I knew for a while that my brakes were fading...the sad sound at every stop sign told the tale. But when I heard the painful screech of metal on metal, I knew I needed to go somewhere immediately. Given the fact that I'm currently unemployed, I needed to make sure that I would get a fair price. I used to go to Royal Motors service, but really wanted to find a place cloer to home and less expensive. I looked here on YELP and found Shell, just a few blocks from my home. Bud gave me a ballpark figure and said he would call me within a couple of hours. He DID! My car was done by the end of the day....I picked it up the next morning and spoke with Doug. I'm VERY confident that I received great service, and I'll definitely bring my car back here for all future repairs and tune ups. read more

Least crackheaddy gas station in the city and they have the ski free deal readily available.

I received a very nice message from the owner/employee from Shell. He explained the raising costs and the need for the service charge. While I find the cost a little expensive, the station did provide excellent service and checked all the fluids, lights and overall condition of my car. Please do not let me initial review persuade you from not checking out the Shell Station. While the cost may be a little high the service makes it worth it and I'll go back again in the future. read more

Doug, Chelse and that older guy who works there are great! Helpful, professional and knowledgeable. They don't try to sell or fix things that you don't need. They are reasonably priced and just all around awesome. The Chevron folks across the street are mostly just good for buying SF Parking cards. My starter was messed up and they cleaned it instead of replacing it. They are always happy to answer questions and check things out (assuming it's a quick check) and once they replaced my back light for free. This is the place to go for all your automobile needs - they charge more for an oil change but they are thorough in checking out your car while they are at it. read more

I always take my Honda CR-V here for tuneups and oil changes. Doug and his team are excellent, fast, reasonably priced, and never try to sell me things I don't need (ahem, Jiffy Lube). You cannot go wrong by bringing your car here. read more

I don't ever do these but Chelsea was amazing today. After searching for a place to simply replace a headlight, I pulled in, she stopped what she was doing and started helping me. She said they preferred cash to cards, and said I could come back later to pay. What a sweetheart. She alerted me to other potential upcoming problems under the hood that I never got from my regular mechanic. Thank you Chelsea, I will be back :) read more

Shady. I had an intermittent speedometer problem. He said let's repair the speed sensor first though it might be the instrument cluster. I asked why the speed sensor first. He said because it's the more inexpensive of the two, $250 versus "hundreds of dollars". Well, after he "fixed" it, I took it for a test drive. The problem reappeared after 10 blocks. $250 completely and utterly down the drain. If he had done a proper road test he too could have reproduced the initial problem within minutes. By the way, I bought a used instrument cluster on the internet and took my car to Advanced VW to have it installed. It fix my problem. The total cost of the supposedly more expensive repair was $215. That's less than what Cal. Shell charged me for their phantom repair. I won't be back here any time soon. read more

The people who work here put the "service" in California Shell Service. They are very helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. I came in for a standard oil change and tune up and could not be happier with the experience. They changed my oil and replaced my fluids and they did not try to up-sell me on many unnecessary repairs-- big plus! read more

I went in for a SMOG check and was greeted by such a warm and friendly person Chelse. The process was super efficient: in-and-out of the place in 30 minutes without appointments on a random Monday lunch time. I paid $80 (no clue whether this is cheap or expensive in California but didn't really care, just wanted to get this done!). I dropped off my key, walked across the street to Starbucks, got myself a cup of coffee, wrote a few emails, grocery-shopped at Mollie Stone's next door, then went right back to pick up my car. Couldn't ask for much more convenience than this! read more

Just picked my car from Doug and again am incredibly grateful for the reliable, honest, above and beyond work he and Chelsea do. They not only fixed what was going on but addressed a few other issue free of charge. The service, prices and overall experience in working with them is a fantastic experience (and that is a especially true given how much I hate dealing with car stuff!) Thank you Doug and Chelsea!! read more

Doug and Chelsea operate this car repair business with hard work,honesty,integrity and clearly know their trade.I have been going there for approximately 5 years with my Honda Civic and look forward to many more. read more

