Larry’z Auto Works

First honest shop I have ever encountered ! Dealership wanted to charge me thousands without even looking at my car first. Aaron offered to diagnose my car and not even charge me. He called me and explained everything in detail and advised me not to replace an expensive part that was not due to be replaced yet. They even had my minor repairs fixed a day early and for pennies less on what I would have paid at the dealership. LOVE this place wont go anywhere else !

I went to Larry’z with my Passat 2006 as there was a Check Engine Light issue, I took an appointment and dropped my car in the workshop. He diagnosed it and found two issues, Aaron was helpful enough to call me and explain the issues. He also suggested me for some service, as it was not serviced (oil, filter changes were not done as I recently bought the car).
Overall I had my oil and filters changed along with the vent value replaced which caused the check engine light. Further he also recommended for a transmission service and brake pump replacements. I picked up my car same day in the evening but the check engine light came on again, so took it to Larry’z second day after the diagnosis found that the purge valve also needed a replacement, it was quick valve replacement. Aaron was also helpful in calling the warranty company I had to check for the things which could be covered. Overall I had a good experience with Larry’z !!!

Larry’s Z Auto, did a great job on my 65 VW Bus, they were easy to deal with. Great job, highly recommended. Complete motor overhaul and much more.

This is an honest shop that does great work. When I was in college back around 1989, I had a Porsche 914 that I would have serviced here by Larry. Fast forward to summer 2015 and we picked up a 1999 VW Beetle for our daughter. It had a few issues and I remembered Larry’z being a good honest shop. I brought the car here soon after we first bought it and Aaron (Larry’s son who now runs the shop) had the car checked out and called me to discuss possible repairs. He explained in detail what he found and most refreshing was his opinion on if a repair should be made now, or if it was something to monitor and repair later.
Since the initial visit, I’ve had a couple other strange issues arise and brought the car back. Each time, Aaron was able to find the obscure issue and fix it. All at the most reasonable prices.
Great work, great prices, great communication, and great service from this shop!

my ’99 passat 165k had overheating issues at just the worst time during a string of 102–106 °F hot days. i’d be in traffic with the heater cranked on high just to relieve the engine. Called a shop where i had the Tbelt and Wpump done just 3yrs ago. They quoted $ 100 just to diagnose.
i called Larry’z and talked to Aaron. he said diagnose is no charge! and told me possible culprits to my problem. they worked on it and gave me honest options. i went with factory parts, as the aftermarket parts from 3yrs ago started breaking down. I came out dropping 12 bills, which was standard for this type of engine work (what is wrong w/​VW sticking a Tstat behind the Wpump and Tbelt ?!? grrr.) Aaron even gave me an oil change and filter for free!
A+

I gave Larry’s a shot based off the reviews. Man I am glad I did! This shop is in my opinion an honest shop not like the dealership. From the moment I contacted them by phone Aaron was real helpful and responsive. Him and his crew believe in putting customers first. Every question you have will be answered and every step of the process they have to take will be explained. Going to any new shop you will be hesitant but there is no reason to be hesitant to go to this shop! They do specialize in VW’s which we have but I also seen other foreign cars that were being serviced. My car is running great now, just like it should! I had the transmission serviced, brake fluid flush and the radiator serviced. I am a satisfied customer and have a couple other things that have to be done, I will be back and will refer my friends! Can’t go wrong!

Honest, fair, and respectful. Great business that my family will definitely return to with all our cars for repairs.

I bought a Vanagon from a customer of Larry’z who’d had a lot of recent work done before putting it up for sale. The seller had only partially documented the repairs and said I could contact Aaron (Larry’s son, who’d done most of them) to ask about the condition of the van. I wasn’t able to speak with Aaron before deciding to buy it, but when I spoke with him afterwards, he generously took the time to answer my questions and explain the repairs in detail — one of which concerned a broken odometer.
I told him I was registering the van out of state and might have problems titling it with the odometer discrepancy, and asked if he’d be willing to e-​mail me whatever invoices I didn’t have for repairs he’d done. I felt badly for asking, because living out of state, I wouldn’t be able to offer him any further business with this van. Even so, he offered to dig through his files and scan and e-​mail whatever records he could find. Later that day, I received three clear, color scans of invoices from the prior two years, completing the recent repair history and documenting the cause behind the odometer discrepancy.
If I lived in Sacramento, I’d absolutely have Aaron at Larry’z Auto Works continue to maintain the Vanagon. He and his dad know these temperamental and unique vehicles well, and it was clear from my conversations with them that that knowledge translates into a thorough and sensible approach to keeping them healthy and on the road.

