Auto Repair Reccomendation I cannot say enough good things about "Padillas Auto Repair" in Monterey! I feel like it is so hard to find an honest, reliable mechanic that isn't trying to get top dollar, or make you feel confused with what is being done with your vehicle! They helped me with my break replacement & gave me a quote for a Tune up without making me feel pressured to book the service! I 100% reccomend giving them a call for any of your Auto Repair needs read more

Juan, has worked on my car's for over 20 years. He is honest, does fantastic work and comunicates really well on any work that needs to be done. I am so happy I have him as my Mechanic and I appreciate him showing me part's that he has replaced or worked on. read more

Replaced my battery on the spot in 30 minutes. Glad they were open on a Saturday which is hard to find in Monterey . No waiting room so went to a nearby park read more

Juan is honest and has done a great job in any and all auto repairs. We will be needing to put in a new water pump soon and we are headed to Juan! read more

Excellent, honest and great price from Juan at Padilla auto repair. Every time I leave I am happy with the repair and the bill. He has been running in his shop for 17 years making many happy customers. read more

Friendly, knowledgeable and fair prices. The turnaround was exceptional and I highly recommend Juan!

I'm glad I met Mr. Padilla, I can truly say that he is a good honest human being and he cares for his customers needs. Mr. Padilla Is a legitimate mechanic and provides really good customer service. I would recommend his shop to anyone who is looking for a good quality work and very very honest prices. Mr. Padilla drained my diesel tank and flushed out all the gas lines. The dealership would have charged thousands for services rendered I recommend Mr. Padilla to anyone in the community who is searching for an honest and legitimate mechanic. Again, thank you so much for help! read more

I'm so glad to have found this repair shop for my Mini Cooper. They kept me in the loop of what the cars issue was and fixed the electrical problems completely. The even called back the day to make sure everything was great. If I have any issues moving forward with any of my vehicles, I will go back to this shop for sure. read more

We moved here over 4 years ago from the bay area. Like most, I hated to part ways with my mechanic but needed someone local. They are fast, fair and very kind. I trust them and appreciate their work. They have worked on our Ford Explorer and BMW 325. Great job on both. Thank you! read more

Wonderful company. I was recommended by a friend and took my Range Rover when a check engine light came on. He was due to close, but stayed open for me and charged me less than the usual. He was also incredibly friendly and warm. Truly appreciate his caring and attention to my issue. read more

Juan was very helpful and kind. I told him the concerns I had with my car, and he was quick to diagnose and fix the issues. It's good to have a knowledgeable and honest person working on your vehicle. read more

As we drove into town we got a flat drove in and Juan took great care of, fixed our tire and got us back on the road in less than 20 minutes. Great experience. Thank you! read more

Needed a diagnostic for the Catalytic converter and Padilla's diagnostic-rate was significantly less than the other places I called. Brought it in, didn't need an appointment, and Juan told me that he is pretty sure that it would be covered under warranty. Needed to wait a couple days for the dealership to get back to me and Padilla was nice enough to even let us leave our car on their property until we got an official response if it was covered or not. Turns out it was covered and Padilla saved us A LOT of $$$. I appreciated their honestly about the warranty, their kindness and availability to help, and their overall customer service. I will be taking my cars to them from now on and recommend them to anyone. read more

I went in to get a new Master Brake Cylinder and got it swapped. I also asked him to swap my radiator hoses since they are a bit old and i did not want to spill at my house. He added red coolant to refill my radiator since Toyota usually uses the red coolant, mine however had green. He offered to add red coolant but didn't properly flush the system and caused a muddy combination to surface. I went back to ask him and he really had the audacity to say he didnt have time to do it properly... Not how car work should be handled, I ended up flushing it all out myself. Not going back here again. read more

My car broke down in the middle of the road and the man who helped me push it off the road (bless his heart) told me he was pretty sure my transmission needed replaced and so did the guy who towed my car to Padilla. I just moved to Monterey this past month and don't know anyone so I had no way of knowing what mechanic wasn't going to rip me off. I feel really lucky to have decided to go to this shop! A transmission repair would have run me up thousands of dollars! But Padilla let me know all I had was a broken axel and he fixed it very quickly. He could have told me it was anything! He could have charged me so much more and I would have gone with it because I know nothing about cars! The quote he gave me over the phone was also $30 more than what I ended up paying. He is very honest and I 100% recommend his shop. read more

Perfect service even held the shop open for me both employees treated and greeted me very fairly I appreciate there service I recommend them if your in the Monterey area read more

I just had a hub replaced on my vehicle. The job was done in two hours and ended up costing less than I was quoted. 10/10 would go back!

