Will’s Automotive

Wonderful service! I went in just for them to take a look at something hanging at the bottom of my car before I left for a 10 hour drive out of town. Will was really cool and told me it wasn’t serious and that I could fix it when I got home. No charge for that quick 5 minute consultation!

I’ve been taking my own cars into Will’s as well as referring anyone that would listen for 7 years. He has always been honest, fast, friendly and reasonably priced. Multiple times he has done far more than was asked of him.
I called in today to find out he is closing shop and not taking any more appointments. A total shame SF is losing such a great business.

I brought my 1988 Toyota Corolla into Will for a tuneup and now the car has never run better in the ten years I’ve had it. I believe Will to be honest and fair and I think he did a lot of things that aren’t even listed on the invoice. EVERYTHING from the emergency brake to the transmission just seems like it was adjusted and is now in perfect condition. I recommend Will and I’ll definitely be back!

Still CONTINUES to be the very best!!! Why go any where else?

Will opens early, about 8am. He is straight forward and takes the time to explain what is necessary, not necessary and has very reasonable rates. He is busy, very busy so while he accepts drop-​ins for emergencies you should make an appointment for a known issue. I will definitely be taking my car back for future repairs.

So here’s the thing, I’m a lady with pretty much no car knowledge. I mean I get it to call around and get estimates and get another opinion etc. but car repairs stress me out since they can be so costly. I brought my 1995 car in, not having done anything but oil changes in 2 years, scared to death of the cost, with warning lights on and something leaking from the front radiator area. But Will was amazing! He came recommended by a friend and I’m so glad.
Will was totally honest and awesome and kept prices to a bare minimum for me, especially with a costly repair like the water pump (that was the leaky fluid from the front area). The warning lights for my ABS and brakes were coming on and I was scared it was going to be a $ 1000 brake job, he filled the brake fluid and the light went off. He could have taken me for a ride because, really, what’s more important that brakes? Point being that he didn’t charge my anything for that.
Will even kept all the parts that were bad and showed them to me so I could see what was wrong. I would never go anywhere else for car repairs and will definitely recommend Will to everyone I know. My friend who told me about Will, well to him I owe a bottle of wine for sure!
Go see him you won’t regret it!!! Thanks for everything Will!!!
–Nicky

For the sake of full disclosure, yes I am a longtime Unilocal reader, first-​time poster. Sounds like I’m calling into a Radio call in show. Ha!
I am also Will’s new tenant/​roommate as of 2 months now. So, you may say oh this guy is just kissing up to his landlord. But before you throw out any credibility from my post, consider the following.
1) I am living in probably one of the best kept rentals in SF for a price I dare not say. He maintains his property with tremendous pride but with the humility to offer it for a really low price. This says a lot about his character and it shows the pride he has in his work.
2) I have only known him for 2 months, and all I can say is he is a solid, standout, honest guy with an incredible work ethic.
3) I went in today to get a simple lube and tire rotation service, and he fixed my brakes (which my previous brake mechanic/​shop f’d up, btw avoid the Midas Brake Shop on Geary at all costs!) for $ 80 even.
4) I know where he lives! Ha!

This guy is the definition of old school. His customer service is built on pride in your work, not some corporate mantra. I had him service my car change the battery, and rotate the tires. The price was unbelieveably reasonable for the work done. He found a problem with the transmission that was coverred under warranty and he told me to accept nothing less from the dealer than a complete rebuild which i got. Highly recommended

My partner has bringing her cars to Will since he was working on cars out of his garage in the Richmond back in the late 80’s.
Will has fair prices and does excellent work. He’s also really honest and forthright. Yes, it’s a small operation, but somehow he also gets the work done quickly.
For something other than an emergency, call ahead and he’ll tell you the best time to bring it in because his shop does fill up sometimes.
He’s quite simply the best mechanic I’ve ever had.

I have know Will for 10 plus years and have alway had him work on my cars when I don’t feel like working on them myself or just don’t have enough time. Like all specialist, Will is not perfect but he is dead honest and will tell you the way he see it. He knows I work on cars as well and on one repair, he spent a week on and off on a 1989 Toyota Camry and could not figure out the hesitation problem, but instead of giving up he call his friend who owns another repair shop and had him help out!
Will’s price is always very fair and sometime I am pleasantly surprised when I get the invoice after the repair.
Drawback: Will has only one other employee and sometime he is sooo. busy that he can come across as «short»!(on the phone or in person)

Since in SF, I have not needed car repair. If I need my oil changed, I just go to my old SJ shop and get it done. Found out my front brakes were toast and needed to do something about it. Driving down to SJ with no brakes didn’t sound fun so I turned to Unilocal for a recommendation.
Will took such good care of me. Reasonable quote and he stuck to it. Kept in contact with me throughout the day so that I knew my car would be ready to go.
Bonus points: He had my car tightly parked between two others. I’m sure it’s not tight by SF standards but there was no way I was going to get it out without taking a bumper with me. Will expertly got it out for me and didn’t even make me feel like an idiot for asking him. Love that!!!

