!DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR HERE! I seriously can't explain how ticked off I am at this guy tom and his crap mechanics I had a 2003 Honda civic 140,000 miles never had a single problem with didn't leak nothing. Took it here to get the timing belt water pump done standard maintenance for the car and miles. After it was returned kept getting check engines lights one after another this guy knew he did something wrong he was just praying I'd go somewhere else well 6 months later after 10 plus times of leaving my car i finally just took it to a trusted mechanic in San Diego...come to find out the wrong timing belt was installed and it was beyond loose to the point everything in the engine was totally screwed.. ended up having to put a new motor in it.. Messaged called tried to call this clown out but nothing no text or call back no nothing.... !DO NOT TAKE YOUR CARE HERE! read more

I started hearing a noise in my car at the start of a long drive. I called and they graciously let me stop by in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. I found out the mechanic I went to previously seen that week made a mistake on my breaks. Tom and his team found the mistake, fixed it, and prevented what could have caused a serious accident. I can't thank the team enough for helping me have a safe drive and on Christmas Eve! They were kind, efficient, and thorough. Thank you. I greatly recommend this place. read more

Had unexpected car trouble due to a loose undercarriage panel. Found this place and stopped by no appointment and they were able to assist immediately. They were able to provide a temporary fix at no charge! So thankful we found this place! read more

The Mercedes dealer told me our rear transmission mount was cracked and in need of replacement. It was quoted as very expensive. Our regular mechanic recommended SC Auto Service, so I took it there for an estimate. They took great care in looking it over (from underneath) and ended up saying they could replace it but it's just showing normal wear for the age of the car and not in need of immediate repair as the dealer had indicated. When I do replace it someday I'll go to SC Auto Service for the work. Oh, and while on the rack they found a couple screws in two tires. They removed them and tested for leaks as a courtesy. No leaks thank gosh. read more

This is the place to go to get your car fixed right. Tom and his staff are all pros. You get top notch, knowledgeable service... everything is done right... at a reasonable price. Thank you Tom and Manny for taking care of my Benz! read more

Very impressed with Tom and his crew. I called other shops in the area but I would have to wait a week before they could get to my car...Tom was able to have my car ready to go that same afternoon! Great service and also very much appreciated that they followed up a few days later seeing if everything was good with my car. Have you ever had your mechanic do that??!! Or any other business to say the least top notch!! Highly recommend. read more

Went here to have an oil leak on my car checked out, worries it's be a costly main seal repair. They actually advised me on a treatment I could do at a small fraction of the cost of having a main seal replaced instead of up selling and trying to do work that doesn't need to be done- and didn't even charge me for a 30 minute inspection. I was flabbergasted at the genuine integrity of the mechanics here when so many in the industry are in a rush to find ways to charge you for things your vehicle may not tend or may not need yet. The honesty of San Clemente Auto center was refreshing and a great sign to me that when I do need more work done I know who to trust with my car repair needs- huge thanks to San Clemente auto repair for being ethical, informative and treating people like we're more than just dollar signs! read more

My car started smoking on the freeway so I pulled off and called the nearest auto shop, which was SCAC. Tom told me to come in right away, and he and his crew got it fixed in no time. They are kind, attentive, and absolutely saved the day for me. Can't recommend enough!! read more

This is my go-to auto repair place. I'm a single mom and I'm always afraid I'm going to get ripped off. However, Tom and his crew are so great and honest. I can always trust them. They don't charge me unless they are able to fix what's wrong with the car. I couldn't be happier with the service I receive there. read more

This place is the best!!! The owner is a great guy and totally saved us! We had a flat tire on our trailer and he fixed the flat and got us on our way in no time. He couldn't have been nicer or more generous and even included our kids in the repair. read more

San Clemente Auto Center - Showing my son how to Jack the trailer. - Auto Repair Near Me - San Clemente, California

The guys here picked up right away when I called, told me to come right on in and they tended to my problem immediately and helped me out! Can't thank them enough. Great service polite guys. read more

Great place to get work done on your car. The people there are great. Very knowledgeable and willing to help.

