Steve's Auto Care
Category: Auto Repair [Edit]
744 San Pablo Avenue(between Portland Ave & Washington Ave)
Albany, CA 94706 (510) 526-3906
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Sat 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
21 Reviews for Steve's Auto Care
One of Steve's Auto Care's Favorite Reviews
I concur with the other reviewers, it was a good experience. I went in for a transmission oil change on my V6 Accord. They met their quoted time for the service at a reasonable price. They also were friendly and helpful in addressing my questions about getting better mileage/performance from my car.
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So I was torn ... do I choose a highly reviewed Yelp location or do I go to my neighbor's shop which has no reviews at all?! I decided to go to Steve's to get my Accord serviced. This was the first time in the 10+ years that I've owned that car that I have NOT taken it to a Honda dealership for servicing. I was told that since they are such common cars, I could probably find less expensive service elsewhere.
It wasn't a bad experience, but it wasn't great either. When I scheduled the appointment, I said I needed a servicing and probably my brakes replaced because they were squeaking. When I dropped off the car they said they would check on the brakes - so I asked that if it did in fact need to be replaced, to call me and give me the price - I wasn't called until past 4:00 that day and informed that indeed, my brakes did need replacing, but they wouldn't finish today - so I'd have to bring it back the next day. I ended up leaving the car there over night. I guess it was a miscommunication, but it wasn't until I called THEM the next day to check on the car was I told that the car had been ready hours ago.
Bottom line, it wasn't cheaper then what I'd have paid at a Honda Dealership, it was very inconvenient not having the car for longer then expected, and finally, there wasn't a shuttle service (or at least not one that I know of) making coordinating not having a car and getting to work in Foster City that much harder.
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Finding a good auto mechanic is like trying to score the perfect pair of blue jeans, the perfect white t-shirt or the perfect cup of coffee. It's been on my list of things "to do" before I die.
Well, as of February, I am pleased to say I've been able to cross that off my list. Somehow I just feel more confident that when I'm on the freeway I'm not going to die on account of my brakes failing me or my engine dropping out. A good mechanic will always give you options, fair pricing, a proper timeline for repairs, and possibly even show you an example of your old broken parts... Steve's even better because he will actually print you out all of these things, dated, and confirm that we're now technologically living in 2008.
Maybe this will be the year I'll get the new car... Maybe it won't. Regardless, Steve Auto Care will be taking care of my vehicle(s) for as long as I live in the Bay Area. Now I just need to find the perfect white t-shirt...
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Bottom line: These guys are good at what they do, they go out of their way to take care of you and they're trustworthy. Steve runs a top quality shop, treats his team well and knows his stuff and it shows. I appreciate that they consult me like a friend with auto knowledge might make a suggestion, and not like a pushy salesperson. I highly recommend this shop and will be returning in the future.
I found this place on Yelp actually. I needed a trustworthy place to bring my car (Honda)... and i certainly found it. The guys there are really helpful. When I lived in Berkeley, they would even drive me back home and pick me up again if they had to work on my car for a bit.
Then last summer, I came back from a long trip (2 months) and found I'd accidentally hit the indoor light in my car and naturally my battery was dead when I got home. I managed to get a jump and brought my car over to their shop to run a test on the battery to see how dead it was. Not only did they test it, they charged it quite a bit too. And when I asked how much I owed them, they didn't even charge me!
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Hmmmm. Which came first? The chicken or the egg?
Is a mechanic honest cuz he doesn't need your business, or does a mechanic get plenty of business cuz he's honest?
Does it matter? Nah! But I'm gonna guess the latter in Steve's case.
Check engine light went on. He put the doohickey in the whatszit (technical terms) and got a readout, tightened my gas cap and said to drive it around for a day or so and the light will go away.
Thanks Steve! With the holidays upon us, this wretch didn't need another headache. You just got a loyal customer.
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Awesome, super friendly service. They are super organized and professional. They inform you of needed repairs in a clear and down to earth manner. You come out understanding what the parts are for, for how long they will last and how much is needed. On top of it, they are not pushy at all. I had a maintenance check for my honda civic and was more than satisfied with my experience there. I def. will return my car there for anything! Thanks so much for your great and trustworthy service.
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This is definately going on my "Things I miss about living in El Cerito" list!
