I've had Jeffrey work on my car a few times now and he not only know's his stuff but is fair and reliable and is patient in explaining what's wrong with the car. I highly recommend this auto shop anything from small to big to big jobs like changing out a timing belt. Jeffrey will go the extra mile and has been in the business for a long time. Also, I was on my way to an important conference and called the shop at 8 in the morning, told Jeffrey what was going on with my car and he wisely advised me to pull over and have the car towed...as it was unsafe to operate. He saved me a bigger problem down the road, so I'm grateful. read more

He worked on my car over charged me, and three days later I was left stranded on my way to Tahoe, had to spend close to 1k to get it towed. He took no responsibility for this and told me to go somewhere else. Basically whatever he did ruined my engine and now I am without a car. He refuses to repair it. Talk about a scam. Very unprofessional which I feel it's because he was hitting on me and I turned down his advances. He doesn't even deserve one star. Please beware don't risk your car and throw away money. Scam scam scam. read more

Update: I upgraded to 2 stars since the mechanics have done a good job on my car and 1 star was being unfair. But I'd also like to highlight the owner's comments below. I disagree that my inquiry for the oil change was bullying, and his comment was anything but honest. Ultimately it is a he said/he said, but regardless of the truth, would you trust someone who resorts to name calling with your car/life? I wouldn't. read more

They did exactly the maintenance and checks I requested and didn't try to upsell me. Prices are fair and Patti and the other staff are super nice. read more

Have been going to Jeff since 2015 - will not take my car anywhere else. Sure every time I come in with my '04 Nissan he likes to push me to sell the old turd. But that's what I like about the guy. He tells the truth, and doesn't try to pull any wool over your eyes. My car is always done in a timely manner. Never had one problem when driving away (for my car or my wallet). Probably have taken it to him 12-15 times and he has a 100% accurate diagnosis streak! Keep on keepin' on Jeff & team! read more

Outstanding service and integrity! Am actually from San Diego, but was in Berkeley for a few days. My Toyota Sienna dashboard came up with a " check engine" sign on Friday evening was scheduled to drive back sat noon. Didn't want to risk the long drive back to San Diego the next day so made an appt online for sat 8:30 am, with details re being from San Diego etc.. Prepared myself mentally for couple of hundreds dollars work of repairs ( new city, new/ unknown repair shop). Given these COVID times and businesses working hours uncertainty, I also took an appt at the Oakland Toyota service center(Berkeley didn't have any appts for sat) for 7:40 am. When I arrived at Oakland Toyota, I was told it would take 1 hour for diagnostics $209, and then depending on the work needed at least another hour (additional $209) if not more to fix it, in addition to parts. It sounded outrageous even for a dealership, so I decided to take my chances and went to my next appt at Patti's. While the representative was checking me in , Patti went out with the handheld electronic diagnostic tool, looked up the error, and came back to tell the representative- "no need to check in he is good to go" evidently I needed a catalytic converter, but it should in no way cause issues for my drive back. I was surprised by the honesty- so wanted to give them the biz- asked if they could do the work, but the part needed to be shipped from Toyota so they wouldn't be able to do it that day. So I offered to pay for the diagnostic, -" no charge as we didn't put you on the bay.... " if I ever move to Berkeley, at least I have my auto repair shop choice locked down! If you are in the east bay and looking for a repair shop, look no further, this is the place to take your business to! read more

GO HERE. This review is overdue -- I've moved but Patti was my mechanic for several years when I was in the area, ending last year. Best mechanic I've ever had in 15 years of car ownership across three states. KNOWLEDGEABLE, HONEST, can and will tell you exactly what's going on. This is a real independent mechanic, you won't have random unneeded repairs suggested or unnecessary detailing added to your costs as you would at a dealership. I've been rescued by this mechanic twice during last-minute car emergencies (brake issue, then battery issue). Highly personable while taking zero BS from anyone. When you go in, you'll probably meet Patti at the counter. She knows everything, she's got the inside scoop on car issues. read more

Love this place!! Jeff (owner) and Erica are amazing and always take care of me and my car in the best manner possible. Their prices are fare and their work is outstanding. I have gotten my car worked on by them couple of times. Each time the service was fast and efficient. They don't waste your time and make you wait around for no reason. They're very knowledgeable and always give couple of options for every fix. Tomorrow I'm taking my wife's care for a check up and definitely some fixes. I go their with my eyes closed knowing I will be taken care of. I would highly recommend this place for anyone around that want an honest auto care shop! read more

Patti is honest and I trust her advice. I also appreciate her affordable prices. Also, doggies!

