Orinda Shell Auto Care

My dad loves these guys, because he knows Kathy, and I was told they’d take care of me. Well I wanted a trailer hitch installed, which is a 30min job. It’s plug and play with no modification just bolts, and the mechanic says it may not be a smooth process, but I assure him it should be fine, and I wait for the car. Anyways, he charged $ 100 for a 45min wait max. A month later, I had these guys change the springs on my car, which turned out to be $ 400. So I gave them plenty of chances. I just kept thinking what does my dad see in these guys? Then, I’m gassing up my car one day to see my Dad’s Z4 parked with the bumper sitting on the curb (it’s a low car) just scraped in there. Wow! They are very good at telling you what you can get away with and not having to pay (makes them honest) but as far as pricing, and quality… there is better. My shop I used to take my Audi in took my engine out, cleaned it, replace valve covers, and took off 8hrs worth of charges. I then went to Audi of Oakland where the service manager, would make quick fixes like engine codes or tests all free, and still give me discounted rates. I told my dad all this, and he shrugged it off, but he also doesn’t care about cars.
If you have a car and want special work done, or that needs special parts there are other places. Don’t be lazy! As for this place… it is average. I also wish they would explain to me why the charge was so high, give me a walk around etc.

This is Orinda guys. It’d be nice if you changed the water in the car wash brush bucket once in a while. It’s a bucket of nasty sludge!

I have had Kathy and Joey and crew work on my cars for many years. I love that they go out of their way to save me money. I had a window on the passenger side that would not stay closed. It is a 16 yr. old car and I rarely have a passenger so I just wanted it to stay closed. Instead of charging me a lot of money to repair it Joey just disconnected it in the up position so it would not move anymore. It has worked fine this way.
I also drive from Concord so they are always willing to do the minor stuff while I wait so I don’t have to figure out how to come and go. But they are by a Bart station so that helps.
While I was in Oregon a light went on and I called Kathy to have her check to make sure it was safe to drive home. The local mechanic wanted to fix stuff that did not need to be fixed.
Honest people. The best.

Prior to moving to Southern California, I took my car to Orinda Shell Auto Care in Northern California for service. I was always very pleased and satisfied with their service. Recently my current auto care company here in SoCal recommended repairs that would cost me a few thousand dollars. I picked up the phone and spoke with Kathy at Orinda Shell. After hearing my concern, Kathy asked for their phone number and had them explain to her exactly what they were recommending. She calls me back and bottom line… I didn’t have to have the work done. Talk about customer service… anyone needing an excellent automotive service company call Kathy at Orinda Shell Auto Care!

I love this place! Kathy, Joey and everyone working there are amazing. The customer service is better than any auto repair shop I’ve ever used. They are honest, fair and incredibly helpful at pinpointing a problem and sharing the best solution based on the car’s value etc. I trust them completely.

I’ve been coming to see Kathy and Joey for all my car repair and maintenance needs ever since I moved to Orinda in 2009. They’re honest and easy to work with. I’ve never felt like they were trying to rip me off and they’ve even done some of the small things for me for free. How wonderful is that!
I’ve taken my 2 Honda Pilots, BMW 318i, Acura CL, BMW 740, Toyota Camry and Mercedes S550 here so I trust her with all my cars, luxury or otherwise. If there’s a problem they can’t fix, they will go out of their way to find someone who can and will do it for a reasonable price.
I haven’t taken my car anywhere else for any repairs since I’ve met Kathy and Joey. Thanks for making me a believer, that not all repair shops are only after your wallet! Keep up the great work!

I can’t say enough good things about the repair shop at Orinda Shell. Every time I use them — from simple tire repairs to larger mechanical fixes, I’m amazed at how great they are. You’re always nervous about having a car checked out as many of just don’t know much about our cars, but there has been 2 different times, where they’ve looked at my car and recommended minor, inexpensive fixes rather than larger repairs. Kathy who runs the office is incredibly nice and patient and the mechanics — including John, couldn’t be nicer and more helpful. They’ve also fit my wife and my cars in on short notice when we were gearing up for a Tahoe trip. If you want a garage that you can really trust and who do great work (and at far better prices than other local shops), I can’t recomend them strongly enough.

I had the misfortune of having to coast off the freeway due to an engine failure a few weeks ago. I was able to make it as far as the driveway of this establishment. From there, my luck turned, and I was immediately taken care of. Kathy communicated to me exactly what they would do to try to fix my car and the cost. It turned out to be what she said it would. I was able to pick the car up within a few short days.

What a great establishment and show of customer focus and attention. I was recently stranded on the highway after my car overheated and all my coolant gone. After a couple of hours waiting for my tow truck, I was brought over to Orinda Shell Auto Care on Orinda Way. — at 5pm (the close of their day)
Even though Kathy (the owner) was short staffed that day, she took a tremendous amount of time looking under the hood, trying to see if she could easily spot the issue. She even spoke with my SF Mechanic.
After a thorough checking she sent me on my way with a container of water just in case the problem re-​occurred since I was on my way out to Alamo.
Kathy went above and beyond and I so appreciated her willingness to help me out, especially since I wasn’t a «regular» customer.
Kathy — I will be paying your generosity forward to someone else. Thank you again!

