Torchio’s Auto Repair

My boyfriend Tony and I have been taking our used Ford Focus (poor purchase) into Torchio’s for various, difficult to diagnose issues. Our car has a lot of miles on it and we have definitely got some bad information and expensive bills from other repair shops. Mike has been super straight forward with us and was patient in helping us get to the root of the problem, even though we likely just need a new car. Being that I moved up here from Los Angeles, I was concerned about finding a mechanic that I could trust. We defiantly know that mike is honest and backs up his work. We got into several difficult situations and Torchio’s has helped us out. We highly recommend them as both honest and skillful mechanics.

I’ve been taking my 2000 Cherokee here to get various work done. All typically went well until it didn’t, which I suppose marks the company’s true customer service ability. I took my car in for a repair to my oil pressure gauge. The mechanic made the repairs (and did other things). The total for this entire bill was over $ 650. I was OK with the cost, since I trusted things would go well with this shop. I picked up my car and as I’m driving over the bridge to SF, the oil gauge quits working, the check engine light, and check gauge light turns on. I assume the problem wasn’t fixed correctly and that they would make the necessary corrections the next day.
I called that morning, brought the car back in, and that afternoon I received a call from Mike. I normally speak to the mechanic, so I was a little surprised to hear from this guy. He was going on about the issue… in a way that seemed odd/​dodgy. The point of what Mike was generally trying to say is that this is a new problem with the oil gauge, which was not related to the oil-​gauge problem they fixed less than 24 hours ago. Then he immediately advises me of the cost, which would be around $ 300. After his salesmen-​esque explanation, I wasn’t trusting him and I had to ask exactly why I would need to pay another $ 300 after they just made repairs on this very part. He explains more, in his manner, but it just doesn’t sound honest. I suppose a reason I was talking to Mike, and not the mechanic (who can explain issues in a more coherent manner), was because… well, make your own judgements.
I definitely don’t mind paying for repairs that need done, I have paid for many in the past. But the handling of this problem leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. I certainly believe that any reputable company would take ownership of the fact that they likely caused a problem with the car part that they tried to fix and fix this at no cost, especially given that they worked on this specific part the previous day and given a customers history with the company. It is clear that Mike and Torchio’s isn’t interested in maintaining good relationships with their good customers. Again, you can tell a lot about a business when issues arise, and how they decide to handle them — or not handle them.

My Toyota Camry has over 300,000 miles on it. I’m basically waiting for the thing to fall apart. Up comes the annual smog check, and the car finally fails. And I’m not talking by a little bit. The NOx maximum is ⁴⁸⁴⁄₄₉₈. The old girl puttered in at over 2,000 each.
At this point, there’s about a 95% chance that any repair shop I take my car to will try to gouge me for a brand new catalytic converter, especially given I have a V6 model which requires 2 – 3 times the work. I mean, we’ve all had that experience, right? «Oh well it might be X, and it might be Y, but I recommend just replacing the whole thing so you know it’ll be done and you will never have to worry about it again.» An aftermarket catalytic converter costs $ 200. Throw in labor (which is extensive) and you’re talking $ 400, with estimates going up to $ 1,000 or more for the less scrupulous shops.
Mike charged me $ 175 to fix the actual problem — which is that the whole thing was so gunked up that it stopped working properly. He didn’t try to upsell me. He didn’t pretend that something was wrong that wasn’t. He just fixed the problem, gave me the car back, and said if it doesn’t pass then you know for sure you have to replace the converter because everything else should be working properly.
Suffice it to say that my car passed smog check with flying colors.

Update: I have had my car serviced 3 times in about 9 months — can’t say enough nice things about these guys! Me, my car AND my pocketbook are quite happy.

Had a great experience with these guys.
Rodger was very professional and work was done at a fair price in a timely manner.
Highly recommended.

