Whole Auto Service and Repair

We were visiting from out of town and our car died at 2:30 pm on a Fri afternoon. We were staying a few blocks away and had seen Whole Auto as we’d driven by. Dan quickly diagnosed our problem and said he could finish today.
Dan located parts and stayed until 7:45 pm to finish the job. He took extra time to top off fluids and check air pressure in the tires. Car runs better than it has in months.
Needless to say we highly recommend Dan and Whole Auto. Should we ever break down in Petaluma again, he’s the place we’ll go. Thanks Dan for everything!

Now 5 stars based on more magic from Dan. Nough said. My driver side window would not go up. Dan quickly analyzed the problem, ordered the part and the next day it was all good! I could have taken it to the Mercedes dealer, and it would’ve been 10 times the amount and would taken a full week, plus a drive to Santa Rosa twice.

Dan was able to accommodate my request for a pre-​purchase inspection since I live in the South Bay & the car I considered buying was in Petaluma. He took my appointment for the next day and was very through and provided me a very professional safety inspection along with his words of caution on other items (paint scratches, drivability, tire wear, overall condition and future needed maintenance that would come up soon) since I would be driving 1.5 hours to see the car and should consider in my offer if I was to buy this vehicle. I highly recommend Dan :)

Great service, honest one man shop with great pricing! I called for a quote on a job that I had been quoted $ 1200 for at a big box chain and he brought the cost down by 75% and completed the work quickly and thoroughly. Will definitely come back! Thank you Dan!

It looks like Dan (and shop dog, Tyson) don’t need any more 4 and 5-​star reviews yet I feel obliged to give Whole Auto a big thumbs up. I want to make this 4.5 stars. Dan is a 1-​man shop so do call for an appointment or-​like me-you’ll have to wait until the end of the day. Dan is honest, very fair with labor, and will not scare you into more work that you don’t need. How many people can honestly say that about their mechanic? My Honda is nearing 200,00 miles and Dan helps keep this one of the easiest cars to keep on the road.

…one of the last, honest auto repair shops around. Bringing my car in for a small fix, that would have cost me double if I would have gone to the dealership. Thanks Dan…:)

Simply the best. Dan worked diligently to replace the buggered transmission on our old Mitsubishi Mirage and did extra maintenance that we shamefully neglected, all at a more than a fair price. We won’t go anywhere else now as long as we live in Sonoma county. And his dog, Tyson, gets six stars!

One of the more honest auto shops I have been to. Dan is incredibly nice, honest, and has actual integrity. He’s a one man shop and is dedicated to making his customers happy.
Great guy, would highly recommend.

I am so incredibly grateful I found Whole Auto. I have an older car that has some issues, and I feel completely confident in Dan’s ability to take care of it, as well as his integrity and honesty. He is very clear in his communication, which is appreciated since I don’t know much about cars! And his prices are very fair. The only auto repair shop for me from now on. Thank you Dan!

I have a 2006 Subaru Forester with over 100,000 miles and thanks to Dan, I’ll see 100,000 more. He’s honest, thorough and very easy to understand and work with. I highly recommend this exceptional shop for all your car care needs!

Awesome honest service at a reasonable cost and Tyson is pretty cool too.
Thanks for the great service and getting the AC on my Jetta Sportwagon up and running. I hope I don’t have to come back soon for anything else, but if something happens to one of my cars, I will be back.

Okay, the brakes on my Honda Fit started Unilocaling at me and I knew I needed to have them changed. I called the dealer and they NEVER called me back. (Shame on you Hansel!). I called Whole Auto because of a friend’s recommendation, but the earliest Dan could schedule me was nine days out. However, even though Dan was furiously busy, he took the time to look at my brakes (at 15 minutes to closing time) that same day and realized I needed them right away. He re-​arranged his entire work schedule to see me within 48 hours. Wow! And while it was there, he not only changed the brakes, he rotated the tires and changed five lights that had gone out. He had all the parts on hand or got them there right away, and I was able to pick my car up just a few hours after I dropped it off. Great service! I will be going back there for an oil change and for regular maintenance on my vehicle from now on!!!

Seriously, the best mechanic I have ever found. I have used whole auto a few times, and every time they are direct, straightforward and knowledgeable. Recently when I made a mistake, by going to a different mechanic, I called and asked for advice. The advice was freely given. Because I was already out a diagnostic fee I stuck with the other mechanic, but I will never make that mistake again.

I’ve brought my two vehicles (Tacoma & Jetta) to Whole Auto since Dan took the reins (a few years ago). I’ve worked in the automobile industry for the past decade and I’ve dealt with just about every repair facility (body & mechanical) and dealership in San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma counties (personal and business) and I wouldn’t dream of taking my two wagons anywhere else. Dan utterly shatters the negative stereotypes that are commonly associated with mechanical repair facilities. He is the most honest and humble man I’ve encountered in this industry in a long time. He’s also a VW /​Audi certified technician who possesses an arsenal of well founded mechanical knowledge for all makes and models. He truly cares about the vehicles he works on and his pricing is beyond fair. He’s typically swamped as he’s predominantly a one man army so my suggestion — make an appointment. The wait is well worth it and you won’t regret it. Well done Sir!

Can’t say enough good things about Dan and the business he runs. It’s a great feeling to be able to take your vehicle somewhere where you know WITHOUT A DOUBT that the work will be done right and you will not be charged for something that doesn’t need to be done. Dan is up-​front about repairs that do or don’t need to happen. i.e. «this can wait a few months», or «that is normal for a car this age, I wouldn’t worry about it.» On top of this peace of mind you get, his pricing is very fair. I won’t take my vehicles anywhere else and would highly recommend Whole Auto to anyone.

