Mar Vista Service

Raymond at Mar Vista Service is my go-​to guy for keeping two old Japanese cars running! He knows what he’s doing and he’s very fair on pricing! That’s it!

My girlfriend was having some serious problems with her car… every time we hit the accelerator it seemed that the car had a long delay to respond. Even at idle the car seemed to be struggling just to run!
Mar Vista Service came to the rescue, after dropping the car off we got a call that the accelerator cable needed to be replaced. It’s an older car so I was worried it was something major, but nope he charged us $ 150 and the car was perfect.
Thank you Mar Vista Service!

One of the most important things for peace of mind is to have a reliable mechanic you can trust. My family and I have been going to Raymond for many, many years. His work is top-​notch, he’s very accommodating, prices are reasonable, and he and his workers are beyond trustworthy. I can actually leave my wallet in the car and not think twice about it. Beyond that, Raymond is not someone who will nickel and dime you. He is honest and will tell you if a service is needed or not (like when your sleazy dealership tells you to replace something). I never have to worry that I’ll bring in my car in and suddenly need 5 other parts replaced.
I absolutely recommend Mar Vista Auto to anyone — except for douches, because Raymond shouldn’t have to deal with douches.

The brakes on my 1995 Geo Prizm were becoming weaker, pedal sinking to floor with squealing noises. Last brake job was 8000 miles ago, and low speed city driving should not wear out brakes so fast. Raymond took it for a test drive and immediately diagnosed the problem — rear drum brake manual handle stop point was set much too high. Minor adjustment to reset rear brake stop point., verified good braking in heavy city traffic. Now I have to return to pay Raymond.

My whole family has been going to Raymond for years for all of our automotive concerns.
I like going here because I trust the service here, rates are reasonable and I never feel like he is doing any unnecessary work.

Smile.
I have a 15 year old car that has travelled north America and it shows. It needs EGR valve work, basically, stuff is gunked up inside from exhaust carbon. And the car needs smogging and being so old and decrepit it’s always hard to know how or if to sink more money in.
This guy completely gets/​got that. Just as you would if thinking about your own car, he proposed a multistep plan of attack to evaluate how far «into the weeds» of discovering how gunky and how deep all this is. Because it’s just a question of spending time and elbow grease getting things clean and at some point, it’s just not worth it.
Here’s what’s amazing. They took my car, performed the minimum as an experiment, and drove it back to my house (which is close), asked no money and told me to drive it around and see where we’re at next. Amazeballs.
The car actually passed smog and I have to get back there and *pay* those guys already! :)

Was referred to Raymond from some serious car people. Hot Rod magazine and Peterson Auto type of people. And they were right… Raymond is great! I have a 1965 Ford Thunderbird that I recently purchased in IL and now daily drive. Raymond is super cool and takes the time to deal with my questions and goes way beyond just helping. I have stopped by a few times with rookie classic car questions and issues and he handles and sends me on my way with knowledge and ease of mind. He has changed my brakes and handles all my engine needs, which luckily has only needed an oil change and a few tightenings here and there. Raymond also referred me to amazing transmission and body/​frame mechanics and now I have a great team of family owned and operated experts.
Thanks Raymond!

I’ve taken various cars to Raymond for service for over a decade now and I’ve always been impressed by his honesty and skill. It’s an old school garage complete with nudie calendars and fragrant grease wafting through the air. Raymond himself is like the guy in an action flick who mods all the hero’s cars and dispenses sage, no nonsense advice.
So here’s why Raymond and Mar Vista Service rule: the girlfriend and I were planning a vacation in northeastern Arizona, about 1,000 miles round trip. She takes her Matrix to the Toyota dealership for some pre trip maintenance and they tell her that she’ll be needing new hoses, new belts, new brakes, and some engine work to the tune of about $ 3,000.
Uh huh. Second opinion, please.
Enter Raymond. He takes a look at the odometer (65,000 miles) and immediately gets suspicious about the dealership’s verdict. A few hours later he calls back and tells us the car is good to go. A few hoses needed to be tightened and/​or reattached, the timing belt needed to be replaced, the brakes had a few thousand miles left in them, and the engine was in good shape. All out the door for about one fifteenth of what Toyota wanted us to pay. We drove to Arizona and back with no problems whatsoever.
If you’re looking for a place that believes in ethics and a high degree of workmanship this is your place.