Back in 2000 we bought a used Honda Odyssey from the dealer. Once the little warrenty we bought expired we asked a friend who works in auto parts for a good mechanic who wouldn't charge as much as the dealer. They said we needed $600 worth of repairs and we couldn't afford it.
She suggested Steve's and we are SO GLAD that she did. It meant a lot to us that they had a good rep. in the industry. They are AAA approved, which was nice since we're AAA members. The first time we took our car there the mechanic told us the $600 in repairs would actually cost about $400 and that we had a good 2 or 3,000 miles before we really had to worry about it. Wow. Cheaper. Less stalkerish. And with the first service we got our car detailed!
We were loyal customers until we moved an hour away. Really. We never took our car anywhere else for anything other than gas. We were never disappointed. Service was friendly, prompt, reasomnably priced and always effective. We never had to go back for a problem they fixed. They took such good care of our car. They were also honest. Never the "you have to get his fixed now, or else." More like, "You could fix it now, but you could also wait x # of miles. The potential problem with waiting would be..." So the decision on what work to do and when to do it was always ours. I guess you call that respecting the customer's inteligence.
We still take our Honda there whenever we can arrange to drive an hour for a service, which isn't often, but haven't found a place closer to "home" that makes me as comfortable lending them my car to work on as Steve's.
Thank you, Steve!
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If you're looking for an honest mechanic who does quality work and uses quality parts, this is the place.
Most recently I brought my Honda in and they gave me a run down of all the problems it has and a solid opinion of the car.
Great Mechanic!
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nice friendly service. i called in advance this friday afternoon for an oil change.... brought it down and was back on the road with fresh oil in an hour. they even took a miata without a clutch off the hoist, pushed it to another stall and rolled my car in its place.
they did a routine inspection and said the car was in great shape but i'll need tires in a few thousand miles. looking at tire i'd have to agree.
i'll probably bring my car to the richmond shop for the tires. steve was a very nice man. poor guy walked around with a small salad with blue calliflower the entire time i was there... still wasn't done when i left. might want to sit in the can for 5 minutes and finish your meal next time.
Auto repairs alaways cause great worry and anxiety for me. Those days are over now that I've found Steve's - thanks to the great reviews of other yelpers!
I was there earlier this week for minor stuff, it's truly a great service shop. The guys are super nice and explain things really well, even without me asking for explainations. I left not feeling ripped off, confused, or that my car is going to fall apart on the drive home and need even more work. A buddy went with me to pick up my car and he even said he got a good vibe from them and thought they were honest and sincere. Really, what more can you ask for?
Skip Midas, Firestone or wherever you've been going for repairs. Head over to Steve's instead!
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I took my previous Honda to this shop because it was having some odd problems that some mechanic friends and another auto shop were unable to solve.
At first the mechanic couldn't figure out what the problem was. Then he test drove it and I described the symptoms it was having in depth with the mechanic. Then the mechanic figured it out. Thank god! Steve's to the rescue.
The mechaincs are experienced and really know Hondas. Prices are much better than the stealership (dealership). You can trust Steve's Auto Care. If you live in the area and have a Honda that needs repair then don't hesitate to take it there.
They do smog checks also. Some other shops do smog checks for cheaper, but Steve's is fast and professional and if your car does have a problem they will tell you what is going on without any BS. Just make it easy and get your smog check done there also. They're a pleasure to deal with.
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I've been going to Steve's for a long time and recommend them to anyone who will listen. They'll tell you when it's not worth the bother to fix. They'll tell you what you can hold off on for a while. They almost always fix things on schedule or even ahead of schedule. They'll fit you in if you have an emergency repair. They have a new shop in Richmond, but I haven't checked that one out, yet.
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Consistently great work & appreciative service. They are honest about what you should/shouldn't do. They recognize the limits of your wallet while remaining realistic.
They are the only garage to provide such a complete and legible write-up of the work they did, what you're paying for, and their recommendations.
They will help educate you about your car. The more info you want, the more they'll provide. During my last visit I was given a show and tell about some of the inner workings. Explaining what had happened and why, what SHOULD happen, etc.
They WILL not do anything without your consent. Having said that, I can't tell you how many times they've seen something amiss (nothing major) and have just adjusted/patched/repaired it free of charge.
Very professional place.
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I've been taking my car to Steve's Auto Care since I moved to California 2 years ago. They are always super friendly, and I never feel like they're trying to sell me something I don't need.
