Toscalito Ignacio Tire & Automotive

Novato, United States

3.1

Closed now

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 415-883-8473
Website:
www.toscalito.com
Address:
101 Roblar Dr Ste A, Novato, CA, 94949
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Today

Today 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Closed now
Local time (Novato) 1:25 AM Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Business hours

Monday 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Tuesday 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Wednesday 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Thursday 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Friday 7:30 am – 5:30 pm
Saturday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Description

Specialties

We’ll help you get back on the road. When it comes to the performance of your vehicle, you want quality service from trusted experts. As an authorized Goodyear dealer, we carry Goodyear, Dunlop and Kelly tires and offer a wide range of automotive and tire services. From new tires to an oil change, to battery replacement and alignments, our skilled technicians will help repair and maintain your vehicle.

History

Established in 1971.

Ken and Vince were both born in San Francisco and raised in the same neighborhood for years before becoming business partners in 1971. Ken Toscanini and Vince Ippolito combined their skills, knowledge, enthusiasm, passion for cars and their names (Toscanini + Ippolito) to create Toscalito Tire & Automotive.

Starting in 1971, «The two nice Italian boys» (Ken and Vince), worked a pair Shell stations in the Marina and Fisherman’s Wharf area of San Francisco. For years, their stations offered gasoline, auto repair, AAA towing, and car rental to many loyal customers. In 1975, they decided to concentrate on tire sales and auto repair by opening their first Goodyear Tire Store: Lombard Tire & Automotive. In the 35 years since, they have continued to open new shops closer to their homes in Marin: Corte Madera, Ignacio, Terra Linda, downtown San Rafael, and then Vallejo.

Meet the Business Owner

Vince and Ken T.

Business Owner

Toscalito has always been a proud supporter of local charities and non-​profit causes. Through the years, they have supported local schools, the American Red Cross, Feed the Children, and Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity — an organization that offers help and support to local homeless young adults. Over the past 10 years, Toscalito has been a major contributor to a local organization — that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the American Cancer Society’s restricted fund for Breast Cancer Education and Research. Giving back to the community that they serve, is part of their passion.

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20 reviews of Toscalito Ignacio Tire & Automotive

