Walsh Brothers Inc.

I work around the corner from Walsh, so I am «lucky» in that whenever my car has serious problems, they are close by. Unfortunately, my car has had serious problems (it’s a 2003 325i BMW) more than twice a year since getting it.
Four nights ago I was getting off work a little early for the holiday, just before 5pm. I get in my car as usual with plans to go grab last minute groceries and in turning the ignition key, the car chugs-​chugs-​chugs and falls away. Nothing. Emergency alerts pop on that I should check the engine and the battery. I tried again to turn it on and it chugged a little harder, to the point that I could get the car OUT of my parking spot and in line to pull onto the street. And then it died again. It’s now getting dark, everyone is leaving the office, heading to their holiday hosts for their Thanksgiving escapes and I’m panicking/​regretting that I fell in love with a ten year old BMW.
I get on the phone with my Dad and midway through our conversation I realize that Walsh might still be open – they might actually BE open even though it’s the day before Thanksgiving. So I abruptly ditch Dad (sorry, Dad) and call up Walsh in a panic. They picked up and I explained what happened – and then dribbled out my panicked last-​minute requests: «Is there any way you guys can push the car the two blocks up to Walsh? Or should I call a tow-​truck (eliminating one of my four freebie tows on my AAA insurance)? I can get home by walking up to BART, but I don’t want to just leave it here off the side of a street.»
Not only did Jon come out to take a look at it, he also towed my car with just a taught line latched onto the back of one of their Volvos. The gals who run the front end of the shop helped keep my bag safe while I was running around trying to help push my car when I could. At one point there were four of us all together making my car go up the driveway. Group effort! They were sympathetic and kind to me, even though I felt like an idiot.
After getting my car inside the shop, they went one step further and loaned me a car – a good, sturdy Volvo. That loaner car has been my solid companion for this holiday.
I don’t know what is wrong with my car this time. I am not looking forward to finding out what new and spectacular reason is the cause of its sudden decline (sometimes the reasons in the past really have been incredibly ridiculous.)
The point of this story is: it was dark, it was late, everyone in their right mind after a long workday before a holiday wanted to just go home and be with their families. But, Walsh Bros came to my rescue and went above and beyond what could be expected.
They didn’t jibe me for the liability I like to call my car. They immediately assessed what little they could in the dark. And even though the options were limited, the timing was poor, they tried – they have consistently tried to help me when I am in a bind. And I whole-​heartedly thank them for it and will gladly tell anyone where to go for car maintenance.
Now I’m going to go research on every BMW site what latest issue this might be and cringe.

This is old info but since I was on this site specifically to find Walsh Brothers again, I thought I should take the time to write a review.
In the fall of 2012 I dropped my son off at Berkeley and just as we arrived our Ford Explorer started steaming. Unfortunately for me, it was 5:00pm on a Saturday and there were no shops to call. I spent an extra night in town and called triple A for a tow. The driver gave me a list of mechanics nearby. I called 3 who wouldn’t take me since Monday morning is a busy time. Walsh Brothers agreed to take a look. After arriving they took some guesses at what was going on and it looked like it was going to cost quite a bit of money to get out of town. Because it was an over-​heating situation the repair took some trial and error — it had to cool down before they could try things then heat it back up to see if that did the trick. Honestly, I don’t remember how much it ultimately cost me but I remember that it was much less than the original estimate. They were very kind and honest. I appreciated that they fit me in on a busy day. When I left I told them I hoped I never saw them again — as a joke. Now my son is having car trouble and I’m sending him there.