The shop repaired my flat tire FOR FREE on Christmas eve when I was in a hurry and had to drive several hundreds of miles to see family. They were extremely quick and effective, and the tire has been holding up perfectly. Strongly recommend San Clemente Auto Center! read more

I had to get my brakes and rotors done so bad and I had bought my own brakes to do myself but didn't have the time. Took my car here and they did them within hours and also plugged my tire that they found had a nail in it. Extremely nice and very honest good work. I will definitely be taking my car here for all my repairs. They really go above and beyond to help you and it is so hard to find that these days! read more

Got the car battery replaced on my 2001 Audi A6 for just under $200 last Saturday. Newport Audi was going to charge me around $350 so I think I got a good deal. I arrived just as a couple of other folks pulled in (around 8:30 AM) so I had to wait a bit before it was my turn. I chose to drop off vs. wait so I told them to take their time. I got the pick-up call around the time he said the work order would be complete. Overall, a great experience. Good customer service -- very polite and professional. Didn't try to sell me on other repairs. I would definitely go back for basic maintenance and repairs. read more

I just took my car into get my battery replaced, no big deal. I like these guys because they're open on Saturday, I didn't need a reservation, and, most importantly, they didn't try to sell me on a bunch of other things that needed to be "fixed." I think this place is also known as "dick watson auto center" and "jimenez auto center." read more

My car wouldn't start (dead battery) and after calling other local places (some of whom wanted to charge $75) I spoke to these guys. They came to my place within 10 mins and didn't charge a dime. When my original dealer said the battery would not be covered under warranty I went back to them. Not only did they give me a ride home whilst it was being repaired but offered to pick me up when it was time to collect! The car was fixed within a matter of hours. Tom, Craig, Mani and the team were all very friendly and the price was honest too. A really good experience, will use again for sure. read more

Chrissy had my back when my alternator went out on my FJ Cruiser and done it fixed before they closed. It was a hefty price, but was cheaper than most of the estimates that I got from different local mechanics. Plus, they fixed it the same day. read more

If I could give this place zero stars I would, please run the other way! Took my car in for a chugging cold start problem and they said they knew what it was and could fix it. I paid them a hefty amount and got in my car and the car started chugging. I called and they said bring it back in for free so I did. My next visit they said they could not figure out what was wrong and neither could their computers yet they tried to install spark plugs without asking me and then tried to charge me for it. Next they had a new idea that the problem could be the air injection valve and needed to have it overnight again. I asked how much their new theory would cost and they could not give me a price. I told them I needed my car back for work the next day but could take it in Friday night to be fixed on Saturday and asked for a phone call with the quote which I never received. As I tried to leave the auto shop my car started chugging again so I got out and asked if they would like to check the valve since it was chugging right now and they came up with many excuses of why they couldn't . This is the worst customer service I have ever experienced. Call me crazy but if you have already paid for an issue to be fixed and the issue is not fixed after paying they should try to make things right. DO NOT GO HERE read more

The guys are quick working and honest. They give the best recommendations when it's time to get things fixed. They have even fixed some of my things for free. Very friendly and have a comfy waiting room read more

I had a blown head gasket but didn't know where to take it, after calling a couple places this was the place that seemed to be the most knowledgable about the problem I was having. Uriel was very kind and very informative on helping me with my car and was very flexible with my unpredictable work schedule. When turning my car into their shop, they discovered the same day that not only did I blow a head gasket but my turbo went out and they were able to fix my car in less than a week. Fast repairs, fair prices, and great team that works there. I'd definitely recommend. read more

Lost my lifetime mechanic in Santa Ana and needed someone good in SC. Had the car towed here after it started to cut out, and the guy was really nice, gave me a promise to find the issue for $125. Next day said he'd found it and that repairs would be close to $700. I gave the green light an they did it that day. I paid & drove away, only to have the same issue start up again two days later. Took it back that week and asked him why, and to look into it. Paid another $125 for the inspection, and was told I needed $3000+ work. Then towed it to LA where 3 other mechanics (in one shop) all called SCAC's diagnosis bunk, buy couldn't pinpoint the issue. Spent another $150 with towing & the diagnosis and back to OC where I started. My take on SCAC is that (sadly) these 'nice' guys are as much of a hustle as anyone else, and thay took my money ($950!) without fixing the problem, and smiled the whole time. I'm going elsewhere. So Bummed Out Right Now... read more

