Excelsior Auto Care

I’ve been going to Excelsior auto for the past 2 – 3 years and always thought that they were honest and reasonably priced. Unfortunately, my relationship with this establishment has come to an abrupt end due to attempted price gouging and what appears to be serious negligence on their part; negligence that contributed to me nearly causing a collision. Please read this review as my intention is to caution would-​be customers against Excelsior Auto’s safety standards, or lack thereof.
I dropped off my car to get an estimate on brakes. I have an older SUV and knew that in addition to brakes, I would probably need rotors, etc. I was quoted over $ 900, which seemed excessive. I told the woman who runs the shop office that I wanted to get another estimate elsewhere, especially since Excelsior Auto charged me nearly $ 1,000 to fix my exhaust system approximately 6 weeks ago. I did say that they could proceed with an oil change, which is a service that I typically have them do routinely.
I picked up my car later that day and attempted to drive it to my house, which is 4 blocks away from Excelsior Auto. I got no further than 3 blocks before my engine shut off inexplicably and my brakes completely stopped working! Absolutely nothing happened when I hit the brakes since the motor had completely cut out! I pulled the emergency brake and skid to a stop. Fortunately, I was able to stop my car before it flew through the intersection I was approaching. I was able to restart my car and pull it over to the side of the road. The oil light was illuminated on my dash board, which I do not think was a coincidence since Excelsior Auto just changed my oil. I called the shop immediately and told them what happened. The woman who answers the phone was dismissive and said «well, your brakes were metal on metal.» Um, yeah, but that doesn’t account for the engine failure! Also, my brakes are bad, but not so bad that they would just stop working completely. The woman said she would send the mechanic to where I was parked to check it out. While waiting for the mechanic, I started the car up again, let it idle and it died within 30 seconds. Very odd…
The mechanic arrived within 10 minutes, looked under my hood, and announced that he had to run to the shop and would be right back. He came back 10 minutes later with another mechanic and some cables that looked like thin jumper cables. He and the other mechanic were under my hood for 10 minutes before he stated that he couldn’t find a problem. Hmmm… so you emerged from under my hood after doing God knows what for 10 minutes, determined that nothing was wrong, but when I started my car, it was all of a sudden running fine now and the oil light is no longer on? Highly suspicious. The mechanic and I parted ways after he followed me around the block to ensure that my car was functioning fine, which at that point, it was.
Now, on to the part where I went to Schwerin Automotive today and they quoted me $ 580 for the same job that Excelsior was going to charge me over $ 900 for! If there’s a silver lining in all of this, it’s the fact that I found an honest mechanic with a stellar reputation!
I am not implying that Excelsior Auto did anything to my car deliberately, but it is pretty clear that they did something wrong; something that could have contributed to a fatal accident had circumstances been slightly different. Price gouging is one thing, but screwing up to this extent is incredibly irresponsible. Avoid this shop to save money and to possibly save your life!

This review is a little over due but here goes:
I highly recommend this auto shop!!! I know dealing with cars can be stressful and expensive but this family owned shop makes me feel comfortable. Not only do I trust the family, but also their hired team of mechanics are great too. I have had everything from brakes, to new water pump, to all my oil changes there and I always leave happy and satisfied. Plus they have an adorable beagle named jewels to keep you company. I am so happy I have an auto shop I trust and love just right down the street from where I live. 5 stars for sure!!! Thanks to Vicky & husband for everything!

I called yesterday to confirm shop hours. I was assured that the office opened at 8:30 & the mechanics came at 9. I told them I would be there in the morning. I got there at 8:20 and waited till after 9. Not a soul was there. I’m now late for work and under caffeinated for absolutely no reason. And my car still needs fixing. Not cool.

Quick friendly super affordable service. My tire started to shred, I brought my car in and they took care of it in 5 minutes. Thank you so much and I highly recommend others to use Excelsior auto care!!!

This is the very best auto car establishment I have ever had the privilege of doing business with. They are professional, highly skilled, honest, and provide excellent mechanical care with integrity. Customer care is above and beyond my wildest expectations. I would recommend this establishment to anyone.