I’ve had my car serviced here a few times before, for minor repairs, and I was satisfied with the service. But a few weeks ago I found myself in a situation that was so unexpected. I was on my off day from work. When I attempted to start my car, it didn’t make a sound, nothing. So I had it towed to Walsh Brothers. When I received the call from the owner with the diagnosis, I was told that it had about four faulty parts. He said that they should have it up and running by the next day. I wasn’t happy about the unexpected amount quoted, but labor cost don’t come cheap! At least it would be ready in one day. I don’t have a second car and Walsh Brothers doesn’t offer a loaner vehicle, so at least I wouldn’t have to get a rental car.
The next day I picked up my car, happy that this was past me! My joy ended the next morning when I was on the freeway, driving to work, and I heard several strange noises. Rattling sounds when I switched gears, and a kind of roaring sound when I accelerated to a higher speed. I figured with the new parts, it would eventually go away after a bit of wear and tear. After a week or so, the rattling etc., was still there. My car sounded raggedy! I was hearing sounds that I had NEVER heard before!
I took it back to Walsh Brothers. The owner checked it out, added some oil to certain areas, test drove it and sent me on my way.
Too make a long story short, I took it back a second time. He checked it again and found that a part was not clipped into place, and some other minor things that he apparently hadn’t noticed before. He showed me how one of the newer parts was sitting closer to an older part, and therefore, creating the noise I was hearing. He said there wasn’t a rush to replace that older part, it was ok for now. He then gave me an estimate for the cost, should I choose to replace it. I will never go back to this place! So disappointed!!!
I can’t be absolutely sure, but I noticed a few new technicians working at Walsh Brothers, one of them probably worked on my vehicle!

It’s impossible for me to give five stars here, since car repair and maintenance is so expensive no matter how nice. It’s true also I haven’t used that many car service places, so my comparisons are limited.
Having said that, their service is excellent and friendly. The location near North Berkeley Bart is handy (put my bicycle in the back of the car), and also closeness to Cal Sailing Club. I’ve taken my 2005 V70 here more than a few times.
No beer and no vegan food sadly, but since it’s Berkeley, there’s plenty nearby.

Walsh Brothers is full of honest, talented and kind professionals! I rank auto repairs at the top of my stressful routine errands list. But I always feel lucky to be able to bring my car here, because of the quality of their work and integrity of their staff.

Alright… I can’t BELIEVE I haven’t reviewed this shop yet! Well, here it goes.:
I have been to this shop over 3 years with 3 different cars (1987 Sedan Volvo, 1997 Sedan Volvo, and 2014 Outback Subaru). Before going to Walsh Brothers Inc (make sure it’s THIS one…) I always felt like I was being ‘talked down to’ and swindled, but with EVERY interaction I have had with the Walsh Brothers Inc crew — I feel like a more confident car owner than ever before.
Walsh Brothers will break down any issue with your car in a very organized and detailed manner. They will give you the BEST PRICE IN THE BAY (BY FAR) and will treat you like a human being with a brain… Imagine that!
Being a young 20something woman, car dealerships and mechanics have always been so uncomfortable to deal with. But with Walsh Brothers Inc, they will help you with your car, all of your problems/​nervousness with it AND they are very involved in the community!
I STRONGLY suggest you take ANY vehicle you have there… All of my family and friends hear the same thing :)
YAY to Walsh Bros!

I have had two Volvo’s cared for over the years by Walsh Brothers, and I highly recommend them as your one stop shop. First off, the change in management a few years back was a breath of fresh air. I never felt respected in the past — now when i walk in they treat me and my car with respect, information and attention. It feels like they are there to keep my 2000 XC70 in top running condition, and will take as much time as needed to let me know whats going on and what are my options.
With their guidance, I delayed replacing the lower front control arms for a while, though not too long of a delay! On a Friday a few weeks back, the drivers side window control failed. 4:00pm rolled in there, 4:15pm rolled out, charged only the cost of the part — nearly a crisis of having an inoperable, open drivers window. These folks explain everything they recommend, options you have, and in the end what they’ve done and found out. I’ve certainly gone to other shops and even the local dealer over the years for this or that, or to take advantage of this coupon or that special, but in the end, I’ll keep coming back to these folks who have completely earned my wife’s and my trust.

