Terry’s Auto Specialist

Walk in around 3 to get an oil change guy at front desk sorry to call you guy haha was very professional and personal he moved somethings around for me so that I could get it done same day due to me not being able to come back on Monday said it could be 2 hrs witch I was fine with due to almost closing and all ports full I was out within 1 hr I will no longer go anywhere else they know the definition of customer service and the price was great

Terry is great & came with many great recommendations. We have both our cars being worked on now. Trustworthy & nice.

It figures on the wettest week of the year that my windshield wipers don’t work. I read the Unilocal reviews and knew the shop was close by where I worked. Terry was crazy busy and managed to work my ’06 Honda Accord in without an appointment. After taking a part the whole wiper assembly, he told me it was nothing more than a broken $ 12 cap. They ordered it the next day and had me back on the road safety before the next heavy rain. Great service and friendly faces. Terry’s is your go to repair shop in North County.

I have been going to Terry for 20 years. No one stands behind their work like him. No one. I know good work when I see it and can rebuild my own engines, change a clutch, a radiator, etc.; when it comes to motorcycles I often still do — but on cars, I don’t need to, because this is the only mechanic — I repeat the ONLY mechanic — I have ever really trusted. He ALWAYS stands behind his work and NEVER takes advantage of the customer. #1 in San Diego without question.
Keep in mind they don’t have professional phone answering services or do any sweet talking. If you want some of that dial a 976 number. ;)

I wish I could give 100 stars. After being fucking bamboozled by a local transmission shop (Eliminator Transmission, Oceanside Ca), I thought an honest, good to go, mechanic no longer existed. Thank God for auto repair shops like Terry’s and Terry himself.
I showed up at Terry’s and within 10 minutes was cruising down the road with the Legend himself. After a «no shit» road test he checked the oil and what do you know?! EMPTY. Fault of my own? Def. Man card has been suspended. But unlike Eliminator Transmission, I do not claim to be a mechanic OR suggest bullshit like an 1100 dollar job because I am clueless.
Anyways, after adding oil and checking out the catalytic converter, Terry drops the car and yet again hits the road for a test.
Upon return of his shop he gets out, shakes my hand, and says «have a good day. Let me know when you want those brakes done». I stood there in disbelief and shook his hand again. It’s been about 2 hours since and I’ve driven about 30 quiet, smooth miles. 2 road tests, oil, and time, free of charge
As long as I live in the area I will never go to another shop again.

I’ve taken all my cars to Terry for the last 18 years! I wouldn’t trust anyone else. Honest, timely, and with a smile. I am thankful to have Terry’s auto. If you’re looking for a mechanic with integrity and who does an amazing job, this is the right place!

Remember customer service? These guys do. Remember the days when a shop charged you a fair price for good work? Lexus wanted $ 1,100. to replace my water pump, Terry’s did it for HALF the price!
I also want to add that a shop I really respect recommended Terry’s, that says a lot!
Great job you guys! Thank you! I’m sorry it took so long for THIS Kurner to find you! :-))

Just called there and Chris, the guy that answered the phone was very rude and slammed the phone in my ear… If that is the way they handle their business, I will not be there anytime soon.

Quick & honest service, couldn’t be happier — will continue trusting them with my ’04 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Today was my first visit to Terry’s Auto for a second opinion regarding yesterday’s service at another service center. Yesterday’s service center recommended with urgency repairs totaling $ 1120. Terry’s team checked it out and guess what ~~~ NOT NEEDED!
THANK YOU ~~ THANK YOU ~~ THANK YOU
Terry is honest, knowledgeable and, most important, gives outstanding customer service! I feel so blessed to have found him and his crew ~~ I’ll be back and will definitely recommend him to my family and friends … and Facebook friends too!

