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    Save Auto

    3.1 (249 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 5:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Services - Save Auto

    Auto diagnosis or inspection

    Auto maintenance

    Auto fluids and filters maintenance

    13 More Services

    Oil changes

    Auto repairs

    Auto battery or electrical system repair

    Auto brake repair

    Auto engine repair

    Auto HVAC repair

    Auto light repair

    Auto steering and suspension repair

    Auto transmission repair

    Auto wheel and tire repair

    Routine automotive maintenance

    Smog check

    Transmission leak inspection

    Save Auto Photos

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    Recommended Reviews - Save Auto

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
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    The shop owner was very knowledgeable and easy to work with, and the pricing was very reasonable. The final cost ended up being slightly higher than I originally expected, but that was because he took the time during maintenance to point out a loose screw, something that could have turned into a much more expensive issue down the line. I really appreciated being informed and given the choice to address it or not. If you come here, you can expect excellent service, attention to detail, and honest communication. Highly recommended.

    Me getting towed because my brakes were not properly installed.
    Matt B.

    3 week update: I got my car back after some back and forth and an eventual massive repair. Perhaps CVT fluid drained instead of Diff, destroying the transmission? Either way, I drove into issues that required a lot of work at their expense. Johnny took care of this and followed up repeatedly. I have my fingers crossed but so far the drive has been solid. I have driven for about 100 miles. It's unfortunate a routine fluid change triggered parts replacement. I will update again. 48 hours later: I'm driving on the 15 freeway and suddenly my front brakes lock up. I have to accelerate through it but it's rough and shaky. If there was any car nearby, I could've caused a massive accident with my sudden stopping. Had to dangerously maneuver across 4 lanes to an emergency shoulder. Heart rate was definitely up. I could smell the strong smell of burning from the front of the car. I knew it must've been the newly installed brake pads and/shocks. I'm still very angry about this. Avoided death, waited for tow truck and ruined a day. I'll be curious to see how they handle my rage Monday. To be continued.

    Price
    Milchy W.

    It is covid and the person on the desk doesn't wear mask. Minus 2 stars. Minus 2 stars as well because i just freshly cleaned my car and when i disinfected my car with white cloth, the leather is black as well as the steering wheel after smog test. Most probably because the mechanic was dirty. He said it was my turn to pay, and i waited 10 mins for him while he was called by another customer to check his car that is already serviced / "finished" but he was asking why there is flashing inside his car. The guy in front who was taking payments said i will look into it again while holding my credit card on his hands. (Rolls eyes). I just find it unprofessional to not wear mask as a desk person and to say the car is done even if it is not. For me to wait for another 10 mins in front of the desk while my credit card is in his hands and went straight to the guy's car to park it on their garage. Bye!

    DONT GO !! IT SUCKS

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    3 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Over charge and tell you something needs fixing and it really don't. Don't put your car back together right, leave bolts and parts loose.

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    3 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Don't go, it is a scam, misdiagnosed issue, and charged $1500.00, and did not fix the issue, avoid this place!!!!!

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    5 months ago

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    11 months ago

    Good price, good service, my number one place for smog check. They also have a buddy shop on Arrow drive for STAR certified checks

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    This place over charged for everything and make unnecessary repairs. Made you feel obligated to fix things you don't need.

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    2 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Save Auto

    Review Highlights - Save Auto

    I was expecting to pay some thing because they just finished but John really took care of me and fix the bumper for free.

    Mentioned in 14 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Griffin's Auto Repair

    Griffin's Auto Repair

    (357 reviews)

