San Pablo European

Leo is a treasure: a knowledgeable, pleasant, conscientious, ethical and super-​smart mechanic/​shop owner; I trust him 100% as my car’s doctor. He always goes above and beyond in keeping me informed and advising me what things have to be done asap and what can be deferred. He’s also fast and his rates are reasonable. After years of feeling confused and ripped off by dealerships and random shops, I am so happy to have found him. He’s kept my 1999 VW Passat in great shape.

My wife was in Berkeley visiting our daughter and over 500 miles from home when she started experiencing engine problems with our older Mercedes Benz. I found San Pablo European on Unilocal and called on a Friday afternoon before Easter. I advised Leo the owner of our situation. He immediately dropped what he was doing and did an inspection of our Mercedes. He identified the problem, gave a far estimate of the repair, and provided my wife with a loaner car at more than a reasonable price. Additional he opened his shop early the next morning and had my wife back in the Mercedes by 9am. Leo also provides a 12 month warrant on both parts and labor which I find very reassuring. I have to say I wish he were located in SoCal where I live but its great to know with all the traveling we do that he it available in the Berkeley area if we need his assistance.

I’ve been taking our Mercedes 2000 e320 wagon to this shop since 2009. I’m very happy with the service that we’ve gotten from Leo, the shop owner. He has been able to diagnosis and solve the problems that we’ve encountered over the years allowing our car to approach the 200,000 milestone. The key to owning a car that lasts this long is a good mechanic and regular preventative maintenance. I am glad that we found this shop and I am also happy to take our business to an owner that seems to care about his work and his customers.

Leo is by far the best mechanic around when it comes to European cars. My Dad and I have brought all of our cars to him over the past 5 years or so and drive away happy every single time. Do not be deceived by the size of his shop, the fact that he is one person working on your car means he will give it the attention it deserves. Quality service, reliability, transparency, and great price. Call Leo today!

Leo is the best! He is honest, thorough, and been right on every time we’ve been with our 2000 Audi A4 wagon. He is certainly courteous, but also calm and calming (a great thing to have in a mechanic, I have learned!) He has gone out of his way for us in figuring out the problem and making sure to fix it right… Five stars are not enough!!!

Leo is tremendous. I recently acquired a 2003 Range Rover from a relative that never drove it. However, maintenance was not a high priority either. Of course I bought it after the warranty period had expired.
I looked everywhere for a reasonable garage to take care of this car. I tried all the recommends in SF, Marin, and the East Bay. Finally I found Leo.
He has helped me keep the Rover running, and has actually performed Triage on a very pesky Xenon headlight that had a will of its own, and sometimes refused to light.
Leo is tremendously resourceful, thoughtful and professional. He is highly trained, and has all the kits these strange boats on wheels require. Had I not found Leo, I think I would have sold the car on.

Over the past month I’ve had my share of car problems. Instead of fixing what was wrong with my car, my old mechanic created more problems for me. I left there $ 1300 in the hole, with my check engine light still on and a problem with my right wheel bearing.
Leo from San Pablo European came to my rescue! I brought my car in and he sat down with me to talk about everything that was wrong. He priced all the parts and labor for me before he started working on it. I came back 2 days later will all my problems solved. He was efficient and honest. The best part was when he called me a couple of days later to check to see if everything was running smoothly. A mechanic who cares! I’m in heaven!

As a woman and a car owner I’ve never felt 100% with the mechanics I’ve had over the years— I never knew if they were pulling a fast one or not! Now, I’ve found Leo and San Pablo European and have taken both my cars to him with great results. The thing I love most is that his shop is spotless!!! Leo told me that he dreamed of opening his own shop one day because he hated how dirty other shops where he worked were and how the clients were treated. His mission was to be transparent, trustworthy, clean, and upfront. He is all that and more. He is incredibly fast as well, and prides himself on flawless analysis and precision work. He is a true master mechanic with all his up to date certifications. As an added bonus, I love that he grows tomatoes in the back of the shop in the summer sun! Such a great guy! I hope you give him a try– I promise you’ll want to come back. It’s the mechanic experience you’ve always wanted.

If you are like me you know how hard it is to find a trustworthy, ethical and intelligent mechanic… this is your guy. Leo is not just really friendly and up front about what he is going to do, he will do a diognostic and then call you to see whether he should go ahead and perform the work. He has the skill of a fine surgeon, and the know how and training of a mechanic you can trust.
I have sent many friends to San Pablo European, many of them had become fed up with being ripped off by their so-​called mechanic. Do your self a favor, give Leo a call today