Express is the world. This is the place for a quick and inexpensive car wash. It's a bonus that they use solar power and recycle the water. The price is right, even with the recent price increase. Essentially it's an upgrade on the old school, drive-through car wash where you also vacuum it yourself. I was happy when I found out that Basic Wash is a "Double Wash & Dry." There are two sets of brushes to clean your car and high velocity air dries it pretty thoroughly. There's an attendant to catch any remaining wet spots and clean your windows and side mirrors. Now $15. Wash and shine for $20. Add wax and it's $25. You get discounts for using the app and the monthly plan is basically the cost of two washes. read more

I've been a near-monthly customer at Solar Express since this location first opened, but after my experience on Saturday (April 4 around 4:30 PM), I will not be returning. Service has been declining over time, but this visit went far beyond poor service -- it turned into a hostile and unsafe situation involving multiple employees. When I arrived, no one was at the entrance. The attendant eventually came out while actively eating and continued chewing during our interaction. He spoke unclearly, gave inconsistent information about my package, and appeared disoriented. After the wash, my wife and I waited for the standard light wipe-down (which I've consistently received before). Instead, one employee stood in the work area eating and ignored us, while another employee who usually handles wipe-downs was elsewhere. Trying not to hold up the line, we moved to the vacuum area. I politely asked the employee if I could borrow a towel to wipe down my car myself. He ignored me at first, then told me to "hold on." When he finally handed me a towel, he refused to let go of it as I reached for it -- twice -- and then told me I needed to "communicate better." Another employee stepped in but didn't help. Instead, he dismissed the situation and told my wife to "mind her business" when she calmly tried to clarify. It escalated further when the first employee told my wife to "shut your mouth." When I told him not to speak to her that way, he became physically aggressive -- squaring up, clenching his fists, and challenging me. At that point, I had to step away from my car and repeatedly tell him to back off and stay away from my wife and vehicle. He eventually backed down. He also made false accusations about me being rude earlier and taking a towel, which never happened. To be clear: - We remained calm - We did not initiate any aggression - We were trying to resolve a simple request What we experienced: - Employees eating while interacting with customers - Being ignored when asking for help - Disrespectful and hostile behavior - Verbal abuse toward my wife - False accusations - Physical intimidation Most concerning: both the entrance attendant and the employee involved in the confrontation appeared to be under the influence during their shifts. This was completely unacceptable and felt unsafe. I strongly recommend management review security footage from this time. Until there is clear accountability and change, I would not recommend this location. read more

I wish I could give a negative 1 star. The price is far too much for absolutely no detailed wash in the machine, then they have someone standing outside to "dry your car but does a half job". It was $25 to have a regular wash with one token for four minutes of vacuuming and the vacuums are so poorly maintained. They barely even section anything out. I went to four different vacuum stations all were not working and or the credit card machines were not working. I had to ask one of the employees for a token and he told me to go to the handicap station and that vacuum was not working as well will never come back and way too overpriced. I could've got a detailed to wash for the same price elsewhere. read more

I'll give it this--it's new, clean, and not grimy, which already puts it a step above some other spots. But honestly, for $20, I expected way more. The Letdowns: * $20 for a basic wash?? No extras, no frills--just a pricey spin through the tunnel. * Vacuum not included. You have to pay separately using tokens, and they cut you off mid-use if you're not quick enough. * For this price, I could get a better wash + free vacuums at plenty of places in the suburbs. Sure, it's convenient if you're in Berkeley and in a pinch, but definitely not budget-friendly or generous with the amenities. I wanted to like it, but I'll be going elsewhere next time. read more

It was my first time going and paying for the vacuum was very confusing. I didn't see any signage that explained that you pay on driver's side and whatever color hose that is closest is to the drive's side is also the same color hose you use on the other side (attached to a different pay machine). Once i figured it out (I accidentally paid on the wrong machine but thankfully there was an employee who happened to walk by and gave me a spare token/ oriented me to the machines), the suction on the vacuum was terrible. It barely worked and rather than keep paying for a vacuum that didn't work, I left. Maybe if I had time and it wasn't busy, I would have tried a different vacuum station but I didn't want to keep paying if I wasn't going to get any results. Maybe if I just needed a light vacuum I'd go there, but as mom of a toddler, I needed more power! read more

Very satisfied with my service here - I try to go a few times a month, so the Wash Club is worth it for me. Big shout out to Taylor on the Solar Express team - he helped me out with an account issue I was having, and got me the service I needed, all while being professional, personable and helpful. Thanks again! read more

