C & H Auto Repair & Body

I have been going to Ray, the wizard of a mechanic who owns and runs this place, for the past 3 years. I have also had friends bring their cars here. The reason is simple; Ray is a scrupulously professional, highly experienced guy who delivers swiftly at a remarkably good price. He is also a true gent. I joined Unilocal in order to review this business and cannot recommend it more highly.

This review and recommendation are long overdue. In late December, I called several mechanics after my Volkswagon Jetti TDI began leaking coolant. Ray at C&H stood out. He was friendly and accommodating. Ray invited me to bring the car in that afternoon and immediately put me at ease. Ray took time to listen to the car’s service history and outlined his process for pinpointing the issue.
The mechanics at C&H promptly diagnosed the problem, explained the diagnostics they had run, and my options for repair, as well as the costs associated. Ray found that my last mechanic had misdiagnosed the car’s radiator issue as a broken heater core. Given the harsh SF winter, I was especially thrilled to learn from Ray that he was also able to restore the car’s heat and AC.
More recently, Ray bailed me out when he diagnosed an issue with the car’s vacuum pump. Not only was he prompt and clear about costs, Ray invited me back to the garage so that he could show me the condition of the parts and state of the problem.
Ray and the staff at C&H have been fantastic throughout my interactions. They have consistently taken the time to listen to my concerns, explain the diagnostics and mechanical issues in an accessible manner. They even deterred a bike thief from messing with my bike while it was locked up down the block!
I don’t know that I can say that I’ll ever feel it’s a pleasure to spend money on car repairs, however I can say that I have never had such a reliable, trustworthy mechanic, who I feel confident spending my money at, and I never would have expected that my car would run as great as it does today.

I am shocked this place has bad reviews: Ray and his team are amazing. The shop does good work, they are quick and affordable and so helpful in explaining what was up with the car, what they did to fix it, etc.

No stars! Beware! I drove my car in after running ruff and leaking coolant. Mercedes c230. After talking with Ray, he assured me he can help and would call me in a few hours. The call was…“you will have to come in, there is too much to list over the phone”. $ 2600 for water pump, drive belt tensioner and new ignition coils. WTF? Showed me faults that the car had that made the check engine light show up. So parts $ 900, labor $ 1700. Rip off. I feel that he wanted to get his rent off of me. When I told him no, he watched me hop in my car and try to start it. No luck. I spoke to him face to face…“I drove the car in, it needs to drive out”. He pointed to the air intake that was unhooked. I hooked it back up and the car ran fine. Mechanic in
did it for $ 619 total.

I had a great experience at C&H. My passenger mirror got dislodged when I hit it against a post in my garage. I took it by to see what the guys could do. They managed to pry the mirror up with a long screwdriver and pop it back into place for me without having to replace any parts. The charge for this piece of brilliance, only $ 20. In the process, I saved probably several hundred dollars which is what it would have cost at the dealership.
Next time I need some work, I’ll come back here.

I would highly recommend choosing C & H Auto Repair. I don’t usually write reviews, but I had such a great experience with Raymond and his brothers. I moved to San Fransisco and was weary of choosing a new mechanic. My car was making an awful noise. They were able to remedy the problem and give me some good recommendations on maintenance. I really trust them and look forward to coming here regularly!

Absolutely horrible experience. My clutch line broke so I got my car towed to the shop. At first I thought Ray and his crew seemed competent, and judging by the reviews on Unilocal,I figured I could give them a shot. Worst decision. He was supposed to replace the 3 pieces of the clutch line with 1 but instead, he replaced only 1 piece and connected it to the other 2 making it completely pointless for me to have bought a steel braided one.
I also had an issue with my heater as it wasn’t blowing hot air. He offered to check the trap door to see if that was blocked. He told me that if the trap door is the issue, and he resolves it, then he will charge me for labor but otherwise he won’t charge a thing.
When I went in to check my car, he told me that the trap door wasn’t the issue but that he will have to charge me for checking it! I reminded him that he told me clearly that he will only charge me IF the trapdoor was the issue but he completely went back on his word. He told me that he speculates that the heater issue is being caused by the water pump. I told him that he can keep the car and replace the water pump but he refused service. He told me that unless I pay him for checking my trapdoor, he won’t do any more work on the car and I can take it and leave.
Not only that, he drove my car around the city without informing or asking me. He didn’t seem to know what the A/​C button and the circulate button do.
I got horrible service and I will never take my car back there again.

Ray and his team are top notch mechanics, friendly people, honest, very reasonable and quick to help. I feel lucky to have stumbled into C & H and will now bring any car problem I have to them, confident they will give an honest assessment, fair quote and quick turn-​around.
On my first experience, we both concluded that my fuel pump (I grew up working on cars and the symptoms were clearly pointing to that). He ordered me a new fuel pump, dropped the tank and while the tank was down, instead of just jumping to replace the fuel pump, he double checked the function of the pump to see if it was working. He found out it was and chased down the other issue causing this problem. This is a sign of a very honest mechanic. I’ve known many that would not have taken this extra step and just replaced the pump, then continue to rack up a bill chasing the unresolved problem. My total cost of resolution came out lower than quoted, even though the initial quote was very fair.
I’ve worked with a lot of mechanics over the years and I recommend you call here first whenever a car problem arises.

