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Three reasons to take your car to Don's:1) Really friendly people. 2) Quick service. Rolled on in after jumpstarting my car for the 3rd time in one week (she's a stubborn gal). They replaced my car battery in 10 minutes. 3) Reasonable prices. $100 for high-quality car battery. $30 for labor. Hooray! I've found my local mechanic!
I Love Love Love Don's! Great service, super friendly, (Carol's a hoot and Dave's a doll), and never over sell you. I have taken my '86 Honda Civic there for over two years and have always found them to be spot on!
Great friendly service. Stopped in for a smog check- took 10 minutes. I am very happy with the service and price.
Great guys! They changed my front headlight in minutes and charged me less than $10 for service!
Don's Auto Service...it truly is as good as it gets! A wise someone once said to me, "Mike C, besides family, you need 3 important people in your life...1) a Doctor...2) a Lawyer...3) and a great Auto Mechanic. So true. I got the great doctor...never needed a lawyer (fingers crossed) and after years of trial and error, have had the perfect auto mechanic/team for the past 8 years! Note: this conclusion doesn't come easily for someone like me (meaning, no easy going Honda or Toyota that needs a this or that every few years)...I'm talking about 3 separate newer used cars in the past 8 years (the first two left my possession due to other driver's errors/accidents) and the general maintenance they require and two vintage/classic cars (that get their fair share of road time...why have them if you ain't gonna drive them!) that Dave and his team have always been happy to work on (I hope).So here's why I love the team at Don's Auto: Dave (Don's son) is truly an amazing mechanic (along with Hector and Kevin) who always gives it to me straight...no BS...no extra selling...no replacing parts that still have life in them. They give an honest appraisal when you first come in, call if anything changes and presents great options so you can decide what road to take. And, to top it all off, most things are done the same day! Plus, they actually take the time afterwards to review what was done, anything to keep an eye on for down the road and any warranties that are applicable for replaced parts! That last part there is really about Carol who runs the front desk/office (let's say she's the "Service" to Dave and Team's "Auto"). As a whole, everyone there is cheerful, friendly and extremely appreciative of your business (and, that includes Don...the watcher of everything "Don's Auto"...hey, it's his name on the door...he wants to make sure his customers are treated right). I won't go into any specific car-related scenario as there's plenty of great stories in their other positive reviews (though I did just see them about trouble with an old truck that they went above and beyond to make sure all was correct and fixed right and tight)...but wanted just share the belief that if you're concerned about getting your auto fixed right and at a truly honest price, Don's Auto Service is the place to go. Hands down. No doubt about it. I feel that way...will feel that way...and the 7 friends who've gone to Don's based on my adamant recommendations wholeheartedly feels that way. Small, family businesses are truly the backbone of this country/economy and we need to do what we can to support the longevity of this.
This place is amazing. My car broke down on a 3- day weekend. No only did they look at my car asap, they gave me a fair estimate too. So given the 2 hour window they estimated, I took off for lunch. Not only did they call back in less than 2 hours, my total was $50 less than the estimate! & they even called to make sure I got home ok! THE best shop in SF ever! :) Thank you soooo much for being the coolest people on earth!!S.
I don't know if I could possibly express my gratitude to Don's Auto. I run a puppy daycare and dog walking business that requires 4 vehicles on the road daily. In the 6 years that I've been open and bringing my vehicles to Don's, I have always left with my vans back on the road in a timely fashion and the knowledge that my employees and animals are safe on the roads. Not only do they do great work, they always look for the least expensive way to get the job done, they prioritize the work for me with honest opinion and knowledge and to top it off, they always have a treat ready for my dogs when we come in to pick up our vehicles! Dave is the BEST mechanic in town, not to mention Kevin and the rest of the crew there. And Carol, who runs the office, is like family to me. She understands my business can not run without my vans on the road so she will squeeze me in even when they are slammed. Don't look any further is you need a good mechanic - they are a rare breed and I feel lucky to have found one so close to home. Last, I need to mention their animal welfare advocacy - they love animals as much as I do over and Carol and Dave have a long history of rescuing cats, making sure they get their shots and are spayed/neutered and then re-homing them. Need I say more about their ethics? I LOVE YOU DON'S AND COULDN'T RUN MY BUSINESS WITHOUT YOU! Get thee to Don's in the new year, your car and wallet with thank you!!!
Have been to Don's in the past for a smog check and have been happy every time. They are speedy, efficient and only cost $40. Plus, you don't need a coupon, like the place on Potrero.Plus, Dave Nugent (son of the man who started the biz) is humorous with his wry remarks, honest and friendly.
best ever. unfortunately, i found dave and cathy in 2005 cuz i destroyed my mother's volvo (yes, its almost impossible but my nickname is Calamity Slutsky) .... and Dave sold me his son's mazda to tide me over till i could buy the crazy honda i still drive today! i've sent numerous people there and have been there with all my cars and they are the best! also, dave looks like a rock star and cathy is on facebook! what more do u need to know.