My car needed an oil change and some items done with the anti-sway bar. I called over the weekend to schedule a time for the week, and was told Tuesday would be good. I dropped my car at 9am texted Patti for an ETA to decide if I should go to work or stay around. They told me I should go to work and didn't give me an estimate. I asked for an ETA at 2:30pm after hearing nothing all day and was told "my guy is looking at it now". At 4:30pm I was told that a lot of work was needed. Given the lack of communication I was nervous about letting them continue working on my car, as the bill went from ~100$ to over a ~1000$. This communication happened over text. I wish they had called me. I wanted to speak with them about the issue but couldnt get a hold of them. I denied the service, asked they replace the oil and the sway bar linkage. They told me the sway bar linkage would take time, and I can see one locally (I found one over the weekend that I intended to get). I tried to explain the parts were local, I was texted to "just come pick up your car, the oil change is done". Wish it had gone differently, but seems like they were very busy. read more

This review may not be so useful today, because Patti's was my mechanic back in 2000-2004 when I had a car in the Bay Area. I am now in New York without a car, but friends' complaints about their mechanics were a reminder of how lucky I was to have stumbled upon Patti's nearly two decades ago. I was young, underpaid, and owned a junky '85 Civic hatchback. When I brought my car in with various problems, they offered fair prices for fixing what was necessary, and discouraged me from wasting my money fixing issues that were not safety-related. I moved from Berkeley to SF and continued to use Patti's when my car's windows were getting vandalized. The second time I came in with a broken window, the mechanic taught me how to replace the window myself and charged me only for the part. Thank you Patti's for being so service-oriented and understanding of your customers' needs. If I ever move back to the Bay Area, I will look forward to working with you again! read more

I've been here twice. The first visit was a couple of months ago, my engine check light was on so I took it to Patti's to get it checked out. I was helped out by a man who was working there that morning, and he was very helpful in answering my questions that I had about my car. For a person like me who knows nothing about cars, Patti's Auto Care is extremely generous in educating their customers about their car. I really enjoy the honesty, efficiency, and quick service that they provide. My second visit, I met with Patti, I told her I needed a tune up because that was something everyone else recommended since I was taking my car down to San Diego. But, it turns out Patti informed me that it would cost more and what I really needed was a safety check. I love how they helped me on making a better choice that I needed to get done for my car. Overall, this is a great auto shop. I plan to keep coming back here if I need anything for my car. read more

Thank you, Patti's, for always doing great work at reasonable costs. Jeff, especially, consistently gives me good car advice, reasonable quotes, and honest opinions. I appreciate his candor because it's a reflection of the work they do there. Good luck with your next adventure, Jeff! I'll be sad to see my go-to counsel leave Patti's! read more

Patti and family are back from their long ocean voyage! We haven't been here for awhile since our current car is still under warranty through the dealer. But our son bought a car recently---a 1999 Ford Crown Vic . It is a solid car and in great running order (knock on wood). He thought he heard the brakes making a funny noise so he took it into Patti's. They changed the oil and checked out the brakes. Brakes are still good. The valves needed some work, Funny noises gone. Son happy. He'll be back when his car needs more TLC. read more

If I could give this place negative stars, I would. This is your typical mechanic who doesn't like to be questioned and will give you the "I'm the expert here" pushback. We took our car for inspection because we are in the process of selling it. Without even opening the hood or looking thoroughly, he proceeded to give us an outrageous diagnosis and refused to give us any explanation. Just because you have "20 years of experience" doesn't mean you are no longer required to provide details to your customers. For example, if you are told that your car is leaking, you have the right to know what and from where. This actually matters. This will determine how much you will have to invest to fix the "leak" (which by the way is not true after confirming with a truly professional mechanic). He said that in order to provide details, he would have to place the car on the ramp...but refused to do so. This would be the equivalent of a doctor diagnosing someone with an internal brain tumor without looking at an MRI. This indicates his 20 years of experience are probably good enough for simple oil changes. Don't go here if you like asking questions about your vehicle's mechanical state. ***UPDATE***In response to your comment: You are confused. I'm an engineer, not a "car flipper". I stand by my opinion of you and your business. Jeffrey, now that we're on the subject of honesty.... I'm not the one having my girlfriend steal Philz coffee recipes/techniques to "take them down". How many years of experience do you have as a coffee connoisseur??? What are you going to do when people return your coffees? Make them feel like it's their fault? You protected no one, really. read more

