Advance Muffler & Auto Service

Kirk and Mario are, without a doubt two of the most knowledgeable and honest mechanics I have ever met. I was recommended by a friend who has known Kirk for many years. My car, a 74 MGB needed some tender loving care with a serious exhaust leak (at least that’s what I thought it was)…Kirk correctly diagnosed the problem in a matter of seconds. New gaskets and a darn good clean up solved the leaking oil problem. The car runs like new, thanks to the care and professional attention to detail that Mario and Kirk obviously swear by! Damn good people, fair and honest prices! I will always HIGHLY recommend these guys.

An honest muffler shop that does good work. This shop recently did some work on my truck and I’m very happy with the results. The truck sounds great and it looks good (underneath) too.

The owner knows what he is doing. Had a muffler rattling noise on my modified Mustang GT. Had tried 2 – 3 different people, with no success. Kirk took a break from his lunch, put my car up, twisted a few things and presto… done. Said it would be no charge.
Kirk is obviously an old school guy who know his automobiles in and out and the engineering principles. Not a chit-​chat person, but his popularity is based on his competence and fair business practices — not on bedside manners.
Bottomline — go to him with confidence.

I want to thank them for such fine service Kirk had done for my beat up green station wagon. I found Kirk to be surprising honest given all the competitors around his shop. I work with many other business owners and professionals. I look forward recommending his business.
My muffler support broke off and required repair. He diagnois the problem and provided me with a reasonable price for the repair. Given that my friend and I can fix our own cars, it was still very reasonable! He got things done as quoted.
Can’t say enough about Kirk’s integrity.

I’ve known Kirk foir many decades, he’s as honest as they come .
Recently our old truck back fired and blew the rusty old muffler off, the tail pipe was already bad from backing it over a curb .
Kirk knows I’m a Journeyman Mechanic and I’m *very* picky, I told him I wanted it as quiet as possible whilst still having a flow through muffler ~
He put it up on the hoist and had me going again better (quieter) than it has been before, affordably too .
–Nate

My muffler started making a loud noise and Kirk said bring it in. I was there in 20 minutes it took him about a minute and a half to diagnose the problem and I was in and out of there in less than 45 minutes with my car fixed and it didn’t cost an arm and a leg!

I went here to get a second opinion with regard to what I had done at another shop. What a regret not going to these guys initially. They’re way friendly and pretty much told me I got brutally raped in my wallet by this other shop. In a nutshell, I payed $ 600 for about $ 200ish in work. It does serve me right for not doing my homework before making that kind of an investment.
They took time out of their busy afternoon to toss my car on the rack and have a look. That was obviously appreciated…
On the plus side, at least I know where to go in the future to not get screwed!

Love this place and Kirk knows his stuff on autos with so much knowledge. It took him less then 40 minutes to replace the catalytic converter on my 97 Caddy El Dorado. Excellent price. I will indeed come back again.

The guys did all new exhaust and brakes on my 70 mustang and it only took 3 days. good price and good work. Can’t go wrong with that.

My prior review was a well-​deserved 5 stars, but in this review, Advanced Muffler only receives 2 ½ stars («just ok»).
My car was driven/​road tested and I appreciate the initiative, as certain regular shops (like Firestone) won’t, or didn’t do.
However, AM’s assessment failed to detect the primary defect which was causing the noise/​grinding (wheel bearings), even if it did detect another issue. Maybe such issues are not their specialty.
I will probably take the car back there — after all my first experience was excellent and their effort is unquestionable. I believe they are honest, too.

Kirk and Mario are very educated technicians with a lot of experience!!! Friendly good prices fixed right the first time!!!

LOVE THIS PLACE! fair price and very honest and professional staffs!
I always take my 2007 mini cooper to this place and i am always satisfied with the result with a reasonable price! I’ve been to other auto repair shop before, the price is more expensive and they did not care about their customer as much as Mario does!

Advance came recommended by my regular mechanic in Pasadena. I thought I could smell an exhaust leak. Took my car in (1967 Mustang) and Kirk took a look see on X-​mas eve on an hour’s notice. It turned out to be a false alarm and after a complete inspection on the lift, Kirk explained the smell was coming from an oil leak near the exhaust. He found a small pin hole exhaust leak which he welded closed for me on the spot-​without charge. I would definitely go back.

I’ve taken my mustang to Kirk at Advance many times, some for minor work & some major work. Ive been very please every time. They do Quality work at this place. You will be very pleased with your service, sound and performance when choosing them!

Been bringing rice rockets here for the past 16 years (Holy shit I’m old). Kirk has been the man around these parts ever since I could remember. But he’s got Mario working there now and together, they’re a sharp pair. I usually call and get quotes from other shops before I come back here because they more than likely will match the other shops prices. The difference is you get quality work done surprisingly quickly. This is the only place I go to when I need exhaust work.

So the car had been making this rattling noise when I would accelerate. The mechanic could not find anything wrong with the engine and a mechanic friend diagnosed it as an exhaust issue, I have those way too often. Took it to Kirk and he says gimme an hour to finish another job and I’ll take a look. I come back an hour later and he tells me it was a loose exhaust tip. I was a little skeptical but it didn’t make a rattle on the test drive. On top of it all he does not charge me a cent. Any future work or recommendations are going straight to Kirk! Thanks again!

Great business, they have been very honest with me and they provide great customer service.

I’ve have been bringing my Hyundai here for years and always get great service.
1. They will diagnose the problem, tell you what alternatives there are, and how much each will cost and how long it will take.
2. Their price for repairs and service is always quite reasonable.
3. Best of all I can bring my car in on a moment’s notice and they’re always willing to take a look at it and help me out.
BTW, I have compared their prices to other local places and Advance is quite comparable price-​wise while offering much better, reliable service.

This is the place to take your vehicle. If you want a real mechanic and not a parts installer Advanced is it. I had my entire exhaust system replaced and it was done in 2.5 hours… I have been bringing my vehicles here for years and have never regretted it. Great service, great price and fast.

I am so lucky to have found such an awesome, amazing mechanic shop that I trust. I brought my Jeep to them yesterday to try and get my custom a/​c unit fixed… they fixed it in a couple of hours an didn’t nickel and dime me for every little detail… even though they totally could have.
Turns out a fuse was out… not a tough fix, but they still could have charged me for every aspect of fixing this: trouble shooting, finding the fuse box (which was hidden), their time, the actual fuse, etc. Having a/​c in CA right now is necessary! I feel really fortunate to have found a place like this that cares enough to not take advantage of me.
I have been going to them for almost a year now and this is not the first time they have treated me so incredibly well. They are always honest and are always respectful of my budge, while still being good a good, solid business.
I highly, highly recommend Advance Muffler & Auto Service in Pasadena, CA. They are fantastic.