Santa Monica Auto Service

Don is a magical car wizard. I have a 2000 Celica. My check engine light had been on for a year and my mechanic in Berkeley (where I am from) was totally stumped. A smog check guy in Berkeley was stumped. I couldn't smog the car with the light on, so it had been in and out of repair shops for months and months. I happened to be in LA and I brought it to the "Toyota of Santa Monica" dealership on Santa Monica and Lincoln. They suck, by the way. They wanted to charge me $3000 for the "repair" they suggested. Miraculously I found Don. He correctly diagnosed and fixed the problem, made some other improvements and my car passed the smog test. "Yeah" you say, " but what was the bill?" Oh, the bill was a quarter of what the dealership wanted. Yeah that's right, a quarter. The car is running fantastically right now.Side note to other small women: The car repair world is full of men that think we are all confused un-mechanical idiots. Some mechanics are patronizing jerks. Don is not a jerk. DON IS TOTALLY AWESOME. He will not talk to you like a little girl. He is honest, he is a solid dude who does a great job and is pleasant and honest and professional. The two guys from Car Talk on NPR would approve of him. LA has horrible traffic, but on the plus side, it has Don.

So Far So Good

Great service at Santa Monica Motors my car was a gross polluter on my smog test. Don and his team not only passed my car but fixed it and it not only runs better. He helped me get better gas mileage on a budget!! Here is my video review verifying SM MOTORS thanks DON: modulates.com/video/?key…

I was very pleased by the service and communication concerning my car repairs. Don and Ray were very helpful in walking me through what needed to be done and the priorities in doing each job. They also discussed future care and consideration for the car so I could form a more whole picture of how to proceed. My car and me are very happy. Thank you!

Don at Santa Monica Motors was very easy to work with. I brought my 2009 Subaru here for some preventative maintenance. My vehicle was ready when promised and they even provided transportation to my job since I couldn't wait for my car. They sent me a detailed report on my car, with photos! They sent photos of things they recommended being repaired and they even categorized the repairs in terms of need, whether something could wait or needed immediate attention.

Don was great to work with! I brought my 2009 Subaru in because I heard an unfamiliar noise under the hood. Once he inspected my car, he emailed me the report with photos of things that needed repaired. They even categorized the repairs by importance so I knew which things needed immediate attention or could wait a bit. The noise is still there but I did get some things fixed that was badly needed. Makes sense since I've had the car for almost 6 years and have only changed the oil (outside of a new battery, brakes and tires). I do LOVE my Subaru!They also offer transportation if you can't wait for you car. I work in Santa Monica so taking the Big Blue Bus was very easy and cheap...$1.

This was by far the best auto repair service I have ever had. Thanks for the attention to detail, amazing customer service, and a reasonably priced repair.

Once again Santa Monica Motors comes through on a stressful and complex vehicle repair. Quick problem diagnosis, super work, and back on the road in no time. Having an excellent mechanic team makes all the difference! Thanks Don, Eloy, and everyone at Santa Monica Motors!

Steve and Muny were very considerate and helpful!

consistently great customer service.