Such great things to say! I was buying a car from Craigslist, and asked the seller to meet me at Patti's for a pre-sale inspection. WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE! Jeffery the Mechanic looked over the whole vehicle and gave me an honest evaluation of the car. Some of the components were worn, and he let me know whether this was normal for a car of that age and whether they were cosmetic concerns or safety concerns, and he advised me what a fair price would be for a vehicle in that condition. I was fortunate, the car was exactly what I was looking for and I was able to buy it with peace of mind that there would be no 'surprises' after I got home. Plus I was able to exchange money in a safe environment, and Jeffrey even stepped in to ask the seller questions that I didn't know to ask, and looked through the service records the seller had brought to verify maintenance. While I was in the shop, several other customers came in to pick up/drop off their cars and chat with the owner, and it is very clear that this is one of those small businesses that is a ''FIND' - i.e., people who come here have been coming here for years and years. Gracious, friendly, fair prices, clean and welcoming waiting area. I will recommend this place to all my friends! **PS** - You see that guy who left a one-star review of this place, because the owner informed the possible buyer about problems with the car he was trying to sell? I was in the buyer's shoes today, and that one-star review actually shows that Patti's is a PERFECT place for your pre-sale inspection. That is evidence that Patti's saved some lucky customer from getting stuck with a heap of junk. Patti's showed responsibility to the *BUYER* (who was paying for an honest evaluation) not the seller (who was seemingly trying to cheat someone into purchasing a spurious vehicle). Why should the mechanic be obliged to provide a 'written report' to some rando guy who isn't even a customer, let alone argue with them about opinions? I feel that this sort of one-star review makes mechanics less likely to help Craigslist customers with pre-sale inspections, which is sooo important IMHO. Do not listen to the one-star review, it's just someone who's butthurt that Patti's prevented him from ripping someone off. They were protecting their customer from getting screwed, which is a good thing and only shows that they care about their customers. read more

I came in for a routine check up on my car before a long trip, but could not take time off to get my car in during normal hours. Thus, I decided to work from home the whole day and just work in the waiting room. The owner was very clear on what needed to be done with my car and didn't try to up sell me in any way. He also left his own office so I could have a quiet room for an unexpected conference call I had to take for my work. Good service is really appreciated and made me less stressed. Thank you! read more

Not the worst mechanic experience i've ever had, but not far from it. - I was assured it would be done the same day and it took until the next day. Luckily it wasn't a huge inconvenience but it really could have been. - I never felt Donnie was being entirely straight with me. He said there was a whole bunch of things wrong with the car, but once I made it clear i only wanted them to work on the issue at hand the car actually turned out to be 'in good shape' and the report listed almost nothing wrong with it. Hmmm. Usual mechanic tricks i guess. - They seem rather disorganised. - After being told the car was ready i had to wait a further 45 mins - not a big deal but not great. + The only plus is that the work seems to be adequate. I wouldn't go there again but i'm sure there are worse mechanics on San Pablo! read more

I pulled into Patti's Auto Care because I was leaking brake fluid and needed to drive over 500 miles the next day. I chatted with the owner, and he looked over my engine and was able to diagnose the problems with it very quickly. Unfortunately he didn't have the part in stock, and his other employees were working on other folk's cars at the time. The shop is closed Sunday and Monday so I did go elsewhere as I needed a quicker turnaround (this all went down on a Saturday). I asked him how much for the diagnostic, but he said it was on the house. With that information, I was able to point out the problem immediately at the next auto shop. Really appreciate the service, even though I didn't use this shop. Would recommend. read more