Yeahhhh, I'll need to update my review. We took our car here, knowing almost for certain what the problem was (MAP sensor). We let the mechanic know and asked him to definitely check it because it probably needed replaced. Later in the day he called us back and said the problem was the brake pads and not the MAP sensor. We asked AGAIN if he at least checked, and he assured us he did. Fast forward a week: We're driving from CA to GA and the check engine light comes on in the middle of the desert. Thankfully we made it to a city, took it to a shop, and lo and behold; what was the problem? The MAP sensor. Shocking. So Padilla auto repair almost left us stranded in the middle of the f'king desert, in 100+ degree weather, with all of our pets in the car and no motel or city for miles and miles. Thanks a mil. read more

Our "check engine" light came on while visiting Carmel. Juan kindly checked our car (BMW) the same day and found it was just a few small things that had caused the light to come on (including a gas cap that wasn't registering as tightly closed). Incredibly fair, small charge to run diagnostics and get us quickly on our way (with zero attempt to sell us anything extra or push for extra work - incredibly appreciated). We've been visiting the area a fair bit and feel lucky to now have a local, trusted mechanic! read more

I've lived in the Monterey area for about 3 years and I had never really needed a mechanic. My brakes have been squealing for a while and I finally decided I should drag my Jeep in before I blow down Franklin hill at 100 miles per hour. I also had a tail light that appeared to be having electrical issue. Not having a good recommendation I turned to yelp and found Padilla Auto Repair. I called them to schedule an appointment. The guy on the phone told me the shop was slow and to just bring my car in. This immediately made me wary as most shops tell you this and 5 days later you get your car back. Not so. I got there, they took my keys and told me they would call me in 30-45 minutes to give me an update. If you know anything about the business of auto maintenance, you know that brake service is one of the biggest money makers. A $700 brake job usually costs the shop less than half of what they charge. Electrical issues can take hours and hours to diagnose. I was prepared to pay close to $1000 if it came down to it. 40 minutes later I got the call. The man who runs the shop told me that my brakes, were in fact, just fine. They would grease the brakes to see if they could get the noise to stop. My tail light was an easy fix. I was floored. I truly expected that they would (needed or not) at least try to replace my pads and claim the would take an hour or two to diagnose. Being pleasantly surprised I asked them to give my car an inspection as I am getting ready to drive it to Colorado. "Sure, no problem. Your car will be ready to go in an hour". Feeling good about our conversation I went to pick up my Jeep. I figured they'd probably put about 2-3 hours of billable work in, plus the parts for my light and I'd be walking in to about $150ish worth of bills. Nope. $77. $77 for a brake inspection, tail light repair and full inspection. You can't beat it. The only two downsides, which don't matter enough for me to even consider dropping a star: The shop is small. They don't have all the fancy tools and machines a larger shop would have. They couldn't do my alignment and some fancier things may be out of their range. The location is horrible. Right on Del Monte with a cramped parking lot. Getting in and out is an adventure in luck and timing. The shop also shares its space with another shop, whose office I inadvertently walked in to not realizing that they were collocated. read more

Got a phone quote to install two rear shocks which I already had, he asks the make, year and model and then quotes $60 or half of his hourly shop rate. Fine. I arrive and wait twenty minutes and he again asks what year and model and says that Toyota's shop rate is two hours ($240!) but he can do it for $120 - twice what he quoted! Toy's rate is 1.5 hours. I ask why he doubled his quote and he says that it'll take an hour and points to a bolt holding the top of the shock that can be removed in two minutes. I've worked in auto repair and rear shocks (not struts) can be swapped out in twenty minutes each without removing the tires. I called another shop and they said they will do it for $60. I refused, left and wasted an hour of my time. read more