A friend of mine recommended Will’s Auto and to this day I don’t go to anyone one else. Will does a great job, he knows his stuff and when he says the car will be done at a certain time it is. When ever I have a problem with any of my vehicles Will will take a look at it and know exactly what’s wrong. He’s kept my 1993 Plymouth Voyager running like new and if anyone was to ask me if I know a good mechanic, I send them straight to Will.

I read the reviews took a shoot, BAD MOVE took it in for brakes long wait, made a lot of noise, took it back long wait again, took it home noise still there, took it back long wait but he got it right this time. If you don“t mind taking it back two or three times he is your man. TOO MUCH DRAMA for me. A

My car is a reliable Corolla that’s gotten me from here to there. Last year I had some minor problems and Will fixed it promptly and completely. He forgot to do something minor so with a reminder, he followed up right away. This week my car suddenly wouldn’t start, so it had to be towed. He replaced the leaking battery and did some other maintenance, and the total fee was reasonable. I asked him for same day service because I had to pick up someone from Oakland Airport and it was done by 3 PM as promised. He’s great!

Thanks all for your reco! Will was great. We dropped our car off and it was ready in less than an hour. This is what I call service for your weary road traveler!
Here’s a quickie on it: We were on our way down from a trip in northern Nevada when our car started to run out of steam. It could have been anything at this point. We had already driven 1,000 miles and it was only the first of the trip. Car crapping out was not an option. So in a wild act of desperation and random clarity I Unilocaled around for a reco for a mechanic near our hotel. Success! Will’s Automotive is less than 3 blocks from the hotel. We dropped it off and within in 1 hour picked it up in the condition that was as close to perfect as this 1998 green SUV could deliver. Crisis averted and we’re back on the road again.
…Thanks Will!

Will is a top notch mechanic, honest, friendly and won’t give you the run around. They have so much business it’s hard to get in there some times but Will does his best to accomodate you. Another reviewer makes the point that he has so much business there’s no reason for him to gouge anyone because it would only do his business a disservice. A real find in the city and in the mechnic world where you’ll often get ripped off.

My husband and I have been going to Will for… whoa, 10 years now! He is trustworthy, fast & effecient: always spending the time to explain options and offer solutions. We now live in Santa Cruz and still have Will work on our cars. We have referred family & friends and everyone loves him. If you’re looking for a mechanic you can depend on: Will is the man. Will’s Automotive is the BEST mechanic in SF hands down.

Will is an absolute GEM! He is one great guy and someone I know I can trust. He knows his stuff and isn’t going to rip anyone off cuz he just isn’t that way. He’ll give you a straight answer about your car and not try and encourage you to do repairs so he can make a buck.

Great mechanic! No doubt about it, knows his way around the «sacred car.» Reasonable rates too. But I seem to be catching him when he hasn’t had his coffee yet… Grrrrrrr! Next time I go in, I won’t drink my coffee and we can have a GRUMP OFF!!! 3 duckets for knowing how to love an engine. Minus 2 duckets acting like one of Cinderella’s step sisters.

I’ll admit it, I know nothing about cars. I’m good for changing tires and jumpstarting batteries, but that’s about it. So you can understand my anxiety whenever the «maintenance required» or «check engine» light comes on in my poor overdriven Accord. After trying a number of different mechanics in the East Bay and SF (including the overpriced Honda dealership), I finally found a mechanic that I can trust.
Will.
What a nice guy. And a good mechanic too. He’s friendly and has an honest vibe. He’s the kind of guy that won’t bullshit you and won’t overcharge you for services/​parts. He came highly recommended by my good friend and co-​worker Alex. He’s been her mechanic for the past 10 years.
Will’s philosophy? There’s lot of cars in SF. Those cars will eventually need fixing. Since there’s no dearth of busted cars, he’ll never be hurting for business. So why bother gouging people?
Did I mention he’s a nice guy?