Larry has been my mechanic since I got my first car at 18 years old, in 1995. A 1970 Volkswagen transporter Bus! Since then they have worked on just about every car I have owned! Always stellar work! I’ve driven my cars on so many road trips and Larry has always kept them in prime condition for the least amount paid! Thank Larry!

Thanks Larry’z for the truly amazing service!!! They heroically were able to replace the ABS on my 99 Bug for a tenth of the cost that both the VW dealer and another repair shop wanted to charge. I really didn’t think it could be done at a cheaper price, and I’m so thankful to Larry’z! I was literally ready to sell my car rather than fix it for the outrageous prices other places had quoted. Larry’z let me keep my car for a lot longer, and I’ve already scheduled another repair there already! The only place in Sac to take your VW.

I have consistently had great service here. Larry’z has a genuine and sincere care and appreciation. I often get parts from their junk yard that work better than the part it’s replacing. Very well priced all around. Once in a while their repairs take longer than expected but that doesn’t bother me. This is my one and only mechanic.

I have owned two Volkswagens in Sacramento and took them both here. If you have a Volkswagen or an Audi, then this is the place you should be taking your car for service. They’ve given me good information about what is going on with my car. Frequently when I’ve taken in my car they’ve done a quick fix or an adjustment with no charge. The two cars I brought to them were from very different eras, but they had expert knowledge about each. I feel that I know everybody there personally. If I owned a Volkswagen or an Audi still I would be taking it to them.

I’ve been taking my 2006 Passat here for a little over a year, and I really enjoy working Aaron. He’s a real straight-​shooter and provides great service. I used to go to the dealership service center in Sacramento, and in all fairness, they provided excellent service; it was just very expensive. Aaron is great and his labor is cheaper than the dealership. Also, as other people noted, I like how he keeps the parts he’s removed from the car to show me, after he’s replaced anything. He’s prompt with all of his work. It’s certainly the best auto shop I’ve had to deal with… ever. I know his prices and his work are fair, because I’ve shopped around. And, he’ll tell you when you can wait on certain work, whereas other shops will try to hustle you into repairing something that isn’t really urgent.

I really wish I could give ⁶⁄₅ stars for this place. I also wish I had written this review sooner!
It’s a long review so I’ll sum it up:
–Larry (the original owner) and Aaron (Larry’s son) are honest and efficient
–Their prices are unbeatable, consistently lower than all other dealers in the area
–They will try to help you even if you aren’t paying them any money; they genuinely care about others
–Call ahead because this place is always booked (their service/​prices are second to none so the wait is well worth it)
_​_​_​
I usually get my oil changes at the VW dealer (so I can get a free car wash and a diagnostic checkup) and they told me I needed quite a few things repaired. They said I needed to fix EVERYTHING ASAP. They made it sound like my car was about to explode! In addition, their price was rather frightening so I decided to go to Larry’z to see if they could offer me something more reasonable. They absolutely did.
Aaron was incredibly honest– he told me everything I already knew that was wrong about my car (the VW dealer had provided that information) and then highlighted which issues needed to be fixed immediately if I wanted to still drive my car in a month (my CV joints and my coolant tank leak). He said the rest could wait. The VW dealer had said I needed to replace all 4 of my brake pads because they were basically about to destroy my wheels– Aaron disagreed, and made it perfectly clear my brakes didn’t need replacing at all yet, but that the front brakes were more worn down and needed to replaced in a few months. How’s that for honesty? Aaron then quoted me a full $ 150 less than the VW dealer to replace my CV joints. I readily agreed, and within 3 days my CV joints had been replaced and taken care of. Aaron even show me the old ones for good measure.
Now here’s where it gets really good– I chose not to take care of my coolant tank leak because I figured I could just replace the coolant periodically; a bottle of coolant is $ 12 at O’Reilly’s. This worked for about 6 months until my coolant tank shattered on the freeway on the way to Berkeley, CA. I had AAA tow it to my friend’s apartment there. Because of my previous good experience, I called Larry’z and they told me to find a good local mechanic there instead of having my car towed back to Sacramento (yes, AAA rocks). Larry’z then gave me a complete rundown and price quote on what I should expect– and then advised me on what a good mechanic would offer and what a bad or greedy one would. Larry’z wasn’t even getting any business from me and they still provided great advice and honest help! That’s when you know they’re keepers.
If you’re in the Sacramento area, don’t take your VW anywhere else– this place is pure gold. I can’t recommend it more.

