San Francisco Auto Repair

why do i feel guilty for making a mechanic justify his estimate? i dunno, old fashioned gentility, maybe, or Bay Area fear of appearing judgemental?anyways, the thing that really gets me about Bill & Wayne is that i have never felt rushed. i have never felt like i was imposing on them when i asked for an explanation or to hear other options. they've never tried to overwhelm me with mechanic double-speak, or asked me to just trust them.just today, they faxed me an estimate for $2200 worth of work. they called me again when they didn't hear from me right away, and then they let me come down and had a guy show me each and every one of the things that they proposed to do - on my very car. i then talked to Bill for 20 minutes more about well, what if this and that and the other. he passed up several opportunities to upsell me more work or more expensive parts, and explained why he thought that the most expensive item on the list was probably not immediately necessary.what the heck more could you possiblty ask for?

A good mechanic is a precious thing. The guys at B&W are friendly, honest, articulate, and competent. Like a West Coast Click and Clack. Almost. I've gone to B&W on and off over the years, but last autumn my Check Engine light came on, and rather than charging $100 for a diagnostic, they just tightened the gas cap. it was loose. Doh! Then they said come back if it doesn't go off in 100 miles. Sure enough, the light soon went out. In short, they won't fix it unless it needs fixing, and if it does need fixing, they'll do good work.

Even though it was literally alllll the way across town, I went here cause someone drove my car and said I needed brakes. And I was about 3K miles overdue for an oil change, whoopsies.So I head down there and tell them I need an oil change and possibly new brakes. I had to take BART plus two buses to get back home including the scary 38, but I felt like I was in good hands. No creepy leering, as is customary in some car places. 2 hours later, Wayne called and said i don't need brakes just yet. Kickass. They could have replaced them anyway, just to make $$. But they didn't. Yay.

These guys are the best. I actually paid less than what they quoted me for which I already thought was a fair price, and they threw in some extra services for free just 'cause they 're nice guys. They also put up with me and my husband calling them about six times that day, changing our minds about which services we wanted and which we didn't want. In the end, they got everything right did a great job. I've found my mechanic in the city!

I've been taking my cars here for about two years now. I started having some big problems with my previous car, but B&W were always honest and helpful, even when I ended up having to replace my transmission. They know me by name and have always been up front, friendly, and truthful with me about my car and the cost of repairs. At one point they even advised me to get rid of a car instead of pouring money into it, and advised me against any cars of that make made after 1998! I hadn't been in since I replaced that car but took my newer car in this morning for a quick tire patch and bulb replacement job, and even though I didn't come in until 9am they still had me out by 9:30 for an amazingly cheap price. B&W has my loyalty, and as long as my schedule permits I'll take my car there for all the work it needs.

Great place. See, I was a little queer boy who hated when pops had me fix things on cars. I just never got it...it's all good, but now I just don't know much about car mechanics. I saw their ad in The Guardian and it was close to work, so I gave it a shot. I have been going to this place for about 4 years now and I'll keep going for as long as I have a car. They are honest, reliable, quick, efficient, trust-worth. The last time I took my car in I told them that I thought I might need a new transmission. They took a look at it and called me to tell me the transmission was fine, I just needed a clutch adjustment. Hell, any other place could have taken my words and ran with them and charged me for a new transmission. It's reassuring to know that they don't want to screw you. I am a loyal customer. Highly recommended. Someone else said that you can't make appts. here and yes, it's true, they tell you that they open at 7 AM and bring it first thing in the morning. I'm not a morning person either, but hell, it's my car...If you do get your vehicle there at 7, chances are you will get it back that evening unless it's something major.

I trust Bill and Wayne. When I take my car there I don't have to worry about being lied to or overcharged. When they fix something they fix it right, and fast. And they're nice guys, too. The only thing I don't like is that you can't make an appointment to bring your car in. If you call they will tell you, We open at 7:00 and it's first come first served. I'm not so much the morning person.

The trip to the mission is worth for the honest and competent service you get.

I agree with the last reviewer. I got turned on to B&W from their ads in Guardian. I've taken all my cars to get oil and brake changes to this shop. I've always had positive experiences with Bill and his staff. I can honestly post that they never took me for ride, there were NEVER any hidden charges, and they were always done on time.

UPDATE 10172006: My Word. B & W is the next best thing to having a brother in the auto repair biz. Why? Because they WATCH your BACK! I was recently expecting a very expensive repair, and when Bill discovered what the problem was, he mentioned that the part looked new and suggested--no, HIGHLY encouraged me to go back to a shop where I had some other work done and make sure that replacing this part wasn't part of what they had done a few months ago. He wanted to make sure he didn't replace a part that had just been replaced. How many times do you experience THAT from a mechanic, HUH? It turns out my very expensive repair was really only a couple of hundred dollars because...get this: I didn't actually need the reapairs I was originally told I needed. They could have totally taken me for a ride. I love, love, LOVE these guys! I've taken my car to them since 2000. I tried someone else that specialized in my type of car, but I came back & I will never stray again. An interesting bit of trivia: They've had this shop over 20 years and are now working on some of their original customers' children's cars. I shouldn't tell anyone, but you know, I really want them to have everything good come to them that possibly can. 'Cause they're the best. B & W Service Center is like a small town auto repair shop in a big city. I trust them. They're fairly priced. They're fast & honest. Not too far from 24th St BART, either.The gazillions of thank you notes & letters of praise they have hanging on the wall next to the service window speaks testaments to how much their customers love them.