Encinitas Autobody Repair

I am new to North County and luckily don’t have to visit autobody repair shops very often so after some Unilocal research I contacted Dave and a few other shops. There was no wait time to get my jeep in and Dave even drove me to Enterprise so I would not be stranded. He called me several times during the process to give me updates and apologized when he felt like things were taking a little longer due to necessary parts not arriving on time (something completely out of his control.) A few days after retrieving my Jeep from the shop, there was a small area on my bumper that was just not quite what I had expected after it being repaired. I called Dave and voiced my concer– he had me bring it in right away. At this point Dave’s integrity and hard working attitude really became apparent. What turned out to be a miscommunication between the estimates from two different adjusters, Dave offered a tremendous amount of apologies and even his own car while he immediately went to work on my bumper. Less than a day later, my Jeep was ready for pickup and it looks even better than it did prior to my accident. He even went above and beyond to detail the inside of the car.
While I hope Dave’s services aren’t something I need often, there is no question on where I would have future repairs done. This is customer service that is rare to find. 5 stars to Dave’s work and 5 stars to Dave’s character as a business owner and human being!

Was fortunate enough to have a lovely obscenity keyed into my hood recently. Several other shops said I would have to repaint ($$$), but Dave was able to make the repair for minimal cost & time. Very up-​front and honest, great local business — thanks!

Great auto body shop! Quality work and fair prices. Dave the owner is very knowledgeable and helpful. This place is a gem.

Excellent work, honest, great customer service. Not only that, Dave is very personable and easy to deal with. What more can you ask for?

Took my son’s ’70 beetle to Encinitas Autobody after he was in a fender bender. He looked up shops & their reviews to find the 3 best places. We sent pictures to all 3, & though Dave & his shop weren’t the least expensive, Dave was upfront & gave us several options from least to most $$. He was the most upfront about our choices; he called us once he had the car & fully discussed what we wanted & his suggestions, & we met in the middle. He warned us it was going to look rough, but we were just getting it fixed to run and not necessarily looking like new. I also asked if he knew anyone that could fix electrical problems as the electrical system was a mess. He suggested Harris Radiator, whom I had already heard of and dealt with (positively) over the phone, & drove the car over himself!
It was a very pleasant surprise when we picked up the car & it looked almost like it had before the accident! Sure, there were some extra dents & bumps from the accident, but they had replaced, repainted and fixed the car so it looked and ran great!
Dave was so nice, knowledgeable, & really looks out for the safety of the driver/​owner. And though they are not necessarily a beetle specialty place, they know where to get the parts and how to fix them just as well as a shop that does work on bugs exclusively.
I won’t take my other 4 cars anywhere else, & will recommend them to everyone! Dave & Jon did so much more to the car than they charged us for. I had the body repaired & electrical fixed for ½ the price as another shop that quoted us only for bodywork!
Plus, I love that we can support local, small business owners!!! 10 stars if there were more stars!

I found this gem on Unilocal and was blown away by the straight forward advice and assistance. Dave took time to walk me through my options and pointed me in the right direction. Definitely will head here again in the future.

I visited this facility after seeing the good reviews on Unilocal.This was the first of 3 bids I was going to get for repair of a bottom side panel that was knocked loose after inadvertently running over large tree roots on Dahlia St in Solana Beach. Dave took one look and with a few pounds of his hand, reattached the loose panel. I was so grateful. Saved me lots of time and hassle. He is old school, «get the job done right». Great find!

Honest, courteous, and fair. So happy we were referred to him. Did a great job fixing up the front of my Acura!

I had to have my front bumper replaced on my car last week, and I once again found myself in the capable hands of Dave and Encinitas Autobody Repair. The service was stellar, the result impeccable, and a very enjoyable, convenient experience all the way around. I will certainly be back.

Dave took in my 1967 Alfa Romeo ‘duetto’ spider to repair the big dent in the front skirt, below the near side bumper. This was very tricky since, as a result, the bumper blades didn’t sit right, which meant dismantling the whole assembly, straightening everything up, including removing the dent without damaging the paintwork. Moreover, Dave changed the hood release cable, which snapped when trying to open it. All time-​consuming and skilled work. All done for $ 500, which is outstanding. Thank you so much Dave; you’re a star and your great reputation for being so caring, skilled and fair, is more than justified.

I had some damage to my F-​150 that I knew would be very expensive to fix. I took my truck to Dave, who confirmed that the repair would be pricey but also told me that I didn’t need to fix the largely cosmetic damage through a repair shop if I didn’t want to. Instead, he gave me another solution for free! He cleaned up the damaged panels and told me how to properly protect my vehicle from the rust that could ensue with paint that he also gave me for free.
I can’t recommend Encinitas Autobody Repair highly enough. Integrity and character make for a good business plan.