DO NOT GET YOUR CAR CHECKED OR REPAIRED AT THE SHELL ON CALIFORNIA AND STEINER! My mom took her car in to get the brakes checked out and was told that everything seemed to be working properly. The following day she heard a funny, rattling sound and couldn't tell where it was coming from. When my dad took a look at the car - he found a huge wrench jammed in the engine under the hood that had been left behind by one of the Shell mechanics! read more

What a great place. I am always embarrassed that I know zero about cars. Chelsea is so nice and so helpful. her friendly attitude calmed me down in a car broken down panic, which made me feel good, I felt like she would not rip me off and she did not. My car was fixed and everything was explained to me. That place made me happy to know there was a gas station that would really help me and not mess up my car and charge me for a whole bunch of stuff I don't need. I feel like I can TRUST them. read more

Chelsea is legit, she knows her stuff, shes friendly, she multi tasks all the projects coming and out of that small shop and gets it done. I was very impressed with her attitude, her knowledge and her personality. I will be back read more

I drive for work, in the car ~4 hours per day in between client visits. All city driving, hills, stopping and starting and passing aggressively (as the inner Bostonian permits me to do). My brakes were toast. Burnt toast, on a Thursday no less. After making it through a frightening Friday morning, shuddering minivan threatening my livelihood and the lives of many pedestrians and nearby bumpers, riding the transmission, the kind (and I do mean kind, as in respectful, respectable, helpful, knowledgeable, and quick) folks at California Shell took my vehicle at almost 2 PM. Brake job done by 5. Prices are fair for the city (heck, any city) and given their attitude and quick turnaround I will not only return, but suggest them to anyone who may ask. read more

I've had some pretty good mechanics in SF, but Doug and Chelsea are the best -- the dynamic duo. Fast, friendly and reasonable. They definitely know BMWs and have been able to quickly diagnose and correct even the oddest quirks that have come up in my 10-year-old car. Highly recommend. read more

These guys are fantastic! Usually dread smog checks - but they made it pain free. Completed work in 30 minutes... would highly recommend. read more

Doug is THE BEST mechanic there is. Not only is he fair, honest, and expert at what he does, he's downright a really nice and funny guy. He's worked on my car for years and I will never take it to another mechanic. He's speedy, too, it's always been ready before the estimated time, and I've never had one single problem with his work/repairs. read more

Doug's the best, he's an honest mechanic. (and we all know how rare that is) I've followed him through 3 auto shops in the last 10 years. He never does anything that doesn't need to be done, he explains things so I can understand, and he's kept all my (and all my friends) old cars running as good as they get. I won't buy a car unless he gives it the ok. What more can I say? read more

Competent technicians with great people skills are a rarity these days. The folks at California Shell remind me of what America once was and could be again.. Thanks, guys! keith read more

This is my first review on Yelp. I rarely write reviews, only now and then if something is really, really bad or extra extra good. Doug and his partner, and her dog, at California Shell are extra extra good and if you are considering California Shell for the first time, as I was last week, I can say go for it. It is unlikely you will be disappointed. Doug did some minor repairs but was unable to solve the main reason for my visit. He did write up an unusually detailed report which showed me he was giving this his best shot. I'm no mechanic but I can imagine how difficult electrical issues for a Mercedes Benz must be so I left not feeling great about the visit, but OK, considering the degree of difficulty. The next day I guess I had some buyer's remorse and just didn't feel ok about the outcome, so I emailed Doug. Amazingly, he responded promptly and refunded almost all of my bill, including some things unrelated to the unsolved problem. No questions asked, he just did it. I felt he was more than generous, and that his number one priority was the longer view of having a satisfied customer. Five Stars and a very positive recommendation for California Shell. read more