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Place rating: 2
Corte Madera, CA
Don’t think I’ll come back to this shop. Staff isn’t friendly and act like their jobs are very secure. Hope their work is what we have come to expect from other Toscalito locations.
Place rating: 3
Novato, CA
Very rude front desk person. I always like to give someone the benefit of having a bad day. However, I spoke with others who told me they were not treated right here — lack of honesty about work needed on their car. Simple kindness, honesty and respect for customers is so important to stay in business. I hope they improve.
Update: My poor experience was from last May. I was promptly contacted by owner/​manager who is very concerned with his business’ customer service. This shows me they do care, so I added some stars. Good luck to Toscalito.
Place rating: 4
Novato, CA
I’ve only been there once, but it was a stellar experience and I will be back. I needed tires before taking a big drive on the holiday week. Toscalito quoted me a great price over the phone and fit me in on the same day. They took as long as they said they were going to take, in fact a little faster. They’re in my neighborhood, so very convenient for me.
Place rating: 5
Novato, CA
Had a great experience with Andre and Pablo! I got a great price, better than Costco, America’s Tire Co, or Big O tires. They did not try to oversell me, gave me good recommendations and were able to see me last minute! =)
Place rating: 1
Novato, CA
You know the funny thing is. I called toscalito. They said they would honor it. That’s giving your word to a customer. Now to me whether you win or lose as a business your word should mean more then how much money you might lose as to how much money you might gain via word of mouth.
Place rating: 1
Novato, CA
My review is about un-​needed service recommendations Toscalito is using to rip people off. I needed an oil change and had a coupon. I dropped my car off and later had a call from the service rep there who said i needed to have my power steering fluid flushed and replaced. Not knowing any better, i said to go ahead. They also recommended i have a four-​wheel alignment. I had one done the year before, but they said they recommend it be done every year. Thankfully i said no to the alignment. They also said i needed four new tires — this i knew was wrong. The top of George Washington’s head on a quarter was definitely down below the tread. Total cost for my «oil change»? $ 180. It could have been well over $ 700 if they had their way.
So why are these rip-​offs? First of all, my car is only four years old with less than 60k on it. Power steering fluid doesn’t need to be changed that soon — the owners manual says so. Secondly, an alignment is only needed if your car is tracking or steering oddly, or if your tires are wearing unevenly. Neither was the case for me, especially since I just had it done. An alignment is really never needed unless those issues crop up or if you hit deep pothole or curb and want to have it checked.
As a woman, I felt i was taken advantage of because of my lack of car knowledge. I can’t imagine what else they recommend to un-​savvy customers. Replacement of the headlight fluid?
We obviously will never go back there and have told our friends about this, and neither will they.
Regards,
Liz
Place rating: 5
San Rafael, CA
These comments are way off base and certainly not my experience. Have been coming here for my car and my wife’s car for the last 12 years. Same guys here working hard. They have always taken care of us at a reasonable price. Brought a new car there last week and they installed the wheel locks at no charge and sent me on my way. I have even had the owner of the chain call me and to make sure I was a satisfied customer. I didn’t know of anybody who does that anymore. We will always bring our tire business/​auto repair here
Place rating: 5
Long Beach, CA
I was driving through town and got a flat on a rental. I cannot say how helpful Sean was in getting me back on the road. Despite the bad reviews, he is a great guy and was very helpful.
Place rating: 2
San Francisco, CA
These people are sneaky scammers. I have take three cars in for just an oil change using one of their promotional coupons… they then have a walk around the cars (same routine everytime) and just happen to find a «serious issue» that «needs» repair. I could swear the manager stuck a piece of metal in a wheel while he ducked out of sight, and said I needed a new tire. When I leaned down to look at it, they guy didnt expect me to pluck it out and say it was just a tiny piece that had not punctured the tire. They also have said I need new wipers on all three cars. And they have said i need the fluids flushed, On ALL three cars, all at different times. Well, I am NOT going back. Nice guys to talk to, but real sneaky and tricky. No trust = No business
They are not trustworthy and Karma is going to catch up with them. Dont go there until they fire all three managers.
Place rating: 5
Novato, CA
I agree with Jessica T.
I’ve used Toscalito shops in Corte Madera and now Novato and have found them excellent for both tire/​alignment work and general maintenance.
They are responsive, communicate well, often tell me that something doesn’t need to be done. I always feel a confidence when bringing my car to Toscalito.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Am I writing about the same place as some others? I am normally a pretty harsh critic, if you look at my other reviews; however, I couldn’t be MORE pleased with Toscalito yesterday. With less than 24 hours notice, they located my tire at a warehouse and promised my replacement by 8:30 a.m. the next morning.
