I went to the Model Garage on a friend's recommendation when my catalytic converter was stolen. They were phenomenal. They went out of their way to help me through a stressful situation, and located the part remarkably quickly given the backlog. Everyone I dealt with was friendly, skilled, and professional, and Doreen was extremely helpful with the insurance company. I plan to return for service (and to have a protective plate installed over the catalytic converter on my son's car!). read more

People at the Model Garage are super friendly and super knowledgable. We have been taking our Toyota Prius to them for several years, always a good experience. read more

We trust these folks completely. They are honest, thorough and have a sweet, tiny dog to say hi to. They've serviced our cars, checked out cars our sons are looking to buy and now service their cars. It's feels so good to trust your mechanic. FIVE STARS! read more

I don't know why this garage has the reviews it does. Since bringing the car to the shop, the whole process has had a lot more trouble and difficulty than it should, especially compared to last time I had a similar issue and brought it to a different shop. The catalytic converter was stolen off my Prius from the front of my house over the weekend. Had no problems filing and linking the police report to a claim to my insurance company. They gave me a claim #, which was all I needed at the last mechanic, along with Geico's main phone number, when my converter had been stolen one time before. Mind you, this first time was during the pandemic too, and they still worked quickly and efficiently with me unlike Model Garage. The woman who took my info at the front seemed to have a lot of difficulty processing the info I gave her. I brought up the claim number on the Geico app, handing her the phone so she could see the exact number for herself. She wrote it down....then crossed it out. I gave her the number Geico gave me from the claims dept. Then she said I needed a specific claim adjuster's phone number with their name attached, which I had never been given. It seemed like no matter how much supplemental info I gave from Geico's website, it was deemed somehow useless or incorrect. Yet every time I've called my insurance they've mentioned the info all being correct and supposed to be processed according to plan, with me paying the deductible + cost of an installed anti theft device, then calling this garage back themselves in person. It's now the second day without a car for what should have been an easy replacement. That they still would have immediately gotten a large chunk of money from me, even with a deductible, with insurance covering the rest. Yet for the past two days they have been demanding over $3,300 from me out of pocket, in full, for the work if I want my car back. Today I was told my car will not be released until this full amount is paid. On calling my insurance (yet again), Mario who answered and was patient with me despite my obvious stress at this point said he'd never dealt with a garage doing this, or requesting payment in full from their customers before, when the insurance has been in contact with them and willing to pay for the bulk of the replacement. There was never an agreement or mention from this garage that they would demanding I pay the full amount out of pocket immediately before I could get my car back, and had I known this would be the case I would have taken it to the garage I did the last time this happened despite it being a little further away. I was quoted about $500, not $3300 out of pocket until they immediately received funds from my insurance. Edit: The owner Robert hangs up the phone and is extremely rude when calmly asked basic questions: like why the vehicle's repair status hadn't been disclosed while still demanding payment out of pocket in full. Was asked to pay in full out of pocket, for a repair that WAS NEVER EVEN STARTED ON. On picking the car up, many more error lights come up on the dashboard that hadn't on dropping the car off. Only "check engine" was on at dropoff. I'm an essential worker (in home health care) and have now been without my car for work for days, not knowing when I will be able to receive my car back. It's a horribly stressful feeling not knowing when I will have transportation to work again, over an already unfortunate incident, that had only taken a day with the last garage I worked with. I have had to borrow my housemate's bike and ride through very low quality air in a mask, fogging up my glasses and making it hard to breathe all the way to their houses for care. This place does not deserve the rating they have, and I regret going with them due to this. Thanks for wasting days of time and ability to get to work to do absolutely nothing repair wise, yet still demand out of pocket costs from me to release it, now picking it up with more error lights on than before! read more

I've had four or five Volvos, all bought used, over the past thirty years or so, and Model Garage has been my go to maintenance shop for all of them. That's a lot of maintenance. I've always been satisfied with their diagnoses of problems, honest assessments, and work done. No need to look anywhere else. read more

The folks at the Model Garage are excellent. I needed a "Cat Shield" installed after having my catalytic converter stolen. After calling a few places in the area, I was defeated. Many wanted to charge $$$ to install some rebar or ugly thing. Some didn't want to do the work. The Model garage not only installed these, but they are an approved installer. They only charged me 1 Hour labor rate to install it. I was greeted at the shop by friendly staff, including a most adorable little toy size dog sleeping on the counter. They finished the install faster than it took me to have breakfast at the nearby Cafe. I got out of there in less than 2 hours and it was reasonable. I would wholeheartedly recommend the Model Garage to anyone. They are honest and professional and I'm keeping their info for future projects. read more

