Preferred Automotive

Great service, with a quick turnaround. Always use them for all my car service needs.

Once again, you correctly diagnosed the problem with my car, and promptly fixed it. It is running great, and the air conditioner is efficiently producing cool air (especially appreciated during these hot days in Gilroy!!).
THANKS!

Always great service! Been taking our cars there for years.

I highly recommend this place if you’re into great service and honest people. This place will get all of my business for all of my cars, no matter what I need done on them

I come here for friendly, no drama, fast service… I got the fast service, but not the other 2… So, long story short…
Receptionist rudely informs me that when I make a scheduled appointment I need to ask for an hour oil change… Otherwise, it could take awhile… I’ve been coming here for almost 2 years now and this is the first I’ve heard about the 1 hour oil change request… Isn’t that the point of making a scheduled appointment???
The oil change was done in the time I expected… So, I don’t understand the drama… I think maybe the gal was power tripping because she was orienting someone new… Seriously, spare me yo drama.
It pains me to write this… I might not come back. And if I do, I’ll probably make sure she’s not working that day… I really hate businesses with rude front desks, makes your company look bad…

I took my van in late on Friday. Sarah and David were professional and courteous. My van was done before their shop closed. The place is clean. The people are kind. I highly recommend Preferred Automotive especially since they go that extra mile to get the job done as quick as possible without sacrificing quality. My van had a worn or cracked transmission pan gasket according to another shop. That other shop couldn’t fix it. So I called several places in Gilroy. I am glad I got it right with my first auto repair shop in Gilroy!

I can’t explain how happy I am that I found Preferred Automotive. My BMW broke down so after reading the reviews I towed it there. I had some work that I had been putting off so I had them fox it all. Belt and pulley assembly, window regulator, ABS sensor, temp sensor. They called me along the way keeping me informed. When the car was ready they called right away. They also had the car cleaned for me. The biggest thing to me was that I never once had to call them for an update like all the other shops or dealerships I have dealt with. They left me a voicemail a week after wanting to see how the car was running and I just received a hand written letter thanking me. Just good old customer service.

I needed an oil change and took it to this shop after having found their Unilocal reviews online. I usually do my minor services myself but I’ve been extra busy this season with work so I needed a hand. Their service was great, their work was fast and accurate. I was out of there in 30minutes.
Their shop looks clean and up to date which is nice. The mechanic’s music taste is superb. I enjoyed listening to the music while I waited.
Their prices are standard. I didn’t think they were cheap but also not as expensive as other oil/​lube-​type shops.
I would recommend this shop for an oil change.

I’ve come here a few times now for 3 different vehicles from completely different manufacturers. Every time the service is outstanding and the work is impeccable. I highly recommend Preferred Automotive. Be sure to check their website for coupons or ask for the the AAA discount. They always honor them.

Preferred Automotive was great, fixed my truck right. David kept in touch with me every day while my truck was in his shop, also gave me a ride home after dropping my truck off and picked me up when my truck was finished.
Thanks Preferred Automotive

I’ve taken 3 of my cars here and they have always done a great job. They are fair and honest people Dave is great to work with I will continue to bring my cars here

I was on my way to Sunnyvale for an interview at 10am. The car broke down in Los Banos around 12am. I smelled something burnt and the engine start to have weird sound. No repair store opened at that time in Los Banos and there is not a lot of repair shops for me to choose there. So I asked the tow truck guy tow me over to Gilroy. I choose Preferred Automotive because they open at 7am (the earliest one).
At Preferred Auto, they charge me around $ 100 for diagnostic. At around 3pm they fixed my car. They said a screw was not tight enough, and it causes some internal burning to the burning coil (i think). They showed me the melted part in my car, and they took care of it. Replaced the damage part with new part. The total cost including diagnostic is around $ 500. I did not have time to check the price with other auto repair shop. I drove another 300 miles afterward and the car works fine.
One thing that I am pretty impressed with Preferred Automotive is
1. They can get a replacement for my damaged part quick!
2. They are pretty good at following up with customer.
Things to improve on:
1. Work on the customer service. I broke down my car, slept outside the shop for a night, and needed to hurry up for an interview. The guy at 7am doesn’t show some sympathy. I guess it will make my experience better if you care about me more.
2. It will be great if they can show me how much it cost for other shops to repair the same thing. (They can just call up other repair store and get a quote).

