Herb & Red’s Auto Repair

Moving to a new town is always fraught with angst. One of the angsty concerns is finding an honest, reliable mechanic. My registration was due and the check engine light was on guaranteeing failure. What to do? Who to go to? I called a friend living in town for a recommendation. He told me he always goes to Herb & Red’s on Fourth Street. What a find! Jim and Jose are not only scrupulously honest and superbly capable, but also have the the lights of intelligence and integrity in their eyes. I knew that my car, and myself, were in good hands. They promptly found the problem and fixed it allowing me to squeak into compliance and renew my registration with with one day’s grace remaining. I never write these kind of reviews, but felt compelled. Herb & Red’s? The very best!

I brought my truck in here last week because my check engine light came on, they scanned it to see what was wrong and told me it was reading a code that could be a few different things but he was booked for the week and asked me to come back in on Monday and they would check to see what was going on. The problem wasn’t anything serious so it could wait. I came back in and we scheduled an appointment for today so they could check to see what the problem was. I dropped my truck off around noon and at about one they called me and told me it was a simple fix and that I was also low on oil. They fixed both problems and my truck was ready to go by 3pm… awesome. Herb and Red’s has great service, not expensive, friendly, and honest. I would definitely recommend them to anyone that needs their car repaired. I will be going back here for any future issues, hopefully not too soon though!

Jim is such a good guy.
This review is based solely on a diagnostic I received — since I’m in LA, I am unable to use this place for my typical auto maintenance. But when I was test-​driving a car in the area, a friend recommended I take it to him for a once-​over.
The place is easy to access in Long Beach, good parking, good vibes. I called ahead and Jim gave me a window of time in which to drop by with the car, so I did. He was calm, honest, took a thorough look, and gave me an honest review but only advice when I solicited it first. He wouldn’t accept payment, and he was friendly the whole time. His other employees at the shop were also very friendly and accommodating.
Based on my friend’s recommendation, the other users here, and my brief experience, I would definitely go back if I ever seen service like this in the LBC area.

I use to go here when I lived in Long Beach and I give them 5 stars every day of the week. As a woman, it’s hard to find a mechanic you can trust, especially in a big city. These guys are honest and do a great job. They’re up front about the costs and what you can do now or wait on and I always appreciate that. There can be a wait to get your car in, but they’re worth it. I recommend them to anyone that lives in the Long Beach area.

I got one of my axles and radiator replaced here for about $ 100 – 200 less than what I was quoted at another auto shop! Also, I don’t know who some of the reviewers spoke to on the phone but I have always had a good experience with Jim. Actually I am going in there at the end of the day so that they can install new headlight bulbs, for free if it’s an easy job (which it should be… just not easy enough for ME) — Pepboys wanted to charge me $ 30!

The one thing that makes me hesitate the most when first going to the repair shop is the level of integrity. I think as far as integrity level goes, this place is has the highest.
First, they NEVER try to milk your money. I LOVE that! most mechanics will tell you what the problems are… with not much explanation. Which makes you Panic, and agree with whatever they say that needs to be done. These guys won’t start work on parts unless it is a real threat to your driving ability. Also, free inspection!
Second, quality of work, and service is always been good. The guys may come off as a mean dude at first, but once you get to know how he works, his probably one of the most informative mechanic you’ll meet.
FYI, if you are thinking about visiting this place, you HAVE to make an appointment a week advance. Don’t expect to get things fixed whenever you feel like.

I would give ZERO stars if I could. This place has NO customer service at all !
I called to get a rough estimate on an oil change for my car and the man on the phone had the biggest attitude ever!
I just wanted a quote for fucks sake.
I would never go near this place with a ten ft pole. FUCK YOU !

Just recently took our 2002 Toyota Tacoma in for service. They did a diagnostic, and let me know what needed to be fixed, and what didn’t. I felt instantly that I’d found my new local mechanic. I will continue to take our truck there in the future, its running great!

This place is AMAZING! I would give 10 stars if I could.
I’m originally from the Bay Area and living in Long Beach because I go to LB State. I obviously looked for great deals to get my car looked at seeing as I’m on a college student budget and all. Anyways, Jim and his employee were SO helpful and accomodating! I called asking for an estimate on my radiator, since it has cracked before and my check engine light came on. They said to come by so they could diagnose it-​FOR FREE. Turns out my radiator is fine and my check engine light came on for a non-​urgent reason that I can’t remember right now…
I decided to ask how much they charge for an oil change, tire rotation, etc. They charged me about $ 50 to do an oil change, rotate my tires, put air in my tires, check my brakes and pads, and check all of my fluids and filters. GREAT deal!!! The price ranges on types of car (which is normal) and I’m so happy with the service they provided. After I scheduled my appt, they called me back saying one of my back lights were out, to come back and they would change it for free :). Jim likes to schedule a week in advance because of his busy schedule, and luckily my situation wasn’t an emergency. I saw some reviews of people being squeezed in earlier because of emergencies.
I’m more than relieved that I found an extremely nice and honest mechanic to work on my car. Nothing sucks more than being jipped!
I referred my roommate and best friend to them, and I will continue to do so with anyone that needs an awesome mechanic.
Thanks Herb and Red’s!