An easy check-in process and the prices seem to be fair/competitive. (I brought in my 2004 Corolla for an oil change and general check-up.) The staff were easy to communicate with, friendly and professional. I can see why they continue to get great reviews from the Yelp community. read more

Great small business! It's all about the customer here, no doubt. First time customer and very pleased with their quick turn around for routine maintenance and service. Very professional from the check in to pick up. Not only were they great they also were kind enough to provide a generous discount for an issue I thought my vehicle had, but they couldn't find during inspection. My car found a new garage. Thanks!! read more

WOW! I took my car in today and it was ready in an hour! Impressive. Their communication via email and appointment system is so easy and effortless. They knew I was planning on selling the car so they helped me with ideas on pricing, where to sell it and turned me on to a fantastic smog guy around the corner who also was quick and sweet. I am impressed by the friendliness, timeliness and communication skills of this business and suggest you check them out. read more

Superb auto care for the Volvo/Toyota set. So honest, so Berkeley, so excellent. This is where you take the car out of warranty for whatever ails it. This is where you take to car you covet to get a careful once over...this is where the mechanic nightmare ends. Breathe again. They've been there for, like, 30 years. If I could give myself a "useful" right now, I would. We're talking community service level stuff here. Of course you can only drive Volvo's and Toyota's, but that a small price to pay when you think about it. You weren't really a Benz person when you think about it, who needs all those high cost German woes? Ask for Don and check out his photo as a young mechanic on the wall. Closes at the peculiar hour of 5:25p, and way too egalitarian to be open on Saturday. Still, what a relief. Peace children. read more

Beat Volvo repair in Berkeley! I have been to most of them. Honest, great prices, professional and knowledgeable. Do not go anywhere else!

Love the Model Garage! I am writing this review because I just bought my first non-Volvo in 18 years and am sad to have to find a new mechanic. I literally like Model Garage so much that I considered buying a newer Volvo (ew) just to keep Model Garage around! These guys are great, considerate, honest- they won't work on a kind of car that they don't know just to keep your business- have squeezed me in when they're about to close so that I can get my window locked up so my car doesn't get rained in (don't worry, it did different time)- and have offered to get me in when they're not even open to see if they can make my car safe to drive. I LOVE that they have women mechanics and that they close for a couple of weeks for the holidays. If you're looking for a speedy, in and out, open 24-7 place, this isn't it. If you value the labor that goes into your beloved Volvo- and why wouldn't you? you're a Volvo driver!- then don't pass up Model Garage. I'm going to miss them!! read more

I trust these guys. I think they give you an accurate estimate and don't try to overcharge. They have knowledgeable/experienced staff and do the work required. Hard to find in an auto repair garage. And I like the little dog. read more

This is a review for 2 visits to this place for my 2013 Corolla. The place is professional and people efficient. The most important thing: you don't feel scammed by bills which point North, while service points South. They agreed to take in my car early for 60k mile service after I requested that my wife is feeling anxious about the due service. That earned me brownie points with her, too. On both times that I have been there, they have not recommended any costly changes or predicted doomsday if I didn't go in with an expensive maintenance. Bottom line, I trust them. I trust that their prices are genuine. I paid 1/3rd of price here than what Toyota dealership had quoted and got better service. Can't wait for the next service. read more

I did not bring my car to The Model Garage by happenstance. I had an emergency just before Thanksgiving and went to Ackerman's. Bruce Ackerman could not handle the work immediately and he suggested The Model Garage. A reputable mechanic actually recommending another dependable Volvo mechanic? Go figure. I have been to two "expert" Volvo mechanics before and been dissatisfied with the results and was wary. Don was kind enough to take a look right away and solved the problem and that electromechanical issue stayed fixed. The Model garage is not inexpensive, but excellent mechanics rarely are but their work is impeccable and they are honest about the cost. Volvos and indeed most European cars are expensive to maintain, having owned a BMW 540i before I don't know if I owned the car or the other way around... I highly recommend Bruce, Robert and Co. They do great work. read more

Very courteous and personable customer interaction, both on the phone and in-person. Went there from a friend's referral, and will go again based on personal experience. read more

