SoCal Sprinter Mechanic
4.8 (46)
1647 W Redlands Blvd unit B, Redlands, CA 92373
(951) 488-6845
Claimed
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
Reviews
Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.
Alison Smith
2 years ago
Richard is the best! My van broke down in the foothills about 20 miles north of his shop. I wasn't sure I could drive all the way back. He waited for me and got right to work. He did the most thorough diagnostic work of any shop i had been in. Once the problem that brought me there was fixed i started asking about other things that had been bothering me for years. I ended up getting so many issues resolved. Things like my steering was very hard. 5 other shops had driven this van over the 3 years I have owned it. Not 1 checked the power steering pump. Now my van steers like other sprinters I have driven.
Isabella Griffith
6 months ago
Richard is the BEST mechanic I've ever had and the sweetest person on the planet. I broke down, thankfully, only a few miles away and he helped me get back on the road. I live in my sprinter full time and he has helped me COUNTLESS times with any issues I've ever had.His knowledge, kindness, and readiness to help a person in need goes beyond anything I've ever seen in a mechanic. He's my go to guy and the person I recommend to anyone that has a sprinterServices: Air & cabin filter replacement, Tires, Brakes, Brake service & repair
Erick Etheredge
2 weeks ago
Our van had an oil leak and we took it to a mechanic in Yucaipa and it came back with even more oil leaking. I didn t see this shop or else I would have went here first. Richard fixed everything they messed up and the original leak. He does great work and we are happy that we found him. Don t go anywhere else he knows what he s doing
Ali Tahani
9 months ago
I talked with them over the phone, and told the problems with my van. He said he will fix it, no problem. I towed the van over his garage, no space inside, so he didn t spent enough time to diagnose the problem, instead offered to put new engine with no reason!!! It cost me $600 on tow truck and he charged $1200 to program my keys.if you don t have time to work on people s vans because you re so busy, then you don t have to accept new clients instead of playing them.Services: Electrical, Auto engine diagnostic
Rudy Gonzalez
2 months ago
Better than dealer without the plug and play pricy diagnostics . My GL350 always has some issue but Richard has not found one he couldn't fix. Awesome shop
Lex Santos
a year ago
Richard and his family are incredibly trustworthy and knowledgeable. All the amazing things written about them on the blog SprinterSource are true and they have exceeded my expectations each visit. His prices are fair and he is always recommending, with out pressure, future maintenance to ensure your van runs better and longer. Thank you Richard for all the hard work and sharing your knowledge.
David R
8 months ago
In my experience with so cal sprinter is nothing like the reviews I read. Richard's attitude was the complete opposite. He assured me he would be able to fix the wiring on my sprinter before I showed up. I had it towed over there. One of the first things he told me is that he just did a job like this and it costed around $6,000. To change a wiring harness. He continued to give me misinformation about the diagnosis on my sprinter. Telling me there's no way the computer could have been fried if it was still working. Turned out the computer was fried but she could not fix so I had to send it in to SOS diagnostics in Oregon. This was after he told me I could just get a computer locally and put it in and it would start without programming. Which led to the computer malfunctioning and me needing to get another one. I don't know how this place can be a so-called specialty sprinter mechanic shop and he does not know basic wiring for it. In the end he costing me over 3 weeks of waiting there stranded giving me the wrong information.
Guicho D
9 months ago
Ive had issues with my sprinter for over a year . I had takin it to two different diesel mechanic shops and neither one could fix it .It would not drive past 40 mph and had the check engine light on that would not allow me to pass my smog check.They literally gave up on it ,saying Mercedes sprinters are very problematic . I had Socal sprinter mechanics work on it .Very knowledgable True experts !! In one day they had it up and running like new!! They fixed every issue it had. Very professional and honest , on top of that they have very reasonable prices. Im glad theres still good decent people out there. They really go above and beyond to get the job done . Highly recommended!!
jess nalley
2 years ago
Richard is the best sprinter Mechanic on the west coast period.He has worked on my 2008 sprinter van 3 seperate times once for scheduled maintenance and twice for mechanical repairs. each time Richard goes out of his way to make sure the job is done right. He showed me the results of the computer diagnosis first hand and had parts on hand to complete the repairs while I got lunch near his new and improved shop. Richard is the best period. you can trust his deep knowledge and his prices.Service: Auto engine diagnostic
Adam Canton
a year ago
Was driving home to Utah from So Cal and had sudden loss of power. Called SoCal Sprinter and he agreed to look at it same day. Fairly routine fix and I was back on the road. This guy knows everything about Sprinters. He s my new go to!
simon s
a year ago
My van overheated going uphill close to Beaumont and upon searching google i found Richard. I called him, managed to drive to his shop with my heater on so the van wouldn't overheat and got there at 8 PM. Richard stayed until 11 pm to try to figure out what the problem was. We changed the cooling fan and figured out we need to change the thermostat too but since he didn't have one and it was to late to get the part, i drove back to my hotel and the next day Richard drove all the way to San Bernardino to get the part and drove back to Beaumont where i was staying at my hotel and changed my thermostat on the spot, and didn;t charge me anything for the trip. He is a really knowledgeable mechanic and a good man like you rarely find these days. Problem solved , my van ran like a dream again and i managed to drive back to Arizona. God Bless you Richard and thank you so much for your help!