The men over at Herb and Reds are great. Knowledgable and friendly. The first time I was there was due to my engine light coming on. They did the Diagnostic test for free even though I didn’t get my truck repaired at the time. It’s been a month and I just brought it back. Jim did what he could to keep the cost down and the truck is running great. They are reasonable and trustworthy. What more could you ask for?

I just picked up my Cadillac Escalade after getting new brakes for the second time at Herb & Red’s. I know, I know, this sounds like a negative review, but believe me it’s not!!! Let me start from the beginning. I had my brakes replaced a few months ago but then they started squeaking so I called Jim and he said to bring it in and they replaced the brakes again free of charge. Just last month, they started squeaking again. I called Jim and he replaced all 4 of my brakes again at no charge. He also fixed my wiper pump at no charge. I was astounded! I was sure they would hit me with labor costs and other charges, but they did not! I have never been to a more honest automotive repair shop. They NEVER try to sell me anything I don’t need. My car has 190,000 miles on it so I’m sure they could concoct something to replace or repair, like a lot of the other service shops, and I would believe them. These are experienced, honest, hard-​working men and they deserve only positive ratings!

Rude over the phone… Ain’t nobody got time for dat!

Jim was absolutely friendly, informative and honest. My prius was overheating even with coolant, so I had no idea what was going on. Jim ran tests and located the problem. He also asked if he can keep it over night just so he was 100% sure everything was running smoothly. Definitely recommend!

Was looking for a good, local but reliable mechanic in the area and saw the good reviews on Unilocal.I called Jim and he was super helpful and even though they were booked up he got me in and fitted a new alternator at a fraction of the price of a main dealer. Thanks guys!

Jim and his crew are excellent. I’ve been making the drive down to them from Venice for over three years now because they are THAT good. My truck is getting up there in miles but runs like a dream, and that is largely because of the care these guys put into their service.

Having a mechanic you can trust is priceless. I have and always will bring my cars here.

If I could give 6 stars I would. I couldn’t recommend Herb & Red’s more highly.
Automotive ignoramuses like myself are at the mercy of automotive mechanics. I may as well be asked to perform Beethoven’s 5^th as confidently opine on the workings (or not) of a car.
Jim & Jose are honest as the day is long and do first class work, the first time.
They have been looking after our Prius and Miata now for years, and will continue to do so as long as they are in business.
Because they are so well regarded, they are busy so make sure you plan a week ahead for any work.

This place is great. Jim was so helpful! They had me in and out in no time, and the price was more than reasonable. Thanks, Jim!

By Appointment a week advance only because Jim’s schedule here at Herb & Red’s Auto Repair is always booked for repairs.
Not kidding.
His schedule is booked full, no drop-​ins or such.
Anyhow, I’m getting my GF vehicle looked at here and will post what the results are after the work gets done.
Jim advise me on the few options that I will have to choose from because of the issue on the vehicle at hand after troubleshooting.
Cost isn’t too much of an issue for me like it is for a poor broke college student that is on a budget and needs inexpensive fix to keep their vehicle running.
I want quality parts and fluids to keep the vehicle in better running condition without having to spend a king’s ransom to do so like the dealership.
PROBLEM: ONE OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ON THE VEHICLE IS NO GOOD AND SO IS THE O2 SENSOR. BOTH NEED TO BE REPLACED. That’s a lot of $$$ there for the parts alone.
This could be due to poor quality gasoline being used on the vehicle. Anyhow, we tried using a $ 30-​$ 40 fuel cleaner and putting 1,000 miles on the vehicle and see if that would work, it didn’t.
Lesson Learned for this vehicle: Start using better quality gasoline, start using a fuel cleaner at every other fill up or 3K miles, and making sure this doesn’t happen again on this vehicle.

My Prius was due for it’s 110K major tune up, and after comparing pricing between the dealers and Herb & Red’s; the choice was simple. I saved close to half from what dealerships would’ve charged, and they completed the work quickly and efficiently.
I came in with a list of to-​do and what I needed serviced. Jim and Jose were extremely professional and called me throughout the day to update the status of their work in addition to letting me know that some of the to do were not really necessary at this time! It’s this sort of honesty and work ethic that I find rare in this type of work, and why Herb & Red’s earned another customer and referrer for life!
I would not hesitate one second to recommend this team.