Combative employee when vacuum didn't work... he questioned if I paid. Asked me why I moved to another stall. Showed him my online payment on my phone and he dismissed me like I was the problem. It's not hard to be nice guy. Ran my car through the wash twice and still didn't clean my wheels or top of my car. Total bummer. Guy at the pay station was hella cool tho. He helped me go through the wash the second time. I appreciated that! I don't think I'm gonna come back here. read more

I was initially excited when I saw that a Solar Car Wash was coming to San Pablo as I've been using their Universiry or Telegraph locations for washing my car. Both other locations are self-wash. This new Solar wash is drive thru auto wash only. No self-options. As a Californian transplant, I only wash my car once every four months and as there's no road salt, I'm really not sold on the need for auto car washes unlike in the northeast where you really do need the undercarriage wash and whole body waxing. Still, it's a new facility and clean and well run. I find it very expensive for what you get but I'm a cheap skate. The actual car wash portion does seem shorter than at other facilities but I'm not sure if that's my imagination. Thinking about it, I'd rather have the killer BBQ place that used to be in the old Solar location than yet another auto car wash. read more

Love the monthly club! And the multiple washes for the month. Because I don't have covered parking, this comes in very handy. Kudos!

I come here a couple times a week! Why? Because the membership for a two-car family is $54/month, which is honestly amazing. I feel better frequenting knowing that the place is built with solar and recycled water in mind. I have a bit of a process when I do come though, I run my car through, park it, vacuum (which is included in the membership level I get). The strategy is to shammy off the car yourself with microfiber towels, use a quick Waterless Wash & Wax (Chemical Guys or MeGuiar's) to finish. Sometimes, I'll even wax the car additionally to protect the paint. Sure, I could pay to get my car detailed for $250 - $300, but why not come here and then do the rest myself. In that way, it's a bargain. Also the staff are friendly, especially when you come often, folks remember your name and make you feel welcome. In short, it's one of my happy places and, in this world right now, it's the small things I guess. read more

The service attendant was very informative on helping me figure out the system with the free token to vacuum (7 mins) when you selected the $24. The suction of the vaccum could be better. Not the best car wash. The soap doesn't remove sap, and they should offer a prescribed of tires and rims they were not clean at all. Wash included tire shine , but I had to request to do myself. I didn't have the energy to clean the rims. They have a cart with different solutions like 409, I wonder why. I won't be returning here again read more

Solar Express Car Wash - Put my own shine and rims is still dirty like I never washed the car - Car Wash Near Me - Berkeley, California

I get the mid range car wash regularly and the serious wash other times. Easy to buy, drive thru and the vacuums are easy to access. Great prices. The guys are friendly when we do connect! read more

Not the best value in the area but pretty convenient, reliable and easy! They have a standard drive through wash with attendants, which is helpful. And you can pay extra to use the vacuums and other tools when done. I think it is around $12-15 all in for a basic wash. read more

Basic wash was $13, self vacuum (token) another $3 lol. Should have followed my first mind and got a real detail for another $15. Oh by the way the vacuum is timed smh. If they are charging extra for you to vacuum the car yourself,, why would there be a time limit?!! Talk about insult to injury! I've been to plenty of these types of car washes never have I ever had to pay extra to self vacuum. Car didn't come out all that clean and the conveyor belt stopped 3 times causing the actual washing to stop too. I won't come back here. Not worth the value!! read more

I lost my antenna during the wash (they have a sign that mentions this can happen). My car is old and I didn't noticed until I got home. My boyfriend happened to drive nearby so he stopped and asked the staff if they saw/found my antenna. The staff spent 25 minutes looking for my antenna including looking at video footage. We didn't find it but I have to appreciate the level of detail and service for something I knew I was liable of losing. Would come back again. read more

Car wash and service used to be excellent. Now nos so much. They changed the system in which you get a token for vacuuming car, when I asked about the token the answer was I had to check the box when paying for it. I didn't check it so no vacuum. I would have thought I'd get a token in the meantime but told me I was out of luck. After paying for a car wash which should have included vacuuming, I wasn't going to pay extra. I will not be returning. So disappointed. read more

Today was the first time I've been back to this location since 2016/17. I shared that with the attendants Taylor, AJ, Shaadi (sorry if that's wrong!), and Anthony. They helped my experience with the newer set up! They informed me of the app (!!!!), the savings I could get, and understanding how the vacuums worked. I pay KSC $30 to do a basic job at least 2x/wk, having to go behind them most times. I will be returning to my favorite place to detail my own car again!! The attendants attitude made it all that much better of an experience for me! read more

Goooood place free car wash awesome will come every time Fantastic service! The staff at Clean Wheels Car Wash were friendly and efficient. My car looks spotless, inside and out. They paid great attention to detail, especially in those hard-to-reach areas. The waiting area was clean and comfortable, and the whole process was quick. Prices were reasonable for the quality of work. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking to get their car thoroughly cleaned. I'll definitely be returning!" read more

