a small ticking from belt tensioner assembly. Belt tensioner appears to be original twenty year old part recommend replacement due to age." When I read this, I became even more concerned, because the technician obviously had not heard the noise that I hear and I had been given a noise repair estimate of $482.19, that would not have addressed the noise I brought the vehicle in for. Owing to my concerns, I took my vehicle to a well-known local vehicle repair shop. While I observed, within five minutes, the mechanics, using a mechanic's stethoscope, determined the noise to be of no concern. They took nothing apart in the engine compartment. They also indicated that the belt tensioner assembly was not making noise. I was charged nothing. I'm very unhappy having paid the inspection fee and having been advised to have a repair that would not have addressed the noise. I would be even more upset if I had paid $482.19 to fix the noise, only to discover the noise remained. I send Mr. Donahoe a snail mail letter and completed an email review sent by Pacific Motor Service, in each instance asking him to refund me the $178.68 inspection fee. After three months I not received a response. Subsequently having read several other negative Yelp reviews of Pacific Motor Service, it appears clear that the company's business practices are unethical. read more

We moved to Monterey, tried them out, and were surprised to be told that our tire tread was low--something never mentioned by our previous mechanic. To check their work, I went to a tire shop and watched the measuring, which came out 1mm or more higher than we'd been told. Hmmm. As part of our safety check, I asked them to replace the sputtering battery in my key fob. They said they did. A few days later it stopped working, leaving me with no way to lock the car. I had Toyota open it up, revealing that the old battery was still there--leading us to wonder what else that we'd paid for wasn't actually performed. Driver beware. read more

I've been taking multiple vehicles to Pacific Motor Service for several years now. The entire team is extrmemly professional, corteous, and really a pleasure to do business with. Estimates are clear, communications are prompt, and the work done there is top-notch. Whether you're just going in for a basic service or a major repair, Pacific Motor Service will provide you with a great experience! read more

I want to start my review with the owner and the staff are very friendly and are not bad people. I went in to get my car fixed which needed a new radiator and cover gasket. I dropped my car off. The prices in which I understand are high because of Monterey but really?!!!!I talked to Kevin the owner and I do not mean to bash them because they did look at my car right away. Clean place and nice staff. $160 just to look at my car and send me pictures? (at least apply that to the repair like every shop does) or give me half my money back... Way to high... Most shops are under $30..... Aright let's get to the hard numbers... I called a shop with the same warranty and the same parts just as Pacific Motor had quoted me. Pacific Motor Other Shop Labor: $612.00 Labor: 264.00 Parts: $540.00 Parts: 514.35 Parts difference : $25.65 (which they were close to) Labor: $348.00 (Are you joking me) When I pressed Kevin (the Owner) on why his labor was 3 times higher than the other shop he said he was "did not understand we shop around and look at what others are charging and we are around the same" He knew I found out his little game and acted like I was crazy... I got you Kevin!!!! (some people are to smart for your game) Which car shops are you looking at Ferrari shops? The crazy part is I even bought in a coupon I had from them and that saved me $130. However, that is a drop in the bucket for what they charge for labor..... Just be aware you have to be a millionaire to afford to get your car fixed by them.... Other hardworking American getting screwed by a not honest car shop.... read more

SMOKE AND MIRRORS! About two months ago, I had problems with the idle on my truck. I broke down close to Pacific Motors so I inched into the shop. Initially I was surprised by the attentive staff, the clean lounge and the warm vibe. Boy was I fooled by the smoke and mirrors. My truck was fixed up for $1200. I'm a humble guy with a humble ride ('94 Toyota Pickup) so that was a bit pricey for me. Nevertheless, as long as my truck was fixed, I figured that was the cost of maintaining a car. I was guaranteed that if there were any problems that I should bring it back, no questions asked. Well, several weeks later I was experiencing similar symptoms: the engine would cut out when idling. However, one evening it happened while driving so I made a bee line for Pacific Motors. I parked the truck on the street parking and dropped my key in the night drop box. This is when my impression of Pacific Motors drastically shifted. Expecting a call early the next day, I heard nothing. I called in the afternoon and Kevin informed me that they had not done anything. They hadn't even checked the drop box! He explained they were busy and they would get right on it. He called back the next day (meanwhile, no ride for me) and walked me through the problem. Turns out it was not the same issue as before. I was going to have to plunk down at least another $800 just for the part. Not feeling eager to pay another $800, I decided to get a second opinion. So I returned to pick up the truck and I am preparing to leave when Beau the attendant asks me, "How would you like to pay for this?" My jaw dropped. Apparently amidst all the smoke and mirrors Beau either did not realize or failed to acknowledge that I was bringing in my truck with a similar issue as before. He explained to me that it takes time to run the inspections so that he had to bill me for the mechanic's time. I get that. But I don't think he ever checked his screen to realize that I was in the shop checking up on the work they had done previously, the same work they guaranteed "no questions asked." With a great big scowl, I paid another $150. Furious, I got into my truck. To my surprise, there was a parking ticket waiting for me. Turns out, since they didn't check the drop box, my truck was on the street all day and I got a $30 parking ticket. I returned to the shop and pleaded my case. Beau told me that they would take care of it. Great, I thought, at least that is something. But guess what I got in the mail yesterday? A failure to pay a parking ticket notice! I've got 10 days to pay the parking ticket or else I face a fine! Pacific Motors: you guys are nice, cordial and friendly. You offer many things like a newsletter, e-mail marketing and a pleasant lounge. But your prices are a bit much for my budget and behind all of the smoke and mirrors, you completely missed the boat with me! As for the part I needed, I found it elsewhere for $450! So you won't see me back in your shop and I would not recommend this shop to anyone else...unless you like SMOKE AND MIRRORS! read more