Well, I no longer live in Petaluma but I sure do wish I could bring my truck to Dan! I haven’t found another mechanic like him. When I bought my F250 diesel I brought it to him to look it over and complete all the required maintenance to bring it up to par! Now, it wasn’t all at once, but he devised a plan with me to get the work done over the course of a couple of months. Dan is not only a good mechanic but a great human being as well. After one of my trips to him to get some work done, he told me that he had replaced my windshield wipers because he knew I was getting ready to take a road trip and the weather report said it was supposed to rain. The fact that he didn’t charge me for the blades was proof that he truly cared about me. This of course was only one of the many great experiences I had with Dan. I sure do miss him.

I am absolutely blown away by how much integrity Dan has as a shop owner. He had every opportunity to take full advantage of my ignorance about cars. And I could tell that the thought never occurred to him.
If you’re expecting the golden retriever-​esque kindness that Kyle had, you won’t get that. (I love golden retrievers!) Dan is no nonsense. But he’s honest as well as damn good at what he does.

I just purchased a 2003 BMW that I took into Dan’s shop for service. Dan went through the car and repaired several critical issues. My car runs like a new vehicle. I trust Dan implicitly and will talk all my cars to Dan. Dan your the best!

After using the dealer for my Honda for years, i switched to a Mazda and did not like the Mazda dealer at all or the fact i had to drive to Santa Rosa. My husband is a 25 year veteran in the automotive industry and told me to go see Dan who had recently opened and with whom he worked for years and it’s been a great experience.
Dan is exactly what you want in a local mechanic. He cares, he is helpful and he is honest. He is never going to sell you something you don’t need and won’t miss important issues. On my last visit, he mentioned i needed tires but gave me an accurate estimate of how long i had so i could budget for it.
I have occasionally stopped for a quick question issue and he has always been helpful. I was saddened by the one star comment — when you go to an independent shop where, having started recently enough, the owner is working by himself, there are times that he might get grumpy. I am assuming the person leaving the review never has a bad day and that’s what they feel like it’s appropriate to not longer patronize someone because of one less than perfect interaction.
Dan worked for years at a dealer and unlike many, kept his integrity. I think that plus his expertise are the most important values i seek in a mechanic and why i always recommend him to my friends.

This guy is getting a little too busy and it’s getting to his head (and his temper). My partner came in to get some air and was treated with much disrespect and I’m sad to say after using his business for quite a while, I’ll be removing myself as a customer and encouraging folks to stay away.

Like a doctor who listens, a mechanic I can trust is one of lifes treasures.
Dan at Whole Auto gives an honest assessment of my car’s issues, offers repair options, and tries to keep my costs down when he can. He is great at explaining things to a gal who knows little about autos.
I’ve found my mechanic for keeps. Dan is a mensch with wrench!

Honesty and integrity and Leroy the Boston terrier rocks!
In our super slick and slimey world it’s getting harder and harder to find honest and fair individuals. Not so here. Honest and fair all the way.
We brought in my 96 Jetta because the check engine light came on. In a bird so old it’d be easy to have the cost of the repair quickly surpass the value of the car and every time the light comes on I worry it’s time to put her out to pasture.
We stopped in unannounced and even though they couldn’t take her then, they checked the code and gave us some possibilities that all sounded pricey. When we brought her back a couple of days later we got the good news that it appeared to be a dirty sensor that was fixed by a few swipes of the rag.
Now this dude could have totally pulled one over on is, we could have paid for a new sensor or one of the other pricey options he floated past us but no, he was honest and fair all the way. As a reward for being such an awesome dude he will now get to be our go-​to guy for our Camry and Ford F150 as well.
Thanks dude.

I am new to Petaluma so had to rely on Unilocal reviews to connect me with a reputable auto repair establishment. I’m happy to report the overflowing positive reviews were right on target for Whole Auto.
I had the pleasure of meeting «Dan» who was incredibly resourceful, knowledgable and kind. He’s a straight shooter. He gave me the 411 on my car and was honest and up front. I felt fully apprised of the situation and very grateful for his feedback. and advice.
Dan’s honest demeanor is real and heartfelt. This is not someone who is going to give you the runaround nor is he going to be all fake-​cheery (I had that experience at another repair shop I went to prior) while he gives you an estimate that could send you off a cliff!
I will be returning for my presale inspections on whatever car I decide to buy. I am grateful to Dan and credit his professionalim and true concern for his customers and their situation as reasons I’ll be returning to Dan and Whole Auto.

I called this morning in the hopes of getting a smog check on my car, and Dan very nicely fit me in to his schedule!
When I arrived, I remembered that I also needed an oil change, and he agreed to do it no problem.
But here’s the best, best part — my car has been rattling for like two years, the noise coming from the front-​ish of the car. I have had it looked at by like three different wonderful garages and no one could figure it out. I did not even tell Dan about this rattle problem.
Two hours later I came back, everything done, and Dan had FIXED THE RATTLE! He took off some cracked part under my car. I feel like my sanity has been returned. THANK YOU!

Did not know they repaired cars until my daughter recommended it. I have lived here 18 years now.
Dan is the master — he restored my A/​C on my Benz, and now it runs cold again after a season of keeping the windows open in hopes of being cool. Also, Dan noted one of my brake lights was out, and put a new bulb in for me (I was warned about that a year ago but forgot about it)
If my A/​C stays as cool as it is now, I am bumping my rating to 5 stars.
PS: Just had my CRV and my Benz worked on (for the same reason — A/​C was shot) and I love Dan’s attention to detail. Whole Auto is not cheap but you get the job done. I went, once, to the Benz dealer in Santa Rosa and while the expressos were delicious the bill was not.