Carlson Garage

Great customer service and solid work! They have done work on all of my family’s cars, none of us have ever been disappointed. Most recently they did several repairs to my husbands vehicle. They kept us up to date the whole time on the status and even had it done sooner then they had promised us! If you want a honest awesome garage this is the place!

This is the way it’s supposed to be. Knowlagable, trustworthy, Reasonable prices. Ive been taking my cars here for years. I should have written this review years ago. I live in the city of Orange and drive my cars here to be fixed, 16 miles. You cant buy integrity. These guys just have it. P. S. Not open on Saturdays

I haven’t gotten my car worked on here but im sure its a fantastic spot, however this place has the best prices for propane. Just got my tank filled up for like $ 14 that’s the best price I’ve been able to find and customer service is great. Definitely going here for now on.

We have been taking our van and truck here for years. They are honest and have reasonable prices. Ken and Andy are excellent mechanics, and we always enjoy visiting with Tim when he is there. They go out of their way to accomodate their customers.

Carlson Garage is like going back in time. You just can’t find a place like this anywhere. Tim always treats me like family. It’s good old fashioned service and sound advice that keeps me coming back. Trust is the first thing that comes to mind. I never have to worry or wonder if what he tells me is true. I had him repair numerous cars and trucks over the last ten years and it’s so easy. I just tell him to do what it needs and call me when it’s ready. I’ve never been disappointed and the cost is always fair. You can’t go wrong.

Having just moved to OC, I was very pleasantly surprised to find a service shop just as trustworthy and friendly as the place I’d gone to back in rural Tennessee! These guys are very easy to talk to and are very good at keeping the customer informed about the status of work being done on the vehicle, as well as being great at teaching the customer about what is wrong, what exactly needs to be fixed, and why.
In the process of our move here, several of the cooling systems (AC /​Radiator /​Turbo Intercooler) on our vehicle were damaged in a… uh… «vehicle dolly loading incident», lets say. :/​The insurance company thought it might be a total loss (older, high-​mileage vehicle), but we really didn’t want to have to get a new car. Carlson had it towed to their shop the day after we got in to town, and they worked very closely with the insurance company to make sure they toed the line between doing the necessary repairs and keeping the car from being totaled. Got the car back in just over a week (which was fast, considering the parts took a long time to come in) with the all the damage repaired, as well as with a fresh oil change, an electrical ‘gremlin’ in the taillights that had been plaguing us for some time diagnosed and repaired, and with a fresh «smog certificate» so I could get the car registered in CA!
A few days later, the wife started complaining about the A/​C going out after 30 minutes or so stuck on the 605 in the stop-​and-​go evening commute. I figured it was probably the clutch in the compressor (not related to the earlier damages at all… just an 11 year old part with 180K+ miles on it), so I took it back to Carlson and they confirmed my suspicions. It was going to be an expensive repair (not due to their labor costs, but to the outlandish price of Volvo parts), so I told them that I’d let my wife use my vehicle, and I’d cope with the intermittent A/​C– after coping for years with the oppressive humidity in TN, the ‘heat’ here in SoCal is not really an issue for me. Went back to the shop to pick up the car and pay them for the time they spent on diagnosis, but when I pulled out my credit card, they waived me off, and told me not to worry about it! Wow! How’s THAT for taking care of a customer?!
Kenny, Tim, and the rest of the crew are great, and as long as I’m living in the OC, they’ll be entrusted with the maintenance and repair on both of my vehicles!

I don’t know why I haven’t wrote a review on Carlson’s before. I’ve been going there about 15+ years. I don’t trust anyone else with our cars. Both Tim and Ken are great people, experienced, courteous and trustworthy. Frank, one of the mechanics has been working on my cars mostly. He has done transmission replacement, engine rebuilds and other major repairs and maintenance. I have complete confidence in the entire operation.
Go here, you won’t be disappointed.

Love Carlson Garage!!! Our family has been going to them for probably 15+ years now. They always go above and beyond the call of duty. I’m not a big fan of mechanics and know little about cars. I have complete trust in Carlson Garage and know I’m well cared for no matter what!
Both Tim and Kenny are extremely knowledgeable regardless of the make and model we brought in over the years. I haven’t had much of a chance to work with the others but they have ALWAYS been friendly and helpful.
I waived manufacturer’s warranty to take my cars there. That’s how much I love and trust them. =)

After all the bad experiences I’ve had other places, it is a breath of fresh air to be around the friendly and trustworthy crew here.
I was out of town for a week and my car struggled to start when I got back. I called Carlson and tried to explain what was happening to Kenny, he thought it may be battery. Because I was due for a regular oil change, I decided to take car of both at the same time.
It turns out Honda Fits uses a weird size battery, so while Tino changed my oil, Andy went and picked up a brand new battery for me. Tino also taught me how to check the quality of my tires, I need two new ones up front, but he was very informative about how I could monitor the back ones. Needless to say, no one is going to be able to upsell me at the tire store.
As I drove away, I felt confident knowing I didn’t get ripped off for top quality service. Yes, you may be able to get an oil change for $ 12 at some other places, but I guarantee that they do not care about you or your car.
Do yourself (and your car) a favor and go Carlson.

The gentlemen at this establishment are just that: gentlemen. Always courteous and honest, they’ll get done whatever you need for your vehicle. They’ve even helped me find buyers for two of my cars! Definitely above and beyond the call of duty. All members of the crew are very personable and will work hard to get your car in tip-​top shape.
Although bigger jobs might cost a bit and take a while, every penny and minute is worth it. After a major overhaul, the amicable owner (Tim) will show you discarded parts and explain exactly how and what was done.
You can trust the work done here. Avoid sketchy dealership mechanics and visit Carlson’s ASAP. You won’t be let down.

Definitely recommended to people who don’t trust mechanics because you can put your trust in Tino. He has worked on both of my vehicles. He is very thorough and is good at explaining any issues I had with my vehicle.