They actually replaced my tire and had me in and out before I could walk to Peets for a coffee and come back. I was there only a half hour. Wow!
To give you a comparison, Sears said 3 – 5 business days to get the tire in. Big O said I needed to replace my spare too, but Toscalito said it was fine.
Having nothing to do with service… the dude behind the counter made a sexist assumption and asked me if i was «in the little red car» when i first walked in.
I guess my comment to other shoppers who had a bad experience might be to know what you’re talking about when you go in. That applies to any mechanic.
Place rating: 5
San Rafael, CA
We began using Toscalito for tires because of the free rotation and so on that they offer and because it was so close. We have been using them for 5 years at least now and have had only good experiences with them. They have many times offered us a lower cost option than direct from Toyota and have solved several quick problems for free. I really trust them and have never had a bad experience with them…
Place rating: 1
San Francisco, CA
No no no no and no!!! ! I had a nightmare here last year that they tried to resolve by giving me «complimentary» extra services which, though nice of them, never solved the original problem. Then I was accused of being «opportunistic» in a letter written by the owner to American Express which was hysterical! After $ 1600.00 and issues galore, I brought my car elsewhere. $ 1300.00 after that, my problems were solved and by a reputable dealer. In my opinion, you need a mechanic you can trust. I don’t trust Toscalito and as evidenced by many other reviewers, I’m not alone! PLEASE READ THE FILTERED REVIEWS! It appears many of them are either fake or were taken off for God knows what reason. I have documentation and letters and emails along with receipts for all of the issues. Though they fixed two items that absolutely needed to be fixed, they added one on that wasnt necessary but cost me $ 900! It’s a shame the real problem was never resolved after all of their «free complimentary services». Free services are only good if they fix the problem.
****THIS IS MY ONE AND ONLY REVIEW OF THIS BUSINESS, AS LAST YEAR, WHEN I UnilocalED A POOR REVIEW, THE OWNER ASKED ME TO REMOVE IT AND I DID, GIVING HIM A CHANCE TO SOLVE MY CAR ISSUES THAT ENDED UP NOT BEING RESOLVED AT THIS BUSINESS.
Place rating: 5
Novato, CA
Took my car in after it broke down to diagnose a battery related problem. Problem was quickly noticed and fixed, and I was off in no time. Definitely would come back again for the usual maintenance! 5 stars!
Place rating: 2
Mill Valley, CA
Let me preface the review by saying that I recognize that I’m not one of the customers that just wants an automotive shop to just see the problem, get it fixed, and pay the price they say. I am someone who relies on a mechanic to explain the problem, the level of risk associated with not fixing the problem, and the most cost effective way to address the problem. I need to trust that they are not selling me services but are considering whether or not this is something that financially makes sense. I have this same expectation of any other professional where I am clearly not the expert and don’t know any better than what they are telling me.
I took my car to have them fix a problem that generated after my last visit there. Fortunately they fixed the problem without cost and also repaired the tire that I had bought there, both of which met my expectations. Then they told me I needed about $ 1500 worth of work that was fairly urgent, which got me panicked because realistically the car is only worth about 5−6k. I was able to get a second opinion and I was told that yes, this is work that should be done at some point based on the age of the car but that it was in no way urgent or an immediate need. This is now the second time I’ve had another shop dramatically lower the urgency and cost of work recommended by Toscalito which has now lead me to believe that their advice is not based on what is best for me but what is best for them. My experience buying tires and getting brakes done has been fairly positive however I am questioning whether or not I’ve really gotten the best prices available. Unfortunately my trust has been compromised but I do think that if you’re not someone who really worries about costs associated with the work then you’ll be satisfied knowing that your car is taken care of.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Bought my last tires at Costco. Thought I just needed them rotated again but they told me I needed new tires (at Costco). I liked buying tires there in the past, but they didn’t have them and said it would take up to week to get them and I wanted to replace my current ones now.
So I called around to every tire store in the Novato area. All had tires in my size, and from different manufacturers, Toyo, Uniroyal, Hankook, and some Indonesian brands I’d never heard of. I’m sorry, but when it comes to tires I want brand names I’ve heard of.
Angel, at Toscalito, called me with three different choices, in three different price ranges – all of which were less than Costco (with the $ 70 Michelin sale price). I chose the Toyos because they’re high quality. I knew I needed an alignment, too, and when you get one with tires it costs $ 80, which is reasonable.
