Berkeley Bob's

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Phil Dinovo
2 weeks ago
This shop is great. They've been very helpful with my Hyundai Tucson, taking care of both general preventative maintenance as well as swapping out brakes. Best of all, they helped refer me to through a manufacturer warranty program on my engine that ultimately got me an engine replacement including guidance on the best approved dealership to work with on it. Will definitely keep using these guys.

  Eric Snow
2 weeks ago
Berkeley Bob s was by far the best auto repair shop I have ever worked with. Professional, friendly, efficient, fair prices, and high quality work. I will definitely be bringing my Subaru Forester back for future repair needs! Highly recommend!

  Adena Ishii
a month ago
Berkeley Bob's has been my go-to shop since I first got my car 10 years ago. My landlord recommended them to me because he had been going for many years. He told me that they were reasonably priced and got the job done right, and I still find that to be true. They have excellent customer service, they take the time to explain things in great detail, and even with all the odd issues my car has had over the years, their team works hard to figure out what's going on and fix them. My sister now goes to the shop as well, and when her car was stolen, they were so kind to her when she got it back and had to fix many issues. Once, when I was a recent college graduate and could barely afford the repairs, they gave me some much needed windshield wipers for free. I've never forgotten their kindness. I'm a loyal Berkeley Bob's fan for life!

  Emma Ishii
a month ago
B-Bob's have taken care of our family's cars for years- they keep our older cars in working condition and well maintained (which is key for older models). I appreciate the attention to detail by the mechanics and the responsiveness on the administrative side.Recommended! Especially for Honda/Toyota.

  Erik Nelson
a month ago
I took my Toyota Highlander Hybrid in for service after the engine light came on. The mechanic determined that a loose gas gap was the cause and he returned my car to me later that day for NO CHARGE. That's a $0.00 bill! I've been taking both of my cars there for a couple of years already and all my experiences have been 5 stars, but I can firmly say I'm a customer for life after that! Thank you, Bob's!

  Clayton Yeko
a year ago
My 2010 Audi A5 was long overdue was maintenance. Sean and the team walked me through an incredibly transparent evaluation process showing me pictures of the parts that needed to be replaced or tuned. The prices were much lower than the dealership, and my car runs noticeably better now.Services: Electrical repair, Air & cabin filter replacement, General repairs & maintenance, Auto engine diagnostic, Auto engine tuning, Brakes, Battery, Oil changeServices: Electrical repair, Air & cabin filter replacement, General repairs & maintenance, Auto engine diagnostic, Auto engine tuning, Brakes, Battery, Oil change

  tyler dotson
a year ago
This place is amazing. I brought my 2008 xc90 to a couple Volvo mechics recetly. trying to get service on my Volvo but they were booked until a month out. It seems as though nobody wants to work on these vehicles. I had an inspection done which was fine but Berkeley Bob's did a full camera inspection and broke it down to me in a real way what I needed done ASAP and totally understood the situation. The Volvo software they had helped assess some major issues. But even with the bad news I will definitely be bringing all of my cars here in the future here. Shawn or Sean..not sure how it's spelled was super down to earth. Helped fix some minor issues on car I now have to unfortunately get to the next owner. But was happy as hell driving the vehicle home..

  Joanna Hirschi
11 months ago
Exceptional customer service and overall great experience. I felt very confident in the work that was completed. The recommendations that were made were fully explained and never pushy. I ve already recommended this business to my friends for their Toyotas.Service: General repairs & maintenanceService: General repairs & maintenance

  Kelly Ralston
9 months ago
Very thorough and professional. Leo was on top of everything and gave detailed explanations of what my vehicle needed. Very quick turn around and car is running great now. Highly recommend.Service: Auto water leak repairService: Auto water leak repair

  Jane Gehring
a year ago
Sean and crew are the best!I've been taking my succession of cars here for 20 odd years. Great service, always available in a pinch. Best, I absolutely trust them.Service: BrakesService: Brakes

  Taji James
2 years ago
Berkeley Bob's just became my go to mechanics! Shelby is upbeat and professional with a side of warmth. They are straightforward in accessing the repairs your car needs, what can wait and the time frame required to get the work done, and the price doesn't hurt too much. My experience was positive from start to finish. It's rare to feel like you're dealing with honesty in a mechanic but I trust that I am.Service: Auto power window repair

  Laura Burkhardt
4 years ago
I've been a customer of Berkeley Bob's for a few years and could not be happier with their service of my 2013 Hyundai.I was unsure about having my car serviced during Shelter In Place, but they made it so easy. I felt totally safe with their service and procedures in place to avoid person-to-person contact. Shelby is incredibly helpful on the phone, always ready to help with scheduling and questions.I am so happy to have a trustworthy mechanic and garage in Berkeley Bob's

  Tif Sippel
a year ago
Very communicative about what was going on, how much things would cost and when it would be done. Friendly staff and welcoming environment which is a big difference from past auto shop experiences. Final cost seemed expensive but I did not shop around and honestly have no idea what to compare it to as I am not privy to auto mechanics nor the cost of labor or parts. I happily paid for a working vehicle. Will definitely be back.Services: Electrical repair, Auto engine diagnostic

  lester lee
a year ago
Well organized and efficiently run shop. Very comforting to see and experienced a non-greasy repair shop with a very comfortable waiting area which included a vast selection of the latest edition of whatever magazine your heart desired.Upon my next auto problem I'll be rushing back to Bob's.Services: Auto engine tuning, Engine repair

  Kathrine Worel
a month ago
Great service on all fronts, could not recommend the Berkeley Bob team highly enough!!

