MacArthur Carwash

They do a pretty good job here. I came on a Monday around 11 and my car wasn’t done until 12:50. From right away my car looked awesome and clean but as I left and was driving around I started to notice some things they missed. They didn’t clean part of my dashboard/​radio area (it was still VERY dusty) and the mirrors were still dirty in some spots BUT I have a lot of dog hair in my car and they did an excellent job of vacuuming it up and the price is good for $ 20.
*There is no inside lobby so you’ll be chillin outside (in a gated area) on the corner of MacArthur and the 30s so for some people that might be uncomfortable but it’s okay :)

When I moved up north I was shocked at how much money people throw down to get their cars washed up here. It’s a minimum 10 bucks more in the bay than any wash I’ve gotten in LA. I sampled quite a few car washes before trying MacCarthur carwash. Mostly because it looks kind of jank when you pull up. But the customer service is genuine and friendly and the guys who work here do a top of the line job. I’ll never turn elsewhere for a legit carwash. Hands down the best full service car wash for THE BEST price in the east bay.

This place is so hit or miss. The first time I went here a lady did my car, it took about 40 minutes but it was well worth it. My car looked NICE and that’s without a wax. The next time I came here, it’s like bruh man from the 5^th floor was assigned to do my car. It was still dirty, he didn’t rinse the soap from the roof, the windows were a smeared mess — think tire dressing meets windshield… that was a waste of an hour and $ 25. The manager, I guess that who he was, said they would do it for free next time but didn’t give me any documentation that I could use to redeem for a wash. Quality control is seriously needed.
They also have a lot of randos floating in and out the lot, I’ve never felt threatened by any of them, but I’m sure the new gentrifiers of Oakland might not feel the most comfortable.

Went here on a Sunday around 4. There were about 4 cars there, 3 being worked on and 1 waiting. Several guys appeared to be employed there, but maybe 2 were working
First off, a touch less wash at a gas station for $ 6 gets my car cleaner. I had to ask for the towel to wipe something off that was super obvious.
Second, They broke my car key! It appears he turned the key so hard in the ignition the remote broke off. Daniel (or Alex) handed me the key back pinched together, as if I wouldn’t notice. When I said something he abandoned cleaning my car and left it to another employee that was already busy (causing me to be there an hour).
Lastly, the older male the finished my car mentioned his tip to me after I refused to pay because of my broken key that will cost me more than $ 20. The windows were wiped with a wet towel that didn’t even have cleaner on it, the door James weren’t wiped properly, my cup holder wasn’t cleaned at all. My car was basically just vacuumed.
So there u have it, 1 hour, car still dirty, water marks on the Windows, tree sap cleaned off by ME, and a BROKEN key that will cost me $ 50!
I was told to contact the owner and he would replace my money if I get the key fixed.
We will see.
Update: Charmaine stands by his business and does the right thing. I went back with my receipt from fixing my car key and he not only refunded me without hesitation, he apologized. I really appreciated this. He also offered to take care of my car if I chose to give them another chance. For his kindness I will try again in the future.

They are very friendly but they take their holy time in doing things (not sure about everyone, but one). I was quoted $ 30 for exterior, interior and «wax». After 1hr and 20min (he’s been going around doing cleanings in other cars), he got done only the exterior and added a quick spray wax and dried the car WITH THE spray wax. in such a rush. Not very satisfied with the cleaning, small yellow bird poops around the car, windshield slightly dusty and interior not done… due to time issues… and they still charged me for $ 25… a car washer machine would have done the same job for less than $ 10… so sad… wasted my time. in this place.

Maybe I am just not so lucky. Despite the people are quite nice or trying to be very friendly and nice. I came by for a wine spill in the trunk, most of the spill are pretty much cleaned up by myself but since it is a brand new car, I thought get it done by a professional so I came by to get a «professional» car wash. It may just the person who did my cleaning is new or untrained. He acted like he knows what he is doing, didn’t want to listen to my concerns. Also not importantly didn’t tell me that his plan was going to a nearby convenient store to get a bottle of cheap cleaning product, then spray it all over my new trunk. long story short my car doesn’t have wine smell anymore, instead it has VERY VERY bad cheap cleaning product smell, a loooott worse than the wine smell. Now I am sitting in a parking lot with my trunk open, hoping the smell with go away a bit faster.

I’ve used this place many times, and tho it may look less than desirable on the outside, they do a very good job. My complaint is that they have raised their prices. Now they charge $ 20 for wash inside and out, which I think is a fine price, but for a wax it is now $ 55. And they used to have discounts 3 days per week, now no discounts.

I asked for an exterior only wash and the end result was incredible. David was the guy who worked on my car (you can request people to work on your car) and he really went above and beyond from vacuuming the leaves stuck where the wiper blades are, to shining up my spare tire on the back of my car. It took a long time, but I didn’t mind seeing as his attention to detail went above my own when I wash it myself.

I come here all the time, for all my vehicles. The Men here are friendly and the service is good, however if you see something that was missed or not done to your specifications No Worries just tell them and they will take care of it.

A lot of these reviews are true. This is an interesting carwash. I actually think it might be an abandoned lot, complete with buckets of soapy water and a vacuum running off of a compressor that is sitting on a best buy shopping cart.
Aesthetics aside this place was awesome. The guys who work there were really friendly. My car came back spotless and I’m going to be honest it was disgusting to begin with. I drive around with toddlers quite a bit if that gives you any idea.
The price? 15 bucks! Apparently there is a special on Wednesdays. I handed the guy 25. So worth it. Ive paid way more for way less in the past.
Keep up the good work! Ill be back!