I'm a member of the wash two of my car so I consider myself a decent customer today. I showed up seven minutes before close to the end with your car down. Nobody was there wait a little bit longer. The guy shows up and he says yeah it's closing time, so... I rolled down my window and said what are you saying says it's closing time so the wiping down isn't mandatory it's not part of the wash club. It was the most rude treatment I've ever seen the customer showing up. They close at seven and it was 653. read more

I took my van here and the employee told me it would not be a problem to go through the machine. I have driven it through many automatic car washes before without any problem. This time the machine bent and broke the antenna. The attendant said he had never seen that happen to any vehicle and that I should talk to the manager. I spoke with her and she said she would talk to the owner and call me later. I never heard from her. I emailed the owner (Seth) who said he was not responsible as long as his equipment "operates properly". I now use a different car wash in another town not owned by Seth. I had another bad experience at one of his other car washes and will write a separate review of that one (on Curtis and University Ave). Don't risk damage to your car here. read more

Absolutely horrible. Combative and screaming employees. They have a worker who wipes down your car after the wash. After he started he said, "this isn't covered by what you paid for." So why start wiping down my car? I told him stop, since I didn't have cash, and he kept going. Called me an ungrateful punk and told me this is back-breaking work. But while he was wiping he was getting streaks and stray fibers from the cloth all over my car. When he was done he said it's a $150 job to wipe a car. Give me a break! I'm pretty sure they also recently started charging more for the vacuums, and no longer bundle it with your wash (only a "discount") .When I went to vacuum my car, it didn't work and had to get another (thankfully helpful) worker to help unclog the vacuum and give me a new token. While he was doing this, he noticed the wiper guy hassling two people already in the vacuum spot for not paying him to wipe. The helpful employee started screaming at him and the wiper started screaming back. It got so bad they were in each others faces and a third employee was trying to break it up. Ended with the helpful guy walking off the lot and the wiper guy screaming at him to "face up." So $22 bucks for their mid-tier wash and broken vacuums (highway robbery!) and the privilege to be hassled for a wipe down and stuck in the middle of a fight between employees. AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!! read more

Paid extra for a wash that was supposed to include an "undercarriage wash," "triple foam polish" and "rain x protectant" and got the literal exact same wash as the basic cheapest wash I've gotten before. Undercarriage of my car was completely dry and still grimy and there weren't any additional passes aside from the regular double wash. Honestly a ripoff tactic and the washes still leave a lot of dirt on my car. read more

Great car wash with a cute pit bull in the drying area (on a leash- don't worry). If you have to park under lights often, you'll definitely benefit from a membership. read more

Covers the basics for a decent price. Also pretty efficient. I think I will be coming back.

The car wash is nice and hits all the dirty spots for a good price but the drying is not, the guy didn't want to dry my car but dried the car before me and after me. read more

I like this place a lot, I'm glad it's in the neighborhood, everyone is super friendly. Three things about it puzzle me though: Why must the automatic card readers work so very slowly? The whole idea with a drive-through car wash is convenience, and I find myself rolling my eyes at the slow card reader every time I go here. why is taping the rear wiper blade not standard here? This is the only car wash I've ever been to where this is not standard. My windows are rolled up by the time I approach the tunnel entrance, which makes it awkward to roll down and request this individually with the attendant, plus one has to shout over the loud noise. Not ideal. Today, there was poor management at the exit of the tunnel in terms of avoiding a bottleneck of exiting cars on the treadmill. There's room for like four or five cars in the exit driveway, why must they all be bunched up right at the exit point? read more

The guy at the drying end of the car wash line was super rude. He made a snarky comment like, "This is a $260 job," which made no sense. If he thinks he's worth that much or hates the job so much, why stay there? I paid $18 for a wash and shine--not attitude. I guess the economy really is rough out here. read more

They just renovated recently and I love the new spot. The actual wash tunnel is super long- they soap and rinse multiple times leaving your car super clean- and they have numerous self use vacuums to clean your car inside and out. The staff are very friendly as well and eager to help. They have a membership program where you get unlimited washes a month where you can also get free washes after x amount of washes so I'll definitely be back and would recommend anyone else to check it out too! read more

The Solar Express Car wash is easy to use, and not a bad price for the service either. I was in and out in about 15 minutes. My car came out very clean. My only wish is that they could open at 8 AM instead of 8:30 AM, for those of us commuting during the week. Considering this is not a touch-less car wash (has the spinning brushes), I think it is ok to visit and use on occasion. I would be cautious for scratches and paint damage over time. Be sure to turn in your mirrors before entering the wash tunnel. read more