Excelsior Auto is extremely reputable and easy going and goes above and beyond.
We found them after living 10 minutes away from them for 15 years, but we’re so glad we did.
We will never take our cars anywhere else in San Francisco!

Great and affordable service! Regularly bring my 2001 Cr-​v here for tune ups and italways comes out running beautifully. I also recently had to replace a radiator and so far, so good! Thanks EAC!

Came in Friday morning, after having trouble starting my car the night prior, took THREE times before my car even started. I knew it wasn’t the battery, since my lights were on, it just wasn’t turning all the way! Anyway, I got to my destination I decided to just deal with it in the morning! Of course, having to google issues, freaking me out on what may be the root to the problem! Nonetheless, I found a couple that I figured I’d go to that were close by, I had my heart set on Sal’s Autohaus on San Jose Ave.
So I went to work, left early enough to get to the shop early enough to find out they weren’t even open, though it didn’t state that anywhere, just doors closed, I guess no work today? Ugh! Frustrated, I went to my second choice, but boy, am I glad I did! Walked in, and asked Vicky I wanted service done on my car… She said sure the mechanic was just finishing up on an oil change. My car was seen, and unfortunately the problem is bigger than I thought, and I will probably decide to spend my money on a brand new car rather than my ’98 mercedes. But Vicky was nice enough to even show me pictures of the issues going on with my car. I will definitely be coming back here with any other needs with my next car, or even my mercedes if I decide to put any more work into it anyway! Very helpful and very friendly! Thank you, Vicky!

Service = friendly.
Prices = reasonable.
Oil change and idle sensor, under $ 250.00 for part and labor.

Our vintage Toyota van and Mercedes sedan have been serviced for years by Excelsior Auto Care. Vicky and Marwan and crew have gone above and beyond with helping us to keep our old vehicles safe and on the road at a reasonable cost. I can’t recommend them highly enough!

I can’t say enough good about ECA (Excelsior Auto Care). The thing I like most is their honesty. A headlight went out on my car. Not knowing too much about cars, they could’ve easily said the whole light needed replacing & charged hundreds of $$ to put in a new one. They popped the bulb out, put in a new one, only charged $ 20 for parts & labor. 5 minutes later, I was back on the road with 2 working headlights. A few weeks later, I took the car in to have all the things I had been neglecting after nearly 100K miles. If I remember correctly, the final charges were about $ 100-​$ 200 LESS than what I was quoted. Then a short time after that, I heard a knocking noise. It was related to the prior work, the mechanic came out, fixed it right away @ no charge & once again, I was on the road 5 mins later. I also like them because they are not too far from where I live & I can walk back home while they do the work. They came highly recommended to me from a family member who has been taking his vehicles there for years. Now they have a new regular customer – Me! I quit going to the dealership because every time I went, they always claimed something needed to be fixed or replaced & I found out that that is typical of dealerships. If it were possible to give ECA more stars, I certainly would!

My husband and I have been bringing our cars to Excelsior Auto for 12+ years. We always get excellent service and the prices are more then fair. The people that work there are caring and provide quick service. I don’t trust anyone else with our cars.

I was nervous about finding a new auto shop since I recently moved here. I was late for my alignment and very happy that they still could fit me in. Vicki was very nice and my car is now aligned. I am pleased with how I was treated and the car service.

Excellent auto care here! Years ago when they were on San Jose Ave. I took my previous car to Excelsior Auto Care and they did a great job. Then I bought a new car and I took it to the dealer because it was under warranty & continued to do so after the warranty expired. Recently the dealer found several things that needed attention and quoted me $ 4000. I took it to Excelsior Auto Care and they quoted me $ 1400 for the same repairs. The repairs have been made and my 12 year old car drives like it just came out of the showroom. I highly recommend Excelsior Auto Care and I’m back for good!

I have a ’95 diesel Mercedes that I’ve been running on biodiesel. I have a mechanic in the East Bay who is biodiesel shy but otherwise pretty on it, but it is hard to get there and in/​out. My car started smoking baaadly all of a sudden, and at first I took it to a mechanic by my work in the Tenderloin. They were helpful and kind in that they diagnosed the problem– fuel injector leak– and didn’t charge for the diagnosis, but were not able to do any work because they were also biodiesel shy. After doing much searching, I decided to give this place a go. The receptionist was very friendly and to the point, and they had my car back to me within a day or two. They fixed the issue in the easiest most direct way possible, explained what they did, and charged me a beyond reasonable fee. I breathed a huuuge sigh of relief and was so happy! I will be bringing my car back for future needs for sure.

