Bruce’s Auto Service

James M.
I am not happy with Bruce Auto service because he is not honest. I brought my 2007 Chrysler 300 in for overheating problem. They replace spark plug cylinder sleeves first for what they said was a misfired. So the real problem is they did not follow instructions on how to trouble shoot the problem with a simple water test. I had a blown head gasket and that was after one week of trying to find the problem. Bruce offer a really good deal to do the work instead of me taking it in to the dealer. I let him repair the blown head gasket, so they since the heads to machine shop to be fixed. Wrong! Chrysler Dealership said you cannot machine these heads you have to replaced them with new ones. My engine was destroyed with metal deposits all threw the motor from the heads and timing gear could never get set right, because they did not know what the hell they were doing. I also brought a 2002 Honda Civic from Bruce’s Auto sales and that car overheated the same week of purchase the car. I had to take him to small claims court because he refused to repair the car after we brought it. Good owners and managers admitted there mistake and also do whats necessary to resolved customers services issues. I work at Phone Net Inc for 9 years and i took my car into Bruce auto for small repairs but for large costly repairs he failed big time and would not take ownership of the problem. I paid $ 1800 for the blown head gasket and then 11 months later paid $ 8650.00 to rebuilt motor.

Been going to Bruce’s for years now. I recommended friends and family and 3 months ago my brother went to get his check engine light checked. They told him it was a tire air pressure sensor that needed to be changed. Told my brother he needed to change all of them for $ 360. Then my brother took it to discount tire and they said it was only one. What total rip offs and jerks. Be aware of what you’re getting your car worked on. If I were you I would get a second opinion.

I took my car here for years and thought they were treating me right. I even recommended them to friends and family. Then I had an O2 issue. They replaced the sensor once, then a few months later, again, then a few months later a third time. All at premium prices. I finally took my car to another shop and they reset a loose cable!!! No parts needed. The problem went away. Lazy? For sure, Rip off, yes that too. Beware of Bruce’s Auto.

Came here as I had a small nail in my tire and needed it repaired. Daniel ended up helping me at the front desk and was very polite and professional. Gave me a quote of $ 25 to plug the hole in the tire or $ 30 to patch. I asked them to just patch it as that would be more effective at closing the hole. I had to leave my tire there as they were a bit busy and I had to go back to work.
Gave me a call about an hour later letting me know that because the hole wasn’t that deep they only had to plug it. When I showed up the total ended up being only $ 22 (instead of $ 25) to which I asked if they could go ahead and remove the spare and put the repaired tire on for me and I said I would pay them. They proceeded to do it for free. On top of that Daniel printed me out a quote for how much a full set of tires would cost for a cheaper brand and a more expensive brand as a courtesy. They also topped off all my tires air for free as well.
Daniel was a breeze to work with and very easy to talk to and seems like a cool guy but also very professional. Very recommended and I will probably be coming to back Bruce’s again. Great job guys!

I have been coming to Bruce’s Auto for years! A good friend of mine recommended them and I’ve never gone anywhere since. It’s been about 8 years now. I started coming here when I had my little Honda and I still come here with my Lexus.
They always have great service! They never try to up-​sell you on anything. They are always very direct and honest with their recommendations. They might say something like, you don’t need a new air filter right now, but you may want to get a new one next time you come in. OR in the case of yesterday, you are low on coolant and it’s using your water to cool down, we can fix that, etc.
I came in yesterday for an oil change, but also b/​c I needed my brakes looked at (free brake inspection) b/​c they have been squeaking, and I needed to get a smog test. I left my car there for the entire day and they would call me with updates, which was so greatly appreciated! Not only did they do these things for me, but they also changed my windshield wipes (front and back) and I was so grateful for that b/​c I have been meaning to change them (they were BAD, thank God it doesn’t rain that much in Southern California). They also filled up my tires b/​c they saw the tire pressure light was on, and they looked at my wheel alignment b/​c I mentioned that to them as well over the phone. They rotated my tires also and all this for just a little over $ 200. Keep in mind that at the dealership, my oil change alone would have been about $ 100.
I know that I have peace of mind when it comes to my car here at Bruce’s and I trust them to take care of my vehicle. Thank you!

Mr Bruce I’ve would like to rate your service better unfortunately based on my experience I can’t I went to your business refereed by a client of yours with a great expectations. After you performed the service on my car I had to go back again 15 days after and you were not willing to give a warranty for the work you did, but I was suppose to pay again not only for the same service related to my car trunk but also you wanted me to pay again for a quote on the same service you had done on my car 15 days ago.
With all of this I have to say that I will report your business to the BBB because the way you conduct warranty service for work you do is very unacceptable.

I called Miramar Automotive down the street at 3:50 to go in for an oil change. They said: Sorry, our last oil change is at 4pm.
Me: So you can’t do it? Them: No, sorry.
I hung up and called Bruce’s.
Me: Can I get an oil change?
Bruce: Yes! Come on in.
That’s 5 star customer service.
Plus, this place is clean. I appreciate that.

I took my car in for the Tire Pressure Monitor light. I authorized the diagnosis of $ 60, which is a rip-​off. No one ever called me until late in the afternoon stating they replaced a sensor. With labor and parts, the repair cost was $ 145. They did not provide me with an estimate, nor obtain my permission to complete the repair. This is a violation of BAR regulations. I told the owner about this and he said he would take the sensor off of my car and put my car back together. Of course I didn’t want it taken apart as I’d have to take it to another shop for repair and waste another day on this. The law requires an estimate and approval for repairs and Bruce’s did neither.

Great service! All the time, every time. We come here for everything: oil change, brakes, smog, etc. They always have great customer service, honest about prices and whether services are really necessary or not. Unlike other places that want you to pay for extra everything. Also great ETA for services since the shop is so popular. They are usually very busy but you always see happy, recurring customers walk out the door. People are willing to wait because they always get the best service. Totally recommend!

