Brad’s Foreign & Domestic

My family & I were on vacation in Carlsbad all the way from South Lake Tahoe and when we had made it more than 500 miles away from home we realized a nut from my control arm on my suspension had gone missing. It must have been sheared off at some point which I later learned is a common thing with a lifted Tacoma. We started at Napa Auto parts and the front cashier was clueless, tried almost every nut they had, couldn’t find a fit. It’s a metric locking nut which I didn’t think was so hard to find. So Napa says it’s a «special order part» really? So I called Toyota in the area, guy had no idea what I was talking about, was supposed to email me with pics and information and that never happened. (What a hassle for a freakin’ nut?!)
Anyways, I saw a sign for Brad’s Foreign & Domestic and pulled in. The mechanic working in the shop (forgive me, I can’t remember his name!!) was extremely kind and helpful in the middle of his work day. He found a nut within minutes that fit although he said it wasn’t the right one, it would work for the time being and secure the control arm safely until we could get the right locking nut. He came out to my truck, torqued that baby on tight and we were set to go. My boyfriend insisted on paying him, if not for the part, for his time and effort and he politely declined. I was amazed at his level of customer service and patience with us. He truly helped us out in a time of need in an area we no NOTHING about and allowed us to make it home safely and for that we are so thankful!!!

Excellent front office; helpful, prompt, knowledgable, funny, conscientious, communicative, professional, experienced. Awesome garage service; affordable, precise, detailed, THOROUGH, certified, efficient, timely, exact. I am very pleased with the work Brad’s did, as well as the advice they gave, and the unnecessary work they didn’t do!
The front office called me and kept me up-​to-​date on the shop’s work. Brad’s delivered on their estimate of time and price. I will be back.

I could not ask for a better maintenance and repair place than Brad’s Foreign and Domestic for my 2004 Lexus GX470. Because of them, my car, at 185,00 miles, runs like a dream. They are so honest. reasonable price-​wise, and so thorough. Everyone who works there is so genuinely nice and helpful.

Honest and always fair. This place is a local go to for your car repairs. I got a AAA discount and had my smog done in no time. Friendly staff, local family run. Even when it hurts to hear it they telling me the repairs that are nessicary and ones that can wait.

Had an appointment for oil change and smog check at 11am.

I’m currently trying to sell my car, so buyers wanted me to take my car to their mechanic to check it out. I thought I might as well throw in a smog check too! It was really easy and I didn’t feel worried at all.
They called me back when everything was done and let me know their concerns as they had reported to the buyers as well. Its a really great place! Very honest!

my car broke down on the freeway and AAA recommend them so I gave it a shot… Great service, friendly and honest… Just be prepared to pay on labor. Parts were reasonably priced. they also included a AAA discount which I am very thankful. I’d give them 5 stars if they weren’t so $$

I brought my SUV in to Brad’s based on the many positive reviews here plus they’re close by. I was not disappointed! They diagnosed the problem and had a fast turnaround time. Great at explaining the problem and what my options were and the costs for having the work done. I will be back next time I need service done.

I NEVER write reviews but this one is defiantly needed. My car broke down after getting «fixed» and I was 37 miles from home and AAA could only tow me 7 miles so they towed me to Brads Foreign & Domestic and it was a great experience. I showed up around 5:30pm right when they were about to close and they still took my dead car. Rodger stayed open an hour an a half with me while I waited to get picked up. First thing the next morning I got a call regarding my car telling me I should go back to the original mechanic that «fixed» my car and fight for my money back or for them to actually fix it for free. They didn’t take advantage of me and try to steal my money. They legitimately had what was best for me in mind. They might not have done any work or replacements of broken parts but they got my car back running so I could drive it to my other mechanic. Excellent customer service and extremely nice staff that had your best interests in mind. Very honest which is what everyone looks for in a mechanic!

I am a mechanic my self from a different country though. I consider Brad’s an honest and family oriented business looking for the best of customer’s interest and needs. I don’t know if they are the best of the best, but they seem to be very good at what they do. I am glad I found them because they take good care of my «bathmovil» and me. It is not fun when they come up with bad news about your car and the cost of getting it fix, but that is not their fault. Good job guys.

My 1999 Chevy Suburban started spewing oil. I called a number of AAA recommended shops and Lauri at Brad’s was the most cheerful, helpful, and said if I bring it in, they would look at it right away and tell me what was wrong.
Within 20 minutes of my arrival, they cleared a hoist, put it up, and while Todd, the master mechanic was diagnosing, his assistant was filling the tires with air. Nice touch. Nobody stands around in that shop!
Unlike other shops that make a federal case out of everything and restrict you from seeing the problem (insurance doesn’t allow you in the work area b.s.), Todd, the master mechanic, invited me into the hoist bay, showed me exactly what the problem was, from below and above, and said it was a relatively quick and easy fix. What could have been a major problem turned out to be a split power steering hose.
It would take a couple hours to get the part and fix, so they had Max take me home about 8 miles away. Nice touch number 2. About two hours later, they called, it was all fixed, all the fluids (it was low on coolant, power steering fluid, and oil) were topped off. Nice touch number 3. Here’s the clincher: Because of AAA, they took off 10% and the total bill was under $ 200. Home run. Everyone there was friendly, competent, and honest.

