Hartzel Automotive

Great, Honest people! The owner is super nice and knows what he is talking about when it comes to foreign cars! They specialize in Jaguar, but they are masters when it comes to Miata. The assistant, Brian, is a Miata fanatic and will answer any question you have! I brought my Miata in and the service was quick.

Professional, honest and does great work. I’ve been taking my Subaru to Barry Hartzel since I moved to CA. Only thing I wish is he serviced more brands!

Finding an automotive repair shop which does good work and is honest about pricing is really, really rare. Barry Hartzel runs a superlative shop. Period.
I live in San Mateo and have my Mazda Miata towed 100 miles to Barry’s shop for one reason. I know Barry will get the job done right. The first time.
For those of you who may not know Mr. Hartzel is a driving legend and is the Director of Driver Education at NASA.
You are in good hands when you take your car here.

I have been taking my 99 Saab 9 – 3 to Barry Hartzel for over 10 years. It is now at 200 thousand miles and still runs great. He is professional, fair and I trust him with my car more than any other mechanic. I think his work is the reason my Saab is in such great condition.

I’m a fanatic about my car.
After a series of horrific experiences with the local Jaguar dealer, I was driving to the Jaguar dealer in San Francisco for service. I knew I needed to find someone local that I could trust with my car (2006 Jaguar).
Thankfully, I found Barry Hartzel. He’s knowledgeable, honest and does quality work. As a former Jaguar tech and service manager, he actually understands what’s going on with your car, and, unlike the dealer service departments, he’s more than happy to answer questions and discuss options with you. You can actually have a meaningful discussion with him about your car.
I’ll be going back, and I would strongly recommend him to any Jaguar owner.

I have been bringing my Subaru to Hartzel for almost 5 years now. I always get great service. They don’t talk down to you, don’t sell repairs you don’t need, and are always efficient and pleasant to deal with. I wish I had found them sooner. They may be a little pricier than some other places, but you get what you pay for, and I don’t mind paying them a little more for good service and piece of mind.

My wife and I were far from our home in the East Bay recently and my transmission started to malfunction and warning lights on my dashboard lit up and were flashing an impending doom. On the recommendation of another auto repair business, I took my 2000 Volvo V40 to Hartzel Automotive and was prepared to hear that I needed a new transmission but I was amazed to meet a clever and generous soul named Barry Hartzel instead.
Barry quickly hooked up a diagnostic device, wisely discerned the problem, did a quick «mechanic’s tune-​up,» turned off the warning lights, and then refused my attempts to pay him for his almost half-​hour of work!
Barry’s largess and skill not only allowed us to continue our vacation down the coast but he also gave us proof that there are still altruistic people doing good things for others.
Now we have a good excuse to go to Monterey Bay area again; we’ll just schedule (and insist on paying for) an oil change at Hartzel’s!
Thanks again Barry, Dave and Clara

Very professional and reputable shop! I live in San Jose and I took a 80mi drive there to get the alignment done on my Miata race car. I was very impress with their work and it is well worth the time spent. I highly recommend to anyone who drive a Miata!

I took my care here for years when I had a ’91 Mazda Protégé. I was fresh out of college and didn’t have a lot of money. They always fixed my car well and I never felt like I was being taken advantage of or sold repairs I didn’t need (because I was a woman and maybe didn’t know any better). They often would do minor fixes for free while working on something else, too. They would also tell me if they didn’t think a problem needed to be fixed right away. I recommend anyone to go here if their car can be serviced by this mechanic.

I was impressed by the service that they gave me when my 83 Saab broke down while traveling. They worked me in at short notice and got me going again the next day.
A little pricey but they obviously knew what they were doing and did just what they said they would with some free advice thrown in.
I’d go back if they were closer to my home.

Really impressed with the service that I received. I called them after finding that they service Mazda’s among several European makes. Turns out that I was dealing the owner, who is a very accomplished racer himself. They got me in for service the next day and finished the repair in just a few hours. Their prices were a little higher than the dealer, but I’d rather eat dirt than deal with the hassle of the dealership experience. I ended up talking with the owner about racing and motorsports for about 30 minutes after picking up my car. I wouldn’t hesitate to take my car to them again for service.

Very reputable and fair car repair place that services Jaguars, Landroavers and SAABs — no Mercedes (they do not have the equipment or computer) and no BMW’s.
If you need a Mercedes Benz serviced see «Greg Bean Auto» in Pacific Grove, CA. If you need your BMW serviced, see Bay Auto in Seaside, CA.