Auto Repair Specialists

My car went PLOP on me & wouldn’t start– after being towed ($ 500) I was told by Auto Repair Specialists (the lead Tech and Danny, although really nice guys & very helpful when I walked in) that the worst case scenario is I’d have a bill of about $ 1500 or more, because after their $ 90 Inspection Fee they THOUGHT it might be the Timing Chain Kit that needed to be replaced, (possibly $ 800+ $ 600 Labor). After denying the diagnosis and service I had my car taken back to my place. I had a family mechanic we’ve had for years take a look at it & come to find out the problem is the timing chain tensioner, a $ 90 part I went to go buy at the Honda Dealer = and Vrooom it starts and runs great! I understand that a diagnostic is only a possibility but wouldn’t it make for better service if a repair shop actually did their «mechanic job» and teared down to inspect my car to tell me what is wrong so I can just pay them to fix it? The mechanic teared down my car in few hours and was able to tell me this is wrong and done! I just think that paying for a diagnostic should mean really tearing down the car to diagnose the problem not just looking under need and running test before letting the customer take off without a running car. Also, when my mechanic opened my car he mentioned that there was a couple things missing that I know were not before, so I think that once I denied service on my car, it was simply just put aside, shut the hood and let her go! I could be wrong, this is why I write this, but this also tends to give me another reason why I hear Women saying we are «taken advantage» of when it comes to our cars and service!

My car needed a new transmission a couple of weeks ago and I had it towed to Auto Repair Specialists after it broke down on the freeway. The staff there is extremely friendly and knowledgeable, specifically Danny who was was extremely respectful and helpful. I would recommend Auto Repair Specialists to anyone looking for a great car repair experience.

This place was excellent. Two days ago, I took my car to Courtesy Chevrolet to have the ignition switch repaired due to the GM recall. They then called to tell me that my vehicle water pump had a leak & my right axle seal was broken & spewing transmission oil everywhere. They quoted me at $ 1200.00. They also said it would take about a day and a half.
I called Auto Repair Specialists after being recommended to them by a friend with an excellent previous experience. They got back to me in less than 20 minutes and said they could do the job for just under $ 800.
Once I got there at 7am, they started working on the car and discovered that the water pump (the most expensive part) did not need repairing. They even ran a pressure test & cleaned up all the previously spilled transmission fuel.
The final cost ended up being $ 700 less than Chevy quoted me. The crew were all nice, well-​informed, and seemed to know other customers very well, so I felt that I was in good, trusted hands. The vehicle was finished by 1:30 that same day.
I could not be happier about this, especially since I will be driving my car across country next week – something that I informed the mechanics about. They took extra care to make sure my car could withstand this.

The folks at ARS are top notch quality people all around and in my opinion some of the best mechanics San Diego has to offer… There’s no BS with these guys. They tell you what’s going on with your vehicle and then get under the hood right away to take care of it. On top of that they fully back all their repair warranties. Price wise they are also extremely competitive. If your looking for a great mechanic that will get the job done right the first time and wont charge you an arm and a leg it’s obvious ARS is for you. But hey, don’t take my word for it give them a call and find out what I’m saying for yourself.
Sincerely,
One Very Happy Customer!

Decent people with good intentions.
But make sure you get everything in writing!
Though the «code of ethics» hanging on their own wall says «Obtain prior authorization for all work done, in writing or by other means satisfactory to the customer» I had an experience that was not satisfactory. I had a car towed into the shop for repairs; Chris did not mention there would be a $ 25 per day storage fee, though given many chances to disclose this fact. Negligent and unhelpful. Followup in person was cordial, though rep there mentioned the storage fee sign hanging in the shop (I handled business on the phone!) and the fact they stored the car inside for safety (my wife and I drove by on a Sunday once to see it parked in the lot near the road).
Though decent, well-​meaning people, not trustworthy in my experience.

I finally made it back to Auto Repair Specialists to get my exhaust fixed. And of course they did an amazing job — AGAIN!
This time I had the pleasure to meet Chris, who helped me with all the quotes and explaining exactly what was going on under the hood of my car. They finished my car on Friday in one work day and I was able to pick it up before the weekend. And since then my car has been running great, no more exhaust smells in my car! Yahh!
Hopefully my car wont have anymore problems, but if it does I know where I’ll go! Oh and another shout out to Vic, because as I was leaving he came out to say Thank-​You for coming back! :)

As good as it gets. Chris at the front desk is polite and friendly, always pleasant and helpful. She communicates well between mechanics and customers, educating them on what a car needs and how much it will cost. I’m no mechanic, but I know enough about people to know when I’m being snowed. They may not be perfect, (a couple reviews here are definitely the exception), but they have been good to my Dodge Neon and to my wallet. Fair prices for excellent work.

I was having what appeared to be overheating issues and also had reason to believe it may have been a faulty temp gauge. I called these guys and, surprisingly, they said they would throw a laser temp gauge on it to see if it actually was overheating or a faulty gauge.
Chris set up the appointment and Vic did the diagnostic. He spent about 20 minutes on it, free! That was pretty surprising.
He told me Chris would give me an estimate for either a new thermostat and radiator or thermostat alone. I asked for the thermostat alone as I am obviously am gonna try the cheapest route first.
Chris took my phone number and said she would call me back with an estimate for the thermostat. She didn’t call.
The next day I call back and the only estimate Vic left was for a radiator, radiator cap, coolant, thermostat, and thermostat gasket.
$ 890.00? I was told we were starting with the thermostat.
No problem. I will look elsewhere.