Kennard’s Automotive

Great work, solid dependable, affordable,

Have been taking my vehicle here for a while now it is an honest, knowledgeable, and family run business … I couldn’t be happier with the service I received and my car is running great!

Great service, nice people. I was here on vacation and brought my car in because it was acting funny. They figured out the problem immediately and repaired it all within an hour. Thank you.

Among other routine services we have needed, we had a starter replaced which was done improperly at our last mechanic. The job was completed the NEXT day even though it was to have taken yet another day or TWO! They are honest and very thorough… maybe not the least expensive in town, but at least I TRUST them… a very worthwhile attribute to be sure! Great honest service that uses the best products… what more could one ask?

Horribly overpriced, takes forever to get any thing done, bad at returning calls.
Stay far away from Kennard’s, unless you have money to throw away

I had these thieves replace a master cylinder on my 1989 Ford pickup. 13 months but only 3600 miles later that master cylinder failed and they said the warranty was over (12,000 miles or 12 months whichever comes first). They refused to even talk to the part supplier and when I said «OK, just take it off the lift and I’ll go somewhere else (I’d lost ALL confidence in them by this time) they wanted to charge me a $ 75.00 «lift charge» Realizing I was being scammed and no choice I paid them but I will NEVER deal with these ripoff artists again.

I have been a customer of Kennard’s for over 20 years. I’ve had many repairs done over the years including an engine replacement. When I read the review from Scott S and Sammy S I feel their issues are misdirected and do not accurately reflect the service of Kennard’s. I will be the first to acknowledge that they are not the cheapest mechanics around. That being said, there are no «surprises» or bringing the car back 50 times because they didn’t do the job right the first time. The few warranty issues I have had were always dealt with quickly and without grief. They may not do $ 50 tune-​ups, but I have always had the job done right and the first time. I really don’t have the time nor the energy to bring my car back twenty times to get the problem I needed fixed in the first place fixed. Yes, they will often suggest other work that needs to be done, but my experience over the years is that this really just saves you time, money and aggravation later. They never pressure me or make me feel like they are trying to sell me work that does not need to be done. This is an honest shop with integrity and great competence. I have also had my car smogged here several times. The State of California tightly regulates smog stations and there is little, if anything a station can do to «game» he system. So, when Scott S wasn’t happy about his results, it was probably because the brought a high-​mileage, 20 year old car in, that hadn’t been very well maintained into a shop that is neither willing nor able to game the system so he can get his crappy car to pass the smog check. I don’t know why anyone would expect a shop to risk losing their testing facility designation so someone can get his or her car to pass. The second you start connecting cables to the car, it starts transmitting data to the state. The days of giving the tester $ 20 and he pulls the probe out of the exhaust a few inches so your results will improve are long over. Once again, I’ve had great (but not always cheap) experiences with this company. I would recommend them to anyone.

Really honest repair shop!

I obtained Kennard’s name from AAA when I first moved to Palm Springs 7 years ago. They are always friendly, honest and fair. Allan is amazing! They have never suggested repairs I don’t need and always look for ways to save money without compromising safety. There have been times they tell me not to spend the money to repair something because it’s just a cosmetic issue or that I still have many miles left before needing to change a part. I trust them. I even had them look over a used car I was planning to purchase to get their opinion (they suggested I NOT buy it). I will not take my cars anyplace else and have referred many people to them over the years.

The alternator on my 2004 F150 was going out while visiting family in PS on a Sunday evening. Next morning I called the dealer in town. They did not have the part, would take days to get it and charge me an arm and leg to fix it. So I called Kennard’s first thing in AM and they were able to test and install an after market alternator while I waited, so long as I came in early. Was back on the road in a couple of hours, no longer «stuck» in the desert. Kudos for great service from a mechanic who knows his trade and doesn’t try to sell you lots of other parts, or the wrong part. Kennard’s estimate = the amount charged, which I happily paid for their services. I am posting this 5 months later, still happy with Kennard’s repair work and fair pricing. Still happy that I was back on the road quickly.

Ok service. But they charge too much, more than you’d even pay in LA at pricey places. They are more concerned with emptying your wallet as much as they can than fixing your car. Get second estimate!

Inherited a car from my aunt who lived down here (I’m in Burbank), so before driving it home I took this cute ’98 Honda Accord to these guys. in five hours they’d scrutinized all systems, flushed and cleaned the brakes, and recommended new tires (a very good call; old ones were cracked). Smart, professional service; Allen knows what’s going on.

Went to get smogged failed and they wanted to charge me 90 for diagnosis… on top of the 50 failed fee… Dishonest and full of BS, Kennard knew how to pass the smog and with hold info to try and make more $$ off me, a yoga teacher with a 91 toyota corolla. Shame on you

I have to say, there are few things that are as stressful as when your car breaks down out of town.
I was in Palm Springs for the weekend and, on Sunday evening, I noticed a rattling sound under my car. It just came out of nowhere. So, I decided not to drive anymore that evening and take it to a mechanic before I headed home.
Well, the next morning I’m driving down the street toward the mechanic… and within two minutes my steering wheel fails. The wheel will not turn left nor right. Fortunately, I was driving at 11:30 am on a surface street in Palm Springs, rather than the highway.
So, long story short: the car was towed. I had fortunately checked Unilocal the previous night and saw that Kennard’s had come highly recommended. And, even more fortunately, they were within 5 or 6 blocks of where I broke down.
Jim, the mechanic, took me through everything. It turned out that one of the belts had worn out and needed to be replaced. He pointed out a couple areas of concern (he was particularly concerned about the last time I had had my timing belt replaced as my car has pretty high mileage). I appreciated that he spent the time showing what was going on rather than just telling me after the fact.
The parts and labor set me back a little under 150. Not awful, considering. They later sent me an estimate of some of the repairs that they suggested I should have done in the nearish future.
My only difficulty was sometimes Jim spoke a little too quickly for me to catch everything he said. And, to be fair, I’m not a car guy, so there were certain things I just didn’t understand. However, these guys seem to be running a good business based on earning the trust and loyalty of their customers. I would definitely recommend them to those in the Palm Springs area.

I recently moved to PS and was very nervous about trying to find a trustworthy auto mechanic.
I did some research online and saw some good reviews for Kennard’s. I went to their web site and read an article from a newpaper that tells about awards they have won and about a tv station sting that took a car with no problems and went to different mechanics and complaind about something wrong. Kennard’s told them nothing was wrong! That sold me.
I decided to try them out and «contacted» them throught their web site. I got an email reply promptly. I asked if they service the vehicles we have. I was told they can take care of the Acura but that they can only do some work on our Saab. Allen explained that some European cars have diagnostic computers that are specific to that brand. They don’t have those for Saab, BMW, Mercedes, etc.
I love that Allen moniters email so I can send appointment requests and ask questions. I’ve never had a mechanic that used email, I find it very convenient.
I started out with smog tests and oil changes on both cars. When the Saab had an air conditioning issue I emailed Allen and he told me that would be something for the dealer.
When we had car at a Saab specialty shop they said the radiator was going. Today I was at Kennard’s for another oil change, a bulb replacement and to have them look at the radiator. The mechanic brought me into the shop to see the leak. Allen emailed me the estimate for repairs.
They are friendly and helpful. Also nice is that while my car is being worked on I can walk to some nearby shops to kill time.