Mission Bay Automotive

This place is unbelievable. I’ve been coming here for years and every time I come here, I leave happy… Who leaves happy from a mechanic?!
These guys are the most honest people I’ve met in this industry. They are all about doing what’s best for your car AND FOR YOUR POCKET.
Over the years whenever I had a problem with my car, Hector has walked me to my car and showed me the problem. For example, I had some cracks on one of my belts. When I got to the mechanic he opened the hood, took out a flashlight and made sure I saw every crack in the timing belt before working on it.
When I needed new tires, Hector did all the research for me. He came back with several different prices in a very wide range to make sure it would fit my budget. He took the time to explain the difference between the tires.
But this is the best part: I started having my husband come into Mission Bay Auto. He had a problem with his steering wheel tumbler. I called Hector and told him about it. Being the knowledgeable man that he is, Hector knew this problem was common amongst these cars and told me about a recall. He advised me to call the dealership and tell them to fix it since it was a recall. When the dealership declined to (saying our vehicle was 1 month short of being in the batch that was recalled), Hector felt our frustration but gladly took my husbands car into work on it. He gave my husband options, he explained everything that could be done, and he kept in touch without husband the whole time. His car drives as if it’s brand new now.
The fact that these people are not money hungry and even suggested a route for us to get our car fixed that would be at no cost to us. says a lot about them. I will forever continue to take my car here, my whole family takes their cars here, and I highly recommend them.

I have been coming here for over 25 years and, once again, they did not disappoint. I needed to replace a catalytic converter and Hector went out of his way to make the entire operation go smoothly Troy Hector, Mike, and all the other mechanics are first rate and honest… a real rarity today… they will never try to sell you a part or service that you don’t need. So, if honesty, feeling like you are part of the family, and quality of service are important to you; then this is the only place you should ever go to for auto repairs and service

Went there to fix intermittent vibrations on my 2011 Civic. As I guessed, the issue was related to cracked engine mounts. Hector recommended replacing 2 out of 3 mounts after a test drive and inspection on the lift. After I authorized the repairs he ordered the mounts. Parts arrived after about an hour and my car was fixed 2.5 hours later.
Waiting area is clean, with nice couches, TV, phone charging station and free coffee!
Overall, I was pleased with quality of work, professional customer service and fair price. I strongly recommend MBA for repairs and routine maintenance.

Came to MBA after reading reviews on Unilocal and so glad I did! They have been very straightforward and honest, customer service is great!
They told me exactly what was wrong with my car and gave me two scenarios for fixing the problem based on what I could afford. Going back to get my car fixed and will update based on experience.

Once again, these guys blew my mind.
Went to get what I thought was new brakes. Any other shop would have robbed me blind with brakes and rotors. Theses guys told me how it was, fixed the issue without nonsense or unnecessary repairs.
I love you guys forever. Thanks again for always being the most honest mechanics I’ve ever met! you’ve got a customer for life!

I’ve been taking my car to Mission Bay for 5 years, even before they moved locations! Mike and Hector always make sure my car is in tip top condition. They are open and honest about their pricing and if they cant help you with a certain task, they recommend the best in San Diego. From anything as easy as an oil change or as complicated as a broken water pump, these guys know best. I’ve referred many people here and they also have had great experiences. I wouldn’t dream of trusting any other business after I met these guys. So friendly, so caring, unbeatable pricing, and great service. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

My car was hit by huge debris on freeway. When I pulled over I found a leak and was concerned my my radiator was damaged. I pulled into Mission Bay Automotive and explained to Mike what happened and I had an elderly parent in the hot car. He immediately checked my car and confirmed it was just condensation from my AC. And he did it for free. I was very grateful and impressed with the fast, friendly and free service and will be taking my car there for any future repairs. Thanks!

They’re helping me out big time, apparently the stuff that needs to be fixed is still supposed to be covered by the dealer, so they’re giving me paperwork to show and make sure I’m not unprepared. Awesome.

I’ve been coming to Mission Bay since it was at its old location down the hill from USD. It’s my go to car repair shop for so many reasons.
First, they’re very trustworthy. I never feel like just because I’m not knowledgable about cars that I’ll be had by them. They’re honest and they’re fair in their pricing.
I also appreciate that they don’t try to charge you for every little thing. I recently went in to check a leak. It ended up not being anything so I wasn’t charged for it.
These guys are awesome and I recommend everyone I know to bring their cars down to them. They’ll always do a quality job and for a fair and reasonable price. They’re the best in San Diego!

Skill and integrity.
Thanks to Unilocal,I found this shop a few years back. Since then, I’ve been extremely happy with their work. The repairs are done right and last.
Recently, our Honda pilot had a major air conditioning issue. The bill could’ve easily been $ 2500 based on the symptoms. An hour after dropping the car off, I got a call from Mission Bay Automotive. They found a bad solenoid which cost a couple of hundred dollars to fix.
I never worry about paying for unnecessary repairs here. Thanks MBA.

I didn’t get any work done, but I stopped in to try to see if they had time or could quote me on my car. The gentleman Hector was the most honest great guy! He said I should try a body shop to see what’s going on and if I didn’t like what I heard to come back and he would do the best for me. I should have gone back to get the work done instead of going down the street getting ripped off an disappointed :(Definitely would trust them here on out for whatever!

