Certified Auto Repair

I would recommend Certified Auto. Don was thorough with understanding our maintenance needs and certainly took ample time explaining what the issue was when we picked it up. We have been here several times and have worked with other mechanic shops before. These guys are definitely one of the better places!

Awesome place. Whacked my bumper on the driveway wall and detached some plastic that was holding it on properly. Wanted to make sure I didn’t mess anything metal up seriously. Donny took a look, saw it was only a plastic issue and reattached my bumper for free. I will definitely be back here if I ever need it. Great guys.

One morning my low tire indicator showed that all 4 of my tires were low. I though the car’s computer broke down. Took my car to this wonderful shop. They checked the computer, told me everything was fine, inflated the tires and did not charged me a penny. Thanks for your honestly and great service!

Everything you want in an auto repair shop. Honest service and everyone is highly knowledgeable. Would recommend over jiffy lube any day.

Came here after being recommended by a friend. Don and his crew were very friendly and helpful. My car is brand new and they gave me the cheapest quote and even gave me a ride back home after I left my car at the shop. Express shipping for the part cost only $ 20 more and labor services were a lot cheaper than most auto shops. They also did a great job on fixing my tie rod and my car was back to normal in less than a week.

Was visiting SLO for. A couple of days and car started showing «check engine» light. Don from certified auto was quick to accommodate. Needed to replace thermostat and they did a super job in completing it in timely manner. Also Leo was kind enough to drop me and pick up from Cal Poly campus while car was getting fixed (took a couple of hours). Great, professional guys and would recommend them for service.

We were traveling through SLO and heard a strange rattle in the engine, a high pitched sound. I checked Unilocal to find this repair shop. We pulled in unannounced on a Friday afternoon and they took our car in, squeezing it ahead of other repairs they already had that day. One hour later we were set to go with an extremely reasonable cost ($ 127.00). Great service. Wish we had these guys in our home town!

I am new to SLO and based my choice on the reviews I had read about this business.
Their quality service exceeded my expectations. These guys are HONEST, communicative, and professional.
I had my clutch and flywheel changed, the car shifts perfectly and my cup holder was surprisingly fixed.
I brought my car back to change a battery terminal and they did not even charge me.
They will treat you right and you will be satisfied.
This is the best shop I have been to so far, members of the community seem to be unanimous about their reliability.
Thank you guys, It was the first time I did not feel bad paying to get my car repaired :)

I’m new in SLO and relied on Unilocal to find a shop that wouldn’t make me cringe dealing with dreaded and costly car repairs. I needed new front brakes and transmission service. I scheduled an appointment with Don for the next day and found their shop to be conveniently near downtown and within walking distance to my house.
Don called to let me know what was needed and quoted me a price that we agreed on. My car was ready in the afternoon and I was pleased there were no hidden fees or charges. I feel like the repair costs were fair and the full service safety check they give as a courtesy is valued.
I noticed a malfunctioning airbag light (common with my model vehicle and no fault of the shop) after my service and had time to bring it by before work. In fact, I’m writing this review from their office as I wait. Despite hustling around and busy as can be, they’re looking in to the problem with a promise to get me out of here quickly.
This is a fair, honest, and efficient shop with happy people. Take a look at their bulletin board that highlights happy customers. I never want to spend money on repairs and this shop made it as painless as they could.

I was moving from SoCal to Santa Cruz and on the way up my car died right outside of SLO. This was on a Friday night, and most shops were already closed. The AAA guy told me he could take me to a shop open on Saturdays, but they would take advantage of the fact that I wasn’t local, or he could drop the car off at Certified Auto Repair — closed on weekends, but honest guys.
I opted for Certified Auto Repair, left my car in SLO, and headed up to Santa Cruz. I was on a tight budget due to the move, and Don and the team went above and beyond to help me out, even when I was in Santa Cruz. They found the most affordable options for me, fixed my car up in a timely manor, and mad it easy for me to pick it up over the weekend. I am so grateful that the AAA guy took me to this shop, and I wish I lived closer to SLO so I could always take my car here!
They are the definition of honest mechanics, and I don’t know what I would have done without their help.

Just got the call from Don at Certified Auto Repair, and it’s great news! I thought it might be time to retire my car, but thanks to Certified Auto Repair, I have get to keep driving it until I’m ready to buy something new – all for under $ 400. I’m thrilled once again with Certified Auto Repair. When anything goes wrong, I know they’re the most honest and capable guys to handle it. That peace of mind is worth the world to me. I can trust I’m in capable, honest hands. I have so much gratitude for their honest approach to business.

