Marina del Rey Auto Repair

We've been having our cars serviced here for years. Maybe 15 years. They took care of a Bonneville, a Jeep, and our Mustang. Always honest and efficient, so I was totally amazed when we brought in our Mustang for a minor repair check-up and they hosed us with a repair quote that was in excess of the value of the car. We know cars, have had airplanes, big boats, very mechanically minded and knowledgeable. We know our cars. They kept us in the dark for half a day, no estimate, then gave us a huge quote on things that were not a real issue. $2,950 on a car worth maybe $3,000. Minor things that all cars wear out eventually but which you do not have to deal with. Things that work fine. Said we needed new tires even thought they said our tires were OK a year ago. Investigated things we did not request, did not ever address the one thing we brought the car in for ( a leak in coolant). And changed our oil which we did not request, which was only 1,500 miles old and synthetic, replacing it with crappy regular oil. Something has changed with these folks and it is a shame. Will never go to them again.

These guys are your worst nightmare, not the worst for their industry, but unfortunately very dishonest. I happen to know my car very well and I needed a hose replaced. I only wanted this single item completed. They charged me $50 just to open the hood. When the service manager calls me back with the quote, he's added his own repair list including items I recently already replaced as New! (I personally replaced) When I confronted him about lying he dropped his head and said it's what " All the other repair shops do..." I opened my hood and asked him why he lied about trying to replace my new radiator expansion tank. After all he said it was "cracked " and old and absolutely needed to be replaced. He took $10 off for lying about a $150 dishonest repair estimate. My advice, Always make mechanics write exactly what they are claiming is in need of repair and why. Tell them ahead of time that you expect the original parts back. And always ask what they are charging you per hour of labor. Separate the cost of parts and cost of labor and shop those rates to different places over the phone. Most of the dirty mechanics want you to bring it in to give you a quote. In that case just ask what the cost per hour is. When you finally get an estimate It should be clear enough to bring to a judge. Never sign a repair estimate that looks like a food order at a diner. Avoid these guys like a disease.

This place was recommended to me for a tire problem when I was staying in Venice. I was told that they'd have me in and out quickly at a reasonable price. That's exactly what happened. And they are so beautifully organized, with expediters getting people to and from the pumps smoothly on a busy corner. The service dept is friendly and efficient, attentive and polite.

I got a flat tire nearby and AAA came and put air in the tire so I could drive to this 76 station. AAA recommended this place because he said the dealership would try to sell me a new tire rather than just patching it. They were very busy but looked at my car right away and the service mgr was very nice. However, they told me the tire wasn't fix-able and that I needed to buy a new one for about $120 or more. I said I wanted to think about it and they charged me $15 for putting on my spare. Then I took the tire somewhere else and they patched it and had it fixed in about 5 min and charged me $40. Hmm...

Came here as recommended by AAA late Friday night just as they were closing. I got a call the following morning from Keith detailing the problem and repair estimate. Got a call a few hours later saying I'd be saving $100 after using a different part! Car has been working ever since and also received a phone call three weeks later from Keith to make sure everything was still working. Thanks Keith!

I've been going to the mechanics here for many years. I've always had a positive experience. Of course not all the same people have been there all that time, but they still seem to remember me. Sometimes I've gone in with little tiny issues and they've jumped in an fixed it, sometimes at no cost. I am not a person who knows anything about cars and how they work, so I really cannot speak about their expertise, but when there's a problem they do take care of it. (I don't think I've ever purchased gas there, so I can't speak about that either.)

So my car wouldn't start Tuesday when I was headed from my house to a meeting. I called AAA to have it jumped. I later decided to have it replaced. In order to get the prorated fee for the new battery, I had to take it to a AAA certified repair shop to have it charged and retested. When I arrived at 3:00pm, it was jammed packed. I spoke with Fernando who was very friendly and helpful. He spoke with his manager and worked out a small space for the test. I thought it would a quick one like the AAA drivers had done, but he informed me that it takes an hour and a half to fully charge the battery. I walked to a nearby restaurant while I waited. When he was done, I received a call that the test came back highly recommend replacement. He gave me the print out to give to AAA, so that my new battery would be under the warranty. It was all free since I'm a member. I picked up my keys and waited for the driver. Fernando really took care of me in this stressful situation. I appreciated his good customer service. Also, all the mechanics at Villa Maria 76 were cleaner and cheerier than any other shop I have been to.

I had a tail light replaced. I had my own bulb. Walked across the street for coffee. Came back finished and it cost less than my coffee and pastry. How cool it that.

Kevin was able to diagnose a problem that my other mechanic couldn't figure out. I had such amazing service in a beautiful garage with nice outdoor seating area. Everyone there was friendly and my windows were washed on my old truck even. I really appreciated the low price, as most other mechanics charge a lot more. I was so glad that they fixed it in less time than it took me to get a coffee at the Starbucks next door. I will never go to another mechanic again!

Last year, I drive over a screw in Venice. AAA driver helped me put the spare tire on the car, and I was directed to go to this 76 station in Marina Del Rey. The staff was very friendly, but their "repair" wasn't helpful and it didn't fix my tire. I eventually wound up having to buy a new tire, because the original repair by 76 actually made the tire un-repairable. Beware on tire repairs here.