Gary’s Automotive

Gary thinks outside the box like Macgyver! He found a way to align my front tires without have to change the whole rack and pinion, because when I brought it to other mechanics they had no idea what to do. Gary was inventive, and very smart when it comes to cars, he uses unorthodox methods which helped me save hundreds of dollars!
I highly recommend going to his shop if you have a TOYOTA PRIUS or any other vehicle but he definitely saved me hundreds on my prius!
Thanks Gary!

I saw the review this guy left me, I am rather taken aback, he is literally lying and saying that he was charging me for a battery replacement rather than the rebuild he told me about. As you can see from my previous post, I would’ve known the difference between this or that. This guy is full of shit and needs to be put out of business, he is a loose cannon and a crook.

Gary at Gary’s Automotive has performed a Miracle again. My 1985 Jeep CJ7 would not pass the smog test. After meeting with Gary and going over the smog analysis, he got right to work. A few hours later Gary called and informed me that my Jeep was ready to get retested. I picked up my jeep and went for the re test. I passed with flying colors !! I only had to pay $ 175 for this repair. Thanks Gary!

This update is in response to Gary’s response. He sent me a pm to verify I called his shop. I was kind enough to reply to him that I did. First a woman answered, then I got him. He took my info and never called back. OK, so he got busy or whatever and didn’t bother to call. Own up to it like a man and take the Unilocal reviews. At this point he’s made it worse by looking like a liar. I’ve upgraded this to 2 stars since he’s so butt hurt over it.

I’ve been getting my car serviced at Gary’s since I got my driver’s license in 2008. Gary is an expert at diagnosing mechanical and electrical problems in cars from classics to hybrids. Every time I visit Gary’s shop he is working on some kind of project, restoration or hybrid rebuild. We always have a chat about cars when I go in there. Gary was able to solve a difficult problem that my parents car had been having involving a misfire of the engine that their previous mechanic could not solve. I brought the car to Gary because, my neighbor was a happy customer and recommended me to give him a shot stating, «Gary is a pro at finding the difficult problems.» Gary quickly found out that my Chrysler needed a new computer. He recommended that I get a used one to save some money. The part arrived the next day and by noon it was installed. I have never seen a mechanic solve a complicated problem like mine so fast.

thanks gary 4 all your help! you truly saved the day! my boyfriend & i were in & out of his shop in costa mesa in less than an hour! i was watching gary work & his «35″ years of hard-​working absolutely shows! he knows his stuff~lol! if anyone needs any type of work done on their vehicle please believe me when i say…“gary’s automotive» is the place 2 go!
***also~2 everyone out there…***
please don’t believe everything u read on those mean/​cruel reviews!
gary is truly a nice, caring, & knowledgeable man who is only there 2 help all of us!
thanks gary!!!

I had an electric problem with my 1997 Lexus LS400 that I couldn’t figure out because no dash warnings were displayed. I explained all of my issues to Gary and he began examining the car.
He found the problem relatively quickly, and noticed my battery was not putting out enough power to support the cars electric system. He tested the battery with the car off and with the car on, and then showed me how the batteries in other shops in his car had tested. He tightened the battery cables and checked the wiring yet my battery was still not putting out enough volts. He determined that the alternator was bad and gave me a quote on putting in a new one. The next day I returned and he installed it before I went to work.
I haven’t had any of the same issues with the car since. He retested the battery in front of me and my voltage was significantly higher (where it should be). He even called me to check and see how the car was doing. This man knows cars and does great work. Thank you Gary.

GARY, was more than helpful when we went to his shop! He actually stayed open late for us because we were travelling & needed A new exhaust ASAP! We didn’t even have an appointment & He took care of us with no questions asked & we were in & our of there in Less than an hour! Gary was truly more than helpful & he Definitely went out of his way to make sure that his work was done correctly & professionally! I most definitely recommend Gary’s shop to anyone that owns a vehicle! He’s been in this business over «35» years so he knows what he’s doing!
THANKS GARY FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!!

This guy Gary is the WORST! COMPLETE RIPOFF! He tried to charge $ 700 to fix the A/​C in my car, told me it was the entire A/​C heater control panel that needed to be replaced, $ 400 for the part alone. I told him no thanks and how much do I owe for the diagnose, he said $ 200! I said wow that’s a lot to diagnose a car, the dealerships doesn’t even charge that much. After a brief argument that he started he said fine take the car and you don’t owe me nothing… probably because he knew it was only a $ 50 fix and he was caught trying to rip us off. Yep a $ 50 A/​C HEATER resistor was the issue, I fixed it my self in 15 minutes… only took two screws to do the job, very easy. I seriously question the positive reviews about this business. You outta be ashamed of yourself GARY! STAY AWAY FROM THIS GUY/​SHOP… COMPLETE RIPOFF OFF!

I went to Gary for a very uncommon problem in my Honda Accord. The check engine light was on and off since 2009 when I got the car. I tried the Honda dealer and some other mechanics, and they all gave some wild guesses and nothing was working to fix the issue. Gary was very helpful and skillful. He spent the time to narrow down the problem, helped me get the right part, and walked me all the way through the process. Eventually he figured out it was the computer that was broken, and we got a very good and yet cost efficient used computer to replace it. The car worked perfect afterwards. He also helped me to replace my dented driver side door with a used door, and matched the color with my car. Overall he is very knowledgable and kind. Definitely go to him when you have any car issues.

