Apex Auto Center

Grant shot

Bad service and overcharged a lot. I asked them to help me check my tire, and they stole one of my screw. Btw, the same service in other auto-​repair cost me $ 130, in here, more than $ 300, some services are not necessary. Overall, the worst experience since I come to us.

My dad has been coming here for the past 10+ years ever since when we used to live in San Gabriel, and he still makes the 20 minute drive back to this shop now because they are honest and great at what they do. I finally came with my dad today to take my car serviced (I live in OC now and still made the drive back), and learned first hand how great they are. Story time…
I came to get my oil changed, standard procedure, nothing new. I also have a cracked sun visor on the driver side, which means it permanently stays down and can get pretty annoying. I asked him about it, and he told me to replace it would cost $ 100, and then he immediately tells me how that is just not worth it to replace that and started giving me tips on going to home depot and buying velcro to put on it to help it stay in place, hahaha. I love how honest he was with me when he could’ve easily convinced me to get it fixed because I know absolutely nothing about cars…
I then found out some more stories about him from my dad:
1) One time dad had to go to another shop to replace a break pad once on one of our older cars because this shop wasnt open that day (on vacation or something). Other shop didnt do a very good job at aligning the new pad so every time the car breaks, it would shake. Dad takes it back to this shop to get it checked out and was told by the owner that this shop didnt do the replacement, and the reason why it’s shaking is because it’s poorly aligned. So my dad asks him what we can do about it, he says… «i can rip it out and replace it for you, but I think it’s a waste of money, since this pad is still new, the vibration wont do anything to harm the car except that the pad will probably wear down faster. Once it wears down to the point where it needs to be replaced, just bring it to me and I’ll install a new one». Finally the crappy break pad wore down and dad took the car to get that replaced… no more shaking after replacement. :)
2) Unless you request otherwise, they ONLY use parts directly from the dealer. So if you are replacing anything, they will only order directly from Honda/​Toyota/​ect, which means you will always get the highest quality of product put into your car and not some off brand. However… getting your car serviced here is STILL MUCH cheaper than going to the dealership, so you are paying cheaper for the same quality.
I will continue to bring my car here because nowadays it’s hard to find businesses not out to get your money but are really looking out for your best interest.

Great service was straight forward and gave me good tips on how to maintain my vehicle. Will be a customer as long as it stands.

Clifford, the oldest worker of the shop and manager. Is a really nice person. He gives advice and his time to customers at no charge. I heard from a close friend that cliffs wife wants him to shut down the shop because he isn’t making enough money to keep the shop alive. But refuses to close his shop because he loves what he does and loves to help people out with his expertise. I have talked to him and he has told me he has more than 30 years of experience. I give him my business because I want to support his work and passion. I see a lot of people talking to him and then leave in their car because he tells his customer what’s wrong with their car and does not charge any fees. If you go to pepboys, they will just say they don’t know and will only know after you pay for diagnostics. I trust the people they hire based on how they much they know. Cliff loves fixing cars and I trust his service based on his enthusiasm. If you analyze the age of the workers. You realize he could hire someone else to manage his shop and retire at home. But he still works even though he looks old enough to retire! He really likes fixing cars! I talked to a more experienced auto mechanic and he tells me the more tools they own the more experienced and less labor and time it should take to get the car fixed. His shop is huge and filled with tools! It could use a little clean up and organization. I’ve been to other places, he charges very low for labor. And you should also ask him to use the most reliable parts. So you can service your car less often. People think they can save money buy paying less for parts. But what if it wears down faster than OEM, more repairs!

My civic kept giving warning signs that the water temperature was too hot so I thought there may be something wrong with the coolant so I first went to Sears to see what’s up and they quoted me $ 45 just to run a diagnostic test and more additional fees for whatever they could find. I told them I was going to check somewhere else and they stopped me and said «well your car is overheating, you’re not going to find a place that will give you a better price». After this, my dad referred me to Apex and though I was hesitant to come here because of the possible language barrier, I came anyway and I’m so happy I found this place. Like the Unilocalers before said, they are very honest people. They checked my car and noticed coolant splattered around other parts in the car so they said at first look it seems like the cap is broken so the fan is probably spraying the coolant out. They continued to run some tests just to make sure it isn’t something else and after a couple of hours of them continuously pouring coolant in my car, they weren’t able to find anything else that was wrong. They had a new cap delivered and changed it quickly and they only charged me for the cap. WOW. After this small change, my car is running perfectly and I didn’t have to pay fcking Sears an arm and a leg for whatever they were trying to get me to pay for.
From now on I’m coming here for everything. They’re the only autoshop I think I’ll ever trust.
P. s. Sorry for the bad descriptions… I don’t know much about cars ;)

I can’t tell the quality of their work. But the service was bad, and overcharged. They caused some other damages on the hood of my car but was not willing to admit it but said my car looked like that before I sent it there. Bad experience.