Was very pleased with the courteous and prompt service provided my college son and his «beater» that was belching black smoke and that I figured was about to be pronounced dead on arrival. Don and his team figured out the multiple problems being experienced by the car, performed the initial repairs and completed some supplemental work deemed necessary to fix the engine-​based mechanical issues. The crew was polite at all times and kept my son (and me) informed on progress throughout the repair process. In a day and age where it is increasingly difficult to find a service business that actually seems to care about delivering a positive result to its customers, Certified Auto Repair (and Don in particular) is a gem among common stones.

Finished maintenance in under half an hour, and gave an itemized receipt. No complaints.

Fast service! I just walked right in, told them what was wrong and they fixed it quickly. They are a bit pricey but worth it if your in a jam.

CAR should stand for «Caring Awesome Reliable» Shop. The men who work here are the epitome of professionalism, honesty, and kindness. Yes, «As good as it gets!» seriously.
I was in the middle of a camping trip with two young boys and my engine began dangerously overheating. I drove through town using my GPS to help me find a mechanic and fortunately pulled into their shop. It was during a rainstorm and they obviously had a lot of other work in their garage, but they took the time to take care of my car anyway. They found the problem right away, solved it, and even checked some other safety issues (the air in my tires and trailer tires,) other fluids, etc., and didn’t charge me for the work. (I see from the other reviews I’m not the first poor soul they’ve come to the rescue of.)
I can’t thank them enough for helping me get my kids back on the road safely and for their kindness. It made a world of difference to have their help and thoughtfulness, and I will go back there in a heartbeat if I in the area again.

This is my first time writing a review. I chose to review this place first because I think the perfect 5-​star rating for this place isn’t justified.
I went in last week to talk to the mechanic about getting my car serviced. I own a Honda Fit, and I just cracked 60k miles on it, so I figured a decent service was in order. When I arrived, it took a few minutes before the Service Manager, Don, came to talk to me in the office. I scheduled my appointment for the following week at 2pm. He said he wasn’t sure what maintenance was recommended for my car at 60k, but he would research it before I came back.
The next week when I arrived, it took about 10 minutes before I spoke to anyone in the office. Don was running around a little frantically, swearing under his breath as the phone rang constantly. I’ve got to give him credit though, he’s very nice and respectful when you talk to him, and doesn’t vent the chaotic moments of his business on his customers.
However, it wasn’t until 2:30 that he finally took all the information down about my car and told me to come back in an hour. I walked downtown to grab a bite to eat, and came back at 3:30. They still hadn’t touched my car. I had class at 4:00, so they did a real quick oil change and checked various filters and fluids. The total cost for just the oil change was $ 50, which I thought was a little steep.
I was also told that at 60k a valve adjustment was recommended. Don gave me an estimate of $ 400 just for that service. I was a little surprised, and decided to do a little research when I got home. I called a couple of other places, one in town and one out, and both gave me an estimate of about $ 150 – 170 for a valve adjustment. Needless to say, I won’t be doing the valve adjustment here.
In short, this place is a bit lacking in service, and seems pretty overpriced to me. If you’re looking for a good deal or timely service, you should probably look elsewhere.

Amazing service. Went in for a power steering pump, the pump they received was faulty so they got another one next day and Don stayed open late the next day so I could go pick up my car after work. The price is incredible too, two other mechanics wanted to charge me 3 times what Certified Auto Repair charged me. My new mechanic in San Luis Obispo.

These guys are the dictionary definition of an honest mechanic (and I thought that was an oxymoron). My car totally bit the dust with a scorched-​out starter and busted battery, and they had me up and running in less than a few hours for muuuch less than I was being quoted at other area mechanics.
I am forever indebted, you guys saved my golden chariot!
When trouble rears its ugly head again, I’ll be back.

I couldn’t get to my laptop fast enough (and sign up on Unilocal) to write a glowing review of these guys. We were on vacation on the Central Coast, our car’s transmission blew up completely. Don at CAR had a garage full of vehicles plus more in the parking lot, waiting to be repaired, but they assessed our situation quickly, accurately diagnosed the problem and although I opted to haul the car home to have my mechanic do the work, CAR never even charged us for the time they spent. Beyond that the owner, Manfred, gave me a ride to pick up a rental car so we could cont. our vacation.
When I came back with a tow dolly a few days later, they quickly dropped what they were doing to help me get it loaded up. The fact that they let our car take up some of their limited storage space was worth a lot to me, but these guys restored my belief that customer service and integrity is not gone, it lives at CAR. God bless Don, Manfred and the crew.
Thanks guys

Certified auto is the best in the Business.
the Service manager Don Brimage is a Toyota specialist amongst other brands of vehicles. Manfred (the owner) is a Toyota trained specialist also including other brand of vehicles.
They are the best in the business