Hoffmann Automotive

I blew out two (two!!!) of my BMW tires on a piece of concrete debris on the back road by the dump cutting over to eastbound 80. (expensive shortcut)
I limped into Hoffman, the closest repair shop, on my run flat tires. I haven’t been to Hoffman in many years. I remember them as helpful, quick and they always did a good job from back when they were in downtown Davis.
For this job, They found me better, cheaper tires, replaced the badly damaged rims, and expedited delivery of the BMW rims. Really great service!
Some of the other reviews complained about price. I doubt Hoffman is the cheapest, but they are very good, the price was very fair and I didn’t have to drive out of town to get the service I needed.
Great people, great service.

We’ve taken our cars and van to Hoffmann since 2003 and never regretted it. They have consistently provided excellent service, and many time gone above and beyond in ensuring convenience and timely repairs. They have also shown time and again to be a place we can trust to have our cars serviced.

This place was great! I was having an issue with my car making a clanking noise every time I went over a bump and it was driving me nuts, plus I didn’t know if this was going to be dangerous problem or not. After spending $ 3,000 at Hanlee’s Toyota with nothing being resolved and giving me the run around I decided enough was enough and took my car to Hoffmanns. We went on a quick test drive at 08:30 to let them hear what the problem was and by 13:00 they called me and they resolved the issue. It turns out the mechanic at Hanlee’s Toyota forgot to install parts that hold the brake pads in place and used the wrong size caliper pins. They really know their stuff here. Thank you so much for your great customer service. You’ll be seeing me in the future for all my car issues. Hats off the Jeff and his great crew!!!

These guys made my day yesterday. My Jeep broke down on the Yolo Causeway. I live two hours east of there and was headed to a location two hours west of there. Not knowing where to take my vehicle for diagnostics or repair, AAA sent me to Hoffmann.
I was concerned about getting back on the road since by the middle of the day, especially on a Monday, auto repair shops are typically pretty busy. I explained my situation and they said that they would at least squeeze me in and try to figure out what the problem was. Granted, I was pretty sure that I knew what the problem was since it had happened before and my vehicle did exactly the same thing as the first time. But, still, they investigated and confirmed my suspicions, fixed my vehicle, and had me out the door in two hours. Pretty damn good if you ask me.
But the best part was that they did the legwork for me and determined that the part that needed replacing was covered by a warranty on the part. The warranty covered the diagnostics fee, labor, and the new part. (I still need to replace a different part that is actually causing the damage to the part they replaced but that’s a separate issue.) I paid nothing out of pocket because of the warranty coverage. This was huge for me since I am tight on funds right now.
The folks at Hoffmann were polite and courteous. They showed me the damaged part and clearly explained what was causing the damage.
I will say that the diagnostics fee quote is the highest that I have ever seen, including at a dealership. I’m not saying anything that I didn’t express directly to the very nice gentleman that helped me at the counter, and based on other posts here, I’m sure it’s not news to him. He did say that, depending on what the problem was, part of the diagnostics fee may be applicable to the overall cost. Depending on how that might have worked out if the service to my vehicle wasn’t covered by warranty, that could be totally fair. So maybe the best thing to do is to get clarification re: application of the diagnostics fee to work to be done — as you should do anywhere you would take your vehicle for work.
I would absolutely recommend this shop based on this experience.

I brought my car in twice this past year, and if I need to bring it in again, I will! My car is very old and is on its way out. Both times I brought it in it was having major problems that made it undrivable. In a timely fashion they diagnosed the problem and repaired it. And now it feels solid and safe.
The guys I worked with both times at the front were helpful, nice, and made me feel comfortable. The prices were reasonable for what I had done; even if they are a tad more expensive than other shops it was worth it for the service. They managed in one go to fix a problem (a pesky check engine light) that the shop I used to go to back home had been unable to resolve across three services (and had charged me over 500 dollars to NOT fix). They were also up front when I had an exterior leak they couldn’t find; they told me they couldn’t find it and gave me some other places to try.
Good service, speedy and solid work. And a very sweet dog.
Ps. A friend of mine was having battery trouble. When Hoffman tested it and couldn’t find a problem, they did not charge him. Good integrity in this instance.

Rip off for sure. Stay away. Too many auto mechanics prey on customers because the customer is dependent on their car and need it back ASAP and don’t understand how a car operates, so if a mechanic tells them they need a specific repair, how are they to know if it is true or not. Additionally, it is not easy to «comparison shop» to know if the price being quoted for the specific repair is a fair one or not. Fortunately, my mom knew enough to check in with me when she got a quote from Hoffmann Automotive last week. Her 2006 Acura TL only had about 80,000 miles on it and had not been driven hard. So, she was a bit shocked when she was quoted a repair bill of almost $ 5,000 for a wide variety of suggested issues. The most expensive of which was they told her all 4 of her struts were leaking and needed to be replaced for roughly $ 1,500. I called a local shop near me and they were very surprised to hear that and said at that mileage struts shouldn’t go out and even if they did, they wouldn’t all go out at the same time. 2^nd was the timing belt, which they quoted at $ 1,500 when the job should only be around $ 1,000. They also quoted $ 115 for just the parts for the front brake pads. That should be around $ 50 – 60, so they basically doubled the price. My mom decided to get a 2^nd opinion and took the car to the Acura dealer closest to her. Generally dealers are the most expensive option around. So, a perfect «2^nd opinion». The first thing they told her was that all 4 of her struts were just fine. If the dealer tells you that when there’s an opportunity for them to make money, you need to trust they are being honest. How in the world did Hoffman Auto think all 4 struts were going bad??? That is just criminal fraud. The Acura Dealer also only charged about $ 1,250 for the timing belt, so roughly 20% less than an independent shop. And they gave my mom a brand new Acura as a loaner while they worked on her car. Come on Hoffmann Auto, what are you doing??? Stay away from this shop that is preying on unsuspecting customers. Just really sad.

