Elite Auto Service

John runs a great shop. He has expertise most mechanics don’t and he is always fair in his estimates. Plus he always goes out of his way to help. It’s hard to find honest mechanics. Elite is the place to go for all your car care needs.

this place is a rip off! If you own a Subaru find another place to do the work!
i want to trust John but he will gouge you every chance he gets

I’m a fan. My car was in desperate need of an overhaul and my «previous» mechanic ran a terrible business and never answered his phone– anyway.
I got referred to john by my dear friend KM. Known and trusted him for years. When he mentioned johns shop I immediately perked up because of the perfect location.
I called elite auto on a Monday morning and a very kind receptionist answered the phone and informed me after a few questions that they were very busy. I asked if I could drop my ford focus off anyway as that was the only day I could do it and I have a different mode of transportation. I came by after a second phone call with John and met him when I dropped it off. I listed a plethora of things wrong with my beloved car and he was very kind and patient with me.
John made sure that I was kept informed even though he was very busy that week. I was pleased to be informed of reasonable repair costs and a good turn around time. If you live in Santee or Lakeside or anywhere for that matter i suggest bringing your vehicle here.

Good shop if your dumb. They charge luxury amount for basic service. Old people beware, they will gouge you.

Great Auto Repair shop that is honest with great prices!!! They not only work on subaru’s but all makes and models. Dealership quality without the dealership prices. John the owner is very up front and tells it like it is.

Put my Ford Focus in for some diagnostic work for a rattling, rough running and suckky AC. Well I had a worn out engine mount, AC needed service. I had the work done, so far very happy. I felt the price was fair, work done in the time frame expected and it runs GREAT! As soon as I can I have a few more items to have John and his crew do.
Is it possible I found an honest independent auto shop? So far it looks like it!

So this place was great until I had them do a differential fluid service and they forgot to tighten the drain plug correctly and lots of differential fluid leaked out (good thing I happened to notice it was leaking before it caused damage or leaked out completely).
Yeah, I don’t think the factory torque spec is «finger tight.»
John in super nice and very knowledgeable, but shit like this is sort of a deal-​breaker.

Ever heard of an honest mechanic who does quality work but doesn’t charge ridiculous prices? NO? Well I hadn’t either, until I met John @ Elite Auto Services.
John is an ex-​Subaru tech who previously worked at a Subaru dealer’s Service Center. Now John runs his own Repair shop that caters specifically to Subarus, with a team of certified technicians to support him. I am very thankful to have met John as he treated me with respect the moment he picked up the phone. Immediately, I knew I had called the right place.
I am a Subaru Outback owner, and as I did not know where else to go for repairs on my car, I would go to Kearney Mesa Subaru. Service at Kearny Mesa was quick, and the staff was friendly, but their prices were super high and they were not willing to help me fix small issues with surface elements on my car (door handles, sub woofer covers, light gages ect) in a way that wouldn’t break my bank. Instead they wanted to charge me hundreds to install a completely new component, instead of the $ 0.50 for the missing clip. I took my car there twice, and unless I am dragged there against my will, I will never go there again.
Let me break this down in the simplest way possible. Elite Auto Services is:
— Professional Certified Subaru experts = High Quality
— Honest & Straight forward = These are key in my mind!
— Friendly = John treats you like person, instead of an order #
— Cost Effective = Car maintenance and repairs are not cheap, especially for quality work, but they are important to extend the life of your car. Elite Auto Services will fix only what is wrong with your car, with no unnecessary extras, to keep you spending as little as possible.
The only downside is that Elite Auto Services is located in the El Cajon /​Santee area off Magnolia Avenue, so it is a little out of the way if you live/​work in the City of San Diego. But John has a special deal with the local Enterprise shop, so if you need a rental car, they come out to pick you up, and offer you their ~$ 19/​day rate.
Overall, Elite Auto Services is the only place I will take my Subaru. Even for just a routine oil change, I want to know that my car is being handled with the care and accuracy that I can not trust a dealer or Jiffy Lube to provide me.
I’m stoked to be the first review for Elite Auto Services, as I’m finally proud to say that I know of a great mechanic.

Excellent service! John is a strait shooter and saved me hundreds of dollars. Great Job, clean waiting room and the mechanics are awesome!