This son of a gun saved my ass… AGAIN! I’m a car dealer, and would not be in business if i did not have Garys help. Gary’s garage is the best place in town. Gary’s knowledge of vehicles is far more than your average Joe.
If you need any work… don’t hesitate, because you will be wasting your time. His prices are the best and most reasonable. I am indebted to you Gary!

For anybody who needs work on there car truck or van. Gary can take care of you. He has been the go to guy for my family and all are automotive issues. He gives it to you strait up. Prices are relative when you have a guy that stands by all his work. If you need any further convincing call me travis. 949−873−1529.

this guy rocks. I take all of my cars here.

Gary’s automotive gets to be my first review as it has inspired me to spread the word about this amazing shop and amazing mechanic. Gary is extremely friendly and honest and will help inform you of what is wrong with your car and how he will fix it.
After having my catalytic converter and O2 sensor cut off and stolen from my car, I got quotes of 2700 dollars from the dealership and other shops telling me the cat alone was 1000 dollars. I called up Gary, told him my issue, and he gave me a price on the spot much more reasonable — 600 total for the cat, sensor, and labor. Said I needed to get it taken care of to get a smog check and renew my tabs. His reply: ‘No problem, bring it in and I’ll take care of it’.
Seemed too good to be true, but I took it in and he showed me the specific part, even gave me the model number of the part he was putting on. I pulled the car up for him and he drove it right onto the lift while I was still there. We got under the car and he showed me where the sensor had been cut and where it was located relative to the cat and what he had to do to fix it.
Took him only a couple hours to get it done and the car almost sounds and runs better now than with the original cat. When I went to pick it up, we got to talking and I asked a few more questions, talked about his son who gives him a hand in his shop when he needs some help. He’s a great and friendly guy, an honest mechanic and person.
Gary answers the phone and does the work on your car. He knows what he’s talking about and knows what he’s doing. Most mechanics use software to tell them how much to bill for the parts and labor and if they get it done sooner and cheaper than the computer tells them, it’s profit in their pocket. Gary knows the part, will show itto you and its cost, and knows how long it will take him to complete the job. That’s how you get billed.
I will without doubt be taking my cars to him for any type of work I need done in the future. I hope this review helps anyone looking for a mechanic, because it’s hard and stressful trying to find a trustworthy place to take your car. He deserves all 5 stars.

This is the best shop I have found. I have been bouncing from shop to shop and then was recommended here. Gary is honest and straight forward. He got me back on the road very quickly and fixed the issue the first time. I am very impressed with this shop and I will always go back because no only great service but he is trust worthy and very reasonable! Thank you so much Gary!!!

Gary went way beyond the call of duty. He worked for two days on my car and it cost 10 times less than anyone else would have charged. He really cares about his customers. This is my first time to come to Gary, but it certainly won’t be my last. He methodically found the problem instead of doing what most mechanics do… just charge for a bunch of parts hoping one is the problem. He found the exact problem and instead of charging me for 8 cylinders, he found the exact one that was the problem and only replaced it.
I highly recommend his services. I am so pleasantly surprised at his dedication and hard work in finding the problem that the dealer would have charged an «arm and a leg for.»
Thanks, Gary. I will be using you from now on.

Testimonial ²⁄₂₀₁₅
I returned to Gary’s after living out of State. Returning to OC, I didn’t want Dealership repair prices, but did want friendly, expert quality work. Doing a web search for Jaguar repair places, I remembered Gary’s expertise. Gary has technological savvy, and runs a clean, organized, unpretentious shop. I like his «30 years experience repair intuition» for the confusing issues that cars can show up with. He figures it out!

He has great business because he knows how to treat his customers well. I called after getting a smog check and need some repairs as soon as possible because I had an appointment at the dmv on the next Monday. He told me to bring it that day so he could have a look. He ordered some parts and got same day shipping within the hour, after another hour he had installed the new parts and I was on my way. Very fast. Very friendly. Brilliant.

All started off well. Gary determined what part I needed WITHOUT looking at my car.
As soon as I drove away after repair, I stalled in an intersection. The car was not fixed, and part that was replaced was fine. He thought that yelling at his customer was the solution. They also damaged my coolant hose and caused a leak. Don’t go here.

I first went to advance auto to get a quote on a significant repair and was quoted over $ 1k. After talking details with the front desk it appeared that he was clearly pulling one over on me. Pricing wasn’t transparent at all. So I called Gary and he quoted me $ 300 less and had the job done in no time. It’s now been more than 2 weeks since repair and the truck is running better than it has in years.
Gary is a very honest and GOOD person. He knows exactly what he’s talking about and even went to great lengths to tell me about his history as an oil field engineer and his metal working skills. He also chatted with me for a while as he dropped me off back at my place while the repairs were being done. I’ll definitely be going back to him for all of my automotive needs.
Thanks again Gary!