I cannot say enough about this gas station/mechanic shop. First, both attendants that I talked to in the gas station mini-mart were genuinely kind and helpful but I was really there to deal with my car that had been towed there. My good friends Nicole and Brian recommended Doug and Chelsea very highly so of course I listened to them. Well it turns out luck was on my side and got a hold of AAA Premiere membership which would allow me to have my car tow up to 200 miles. My auto shop is located 122.5 miles away so I ended up towing it there. In the meantime I used up their valuable parking space overnight they gave me a quick diagnosis on the house. I mean who does that? They explained what they needed to do more to figure out the complete issue with my car but they gave me a general idea of what was going on and that was beyond thoughtful and generous. Thanks guys and I hope it works out that you get to stay in your location. You've got a great thing going and by the looks of it loved by all in your neighborhood. read more

It's f...ing closed! Don't use Google maps since it gives no indication it's closed. Thank goodness for the Chevron across the street.

I feel compelled to write this review in light of the fact that I did not get any satisfaction in a previous auto repair with a different shop. Overall, this was an excellent experience. I brought my car in for the exact same repairs that had been performed by another shop only 4-5 months prior. The other shop had supposedly fixed the problem, but it was still not working properly. I'm not a mechanic, but when your transmission has a leak and it's fixed, it doesn't keep leaking. However, my Jeep was still leaking months later and after taking the car back once to the first shop, I couldn't go back. Time isn't just money, but it's also time that you can't get back and I don't have any to spare for nonsense. So, Doug took a look at my transmission, told me the same thing - "there's a leak in your transmission". I authorized the work, and he did it. He checked out some other areas of concern which were reported to be in dire need of repair according to this other shop, but he didn't think that I needed those serious repairs. BTW - I didn't tell Doug that I had taken the car to another shop, but that these were my concerns. So, there wasn't a need for him to try to "out do" another shop or try to make them look like cheats. It was just his honest opinion about my personal concerns. On top of everything, I personally changed the shocks a few weeks later. Before I purchased them, I sent Doug an email for a suggestion, and he responded even though he wasn't doing the work. Doug wasn't overly friendly, but he was completely professional and as far as I know, honest. For me, this was as good as it gets. read more

I recently bought a used Jeep Cherokee and the owner said he took it to California Shell for repairs. After taking the Jeep to a dealership for a check-up and getting a grossly overpriced estimate for repairs (some of which I knew weren't even in need of repair), I brought it back here. I was really glad that I did. I dropped it off right before close the night before and by 10:30 the next morning I got a call from Doug (my new favorite mechanic) telling me what he'd found and giving me an estimate that was almost a third of what the dealership quoted me for similar repairs (fixing rear brakes, replacing a cracked serpentine belt, some other small things). He was honest about what I needed and didn't need and didn't try to push anything on me that I didn't want. The repairs came in right at his estimate, and the whole job was done right away that afternoon. He also repaired a couple things I hadn't even asked for just because they were loose/making noise/etc. at no charge. He also gave everything a once-over and gave me suggestions of things to keep an eye on, but didn't pressure me to do anything that my car didn't need. He also pulled up all the repairs the previous owners had done so there would be a record of everything that was done to the car even before I had it. Doug is the best, highly recommended! Got my car back and it's running like a champ. read more

Did not go here - just called and was told would be $80 for a smog check for a 2003 car. Found $30 cheaper at 19th and Taraval...Hence 2 stars. read more

It is super hard to find a mechanic that I can trust, and I know I have found that here. Everyone that I have spoken to here has been very helpful, patient and overall great. All four of my brake pads, rotors, pad sensors and 2 tires were shot and I took my car here and they had everything in stock at very fair prices and they even got all of the work done in one day! I can't say enough nice things about my experience here! Thanks! read more

The rudeness employee I have ever spoken to in my life. I asked how much a smog check was $80.00 and I said wow that is expensive and she said in the rude tone do I really need to discuss the price and hang up on me. read more