Had to have some routine maintenance done on my SUV so I headed to MBA.
Hector was standing by and had me checked in quickly.
I sat in the waiting room while my vehicle had its oil changed, it’s tires rotated and a thorough inspection done.
I was ready to roll in about an hour. No surprises.
Fair price, nice location, great people.
I highly recommend Mission Bay Automotive.

My two kids and I were on a trip from SF when our front right headlight went out, another shop sent us to Mission Bay and God bless them! We purchased a headlight at the parts store and then went to Troy at Mission Bay. He said that he could fix it right away and proceeded to do so and would not let us pay for his services. We were in and out in 10 minutes and off to enjoy our vacation. There truly are wonderful folks out there! Thanks for your help!

I stopped by Mission Bay Automotive to ask if they charged to read an ABS computer. Without any hesitation, Hector grabbed his code reader and Checked my vehicles ABS computer free of charge! Thanks Guys, it’s super appreciated.

WOW. This place is amazing and honest. Visiting San Diego from Vegas and noticed a leak from our SUV. With the kids and wife I did not want to take any chances trying to drive back to Vegas with a car that was not in perfect condition. Read the reviews and decided to bring the car in before we left.
Troy, the owner, came out and looked at the car and right away was able to diagnose that the leak I had been seeing was the humidity, «we don’t have much humidity in Vegas.» From the ac unit.
He took the vehicle in to inspect and make sure. I also had him check fluids and tires.
After a short amount of time they came out to inform me there were no leaks but my transmission was low. He showed me the fluid level and I asked that they go ahead and change it. However, he informed me that because we are on a trip that I should wait until I got back to Vegas to have it changed. (Apparently when you change fluids it could cause a leak.) Makes sense.
Troy did not charge me for the visit or the check. I am still amazed at how honest and nice this shop is.
I really wish they were located in Las Vegas. San Diego you truly have the best mechanic shop I have ever been too.

Kind, quality, no-​nonsense mechanics. Treated me and my mother with the upmost respect. The staff has pride I what they do and WILL NOT RIP YOU OFF. I have an older vehicle and have not been as fortunate in the past. Dimond in the ruff of a money driven industry!

GREAT place. Super clean. I had a strict timeline that they stuck too with lots of time to spare, which I appreciate. I’m bringing my car back for further inspection on my AC. The mechanic was knowledgeable, honest, and very nice. This is a really solid place. Oh, and they DO have coffee! ;)

I didn’t quite know what was wrong with my car. It was idling really low but wasn’t triggering the check engine light. Being a woman, it’s hard to find a reputable mechanic that won’t try to rip you off. After searching on Unilocal,I decided on Mission Bay automotive as they have excellent reviews.
I took my car in and requested they assist in determining the cause. They were able to figure out what it was and get it fixed within two days. Since then, it has been running fabulously! In addition, they took the time to explain everything to me in a way I could understand. They were honest and reasonable. I will take my car back to them for any future needs.

Consistently professional, good mechanics — with a great attitude — at a great price.
that’s 5 stars!

The other day my well-​maintained car started making a spooky clunking sound at of course a super inconvenient time for a busy girl like me.
Of course barely knowing which side of the car my gas tank is on, I’m nervous to go to a new shop where I’m an easy target. When I first moved to San Diego, I wound up getting my oil changed at a super shady place run by crooks that tried to strike fear in me, so I was feeling grumpy and cynical about having to take my car in somewhere new again! Praying to the Unilocal!gods for a miracle and an honest mechanic, I found Mission Bay Automotive.
I gave them a call and the guy on the phone was very cool and nice (wish I could give him props, but I had my defenses up, so I wasn’t paying attention to his name at the time). He actually ran through their standard diagnostic fee, yada yada, and then said, «We really try not to rip you off.» I half laughed and half thought that was code for: «We totally rip you off definitely for sure.» Putting my faith in Unilocal!reviews again and not wanting to be stranded on the freeway, I stopped in the next morning right at 8am and the place was PACKED. Long story short, great customer service, and they took pity on me having just finished my night shift and chauffeured me home in my own car even though they were slammed. I’m thinking like, Thank God, cause all Lyft drivers were busy and I was exhausted.
Here comes the best part: When Mike (defenses down by this point) called me to let me know what the problem was, he flat out said, «It’s a lot of money for just an annoying sound that is not affecting the safety and drive-​ability of your car. We were talking about it and none of us would spend $ 800+ on just a short annoying sound when the car starts.» WHAT?! Do I need to clean my ears out? Did I hear this correctly? Talking me OUT of dropping almost a G into my almost 8 year old car (that I probably will trade in within a year anyway) for basically a non-​issue? This kind of honesty is REALLY incredibly refreshing. (For reference: I trust my old mechanic back home, but I can bet he would have tried to convince me how nice it would be without the clunking for $ 800+ for sure.)
I’d totally rather blow $ 800+ on another trip to Hawaii anyway, so thanks for saving me from some overtime shifts, Mission Bay Automotive! You guys really know how to make a girl happy!
P. S. They ARE open on Saturdays, too!