I don’t write reviews often, but I had such a bad experience at Torchio’s I had to write something. Roger was rude, short and condescending. When I asked him to explain what he felt was wrong with my car, he spoke in circles and would not give me a straight answer. He quoted me $ 2500 of a POSSIBLE diagnostic– saying my engine was completely shot. Honestly I don’t think they even looked at my car. My beloved honda just is not worth that much. I didn’t trust him and took the car for a second opinion.
The next guy– who is great– (First Choice Auto in Oakland), charged me $ 240 and explained everything to me. It has been 2 weeks and my car is in perfect condition.
In the end, Thank goodness I went for a second opinion and if I could say anything about them, is that Torchio’s was trying to rob me BLIND.
Other people clearly have had a different experience, but I am just sharing mine.

The glass part of my side mirror was dangling out of the holder after the mount flipped inward. I showed up at Torchio’s with no appointment: phone ringing (answered personally, no voicemail menu — yay!), another customer, all the mechanics busy. The proprietor worked me in in less than 5 minutes, popped it back in, offered to wipe the finger prints off the mirror, and wouldn’t take any compensation or tip. Torchio’s is the Best!!!

Repairs done in good time, well and affordably. I recommend Torchio’s Auto Repair wholeheartedly.

Torchio’s saved the day! Our ‘check engine’ light came on so we called to make an appointment. The guy was really friendly, and invited us to come over right away. We didn’t have to wait more than a minute until the owner himself gave us a quick diagnostic and showed us it was a quick fix. He wouldn’t even accept a tip! It kinda felt like we took the car to a friend’s place even though we’d never been there before. We were lucky to find Torchio’s and will definitely return because of this great experience. Thanks!

I miss you Torchio’s ;-/
You treat with respect.
Diagnosis correct.
Service is fast.
Repairs that last.
You go extra mile.
Leave me with a smile.
No longer live close.
Other shops leave me hosed.

Fair, honest, affordable, efficient, no nonsense! Highly recommend.
These folks saved me a small fortune.

My car’s water pump broke and brakes needed change out. Reasonably priced and did a very quick job and were accommodating in letting me leave car a little longer after they were finished.

I just read the owner’s response. Mike, you can also respond to the Better Business Bureau when they contact you. My comments were additionally registered with Bay Area Consumer’s Checkbook, with whom I see you have more complaints to the BBB than most of the other mechanics listed.
I think I understand now why Caltrans completely stopped sending their vehicles to you for repairs. Several years ago, Torchio’s was the #1 mechanic for vehicles out of the Grand Avenue motor pool, as we discussed when I was at your shop. Now they send you nothing, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why.
Bottom line, ladies, do NOT go here unless you want to be ripped off and then insulted if you complain. I hope my post helps some of you make a more informed decision about bringing your vehicle here.
P. S. I notice that the lady that followed me with a 1-​star review, Lindsay R., suddenly had her comment removed, and put into the filtered section. Interesting.

If I could offer fewer stars, I would. I am glad some others have had good times at this place, but I could never recommend it, and I can’t help but notice that of the people who had negative experiences, they tend to be women. In this case, I am not sure that’s a coincidence.
I am in town for a couple of days from L.A. and had a note on my car from a nice person that it seemed that my car was leaking fluid. Tochio’s was the closest place to where I was, so I went over. They did agree to look at it right away, which I appreciated (they only had two cars in their 5 bays occupied and three staff on the floor, so that made sense), though they didn’t heed anything I said about what I was looking for in terms of diagnosing it. I asked for them to look underneath for me and just see if there was a hole or something I had punctured.
They immediately checked the radiator (from the top) and found it to be almost empty (and by the way, prior mechanics, who of you put water in my radiator??). While this was very good to do in addition to what I had asked, they never did what I asked, which would have been okay if we had found the problem, but we didn’t. Their curiosity entirely ended after filling up my radiator and not having it leak. My initial request — my only request — had been «Can you please take a look under the car and see where there might be residual fluid?» They never did, and they actually didn’t even understand the basic of why looking only from above wouldn’t give us the same information. Ummm, because if there’s fluid marking or residue, we could see what kind of fluid or a location of it…
The other basic they didn’t check was all my other fluids to even SEE if the leak could be coming from elsewhere. This would have seemed logical to do since they had not succeeded in reproducing the leak with the new water in the radiator (and the pressurization pump they used to create the leak environment again).
They did tell me that to do anything additional (including shimmying under the car to see if there was a drip lingering there) would cost me $ 125 for their diagnostic fee. That is double the diagnostic fees I have ever been quoted, and I see from other repair shops on Unilocal that that is not even particularly standard in this area to require one. As a tiny woman in a tiny car who is in a strange town, you’d think that they could have taken a little initiative to either check the rest of my fluids (sell a girl an oil change, for goodness sake…) or to look under the car. I believe in paying people for their time so it was weird to have someone take all this time (two guys to do this for 15 whole minutes? really?) and then have nothing come of it for them or me.
Today I’m going to the place best reviewed on Unilocal