Juan is the best auto repair man I have ever met! He got my car serviced within 24 hours and he figured out what others couldn't! Reasonably priced and very responsive! He works all kind of cars and is very transparent and reliable! My car drives better than ever before! read more

Bar non the best mechanic in the Bay Area. Gives you a straight forward pricing when you drop off the car. With none of the BS I was getting from other mechanics. Couldn't recommend Padilla enough read more

I was visiting from out of town Needed some help with a part that was broken Juan was awesome Looked at it immediately solved the problem at a substantially lower price than my first stop. the first stop didnt want to bother thanks Juan Juan seems to be straight up which is hard to find in auto business i recommend him highly read more

Simply the best most trustworthy mechanic I've encountered. I self diagnosed my truck thinking the repair would cost around $600. He than told me the issue was a lot more simple than I thought charging me only around $250. I've since moved to Salt Lake City and I'll drive back to Monterey every other year to have Juan check out the truck for any issues. I've recommended many friends and family and they have not been disappointed. read more

For more reviews follow the link below to google map reviews. They are all excellent and worth a read! http://www.google.com/m/place?gl=us&source=mog&q=padilla+auto+monterey+review&sa=2&latlng=16328645069019188102&cid=16328645069019188102&bl=/m/search?gl%3Dus%26source%3Dmog%26q%3Dpadilla%2Bauto%2Bmonterey%2Breview&ei=XK-TTOj-Aqb4qQOI1o7nAQ&ved=0CBEQnQIwAA read more

Sold my vehicle after his trip to Mexico. Told me there was a lien sale on it, but never received any notice. Now will have to take him to small claims!!! read more

Juan (owner) is the kindest, most trustworthy mechanic who went above and beyond to help me out! We broke down in Monterey, and Juan helped me on the side of the road for free. When I was unable to make it to his shop until after he closed, he stayed open for me. He was very clear about the charges and reasonably priced. Whether you're a local or just passing through, stop at his shop if you need any car repairs! read more

Juan is a very personable, genuine man and performs quality work. He has repaired our car twice, charges a reasonable amount, and we will continue to go back to him even though it's a 45 minute drive! Well worth the effort to support a quality business. read more

Drove in a few minutes before close (4:57pm) on Wednesday and our car was ready by 10:30am Thursday. New brake pads and rotars on the back wheels. Amazing service and unbelievable turn-around all with a friendly smile and most like the most affordable repair shop around. read more

Honestly person I recommend to everybody,good price and polite person.i just passing to Padilla have time for fix my brake of my truck the day he check the same day he give a estimate and the next day in the morning my truck was ready.honest person is hard to find in those days.thanks Padilla. read more

Quick, great service. The owner/manager? that was working waived normal charges for the fix on my car and even had his mechanic fix my bumper for free. I am not from Monterey, but I would definitely come here again if I got stuck in the area. read more

Juan is excellent! He knew what was wrong with my car in a second and explained everything to me. I appreciated his patience and honesty.

I was overdue for an oil change and a clunking noise had developed so I took my car to a local mechanic. They called me a few hours later with a quote for $2,400.00 in repairs! I wanted a second opinion. After asking around, Padilla Auto was referred to me. I spoke with Juan over the phone and listed the items I was quoted and he gave me a quote that was 1/2 the price! I took my car in and he had the work done by the next day including cleaning everything under the hood. A few days later on my way out of town my car just stopped in the middle of an intersection. I called Juan and he told me to have the car towed to him and he would cover the cost in case it was something they had inadvertently done during the repair. They couldn't immediately diagnose the problem and he knew I was on my way out of town to a wedding and offered to pay for a car rental! I didn't let him pay, but knew he was sincere and appreciated the offer. What mechanic does that?!!! It ended up being my transmission and had nothing to do with any of the previous work they had done. Juan found me a remanufactured transmission through Honda, gave me a great deal on the labor and had it done the day after the transmission was delivered. My car has been running perfectly ever since and I am so relieved to have found a mechanic I can trust. Juan even called me a couple months later to make sure everything was running okay. A+ for Padilla auto! Good, honest service! read more