I just got off the phone with California Shell Service and OMG....they just saved me a couple of hundred $$ by not trying to sell me anything. I had my car serviced at my car's dealership recently was told i need new break, transmission fluid and a tire alignment and provided a quote. i decided to call California Shell as it's near my work to see how much they charge. The lady I spoke with (sorry, I've already forgotten your name) explained to me that with my car I probably didn't need to get any of it done right now and explained why the fluids might be dirty and when I should get all the above fixed... I don't have the money right now to get any of it done but was afraid to wait in case I'd have more expensive trouble down the road. Thank you, I will definitely be back and will recommend you to others. read more

I've been going here for service for 4 years now and can't say enough good things. Highly competent, thorough, professional, honest, and very reasonable rates. They always tell me exactly what's going on, fix the problem, and have never tried to sell me something I don't need. I've had bad experiences at every other place I've tried in SF and Marin (Kovacs in San Rafael tried to sell me a $4000! steering rack replacement that I didn't need), but never a bad experience here. 5 stars. read more

California Shell is my 1st choice for Auto/Car repair/service. I go there EVERY TIME and it's been over a 3 years now. They are Very KNOWLEDGEABLE, NICE and FRIENDLY. You can expect HIGH-QUALITY workmanship, very COMPETITIVE PRICING, and CLEAN and SHINY shop (Take a look across the street at Chevron service and you will see what I mean). Doug, Chelsea - keep up a good work! Very happy customer. read more

I can't recommend Chelsea and Doug high enough as far as trustworthy, reliable mechanics. I had some new problems with my older BMW and decided to bring it in here based on the positive Yelp reviews. I'm very glad I did. They looked the car over, and gave me a straightforward and honest explanation of the shape of my car and what did/didn't need to be addressed right away. They didn't try to upsell me on stuff I didn't really need, nor did they try to scare me or otherwise raise my skepticism. I'm absolutely going to bring my car here from now on, and make sure I tell all my friends that if they want an honest mechanic who'll treat you fairly to bring your car here. read more

My sister and I have been taking our cars to Doug for seven years!! He is the absolute BEST, MOST HONEST, AND WONDERFUL car mechanic ever. i just signed up on yelp today just to review California Shell. Every time I go to get the oil changed or have any problem with the Jeep he remembers who i am, the specifics of my car, and does incredible work for low prices. I moved an hour away from San Francisco and still drive back into the city just to support Doug and his wonderful business. Thank you Doug, you are wonderful! read more

I'm heading to SF from Santa Cruz to see The Car Whisperer as I call him. How great is he? I've known him since we were friends back east 30 years ago. He has been honing his car expertise for that long. I NEVER go anywhere else (even when I lived in Humboldt County and drove 5+ hrs!) and tacked on a visit to Bay Area friends and family. Last summer I totaled my beloved 'Goldie' 2004 RAV4 (my 2nd BTW and I will probably always own one). I found one at SF Toyota and asked him to check it out for me. I guess I wasn't too surprised when he said, "I've worked on this car before and it was owned by so and so and it's basically mint.": Total score! He also has taught me to not be paranoid when my Toyotas hit 100k. "Would you RELAX? Your car is fine!" I've referred umpteen people to him over the years and they always are so appreciative for this rare find of an "ASE Master Technician". maybe I should charge a finder's fee...hmmm. Today is no exception. We are taking my partner's '98 Mercedes SLK in with 189k. She's nervous about what he will find/advise and what it will cost. I told her he will only do what is reasonable given the age/mileage and he has educated us on why Mercedes don't always hold a good resale value. Thanks, now she will buy more reasonably next time. Enough said? I love Doug and his expertise and hilarious wit! You will not regret a visit to California Shell for car service of any kind, any time. read more

My check engine light came on and I immediately picked up the phone and called Chelse. I got an appointment in 2 days and dropped my car off. Chelse contacted me a little while later, said my thermostat needed to be replaced, and gave me a fair quote. She made the repair and I was able to pick my car up the same day! This was the most efficient, professional mechanic experience I have ever had! I highly recommend California Shell to all my friends. Doug and Chelse are the BEST! read more

i went there for a tire repair. the woman mechanic, chelsea, could not have been nicer and more informative. no reason to go elsewhere.