I've been bringing my vehicles here for at least 30 years, and the main reason is the mechanic, Jim. He is genuine, honest, and truly takes the time to listen to his customers. His experience and dedication show in every interaction and every repair. Knowing that he has been with this shop for over 40 years gives me confidence. Jim explains things clearly, never makes me feel pressured, and always treats me with respect. The shop does good work, but it's Jims integrity, knowledge, and commitment to customers that keep me coming back. read more

The absolute SHOCK I had when I just called today to book an appointment with Jim and I was told by the call center that he no longer works there?? I am calling back tomorrow to try to get ahold of the shop. This cannot be true. Why would Jim be gone? Jim was the only person I (and MANY other people in town) trusted with their car. He is not only knowledgeable but he's such a kind person. He never EVER made me feel like I was being taken advantage of. He only ever told me what my cars actually needed to be done and nothing more. If they actually fired him, SHAME ON THEM. I could not imagine a good reason to let Jim go. This is absolutely ridiculous and feels almost discriminating. He has been there since the very beginning of Village Auto and ever since last ownership even before stress free, the shop has gone way downhill but Jim always remained consistent and kind. I know his customers will second guess bringing their car here without him working on it. read more

This company bought Village Automotive, which earned the high rankings you probably see here. I'm just back from my first service with this new shop and popped on here to let you know it is not the same quality of service as the old company. Without going into all the annoying details, save yourself the headache and find shop with a higher level of service that's more equivalent to Village. This isn't it. read more

Best service experience. All repair issues are clearly laid out and priced. Excellent waiting area. James who helped me is knowledgeable and friendly and made everything smooth and quick. Highly recommend. read more

After waiting in line over an hour, i finally got to the front and after a few minutes checking under the hood, i was told the smog check couldn't be done here because it had been done years ago in No. Calif. No other explanation, just sent to another smog chek place where cost nearly twice as much. Obviously, not a happy day and not strees free! David D. read more

I've taken my car there twice since Stress Free took over from Village Auto. I won't be back. Last time, the long-time master mechanic, Jim, had left. And the "stress free" experience was high stress for me as I was presented with several thousand dollars worth of work that "needed" to be done. When I started asking questions, they said the work didn't need to be done "now," but will need doing in the future. Right! I read in the newspaper today that Jim, the mechanic, has moved to the other shop in town. That's where I'll be from now on. read more

Scheduled an appointment for an oil change. The price was fair, and the time it took to do the work was short. They did a full inspection and made good recommendations for work needed soon and work that could wait. I will return for future work. I'm satisfied with the full experience. read more

Awesome crew and service! Great value for service and also convinent, real time communication and ready when expected.

StressFree performs un needed work and takes complete advantage of every customer, They only sell parts based on what there AI software says your car needs not the actual mechanic looking at your vehicle. StressFree has entirely destroyed the honest trustworthy reputation this shop has held in our local community for over 50 years. They fire anyone who will not play there dishonest game. Word travels fast in Montecito. read more

Beatrice the biggest problem was the misdiagnosis in the 1st place then the lack of communication afterwards..cant really trust this place for work if they cant get the diagnosis right the 1st time The mechanic should be fired read more

My Toyota RAV 4 (new to me!) needed a regular service so I went to Village Auto in Montecito where I'd taken my previous car. I drove up and left the car with a few things I wanted checked. I was offered a ride home. I had a response fairly quickly: they had noticed a few more things that I might want looked into, so I added these to the job. Soon I was notified that repairs had started and later called when they might be completed. I was called when my car was ready to be picked up and they sent a car to pick me up. Mine was ready. I paid and drove off, car working perfectly! Excellent, efficient service and reasonable prices. read more

Great auto repair store because of Jim. He's been a mechanic at this location for many years. He's the most honest and trustworthy, as well as skilled mechanic you'll ever have the good fortune to work with. He can work on just about any car too. Don't hesitate to bring your car here. It might cost a little more than the quick shops quote you, but you'll save so much in getting quality work done right the first time. read more

I went to Village Automotive where I have been frequently and discovered it has been sold to a corporate Stress Free Automotive. I had a broken off windshield wiper. I paid 175.00 for a set which costs $25 and can be clipped on in 5 minutes. RIP OFF! I will never go back and tell all my Montecito neighbors to avoid going there! read more

fantastic service and great personnel. My car went in for a checkup and i couldn't be happier with the service receive.

