Update: 01.21.2015 After only 23,000 miles the head gasket went completely bad again. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Should change their name to Unwise Auto Tech. I had my Toyota T100 engine rebuilt and clutch replaced by Wise Auto tech. After the rebuild I had a frayed timing belt, 4wd drive not working and the owner asking for $500 to fix a problem related to his work. Had to report them to the Bureau of Automotive Repairs for all the trouble they caused. When I got my truck back it was making a noise from the top of the motor. I contacted Wise and he said to bring it in so he could check it. This guy made me come to his shop to tell me that he didn't have time to check the problem and told me to come back so he could do a thorough check, he also said he would take off the timing belt cover to check as well because I said that is where the sound was coming from (100 mile round trip for me). I also asked wise to check why the 4wd was not working and he said that he doesn't work on transmissions. I brought my truck back the second time and within 10 minutes he told me that the fan bracket bearing was bad and it would cost $500 to repair. I said that I wasn't making noise before the rebuild and that I would have to think about it before paying another $500. I had another shop tell me $300 to replace the bracket so I had them do the work. They found the timing belt loose and frayed but nothing wrong with the fan bracket bearing. Called Wise and he said that he would not take my truck back because someone else worked on it. I had to have the second shop complete the $300 work before I could have the truck towed to Wise. Wise repaired the timing belt and blamed me that I had the wrong timing gear in my engine before the rebuild. (I was having the rebuild done due to a blown head gasket and no other issues) he also still insisted that the fan bracket was causing the noise when 1/4 of the timing belt was gone. I bought a shop manual and trouble shot the 4wd problem and found that it wasn't working due to a wire on the transmission housing wiring harness, probably pulled out of the connector when the clutch was being replaced. With all the hassle, time and money wasted on this shop, I had to write this review, It is the least I could do. read more

I have been going to Wise Auto for 15+ years, and 4 cars. Weis (the owner) himself is a great guy, and knows his stuff. He has done a great job over the years for me and my husband. I have now followed him to the new locaiton on 10th Street. In all those years (and cars) he rebuild and engine (for my husband), fixed breaks and transmissions, done regular maintenance, and simple oil changes. You name it, he has done it. He has even helped me buy my new vehicle (my 2009 Scion XB - love it!) In all that time, he has also done our family some favors, such as fixing simple things free of labor (just the parts), when I dropped by unannounced with part in hand. He is a classic small business guy, who you develop a realationship with and is your go-to guy. Reading the one star reviews - yeah, once one of his staff guys didn't get my car fixed correctly, but I brought it back and Weis got it fixed for no extra cost. (He has a few flakes over the years on staff, but they get terminated.) I plan on sticking with him as long as I am in Berkeley. read more

I spent $650 on welding a catalytic converter when I could've bought myself a new one. Then I went in to fix my check engine light for an emission control. After three visits and spending nearly $3000, the dude still couldn't get rid of it. A wise ass if you ask me. read more

I have been taking my cars to Weis for more than 20 years. He has always been an honest and upright mechanic and shop owner. He has always been professional and reliable. During the years I have had 3 different cars that I have taken to Weis Auto. He kept my 1990 Volvo operating for almost 300,000 miles before he was unable to resuscitate it. My next car did not last long due to accident that totaled it, (even wise could not bring it back to life). I was riding my bike for a while until Weis told my he had just the car for me. He had a 2001 Toyoto 4 Runner for sale in 2009. It was clean as a whistle and ran better than some of the 2009 cars I had test driven, I had to get it...and he sold it to me at a fair price. Ever since. he has kept that 4 Runner running. I am totally happy after 20 years of utilizing the expertise of Weis Auto Tech. read more

I should have done this sooner after seeing the two outlier reviews. Not sure exactly what kind of day they were having but I have been getting my cars worked on by Wise for over 30 years and he is the picture of exactly the kind of mechanic you dream about. He is as honest as the day is long, one of the very best at diagnostics and stands behind all his work . I have sent many friends here and they have all thanked me many times over. read more