Yesterday, I needed to get my smog check done, so I drove out onto San Pablo Avenue and went to the first place I saw. They hooked my car up, but couldn't get a reading. They did some more diagnostic tests and said that my car was making their computer "go haywire" and that I needed to take my car to the dealer.
I drove further up San Pablo to Steve's, and they welcomed me with open arms (even though it looked like they were getting ready to go home). I pulled my car in, they did the smog test, and I was out the door in about 15 minutes.
I have definitely learned my lesson, and will head directly to Steve's from now on.
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My car and I love Steve's Auto care. We go there when we aren't seeing eye to eye (I want my car to start and it doesn't want to) and yes, I have had my car towed from Alameda to Albany because I will ONLY take my car to Steve's. Steve (and Mitch and everyone else who works there) are the most honest and trustworthy mechanics EVER. The news you get is not always good (I mean you took your car to the shop cuz the was something wrong in the first place right?) but it is always honest. I trust Steve and his crew implicetly. They are top noch mechanics. They also have another shop in Richmond and that shop does tires as well. Luis runs that one, he's top rate too!
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Steve's Auto Care: The people who work there are nice and honest.
They even left me a souvenir in my trunk... something like a car-jack leverage bar. And they fixed my radiator in one day... but my radiator fluid/water mixture was jacked up upon picking up the car. Oh well.. nothing a radiator flush and fill can't fix.
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Nothing lasts forever, but Steve's (formerly Steve's and Steve's Wife) has been consistently good, and please oh sweet lord let it go on a little longer.
None of the things you hate about mechanics.
- You will not get porked.
- Your car will get fixed correctly.
- They respect customers of both sexes.
- You will not find porno in the waiting room or on the walls.
- Your steering wheel, seat, dashboard, rearview mirror, etc will not be smeared with grease when you get your car back.
- They are timely, friendly, and frequently funny.
- They might fix your car for free. It's happened.
- Honest advice. Like why you should think twice about getting that Cooper.
Note: They only handle a few makes- Honda, and its extended family. A few others.
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I can't say how glad I am to have found an honest mechanic. I moved up here 9 months ago and have been anxious about trying to find someone who will tell it to me straight. I had only gone for basic service until recently but now I'm sure that he deserves 5 stars.
Someone shot my back window with a BB gun recently and I went to him to see what I should do about it. He gave me a quote but told me to check with my insurance company first because quite often they apparently waive the deductible for glass repair because it's in their best interest that your car have all it's windows. He also told me that they will often send you to a specific repair shop that they have some deal with. This seemed to be quite ingenious as he would not get a nickel if this was the case.
He is also quite a personable man. While I have only been to his shop 3 times in 9 months he recognized me on the 3rd visit and said "What happened to your Subaru?"
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five stars! other reviewers covered the great things about Steve's. They are professional and honest, even telling me when it was really time to junk my car instead of paying them more money to fix it. They have a Nissan specialist who worked on my 1986 sentra with love. everyone was always helpful and honest.
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I created this Yelp account just to write about Steve's.
When I first took my beater there, after years of neglect, they took care of both of us. When it finally wouldn't start one day, I had it towed in, and they estimated a $500 repair job which I authorized. They called me to tell they'd discovered some serious rust and other problems, estimated at another $1,000, and I was kicking myself for already spending the $500. But they said no, of course they hadn't already done that! I ended up donating the old thing, and wasn't out a penny.
When I replaced it with a newer Honda, I religiously took it to Steve's for servicing. Last weekend, I had a minor service. Mid-week this week, my maintenance light starting flashing whenever I turned it on. I called on Friday, Robert was very helpful, and said I should bring it in ASAP-- even though they didn't have any openings they'd fit me it--and he helped me figure out how to leave it after hours since I work in SF.
This morning I called, after they'd been open just an hour, and talked to Steve himself. They'd already looked at the car and found the light was just broken. I wasn't going to be able to pick up while they were open and we went through several different options for me to get it--he even said I could crash the company bowling part tonight and they'd bring my keys for me! On top of all that, they didn't charge me a thing.
Everyone I've ever talked to at Steve's is nice, helpful, and remembers me months after my last visit.
Especially as a single woman with no car knowledge, ripe for explotation, I can't recommend Steve's enough.
If anyone from Steve's reads this, please know how much I appreciate your work!
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