Car Tech Auto Service

After reading the positive reviews on here I was extremely disappointed by what I experienced. I had my Toyota Camry towed in after it left me stranded. After the $ 100 inspection I was told I needed a transmission rebuild and that additional repairs might be needed to clear the error codes. They quoted me $ 3,400 and stated it could go up. I was seriously considering just doing it but with that type of money involved I decided to get a second opinion. I took it to another shop that specializes in transmission repair and they told me I had a leak and transmission didn’t need to be rebuilt. They charged me $ 200 plus the cost to tow the car from the shop. It’s only been a few days but my car has been running strong and the original problem has been fixed. The only reason I gave them two stars is because they were extremely professional sounding and called to give me updates promptly. However, I can’t overlook that they misdiagnosed my car and attempted to grossly overcharge me.

A really great shop, they’re honest, upfront, punctual and genuinely good people. They’ve always been more than fair everytime I’ve been here so yea can’t recommend them more.

These guys are the real deal. I have been bringing my truck to Car Tech for over four years to handle everything from a timing chain replacement to a simple oil change. No matter the size or complexity of the job, Tim and his staff have always been patient, dependable, honest, and very generous with their time (I always appreciate it when they walk me through the repairs they’re making).
The staff and mechanics are great guys to work with. Tim is a fabulous owner who takes the shop’s reputation and the quality of the work they do very seriously. Sam and Sean are a great pair of guys who always make me feel like I’m in dependable, trustworthy hands. I have no doubt that I will continue to bring my vehicle to Car Tech!

I bought a 1999 Cadillac @ auction in Anaheim and was on my way home to San Diego when car got hot, called triple AAA they towed me to Car Tech. It was 5 pm and they were closing .Josh took me to a local motel. They called me next morning to tell it was not blown head gasket but car cooling system needed a flush. Sam the manager was great.

I had a check engine light come on while traveling recently, so I pulled off the freeway to give the engine a break and get it checked out.
Car Tech fit me in on a busy Saturday, and were able to quickly diagnose and repair an issue with some parts and oil in my vehicle. The manager was friendly and he clearly explained the issues in my car and why each step of the repair was needed. The mechanic took great care of my vehicle and it has been running smoothly since my repair appointment, after a couple hundred miles of freeway driving. They also gave advice for upcoming maintenance I should consider for my car.
I thought the prices were fair and comparable to other services I’ve had on my car in the past.

This business is right next to 24 hour fitness gym. I needed a smog check so I decided to stop in and see about having the work done by Car Tech. Sam, the manager, was very polite and professional and explained the costs for the inspection. Today, I returned to have the work done. The price was exactly as Sam had quoted and it was an extremely painless experience. I got my smog check done and got in a good workout at the gym while the work was being done! Great business!

These guys are CROOKS!!!
I took my car in for a routine service, and they told me I needed to flush the transmission fluid. I could not at the time. When I brought it back 5,000 miles later, they told me my transmission was gone, and I needed to replace it to the tune of $ 2300. THIS WAS A LIE!!!
I took it to my mechanic friend, who told me «someone» had switched on my transmission light to make it look like I needed a new transmission. I am disgusted with them and will never return!

I have found my go-​to repair shop! Sam went above and beyond to be helpful and communicative — you can tell he genuinely cares about his customers. Everyone at this shop is so nice. I’ve always hated at other shops when I can’t understand what’s going on, or when they’re pushy/​impatient with me, but Car Tech is the opposite of that. I felt so comfortable. The repairs were very expensive, but I never felt like I was being swindled, which is a concern I’ve had at other shops. Sam is very trustworthy — he was diligent about making things transparent, and even suggested financial options for me that had nothing to do with his shop, in fact would lose him my business, but he suggested them anyway. I thought that was really commendable. Additionally, the shop is clean and pleasant to be in, and they even drive you home if your car has to be there awhile. Should something go wrong with my car again, I will definitely take it to Car Tech!