Idk what the bad reviews were about.
though this place doesn’t look like much they do a really nice job. I had them do jut the interior for a real decent amount. these gentlemen are two of the nicest men you’ll meet. trustworthy place. If I lived closer I’d give them my business.

While these guys are incredibly nice, they caused damage and stains in my car.
I’ll start with their full exterior wash. Sure my car is clean, though there are still leaves caught at the bottom of the windshield that I thought they would get. Also, I’ve been discovering scratches that were not their before. Not bad? It gets worse.
While trying to get a little mark on the roof of my upholstery, they caused and left an even larger stain! I can’t believe it. I didn’t notice it until I got home.
What’s worse is the screens and glass in my car they used some crappy cleaner because there are water marks all over it that won’t go away.
I’m so furious about all of this. I’m not going to even bother going back because there’s nothing they can do about the damage they’ve left. I wasted my money at this car wash and will have to pay even more money to fix the stain they left eventually.
I would only stick to their exterior wash if anything, it’s cheap anyway. And I can see why now.

This place is unlike any other carwash you have ever been to, so consider yourself warned. The location is a large quarter-​block lot that looks like it was once a gas station. The buildings are falling down and filthy. The price that others mention is correct: $ 17 for an interior-​exterior. What many don’t mention is the surreal atmosphere of the place, and the amount of time it takes the crew to get the work done.
I’ve come here three times total, and every time I’ve seen very aggressive behavior among the maybe dozen guys that man the lot and do the work. There must be some kind of competition or rivalry or some way that work is distributed that festers resentment or something because I’ve seen near fistfights every time I’ve visited. Yes, you can get your car decently cleaned for $ 17, but you will likely spend 40 min feeling sketchy and wondering if someone is going to pick up where the last guy left off. It’s just a heavy atmosphere, and the taco truck that lives on site isn’t very good either.

Fast service and friendly people. I was satisfied with the work that was done on my car. The prices are reasonable. Definitely going there again!

If you have some time to kill and need a hand carwash in Oakland, MacArthur is a good place to stop by. It’s just $ 13 for an exterior wash and they do a decent job. If I cross the bridge from SF, I stop here after running errands before heading back over.
The guys (and ladies) that work here have always been super nice, courteous, and joke around with each other quite often. I’ve never had any issues and I find it relaxing to sit on the benches provided and watch the clouds go by. You pull right in and they direct you where to go. You let them know what service you want, and then head off to wait. It does take a while (30 – 45 mins, depending on how dirty your car is), but what good hand wash is faster? When I used to wash my own car it would take me an hour and my back would hurt haha. If it’s busy they might ask for your keys so they can move the car to a different area to dry off.
My rims are REALLY hard to wash (lots of crevices) and they’ve always spent the extra time cleaning it thoroughly. It’s seriously impressive.
The area may be sketchy for you, depending on what you’re used to but I think it’s fine. You’re only pulling up your car and then driving off anyway, what’s the big deal?

Ok, its a little bit of a shock when you first arrive, but somewhat convenient and close to home. Popped in this afternoon to take a car (not even mine) that I’ve trashed over the past few months. Very nice gentleman helped me immediately and took it from there. Cash only, and he went above and beyond leaving to basically name my own price for what I thought was fair. The end result was fabulous and the car looks great!

Fast and friendly service for an extremely affordable price. $ 17 for an exterior/​interior wash!
Definitely coming back here and recommending to my East Bay friends.

Pretty slow but good job at a decent price. They charged $ 6 extra to clean up the pet hair. I went on a weekday afternoon and it took 30 – 40 minutes for interior & exterior. Staff was friendly.
Crumby neighborhood; so stay alert.
Taco truck food was OK. The generator on the truck was super noisy though.

First off, the ones giving 5-​star reviews fall into 4 categories:
1. You’re a hottie and everyone treats you well.
2. You’re dumb enough to give a $ 15 tip for a $ 15 car wash.
3. You wash your car once a year at best and are somehow surprised that a car wash place actually can clean your car. Yes, you Burning Man people fall into this category too.
4. You’re a wannabe gangster.
Am I the only one that didn’t know the car wash would take an hour? Did I seriously just leave a 35 minute line at a Shell gas station car wash to wait even longer? And are car washes supposed to use soap? Did they think I wouldn’t notice because they brought it into the far corner and I was preoccupied with a child?
This was just an exterior wash!
The place is chaotic and not well organized at all. You don’t know if you’re talking to a homeless guy or an employee.
I pulled in and was greeted by some guy that was although nice to me, had just finished cussing someone out. He told me to pull in. I did.
Waited 5 minutes and no one came to my attention. I asked around to figure out how this works because there’s no payment counter, no cashier and no one working there who wears any sort of uniform.
In the 10 minutes I’m waiting before anyone even brings my car to the actual car washing area, I hear whom I later learn to be the manager yelling at a customer to relax. That’s probably when I should have turned around to another place.
Im giving them the benefit of the doubt and hoping they soaped my car in the 3 minutes that I spent at the food truck. I swear my car never saw soap, just like Jaeden’s review who experienced (or didn’t experience) the same thing.
It looked like some guy was rinsing off a quarter panel every 5 minutes. The one guy who was suppose to be washing my car was counting money and laughing. Seriously?
Another 25 minutes rolls by before someone finally points at me from afar telling me my car is ready.
Instructions on who to pay? I had to ask and had to run over to the guy across the lot to tell him I’m ready to pay.

This is now my go-​to car wash. Sure it’s a little shady and you have to be aware of your surroundings but that’s part of its charm (?)
I would recommend requesting one of the older employees to take care of your car because they’re much more meticulous with their work and tend to do a better job.
Unsurprisingly this is a cash only establishment.