This is the only place I will take any of our cars. (for 10+ years) They even service our RV. Uriel keeps excellent track of what needs service now and what can wait, and has never pushed me to fix anything unless it is a SAFETY issue. I trust their work completely, and they are the ONLY shop I recommend to friends. read more

As District Manager for Mac Tools from 1993 onward my Mac Tool Dealers stopped by weekly to sell high tech tools to the ASE Certified shop mechanics at San Clemente Auto Center owned by the Jimenez family, great place to repair, maintain and service your car just like the "OEM Dealers" yet at far better labor and parts rates, these guys do it all from California Certified Smog Check Station, heavy duty engine, transmission, clutch, suspension, brakes, you name it they even have a car wash detail area too. read more

This shop is seriously a great place. Christine the gal behind the counter, smart, quick thorough w good people skills. The guys doing the work, efficient and thorough. I'd give them 6 stars if I could. Thank you for getting me & my family back on the road! read more

Such a great and ethical in assessing cost and fixing the actual problem without tacking on any additional "problems" to drive up cost. Christy is great at what she does, always polite and goes out of her way to make the process easy and affordable. read more

I normally don't write reviews, but this time I felt like I just had to since the service was so great. Nothing but good things to say about this place. The customer service was awesome. When I drove into this place my car was shaking really bad. A few hours later my car was running like a champ! I definitely suggest bringing your car to these guys if you are in the area. read more

You will be overcharged if you go here. They will over charge you for labor hours and inflate the cost of parts. They will do unnecessary work to inflate the bill. They told me that I needed a $700 brake job to replace rear pads, rotors and brake fluid. The "service manager" Uriel Jimenez lied to my face and told me I had less than 10% life left in my pads. I took my car to another shop and found out I had more than 50% pad life remaining The one time I did let them work on my car the invoice came in 30% over the "estimate". I also later determined that they did not perform all the service checks that I paid for. This is the classic rip off service center who use every trick in the book to steal your money. If you are looking for quality work at a fair price you will definitely not find it here. I would give them zero stars if that was an option. This shop is the first repair shop in the 25 miles north of Oceanside on the 5 and they are right off the exit so they get a lot of one time highway traffic. If you read some of these other reviews you will find that many of these people are one time customers who were unknowingly screwed with a smile by the disingenuous Uriel Jimenez. But if you live in the neighborhood like I do you would know that you never, ever take your car here. Don't go here unless you want to be fleeced. There are a number of much better, smaller shops right in the neighborhood within a few hundred yards that do much better work at a much fairer price. And they won't lie to your face. read more

My transmission went out. These guys saved me. Really great repair team. Staff was super helpful. They earned a customer for life.

AAA towed me to SC Auto Center for a new battery. After they replaced the battery they told me the alternator was failing and I needed to replace it. I decided to make the drive to Huntington Beach to a trusted AAA Auto Shop because I only had 77,000 miles on my Nissan Rogue and I could tell there was something off. The technician confirmed the specs and I do not need a new alternator. SC Auto Center not only overcharged me for labor for the battery they gave a bad diagnosis and it would of cost me over $850. I would NOT recommend San Clemente Auto Center to anyone. read more

Great experience with SC Auto Center today. had just left the beach and was headed out on my hour drive home when I noticed my check engine light came on. I don't know enough about cars to know if that is something I need to address ASAP or if I could make it home okay, but lucky for me I came across SC Auto Center. They were friendly and helpful and even though they were busy, they were able to do a quick diagnostic to give me the peace of mind to drive home and deal with fixing the issue later (ie. when I don't have a 1 yr old in the backseat who is cranky from being in the sun all day). They were honest and not pushy about fixing it with them, which was very refreshing. Thanks again for helping this mama out today! read more

I had my car towed here by AAA on a Saturday. They looked at the car Monday and determined, the car had an electrical problem that had to be fixed by the dealer. They could have easily charged me, but THERE WAS NO CHARGE. Good ol fashioned business sense! read more