  Katherine Mace
2 years ago
We have been trying to get our A/C fixed in our Hyundai Santa Fe for weeks and could not find a reasonably priced quote for the service. We brought it in to Berkeley Bob's yesterday and they had the service completed that day for a very reasonable price. They made it quick and easy for us and we will definitely be back for future services. We highly recommend Berkeley Bob's!Service: A/C installation & repair

  Albert V Meza
a year ago
Excellent and professional service. I needed a shied put on my catalytic convertor. They got me in for service the next day after I called. Friendly and knowledgeable staff who knew car service and repair. I'm glad I found them and will return for future service.

  Emerald Jones
3 years ago
This auto-shop was referred to me by a friend. Shelby the auto advisor for our vehicle is very polite and has a wealth of knowledge about cars which was helpful. We ended up not getting our AC unit fixed by them due to lack of confidence in their diagnosis. We are going to take it to one more place, and if we get the same feedback then we will consider their shop for repairs. Overall, good experience, but was hesitant about spending $2300 for the repairs with this new shop.Service: Air conditioning

  Eddy Shuldman
2 years ago
Twice our cabin filter was invaded by nesting rodents and twice the dealership offered no preventative solutions. Two days after our 2nd repair, the rodents had returned but we were on our way to Berkeley.We researched repair services and found Bob's. I talked to Sean who believed he could screen off their access. For roughly the same price we were charged by a dealer to only repair and sanitize, these folks did the same work PLUS successfully screened off the area. They even showed us photos of the repair! We are back from Berkeley and after a month...we are still rodent free. I wish we had a Berkeley Bob's where we live. We recommend their services highly.Service: Air & cabin filter replacement

  Tobie Helene Shapiro
9 months ago
Since I've been coming to Berkeley Bob's I don't dread bringing my Odyssey in for maintenance or repairs. No one is going to look at this woman of a certain age (the advanced one) and tell her her frama trap needs reeming and the port gutters have to be drained, so that'll be $3000.00 unless you want us to fix that brake problem which'd cost you an extra $750. Can you imagine trusting your mechanic? What a relief. Honest, informative, never condescending (no matter how right brained I am), good work and cultured employees. God I love Berkeley!Services: Electrical repair, Tires, General repairs & maintenance, Auto brake repair, Vehicle Inspection, Wiper blade installation, Auto maintenance, Battery, Oil change

  Casey S
4 years ago
I've been a customer here for three years, and couldn't recommend Berkeley Bob's highly enough. Everyone I've had the pleasure of meeting there is kind, helpful, and honest-- as someone who does their own research on parts/labor costs, I've never felt like I've received the short end of the stick. Thanks to everyone at Berkeley Bob's for running the best auto shop in town!

  Albert Garcia
3 years ago
We have been taking our cars to Berkeley Bob's for almost 20 years, and we wouldn't dream of taking our cars anywhere else. They are professional, friendly, and take care of their customers. Easy location, great service!Service: TransmissionService: Transmission

  Heather Woloszczuk
11 years ago
My Lexus IS250 was making a droning noise from the driver side tire/axle area so I suspected a bearing was going out on the vehicle. I took the car into the local Lexus dealership where they confirmed the bearing issue but then came back with a litany of other problems they said required attention and a quote of over 2k to fix them.I decided to get a second opinion and after reading reviews online called Berkeley Bob's for a quote. The price for the work on the bearing and other issues was much lower than what Lexus had quoted me so I took the plunge and decided to have my car serviced outside of the dealership for the first time in 7 years of owning the car.Wouldn't you know it, Berkeley Bob's disagreed with Lexus's assessment of "necessary" repairs and we decided to replace only the bearing for $250 less than what Lexus had quoted. Bob's was able to order in the needed parts for overnight delivery and fixed my car the very next day. I'm happy to report that it has been running great ever since!Even though I was nervous about having my car serviced outside of the Lexus dealership, Colin and Sean at Berkeley Bob's helped set my mind at ease by being informative, communicating frequently, and having outstanding customer service!!I highly recommend having your vehicle serviced at Berkeley Bob's.