I have been a customer at Car Tech for a few years. These guys are trustworthy, honest and the quality of their work is excellent. They are extremely reliable and have never failed to complete a repair in the amount of time promised. Their prices are fair and they always work to give me a reasonable deal and never fail to completely and patiently explain what they have done and why they’ve done it. I am not a car person, and it is always comforting to know that I have a reliable, trustworthy, garage to take my car to. I can’t recommend this shop highly enough.

I’m sorry about the late update. So the auto shop saw my complains on Unilocal and called me, and their attitude was really sincere, I think. I went to the store, and got the refund for the chemical cleanse part, it was about 200 dollars. Even though they made some technical mistake, but they were able to face it and solve it with a genuine attitude, so I feel so much better. At least, they are reliable, and they are honest and nice people.

I’ve had nothing but good experiences at Car Tech and specially for you ladies who like me have felt the familiar «here comes a woman» complex, I want to share my recent experience. Manager Sam sure went to bat for me. At my regular oil change/​maintenance check, they found my battery cable needed replaced – due to leaking battery. As it was still under warranty, Sam called that co. to see if they wanted to check it out before the cable was replaced. They gave him the go-​ahead and it was done. Before I left, Sam said to let him know if they gave me any trouble about replacing the battery. Sure enough, they did! So back to Sam I went and he really took the time and trouble and followed through, even insisting that their service truck come there while I was there and he made sure that I got a new battery replacement at no cost to me. Thanks Sam for all your help again!

I have been using these guys for the last 6 years. Professional technicians and extremely helpful
I work few blocks form their shop, I usually drop my car at about 9:00 am, they always offer to give me a ride to work but I prefer to walk to work, I get a phone call about 11:00 that my car is ready or there is a problem that needs to be taken care of. We have 4 cars and we use them for all of them

I will just start by saying that I am usually someone who is pretty paranoid about getting ripped off my mechanics that want to swindle you. Being that I have forced myself to do my research from one too many bad experiences, I can honestly say that Car Tech made me feel a little better about getting my car fixed.
Brought in my Honda CRV after I started having problems accelerating in the middle of the road. I would toggle the gear handle and it would be okay for a little, but I would have to step on the gas for a long time to get the car to go. Had a feeling that this problem would cost a pretty penny, I was dreading having to deal with shady mechanics all over again. But when I called and asked about my car, the manager was pretty patient with all my concerns. So I went ahead and brought the car in.
What I really appreciate at this place that you don’t get from other car shops is that the manager Sam actually explained to me all my options. Basically he told me in laymen’s terms what was wrong with the car, but also how all the costs came out. I asked him a slew of questions, and he actually came over to me and answered all of them pretty patiently. It’s pretty refreshing to find a car shop that will break down for you what was is the most urgent to fix and what could wait if needed, instead of trying to take all your money.
Needless to say, I will definitely be back. They’re running an honest business here, and they’ve got a new loyal customer.

No offense guys, you are really nice…
The only thing is that you quoted me for $ 459 to change my rear brakes. I called J and A over in Santa Ana and they quoted me $ 120.
You also quoted a coolant flush at $ 142, whereas J and A quoted $ 80.
Maybe you just charge more since most people in Irvine are loaded. Be sure to call around before you accept there prices though…
Thanks for your time and for the free inspection. Just keepin it real…

Took my car in for an oil change and basic check up. Tim was very friendly, big smile on his face, and overall excellent service. I didn’t make a reservation and just walked in and they were still able to get my car looked at and fixed within 2 hours. They were also able to tell me other things that needed to be fix but didn’t pressure me or try to sell me on the other stuff. Tim gave me the quotes and just told me its not necessary to fix but he highly recommended it