I ordered a tire– paid over the phone (which I thought was weird) and scheduled an appointment for 8am the next am. I was assured I would be out in ½ hour– like many people I have a job and meetings… I sat there for 45 minutes and then asked — my tire wasn’t even there! No one communicated — terrible customer service! The man who assured me over the phone the night before wouldn’t even come talk to me! Never coming back again.

Came here again, after already coming here for years, and their service has gotten even better. To be fair, there are new people here (same management), so that could be why my past 2 experiences have been extremely pleasant.

Since my first trip here I’ve never gone anywhere else.
Driving home from Coronado one morning, I became frantic when an indicator light came on… the check oil light instructions basically said pull over, turn off the engine, and get towed to the nearest shop for service. I opted for this place, purely because it was nearby my place, after calling to explain my situation and the guy assured me i should be okay to keep driving. In addition to an oil change, they did a complimentary check of all the fluids and looked over the brakes, etc. I especially appreciate that they did not take advantage of me being a 20-​something girl who clearly knows nothing about cars.
Since that fantastic experience, I have always come here for my oil changes. They are quick and friendly, and always make a point of bringing me back to the car if there’s anything that needs to be discussed. They keep great records of what they’ve done in the past, and I’ve noticed that the same technician always works on my car. I feel comfortable asking their advice, knowing that they will give honest answers and are not just focused on up-​sell.
Thank you, thank you for your great service!

Had my oil change here but that’s all I would get done here as their prices are on the higher end of things. Luis was the one that helped me. I came in a little before closing hours but decided it was okay to take me and my car in. Luis did an awesome job taking care of my car and thoroughly checking everything out before handing her back to me. He explained to me some of the concerns he found regarding my car. I already knew of them. So if you want an honest place, go to them, but shop around for better deals if you’re requesting more than an oil change.
I usually don’t like waiting in the waiting room, but when I did there was an annoying customer complaining on how they screwed up his car last time. He ended up selling his last car and brought in a new car. So why bring your new car to people who screwed up your previous car?

Love this place! My handyman mechanic was louis *spellcheck*
He’s sincere, goes to full details w/​information about your car, doesn’t push you to buy unnecessary repairs, really knows what’s he’s doing!
The wait really depends on the hours you go, so I suggest getting there early!

This place was awesome! Around the corner from my work and very reasonable prices especially for Oil Change. I think they vacuumed my front floor boards too! Eric and another gentlemen helped me out but they were very professional and quick. Will definitely come back here.

Honest technicians. Reasonably priced. Fast service. $ 19 (plus tax) oil change. Be sure to look for Luis, he has been very helpful. The waiting area is also cozy with plenty of seating and a TV screen if you plan on waiting. It’s located next to a gas station so you won’t go hungry.

DO NOT go here for anything more than an oil change — if that.
Brought my jeep to them to fix my A/​C beginning January. It’s right next door to where I work and was recommended by a coworker. The convenience really won me over. Stupid, stupid idea.
Several visits and $ 1200 later the A/​C kept running out of cold air after a few days so I gave up and just sweat out the summer. One of the mechanics had apparently started to feel guilty about working for Bruce and ultimately left just after I told him I am not coming back. He actually advised me to avoid his own employer! Well, too little too late.
Instead of referring me to a specialist (only recently I learned of such a very specific specialist), Bruce’s Auto decided greed is much more important than the health of my auto and thus ruined the A/​C system. Melted metal was found in its components.
I am taking advantage of an off-​season discount offer from a reputable specialist so the A/​C is now being completely rebuilt for TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS with a lot of the cost going towards undoing the damage caused by Bruce. I am tooling around town in a rental car for a week.
DON’T BE A FOOL. STAY AWAY FROM THIS GODFORSAKEN CHOP SHOP.

Awesome guys, really! I was making a long road-​trip to Utah, so I wanted to get my oil changed and check on the brakes since they had been squeaking a lot. Eric did a great job assisting me and answering all the questions I had. He buffered my brakes (at a fair price) and handled the oil change super quick. Bruce even came out and asked me how I was doing and apologized it was taking a while for the brakes. I definitely recommend this shop! They’re different in that they don’t corner you into buying a ton of things you don’t need, like most auto-​shops do.

It’s kind of late already writing a review for this place.
I had to bring my Honda VAN here for a blown front tire.
The tire can’t be repaired because it was punctured on the side panel. They offered me that they can replace the tire but it will be available on Monday. It was Saturday morning when I had my front tire blew up, they are nearest auto repair in the area to my work /​office, which is 1 minute drive.
The new tire is 250, and it will be available Monday. Unfortunately, I needed the tire because we’re driving to VEGAS that night. Bruce offered me that they can get tire that day ASAP but the price is 375. I had to take the offer to replace the blown tire.
I realized that the tire the tire wasn’t available until Monday. But it suddenly become available when I said I needed ASAP and of course it comes with a higher tag price.
To make the story short, Bruce took advantage of the situation, which I thought was not cool at all. Never bringing my car to this shop, it was my first and last.
I’m thankful that he helped me. But it was not cool of him taking advantage of the situation so he can put a higher tag price on the item.

I discovered this place on Unilocal because of all the great reviews they got. I took my Prius in for an oil change and waited about 40 minutes for the entire service to be done. Although I didn’t make an appointment, I was able to be serviced the same day in a timely manner. Their shop is always packed with cars because they are so popular.
My prius only takes synthetic oil, so I believe my oil change was about $ 70. Jiffy Lube charges at least $ 85, so Bruce’s is definitely a better deal. Excellent service and knowledgeable, friendly guys. Will definitely bring my car back here next time I’m in San Diego and need an oil change.