San Diego Import Specialists

These guys are out of business and apparently for good reason.
In Sept 2013 I took my lexus Rx400h to these guy s to replace both front inner and outer cv boots and lower control arms. Total cost over $ 1000. Within less than 1 year/​12k miles, another mechanic told me I needed the same repair again and showed me that the boots are cracked and leaking. Tried to contact SD import specialists to see if they would stand by their work but only was able to leave a voice message/​emails which were never returned. Now their phone is disconnected.
Watch out if they reopen under a new name!

I tend to do a lot of research when it comes to automotive repair because im sure we have all been burned one time or another in our past. I just purchased a new (to me) 350z and wanted to get a full exhaust system installed. after looking around and reading a lot of Unilocal reviews i decided to give this place a call. i spoke with Tory who was incredibly nice and told me to bring the car down so they could take a look at it.
I came right down there and showed him all the hardware i had and told him that i needed to exhaust gaskets between all the connecting pipes. Tory and one of the mechanics Jorge took a look and told me everything i would need and Tory priced together a whole package for me. i told them to go for it and i would wait. Tory told me that it was going to be a couple of hours and actually gave me a lender vehicle to use while mine was in the shop. Name one place that does that isnt a dealership. That right there was incredible. I went home and a few hours later i got a call saying it was all done and to come pick it up.
Upon arrival and inspecting the work i was beyond pleased with how it turned out. Tory took the time to explain everything to me and told me how they even had to custom fabricate a certain gasket for me. (i had expected that). He did NOT try to hit me with hidden fees and charges and did exactly what i wanted. The installer Jorge was very nice and even fixed my door handle for me. what a team this shop has. Im very picky when it comes to getting my car serviced and leaving it with someone else but i will tell you one thing, Im officially a customer for life to San Diego Import Specialists.
Its truly surprising and refreshing to see there are still honest hard working shops at here. I want to thank Tory, Jorge, and the other gentlemen whose name i didnt get for the outstanding customer service and professionalism they displayed. I love the exhaust and couldnt be happier with my experience there. I will most certainly be back for any other needs.

I really hate to give these guys a bad review but I feel its absolutely necessary.
I heard about this shop from fellow coworkers who have good reviews. I own a very clean and low mileage Toyota Supra twin turbo. I was very selective on which shop I choose to bring my car to and since the reviews were good, coworkers were happy and Toyota/​Lexus mechanics; I figured I was in good hands.
The shop location and setup is very nice and clean. The owners, Tory and Kevin had the absolute greatest customer service I’ve ever experienced. The shuttle service is a definitely plus and they even gave me a loaner car for the weekend since my car was having major service done.
However, it was the work that was done on my car that really annoyed me. There were several things that the mechanic (Mexican) did that made me question my decision to have them perform the service.
–When he was pulling my car out of garage to put it on the lift in the other bay, he didn’t even know how to put it in reverse (6spd). He kept trying to jam it in 6^th gear and it kept creeping forward. I eventually told him when he grinded my tranny, that you have to pull up on the ring below the shift knob then throw it parallel to 6^th.
–I asked if they can put it on the lift so I can see underneath. So once he lifts the car, he removed my lower plastic skid plate and chucked it on the ground like a frisbee. It wasn’t scratched before but now it is!
–Tory calls me around noon to pick me up from work so I can take the loaner car just in case that it might not be completed before they close. Awesome customer service. I go there to pick up their loaner car and to check the progress. Once I get there, I chat with Kevin about Supras and do a quick walk-​a-​round. I see my center caps (plastic) face down on the ground and Kevin tells me about the corrosion on the water neck. I look at it and there are chisle marks! Mmm ok, not a big deal.
–Now this is what was the issue. The mechanic didn’t use fender protectors and left some vertical scratches on my driver’s side fender. I noticed them when I was there at noon to pick up the loaner car. Then on Monday, when I picked it up, I noticed there were dried water marks as if they tried to clean the area and realized it wasn’t coming out. I had to call them back and tell them instead of doing the right thing by hanging on to the car for an extra day to have their body shop fix it.
I brought it back the following week and their recommended body shop took care of it but it was a inconvenience for both of us.
I remembered to write this review after several months because I was cleaning my engine and noticed my lower fan shroud was unclipped and just sitting on my intercooler piping. Apparently this idiot didn’t clip that part back on when he was putting the radiator back in.
Such a shame…

Kevin, Tory and Jorge have worked on my cars for years and I have never received anything less than an honest and reliable opinion. Dealership quality/​experience without the outrageous pricing is what sets San Diego Import Specialists apart from the rest, Make sure to check them out.