I would highly recommend this shop. I know most people are nervous about auto shops especially women. They are honest and reasonably priced, if you live in the area check them out!

I have used Raymond again since my last review and as usual he did a great job at a great price. I got new struts all the way around and a brake job.

Here’s my story: Drove across the country, needed a quick fix for my windows once I arrived in LA. Took my car to the dealer because I didn’t have time to look for a reputable mechanic. They fixed my windows and then gave me a list of $ 2000 worth of things that «needed» to be done. Screw that.
Mar Vista Service came recommended, and they were wonderful. They took a look at the list of «necessary» repairs, looked at my car, and told me I didn’t need to worry about any of those things. Oh, and they didn’t even charge me. Really fantastic guys. I’m definitely going to be taking my car back again.

so honest it’s crazy.
Here’s my story. My brakes sounded wretched so I took it in (a friend’s recommendation), convinced that I needed new pads or worse. the Diagnosis amazed me. The pads were just dusty, causing the brakes to squeal. They wiped them off and didn’t even bill me! wow. Raymond and his crew are pristine.

Great services, great prices!!!
First, one of my friends went searching for an auto shop looking for a deal and decent reviews. She found a couple, and ended up going to this place. The place has pretty good deals, no joke. She got a really good deal with her brakes at this place. They were straight forward with everything, and did not screw her with anything. We went in to drop her car off in the morning and picked it up in the evening. My friend was impressed and loved the work.
Weeks later, our co-​worker found out he needed to get his clutch switched out. He called around for prices. I suggested he call this place, and so he did. Turns out, of all places, this place had the best deal. It was nearly half the price of any other place. The auto shop is pretty hidden. You won’t really notice it unless someone points it out to you. It’s in the back of these buildings so it’s not that noticeable when you drive by it on the street.
When my friend took his car in, he found out from the auto guy, it may not be his clutch. Turns out it was something about the tightening of the clutch. The auto guy seemed honest. He could’ve lied and done something to profit more but he didn’t. Friend was so stoke. Thank goodness there are some honest people out there. He walked out spending only $ 80 instead of 4 bills… :)
If you decide to go here, ask for Raymond! He was the guy who helped my friend out.

Raymond’s been servicing and advising on every car I’ve owned since at least 1990. He and his crew at Mar Vista Service are honest, experienced, reliable and always courteous. Turnaround time usually excellent, price always very reasonable, concern for customer and car = highest priority. They will not steer you wrong.

By far the best auto repair place ever. Never had a problem with them and I’ve been there several times for everything from oil changes to overheating problems and everything in between. Always a VERY fair price. You’ll never go anywhere else again!

I’ve been looking for a good, general purpose auto shop in Mar Vista/​Venice and was excited when multiple people recommended Raymond at Mar Vista Service.
When my radiator blew out recently, I gave them a try and was very pleased with both the service and repair work. Given the neighborhood, they easily could have taken me for a ride but their price was fair and the work was done quickly. What else can you ask for???

I was referred to Raymond by my sister who had been going to him for the past 10 years at least. He is the most honest and greatest mechanic in all of LA… I have been to one in East LA, Alhambra and West Hollywood before I met Raymond and he gave me the best deal and service I could have asked for.
He has never made me feel intimidated about being a woman and not very mechanically inclined, which was soooo refreshing because I have been to several mechanics who just see a young female and think they could take advantage of my uncertainty. Raymond has always taken his time to explain things to me thoroughly and given me the chance to think it over without any pressure.
I’ve never had a mechanic that I’ve trusted more and plan to be a repeating customer for years to come.