Ray and his super nice crew did a spectacular job! I’m elated!
I hate dealing with car issues (maybe as much as most) and was dreading going in for desperately needed body work on our family car. A dent to the front fender of our 2005 Subaru was causing the door to jam and getting worse with every opening.
I stopped by to start to gauge prices and scope.
Ray came out to the street, did a very quick assessment, quoted me a price with hours and process (door had to come off to un-​dent the fender) and that was initially that — fast, fair and uncomplicated.
Because of this and his manner, I followed up 7 days later. Called, dropped off the car in the morning and picked it up after work.
It looked like there had never been a dent, the massive fold into the gap by the door was gone! I was stunned. The price was exactly that of the quick quote and they even added some quick spot paint to keep off rust to another part on the car (hey, the car is not a jalopy… :D).
They were happy and justifiably proud of good work.
I’d go back if in need any time.
Cheers Ray & Team!

ray and his guys are the best.
no one really cares why my car was in the shop but it was.
ray diagnosed the problem and gave me a few options, the worst case scenario and the take it step by step and see how it goes and it may save you money in the end option.
having trusted ray in the past with went with the latter and it worked out and my car is running perfectly once again. i didn’t have to break into fort knox to pay for the repairs, just into my pocket.

Great people you can trust. They have a top notch level of service. I just moved to the area and was worried to try a new mechanic and I got very lucky with Ray and Kenny. They are so helpful, informative, and honest. They are quick, but never to cede quality. And fairly priced but not to cede crappy parts or labor.
Convenient location in the mission.
Friendly and go out of their way to help you!

I’ve been avoiding finding a mechanic in the city because it’s always been so painful in the past to find one that I feel I can trust, who treats you with respect, and who simply and straight forwardly does a good job. I read everyones Unilocal posts on C&H and called them for an estimate. Thier estimate was since they were close to my apartment, decided to go to them for the MUCH needed work my poor old civic needed.
I worked with Roy, but found everyone I talked to there very friendly and straight forward. They stuck to their original estimate, and when they found something else that was broken (the engine mount) they called to ask if I wanted them to change it out and offered to do for no more labor cost (only the costs of the parts). They did all my work in one day and called me when they were done.
When I arrived to pick up my car they showed me the very broken engine mount and my very worn out timing belt, leaky caps and old water pump. They had cleaned off my entire engine, cleaned out all a bunch of leaves that were hindering the air intake and told me that it was something i should keep an eye on myself. Roy went through my smoke check numbers with me and told me what each one meant (in very basic terms).
I will definitely go back to them for all my future work.

Ray is the man! These guys know what’s up. They’re knowledgeable about Audi’s and have worked on my A6 4.2 in the past. They have also successfully fixed my Toyota and BMW. Ray always explains what’s going on and the best way to fix it. They’re hit and miss on when the shop is busy, be sure to call ahead. Once they start work, they get it done fast and correct.

What a relief to find a mechanic who cares about you and your car and who knows that if he does good work and treats his customers fairly he will have more business than he can handle. Ray at C&H is just that kind if mechanic. We took our car in because it had a bad oil leak. Ray diagnosed it quickly and the repair was flawless and the cost was fair and reasonable. They even cleaned out the engine under the hood. Finally, Ray handed me a can of degreaser and tells me to spray it on where the oil leaked on my garage floor at home. Then he told me exactly how to remove the stain. I haven’t seen a mechanic like him since I was a kid. You can’t go wrong with these guys! 5 stars+

I was very pleased with my experience at C&H Auto. My car was making a strange noise in the front right side so I brought it into the shop to get checked up on. I worked with Ray who is part owner of the shop and he was excellent to work with.
I dropped my car off and a few hours Ray called me and described his diagnoses of the problem. He seemed knowledgeable of the car, parts, and took time to walk me through the issue until I was comfortable approving the work which I appreciated as it was less of a sales pitch and more of an honest opinion. The noise ended up being a burned out wheel bearing and a worn down struts of which both were replaced.
When I went to the shop to pick up the car I met with Ray again who took time to show me the parts he removed and explained the damaged parts so again I could understand the work he provided. Further, he took pictures of the old and new parts as he was replacing them so he could show me what he was seeing as he went through the repair process. No other mechanic has taken the time to go through these extra steps from my past experience so I really appreciated the high level of customer service.

