Universal A C & Auto Repair

If you want an honest place that doesn’t rip you off, this is it! Avo is great! I was referred here by friend years ago, and have been coming ever since. I get my oil changes and most of my work done here. Prices are reasonable and he doesn’t overcharge. He will tell you if something doesn’t need to be fixed. I would highly recommend this place!

My name is Paolo and I have been taking my car to these guys for 3 years now. They are very friendly and extremely honest! My girlfriend and I are currently looking for a a car for her and every time we have brought one in they do a thorough inspection and tell us whether its worth it or not! I recently took in a used Camry from Craigslist and they saved me from buying a car who’s odometer had been tampered with. They also do a great job at maintenance!
I highly recommend them!

I have been using this place for about 8 plus years for my car, and van repairs. Outstanding service. They always backup up there work, and are very nice people. This is a one stop repair & smog place. They are very fair & honest in the cost, and will never take advantage They can do everything. I highly recommend this repair place.
ED Z

I initially went to Avo merely for a Star Certified Smog Check. After spending a full hour he still could not get a read — something to do with not being able to stabilize RPMs on the Dyno. Without charging me a dime, he sent me to a DMV Referee who found that a nearby Shell station (one that I had long suspected of auto skullduggery) had replaced the original catalytic converter on my Lexus sedan with one made for a light Ford truck (confirming my suspicions of their foul play). I went back to Avo with the Referee’s list of acceptable cat converters and he ordered the one that he knew had the best «pipe fit» for my car. Two days later, my car was in and out of his shop in just a couple of hours with not only a new and compliant cat converter, but also with all the extra paperwork required by the DMV Referee.
I’m a guy who very generally understands how cars works and why things need repairs, even though I wouldn’t even try to fix anything more than a simple problem. So I really hate mechanics who try to hustle me and really appreciate those who don’t. Avo was polite, considerate, and fair throughout the process. A good and honest man. And his price was more than half what I know others would have charged!

I took my car here because the trunk wasn’t locking and Toyota said they didn’t have welding equipment to fix it. I came here based on the Unilocal reviews and for $ 80 and an hour later it was fixed. Thank you1

I hate to say it, but mechanics are the worst! They are like Doctors for your car, but they don’t have to have any real credentials on the wall. Also you can’t help feeling like every time they fix one thing something else goes wrong! Face it, cars are going to break down and people really don’t take care of them well. The people here that have complained about Universal have not said that they would have gotten anything different or better at any other mechanic for the price.
I personally was referred to Avo 12 years ago. I have also referred him to ANYONE that has a car in need of repairs. I tell them he is flexible meaning he always gave me 3 options 1) We can «fix-​it quick» costing me as little as possible, but getting me back on the road, temporarily. 2) We can short term fix it, meaning I may get used parts, but its cheaper & I can make it through for a while. 3) We can spend the money & get new parts and fix it properly. He was always honest & up-​front with me and even let me make payments to him when I really needed my car fixed and couldn’t afford to pay right away. I don’t know ANY mechanic that is so willing to work with someone.
I have been blessed to have newer cars (leased) for the last few years and have not needed his service for myself, but am still referring to him constantly! And to this day, if I call him and tell him I have a friend bringing in their car, he still remembers me and treats my friends as if it were me.

I love these guys! Avo is the BEST. He’s experienced, honest, diligent & VERY fare with pricing. Wouldn’t take my car anywhere else. Referred him to my brother and he is equally satisfied with their services.

What makes me drive from Santa Clarita to Universal A/​C & Auto is that these guys are very honest and knowledgeable. Excellent service. Very reliable. I trust them with my cars. Excellent mechanics.

My poor car needed attention and a friend of mine told me she had a good experience. I’m glad I listened. She is much better and purring perfectly. The staff is extremely friendly and Sam kept me in the loop with every find, change, or plan to make my car better. They precise with their quote and was the best price in North hollywood for the work I needed done. Will definitely come back.