Since one star is the minimum, we'll have to do that. We brought a '93 SUV here. They took their time with getting to it, which wasn't a problem since we were in no rush. They said they diagnosed the problem, but they wouldn't be able to get the part. Yuriel said we could fix that part on our own and bring it back afterward to have more work done on it. He said it needed too much work and recommended we just take it to another shop. The most they actually did was change the fuel filter. $120 later, we still had to have the vehicle towed from their shop, without getting it fixed. I will never return to this shop with the way they dealt with the problem. read more

Was towed here by AAA b/c my car would not start. They checked the fuel system & started working right away. Did not charge me a cent for their inspection. Highly recommend especially for local San Clementians read more

My truck broke down and AAA recommended San Clemente Auto Center along with another local mechanic. Since I had previously taken my truck to the other place (and was absolutely not happy with the service that I had received) I decided to go with SC Auto Center and I couldn't be happier. Uriel was fantastic in getting me a rental car quickly and cheaply, stayed in contact with me to give me updates as to the progress and got me back on the road as quickly as possible. Rodney performed all of the tech work perfectly and explained the how's and why's of all of the work that he completed. Fast, courteous, knowledgeable, reasonable....what more could you want? read more

Same here AAA member driver took me there b/c my car would not start (not a dead battery). Uriel greeted me and within the day called to tell me that during the inspection car just started right back up. He didn't even charge me for the inspection! Great people and experience. Will definitely go back as local mechanic read more

******This is a great place to take your car. It was a Saturday; not many shops open. My radiator hose blew a hole on the way to Hollywood right in San Clemente on the I-5. I saw the needle going up rapidly to "hot" so I pulled off and there was a 76 gas station right on that corner (whew!). I called AAA and after waiting only 7 minutes, a wonderful tow truck showed up with a great tow guy and he recommended I take it to the San Clemente Auto Center since it is AAA approved. Uriel at San Clemente Auto Center was so helpful. He ordered the part right away. As soon as the part arrived, I waited to have it fixed. We weren't sure that the car was drivable because the "engine light" had come on. So, because AAA will rent you a car for a day, I took advantage of that so I wouldn't miss my concert that evening at the Greek Theater. Uriel even made phone calls for me at local car-rental places to find a rental. Not one had a car but was told by Rick at Hertz that there was a possibility later in the day. San clemente Auto Center has a nice waiting room with bottled water and a television. The call came that a car was available, so Uriel drove me to the car rental place and told me I could keep my car at his shop until Monday (two days). What a great service. I highly recommend Uriel and the San Clemente Auto Center. By the way - for about $100 I received the new radiator hose installed, the radiator fluid, two-days storage of my vehicle and a ride over to the Hertz dealership. THANK YOU URIEL. You are AWESOME! Signed, One Happy Lady. read more

I came into San Clemente Auto Center because I needed a new starter installed in my car. The gentleman Uriel was so helpful from the minute he picked up the phone, all the way until I paid when I checked out. They were so quick and extremely knowledgeable on the problem with my Jeep and he even had my vehicle done an hour sooner than he quoted me. They were so welcoming and accommodating to what I needed done to my vehicle. I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone looking for quality, efficient and honest service for their vehicle. I will absolutely be bringing my jeep back here for all its further repairs. read more

It is always frightening to have a break down when you are so far away from home.....AAA recommended this auto repair center and I was overwhelmed with how they took care of me. They took into consideration my time restraint I needed to be home that very evening and they jumped hoops to get me on my way as I arrived they were just finishing washing my car. what a blessing the price was right with even a discount Mr. Jimenez was kind and very professional in his dealings with me I recommend this repair center to everyone. Thank you again Mr. Jimenez for all your help. read more

I broke down 12 miles from San Clemente and was taken to this AAA-affiliated auto center. They replaced my synthetic water pump for my 2007 Ford Escape and got me back on the road immediately. Matt gave me a free car wash, and even took a look under the hood of my dad's car too! They are knowledgable, certified, and most importantly - honest. They charged me what they quoted and hustled to get a necessary part from a nearby dealer ASAP. Thanks again guys. read more