Took my car in for an oil change on ⁷⁄₁₆ — had an appointment — and they confirmed it would likely take an hour to an hour and a half.
When I got there it was clear they were pretty busy and the woman at the counter confirmed this — one worker had called in sick. Nevertheless she said an hour and a half sounds about right to wait, took my car, and I posted up at the library to wait.
After no call an hour and a half later I went to go check on my car. The woman looked guiltily at me and said she was sorry but they hadn’t even touched my car. It was just sitting out back.
WHAT?! This woman had two options to not waste my time — she had my phone number prior to my appointment and could have let me know not to come in or she could have told me when I dropped off the car that today was not a good day.
Instead she counted on me coming in, possibly having me not care it would take a lot of time and getting the revenue. So after that gamble, she wasted an hour and a half of my time and didn’t even offer to make it up to me by making a new appointment, half off, etc.
Clearly I won’t be back though. My guess is is that if you live in Orinda and can head home, etc. this is not a bad option. If you’re a busy professional and have firm time commitments, find someplace else.

I took my car to the dealership to get transmission-​related problem fixed, and they recommended a ~$ 4,000 transmission replacement to fix the issue. My car wasn’t worth too much more than that in resale value, so after a bit of research planned to give it one more shot — to take my car to a different mechanic to drain the filter for a couple hundred dollars to see if that did the trick. Per Unilocal!reviews I took it to Orinda Shell, and they did one step better. They checked the transmission fuel level (which was full) and dirtiness (it was clear)… due to the fact that there were no issues here they didn’t perform the task I had asked for, and tried to diagnose the real problem. After running some tests they determined that a wire between the engine computer and transmission had bad grounding which was causing a few issues in the car. $ 250 fix, rather than the $ 4,000 that the dealer had recommended, and my car is running beautifully.
In short, this crew did a way better job diagnosing /​fixing my car than the dealer of my car’s brand! Really enjoyed working with them as well. Needless to say we’ll be bringing all of our future work here… Great experience all around.

Honest, highly competent, and friendly. I’ve been going to Shell for car service for many years, and I’m always impressed by the great work from Kathy, Joe, and the gang.
Their prices are very reasonable, and they offer a range of solutions when appropriate. Kathy is very good at finding out what you really need and want. It might be a «band-​aid» or big job, but she listens well and explains the options well too. I’ve never had to return for work done improperly, an experience I’ve had elsewhere.
I’m one of the few women who took auto shop in high school, so I know enough to know that a lot has changed, and I know they are not taking advantage of me.

These guys do a lot of business. A lot of people in my office go to them for service and recommend them.
The majority of their business is oil changes. They charge $ 50 for them.
I came in with a scenario where they could have easily ripped me off («My car is making a noise, can you fix it?») and to my surprise they took it for a few rides, even rode with me and determined they couldn’t help me. Didn’t charge me a cent for it.
I’m pretty sure if I went to Pep Boys they would have suggested a new engine for a pretty penny.

My son’s 1997 Honda Civic failed its smog test at a test-​only station and needed a distributor timing adjustment. I needed to find a repair place ASAP so that I could get the retest done as soon as possible.
I called several places and Orinda Shell Auto Care was the only place that could take the car in the very next day. However, that was not the best part. The estimated cost for the timing adjustment was only $ 30!
Every other place I called quoted at least $ 100. It was a pleasant surprise to not only be able to get the work done quickly, but at less than a third of the cost of other repair places in the area.

Went in because my check engine light was on. Honest. Good people. Good deal (except parts are wayyyyy cheaper at Auto Zone if you can find what you need there). Will definitely come back.

I’ve been a customer since 2002. Kathy, Joe and the rest of the crew have always treated me fair. Good shop, they get the job done.

I had my car towed here when the clutch went out because it was the closest place and it had pretty good reviews on Unilocal.The estimate they gave me for the repair was really high but I chalked that up to the area that it was in. Being that I’m not an Orindian what they quoted was too rich for my blood and I had to take my car elsewhere. Mike was kind enough to allow my car to sit in his lot for three weeks until I was able to find another shop and get it towed. Nice people with a nice shop. Would have given them 4 stars but didn’t get a chance to see their work.

Been here twice and both times work was done fast and reasonable for a BMW I think. Don’t feel like I was taken advantage of (being female). I will go back if needed (Hopefully I won’t need to)
Kathy offered to have someone take me back to my office but I had a co-​worker come get me.

Kathy and Joey are straight up mechanics who don’t try and jerk you around. As previous raters have stated, instead of going for a big markup, they suggest less expensive ways to go about fixing your car, and also if you have the time, they’ll shop around to get the best value on tires or what have you. They do smog while you wait.
I trust the crew at Orinda Shell Auto Care to take care of all of my cars and know I don’t have to scrutinize the bill or get into a hassle if something’s not right.

I’ve been going here for as long as someone introduced me to this place. This is a place where they don’t just fix you car, they TAKE CARE OF IT. As far as customer service, from my very first trip as a broke college student who needed to fix up the car, the owners treated it as a business relationship.
Owners Joe & Kathy go the extra step of double– and triple– checking their diagnosis and work, thoroughly explain the tradeoffs in the quote and always stand behind their word.
Did I say they are extremely flexible and patient ;)?