Got it all done – and they replaced by rear brake light for the cost of the bulb. Toscalito rotates and balances your tires for the life of the tire for free, and also offers road damage insurance for $ 9 per tire, so if the tire is damaged in any way (nail, curb, anything) they replace it – for free, also for the life of the tire.
My experience was entirely positive and I’d go back – and recommend them.
Addendum: 5⁄12:
I got a big nail in my right rear tire – but I had the road damage insurance. So I drove in on my tiny spare, no waiting, and they checked the tire to see if it could be fixed or if the sidewall was damaged they’d give me a new tire.
The sidewall was fine, they fixed it properly – from the inside (some places put in a plug from the outside and those don’t last), and I was on my way in less than a half an hour – for free.
I don’t know about other people’s experiences, only about my own, and in my experience their prices for tires and alignment were both as good as costco and their time to service was much more convenient.
Place rating: 1
San Francisco, CA
After being overcharged for an oil change/​tire rotation here a while back, I, like a complete idiot, took my car here to get it realigned after he and I lost a battle with a kerb. What can I say, it’s walking distance from my office off Bel Marin Keys, so it’s convenient to drop it off here in the morning and then hoof it over to work.
This place is way overpriced and extremely unreliable. You know those shops that call you up and rattle off a laundry list of repairs that add up to around $ 2,000? Or the shop that makes you want to say «screw it» to your corporate marketing career and go to your local trade school to get your ASE certification? Yeah, this is that shifty place. I’m seriously surprised they didn’t tell me that I also needed to have my halogen fluid flushed and replace my muffler bearings.
I’m not that familiar with auto care in Marin (and don’t really want to be), but there has to be a better place than this bunch. If you say you’re going to have it done by 4:00pm, don’t give me attitude when I call at 4:30pm and want to know what’s up. Oh yeah, and that alignment that originally brought me to this portal to hell? It’s still not fixed, so I have to come back here tomorrow. Save yourself the trouble and avoid this place like the plague.
Place rating: 1
San Rafael, CA
I took my vintage musclecar here for brake work after having a drum seize on 101 about half a mile away. My mistake. This is definitely a money trap if you don’t know your car.
The main guy handling the paperwork here was aggressive and pushy. He told me he would not release my car to me unless I got ALL four brakes done. He had the mechanic show me two almost invisible hairline fractures on the caliper (front) and drum (back) in addition to the one drum that blew up on the freeway. The estimate was very high, well over $ 1200.
I told them to not even touch my brakes and that I’d be there to pick up my car. I was charged over $ 140 just for looking at the brakes! The guy told me I’d have to push my car off the lot because he wouldn’t accept the liability of me driving it with damaged brakes.
Had my car towed to a far more honest mechanic in San Rafael. The failed drum brake was replaced, the hairline fracture in the housing and caliper of the other brakes were shown as fairly normal wear for old brakes (and perfectly safe). A U-​joint was replaced that Toscalito failed to diagnose. The grand total was under $ 400 parts and labor.
I reported the steep diagnosis fee to the BBB and other agencies and got a settlement of half the fee refunded.
Additionally, my San Rafael mechanic told me another vintage car owner had the exact same experience at Toscalito — they refused to release his car to him without performing a full overpriced brake overhaul for well over a thousand bucks. Infuriated, the guy showed up with a tow truck to pull his car out and have it properly diagnosed and serviced elsewhere.
AVOID TOSCALITO.
Place rating: 2
San Francisco, CA
Call the competition and check their prices before you go here. They charged me $ 130 for an alignment job that would have cost $ 90 up the road at Big O, while giving me a shifty look that seemed to say «I wonder if this rube is going to take the deal». They also quoted me $ 475 to replace all four tires, until I said «never mind I’ll take it somewhere else». Suddenly they had a bunch of other options from $ 375 to $ 260. I prefer a shop where they just give me a good deal the first time, not one where I have to pry it out of them.
Update: their alignment didn’t. After the alignment my steering wheel was crooked and it pulled to the left. I took it up the road to Big O where they did the job right.
Place rating: 1
San Rafael, CA
If I could give no stars I would. I had one of the worst experiences at Toscalito tire and just want to warn people of these horrible businesmen. A few years back i brought my car in for a tire rotation and left with $ 1200 damage to my car that they would not take ownership of. The damage was so bad that couldnt even open the driver side door to get in. When I confronted the manager he said I brought the car in like that– WTF. I couldnt even get in the car, how would a big man get in my car to put it on the lift get it? When I asked the man that worked on the car he admitted that the car was damaged when they put it on the lift and that he was able to get in the car when I bought it in. In the end of this infuriating debacle it was clear they were taking advantage of a young woman and just playing on my naivety on automotive repairs.
Consider yourself warned. They refused to pay for the damage– so ever since then I have been telling people to go elsewhere.