This place is just a small two car garage with no frills. I came in with a cracked radiator on my 2000 Honda Accord, and being such a small shop I though it may take a day or two to get the part, but luckily he already had one in stock. The owner was up front with pricing and charged me about $150 for the radiator and about $100 for the labor. I though it was pretty fair pricing since the dealership would have charged over $300 just for the part not including labor. The guy was very friendly and got the work done within a few hours. When I came back to pick up my car, there was no hassle and no "surprise" finds in my car. He just fixed what I asked him to. I would definitely come back here again. Although not much to look at, the quality of work is good, prices fair, and there is also an Enterprise rental car next door if you need to leave your car a few days. read more

My car was starting to struggle to turn the engine and one day it after a day of shopping it refused to start. Being new in town I yelp a mechanic and this place was only a mile away so I had my car towed there and hopped they wouldn't rip me off. I called ahead of time because they were about to close and they waited for me. The next day he called be and said my stated had broken $315 for parts and labor. Once I gave the O.K on the repairs he said I could pick it up at the end of the day. They close at 6 and unfortunately that's the time I get out of class and thought I would have to wait another day to pick up my car but when I called Miguel he said he would wait for me again! I will definitely be going there again if I need to. read more

Fantastic service. My check engine light came on and I called to have it looked at. Everything was done in the time frame he said it would, and he charged a very fair price. read more

Definitely a ripoff! Was new to the area and my check engine light had come on and I knew there was something wrong. They charged me the $98/hr labor fee for just checking the engine light, and then charged me another two hours labor to figure out what was wrong, before two more hours of labor for an easy-fix problem with my engine hoses. I looked up the repair and most people said it should have been around $200, not over $1,000 like they came up with. I can even prove they did not do that many hours of labor because of the time in between phone calls to me and the jacked up estimate. And now the hoses are having problems again, which prompted me to write this review! read more

Padilla Auto Repair success comes behind Juan Padilla, the owner, who personally works in the cars and makes sure everything is well taken care of and helps also to be more competitive in prices. Come to Padilla Auto Repair if you want your car properly taken care of at a reasonable price. read more

My first review of anything anywhere online, it was to happen, eventually. I'm writing this, because Juan and Jesus and their place of mechanical miracles saved me in the pandemic. My wife and our 6 year old, Eva Luce Miriam Noel Lentoni Powers, were on our way home To Portland from an exhausting tour of the southwest in collusion with the FBI to locate missing children when, on 1-5 in Los Angeles passing directly under the Hollywood sign, after an unnecessary and exhaustive and enjoyable (we passed an idol, David Lynch's home) our 26ft 1991 E350 Class Jamboree motorhome began to vibrate and rattle just a little in a strange and uncharacteristic way. By the time we fell from the rolling, treeless hills into the fertile San Joaquin Valley we knew we were fucked. We had an envelope of cash but no understanding of whether the mechanical profession was open and considered essential by the powers that be in this impossible wave of virus closures. So we opened google and called Padilla Auto repair blind. Juan answered on the third ring and listened to my harried description of my vehicles potential list of failing parts and he says, no problem, bring it in. There was an accent, and an enthusiasm, and my wife, born and raised Italian and having lived in Spain with a former boyfriend and sharing my desperate eagerness to live in Mexico and forget our troubles says to me, This Juan, I like this Juan, take us to Juan. We arrived late. I park in the zombie apocalypse directly across the street from Padilla Auto Repair. Side benefit, Juan's shop is ocean front. I checked out the place with my daughter at 8am, hand in hand after our contemplative small wave, LinkedIn beach coffee hour. Juan doesn't open until 9am. And I deemed the place not adequate. Too small, a little hidden behind a two story home. My rig was too tall. I call at 9am. Juan says no worries. I pull in. He takes one look (we slide under the hades together with his flashlight as I'll telling home the details. I'm expecting in the back if my head yo mi s to Monterey the problem is so entirely unfixable. And Juan says to me. Oh, here's the problem. By lunch my u-joints are replaced along with the hanging barring and for a very, very affordable price I'm dancing in the carpet of my sweet, perfect running, smooth rolling motorhome. They also changed my oil and were really nice dudes to boot. I feel I might write them more than one postcard over the coming years. Thank YOU JUAN AND JESUS. My home is your hone if you are ever in Portland. Best, Zak. read more