Excellent work and good customer service! Their rates are reasonable and I like how they keep most (if not all) of the parts in stock, unlike other garages who take additional time ordering and waiting for the part to be delivered before working on your job. Would definitely see them again for future maintenance and repairs. read more

Long overdue thanks and recommendation for The Model Garage. My car is a freaking lemon...after years of bad expensive service at the dealership around the corner, I took a friend's recommendation and took my car to The Model Garage. Instant happiness when they quoted me 1/3 of the dealership's quote for my 80k service. I had found my new mechanics!! A couple of months later, my car flat out stalled...upsetting for a perfectly maintained '05 Volvo xc70 which had already had a new transmission, turbo pump and other multitude of rare replacements. Barely made it into their garage. They patched her up replacing the abs system, an oxygen sensor and spark plugs. Unfortunately she died again the next day...not their fault, my car is the lemon of lemons. They felt bad for me and were so nice. Put me up in a rental over the weekend, consulted volvo USA, and fixed whatever rare problem my car chose to have that day. As long as I keep this lemon, she will only be serviced by The Model Garage. Thanks Don, Robert and staff! It's so hard to find a good trustworthy auto shop. read more

This is the go-to place if you want a clear explanation of how to care for your vehicle and good folks who have integrity who can help you diagnose problems. They did engine, brake, electrical, and steering component work for me while teaching me a lot about vehicles in general. I'd highly recommend them. It seems everyone with a Volvo already knows about it, but they treated my 4Runner with a lot of care. One of the owners took it out himself on the highway 8 or 9 times until my problem was sorted out. The other thing I appreciate is that they give you options: do this because it's important, you'll never need that, you should probably get this taken care or sometime, etc. They also explain the trade offs with different methods and prefer to do things the right way. There's a sense of craftsmanship here that I appreciated. They won my business. read more

My experience was very good and my car passed its enhanced smog check inspection. Thanks!

After years of disappointment in bringing our dealership-bought Prius back to the same dealership for service, and being treated like unwelcome guests, we were THRILLED by our treatment, service, competence, friendliness, and fair pricing by The Model Garage. Honest, hard-working intelligent folks. Won't ever bring my car anywhere else from now on. read more

Great people here. They got my 20 year old truck back in great running shape. I highly recommend this business. And, since the radio in the truck had died, they recommended a place (Hi Tech Audio in El Cerrito) where I could have it replaced. A good recommendation. You can definitely trust this garage with your vehicle. read more

A friend referred us to Model Garage in 2000 when we purchased our first Volvo. Don, the principal, recommended that we wait until the basic new car warranty/maintenance period had lapsed at our new car dealer before we start with Model Garage. Once we started, we never thought of taking our Volvos elsewhere. In my many conversations over the years with Don about our vehicles, he has been transparent about the extent of service they would perform, and I appreciate his not being pushy about service or parts that he recommended. The labor rate and charges for parts are, from what I can tell, retail and you may be able to find less expensive rates at other garages. However, Model Garage's willingness to discuss optional sources of parts and pros and cons of delaying service to economize is always welcome. So far the work they've performed has been of a quality that offers a peace of mind when we leave the shop. In addition, they did not lay a guilt trip on me when I purchased batteries and tires elsewhere. read more

I'm a long time client. I had my 2013 Toyota Highlander 106,000 serviced by Betsy. Its great to see and have women mechanics work on my car. Need more. Please keep making this place more diverse. read more

Excellent service performed on time for less than their original estimate.

Unhelpful and uninterested. Wanted to charge me 120 dollars to look under the car what could be seen without raising the car up, under the front bumper, and to see what I already know was wrong. Went to the dealership and a different mechanic both didn't try to make me pay for that unnecessary expense. I was a repeat customer, so not expecting this "overpay or don't bother us " experience. Went somewhere else, had a good job done, and saved at least 200 dollars. read more

Got my old van inspected to make sure all was good to move across the country. They seemed honest and straightforward. Didn't try to sell me any unnecessary work. And even spent a few minutes showing me how to check a few fluid levels under the hood. Very helpful! read more

I love this garage, and have been coming here for years, whenever I was in the Bay Area. Always reliable service and really good information about my cars. Great place! read more

Robert and the team go the extra mile to make sure my car is running safe. I have an older vehicle and it has had intermittent issues. Every time I need a repair, big or small, I know I can take it to Model Garage and get honest help. They are all really friendly too and the place feels like family. It's so comforting to have a mechanic that cares. read more