I took my Honda minivan to Preferred Auto for a 3^rd opinion regarding the ding and knocking sounds coming from the motor. 2 other shops including Ray’s Transmission and Wheelworks said the transmission was on its final life span. Preferred Auto recommended the $ 100+ diagnostic to find the problem. The gal (Sally) on the front desk said I had to pay the $ 100+ for the diagnostic and she sold me hard that every shop charges for a diagnostic.
I told her that 2 other mechanics recommended a new transmission. She was adamant to go with the diagnosis because she said «it may not be the transmission, we have to confirm for ourselves.» I hesitantly agreed because I had a glimmer of hope that the other 2 mechanics were wrong. The lady (Sally?) said that my minivan needed a fresh transmission oil change with the Honda recommended transmission oil (Special oil for Honda automobiles) and that my problem could be solved.
I told her I wanted a quote for a new transmission. She said she could not give me a quote until she changed the transmission oil. I conveyed to her that the transmission oil was changed 1 month prior. She said the transmission would be fine and that the transmission oil change would lengthen the life of the transmission. However, she also stated that Preferred Auto could not gauge or estimate the life of the transmission. At this point I was frustrated because I needed to get the minivan to my wife for our family/​kids weekend activities.
She said the transmission would be fine and that the transmission oil change would lengthen the life of the transmission. So I agreed because a a new or rebuilt transmission costs $ 2000 to $ 4500 and I would save thousands of dollars. I was hopeful but skeptical. However, Preferred Auto is suppose to have ‘expert mechanics’ who help customers make the best decisions for the safety of their families/​autos.
Sally, charged me over $ 130 for the transmission oil change. That same evening and night my minivan drove smooth and I said to myself «wow, Preferred Auto did the right thing and thought the other two mechanics from Rays Transmission and Wheelworks were selling me a bill of goods at $ 3000 to $ 4000 for a new transmission. The next day on Saturday, with my family in tow going north on 101 near Hollister, the transmission failed. I was traveling at 65 MPH and lost total control of the power in the minivan. This was scary for all of us. However, I pressed the hazard lights and was lucky enough that the momentum of 65MPH allowed me to turn into the only turn off on 101 going North, an RV station. BTW our minivan was going uphill on 101 North bound. My heart rate was elevated and as soon as I turned off into the RV place, my family and I pushed the minivan under a shady tree.
I called Preferred Auto several times, but nobody answered. After 3 hours of waiting for an available tow truck, the minivan was towed to Lightning Auto on Railroad in Gilroy, CA. Miguel, the owner, said he could smell the burning oil either from the engine or transmission. He said the smell was very strong «like burning tires» and that most likely something is broken in the engine or there is an oil leak. Miguel asked me to give him 2 days since he has a ton of cars ahead of mine. He also does not charge a diagnostic fee. His diagnostic service is FREE!!! So I left the minivan at his shop. He called me the next day and said the transmission needed to be replaced. He also said there were other issues and asked me to see me in his shop. He showed me broken or warn out parts on the axle as well as other problematic areas. Again, Preferred Auto missed all the problems and the most obvious, that the transmission was done. rebuilt my tranny and the minivan runs smooth. Price was right $ 2,400. He also fixed a lot of other issues that Preferred Auto missed. I feel that Preferred Auto seems to try to do more services than are needed. I do not recommend them.

Great place for repairs. Staff is always honest and helpful.

David and his staff are great. They go above, and beyond, to take care of my needs. I have recommended them to others that I know, and they are all satisfied as well.

Had a problem with my 2011 Corvette traction control. Car only has 3000 mile on it but warranty expired 2 years ago. Called dealership in Gilroy to book for service and never heard back from them for over two weeks. Go figure!
Dave and his team figured out the problem, fixed, road tested and all good now.
Price was reasonable.
I recommend Preferred Automotive if you want the job done correct the first time.

Brought our 4Runner in for some major servicing. Unfortunately we had a few bumps in the road after the service. Thankfully Preferred Automotive made sure to work hard until they made it right. I appreciate their honest business practice.

First time customer today. I had a small issue with my Tacoma and found this place here on Unilocal.6 hours later my truck was fixed at a very fair and reasonable price. I was very impressed with the professionalism of the staff including the Receptionist. It was a pleasure and a pleasant experience doing business with a repair shop that doesn’t hand write their invoices to the point you can’t read the hand writing. 5 star service and hospitality. They even have a shuttle service. I take comfort in knowing that I’ve found a reputable car repair service center.

First time customer today. And I have to say that I’am very impressed by the candor that was demonstrated to me by the owner of this fine establishment. I Was told by my previous Auto repair guy that I was going to need new front brake pads next time I had my oil changed.
I brought my vehicle in to preferred automotive for this reason. After their analysis of my breaks they called me up and said they were fine and only charged me for my oil service. Absolutely amazing someone who still practices honesty for business. A very tough find now days.
Two of the most important things that make a business successful. Is Doing good work, and being honest. And I found both here. I’m super happy and I will be bringing my other vehicles here for now on.

Everyone we spoke with here was great at communicating from how we would get our truck towed (Sarah) over to what the final diagnostics was and fair pricing (Dave) and then later super easy check out. Had truck towed over mid day Thursday and was able to get it back by Friday closing. We didn’t expect it until the following week!
Glad we have found a reasonable, personable, trustworthy local shop for our home vehicles and business fleet. Their detailed customer service goes far.
Thanks Preferred Auto!
TFF HVAC