You guys are the best! Tony was so helpful as I was in a panic about my engine lights being on. I had just purchased a used car and really wasn't prepared for engine trouble 4 months later. Tony repaired it within 24 hours and I was good to go. I feel much more confident that I can depend on on him to make repairs easy and painless!! Thank you!! Kristen Meadows read more

The personnel and facility are top-notch. However, the price gouging by the corporation that owns it is crazy. I was charged $50 per quart with tax for 30 weight oil. The same oil can be purchased on Amazon for $7.50. Everybody needs to make a profit, but this is ridiculous. read more

They provide good service at reasonable prices. They are very accommodating and are now part of the national chain "stressfree". I highly recommend them read more

Carrie and Bryan were very helpful and friendly, a very detailed inspection was done on my vehicle and my issue was resolved. Great team!

My 18 year-old son took his vehicle with an engine light on. He was quoted the amount of $145 for diagnostic. My son paid for no diagnostic. I called to dispute the $145 I spoke to Andrew, no component failure was confirmed, no functional testing or root cause analysis was performed, the vehicle was referred to another shop without diagnosis. Andrew stated they charged for their time and their diagnostic was a transmission problem. He refused to refund my money. I was very disappointed with the outcome and their poor customer service. read more

Always pleasant, efficient and easy to schedule. They do a great job. We've taken all our cars there over the years and never had anything but a great experience. read more

Engine light on, means visit to car doctor. Took my car for service and found out village Auto Repair is in now Stress-Free Auto Care with a brand look, office and waiting area. The friendly staff was polite and immediate checked me in. Then a text arrived with specifics to fix the car, estimates and pictures with recommendations, etc. Very efficient and quick. I was also able to pay in line with the click of link. Best part my car was delivered home looking brand new with a rural car wash inside and out. My car was spotless. Thank so much. Great communication during the time my car was there with updates. read more

I've been bringing my vehicles to Village Automotive for nearly 8 years now, and I truly wouldn't trust anyone else with my cars. Even though I live in Ojai, I gladly make the drive because this shop is that good. They are kind, honest, and always go above and beyond to make time for me -- no matter how busy they are. They work fast, their prices are unbeatable, and their service is consistently top-notch. Every time I walk in, I feel genuinely welcomed and taken care of. It's rare to find a shop that combines great mechanics, fair pricing, and warm, personal service. I have a very beat up suburban and a tiny hybrid- neither of which are fun to work on but they gladly fix both every time! I can't recommend them highly enough! read more

Had a great experience with the employees who repaired my tire that had a screw in it. I returned the next business day to get an oil change bc they were so helpful about my tire. oil change went great and I would recommend this auto shop to everyone! read more

GREAT local auto shop. This team is very responsive and highly competent for a wide range of services on vehicles of all sorts (my vehicle is a diesel). I've worked with this shop on a couple of projects and they were able to schedule me in quickly and get the job done properly and on time. It's wonderful to work with a team that is small enough to know your name and be able to tell you exactly where your vehicle is in the process (some of the large dealerships can be a bit challenging this way) but strong enough to have a team that can handle a wide range of services. I'll be heading back to them the next time I need help with my vehicle. read more

These guys are amazing. I was having problems with the tire. They filled it up for me and told me to keep an eye on it. Two weeks later, I came back with the same problem. They found a nail and told me they could patch it up. I came back 45 minutes later and it was done. "How much do I owe you?" I asked. "Don't worry about it. Next time" he said. Frankly, I didn't know this kind of goodwill and good service existed anymore. read more

I got a flat tire driving from LA to SLO and first found another auto repair (J&S East Valley Garage), but they weren't able to take care of tires. They were super nice and helpful and marked the spot where the nail was in the tire and called over to Village Auto. When I got there, they already knew about my situation and started working on a patch right away. My tire was fixed up quickly, and when I asked how much they said no charge! The flat tire could've been such a hassle, but it was a 30 min delay on a lovely day up the coast. Their kindness inspired this review. read more

I asked them to install some off road lights for my SUV. After giving it a good look over and providing a quote, they went to work. I was blown away with the quality and attention to detail of the work. The work totally exceeded my expectations and came in exactly to what they quoted. You couldn't ask for more and I'll definitely use them again in the future. read more

I need to start by saying that I've brought many cars to Village Auto Repair...some from the 60's, 80's, and modern vehicles. These men are awesome. Jose is very professional and super nice. I have complete confidence that he will "get it right". Jet is like a bulldog, he doesn't give up until he has everything dialed in perfectly. And the other guys are wonderful as well. They treat my wife very nicely as well. They really are fantastic shop. There are a couple of negative reviews and I have to say that they are completely baseless. One complains that she didn't like the price when compared to another shop....but that could be like comparing apples and oranges. Village Auto could be performing a more thorough repair with a firm price and the other shop might plan on changing the price after the customer is committed. I can tell you that Village Auto has never changed the price. They are incredibly trustworthy. I HIGHLY recommend them!! read more

I can't recommend this place highly enough. The staff is always kind and courteous - the service fast and professional. Montecito is lucky to have such a place! read more

Their service on my 2005 MB E55 AMG has been prompt and excellent. Now they're also taking care of my 2003 BMW Z4.