I don’t ever write reviews, but I was so impressed by the customer service that I had to.
I’m buying an older car and wanted a mechanic to look at it just to make sure everything was in good shape. Most of the places I called charged $ 20-​$ 60. Terry’s did it for free!
I first called and spoke with Chris, who was very polite, and he told me I could come in whenever I wanted to. I showed up within the hour and Chris was able to check everything within 15 minutes.
He then topped off all of my fluids free of charge. When I tried to tip him he respectfully declined.
I have not experienced genuine customer service like this in a long time. I will trust and go to them for life!

My husband and I have been Terry’s clients for many years. I completely trust Terry’s judgement and his work. Only once was his estimate higher than that of a competitor. I chose the less expensive repair and have regretted this decision, since that other place didn’t do a good job after all. Terry will also tell you what’s really needed rather than what other repair shops happily recommend. Case in point: transmission fluid change rather than flush under certain circumstances. I highly recommend Terry, Chris and the crew!

I won’t take our cars anywhere else! Highly recommend Terry and Chris for all your mechanic needs. It’s nice to have an auto specialist you can trust! Terry can come off a bit snarky at first, but don’t let that deter you — he is great. Chris balances out the team and the two of them are damn good at what they do, and reasonably priced too. You won’t be disappointed!

I just moved to the San Marcos area and I came to Terry’s because of all the great Unilocal reviews. My car had been making noise and Chris helped me identify the problem right away. He took care of it and I was out of there quickly. I was relieved to not only have my car fixed but a mechanic I felt like I can trust.

I have been looking for a good, fair pricing place to take my car to. This is the place. I had a water pump put in my car around 40,000 miles ago at Firestone in Vista. I was not happy with that place but I had a credit card with them. They charged me $ 500 to replace the water pump. I took my car yesterday to Terry’s because the water pump was leaking. I took it in at 7am and had it back by noon. Chris assisted us and was super helpful. Very nice man. Made me and my husband feel at ease and comfortable. The new water pump is working wonderfully and the noise it was making in the engine is gone. The cost was $ 350 compared to $ 500. We are definitely going to keep coming back to Terry’s. I feel like they really know what they are doing and don’t take advantage of you.

Great people, great service, fair pricing. Can’t ask for more. I got an oil change and a few little fix-​its last time I was here and I will be coming here and here only from now on. It is so hard to find good, honest businesses sometimes and this is a great place to bring your car.

Incredibly happy with the whole experience here. Brought my Tacoma in because my wheel bearings were taking a dump on me, I thought it was both, only one side needed to be fixed and they also replaced my rotors and brake pads too, for a great price! I couldn’t be happier with their pricing, service, and quality of work. Will be back next time I need something done for sure. I highly recommend Terry’s for all auto repair work.

I’ve come to Terry’s twice. The first time I came for an inspection and got an honest quote for the repairs that were needed. All I did was call in the morning and Terry said to bring it in. Although they were working on other vehicles they did not hesitate to help me when I showed up. Chris was extremely helpful and had me on my way with what I needed to have done.
The second time I called in the morning giving Chris the gist of what repairs I needed to have done. He said to bring it in and he would have it done within a few hours. Before he started any work on my car he called me and gave me an honest estimate for cost and time. This is a great ship, they work on all makes and models, and they are all knowledgable and friendly. I will definitely be bringing my car back here for future maintenance.

This is the first review I’ve ever posted and I’ve been using Unilocal for quite some time. I felt entitled to leave good review because of this places outstanding service. I brought my truck here to get front brakes replaced and they looked everything over and told me I didn’t need them replaced yet. They said I had build up of grease in rear drum and they cleaned it out free of charge. I saw a lot of positive reviews on here which is why I chose this shop. I dropped my truck off and came back next day and picked my truck up and that was that no fees of any kind just great people doing great work.

A quick update, I have to call out how great Terry, Chris and the rest of the guys are! They take care of my Mom’s car for her and I never have to worry about it being right. They have my complete trust and If you want an honest automotive shop, this is the place for you!
I still drive from Huntington Beach to have the guys look at my car!