I came because of yelpers and I was quite disappointed. I called Patti's, told then I needed two jobs at the same time: an oil change and to fix the oil leak. They asked the year, make and model of my car - it was nothing exotic, a Toyota Corolla - and told me to come the same day. When I got to the office, I was received by a very friendly man. I gave him all the information again and repeated what I wanted them to do with the car. He told me they'd have the car ready in 30 minutes. After an hour and a half the man told me they changed the oil but didn't have the gasket to fix the oil leak. He offered me to come back at an additional $95.00 when they'd have the gasket. He could have told me right away they did not have the part. If I wanted just the oil changed, I could have gotten this done at my work where they offer this service to emolyees for cheaper and no waiting for 1.5 hours. read more

I was driving home after work and called ten minutes after they closed. They not only took my call, they took my number to help me purchase the correct tires when I got to a safe stopping place. After texting me three different options for pricing and mileage, Patti's gave me a check-in time for service the very next day (AND a discount for purchasing tires through them!). SUCH SERVICE!!! I am always glad to give this local company my business--they go above and beyond. The Honda dealer in Berkeley is just awful by comparison. Patti's takes care to tell me what I need, and why. They treat me like a human being and not a check book. A+ care, with friendly staff and hours that fit my schedule. read more

I pulled up to Patti's with a broken windscreen dragging beneath my car, on the recommendation from another shop in the area. All the lifts were being used so the owner took out a jack, got underneath and quickly diagnosed the problem. In my short conversation with the owner I felt he was honest and straightforward. read more

My first trip to Patti's years ago was when I had blown a head gasket in my Toyota pickup, and I had it towed to the closest place. Patti told me to put it back on the tow truck and take it to the dealer. It seems there was a factory recall and I could get the work done for free there. That sort of honesty is a rare thing in any business, and worth patronizing. I have taken several cars here over the years and they are always great communicators, who lay out your costs and options, and why they recommend what they recommend, they seem to not think about selling the customer read more

This place is unbelievable. A surprising mixture of honesty, professionalism, and expertise. Hands down the best auto shop experience I've had. I took a used 2008 Honda Fit into Patti's in order to get it inspected before I bought it. The owner of the shop examined the car and gave me the low-down, saving me from making a pricey mistake. After saving me from spending my money on a car that was in questionable shape (despite the owner's protest), they didn't even charge me a dime. He said he was just happy to protect his clients. Real class. I'll go here for the rest of the time I live in the Bay Area. read more

A woman-owned business , extremely professional and a very nice person including her dogs and staff were very accommodating, when I broke down in Berkeley at work I had my truck towed to her shop on a saturday, my truck needed impossible rare to get outdated part that I had to order from a dealership in another state, she allowed my truck to stay there for the week until I could get the part and her technicians were able to put it in in a matter of minutes and have me on my way back down the highway, I am sincerely grateful to Patti and her staff, and the cost of all of this was less than it cost me to have my truck towed to her, I would sincerely recommend this hometown woman owned business to anyone in need read more

Great! They fixed my car so quickly. The mechanic I talked to, Alex, was so professional and nice! It was much cheaper than I had expected (from talking to some other garages over the phone), and my car has been running great ever since! Thanks Pattis! read more

Patti went above and beyond to address a defective part install and handled the situation very professionally and made sure I was a very satisfied customer. read more

Awesome service! I called early Saturday morning about the heater not working in my Prius. Donnie told me to bring it in right away and he'd take care of it. I brought it over 10 minutes later and left in under an hour with the heater working--and a very reasonable charge for the work, too. I recommend! read more

Been taking my car to Patti's Auto for years! So, Im overdue in writing this recommendation. In short, it doesn't get better. Reliable, creative, pennywise, on time and good people. Yeah, I feel for folks who are unhappy with their auto repair shop. If you live in the Berkeley/Oakland area, it's an easy fix, just take your car to Patti's. She is awesome :) read more

This place is a great shop. Patti is very knowledgeable and will give it to you straight. Her husband, as well as the other nice lady in the office are funny and will entertain you while they swipe your credit card. If you are lucky, Dotty will be there (Patti's little Boston Terrier). Have a Honda? Go see Patti and her crew. read more

Armando and Jeff are good mechanics, both thorough and knowledgable. They also work cheaper than most - $90 per hour shop rate vs $120 + at most places. Last time I brought a girlfriend's car there, though, there were a few service "touches" that were missing. Like when you open a car door and it creaks - all that would have taken was a squirt of white grease. Now, I didn't pay them to fix the creak or even mention it - just a little "extra" that I might have gotten elsewhere, like Bob's. Just the same, I was treated really fairly when I brought the car in. The brakes were replaced, the oil was changed, the car was inspected, and it was done by competent and thorough mechanics at a very reasonable price. I recommend Patti's to anyone who asks. read more

