Mike Howe’s Automotive

They replaced a power booster on my truck… gave me the truck back and even said the brakes were a bit mooshy. Then when I took it back in they said it was a bad master cylinder. They wanted to charge me 300 dollars more, that included labor. If you have to take the master off to replace the boost they should have done it right the first time or not charged for EXTRA LABOR! They didn’t care when I explained that to them. BAD WORK, BAD SERVICE. BEWARE!!! One star is to many!

If your looking to spend $ 75 on a regular oil change this isn’t the place you want to go. I called in for a quote on a regular oil change for a Dodge Challenger V6. The woman on the phone told me $ 75. I said excuse me mam did you just say $ 75 for a regular oil change? And she hung up the phone on me. These people are trying to rob you. Be careful!

Just went here for my first time for a smog test. The work was performed quickly at the price they quoted. No muss, no fuss. And no extra charges. Easy peasy. Me like!

I took in my pickup for a smog check. I think every lady I know can identify with the uncomfortable feeling of going to a mechanic. I know zippo about cars, and am worried about getting taken advantage of. Well ladies, I can honestly say you can feel very confident in going to Mike Howe’s Automotive. My vehicle ended up not passing the smog inspection because of a monitor issue. Rather than just scheduling the diagnostic visit ($$$) Mike went online to research if there was a known issue with this year truck and he found out there was and it was fully covered under warranty!!! His wife Sue was also so helpful, and even printed out everything I needed to take my truck to the dealership and have the work completed under warranty. I would give more than 5 stars here if I could!!!

The $ 150 diagnostic fee was a little steep, but my Dad and I couldn’t have figured it out without Mike’s help.
I brought in the mechanics nightmare, a car limping in.
Its hard to bring a car to a mechanic kinda working and bring it out Not working.
Mike showed me the the valve controller slip that was out of place, and a couple photos of the engine with the valve cover off. He was really patient to explain the evidence of a valve burn & bend situation. I already knew what the story was, I had a similar death of the same model of car a few years back, but he was ready to teach a short mechanics lesson. The valve cover was back on and everything cleaned up.
I didn’t have to ask for the evidence, I didn’t have to ask for an explanation, I didn’t carry my valve assembly home in a greasy box, it all felt included in the diagnostic.
The car isn’t worth a top-​end rebuild so I had to make arrangements for a non-​opp car.
I was never hassled or asked to get it off the lot
Its a nice location too. I was waiting a couple of hours for a buyer of the non-​opp car off the lot. 7 – 11 & a restaurant are right down the street, a neighborhood to walk my dog.

I went to Mike Howes recently and honestly can say If I would have used them I am sure I would have been pleased. Well what do I mean when I say that? Read along for more…
I called to see if I could get my newly acquired, used, neglected car looked at for some tuneup work, some diagnostics and a few other items. They were able to get me in the same day with the understanding I would need it 2 days later. Sue said bring it right down. When I arrived she gave me a lot of good information about my car and tips on maintaining it more efficiently. She gave me a written estimate and said they would be in touch when they knew more.
I heard from her a little after they closed and was surprised to get a phone call, when they were. She stated they would have more information in the morning and just wanted to let me know the progress, which I thought nice.
The next morning I heard from her and she went over in very fine detail what was going on, what needed to be done and how to prioritize things according to my budget. There were clearly items that if they were a «crooked» shop they could have said I needed and I may have been non-​the-​wiser. I asked numerous questions and Sue broke it all down for me and made it so I understood how the whole system worked as a whole not just what was going to happen if I didn’t choose to do what they recommended.
Now, I have a brother and I called him after talking to them about my car because that is just what I do. He knows about cars and he is basically a second opinion. I use him when I need car work but he is a busy family man and I do prefer to pay a shop sometimes just so I don’t «over use» that privilege, that said he had some concerns about their prices. All aside that he knows about cars, he suggested that I call around to some other places to get quotes on a few things they recommended like, tranny, brake, oil and serpentine belt change. I did and the place I ended up going to saved me over $ 100. Now to Mike Howes credit I went to a lube job place with probably high school, video trained techs, as to where he has years of experience and probably cares about my car more than them but money it money and I had to stick within my budget.
Bottom line I hope I never have to go to a mechanic again but that being probably unrealistic I know that I would go to Mike Howes. I know that may sound backwards considering I did not use their services fully but just they way I was treated there and the time they took with me for just the diagnostic fee was worth it. They truly seem to be a place where you may pay a little more but you do absolutely get what you pay for.

Our whole family has taken their cars to Mike’s since we moved to the area. Not only are his car repair prices competitive, but his shop is located right next to a Napa store, so you know he isn’t super-​inflating the price of the parts.
I’ve taken my 99 Saab to him for window repairs, an oxygen sensor, wiring issues and also a timing belt. Each time it was much cheaper than the quotes given to me by the local dealerships, plus I never had to go in for a second repair on the same part due to poor workmanship.
Mike sends out a funny Christmas letter packed with jokes and coupons, so make sure to sign up for a laugh. He’s a real character when you meet him, but when it gets down to cars, he’s all business.

I can’t express how gratefull I am to have a mechanic that I can trust. I am slightly knowledgable about cars so I tend to be skeptical but Sue and Mike Howe explain in detail why/​how/​what is needed. They are extremly friendly, very knowledgable and keep our family vehicles it top order!
thanks again Sue and MIke

I was strongly recommended to call Howe’s when I asked a car buff where I should get my smog done. I happened to be passing through Atascadero at the time and decided to pop in. I was greeted with a smile and I only noticed because that seems to be rare these days. It was late in the afternoon so they couldn’t get me in at that time so I scheduled an appointment for the next morning. I showed up and they immediately pulled the car in and pulled it back out in the exact amount of time they estimated. I hardly had to wait at all. The car passed and they took care of the DMV for me too. Getting a smog doesn’t get any easier than that!

A big hug & thank you to Sue and Mike at Mike Howe Automotive in Atascadero! They went above and beyond diagnosing the cause of my daughters engine problem & traced it back to an accident in 2009. We just got reimbursed by the insurance company for the repair! They provided photos & the likely scenario. Have NEVER met or dealt with a mechanic that didn’t just do the job and forget it. They called to check on the progress, and were 99% instrumental in the fact that we even questioned the first repair. If you live in NoCo and need an honest, family mechanic, you MUST go to them! And tell ‘em Laura & Dan sent ya!