  Al Gordon
3 years ago
I was having an issue my MMI in my 2010 Audi A5. It turned out to just be a blown fuse. They easily could've told me anything and I never would have known. They could've charged me a few thousand just to replace my fuse and said they had to rewire everything. I am so happy and appreciative of their honesty. They inspected the rest of my car and made suggestions on other necessary work that needed to be done. Of course I gave them the green light to complete all work. Nothing better than an honest mechanic. Thank you.Service: Brakes

  Kyle Williams
3 years ago
I have decided to leave my original review below, with edits added in line. If you don't want to read the wall of text, here is a summary: in my opinion this shop is honest and has clear communication. If you just need one thing done, you might call around just to see how the quotes compare, and take into account that this shop offers a 3year/36,000mi warranty. In the end I confirmed my diagnosis here, took it to another shop for a repair I don't have the tools for, and opted to do my brakes/rotors myself.Original review:Cost $76 for a diagnosis that I had come in with already (Front right wheel bearing/hub was squeaking/had play and needed replacement). I guess I paid mostly for an inspection. Then was told that they wanted to replace my rear brake pads and rotors. When I got the dimension on the rotors, they had 40% life left (showing at .312" when they come at .350" and are to be discarded at .300".((EDIT: Sean is right that they are at 19%, not 40%. I wrote down the wrong number over the phone (.321 instead of .312), and was reading from a rotor spec that was rounded during conversion. It is 7.5mm and 9mm, which is exactly what Sean wrote in his reply below to three decimal places in inches. ))So why suggest to replace them? They told me they always replace the rotors with brake pads. That is definitely not normal.((EDIT: I did some more poking around, and it is not uncommon, I just hadn't encountered it before. Some shops will recommend it and do it, while others won't. Part of the reason I was skeptical is that I do not experience any issues with my braking, and in the past I have always gone until the rotors are at/below the minimum OR if I experience uneven braking (warped rotor). I do not think this shop was being dishonest with their suggestion to replace. Over the phone I asked about warping as was told they were just thin. I'll take off my wheel and inspect it myself, likely doing the rotor job now with the brakes as he suggests.))The total quote was over $1500 for: the front right wheel bearing/hub assembly replacement, wheel alignment, and changing the rear brake pads and rotors. I called around and found a different local shop to do just the bearings/hub for $350.((EDIT: I called half a dozen shops in the Berkeley/Oakland area and got quotes ranging from $350 too $485 for this, and my paperwork from my receipt shows I got both the bearings and hub assembly replaced.))I'll do the breaks myself for $35. And when the time comes, I'll do the rotors myself for $110. And a professional alignment would cost be $90 locally if I wanted it. So all in all it will run me around ~$600.((EDIT: I agree, that it isn't 'apples to apples' to not include the difference in labor. I don't think this would cover the difference though.))Overall they were nice and clear in their communication. But between the quoted price and the whole "we always replace the rotors when we replace the brake pads" thing, I think I'll be shopping elsewhere.((EDIT: In retrospect, this was too harsh. I think there is value in working with a shop you feel is honest and that will stand by their work. I've updated my review to 4 stars. If they suggest changing the rotors at the same time as the brakes, I recommend you ask them what the thickness is, and if they see significant warping. If they have life left and are not warped, you can decide if you would rather get them replaced together or the next time you need to replace your brakes.))Thank you Sean for taking the time to reply to my review.

  Jan Etre
a year ago
A thorough exam of my vehicle exposed one of my battery cells to be defective. All else AOK, to my relief. I have placed my faith and trust in this outfit, and I am new to the company, but already I can vouch for their professionalism and prersonal care.Service: BatteryService: Battery

  Thomas Heuser
11 years ago
Bob's saved us today: it was a Friday afternoon, the car started doing something wonky (chugging), and they were still open. We called in, dropped by, and were on our way in less than an hour: Bob's replaced the very part that was causing the problem, with their customary smile. These guys are incredibly generous with their time, especially for recurring customers like us, the loyal Volvo types that are willing to endure trips to the service center for the safety and drivability of these great cars. Best Volvo place in Berkeley!

  Mayra Macias
3 years ago
I called to ask for a quote on a 60,000 k standard maintenance. The front desk lady explained that they typically do not do quotes over the phone. I asked why, given that we are in COVID and I want to make minimal contact with anyone. She became very rude and said, "we are not the cheapest and people asking for quotes typically want the cheapest, we are not a super market, we are trying to build a relationship and that we are not a good fit for you" and hung up on me.I am really applaud that she was so rude because I asked for a quote? I have ALWAYS taken my car to the dealership, so I highly doubt they are more expensive than the dealership.I feel bad for the business owner. I hope they realize what kind of person they have manning their front desk.

  seidemsh seidemsh
4 years ago
These guys are awesome! I took a work vehicle in for a service. They reported on the problem, and since it was something that needed to be fixed by the dealer they didn't charge us. I will definitely take all of our work vehicles into Berkeley Bob's from now on!

  Dawn Nakashima
8 months ago
Fantastic!! They take great care of my 2022 KIA Niro. Friendly, efficient and communicative. Would highly recommend.Service: General repairs & maintenanceService: General repairs & maintenance