Bob Reinheimers Richmond Auto Rpr

Bryndis T.

January 6, 2012 at 03:12 AM

Twenty-some-odd years ago, I took my beloved 1960 Dodge to Bob, checkbook and heart in hand, to have my engine rebuilt.  Pretty much every mechanic I'd ever taken it to said my engine needed to be rebuilt, so I'd been saving my pennies for years.Bob looked at me and said, "well, kid, if you've got your heart set on a rebuild, I'll do it for you, but all you really need is about $60 worth of parts and a few hours of labor."  I can't guarantee you'll get that kind of good news, but I can promise you absolute integrity and an encyclopedian knowledge of cars.I've been taking my cars to the gentlemen at Richmond Auto ever since, and about the only downside is that they are so much fun to talk to I often end up staying longer than I should :)

ALLEN C.

May 13, 2011 at 01:09 AM

I found Bob after looking extensively for someone to help me out with my 1970 Ford Bronco.  He is full of great stories and has an extensive knowledge of vehicles like no one I have ever met.  These days it's hard to come by a mechanic who knows their way around a carburetor.  He is honest, fair, and straightforward. What more could you ask for?

Michael S

November 12, 2010 at 12:36 AM

In the world of customer service, Bob Reinheimer is, well, from a more advanced planet.  Never have I met a business owner who understands the consumer perspective so deeply, or who is so attentive to his customers that he is not just willing but also happy to take his own time to explain the science of his service/good.  If you're not interested in solving your problem and learning something from it, then this is not the guy for you.  My story: my jalopy could not pass a smog check and I subsequently dragged myself through the annals of car owner hell.  I used up nearly half of my sick time and several weeks' worth of lunch hours to bring my car to several Gold Shield Smog Technicians, a Californa-certified smog referee and also my dealer (thrice), none of whom could avail me of any quality diagnosis or detailed explanation of my car's problems.  I had been on the phone with the Bureau of Automotive repair in Sacramento and had filed complaints with my local assemblyman and state senator (at the advice of the Bureau).   Even when I met or spoke with officially-designated experts on the subject or laws, they seemed quick to shrug their shoulders and shoo me away.Not so with Bob.  I left my car with him and received an update on his progress halfway through my shift.  When I went to pick up my car at the end of the workday--which was also the end of his workday--he took his own hour and half to run through the atoms and quarks of catalytic converters and their role in splitting unburnt hydrocarbon particles into molecules that were not so harmful to the environment.  Bob drew  diagrams, made analogies, hooked the car up to his diagnostic instruments (the functions of which he ALSO explained to me) just so I could have a full understanding of the matter at hand, and all the while, he made sure I could keep up with the science.  I honestly feel like I could teach a class about emissions and am even considering studying green tech now that my intellectual curiosity has been piqued.  I haven't experienced such intensive education since college, and Bob didn't even make me pay for the lesson. But the service didn't end there--Bob also endowed me with a knowledge of federal and state warranties on the affected parts of my car.  Not surprisingly, the dealer did not tell me about these warranties, but I would have at least expected the regulators up in Sacramento to be abreast and expressive about this stuff, but Bob was the only one who bothered to tell me about these consumer protections.  He took the time to go through my history of maintenance and was able to pick out payments for repairs I  had made in the past that I should have never have had to make.  As a result, I am in good standing to ask the manufacturer to incur the costs of repair for what was very much their oversight--or unethical business practice, take your pick--because I am now armed with a knowledge of both federal emissions warranties and vehicular emissions control systems.  I am only beginning to make my case with the dealer, but if I had not taken my car to Bob, I would have never known that I even had a case, and might have driven the car into the Bay, but for the grace of god.  What a shockingly attentive, fun, pedagogical and thoughtful owner--truly, from out of this world.

Laurie T

June 15, 2010 at 09:19 AM

I've been going to Bob Reinheimer at Richmond Auto Repair for eight years now and I have complete trust in his competence. He has always helped me out, been totally accommodating and generous and has shared loads of his knowledge and experience about cars with me. I feel good having Bob and his staff as my mechanics!

Erin

May 9, 2010 at 02:08 PM

I had never heard of nor had I visited, this auto shop before yesterday, when I ended up there by chance.  Bob (the owner) struck me as being extremely knowledgable, helpful, honest - and I got a great deal!!  I was prepared to buy 2 new tires, but instead of pushing the sale, Bob repaired both leaky tires in under an hour for far less than I've paid elsewhere.  I will definately be bringing my car back here next time it needs something done.   Its been hard for me to find an auto mechanic that doesn't charge A LOT more than I'd like to pay, but I feel like this place is a steal.  And they know what they're doing!  I've spent much more money at larger chain shops thinking that at least the work would be done right, but I'm here to tell you, Bob noticed and corrected the other shop's errors for a fraction of the price.  Highly recommend!!

Erin

May 8, 2010 at 08:00 AM

I had never heard of nor had I visited, this auto shop before yesterday, when I ended up there by chance.  Bob (the owner) struck me as being extremely knowledgable, helpful, honest - and I got a great deal!!  I was prepared to buy 2 new tires, but instead of pushing the sale, Bob repaired both leaky tires in under an hour for far less than I've paid elsewhere.  I will definately be bringing my car back here next time it needs something done.   Its been hard for me to find an auto mechanic that doesn't charge A LOT more than I'd like to pay, but I feel like this place is a steal.  And they know what they're doing!  I've spent much more money at larger chain shops thinking that at least the work would be done right, but I'm here to tell you, Bob noticed and corrected the other shop's errors for a fraction of the price.  Highly recommend!!

nicole h.

September 22, 2009 at 02:47 AM

Bob is a fantastic, honest mechanic.  Instead of buying a new part (like other places wanted to do) he fixed the original part.  That's the kind of guy you want to work with - one that's on your side and will try to help you save money.

Rebecca K

May 17, 2009 at 03:28 AM

Had a flat tire and drove to the Mission to see if I could find a good place to get it fixed.  Bob waved me right in with the promise that he'd have my tire repaired and get me on my way in no time.  He was right - they fixed it quickly and at a good price.  Furthermore, after fixing it, he made sure to check the air pressure in all of my tires and help me find a solution to an error message I was getting on my Prius.  If I ever have another problem this is where I'll go!

Dana B

July 24, 2008 at 12:24 PM

Bob Reinheimer owns the shop and does much of the work himself. He's a great mechanic and is a very honest and fair person. I've heard that he even has a loaner car if you need one while he's fixing yours.