Lina Bell
3 years ago
I can t even begin to describe how amazing Richard & the crew at SoCal Sprinter Mechanic is. I was traveling through and my van was having problems. They managed to fit me in and not only assist me, but show me exactly what was wrong. It was like having a mini lesson in Sprinter mechanics. I understand more about my van now and how to drive it, maintain it, and what to watch out for in the future. I have never felt like I could trust a mechanic more. These guys are knowledgeable, professional, informed, and genuine. They work with an integrity that is rare in the world of car mechanics. Their experience is such that they were able to diagnose my problem more accurately and efficiently than my usual mechanic at home. I wish I lived closer so that I could make them my primary mechanics. My van continued to have issues after I left, and Richard has been in text contact with me ever since giving me advice and making sure I can get it safely to another garage without damaging anything. If you re lucky enough to stumble upon this mechanic, you ve struck gold. You are in the best hands you could possibly be in. I cannot recommend this garage highly enough. THANK YOU RICHARD & THE SOCAL SPRINTER MECHANIC TEAM!!!
Bill Rhetts
2 years ago
I had an unknown problem with my Sprinter 3500. A previous mechanic was not able to diagnose it, as they lacked the proper equipment and knowledge. I then drove to So Cal Sprinter Mechanics (their new location in Redlands). Their shop was full of Sprinters, but since my problem could be repaired in a couple of hours, Richard was able to fit me into their schedule without an appointment. He had me sit in the passenger seat while he did a comprehensive diagnosis. He then showed me the results, and he even educated me as to how my problem was caused by myself. He and his son provided old-school friendly customer service, but with the most modern computer equipment to properly diagnose the problem, and remedy it with a proper prognosis. This was a pleasurable experience, where I also acquired new knowledge and understanding of my Sprinter. Therefore, I feel safe trusting them with my Sprinter in the future. Five stars for sure! Bill R - RedlandsServices: Electrical repair, Auto engine diagnostic
Adam Rife
4 years ago
AWESOME! Just saw Richard to go over the various parts of my van that need fixing. It was a great experience, very professional, very educational, and he is extremely knowledgeble about the peculiarities of the sprinter. He has all the diagnostic equipment and tools the dealers have, but saved me thousands. I will continue to have my work done by him and recommend him to anyone else with a sprinter (any year).
Steph and Chris House
2 years ago
Richard was a complete stranger when I had him evaluated a sprinter I was looking to purchase from out-of-state. By the end of my experience I felt like he was a friend that I could trust with anything. He was fair, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to make sure I was getting a good van. I highly recommend Richard cause he is a stand-up human that does the right things for his customers.Service: Auto engine diagnostic
INCH LLC
2 years ago
The best sprinter mechanics on the west coast. I ve lived from Seattle to San Diego and been everywhere in between in my camper vans and Richard and his sons are the best sprinter mechanics I ve ever found. They re so friendly, they ll show you exactly what is wrong with your van. They have fit me into their schedule with no notice a few times while I m passing through and always provide thorough work. I recommend all my friends with sprinters come here for any need and I ve never heard a bad word back from anyone in two years. Best sprinter mechanics on the west coast hands down.
Pablo Ortiz
2 years ago
Richard and his son totally took care of my 2007 sprinter. Richard talked me through diagnostics over the phone to see if the van could take a two hour drive out of the high desert to his shop. Together we got it going remotely and back to his personal care. He helped when he didn t have to ( think weekends!) He is a great guy and knows these vans inside and out - a sea of sprinter mechanical knowledge.
Troy Smothermon
2 years ago
Richard and his sons are honest and talented mechanics. On the side of the road broken down in Barstow, I called Richard. He took 20 mins over the phone to coach me through potential problems with my van. He spoke like he was my best friend though we had never met. The next day, I had my 2004 sprinter towed to Richard s shop due to a limp home mode situation.Richard worked all night ON A SATURDAY to get me and my girl back on the road.Every step of the way, Richard went out of his way to explain the problems with my van and he did an excellent job with the repairs. I would recommend (and WILL recommend) this shop to all sprinter owners.Viva l� Roadtrip! Vive Richard!Services: Transmission, Auto engine diagnostic
tim deegan
4 years ago
Strongly recommend this place. After terrible service and pricing when I took my 2007 Sprinter to Walter's Mercedes in Riverside last year, I tried the next closest business to me - Richard's. So glad I did.I had done a little research online about the whistling noise (and small leaks I was seeing on the driveway). He asked a couple of direct questions and then said he was 100% sure the whistling was the turbo resonator (which was my suspicion). He happened to have one handy from one of the other Sprinters in the driveway and gave me an in depth explanation. He then pointed out where and what the leak was. He also ran a diagnostic right there and explained some other things to me, showing me the computer screen and even said he could show me how to fix/maintain some of the common things he sees with engines like mine (100K+ miles).He sent pictures of things he worked on and stuck to his original estimate even when he saw I needed some other minor things. And it was done fast.Finding a good mechanic is hard. Finding a great mechanic who mainly works on your model vehicle and charges probably half what a dealer would is liking finding a unicorn. Thanks Richard!
