A.D.S Temescal Auto Care

My car went kaput in Oakland, 30 miles and a bridge away from home. ADS was great! They referred me to a cheap tow driver (Kelvin) and replaced my battery on a Saturday. What could have been a miserable afternoon turned into a quick stopover. Staff was friendly and efficient. I would go back anytime.

All 3 stars are for customer service not auto repairs. These guys are very friendly and responsive. In fact they are probably a good place for oil and brake changes-​basic stuff. But, if you have a real problem with your car that needs to be diagnosed, you should probably look elsewhere. Diagnosis given for problem, recommended repair performed, car not fixed. They did issue a refund and did tell me they were not able to diagnose the problem-​respect the honesty. But hey, were you just guessing in the first place???

Phong told me I needed a new fan belt and new wheel bearings. Two other mechanics said those things didn’t need replacing for at least another 10,000 and 60,000 miles, respectively. They charge for the hour of labor to wait for the oil to drain from your car and tell you your transmission fluid needs changing because it’s dark. Guys, transmission fluid changes colors and gets darker naturally. Don’t go here. An extra star because they rubbed a scratch out of my car and didn’t have to.

Fast, friendly, and affordable! Fong who works here is so nice and honest. I have never been overcharged for any service. I have been a loyal customer to them for five years and plan on staying loyal. At a lot of shops you will be charged an arm and a leg, but not here. And they seriously go above and beyond to make it convenient for you. They work efficiently, and they are very helpful at explaining things to me in simple terms (I’m not much of a car expert). A+

I’m hesitant to write this review because I’m afraid it will make them busier. But they deserve a 5 star review. They always accommodate me with last minute repairs on the same day that I call. And they always give me a much better price than any one around. And they are knowledgeable, honest, and nice too. The place may look sketchy but they are super fast and super good and always do a great job. I trust these guys.

We were driving through the Bay Area when our Subaru blew up. Being from out of town we didn’t know where to take it. The tow truck driver recommended this shop. I’m so glad he did. It was a big repair and it was done well. Despite the fact that we were from out of town and it would have been easy to take advantage of us, Phong and his crew were very professional and honest. He did great work and I would definitely recommend them to anyone.

Phong provided excellent customer service and listened to all of my needs, did NOT try to upsell me like most repair shops and he got my car in and out in one day with a good price! Everyone at the shop was extremely friendly and Phong was very thorough and even showed us the problems with the car when we stopped by. I highly recommend this place.

Thank you, Unilocalers, for guiding me to A.D.S. Not only was was everyone here super friendly and helpful, but they also took the time to explain things & answer all my questions. I am grateful they squeezed me in on a busy day. The costs were reasonable and the experience uplifting.

Great neighborhood auto shop! Helpful, quick, compassionate and very reasonable rates! Phong remembers me and my car everytime. They do estimates within an hour and repairs never take longer than a day. They will really go the extra mile for you!

I’ve been so pleased with the repairs I’ve had at this shop. Phong is very honest, knowledgable, and clear about everything being done AND his rates are extremely reasonable! He really takes the time to explain what’s happening with my car, as well as shows me the old parts that he replaced when I pick it up. He also goes above and beyond the agreed upon work. A piece of cosmetic trim that runs horizontally along my car door had come unglued and was dragging on the street as I drove, so it got scratched up. I asked him to re-​adhere the trim; when I came to get my car he had not only re-​adhered it, but took the time to paint the scratched area, free of charge. I’ve never experienced this considerate, generous quality at a mechanic’s before. Yay for A.D.S.

A.D.S. is great! I used to bring my cars to the for maintainance and repairs to the dealerships but discovered A.D.S. via tow truck. Phong is knowledgeable and honest. He lets you know if he feels something is unnecessary and goes beyond just repairs. I’m glad my car had to be towed to discover A.D.S. Great repair shop and price!

Honest is the word that comes to mind. Small place that gets the job done. Very knowledgeable good work. I’ve gone back three times and totally satisfied each time. I know cars and these guys didn’t try to get anymore work out of me than what my vehicle needed done. Highly recomend.

It’s 6am and as I was putting oil in my car I was just reminded of how fantastic A.D.S. is. i just discovered he steam cleaned my engine and the entire inside of my car for free! But that’s just the icing on the cake.
I took my 1998 Honda in several months ago by recommendation of a good friend to have wheel noise checked out and to get a full tune up. They quickly assessed the problem (wheel bearings) and had it ready to go within 24 hours for a decent price.
Shortly after I was t-​boned in a car accident and my car was pronounced totaled by the insurance company. The guys at A.D.S. brought my car back to life using recycled parts (my request) and dealt beautifully with my insurance company. I am now driving my salvaged vehicle and thrilled I don’t have to shop for a new car. This one will last me at least another couple of years, especially with these guys on my team.
Less than three weeks later my I was having trouble shifting and brought it back. Phoung quickly diagnosed the problem and $ 120 later I was out the door with a smooth running vehicle.
It’s wonderful to have found a mechanic I completely trust! Often times Phoung over shares what’s going on with my car and what/​how/​why they are going to fix (I’m not mechanically inclined so most of that info goes over my head) but just the same it’s great to know he knows his stuff.