    Little Italy

    Admittedly, I don't know anything about cars so I can't really speak to price point, but what I can…read moreconfirm is the customer service is surpassed by none. Today was my second service on my car with Griffin's Auto Repair. The first time I brought my Jeep here, my engine shut down due to lack of oil as a result of another auto shop's failed oil change. They quickly and affordably fixed what could have otherwise been the end of my Jeep. Today, I brought my car in for a simple oil change. They always perform a full inspection when you bring your car in which gives me peace of mind and helps me plan. While I was there, Dwayne brought me back to show me something they found during the inspection. He and the mechanic, Nicholas, explained what they were seeing and what that meant. Nicholas patiently answered my questions and he spoke with me instead of speaking down to me. After my options were explained to me, I felt I had a fairly good grasp of what I was looking at in the future. Neither Nicholas or Dwayne pushed a service onto me that I wasn't prepared for. Instead, I was offered advice that was best for me. While waiting, I picked Mario and Dwayne's brain on certain car topics and they were both friendly and engaged offering sound advice. They had a great relationship with every vendor dropping off parts and were engaged with what appeared to be many long term customers. In the end if the concern is the cost, I will say you can't put a price on a trustworthy team. I did the quick oil changes with the less than $100 cost and it almost cost me my car. I know every time I bring my car in, I am going to have a skilled mechanic look over my car and make sure I am driving around a safe vehicle. You're paying for what you get.

    Car troubles are always stressful, but the staff at Griffin's made the whole repair process…read morecompletely seamless. Their customer service team is polite, knowledgeable, and genuinely cares about helping you out. They gave me a fair estimate, finished the work right on time, and delivered amazing results. Thank you for the outstanding service!

    Hillcrest Smog & Repair - Hillcrest Smog & Auto is a great place to lounge while getting your car fixed

    Hillcrest Smog & Repair

    (542 reviews)

    Hillcrest

    World's most trustworthy and honest mechanic…read more I recommend all my friends go here, it's how I found it - recommended to me by a friend. Quan is fantastic and she helped me when I had bought a lemon which was a nightmare for me and now she helps me with my Prius! My partner has also come here to get his sequoia serviced as well! One time my junkyard car broke down on me two blocks away and I called her and she let me pull it into the shop! She is kind, compassionate, and a wonderful mechanic.

    WOW is all I can say!!! A co-worker referred me to Quan at Hillcrest Auto Repair because I…read morementioned I needed brakes she said the dealership was going to charge her 500 for her rear brakes so she took her Lexus to Quan and was out in 2 hours for 139.00, what a huge difference. She also told me she has been going to them for about 18 years, so I decided to give them a call. Quan answered the phone, and she was so nice, knowledgeable and answered all my questions. I had called around to a few other places who I also trusted and that were closer to home, but the price difference was huge. If I needed all new brakes and rotors it was going to cost me about $1300, if I needed all from Quan it was going to cost about $800 so I made my appointment for the next morning and they were right on time. They tested my brakes and what I really appreciated is they don't upsell you, they took my car for a test drive and said it was what I described shaking on the front end which means my rotors we warped she said they would replace the front rotors and brakes and then test drive it again to make sure the back was fine. Once they finished the front rotors and brakes they test drove it and all was good. Quan was so nice and explained that rotors these days aren't as thick so unfortunately they wear down faster than they used to. I will be going here for all my future auto repairs. A few things to be aware of, this is no frills shop. There is no seating inside there are only two chairs outside the office, however, there are plenty of places to walk to and wait to have breakfast, lunch and shop so it for me this wasn't an issue at all. I enjoyed taking a walk and having breakfast while I waited.

    Thao Auto Repair - Waiting room

    Thao Auto Repair

    (249 reviews)

    Normal Heights

    This is the second time I go to this shop for a car repair. Loan quoted a reasonable price for…read morerepainting

    It's unfortunate because I really wanted to give this place a try, it would've been convenient for…read moreus since we manage multiple vehicles, and I was hoping to build a solid business relationship. On 4/14 I brought in an Escalade after replacing the rear brakes because it started throwing multiple warning lights, even though the ABS sensor and brakes were already replaced. I understand newer vehicle technology can sometimes cause glitches even with simple repairs, so I trusted they'd be able to diagnose and fix it. They charged a $130 diagnostic fee, which I was completely fine with. The next day, they said they needed to reset the computer for $390. Since I had already paid for the diagnostic and was told it would go toward the repair, I agreed. The following day, I was told they couldn't reset it and that I'd need a new module for $3,468.54. I declined and decided to get a second opinion from our regular mechanic. I still paid the $390 plus a $13.65 service charge, which I later found out was a credit card fee. The next day, I took the vehicle to our regular mechanic. Within 2 hours, they cleared the stored codes and the vehicle was ready, total cost: $120. No waiting days, no module replacement, and no unnecessary upsell. I waited a couple of weeks before writing this review to make sure the issue didn't come back, and also spoke with Barry to see if anything could be done about the $403.65 I paid. I felt it was unfair to be charged for a service that ultimately wasn't completed. I would've been completely fine just paying the $130 diagnostic fee. Unfortunately, he declined, stating the charge was for their time. I understand time was spent, but from a business standpoint, I wouldn't feel right charging a client for a repair that wasn't successfully completed, especially when the vehicle left in the same condition it arrived. Because of this experience, I wouldn't return or recommend this shop to others. I think it's important for people to know that you may end up paying for work that doesn't actually resolve the issue.

