Carter's Automotive

I brought my 350z in to Carter's for Chris to change out the transmission. I brought Chris the new transmission and clutch and he reassured me that it would be taken care of. What I didn't realize is that the transmission I provided Chris was "incomplete". Chris sourced all the parts I needed and kept in close contact to keep me updated.

Despite me coming all the way from Napa, I will continue seeking service from Carter's. Both Chris and Sam worked with my schedule to accommodate the drop off and pick up of the car.


UPDATE: I just wanted to point out how genuine these guys care about their customers. I found a small leak from the transmission swap and Chris immediately took care of the problem under warranty with no questions asked. He repaired the leak and a month down the road e-mails me to check on the car. I can honestly say this is the FIRST TIME EVER that I've had a mechanic call me to check on their work!

Again, I'd definitely recommend Carter's to anyone out there who needs work on their car.

Once again, another positive experience at Carter's! It was that time we had been dreading...taking our car into the shop to have a bunch of work done on it after 3+ years of neglect. We knew before hand that it needed a lot of work done....breaks, new tires, tire alignment, fluids, filters, plugs, you name it....our car needed it.

After the owner looked at our car, he gave us a list of everything that needed to be done, the cost of labor and parts and gave us a quote of just under $1,500. I told him we were on a student family budget and he said he would try to shave off money here and there where he could. He also assured me that we would NOT charge more than he quoted.

Upon picking up our car, it ran like a dream...so smooth! Is this a dream? Our car is no longer shaking and making weird noise!

And the bill? It was $100 less than he quoted us! I looked at the bill which broke down everything and he charged us less for our new tires -very appreciated. He also told me he gave me the Living Social price for a service to help save me money (I wasn't even aware of the Living Social deal) -awesome! And to top that off...I used my 10% discount through Yelp for a total savings of $250!

If you're looking for a car mechanic who is honest and won't rip you off then you must come here!

When I moved to the East Bay 3 years ago, I tried a few different shops out to see which one I could settle on. I had a 2004 Corolla with almost 200K miles. Each time I would bring the car in for an oil change, Chris would do a thorough check to let me know what had to be done, what could wait, and what it would cost at maximum. When work was done, it almost always was less than the quote because his mechanics are competent and efficient. They have great customer service. I feel like I am treated fairly here as a woman and that is huge.

I sold my old Corolla and bought a new one and now Chris takes care of this one as well.

My first visit at Carter's was after getting no help from calling many other shops to extract and re-thread a broken screw head in the camshaft position sensor block. Chris said no problem and managed to do all that for a little over $100 while a couple places quoted me as much as a few hundreds. I had been going there ever since for different kinds of car services, and they had always been reasonably priced and good.

I am surprised to hear that they may not be in business anymore because of decreasing business. If you want to keep a good local service, you are recommended to go there ASAP.

I really wanted to make Carter's my local auto shop. Had a great oil change and tire rotation. Chris is helpful, kind and pleasant to talk with.

Then, I had an issue with my windows not going back up. Brought it to Carter's, got a quote, and got charged $60 for them looking at it. Would've preferred a heads up about the $60 charge, but they credit it back if you get the repair done with them.

They quoted me $600 for a new regulator and motor. I got this repair done for $250 at a shop down the street.

Got am extremely good deal on the synthetic oil change here for my 2013 Toyota Sienna, especially with Yelp's $50 for $75 voucher! In fact, I still had some credit left afterwards and they were willing to apply it to a new air filter. Very nice deal. Other places charge way more for things I did not need at this time (e.g. multi-point inspection, fluid and tire pressure top off, etc).

The mechanic, Leon, was very friendly. Service was fast (scheduled next day appointment). While Robert at the front desk seemed a bit quiet / reserved, he was overall professional and courteous. He even gave me two tire valve caps free of charge when I asked him where I could get a couple for my other car (another shop lost them when performing maintenance...). Also, the shop is surprisingly clean and well kept.

Another very important point that no one else has mentioned so far. They have a very nice wooden train set/table for kids to play while they wait - my son loved it. Also two very comfortable chairs in that waiting area and one smaller one for kids. The only down side is that their water dispenser and coffee maker were not working.

I'll definitely be back to give them a chance at some larger maintenance projects next chance I get.

I had a pre-purchase inspection done on a used car that I was going to purchase. These guys not only got me a timely appointment, but were able to complete the inspection in a little over an hour. The best part was they saved me from buying a car that needed $3000 in repairs!!!!

With all of that they've definitely earned my business.

I have been bringing my car to Carter's for a little over two years now, and I highly recommend their services. I switched over to Carter's Automotive from a different local mechanic after feeling uneasy about some of the frequent repairs that the previous mechanic insisted on. When I approached Chris about this same issue back in 2014, he informed me that the parts were fine but of an inferior material (so I could replace it if I wanted to, but it wasn't necessary at the time). That experience convinced me that I could trust Chris and his team.

I have only corresponded with Chris and Robert so far, and both are very honest, friendly, respectful, and thorough in their explanations. They've offered to drop me off before, but I live so close that I just walk home after leaving my car with them. They are very reasonably priced and I have never felt pressured to do unnecessary work on my car. I also really appreciate that they take the time to explain what's going on with my car too, so that I can understand what they fixed and why.

If you're looking for a new mechanic, give them a call.

Fast and friendly! They quoted me $14 exactly to fix the nail in my tire on my Toyota unlike every other car place that I called who who quoted upwards of 30.. Including my overpriced Toyota dealer. I highly recommend!

I can't believe I forgot to write a review about my experience with Carter Automotive.
Chris, the owner is hands on, and very competent. I brought my Toyota 4 Runner into his shop. I was taking my family to Tahoe and wanted the car to be road worthy. It is an older car but I love it.
TRUTH: When the owner cares more about your car than you do YOU know you are at the right place. Chris is a great guy and very focused on the quality of his service. He gave me 3 options of things that needed to be done and I took all three and the car drives like new! We had a great trip to Tahoe and it was comforting to not have to worry about whether the care would make it.