I have to give a shout-​out to Phoung and his crew at ADS Auto Care. They were top notch in my book.
I took my 1998 Ford Explorer Sport to them after doing a TON of research a fuel pump issue I was having. I brought it in and since I wasn’t in a hurry, they kept my truck for a couple days.
When they were finished, I had a new fuel pump, oil change, major tune up AND they WASHED my truck (which had been sitting on the street for over 5 months — can you DUUURTY?) — all for less than I had been quoted at other shops for only the fuel pump work.
Good guys over there! Thanks!

Decent prices and quick service. They were all super friendly and helpful. I will definitely go back anytime I need work done on my truck.

I have brought a number of my cars here over the years. Simply put: I get advise I can trust (I’ve been talked out of doing more repairs than I care to admit) and the guys do great work (my cars are well maintained). If you’re looking for a place where you can get solid care service and a reasonable price point go no further.

I’ve taken my vehicle here several times — once for just an oil change and tire rotation; then for a full break job plus wheel sensor issue; and then for my 90,000 mile service.
Each time I’ve felt well taken care of. The owner is up front and honest. I don’t get that feeling in my stomach like I’m about to be screwed (you know what I’m talking about! Like when you go to the dealership service center!).
Glad to have found a place I feel is trustworthy.

A few years ago this place saved me serious cash by doing major maintenance on my beater ’96 Camry for less than half what it would have cost at the dealership.
But last time I went, for a tune up before a road trip, they tried to sell me a new radiator (the radiator is the only new thing on my old car). They also charged me for repairing an oil leak. When my transmission went out on the trip and I broke down in Coalinga 2 days later, the mechanic I had the car towed to pointed out the un-​fixed oil leak. The transmission failure could be a coincidence, but after the attempted up-​sell and failed repair, I remain suspicious.
It seems like several reviewers agree this place has declined severely, which is too bad.

I’m giving 3 stars because I came here lots of times and was happy with their work, but now I will NEVER return here.
Pros: family run, close-​by, fast service, cheap
Cons: the don’t speak English well, the put water in your windshield wiper fluid when they give you an oil change, and the story below:
I came in because my shifter was sticking. They said they I would need to have my transmission rebuilt. It cost me $ 1500 – good price for the work but ouch. I did it anyway and I got my car back quick. The shifter still stuck. I came back the next day and they took off the shifter console and cleaned the area around the shifter… maybe 15 mins of work. That fixed it. Turns out I didn’t need to pay the $ 1500 for a re-​built transmission. They said, there’s no way to tell if the re-​built transmission fixed the issue or not and I was not entitle to a refund or anything. Basically I’m out $ 1500 when they only needed to clean the area around the shifter. Never going back again!

My car wouldn’t start. I had it towed to ADS. The guy I dealt with (Fong, I believe) was nice. He kept telling me how lucky I was because my car could have caught fire and any other place would tell me I needed a new engine. Now I am not a mechanic and I can only take his word for it. I can also only assume he is being honest about all the confusing claims of not charging me for stuff. That was the last I ever spoke to this gentleman.
The car ran again. Win.
IMMEDIATELY upon exiting the cramped parking area, I noticed a new clicking/​vibrating sound. ADS was busy and closing, so I continued home trying to figure out the clicking sound. (ADS hours are 8 – 5:30 which cuts it a bit close for someone who works 8 – 5.)
I brought my car back in and left it with ADS for them to examine the vibrating sound. After no word, I called them and was dismissively told it was my cd’s vibrating. This seemed absurd to me but perhaps they hadn’t heard the sound. I was invited to take a mechanic for a drive to point out the sound.
I left work early to get to ADS, stood around ignored for 10 minutes and then Mr. Dismissive told me nothing was wrong with my car and there was no sound. I was about to storm off when he asked a mechanic to ride with me. On the ride, the sound was impossible to ignore.
Mr. Mechanic and Mr. Dismissive insisted that it was just something in the dashboard over and over again. I never contested this. However, it didn’t make the damn sound before they worked on my car! Mr. Dismissive was extremely dismissive and rude and eventually told me that perhaps I had just not paid attention to the loud clicking sound before now. It was obvious that despite having done something to trip this vibration, ADS was not going to help correct it.
I left and will not be driving my clicking automobile back to ADS.