Mechanic On Duty

My father and his brothers are all in the car business. Unfortunately, they are all retired. So I was hesitant and a bit afraid of going to an unfamiliar mechanic. Immediately I felt at home. It’s a family run business. Adrian and the rest of the family are warm and knowledgeable. They have performed over 10 repairs (total 4 cars) over the years, both major and minor. Absolutely no complains from me or my husband. Simply put, they get my car back to me in the quickest time and at a fair price. My family’s safety is important, I fully trust the work they do.

I went to this location because it was convenient and had good reviews. I asked them to work on my breaks. They refused to warranty the work they did, and my breaks don’t work any better. When I told them the breaks didn’t work, they flat out lied to my face and said they were fine. Well, now I’m $ 500 poorer and my car still doesn’t break well, and my engine light is on now too! Stay away from this place, they won’t stand by their work. They are a bunch of lying cheats. Take your money elsewhere.

This father and son team is wonderful and honest and offers great service and rates. They call me to let me know if something is going to be less or more and talk out the options and they get the repairs done super fast. I also like to support places in my neighborhood.

Unfortunately, I got a clutch replaced here. Three months later, my car wouldn’t move (wouldn’t go into gear) so I had it towed back to the station. I received the car back with a clutch so springy that I can only drive it because I’ve driven a standard all my life. Took it to another mechanic who told me it could not be adjusted. A $ 250 tune-​up estimate turned into $ 450+. I seriously wonder if the other reviews here were written by friends of the owners.

Had an appt at another place that ended up being closed. Drove by this place and decided to take a chance and very glad I did. The guys are vert professional and polite. They gave me a tune up and my little 1990 honda accord feels like its floating on air. I had to go back to get some more work and again they did the job right. Only guys I trust!

Every woman needs a mechanic shop that she can trust. This is the place. I go here for my oil changes and other minor services. $ 30 for an oil change and they refill all your fluids and reset your tire pressure. Add another $ 10 for a tire rotation (which you should do periodically ladies, to lengthy the life of your tires). If there’s no one else in line, they’ll finish your oil change in 15 – 20 minutes (which is how long they should take, not the hour or more that most chain places take).They explain in layman terms what’s wrong with your car, what needs to be done to fix it and they don’t try to sell you up or into anything that you don’t need. They’ll even suggest cheaper, SAFE alternatives if you don’t have the cash at the moment to do the full repair or replacement. Trust me ladies, if you don’t have a dependable man in your life who knows about cars, Mechanic On Duty is your guy.

Holy cow… car mechanics who are honest. Such a rare thing but these guys are one of a kind. Had to get brakes for my Honda Civic. I just stopped there for a quote since it was ½ hour before they closed. He said he would it right now. The women drove over to the auto parts store to get the brakes. They even rotated my tires for free. They were done in less than 45 mins. I even got a calendar book from them.

This is a family owned business that really cares about their customers. While taking a look at my shocks at my request, they caught the two axle boots that were falling apart on my front end, charged less than $ 400 to replace both, and completed the work in less than two hours. They explain everything carefully and without attitude, and I never feel like they’re trying to sell me anything. Great work, great communication, super honest.

Stopped by for a quick oil change a couple of weeks ago. Saw they advertised this service for $ 25 and was told this over the phone as well. Great, yes?
No. Apparently because I had a diesel it was $ 40. Ok. There were no other customers, thus no wait so I decided to go for it.
Apparently he ran out of oil mid-​way and had to send the office gal to fetch more. what? Ended up taking about 50 mins.
Whatever, it happens I guess. BUT, unbeknownst to him, I happened to be selling my car that same day and was meeting the potential buyers to have the car looked at.
This very reputable German service place in Berkeley informed me that not only was it an ENTIRE quart short, but he’d put in the WRONG type of oil! Long story short, I was taken for $ 20 additional, 30 additional minutes than promised, potentially damaged my car by putting in the wrong type of oil, and they didn’t even fill ‘er up.
So much for good service. I’d stay very clear of this place.

We have taken 2 of our cars to Claudio and Adrian since 2010 and have been very happy with their service, courtesy and fair pricing.
They saved us needless expenditures for repairs that were not necessary and honestly rejected work that they did not feel was within their expertise or could be done better by a muffler or transmission shop.

I went to this place with a little hesitation because only four people had reviewed it before me. However, they were mostly good reviews, so I decided I would give it a shot, since I could get my car towed (boo) there and then walk home afterward.
I was greeted by Adrian, who was very nice and explained everything up front. He said they would do a diagnostic (which was quoted at a fair price) and then if work needed to be done, the amount of the diagnostic would go toward the repair. He said he would call me in a couple hours to let me know what they found.
I walked home and was called back in about 2 hours. Adrian explained everything they had done and what the results were and he didn’t try to talk me into something expensive. In fact, he said that one part that was a little bit expensive, may need to be replaced, but that he wasn’t 100% sure that was the problem, so that maybe I should wait to replace it. He said he had tightened a hose, and that may have fixed the problem.
I walked back and Adrian took me to the car, lifted the hood and went through everything that had been done, so I would be familiar with it. He explained things in layman’s terms and did not make me feel stupid or like I didn’t know anything about cars.
I was waiting to be screwed over like I have by other mechanics and it never happened. In fact, he ended up charging me LESS than the quoted price.
I would go back here and I would recommend it to everyone.

I first started going to Mechanic on Duty since they were located very close to my workplace. Soon I realized that not only were they close and convenient, but they were GREAT as well! I have now taken 2 of my cars there for various reasons. They are very thorough about explaining the work that needs to be done, and if you’re around they will actually show you the problem and explain it to you. Most recently, they went above and beyond when my car was stolen and recovered a couple of weeks later — minus a couple of doors and other random bits and pieces. They went out of their way to help put my car back together and to keep it safe and looked after. A few of my co-​workers have also taken their cars here and been pleased. Great prices, too! Love them!

My car has been in great hands here and I couldn’t be happier for it. So far, they’ve done my headlamp, brakes, and tune up. They’ve always been really great at explaining the work they’ll do before they do it.
Before I scheduled my tune up they walked me through all of the things they’d need to check out as part of my car’s routine maintenance schedule. I waited a few weeks to save up some money and finally took it in. I was prepared for the worst. Most of my cars have been well-​used so I was a bit shocked when they explained that my car didn’t need as much work as I thought it did. I mean, how many mechanics tell you that you DON’T need extra work?
Since my last visit was significantly less than I had budgeted, I asked if I could add a pair of new wipers to my total. Now, everytime I turn on my wipers it makes me smile.
I have complete confidence in their work and am supremely grateful for their honesty. Can’t wait to come back for my oil change!

they rock! Oil change $ 25 out the door. I got my front brakes fixed in a flash. Prices are reasonable too. Anyone’s who had to replace rotors and brake pads know how pricey that can be. All services included — $ 250! I’m a happy customer. Plus they offer great service with a smile. Nice folks at Mechanic on Duty Auto Repair.
Check ‘em out. There in Dimond Park in Oakland. And tell ‘em I sent ya.

I stopped by for the $ 25 oil change. I was expecting ancillary fees and taxes to bump this quite a bit higher. Nope, flat $ 25 charge. I think they are trying to drum up business. They seem honest and straight forward. Stop by for the oil change and you may like them.