We love the Idea Of Washing The Cars Everyday If We Choose To. Great Deal, Great Wash And They Wipe You Down After Coming Out Before You Use Your Free Vacuum Token.. Members For Life.. read more

Solar Express Car Wash Team: PLEASE fix your stuff! The last three times we've been, our vehicle has stopped in the middle of the wash. Furthermore, get better scanners to read the QR code for members. It's so frustrating to have to wait for someone to walk up to assist and to have to dodge the sun. Also, there have been a few times that I've had to ask for a token because one wasn't released. For the amount I'm paying for a membership, I don't want to deal with hassles. Also, the vacuums were much stronger when you first opened! read more

We had a great experience here. The team that staffs the site is superb! Rodney helped take off and reinstall our bike rack which was going above and beyond. The layout is well organized. You never have to wait and the value is good. I'm happy this place is here! read more

Unfortunetly it's a terrible car wash place. They use the same materials for the different options between car soap and tire soap, the equipment is very bad, the pipe hit my car and me a few times and the time window to wash the whole car is ridiculous. Never coming back here, hope they will realize their service should cost way less. read more

My wife brought her new car through this car wash and now has multiple light and slightly deeper scratches to the hood, sides, and back. When she brought this to their attention via email, they stated that when people get their cars washed, that scratches are "often discovered" (as in it wasn't their car wash that did it). Her car was new and had not been washed yet. All the scratched are in a "swirl" pattern, just like how the brushes go in the car wash. As she was in the car, she said that the brushes were so aggressive that they were shaking the car a lot. Got a refund for the package she bought, but let this be a warning to anyone who wants to use this establishment. read more

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The manager wasn't aware of the "free car wash with a Yelp check in" deal but still got a good car wash! read more

Solar Express Car Wash - Car Wash Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is the best car wash in the east bay. They have the most advanced equipment and great emply. Their 18 vacuum stations are fantastic. read more

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I should have did more research but I was desperate cause of all the pollen covering my baby but thought it was hand wash still new location only has guys wiping off windows after I wish they would have wiped the wheels or offered hand wash also I would gladly welcome that but there was pretty lights read more

Solar Express Car Wash - On my way to get a much needed wash - Car Wash Near Me - Berkeley, California

I have been going to this location since they opened -- the customer service was great, workers were friendly and helpful. Now it has a lot to be desired in customer service, experience, and cost. I came in at 6:25 (they close at 7) to use the drive-thru facility. There is usually an attendant but no one was there when I went to select my service, so I did it myself. First thing: they'd placed barricades at the entrance of the facility (35 minutes before closing), so I had to wait for someone to notice me to remove them. When someone came to help, I asked a question about my purchase -- I purchased the $24 option that comes with a free vacuum token, but the checkout instructions did not indicate I'd still need to add the vacuum service even though it's free. He explained the process to me rudely and tossed aside the cones before pressing a token into my hand aggressively. When you exit the wash, there is someone there to wipe down your windows. I did come in with a filthy car full of bug junk from a recent roadtrip, so when the attendant said something about my windshield being hard to clean, I said it was no problem & he didn't have to remove all of the debris - I'd spot clean it later. However, he then dipped his rag into something that seemed like grease before wiping my front windshield. It left a film on my windshield that made seeing out of it impossible, especially with the sun hitting directly on it. I asked him if he could wipe it again, which he did, but it just kept smearing. I asked if he had a cleaning solution, and he just looked me dead in the eye & said "No." There were other cars exciting the wash so I couldn't stay there to have it cleaned, so I pulled into a vacuum stall (which I'd planned to use anyway) and asked a different attendant for help, explaining that my windshield was worse than when I came in. He said they don't give out free supplies for anyone, & when I explained I just wanted to correct what their employee had done, he denied that the employee did anything. He then removed the vacuum hoses from the stall I was about to use because it was now 15 minutes to closing time and he said this was their standard procedure. I've never experienced anything like this at a Solar wash... my car was worse than before, I had to wipe down my windshield with a blanket I had in my car just to get home safely, and I didn't even get to use the full benefits of the car wash I paid for. read more

Updating my review: seems like they have worked out the kinks since my last review. Love having these guys in our area. It's fast, a quality clean, and you also have the option to get your car vacuumed afterward if u have time. read more

I've been here a couple times, the first time was for a wash from Groupon. I go back because it's a good wash (they also wipe dry) lots of vacuum bays (with two different attachments), and never a line like the other place down the way. There are always employees who are friendly and willing to help which makes it that much nicer to come to. read more