My car stopped working on hwy 1 and I was towed by AAA to "AAA certified repair", which is this one. In the morning they told me that problem is with serpentine belt because of ac compressor. And repair will cost 900$ with used parts and 1100$ with new compressor. I called my mechanic in SF, who said that it's bullsh*t and price for a brand new compressor for my Sebring'99 is 300-340$. And the other option is to make a bypass of ac, which will be 100-120$ in total. So I told this to the guy at the desk, he said they will not do any bypass things, because of the liability... Okaaay. I went across the street to the other repair, where they agreed with my mechanic, and said that's the way they fix old car like mine.. read more

I had to get emergency work done on my breaks and had to leave the same day on a cross country trip. I showed up at opening without an appointment. Within 90 minutes I was updated on the issues and given an itemized invoice. Everything was explained to me, including labor and part costs. I gave the go ahead for the work and they made sure that it was fixed by 2:30 so that I could get on the road. Kevin was very patient and expedient with making sure the work was done by the time table he gave me. Overall, service was excellent and I felt safe after their repairs. read more

I took my truck here a year or so ago to have a check engine light figured out. What a mistake that was! They charged me $135 and told me that I needed a new catalytic converter which would cost $1300! I told them no thanks, begrudgingly paid the $135 and headed straight to another mechanic. The other mechanic I went to looked at the truck and told me the problem was a bad oxygen sensor, which he fixed for under $100. That same mechanic also told me that a new catalytic converter for that truck would cost around $500. And Pacific Motor Service had quoted me $1300!!! After the second mechanic replaced the oxygen sensor the light went out and the truck worked fine. I called Pacific Motor Service and requested my $135 "diagnostic fee" back because they misdiagnosed the problem. They were rude and confrontational about it and refused to give me the money back. read more

They seem really nice here and they are but just like every other place they will over charge you. They called me about a low review I gave after being told by two other males in my life that I paid for unnecessary services. He called to ask why and that's it. No attempt to remedy the situation or even ask me to change my review. Nice customer retention. read more

Please, please do NOT use these people! I went to Pacific Motor based directly on the positive comments from Yelp. Not only was I disappointed, they are borderline criminals. Long story short, I brought my car in because it wouldn't start. The owner quoted me $900 for a new alternator. Then the office manager (Bucky, I believe) says "whoops, the owner over priced the repair. It will only be $800." Thank GOD I got a second opinion!!! I simply had a dead battery! I replaced it for $50 and haven't had a problem in the year and a half since. $800 for a $50 battery. Criminals! My only guess is that the owners are populating their own comments to ensure positive feedback. I've never looked at user feedback the same way since. Please, please beware. read more

I understand we all need to make money, but to simply look at your vehicle, they charge 160$. If you are a "high-roller" that doesn't mind paying hidden fees, and just want your vehicle serviced eventually, this is the place. I saw two customers leave unhappy while I was there. One woman left her vehicle here and they changed her oil, even though she didn't ask them to, and charged her for it! She was not happy to say the least. What they do is say "oh you would like an A inspection" (which includes an oil change) but they don't explain what that entails. She simply wanted them to check the vehicle. I don't have a ton if money. I do however, have a vehicle, an am a person, so I deserve honest service. That means not raking people over the coals. If you don't have time to look at the vehicle, tell me. Or at least tell me how long it will take. It was like pulling teeth to get an estimated time. I felt like they were beating around the bush and just wouldn't give it to me straight. I know they need to inspect the vehicle, but they took two hours to "inspect" it. (It was a very small issue) yadda yadda. Long story short- I took it somewhere else and they completely fixed it in 20 minutes for a FRACTION of the the price. Maybe they do great work, I'll never know, but they'd better for what they are charging! read more