Did a mechanical check, definitely some reliable guys not solely working for their monetary interests, would come back more often and do all services here. Thanks!

My entire family has been going to to this place after my mom found this auto center right next to her office.
The owner is extremely fair; he never overcharges or lies. In fact, he is the exact opposite of what you’d expect auto shop people to be like. Last time I went in for an oil change, it only took 20 minutes, charged me $ 7 less than what I usually paid at 76 with a coupon, and when I asked him about the squeaking in my brakes he said he had already checked my brake pads while the others were changing my oil and they were fine. He goes out of his way to make sure our vehicles are good and he charge for every nit-​picky thing.
This place deserves all the business it gets. They’re all honest people here and will take care of your car.

Great service. I got my car serviced by an elder man and he was great funny and nice. He serviced the car very well. Definitely going to come here. Price is good for the work they do. Ask for Cliff

Still love this place. Fast, reliable and honest. Got my oil change done for $ 40. Usually I would leave my car here and grab coffee at Fresh Roast around the corner. They would call me when they’re done. Works well every time.

Kinda seems creepy. We were there for quite a while and no one even said «hi».

This place thrives on long time customers, good service, and nothing else. They really are honest and they are fast. Really deserve a lot more business since only the evil big ones thrive around here. Come here for smart, efficient, and reliable service.

Time to update and give this place the 5 stars it deserves!
I’ve been coming here to get my oil change since my dad first introduced this place to me. I usually see Cliff to take care of my car.
My once new car has been having issues now. Can’t believe it’s been 10 years since I bought my car! So, I came to Apex to fix the rubber on my bumper that’s been literally falling and hanging from the bumper, causing concern. I thought it was going to cost a lot to fix it, but Cliff said I can just take it off and that I don’t really need to replace it! I feel like they give honest feedback and don’t try to sell you things you don’t really need. Very reliable! And their oil change is great deal as well! Not too expensive. I think it’s about $ 25.
Highly recommended for your car maintenance needs.

very reliable car shop. I love it

They’ve been my choice for many years when it comes to car maintenance. Friendly, honest, and quality service. Strongly recommended.

i’ve been coming here for 9 years now for all my oil changes and any maintenance or mechanical issues. even after having moved to san diego for a year and a half i still drive up to LA to get my oil changed here. it’s a big center with a big parking area. they’re all very honest mechanics who never try to sell me anything i dont need or give me some bs story about car problems unlike many mechanics out there. they’re taiwanese and can speak english. (fyi, for all you who dont know, taiwan’s a democratic, independent sovereign nation and has been for decades and they’re also very pro-​american. dont let any chinese person tell you otherwise.) i usually ask for cliff or jason to work on my car.
so check out apex and spread the word to all your non-​asian friends and family to go to apex for your oil change or auto issues.

A friend introduced me to this place, and I’ve been here a few times to get minor check-​ups. Cliff (the owner) is very friendly and works quick, and the prices he gave was always very reasonable and way better compared to dealerships. I’d recommend making an appointment first because you never know how busy they are.

A friend of mine referred me to this place as I was looking for a go-​to auto shop near where I live now to replace my front and rear brake pad. They open from 9am to 5pm, Mon-​Sat. Look for James if you plan to go.
I was their first costumer today, when I arrived, James quickly come out and asked me what I need for my car. I told him I need to have the brake replaced and asked how much it would cost to do that. He explained if I want to use the original parts from Toyota or other no-​name brand etc, the price may vary and what are the differences. I told him I need to replace both front and rear according to the other shop I went yesterday but the price is too high for me to let them do it. Anyways, James asked for my number and told me it would probably be done by noon.
When I return, he told me I don’t need to replace my rear brake pad. No need! I was like, really? But the other shop told me I only have 5% left. He said, no, you don’t need it. He said, it’s still in good shape so he just adjusted it for me. That saves me some money and also shows me that he is honest and won’t fix anything that is not necessary. I was very pleased of what I got today and I paid $ 120 to have the front brake replaced and rear brake adjusted. It’s a very good price compare to the other shop I went yesterday asking for around $ 300. I will definitely go to him from now on for any car repair and maintenance.

If I had to summarize this place into one word, it would be «Honest». This is the only mechanic shop I trust where I would send off my girlfriend or mom by themselves, and not be concerned about them being ripped off.
Been taking my civic here for about 7 years & their prices have always been reasonable.
There hasn’t been a job too big or too small for these guys to fix, from a hydro locked engine, where the entire block & head had to be replced, to a pesty to install window regulator.
As long as I live in So. Cal. I’ll continue to take my Civic to Apex.