Andy Lansing
4 years ago
Richard was an absolute pleasure to work with. Quality, Professionalism, friendliness were impeccable. Walked me through each procedure. Was upfront regarding cost. Always kept me in the loop. I felt comfortable from the start. Once vehicle was ready, I was unable to drive out to pick up vehicle on day job was completed. He quickly offered to drive it to me in corona. A true blessing to anyone looking fir servicing on their vehicles. Thank you Richard!
ST W
a year ago
This place is by far the best sprinter shop I have ever used. And that is actually an understatement. Honest as Heck. Yes I said it HONEST. Extremely knowledgeable and quick at the same time.To illustrate how honest they are. My 3500 had a big leak of fluid coming from somewhere, so 2 weeks earlier Walter's diagnosed it and quoted me $1600.00. So i asked RIchard to give me a price on that. When Bryan finished getting it up and running. I thought he forgot about my leak problem. Nope ! He fixed that also-No charge!! He could have easily took advantage of me like Walter's tried to do.. RIchard and his son Bryan were a breath of air I will never go anywhere else periodService: Auto engine diagnostic
Bartosz Skubik
2 years ago
Amazing job, knew exactly what the problem without digging into it. Very skilled in his job. The problem wasn t a simple fix. Spent pretty much the whole day working with me trying to get me back on the road after getting one problem fixed another came after and he stuck with it to get me back on the road to my family. And best of all he didn t try to upcharge me like most. Very genuine guy and honest. He charged what any mechanic would charge but less than Mercedes Dealer would. Very much recommend him for sprinter work in California
Breana Daleski
5 years ago
Have never written a review for anyone, but Richard and his son are deserving! We were traveling across the country all the way from Michigan when our sprinter broke down. It was 5 o'clock and all the shops were closing when I called Richard he said we should be able to get us back on the road tonight. I totally didn't believe him but thought hey at least he'll work on it tomorrow. Our tow truck took forever and we didn't get to Richard until after 7:00. He diagnosed and fixed our problem IN THE RAIN, was good on his promise and had us back on the road! Super kind guy and shared a lot of sprinter knowledge. If you have any sprinter issues call Richard, he is the man!
VanTravelMTB
2 years ago
Richard at SoCal Sprinters specializes in sprinter vans and he really knows his stuff. I have been to multiple sprinter mechanics before and they didn't put in half the effort that Richard does when diagnosing an issue or explaining a problem to me. I will definitely bring my van back and I strongly recommend this mechanic.
Anne Cape
a year ago
Richard knows his stuff, especially how to solve the quirkier problems with the old T1Ns. He not only talked me through a handful of suggested fixes when I broke down in Joshua Tree this winter - and I wasn't even his customer yet - but he very patiently showed me how he could troubleshoot the different codes that came up (I'm a newish T1n owner so the learning curve is vast). His vast experience also meant that he could predict the likely next areas that would require attention so that I could actually do some preventative work for once.He is professional, talented, competitively-priced and operates with a rare combination of integrity and heart. Highly highly recommend.Services: Transmission, Air & cabin filter replacement, Auto engine diagnostic
JR N
3 years ago
After so many bad experiences with other "Mechanics" Ricardo finally was able to fix the check engine lights, the trouble codes, the air conditioning problems and a few other issues caused by other mechanics. I'm very happy we got our company 2006 Mercedes Sprinter back and running again after 2 years of issues! It even passed the smog test 15 min after picking it up and even the dealer couldn't do it! Don't waste time and money anywhere else just trust these guys and be done with it.Services: Electrical, Auto engine diagnostic, Air conditioning
Hector Jimenez
4 years ago
Richard and his son are very knowledgeable when it comes to Sprinters. They are very patient explaining different parts of the engine and their functions. I had a DEF related problem on my 2013 Freightliner Sprinter van and they fixed it and as they were diagnosing the problem they educated me on what caused it and how to prevent from happening again. I would definitely bring back my van to these guys and recommend anyone that has problems with their Sprinters to give them a try!
Iron Expeditors
7 months ago
Absolutely awesome customer service and great quality work, prices are very reasonable along with complete honesty. 10 Stars shop, would recommend to anyone,Thank you Richard for everything once again.
laura bruneau
3 years ago
Richard has done an amazing job on my Sprinter, he is a great mehanic and takes the time to explain how everything works, he will give you a much better deal and service than any big name Mercedes dealer repair shop. Highly recommend him
Tom Swanson
a year ago
Richard knows Sprinters better than anyone I know. I had some code issues and was trying to fix them on my own with no luck. Richard had it diagnosed and fixed in 30 min.Services: Electrical, Auto engine diagnosticServices: Electrical, Auto engine diagnostic