I really want to like this business. It's clean, the owner, Kevin Donohue is on premises. There's Wi-Fi, a PC, coffee and more magazines (neatly arranged) than I've seen in most physicians' offices. They've worked on my car a few times - again, I really do like the staff and it's about one mile from my home. My vehicle was towed to the facility by CSAA. Flat tire - bad and iffy spare tire. I have 14" wheels on a vehicle with in excess of 235k miles. Because I arrived at the shop at 12:30PM, I was told I couldn't be served until the mechanics returned from lunch at 1:30PM. I was given an estimate of $39.95 to repair the flat. At 1:30, Kevin let me know the mechanics has returned and could work on my car. About 15 min. later, Kevin informed me that he did not have the 14" tires in stock and wouldn't have them until the next day. He drove me home telling me that the car should be ready about 11-11:30 AM. At noon, I called and Kevin indicated, 'the car is almost complete, I'll come get you in about 15 min." Upon returning to the shop, Kevin presents me with an invoice for $467. Seems he got top-of-the-line UniRoyal tires (2) and did an alignment. I was not consulted on the quality of tires I wanted nor did I request an alignment - I also wasn't advised that I needed an alignment. I pretty much cam un-glued. While he did deduct the cost of the alignment, the total cost was $327. This is a 22 yr. old vehicle, why would top-of-the-line tires be used? This on an estimate of $39.95. Whenever I've used Pac Motors, the estimates are no where near the actual cost. There's always 'something more' and the estimate is cast aside. Again, I genuinely like the business, but, I cannot imagine ever returning. . read more

Imagine--you're driving down the highway after 6 hours on the road and your car starts vibrating. Not just vibrating, but violently shaking. Every time that your foot touches the accelerator. You, like most human beings, know little to nothing about auto mechanics. What do you do? A. Call Cardinale Volkswagon in Salinas and get put on hold and then asked to call back. B. Call your local Seattle dealer for help C. Have your roommate Yelp the best VW service in Monterey The answer is all of the above. I cannot begin to describe the ease and pleasantness that was my experience at Pacific Motor. After having woken up on the wrong side of the bed, house, town, you name it--I arrived 45 minutes late for my appointment. Beau B. didn't care. He was smart, charming, funny, and understood the ramblings of an auto-inept 20-something. I knew my car would be safe with them. Turns out, the auto dealership in Salinas had failed to notice an enormous safety risk in my car--my axle has become inundated by silt, sand, and other debris. Pretty much, the axle could have frozen up at any moment and caused my car to flip. The Cardinale people didn't find this problem in the 2.5 hours my car was at the shop--the Pacific Motor service specialists found the problem within the first 5 minutes of receiving my car. The axle replacement wasn't cheap, but the 6-year or 36,000 mile warrantee was enough to make me a customer for the duration of my time in Monterey. And did I mention the free car wash and detailing... read more

I want to add a quick post-script to my review of Pacific Motors. I've moved out of state, and well after I'd been out of the area, I got some help from Beau on a couple of automotive-related questions on both a new car and a minor problem with the old one (I had gotten in contact with them about an unrelated item, trying to locate a new mechanic that would do warranty work, which I also got help with). There's zero chance I'm ever going to be back to give them business because I live 2700 miles away now, but they took the time to talk me through a couple of issues, just because. Maybe it was loyalty to me as a former customer, maybe it's just because that's what they do, but if this isn't going above and beyond for the customer, I don't know what is. Quality folks. read more

I tend to end up with odd cars, which perplex dealers, run-of-the-mill drive-in and hyper-specialized auto service shops. Case in point, I once had a VW Rabbit that was converted from a diesel to a GTI-spec, which meant service had to span four years in parts and include creative mechanical thinking (imagine servicing the car in Johnny Cash's "One Piece at a Time" song, only in VW form). So when I bought a weird, older, quirky high mileage BMW, I knew it would need mechanical work beyond my capabilities and researched independent options in the Monterey area for issue diagnosis, part refresh and of course, repair. In the end, I opted to give Pacific Motor Service a try. The whole experience was great. I provided them with a list of observed issues and concerns, and they provided quality triage, quality customer service, and most importantly, quality work. When I visited the shop for an initial estimate, I looked at the cars that were in for service as it can tell a lot about the shop's knowledge. Both the relative age and variety of vehicle makes indicated to me that this shop could understand the quirks and issues around my era of automobile. What I appreciate most is that they back their work with a three-year warranty, which is rare and says something about the confidence they have in their own team. My BMW now feels like a BMW should and those things that I couldn't see for myself (but knew were there) have been dealt with before causing serious and costly problems. And FWIW, my actual service bill came in several hundred dollars UNDER the estimate. For me, fast and cheap runs too great a risk of misdiagnosis and masked problems that will haunt you later. Balanced with that is having an option beyond the strengths and limitations of a dealership and your own abilities so you're not held hostage when it comes time to get something fixed. Therefore, quality work at a fair price that takes a reasonable amount of time (even an extra day or two) will always bring me back as a customer. Pacific Motor Service definitely hit the mark and is now my independent option for planned auto repair in Monterey. read more