The only place to take your VW if it needs repair. This shop does great work, fast and very reasonable. They’ve worked on my 99 Beetle for the last 3 years. I wouldn’t consider going anywhere else.
In 2012 I inherited my family’s Beetle and it needed a lot of work. Larryz got it back in tip top shape for a fair price.
These guys are the best. End of story.

Larry and his son Aaron are very friendly and honest. They are cost conscience and very helpful.
These guys will do you right and they even offered advice to get the right parts on the web and they will install it at reasonable rates. Wait for install was short and sweet.
Keep up the great work!
Will return again when my car needs work.

This place is amazing I had trouble with a 71 bug in a panic I ran in to their shop as they were closing up for the night. They gave me some tips on how to get the bug running again and I got it to the shop. The next day I came in right when they opened and they fixed what needed to be fixed to get it running again and were extremely wonderful. I will definitely bring bring my vehicles here in the future. Thank you guys so much!

OK… I’ve been around the block a couple of times. Larryz is the BEST! They are honest, direct (tell you the truth) and provide excellent service.
Larryz has taken wonderful care of my 66 and 69 Beetle.
Gordon H

I admit it — I know nothing about cars. I’m pretty sure when I walk into a repair shop there’s a big sign over my head saying — «female car dope — take full advantage». So I rely on more knowledgeable friends to point me to a good shop.
After hitting a speed bump and unknowingly cracking the oil pan on my low-​slung VW Passat, all the oil drained out while my car was parked in the garage for several days over the holidays. As soon as I started it up engine light went on, it smelled bad and it sounded funky so I knew there was a problem. I had it towed to the place a friend recommended — NOT Larry’z.
Now mind you, I didn’t even drive the car while it had no oil, other than in and out of the garage — maybe 15 feet total. So I asked the highly recommended shop to try patching the oil pan and putting in oil. But no way, they wouldn’t consider anything but a full engine rebuild, to the tune of $ 7000. It wouldn’t be safe, they said. Yowsa!
To make a long story short, I had the car towed to Larry’z. His guys patched the leak, put some oil in, drove it around — couldn’t find any long term damage. Even though I was ready to spring for a new engine, they refused to do it, saying they didn’t think I needed it yet. The new oil pan, labor and a few minor fixes cost me $ 400. So going to Larryz saved me about $ 6600. They are honest, take the time to explain everything, and most obviously have my best interests in mind. (And I’m pretty sure they see that ‘female car dope’ sign on my head too).
It’s possible my engine will need a rebuild sooner rather than later. If and when that happens, or if it needs anything else, my beloved car is going straight here.

I found out about Larry’z from a VW forum on line and they had nothing but good things to say about the business so thought I’d give it a try…
I have taken not only my Passat but every other vehicle my family owns (Dodge Pick up, Honda Civic). I have never had an experience with an Auto Repair Shop Like Larry’z. When you pick up your vehicle, the old removed parts are set aside so you can see what was replaced and why. You really feel at home and comfortable when leaving your vehicle. I have paid significantly less then a dealership using the same parts.
I highly recommend giving them a shot. Tell them Bababooey sent you :)