Kartek Automotive

This was the place chosen by the group that sold me my used car, to have the transmission repaired, since the car I purchased lost it’s transmission during the first months after purchase. The car is a Volvo V40 and, in fairness to everyone, it’s a rat. But given that the engine had already been replaced after my purchase and all of the engine mounts along with it, I was too far into it to write it off when the tranny blew as well. Enter Kartek. They repaired the transmission… well…kind of. The so called repaired or rebuilt transmission gives me a kick in the proverbial but every time I go from Reverse to Drive; hard, not just a little. It also skips between second and third gear when driving between 20 and 35 MPH. It’s too annoying for words. I brought it in to Kartek, but of course, they deferred to my mechanic who sold me the car, who deferred back to Kartek. Suffice it to say, I was and am not satisfied.

Kartek Automotive has been maintaining my vehicles since 2004. I like this place because the owner, Carlos, is a straight forward and honest person to deal with — strictly maintenance benefit talk with no upsells or hassle. The staff is also friendly, professional and provides excellent service. If you are looking for a good all-​around mechanic in Los Angeles, this place should be a no brainer for you.

happy with kartek service had my transmission fluid changed, carlos was the best, very perfesional will continue to return to this shop for service when i am in the area, carlos is very helpful…

I’ve been using Kartek for over 10 years. Not only for my personal vehicles but also my company vehicles. They are great, Carlos is not only very honest, they do great work and they guarantee all their work. I’ve referred many friends over the years and all have been very happy with the work and the customer service. Best mechanic in Los Angeles, and having many vehicles I’ve had bad experiences over the years with other mechanics. Kartek is a no brainier!!!

Carlos the owner is great to deal with. Kartek has rebuilt my 250,000 mile old transmission to like new and have done many other services on my 2004 GTP Grand Prix. many times they will do minor services and not even charge for their time. He takes care of his repeat customers. Thanks for everything Kartek!!! A+

Excellent service not just with my car but with customer service I felt like I had left my BMW in good hands after they told me they would fix it up like brand new theses guys are amazing I was referred by one of my good friend that he had taken his truck and he was satisfied with the excellent job they did that’s what convinces me

Took my 88 Jeep here to have the tranny rebuilt. Rich and his team took great care of me. The my Jeep is now running better than ever.

Thank you Kartek! Rich and the staff were great! Friendly, professional, true to the price quote and all the work was done on time! You have a new customer here!

Came here via a LivingSocial deal for an oil change. Called ahead to make an appointment, and was very pleased all-​around. No hassle, no upsells – just quick, professional service.

Went to Kartek for a major tune-​up/​spark plug replacement.
They said the work would cost between $ 400-​$ 500. I mentioned that they should call me to confirm the cost, as I assumed was standard policy with any auto shop. I never signed any estimate. They never called to confirm the cost, but later in the day, they called and said that they had problems installing the spark plugs and I would have to wait until the next day to get the car back. I asked what it would cost and they said $ 500. Of course the high-​end. I confirmed the cost and pick-​up time.
When I went to pick up the car, they wanted $ 600 because of the problems that they had. Which is understandable, but also unprofessional given that we had agreed upon a price for the work and they never asked if the extra cost was okay.
I have a policy of not arguing with my mechanic, so I paid and left, vowing never to return to Kartek.
A few weeks later, my check engine light came on. I took the car to Yuki Imports (where I should have gone in the first place). The mechanic there took a quick look under the hood and immediately noticed that Kartek had failed to secure the seals of part of the air intake. The cap wasn’t secured to the cleaner case and the air cleaner hose was loose. The mechanic at Yuki Imports secured everything for free (kudos) and sent me on my way.
It was a minor issue, but if they overlooked such a simple thing, I’m wondering if they screwed anything else up.

Fast, friendly and quality service at very reasonable pricing. Carlos and Armando do a great job and are mechanics you can trust.

These guys do a fine job and are reliable.
I took my little Honda in because its poor transmission went out. I was referred to him by Yuki Imports close by. My transmission had to be rebuilt and he gave me a decent rate at $ 1600. I had done a little bit of calling around and looking online and that was the cheapest I saw in the area (Santa Monica area).
I turned my Honda in on Friday evening and they called me Tuesday evening to come pick it up. I drove about 5 min down the road and as I hit the gas, the transmission went out again. I was stopped on the side of the road and called Carlos back at Kartek. He immediately had a tow truck sent out to come get me and tow me back to his shop. He arranged a rental vehicle for me to drive until he was looking to see what went wrong.
When Kartek rebuilds the transmission they have one component of it sent to another company who specializes in that area. That’s where there was a little error that caused something to not go smoothly in the transmission. They fixed it right away and I picked it up two days later. My Honda has never been better :)
The guy driving the tow truck (from AAA) also told me that he had sent his own car in for repairs and they had been great.
I can confidently say that I trust the guys at Kartek and I would highly recommend them.