Wow! I wish every interaction with a service could be as pleasant as my experience with Encinitas Autobody Repair. I accidentally backed into a pole in a shopping center with my brand new Honda Accord. Ouch! I took the car in for a quote on a Friday, dropped my car off on Monday morning, and by early afternoon on Wednesday I picked up my car and it looked like a brand new car! I am so happy! David, the owner, was extremely friendly and professional. I highly recommend this business.

I just took my truck here to have my bumper and side panel fixed up after a minor collision, and I am so satisfied with the work done as well as my overall experience. Dave and the guys at Encinitas Autobody are professional, straightforward, prompt, and courteous, and the work was affordable. Also, as a younger woman, I especially appreciate not being ripped off or misled at auto shops, as well as knowing that nothing is being overlooked. Work was done very well– my truck is looking great. Thanks again, you guys!

Simply outstanding. I have been taking my cars to Encinitas Auto Body for years. I don’t need a lot of auto body work, but when I do, I know I can trust David and his team. They do great work at a fair price. Time and cost estimates are accurate. Today I needed the wing on my Mazda sports car fixed. While other shops would have had me drop the car off and likely charged and arm & leg, David did the fix on the spot, knowing it was a simple and easy repair. I would highly recommend taking your business to Encinitas Auto Body. 5 stars all the way.

This is the best place around!
Somebody stole the emblem off of the hood of my car. I came here asking how much it would cost to get a replacement and installation. They told me if I can get the emblem, they will do it for free. They even told me the fair price for the emblem so I couldn’t get ripped off from the dealer.
So I come back with the emblem but it turns out that the installation would take a lot longer than either of us expected… not a problem! They still did it for free because they know the value in keeping their word. I will not even consider taking my business to another body shop anywhere else in San Diego and neither should you!!!

I am somewhat new to the area and I really had no idea where to go to get my car repaired after it suffered some damage. I went to Encinitas Autobody repair based solely on positive reviews on Unilocal.It was a wise choice as Dave was really attentive to my needs and gave me daily updates on when I may get my car back. He works hard and is very fair.

My husband needed his bumper fixed and we thought it would be a huge and expensive ordeal, but it was the total opposite.
They said the part would be ready the next day and it was; they said it would take an hour and it took a half hour today. The car looks as good as new and they were able to do everything for a reasonable amount.
Very refreshing to go to an auto place and not feel like you’re getting ripped off!

I want to thank Dave and his crew for the exceptional service they provided! I live in Encinitas and got three quotes for my Tacoma that was side shipped on the front bumper. Dave’s quote came in at $ 1271 where the second came in at $ 1700 and the third at $ 2400. Note only was the quote the lowest, the amount of detail Dave provided with the quote confirmed that these were the guys to go with. They finished the work on time and the work was fantastic!
Two other things to note is when I went to drop my truck off, Dave was running late at his dentist appt. One of the crew (I believe his name was John) ended up stopping what he was doing and driving me to Enterprise to pick up my rental car, excellent service!
AND LASTLY AND QUITE POSSIBLY THE BEST, when I went to pickup my truck, Dave told me there were 2 parts they did not need for the repair. He told me the charge was about $ 100 less as they would return the two parts they did not use. What auto body shop would charge you less than they originally quoted? This shows how honest this shop operates and how they work with integrity!!!
IF YOU TAKE YOUR VEHICLE ANYWHERE ELSE TO GET FIXED, YOU ARE MAKING A BIG MISTAKE. DAVE AND HIS CREW ARE THE ABSOLUTE BEST!!!

AWESOME HONEST SERVICE!
The front spoiler of my new car got scraped/​scuffed so I took it Encinitas Autobody Repair to get an estimate. Dave took one look, explained to me how these things happen then had his crew clean it up to with some thinner to the point where the damage is no longer visible… all for free and in just 5 minutes! It is very refreshing to do business with a honest person. If I ever need any autobody work done, Encinitas Autobody Repair is the place I will go.
Thank you Dave!

Out of all the mechanic shops I’ve been to, never has someone given me a solution to my problem for free. Usually, it starts out with an inspection, then a diagnosis, when finally I am able to have any understanding of what is wrong. However in my situation, I was lucky enough to speak with Dave, someone who was cordial and professional over the phone, answering my every single question, getting to the root of the problem.
After assessing the problem we were able to pin-​point the cause, in the trunk, there was a possible leak in one of the components of the car. What made it obvious were the stains in the lining of the trunk. Upon closer inspection, there was actually leftover residue from a previous oil spill, possibly leftover from stored oil years ago.
The solution was quite simple, though for a car-​noob, I would have been perplexed trying to take off the car lining properly, or understanding what purpose or type of material was seated underneath the trunk lining, which was sound dampending material. Being the cause, it acted like a sponge and absorbed the oil, never receiving ample time to dry properly in an arid environment.
Dave was able to give me solutions to fix the problem, even explaining how to properly uninstall the trunk light. Truly, I am glad that there are still good people out there who care about problems not necessarily worth their time, but worth their while to make a new friend.