The kindest, most sincere place I've ever been to! I wish I had gotten the name of the man who helped me with my tires. This was the first place I saw while I was driving so I pulled in without giving them a call first, and he just dived right in and was so careful with my car. Told me exactly what was wrong and helped me fix it up. I get a little nervous coming into car repair shops because I feel like sometimes they overcharge me when they see that I'm a woman and I make it obvious that I know nothing about cars - because I really don't. If you want a place that will be completely honest with you & put extra care into their work, come here! read more

Fantastic service! I had a headlight out on my 2004 Toyota Sienna minivan. I have been conditioned to expect that such a thing will take a week to get an appointment, then a day without the van, and hundreds of dollars to fix, with vague charges, high dollar labor etc. What a contrast. I called the Model Garage, hey assured me they could help, and said I could drive by the same day before 5pm! So I drove over, still a little skeptical, and they welcomed me in, and popped open the hood to take a look. 15 minutes, and less than $20 later I was on my way. I will be taking my van back when it need a service. Thank you for old fashioned, personal, excellent service! read more

These guys (and gal)! I've been taking my 20 year old Volvo that to Model Garage for the past 6 years; they are extremely honest and do excellent work. read more

Excellent and timely service! I've taken my Volvo there twice now and always had a great experience. Highly recommended.

A friend recommended Model Garage to me as she had a great experience with them for her Lexus. I made an appointment for my 2008 Lexus and they diagnosed the problem (actually he told me that it was a problem that would have been covered by Lexus if it had occurred years before now) that was causing the noise when backing up. I decided I wouldn't spend the money to properly fix it until I decided if we would keep the older car. Meanwhile, they did a major cleaning and lubricating of the area. So far, the loud noise while backing up has not reappeared. I found them to be so helpful with advice and easy to deal with. They couldn't have been nicer! The shop is clean and if you should happen to need to wait a few minutes, there are lots of fun old models of cars in their display cases. read more

I usually don't get my car worked on in Berkeley, but I had a no start car (2001 Toyota) and I needed a nearby mechanic. I ended up having the car towed to the Model Garage as was it was the closest place. I was very happy with my experience there. Getting the car towed there was easy, they were very clear to me about charges, telling me upfront the cost for the diagnostic and calling me before doing any further work. When I agreed on the work, they gave me a cost upfront, not hidden fees or extra costs. This was really important to me because I don't want to sink a lot of money into an old car if I don't need too. The customer service was excellent, they answered the phone promptly and were able to help me immediately each time I called (for drop-off and to check on the repair progress). I am not very knowledgeable about cars and they were extremely patient with me, even agreeing to call my dad to discuss the repairs (as he could make an more informed decision then me) before going forward with work. I will be taking my car there again in the future and highly recommend them to anyone else. read more

This is a great Volvo shop with honest mechanics! I took my 1994 Volvo 940 here quite a few times and the mechanics were very sensitive to not charge me for unnecessary work and did an excellent job keeping it running. Very fair pricing, too. I even got a flat leaving the shop and they followed me on foot and after they'd closed to offer to fix it for free. Honest folks; highly recommend! read more

Words Can not express how happy and satified I am with my experience at The Model Garage. These guys went above and beyond for me in every way! They were very down to earth, explained everything to me and fixed my car right away for a reasonable rate. The evening after picking up my car something else went wrong and I was unable to start the car. They drove to me and helped me diagnose my dead starter on the spot. I was stressed about getting to work the next morning so they fixed my starter first thing that morning, picked me up and, got me on my way to work all on time. I could've kissed these guys. They treated me like family and I will continue to use them for all my car needs. Thanks to all the great people at The Model Garage! Your new and loyal customer! read more

Best quote in the Berkeley/Oakland area for a transmission fluid flush for my 2003 Prius. Yes, they work on prius's. This business just feels honest and transparent. The mechanics are really warm and friendly. Brought my car in early around 8am and it was done by noon. Good ol' Berkeley magic right here! read more

The Model Garage is great, definitely my go to place when my Toyota has issues. I've gone to them for problems big and small and I appreciate their quality of work. The staff are all friendly and have good communication, always getting back to me promptly and explaining what work needs to be done. Highly recommended! read more

Tried to charge me 700-1200 to get my emissions to pass smog. Turns out all i had to do was use a cleaning fluid that cost 30. Either they didn't know what they were doing or they were intentionally trying to tip me off. Either way, i don't trust them and neither should you. They put on a show to make themselves seem friendly and trustworthy but they will screw you if you let them. read more