My mom recently has trouble with her Mercedes on a drive from Sacramento to Vallejo. The repair needed turned out to be a minor one, only twenty minutes to get some under-​carriage bolted back on. As my mom had been referred to Hoffman’s by AAA’s roadside service, the repair was free. Thanks, Hoffmans, for taking good care of my mom and her beloved car!

My husband and I have taken our cars here for over a year. While his is just 2 years old and only needs routine maintenance, mine is 8 years old with the usual wear and tear than accompanies the 106,000 miles I’ve got on it. Hoffman has been very professional in providing routine maintenance and repair work. I especially appreciate that they tell me which maintenance and repair is crucial and which is desirable. They also provide a heads up – for example, that I’ll need new breaks at my next oil change.
In addition, they always open on time –if not early– to ease those before work drop offs and complete the repairs in the time promised. The shop is very clean and welcoming.
I’m sure there are less expensive auto places around but I have NO complaints about the level of service I get for my money from Hoffman Automotive. Having a reliable mechanic is very important to me and I have found one in Hoffman Automotive.

We had to make an emergency stop off interstate 80 on our 2 hour drive from Sacramento to the Bay Area when something came loose on the bottom of our car and was screeching down the highway. We pulled over and called Hoffman because it was close, and they told us we could bring it over. Immediately when we got there, they lifted the car, found a screw was missing on a plate that was dragging and hitting a belt, screwed it back and charged us NOTHING! They were so nice, professional, and saved the day. Thank you Hoffman and Jacob!

The mechanics and owner at Hoffman Automotive were extremely professional. Auto mechanics can sometimes be intimidating but these guys were patient and friendly towards my car issues. I’d definitely recommend them to anyone in the Davis area!

After the mechanic I had gone to for 15 years closed, I had my newly-​acquired, very old truck towed here after it stopped cold in the street. Hoffman’s had been recommended by the road service that towed me.
They informed me that the diagnostic would be $ 185 — ouch.
But I figured, alright, it’s an old truck, I knew something might go wrong, so let’s figure it out.
The car had simply run out of gas and the fuel gauge didn’t work (again, old truck, new owner).
They still charged me the full $ 185. Worked hard to justify it too, cleaning things out and checking things I hadn’t asked them to.
My old place would have sent me home with no charge, or maybe $ 50 for ½ hr labor.
Yes the staff are all very nice and the waiting room is clean, and the dog is very sweet.
I’ll still take my business elsewhere.

too expensive, nice waiting room and personable folks. Routine Prius oil change and rotating tires cost $ 185. Never again…

We had radiator trouble and were towed into Hoffman Automotive by AAA. They checked everything thoroughly and found out all we needed was a new radiator cap. They topped off our fluids, and we were on our way. We made it home no problem. Thanks to everyone at the shop for helping us when we thought we were dead in the water! And Lucy the dog was adorable too. It really helped to ease my anxiety to pet her cute little head!

IF you don’t want to read a long review: I will sum everything in a sentence for you, this place will RIP YOU OFF.
$ 191 to change ONE HID LIGHT BULB… yep just one… ONE light bulb.
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I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE this place a NEGATIVE 5 stars if could. BUT THIS 1 STAR is for the dog Lucy I saw at their office. She let me pet her and my heart melts. She was very adorable, but thats about all.
Dear Hoffmann (s), I understand that you guys make money on parts and labor, but 100% markup is quite ridiculous don’t you think? Do you even care if the customer return at all? A part that should’ve cost me less than $ 80 was charged at $ 150. Honestly, you guys are HEARTLESS and YOU KNOW IT! I thought $ 30 for labor was already good enough for the «less than 10 minutes work» but I guess it wasn’t!
Dear UC DAVIS students, save yourself some money and stay away from these heartless people. Go somewhere else where they won’t rip you off. My biggest mistake was trusting their 5 star reviews on Unilocal and not ask anyone else about the price I had to pay for beforehand.
The owner or whatever guy at the office also yelled at me on the phone after I complained about the charge for the bulb. So much for customer service. BIG MISTAKE there… I told the guy that I’m going to write a bad review and he rudely replied with an attitude that he didn’t care, so perfect! I don’t feel guilty about this review. Just letting you know MR. HOFFMANN, you will be surprised by the power of Unilocal reviews.
RUDE!!! PLEASE STAY AWAY :(!!!

This place is very clean and has an incredibly comfortable waiting area. I came here mainly because they are an Interstate Battery Warranty center and charged my dying battery for me. I did not have any work done, but they were kind enough to give me some tips and a professional opinion at no cost. They will have my business in the future just because their customer service was great!

We have been regulars of Rick and Jeff Hoffmann for over ten years. We would not take our cars anywhere else. Prompt service, we trust them, always a nice attitude and manner.