This used to be my go to Volvo shop… they were ALWAYS friendly, on-​time, efficient with fair prices and good work. I could just drop in there with a broken light or needing wiper blades and they would take care of things on the spot. It was great to have an honest shop I could depend on. But my last visit there was the opposite of every other experience I’d had there. The work was shoddy and late, very late. in fact I called at the estimated hour of pick-​up and was told they hadn’t even begun the work yet, although the part I had ordered had been there for hours. And, worse yet, they went substantially over the agreed on estimate, by 30%.
Notably, the owner of the shop is now managing it. In hindsight I can see that the former manager, Rick, was the reason I kept going back there. He managed the shop well. I trusted him. It’s not that I feel I was tricked or taken advantage of by the current manager/​owner. That is not the case. He is also very friendly and I’m certain he means well. I just feel he truly dropped the ball and mismanaged our dealings. I have since had my car examined by another Volvo mechanic and they were very surprised at the poor job done on my car.
I will not be returning to Walsh Brothers after years of loyalty to them. They need a new manager.

Walsh Brothers has treated me great on the several times I’ve been there. Most recently, I needed brake light bulbs replaced (an annoying and difficult task on my model wagon) and a headlight replacement. Did it all quickly (while I waited) for cost of parts only (though it was about 20 – 30 minutes total), and, without requesting this, they noticed my brake fluid was low and offered to top it off. I offered to pay for the labor time, and they waved me off. Awesome!

I purchased a volvo for my first car about two years ago, and have always taken it to Walsh Brothers for repair work on the good word from a close friend (who got 330,000 miles out of her ’84 wagon).
Since my first visit, they have given me many reasons to trust them and continue to bring my business to their excellent shop. Work is done quickly and professionally, and they explain what, where, why, and how much for all fixes.
I have had nothing but good experiences with this repair shop so far, and plan on bringing in my volvo until the day it dies (probably not for a long time considering the care it has gotten from Walsh Brothers).
They work on many cars besides volvos, just give them a call and they will let you know if they can service your car.

I first started taking my Volvos to this shop around 11 yrs ago. I worked at a nearby AutoBody Shop and the owner used them as his mechanic. They do excellent work and are HONEST too! It’s great to have such a reliable business to trust with the care of my Volvo.

My Volvo had problems for years that no one else could solve. The power would slowly drain from it until the battery went dead. I called AAA so many times to tow it that they finally threatened to revoke my membership. At first I was going to a dealer to get it fixed. They would tell me that they could find nothing wrong with the car, recharge the battery, and send me home to repeat the cycle (but not without a bill.)
Finally I got fed up and looked for a new mechanic. The first time I brought my Volvo to Walsh Brothers, they discovered a short in the ceiling light that was causing the power drain. No one else had been able to figure this out. The mechanics at Walsh Brothers said they could either replace the ceiling light, or if I wanted to save money they could just disable it. I appreciated that they looked for ways to make the repairs cost less.
I went back to them a number of times because the car was kind of a lemon, but it seemed like they always gave me fair prices and good service. On one occasion when I came to them with a problem, they checked it out and said that it was caused by something they did last time the car was in – and didn’t charge me to fix it. It was an impressive demonstration of honesty!

My S80 can be a pain but the guys at Walsh are the best, in my opinion. Honest, quick, to the point, no hassle, reasonably priced. Can’t ask for more. I think they’re doing a great job.
Call ahead and drop off your car when they open early in the morning. If all goes well, usually the car can be picked up again by evening. Another great thing is that someone there will take you to BART or a bus stop so that you’re not stranded. Good service or what?

This place…
I haven’t been there in a while but when I went a few years back, this is really not the garage where you want to bring your volvo.
They always overcharged me, the work was not well done.
For instance, I bought the car from them and they said they would install the radio for free. Few weeks later, I come in with my radio to get it installed and they wanted to charge me. They finally did the installation (maybe in 30 mins or less… i don’t know) but the radio was crooked, the speakers not really holding…
One other thing, they couldn’t find what the problem was with my signals. I went to some other garage and guess what, in 10 mins the guy fixed it, and it has been working great since.
Good place to go (if kearny still works there) is Swedish motors in Walnut creek. I will review it promptly.