I was tired of paying through the nose for repairs and maintenance for my older BMW. I know; it comes with the territory. I’d always gone to shops specializing in BMWs and Mercedes and I was worried about going somewhere that didn’t specialize in German cars. After a couple $ 1500 hits elsewhere, I tried Torchio’s three years ago and I’ve been very happy with the quality of the work and their fair prices.
Last weekend, I overheated on the freeway and they took care of that problem and a few other issues I’d been postponing. They didn’t look for extra things to repair; they just did what was needed and the bill was a lot lower than I expected.
German cars start getting expensive after 10 years. I’m at 177,000 miles now. If I hadn’t switched to Torchio’s, I probably would have bought something more reliable but less fun to drive.

First time at Torchio’s. They came very highly recommended by a number of friends. We were hoping to sell our old car after recently buying a new one, but it was overheating. Brought it to Torchio’s to get a diagnostic and estimate. They were completely accommodating from first contact, getting us in, and calling w/​info/​estimate, very quickly. They are honest, forthcoming, knowledgeable, friendly, and reasonably priced. The whole thing was quick, easy, and painless, AND they gave us great advice on what to fix/​not fix and what the car is worth. We will definitely be bringing our cars there in the future! Happy to have found them, and practically on our doorstep, no less!

I am really surprised to see this place has so many 5 star reviews. My experience here was very, very poor.
My car refused to start one day, and we were basically parked in front of this place, so we just pushed it inside. We were pretty sure it was the alternator, but the check engine light had also been on for a little while, so we had him check that to.
The first sign of trouble was that the check engine diagnostic cost almost double what I’d been quoted else where. In fact, some really great mechanics, the kind I’d expect to have 5 star reviews, do diagnostics for free.
After the diagnosis, he told me it would be $ 400 «to fix the check engine light.» I don’t know if it’s because I’m a woman and he assumed he could walk all over me, or if this guy just has trouble communicating, but he wouldn’t actually explain what the problem was. He finally told me the name of the part that was broken, and I asked, «and what does that do?» And he said, «Causes the check engine light to come on.» I repeatedly asked what the function of the broken part was when it was working properly, and he either didn’t know, or refused to tell me.
Finally, I said, «let’s move on. Let’s talk about the alternator.» He then proceeded to tell me all these other expensive repairs that I should have done (well over $ 1500 in total, most of them are just cosmetic). Finally, I got him to give me a quote just to replace the broken alternator. He said it would be $ 400. The quote sounded very high, so my boyfriend googled the price of alternators for our car. When I asked the mechanic why it was going to cost so much, he said, «Cost so much? I’m only charging you $ 80 in labor! The rest is just the part!» At that point, I told him I intended to shop around and see if I could get a better quote.
After a full day of searching by me, my boyfriend, and my dad, we actually couldn’t find an alternator compatible with our vehicle for more that $ 240. He was trying to charge us an extra $ 80 for absolutely no reason, and that’s assuming he was using the most expensive alternator on the market.
In the end, we bought a refurbished alternator from our local auto part store for $ 110, had the car towed from the shop to our house. We spent 5 minutes watching a youtube video on how to replace an alternator, and another 10 minutes actually doing the job.