It is difficult to trust many mechanics and autoshops because as customers, car owners know so little about car parts, pricing, etc. However, this was not a problem at Car Tech because it is nearly impossible to dislike the staff here.
My car ran into issues at around midnight on my drive from LA to SD. Ultimately, I had to get my car towed to an autoshop in Irvine for precautionary purposes because it was making funny sounds (and I honestly thought the engine was going to explode on me). Even with little research, it was evident that Car Tech had the best customer reviews. As such, I had my car towed here and dropped my keys at around 2−3AM, and basically hoped for the best.
When I contacted Car Tech in the morning, the staff member greeted me with care and really listened to my car issue. He said that the mechanic would run a diagnostic test that cost $ 53 and we would go from there.
When I went to the shop to check up on the status of my car, Sam the manager really took care of me. He explained the few minor problems my car had, and also warned me about 1 potentially larger issue with my wheel bearing. With the minor issues, Sam had the mechanic repair the problem quickly. With the larger issue, Sam explained to me the ramifications and risks and allowed me to make an independent decision — he did not expect me to repair it at Car Tech and respected my choice.
Once I decided to take my car to my personal mechanic, he rung me up and told me he would waive the $ 53 fee! This is something new to me because I have never had an auto service shop waive anything! I ended up paying only for the 2 bulbs I had them replace, and nothing more.
Car problems is a really scary thing, but I lucked out by finding such an amazing auto service shop! Thanks Sam, for all your help again!

Sam the manager reached out to me to address my experience at Car Tech today. He seemed pretty devastated by the fact that he lost my customer trust, and genuinely apologized and tried to rectify the situation. He was determined to make my impression a better one, and asked a lot of questions about who I spoke to, what time I was there, etc. and referred to specific mentions on my post to look into the matter.
He offered to take a second look at my car to address the items on my list, and to provide some kind of explanation/​closure. To be honest, after getting a second/​third opinion at two other auto shops, I don’t feel inclined to make the trip back just to have them make me feel better about my first experience. But the fact that he was so willing to go out of his way to give me some clarity is nice. And to be frank, the gesture is enough for me because I don’t feel livid/​super sketched out anymore.
Because Sam impressed me, I am bumping up my rating to an average 2.5 (rounded up to a 3-​star «A-​OK»). From our conversation, I can tell he is very ready to take the necessary actions and take accountability. I went on a Saturday, apparently the one day he is not in, so maybe that’s why I had such a bad time. And perhaps my experience was a once-​in-​a-​blue-​moon, isolated event… but I will still be taking my patronage someplace else.

These guys are great. Had my vehicle die on me on the freeway. Called AAA and they recommended this place and called them for me to be expecting my vehicle. Shortly after I received a phone call from Sam and he was very pleasant and helpful. He asked if I was ok and that they will be ready for me when I get in.
When I arrived with the tow truck and my vehicle they were pretty busy and I asked how long it might take to get my vehicle looked at. They told me about an hour and they asked if I needed a ride somewhere which was nice. I only waited about 30 mins when they called me and diagnosed the problem. Unfortunately it was a transmission issue and they didn’t have the parts but they recommended me to a place down the street. Overall, they are honest and helpful people and I will definitely come back. Thanks guys.

Car Tech Auto Service is the only mechanic shop in Irvine that I recommend to others.
I have been a loyal customer with Car Tech Auto Service for over a decade due to their honest mechanics and reasonable prices given the locale. From smog, scheduled maintenance to repair this shop with have you up and running as fast as possible. The staff are highly professional, knowledgeable and you will never feel like you are getting ripped off. What more can you ask for?
Every time I am given maintenance suggestions elsewhere I tell them «I am good, I have a mechanic» and any automobile I own out of warranty goes to Car Tech Auto Service without a hesitation.
The best mechanics in Irvine, no question.

Upon arrival, they opened the doors early for me, because I was early and standing there. They could have waited till their officially posted business hours, like I’ve experienced from service companies. I start my review with this point because it is sets the tone for my whole experience.
I needed a lot of work done and came in with a list. They only charged me for what needed to be done, even though their estimates included some items they could have very well performed and charged me for, but didn’t.
At one point in the day they determined they would need to keep the car over night but they made sure I had loner car until they were finished; which was by 10am the next day.
They were very particular with the quality of their work making me feel safe for my wife and kids who spend the majority of time in this car.
The staff was friendly.
The estimates were excellent.
The work was quality.
They have certainly earned my trust.
I was completely satisfied with their work and plan on returning when the next car repair is needed.
Like I started off at the beginning, they clearly deliver top of line service to their customers.