I was referred to Don after driving my car into a cement block in heavy rain. My front hood was completely bashed in. Luckily the engine and transmission was spared. However, I had to replace the front bumper and hood. Don was honest while explaining which auto parts need to be ordered from the car manufacturer and which I could get away with using after-market parts. His quote was at least a third cheaper than the other bids. I was able to get 2 references to check on his quality of work. He finished my car in a little over 1 week. I was so grateful for his timely and professional service.
This place was fantastic. I brought in my car to check for a whole in a tire, and the guys spotted the tiniest of holes and fixed it on the spot, with no wait. They also did a light-speed tire rotation and were friendly the whole time. I always dread going into auto shops because I have zero car knowledge, but these guys made me feel welcomed rather than making me feel like, well, an idiot. Prices seemed very reasonable too. Thanks guys!
Don is honest as the day is long. Everyone there is SO friendly and nice. I've had my smog check done here-- it was finished before I had time to go get a cup of coffee! So when the engine light went on in my VW, I took it to Don's. Even without an appointment, they took my car right away. $70 and a quick diagnostic later, they explained that the sensors in VWs can be glitchy (believe me, it would not be the first glitchy thing about my 2003 clunker), and they would rather wait and see if the light came back on before making a major repair. And if the light does come back on, they will not charge me for a second diagnostic test. They also had me back on the road fast-- it took Don longer to write up my receipt with a thorough history of the problem than it did to run the diagnostic!Like another reviewer said, as a woman (and totally ignorant about cars) I am wary of being overcharged for auto repairs. I trust that I always get honest and friendly service from Don's. The heartfelt letters on the walls going back YEARS tell you how grateful and loyal Don's customers are. Count me among them.
I brought my mini cooper in for a 50K service check at Don's today. I was impressed with their friendliest and helpfulness. It felt like a real honest shop - with honest prices.
I needed a Smog Check, so I drove in to Don's Auto this morning. I hadn't called ahead, so I thought there might be a wait, but as soon as I arrived, the woman who works there said, "I'll be right with you," and she was! Within fifteen minutes, and for only $40.25, I was out of there with my certificate already submitted electronically. The staff were efficient, professional, and friendly. I'll go back every time!
I was really impressed with the customer service here.I was going overseas, and I had to renew my car registration before I left. My car had to be smogged, and I foolishly left it to the very last minute. I called the shop, and they said they could get the job done in about 20 minutes. So I raced over there. When I arrived, they asked for the smog test info I'd gotten with my renewal notice. "What smog test info?" I said. Turns out there are different smog tests, and they needed to know which one my car needed. I didn't have the info with me, and I have to admit I was a little pissy at the prospect of having to go back home and get it. The woman at the desk was really nice to me anyway. She really wanted to find a way to solve the problem. Then one of the mechanics came over, and he knew what kind of test my car needed. So I didn't have to make a trip home, and they got the test done really quickly. I left a happy customer.
the nice lady behind the counter was super nice and explained everything in logical english, which as we all know you don't always get in the mechanic's garage. Don was cool and checked in regularly about the work he was doing, reasonable charges that came in at his estimate. Super cool. Will go back.
I can't say enough good things about this shop. Every single person in it engaged me and had a sense of humor. I went there because it had the cheapest smog check in the neighborhood, and judging from what I've heard from others it is also one of, if not the, cheapest in the city. They even directed me to nearby coffee shops where I could bide my time. (Speaking of time, it only took ten minutes! During which they advised me of tricks I could pull to take a few dents out of my car at home. Unheard of!) All of the other customers in the shop I saw left with shiny happy smiles and promises to return. And as a woman who is relatively clueless about cars beyond the wash, wax, gas, and inflating of the tires sort of upkeep, they NEVER make me feel like a dumbass. Please, go here.
My car was showing all the symptoms of a dying clutch, so I took it to Don's on short notice the Friday before a holiday weekend. My usual repair shop was booked up and I wanted to get the job done fast without getting ripped off. No worries. Don warned me that if it was the clutch, it would be $1100 because of the weird design of my Saturn. I left the car with him fearing the worst, but got a call a few hours later saying it was just a clogged fuel filter, and the whole job would be only $160. He could have easily told me I needed the big clutch job, but he told the truth and won a loyal customer and a 5-star recommendation!
Very friendly, in and out in one day, inexpensive. I plan to visit them for all my service needs for my 2002 Chevy TrailBlazer and 1995 Mazda Miata.My girlfriend took her ancient Camry in, also had a good experience.
straight up, $40.25 for a smog cert. in and out within less than 20 minutes, totally cool and friendly people, exactly as the reviews here described. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
I'm glad I'm not the first to give this place some hype. They are very good...I took my car in there b/c the check engine light was on. They ran the diagnostic computer check cheaper than anyone else I called ($70 vs. $100, or something.) Then, for no charge, the mechanic figured out that cleaning a part on the intake would fix it, which he did for no additional charge. Problem solved - total time, 30 minutes. Plus, the Smog Check was one of the cheapest around as well. If I still owned a car, I would take to Don's every time.
I went to Don's Auto Service this afternoon for a smog check. The people who helped me were very polite. The service was excellent and fast! The smog check was at a great price too... $40.25.
