Dikes Thornton Automotive

please do not go to dealerships… ugh!
jamey is a very honest person and reasonable in prices. thanks be to god…
and thorough in checking the ping and pangs of your vehicle and tells it like it is…
former employee of ford. mary
do not let anyone or anything discourage you to see jamey, serious folks!!!

Jamie has taken care of all of our cars – up to five at a time – for decades. He is always fair and does quality work. He looks out for things that may need attention in the future and makes good suggestions, but not in a way that he’s doing it just to get business. I believe he honestly cares about his customers and wants to do a good job for them and take care of them. He is kind and professional and even worked late on Saturday last week when my husband’s car needed an emergency repair. He will give me options that I can understand if there are choices – such as a rebuilt transmission or new. The car is ready on time and he sticks to the budget discussed. His prices are fair, and I have confidence he isn’t ripping me off.

I am going to rate this review 5 stars, but only because I had read the previous reviews and got a sense of the business first. Like others have said, their hourly labor rate is not bargain basement, but rather than toss the dice on a random repair facility decided to go with honesty and quality, and that is what I got.
The fuel pump went out on a recently purchased 1998 used vehicle, and a fuel pump replacement was within my list of things I can do myself. That was until I discovered you needed to drop the fuel tank to replace the unit (or cut your own custom access panel in the trunk). A neighbor recommended this shop and the reviews were good, but with the note that the labor rate is on the high side.
Aside from the labor cost, the communication was great and we ended up replacing another inexpensive part I had decided to postpone due to the amount of work to get to it (i.e. labor).
Giving them 5 stars with this rating being in the you get what you pay for category here. Can’t complain… well, yes I can complain, but not in this review… :)

I learned the hard way about the quality service at Dikes Thornton: I was a customer for some time, but thought I’d be clever by using cheaper work at another shop. You know the punch line: It ended up costing me more, because of the lower quality work & the costly mistakes the other shop made! I came running back to D-​K, & will never leave again! Aside from the top notch work done there, Jamey Thornton is patient in explaining mechanical issues to the lay person, courteous, thorough, & very professional. I drive my 15-​year-​old truck, which runs beautifully, with great confidence, knowing its care & maintenance is in the best of hands.

Mixed feelings on this auto repair shop, so we’ll let you decide (as usual).
The vehicle needed to get a smog test. I was well aware that too many of the dashboard lights were lit, so repair was going to be needed. The cost for an evaluation: $ 250. The estimate to give it a fighting chance to pass smog: $ 900.
On the plus side, besides being open on Saturdays, Jamie recommended against spending the entire $ 900 because there was some troubling sounds coming from the engine and he was convinced that it was not long for this world.
On the negative side, besides the posted labor rate of $ 102/​hour, Jamie left a tool in the engine compartment that caused terrible sounds leading me to believe that the engine was indeed nearing its last journey. Once we found & removed the hard-​to-​miss tool, the vehicle has been running like the 8-​cylinder champ that it was prior to his pricey evaluation.
2.0 stars.

The best place in Ventura County to get your car worked on. Jamey works on all kinds of makes & models and will make sure the job is done right the first time.
Honest mechanic with excellent results for a good price. I wouldn’t take my cars anywhere else and I always recommend this place to friends and family.
Go here and get the job done correctly the first time– you won’t regret it.

Have been to a number of general mechanics in Ventura over ten years and this has been the best, if you’re willing to pay for it. They probably even charge more than the Toyota dealers, but we keep going back. The reason is the honesty and quality of repairs. Jamey, the owner, knows his stuff. They even found a bad cell in a Sears battery that Sears said was OK. Sears gave in and replaced it. Problem was solved.
At the dealers, it is a game where they try to get you to do a ton of things and most of them are optional at best. (Think of the money you waste by making bad guesses at what’s important!) Here you get it as straight as you could hope from a mechanic. And they charge accordingly. They’re not email savvy, may not call with updates as often as I’d like, and don’t always get done exactly at the time promised, but it’s worth it. I just go there for all the things I don’t trust normal places to handle. Timing belts, weird noises, ‘check engine’ lights, etc.

This is one of the best places to have your vehicle reapired. Jamey is honest and delivers on his promises about when the work will be finished. He follows the automotive handbook on his billing. I have tried many places and this is one of the best. I highly recommend it.