Yo these people are the shit. I drove around to 7 different shops because everyone was trying to rip me off for a simple alternator belt change. They were so nice and professional great price too!! read more

Consistent service, honest, fair pricing. I've had my car serviced here (regular maintenance, oil, breaks, tire rotation,k etc.) since 2007 (ish?) and they've ALWAYS been great. I've never had a problem. They check all fluid levels and wash my car before returning it to me, no additional charge. I never run out of windshield wiper fluid and I've always had great auto help! Recently, my break lights went out and they saw me right away and repaired the issue immediately. Talk about HELPFUL! They call me to make a service appointment so I never forget to have the regular service performed. read more

Everyone here at Village Auto did an outstanding job!Charlie worked close with me to determine what my car needed in a kind and professional manor! My car had no problem getting in and out! Highly recommended if you need your car serviced to check them out! read more

I've been taking my 90s Camry here for years and I always have the best experience. The guys here are so so kind and responsive and helpful. I've never felt taken advantage of or anything like that. This is an honest hard working shop. You definitely won't be disappointed. I highly recommend! read more

This place was THEE BEST! I'm from Los Angeles and my car broke down on the way to our honeymoon vacay right off the freeway. Village Auto Repair basically salvaged my new husband and I entire trip. We were able to leave our car at the local gas station and they towed it their garage, ran the diagnostic and had the best customer service a person could ask for! They were an extreme help and contributed to us being able to make the best of our trip. They even arranged the car rental for us with a discount! Omg thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! read more

Left my car in a friend's driveway for 10 months due to having to move back to Connecticut because of Covid. Fast forward, when I landed in SB yesterday, my car battery was dead. AAA towed my car to Village Auto Repair and Jose took great care of the situation. Really communicative, transparent, and got my car back up in running the following day! read more

I really want to like this local garage and support a local business that is down the street from my house but I want to share my experience in case it might help others before taking their car to them. My husband and son dropped off a vintage Ferrari that we had just purchased for a tire sensor light that came on. After leaving the car with them for over 2 weeks, we finally received an estimate for $20k worth of necessary repairs that ranged from 4 new tires with 4 new tire sensors, 4 new struts, and a service. I was caught off guard because the tires looked brand new and the car has only 11k miles. Josh assured me that the tires were old and dried out, needing to be be replaced along with the sensors that would need to be programmed. When I went to check on our car and the proposal, our beautiful car was sitting outside in the baking sun under a tree, completely filthy from recent rains and dirt, covered in tree sap. Remember this is a perfect vintage Ferrari that has been garaged at all times. I was shocked that they would leave a car like this outside and it set off my radar to take my car for a second opinion. I took my car to a specialist in Los Angeles that had about $3m worth of Ferrari's inside his garage. Every car was in pristine condition (not left out in the elements) and they told me that I was being absolutely ripped off and that my car needed nothing that was recommended by Village Auto. My husband is away and I felt like we were being completely taken advantage of. I don't know that much about cars and I could be completely mistaken, but I don't think so. Please beware when taking your car here. read more

Used these folks many times but won't ever again. They asked to bid on a repair job and I brought the car from the dealership to them. Their bid took over three days and was $400 higher than the dealership and arrived as I had left town. While out of town I learned that a family member had died, a situation which required my full attention. I left multiple phone messages throughout the week letting them know of the situation and when I thought I could return. They were so incredibly rude to me, with Josh calling and laughing at me about it. What the heck is wrong with these people? read more

These folks have integrity, price fairly, and go the extra mile. I have been pleasantly surprised with every service I've had. When I dropped my car off today, on this especially chilly morning, we were chatting about the weather. I mentioned my son waiting outside, early this morning for the sheriff to come. He needed to report his car break in / smashed window, that happened while the car was parked outside our home. Instantly they offered to have him come by so they could vacuum out the broken glass shards inside the car, and they conveyed it was a complimentary service! It was a natural conversation that stemmed from the cold temperature, and their kindness was overwhelming. Isn't it amazing when you stop and look at the gifts that arrive in your day, and the sense of community this town offers? I think you should give Village Auto Repair a try and see what amazing care they put into the vehicles they service, and their customer service is the best, bar none. read more

As our rental car started signalling low pressure in a tire (not what you want to deal with during your last days of vacation...) I stopped by at the Village Auto Repair. A nail was found in the tire- 30minutes and a friendly chat later the car was fixed for 35USD. I am truly amazed of the service- did not expect to be able to use the car the same day (especially as I came there at 3pm...). Very friendly staff and superb service! read more