HAPPY CUSTOMER! Wise Auto Tech did a superior job at repairing my Subaru Outback. With over 200,000 miles on my favorite car, I was really concerned about it overheating. When I had my car towed in, Wise was calm and caring and took my "baby" into his shop. A day later, he told me the bad news; the head gasket was blown among a few other things. He invited me to come take a look. He showed me everything that needed to be fixed and gave me a price. It was an unexpected expense to do this work but his price was reasonable and Wise worked with me on a payment schedule to help me out. Do you ever find a nice enough mechanic who will do that? So I gave him the okay to get started. In less than a week, my car was finished. I had to take it back after a week because the check engine light came on. Wise took a look and replaced a sensor at no charge. Since then, my car drives and handles like a brand new one. It's stronger than ever. So my over all impression of Wise Auto Tech is great shop, comfortable waiting room, friendly honest fast service, and superior quality of work performed. Thanks Wise for helping me out. read more

Wais is honest and knowledgeable about cars. I like this place and has been back twice, with both issues resolved right the 1st time. Labor rate is very reasonable as compared to other VW shops around. I was also allowed to bring my own parts that I've already purchased. So far so good and will definitely recommend to friends. read more

I have brought both of our cars (2005 Suburu and 1995 Camry) into Wise for the last 6 years and have been completely happy. They are totally trustworthy and mindful of your budget and the long term health of your car. Wise himself is delightful and professional and a pleasure to work with. His office is calm, pleasant and puts you in a relaxed frame of mind. You can't find a better auto shop in Berkeley. read more

Wise is the best auto service center with whom I've ever dealt, and I've dealt with quite a few. " Wise," himself (the owner/operator) is a very knowledgeable mechanic and a friendy and compassionate businessman. He always provides me with diagnoses at little or no cost, despite that I always come to him with a drop-in, need-my-car-on-the-same-day request. To top it all off, his service center is, by far, the cleanest you will ever see. Additionally, the waiting area's cleanliness, WiFi, free soft drinks make it a pleasure and a convenience to wait for your car. Finally, and most importantly, Wise saves you tons compared to other top service centers! You simply can't beat his level of service for the price! You won't want to go anywhere else once you've been to Wise Auto Tech. read more

Being one of the Wise Auto Tech family, Wais and I invite all of you to befriend us on Facebook! Yes yes, we now have a FB page. Just search for Wise Auto Tech! Just one more way to make contacting us a little easier :-) We're happy to serve you and glad we can make those not so pleasant experiences a little more comfortable! read more

Some time ago I went to Wise Auto Tech with my '94 Ford pickup. The owner, Wais, personally handled the job. The bill was $1500, only I did not have to pay a single dollar. Wais told me that the repair was covered by Ford due to a manufacturing defect. He did not have to tell me that; he could have billed me and collected double, but he didn't. That is called HONESTY and INTEGRITY. I also have an Infinity G-35 sport sedan. Wise Auto Tech takes care of both of my vehicles, they always do a great job and the price is always very reasonable. In life you need a good doctor, a good lawyer and a good mechanic (because we *depend* on our vehicles for the safety of our families, to reliably commute to work, etc.) It would not occur to me to go anywhere else but Wise Auto Tech to service my vehicles. --- P.S. You can tell by the amazing vintage photography displayed in the shop that these people are *passionate* about automobiles. Passion breeds excellence. read more

I purchased a used motor from Engine World ($3,558) in February for a Mini Cooper and was referred to Wise Auto for the installation. I was quoted $1,000 for installation, that ended up being $1,750 (new water pump, thermostat, and intake manifold gaskets, as well as follow on repair of $200 for Valve Cover Gasket replacement) The check engine light went on 3 miles after install. Motor had a severe oil leak because new valve cover gasket was not installed initially, which consequently voids Engine World warranty. That was the start of an endless debacle and blame game, that involved numerous trips back and forth to Wise and Engine World to no avail (around 10 trips), insane amounts of time and frustration. I finally took it to another local mechanic in SF who was able to fix the car correctly (i.e. get check engine light turned off), including installation of new valve cover gasket, thermostat, new timing chain tensioner and timing adjustment to get rid of all codes. Also new mechanic told me he found rust inside the used motor which could be due to it sitting for a while. My advice is to spend extra money for a complete used engine and use a mechanic you absolutely trust, or buy a new engine (pretty expensive). If I had to do this all over again I would sell car to salvage yard for$1,500 and call it a day. Walk away and save the time, money, aggravation and frustration. We ended spending over $6,500, definitely not worth it for a car worth $6k. read more