Excellent service! I don’t believe the reviews written by those that say the employees tried to take advantage of them because they are women. I am a young woman with fairly good knowledge of cars and engines, and I felt as though everyone at this shop treated me well.
Two months ago, my 2006 Honda had smoke coming from under its hood. I drove to this shop because it was near by. I was told that my engine block was cracked (a Honda defect) and needed replacing (by the dealership). It was late in the afternoon and towing to the dealership wasn’t possible, as they were soon to close.
The employees at Excelsior let me leave my car overnight. The next day, I returned after work to have my car towed. I waited for AAA for two hours… past closing time for Excelsior. An employee waited with me to ensure my car was towed and that I wasn’t left alone to wait.
Last week, my car alerted me to check its gas cap, sensing a possible leak in its seal. I tightened the gas cap and the alert stayed lit. I went to Honda to have them check the car, and was told that I should wait a couple of weeks and the light would turn off. Just to be sure nothing was wrong, I went to Excelsior for a second opinion.
The employee at Excelsior ran a test on my car to see that all the seals were tight and no sensors needed attention. Luckily, everything came up clear. I called Honda to tell them what Excelsior did, and I was told that I should be grateful because Honda would have charged $ 150-​$ 200 to do what Excelsior did.
I realize this is a long-​winded review, but the work and service I’ve received from this shop has been exceptional. I will refer my friend’s in SF to this shop anytime.

My mechanic told me it would take a cylinder-​head replacement ($ 4000) to make my 14 year old car pass a smog check. In shock, I started calling around, and found this place. The woman on the phone thought the description of the problem I was given was odd, and said to come by.
They worked with me, around my schedule, and were always professional and straightforward. They found that the problem was a set of dirty valves and hoses. The result– they got my car to pass for around $ 400.
I would recommend them for any smog work you need. They are a bit out of the way, but worth it.

My boyfriends family has been taking their cars to Exelsior Auto Care for 5 years or so. We have lately had a lot of trouble with our VW, surprise surprise, but they are always willing to squeeze us in. They are a very honest and friendly family business with fast service! They are willing to find you the best deal they can instead of jacking up the prices. Its hard to find a mechanic with morals like that! Were happy to have them care for our cars and they are very close to home. Thank guys!

THIS PLACE IS A SCAM!!! DON’T EVER GO HERE!!! I took my 2006 Toyota in for a 60,000 general service maintenance and the guy completely took advantage of the fact that I’m a girl and appeared to know nothing about what was being done and ended up quoting me $ 975 for changing an accessories belt and adding brake pads. Luckily my friend was there to spot the shady quote and I went back to retrieve my car. Adding insult to injury, they tried to charge me $ 140 for the «estimation fee». This place is a blackhole that will not let you go until they extort some unreasonable amount of money from you. I ended up taking my car to a trusted mechanic and got quoted $ 350 for the exact same work!
BEWARE: these people are CON ARTISTS who prey on the unsuspecting customer!!!

I passed this place today on my way home. Way past due for a front wheel alignment I decided to call a few places to get quoted. Most responses were $ 80-​$ 100, which I do not have since I am currently unemployed as a student! I wanted to find somewhere that would not jip me just because I’m a girl and I hardly know anything about cars though I am working on that so I won’t get jipped!
Anyways I remembered the name and came home to google their info. I called them and the price was in my range so I asked when I can make an appt. The woman who answered the phone was patient and nice, I was told to come in 30mins and drop it off. WoW! I loved that already since I hate being without my car, I came in handed them the key and she said be back at 2:30pm, uuum I looked at the clock it was 1:22pm! They were serious! I called back around 2:37pm and came straight there! I loved how they gave me tips on my car and I could tell they were not trying to get money out of me.
Oh I minused one star since they quoted me a different price on the phone and was charged a good $ 10 more when I got there. I hate that shit! Overall good place!