The mechanic was very angry, and actually raised his voice to me when I told him we were going to have the car towed somewhere else. When I told him we’d found an alternator for $ 110, he said, «You know that’s a cheap Chinese part that will break down and you’ll end up regretting it!» I informed him that it could break twice before it would cost what he quoted me. Even with the tow, we ended up saving over $ 200. And I’d personally rather give an honest tow truck driver my money than a mechanic who was clearly trying to scam me!
Edit: So in the business’s reply to my post, they admit that they were dishonest with me about how much the part cost (claiming that they were only charging $ 80 in labor, the rest is just «how much the part cost). I understand you need to make a profit, but if you don’t want to be seen as scam artists, charge more for labor instead of lying about the cost of parts. If they’d given me the same quote, but been honest about why it costs so much, I’d still take my business elsewhere, but I wouldn’t have felt like they were trying to rip me off.
He also sent me a private message pointing out that the quote he gave me was $ 1200 (plus the cost of the diagnostic) not $ 1500 and included things like a new air filter, which are not cosmetic. I re-​checked my records, and he is absolutely right. In the interest of fairness, I am adding this update to reflect that. However, that doesn’t change the fact that he was 1) trying to sell me additional services I wasn’t interested in after I informed him I only wanted to make it run again, 2) his customer service was terrible and 3) he was admittedly less than forthcoming about what the part actually cost, quoting me over $ 150 more than what a brand new part from the manufacturer of car. He claimed first that if I can find a part for less it must be a cheap Chinese part that would break (when in fact there IS NO ALTERNATOR FOR THIS VEHICLE IN EXISTENCE THAT COSTS WHAT HE QUOTED ME) and then finally admitting that they mark up their parts «to keep the doors open.»
Also, this guy is STILL arguing with me on Unilocal and by private message. Probably not a smart move, given that part of my complaint about this place was that the customer service was rude and condescending.
In fact, scrolling through their Unilocal profile, every time they get a bad review, they flat out call the customer crazy, or a liar. One customer, they actually referred to as «CRAZY. ASIAN. LADY.» The casual racism, sexism, and disrespect expressed BY HIM on Unilocal is far more damning than anything a customer could post.

During a few months in Oakland, I patronized this shop several times with my old Toyota Pick-​Up. Prompt, professional and through at a fair price. I’d trust Torchio’s with most anything automotive.

I’ve been taking my Jeep to Torchio’s for a few years now for a little bit of everything, and have nothing but good things to say about them.
I initially went there when I moved to the area because they had good Unilocal reviews and were walking distance from my place. I’ve now moved a bit further away and its a bit less convenient, but I remain a loyal customer.
After being burned repeatedly by my dealership and assorted quick oil change places across the bay, I have been repeatedly pleased (and amazed) by their honesty, quality, and more-​than-​fair pricing. Its so refreshing to walk out of an auto shop and not feel like you’ve been screwed! I whole-​heartedly recommend them.

I wonder now if I had chosen Torchio’s before I blew that engine if it ever would have blown at all. Not that it much matters at this point. It did.
Now, with my ride having inside parts all replaced because they needed to be or something else and with my prior go-​to guy up and went but we shan’t speak poorly of the departed I asked around and Mark said take your stuff to Torchio’s. They’ll do you right.
For half a year now they have. Taken care of my routine preventative don’t want to blow another one maintenance, done right by me when I thought something might need replacing and guess what?!
They said no. It doesn’t need replacing. Take your truck away from us and you don’t owe me anything.
Hmm. That was different.
They’ve been honest and reliable, punctual and responsive. If all of me could run as well I think there’s be nothing more I could ask.