The guys at Brad’s have worked on all our cars for years. Top not mechanics and great service. Matt runs a great business and Roger and Lori are a pleasure to work with every time I go in there. They treat you like family!

Great prices, honest people, and great mechanics! I’ve been taking all the family cars to Brads ever since I left Herman CROOK (Herman Cook) years ago. They always beat the price of everyone else in the area.
AAA approves Brad’s and will discount your bill, not to mention contact you after to make sure Brads meet your needs.
Roger is great! He will greet you with a smile every time and is 100% honest. Not to mention he keeps you updated as they work on your vehicle. 5 stars for this guy.
Recently I took my my grandfathers car in for a air system clean out due to a rat nest! Yikes! This place hooked it up! No more smells or rats! Thanks again! See you soon.

I needed a smog check and my dad recommended going through AAA to figure out which one to go to. I called Brad’s and they answered immediately and friendly and to make it even better I asked how much their smog check was and it was much cheaper than other places I had called. They also took me at 445 for the smog check and Brad himself asked one of his workers to stay late for me. I will definitely be back for their service and fast accommodations.

We have been using Harris Radiator (owner Matthew Cooper) to tend to our old and noisy A/​C in our 1987 Vanagon Westfalia for some years, and the service has been great. Then our steering rack died, and he helped us out by repairing that, and never tried to up-​sell the repairs where others might.
We advertised our vehicle for sale, and it was snapped up in a few hours. I should have done this before selling it, but there had been no problem before — smog! Aaaaargh — gross polluter! So I called Matt and asked him what to do. He was slammed with work, but still fit us in. He fit us in at Brad’s Foreign & Domestic (owner, Matthew Cooper, aka Brad). Long story short, Brad’s worked methodically and over a few days eliminated a variety of problems and had that puppy basically emitting no pollution at all. The smog-​only guy was astounded that the ‘gross-​polluter’ had been rendered into what he compared to a brand new car. The price was not unreasonable for the work that had been done, and at least we could sell the vehicle in CA now.
But here’s the kicker: In doing the work, some damage had been done to the distributor. That’s not surprising for such an old vehicle, it’s kind of like pulling off an electrical connector and it comes apart in your hands. Well, not only did Matt provide a replacement distributor from a similar vehicle that he owns, but swapped the FI computer from it too. Ask him how much he charged me for that! (Nothing!)
Service like this is truly rare. Thank you Matt.

A+++ Lori was extremely nice and offered me a fantastic deal. Had to get my vehicle smogged. Was in and out in less than 30!

Had coupon for $ 50 off any service that I had purchased at a silent auction. I do not live in their area (I am about 20 miles away– didn’t know that when I bid on the auction) but Lori, the office director, was very helpful saying they could shuttle me into Encinitas to get lunch and enjoy the city or schedule me a courtesy car. I chose the shuttle and had a fun couple of hrs. exploring and just as I had finished my delicious frozen yogurt they phoned to let me know my car was finished. Would I like the shuttle to come get me now. That was the least painful car repair time ever.
I found them very professional, clean work areas and well organized. They installed new CV boots and had me back on the road in a few hours. On the way home I heard rattling in the wheel well and called Lori. She said I did not have to make the long trip back up to their shop –just have a shop close to me look at it and let her know the result. I did as she suggested. The result was a broken hubcap clasp when the hubcap was put back on. Lori arranged to reimburse me for the second auto shop inspection and replaced the wheel covers with an entirely new set! Can you believe that service commitment to the customer! and I didn’t even have to convince them! They offered to reimburse me. Remarkable. Remarkable!

I am surprised by the low rating on this place. We’ve been using Brad’s for about 4 years. This place does great work, from customer service to efficiency and quality of what they do. They will tell you what’s a priority and what’s not and keep you informed along the way. I heard them on the phone multiple times negotiating a better price for the part we needed. I did not know this place before nor do I know any of their employees personally but we stopped searching for a better place the moment we found this one.

Beware, they use inferior parts and no favors there…

I take three cars to Brad’s for Service. I get reliable straightforward diagnosis of the problem. The work is done in a timely manner. They will drop you off and pick you up as needed except when its crazy busy and they don’t have a spare driver.
They have done thorough checks of several used cars for me and given me honest assessments that have turned out to be accurate. My only complaint is that the work is not inexpensive. Note, I didn’t say its expensive its just by the book.
So, I’d say dealer prices but fair and balanced assessment of the problem and good advice as to what to do and what can wait. Moreover, Roger and Lori who run the desk both make it a pleasant experience.