On a downward trend. I went to the shop couple months back based on reviews. They changed the battery terminal at a fair and cheap price.
Fixing the battery terminal didn’t fix my starting problem. I narrowed it down and mentioned that it is most likely the starter or alternator. They misdiagnosed the problem — saying it was the battery when I told them I recently got a new one in the last year but I trusted them (somewhat due to the high rating) and had them replace it. When I came back, the second try in the shop, the car doesnt start. They say its the starter. DUH!
So I have to leave my car over the Memorial holiday — they call back and quote me $ 240 for a starter unit — I’ve had a starter replaced (2000 Camry) and remember it being cheap. Every Google search I do has a Camry starter at $ 100 – 150. I know car shops make money on labor AND parts but that is way over doing it. They also said they would tack on $ 160 for labor.
I disputed the price which at any other dealer would go for $ 200 – 300 total. I paid for my ‘unbroken’ new battery and left. Before I saw lots of cars in the shop, and when I went recently — I was the only one — so maybe they were jacking prices because business was slow.
Still shady, shady business. Trust is everything with a mechanic. I would stay away!

My boyfriend has an older model Dodge pick-​up that had been worked on in San Diego (where he is from.) It was obvious that he did not get what he paid for in San Diego because the truck still had several issues, all of which were supposed to have been fixed. Needless to say the experience left us feeling a little trepidatious about mechanics. We had never worked with a mechanic in the City and so decided we would try to find someone in the neighborhood. I checked Unilocal (none of my friends up here drive) and we found C&H.
Before I even get to the rest of the review I have to say I am stunned to see people complaining about the look of the garage and the accents of the employees. Who cares about what the garage looks like? It is a garage for goodness sakes! And not one of the people who worked with us was any where near hard to understand, and beyond that, they are some of the nicest people in the neighborhood.
But, most importantly, we found a mechanic who is honest, skilled, responsive, and does things the right way, the first time. Even though it was just about closing time, they let us bring the truck down so they would be able to look at it first thing in the morning, which they did. Ray identified the source of all the problems and told us precicesly and accurately how it would need to be fixed and how much it would cost.
The work was done promptly and extremely thoroughly. When we picked up the truck Ray took the time to show us everything that he had done and saved all the old parts to show us what the previous mechanic had done incorrectly so we would understand what had been wrong.
The price was incredibly reasonable, especially for the level of service and quality of the work. It may be possible to find a cheaper mechanic — we did in San Diego and we got to pay twice. Ray took care of us from the first minute and the work was impeccably. There is no question that we have found the only mechanic we will need in this area. We have, and will, recommend C&H to anyone in the area looking for a mechanic.

I went in to fix a choking noise my car was making and to fix a power window. I believe that these people are honest but the look and feel of the garage gives off a ‘chop shop’ vibe. Also since most of the employees have thick Chinese accents, it’s really hard to understand what they are saying. The next day after I received my car back from them the choking noise was still there, they fixed the car window but the power locks didn’t work anymore. I went back to get it fixed and they fixed the locks for free but the time and hassle was annoying. The guys apologized I think as I wasn’t sure through the accent. A few weeks later my car hasn’t choked so that’s a good thing (crossing my fingers). I really think this place could do better if they changed the look and feel of the garage also working on English pronunciation would be great!
I don’t know much about cars and how much each service should be worth. I felt like it was a but pricey but I’m no expert. I leave it up to you.
Tune up, power window fix, started air intake, on a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am
Total for parts and services $ 1,199.79. Check my photo for exact parts.

Wow. These guys couldn’t have been more helpful. This is the type of business that prides itself on service and customer relationship.
My car had a busted hose and I called this place near close hours. I’m talking ten minutes til. However, They stayed open for another hour waiting for triple AAA to bring my car to them.
When I picked it up the next day, Ray explained every single issue in detail and the cost behind it. These guys were fast, friendly, awesomely priced, and value my business.
I’ve found myself a new auto repair!!!

I recently moved to the Mission, and my car needed some work. I could have taken the car to my old mechanic near my old place; but, I realized that every time I stepped foot in their shop, they always found additional things wrong and I’d end up spending way more than I expected. So, I decided it was time to find a new mechanic.
I checked out Unilocal and the closest shop near me was C&H. It also had some great reviews; so, I decided to give it shot.
Boy, am I happy I did! From day one I knew I was going to like his shop. I have taken my car there for service 4 or 5 times in the last 6 months and Ray and his crew are the best mechanics I have ever used.
The most important things I like about Ray are that he is honest and that his customer service is excellent. He has proven to me that if he says it needs fixing, it does. If it can wait, he’ll tell you that too unlike most mechanics. He is thorough, will explain everything to you, and always saves the old parts (which I like). The price is reasonable and the car is always ready when he promises.
I had a particularly difficult problem to reproduce and as it turns out to diagnose. Ray spent a lot more time trying to figure it out then he billed me, I am sure. But he would not give up until he found it – which he did. After he fixed it, he called me a week later to see how everything was. You don’t get that kind of customer service very often.
The bottom line is that Ray realizes it is valuable to develop a long term relationship with a customer. He has done just that with me– I am a very satisfied customer.