I dont mind driving 15 – 20 minutes to go to Universal A/​C, because I know that my car is going to be in good hands. My family and I have been customers with them for a long time (10+ years) and we never had any problems with them. They are such nice people and the service is great. Just by talking to them you get the feeling that they are very caring and you can trust them. Great people and highly recommended.

My car went crazy on the 101N. Engine light, overheating and engine binging. I was screwed. Got off freeway and happened upon this place. How fortunate! They were kind, honest and had car ready for me next day! Super pleased!

I came here for a Smog Check, they are quick, professional and honest! They also gave me some good advice about my car battery and don’t try to sell you anything. A great place!!! Highly recommend!

This really turned into an expensive mess. The compressor seized up, causing the belt to burn up and blow on a major road with my kids in the car! BAR ended up investigating Universal and told me that they had found code violations (including not keeping their own receipts). Furthermore, when I brought my car to a reputable shop (which was cooperative with BAR), the mechanics immediately realized that the compressor was not only used, but had weld marks all over it. The BAR investigator said there’s no way it could have been missed.
As for the offer Universal posted on Unilocal,it was never sent to me or brought to my attention. In fact, BAR went to the shop several times and the only offer Universal made was to cover labor if I bought another compressor from them! I’m out hundreds of dollars beyond what I spent at Universal due to further repairs to get the car running (without working A/​C) and car rental Universal told BAR that they refused to return just the money that I paid for a new compressor that turned out to be a dangerous, welded, used contraption to settle this matter.
So, with over $ 1300 in expenses and having my family put in danger, it looks like legal recourse is the only way that I’ll ever get this resolved.
As for the comments saying to ignore negative comments… feel free to call BAR. They’ve done the independent investigation on this matter!

I have been going to Avo and Ketcho at Universal AC for over 10 years and they are THE BEST! They have done all of the maintenance on my ’99 Jetta and our ’03 Ford pick up. They are always honest and upfront on what we need OR don’t need. I would never take our cars anywhere else. You can’t go wrong with these mechanics. Disregard the couple negative comments and try them out. It kind of pisses me off that someone would say anything negative about them, as they are genuine and honest to the core.

I brought my car to Avo for years based on the recommendation of a friend. I’ve found him to be honest and fair and I’ve sent numerous people his way since. He always takes good care of me and has never pressured me into having any service or repair done. Well worth a visit if your vehicle needs some TLC.

I have taken my cars to Universal AC for almost ten years now for everything from oil changes to major repairs and I have been very happy with the service. Like the user Bay, he has always been upfront with me about what «MUST» be fixed, what can wait, and when it’s time to just trade it in. I highly recommend building a relationship with Avo.

When you move to a big city like LA, you always hear «find a mechanic you can trust». I am happy to say I have found mine :) I moved nearby a few years ago and was recommended by a neighbor to take my car here for repairs. Avo is always honest with me about repairs [“Do I really need to get this fixed now, or can I wait until I have more money?”] and they always charge a fair price. I have been taking both of my vehicles there exclusively for oil changes, maintenance, and repairs, and have recommended them to all of my friends.

I can only say the best things about these guys!
I have been living down the street for over 10 years now and I have been coming here for the same amount of time. I don’t just take my car here because its close, I take my car here because I trust both Avo and Kecho and they do great work. In the last 10 years they continue to prove to me and all my friends that they are good at fixing cars and offer a fair price. I recommend these guys to everyone I know and I can’t tell you how many friends I have that bring their cars to get fixed from over the hill because they know this too.

Super friendly, courteous and fast service on my smog check.

Horrible place! They did 2 engine rebuilds that didn’t even last 15 000 miles. Foolish enough to try again and they tried to blame me by carrying to much in my Truck. Then they said not enough oil. All lies then they told me f u. I spent thousands here between 2 vehicles. Dishonest. Disrespectful. Disgusting! Do not go here! After going elsewhere they had installed the crankshaft incorrectly. Disgusting!