Went in to get my car looked at because the windshield wipers weren't working & they charged me $125 just for a "diagnosis" that took not even 1 hour to get checked. And this diagnosis led them to not know what was wrong with the windshield wipers and they wanted to charge me an additional $150 just to get a closer look inside the car to figure out what was wrong. I was not aware of this charge when I first asked for an estimate. All they said was well need to take a closer look to get it figured out. Extremely disappointed with the service & communication. read more

Went here to fix an oil leak... not only did they charge me over $400 and not fix the leak, but I got an oil "change" here which cost $47. I found later that day that there was NO oil in my car. Did they forget to put the new oil in there? It was too late as we had already gone out of town and there was no going back to Berkeley. We got the car fixed and more oil put into the car. I should also mention that I went back twice to get the leak fixed. This is in 2010. Both times, after paying hundreds of $$'s the leak remained. I don't trust the guy there. read more

The gravel guard under the car had come loose and was making cringe-worthy scraping sounds. I was in and out of Patti's in 20 minutes (maybe less) and only charged $15. Super nice staff, clean comfy waiting room. We'll be back for the bigger stuff. read more

I called Patti's because I was interested in buying a car and wanted to see if they'd do a pre-purchase inspection. They explained that they would do a preliminary inspection that would take a few minutes and then give a go/no go decision on whether I needed a full inspection, which would last about an hour and cost $95. I came in with a 2010 Elantra and the mechanic (I forget his name) looked it over and took it for a quick test drive with me. He said that he could tell it was fine (matching part #s, no signs of mismatched or replaced panels, etc) and that he didn't need to put it on the lift to tell me that it was an okay car. He was observant enough to notice a small, faded no smoking sticker and point out that this almost certainly meant it used to be a rental car. He also advised me in general that he has seen a lot of problems with that model and, for the money, he would recommend I consider a Civic instead. Overall a great, quick and very informative experience. And he didn't charge me anything for it since he hadn't put the car up on the lift! He was a little bit gruff in manner, so be prepared for that, but I sort of consider that part of his no-nonsense approach. Unfortunately I live in the South Bay so I can't become a regular, but I'd definitely be coming back if I could. read more

I have had two really good experiences with Patti's Auto Care. I have been to several places in Berkeley and this is hands-down my favorite for honest, reliable and affordable service. read more

Super helpful and quick. Erica is really great - she makes having to go the auto repair shop a nice experience

Is it possible to rate something zero stars on Yelp? I was talked into going to Patti's by friends who have loved the place for years. I was really screwed over...so badly that I still fantasize about reporting them to the California Bureau of Auto Repair. For just one example, they gave me a written estimate and then did a TON more work without my approval, and promised not to charge me, but ultimately got the money out of me in a really unfair way. ((The husband brags about being a great poker player...suggest you do NOT trust him...he told me many stories about tricking people at the poker table. He likes to con.)) I am willing to believe that Patti is good and trustworthy; the problem is that her sleazy husband and organizationally-challenged son were running the place while Patti retired to their sailboat last spring. PLEASE don't do business with them unless you ONLY do business with Patti. Even then, I would never, ever go back. BEWARE!!!! read more

DONNIE IS GREAT!! I've been Pattis Auto Care twice so far, and both times, the service was amazing! The first time my wheel stopped working. I towed it here, and they took great care of it! They fixed it within a day, and the price was very reasonable. The second time my car completely died on me. He told me it was not worth fixing, and I completely agreed. It was a 1996, so I knew this day would happen. However I have never sold a car before. I was hesitant about Craigslist, and with finals coming up, I did not have the time to deal with it. Donnie helped me sell my car, and I am so grateful! Thank you so much Donnie! read more

I recommend Patties over any dealership or any other shop around to anyone who asks. Jeff, the owner is a super nice guy who always gives me the honest price (which are always great deals) and my Toyota Corolla has never been better ever since I started going there. From small jobs like patching your tires or getting oil changes, to doing full service work, these guys are truly the best. I really trust them and give them 5 stars everytime! read more