    AA Smog Shop

    AA Smog Shop

    (62 reviews)

    Loma Portal

    About a week, I made a verbal fleet servicing agreement with AA Smog Shop San Diego Auto Clinic…read more They're a small shop in a dicey location, but I like to support small businesses and have grown to trust many small businesses around San Diego for my fleet. I sent my 1st vehicle to them 4/9/13 and everything went as promised. Today, 4 days later, I sent a 2nd vehicle and the price was all of a sudden 15% higher. Same vehicle model, same engine, & same service. Having spent some time talking to the owners CJ and Nan when initially setting up terms, I thought it must be an honest mistake. When I called, Nan mentioned some additional fees that were not outlined in the first invoice. She said she was unaware of the exact deal we had made, but she would talk to CJ about it. It just seemed like miscommunication. CJ called me back, I explained the situation by calmly and politely referring back to the 1st invoice they sent me. CJ proceeded to go back on our original agreement citing oil prices (wasn't that calculated on the initial agreement?), told me to go somewhere else, and hung up. This was unexpected as my original agreement was discussed with them over the span of multiple conversations. It feels like a bait and switch. It feels like the additional charge was added on purpose in hopes that I would not be paying attention to my invoicing.

    I was due for my bi-annual smog test and, as usual, was waiting until the last minute. I decided…read moreto try my best to get it in during my lunch hour and was looking on Yelp for a convenient location with good reviews, and I had to find a required star station. I was not led astray. I pulled into AA Smog around 12:15 on a Wednesday afternoon. I was the only car there. However, right after that, two other cars pulled in behind me. The attendant, maybe the owner, jumped out to greet me. He took my info and DMV paperwork. He quoted me $65 dollars, which I found quite reasonable, as other nearby places charge more, even when they claim to be offering a discount. I sat down in one of of the few lawn chairs to wait. Literally, five minutes later, my car had passed and was ready to go. On top of that, the person who helped me was quite friendly and chatted with me about his four cockatiels who were there with him. Getting Smogged is never something was want to do, but something we have to do. AA Smog Shop made it easy.

    Miramar Auto Repair - Japanese Auto Plus - New signage! :)

    Miramar Auto Repair - Japanese Auto Plus

    (241 reviews)

    Sorrento Valley, Miramar

    Bottom Line Upfront: Miramar Auto Repair is one of the best values of any auto shop in San Diego…read more Jason and Pedro were exceptional in taking care of me, and finding a solution to a very technical challenge. I brought in my Honda Ridgeline for an issue with my AC. Jason worked with me at the front-desk and went above and beyond to understand my issue and the troubleshooting I had already done. He explained to me CONCISELY what the feasible issue may be, and how they were going to approach a diagnosis. Jason was extremely knowledgeable, and followed up promptly to discuss the fix. Pedro was also exceptional. He found the issue (rodent-chewed wires) and repaired it perfectly. When I picked up my car, he was as excited as I was to have helped me. Before Miramar Auto, I took my truck to the Honda dealer, and they charged twice as much for a diagnosis, only to tell me that I would need a new compressor (incorrect diagnosis) and that it would cost twice as much as I ended up paying out the door at Miramar auto. I couldn't believe how easy Miramar Auto made it. To say that Jason, Pedro, and Miramar Auto are honest, fair, and made me feel taken care of... would be an understatement. They have rightfully earned another lifelong customer. Thank you Miramar Auto!

    Miramar Auto did a major repair job on our Subaru Forester earlier this month and we are completely…read moresatisfied with their work. They were professional, explained well, kept us informed of the status and more importantly, the car runs great. We will be using them again in the future and highly recommend them for your auto repair needs.

    Save Auto - autorepair - Updated May 2026

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