Berkeley Honda

I guess I got a taste of why this dealership can’t eek out a 3 star average let alone 4 or 5 stars after discovering cars they feature aren’t always available. As in, the car was never for sale in the first place.
Some dealerships try to bait and switch with low prices on a popular car, then claim it was sold. But I learned the car I was interested in that was advertised online simply was never really for sale in the first place.
The good news is I didn’t have to waste too much time because after seeing all the negative reviews on Unilocal,I just moved onto another dealership.
I read online in the news that the city of Berkeley was indirectly trying to get rid of this dealership in 2014 but it’s still here in 2016 despite the bad reviews and city efforts, so maybe the mafia needs to launder money?

Thank you so much to Gio and Jorge for helping get me into my Toyota Yaris! They were both very friendly, helpful, and professional. As a first time car buyer, I felt very well taken care of and confident in my purchase. I will definitely check out Berkeley Honda next time I am in the market for a car. Thanks again!

This review is for sales. I haven’t had service here. I went to buy a used car. I worked with Geo (sp?). He was nice. He didn’t pressure me in any way. He treated me with respect and he went down a little on the asking price. At the Oakland Honda dealership, they actually acted like I was insane when I asked for a price reduction. They talked to me like I was a child. Not so here at Berkeley Honda. They were reasonable and respectful and I have a car that I love.

I came here to look at a lightly used accord they had advertised. Fortunately, I had called up a mechanic and he said he would do a quick look over the car. The dealer tried hard to talk me out of the inspection.
For a good reason.
Turns out that while it was not listed on carfax, the car was in an accident that was severe enough that they had to fill in a large part of the bottom side of the driver’s door.
The battery they tried to sell with the car was so small that they had to tie it down. It was the wrong battery for the make/​model/​year.
After those two items, I heard enough. I returned the car to the lot. The salesman tried to talk me into buying the car (no) and seeing that I was not interested, tried selling me on another car (no).
A friend of mine bought a Honda Civic here a few years ago. Within 3 months the car started making very odd noises.
Avoid this place like the plague.

Buying a car can be stressful but the team at Berkeley Honda made it easy! I knew what car I was looking for and how much I wanted to pay. After a long day of searching, we ended at Honda of Berkeley.
Gio immediately greeted my cousin and I and genuinely listened to what I was looking for. Unlike other Honda dealership lots, Gio was transparent and honest about everything with the cars I showed interest in, which made me feel at ease in trusting my decision to purchase a vehicle from them. He also respected the cash amount I wanted to pay and did not pressure me to finance a vehicle or purchase something out of my budget to make a sale.
Everyone was friendly! I even got great advice and support from Caleb and Sean!
Jorge made signing paperwork a breeze with personable convos and great laughs! I even appreciated meeting Bob the manager and expressing to him my hesitancy of coming after reading Unilocal reviews and my gratitude of his amazing team.
Thank you ALL for making me feel like a valued customer!

Jesse Gilbert is the man. Jesse is the sales agent that assisted me with my recent purchase at Berkeley Honda. Very informative and very animated. I already had in mind which car I wanted to buy…2016 Honda Civic. I was torn between the EX-​L and Touring models. Both him and his manager Chris sat down with me helped me work through my decision to figure out which was a better choice.
Jesse made the process extremely simple and also went above and beyond referring me to some great vendors to put the finishing touches on making my car perfect. Since then I have had several questions about the car and the sales staff has been more than helpful. Jesse did not treat me as a one and done customer. He is still answering my calls and questions. If you are interested in purchasing a Honda, I recommend Berkeley Honda and highly suggest asking for Jesse Gilbert. He is a great guy, surrounded by a great team.

NEVER!!! Get your car serviced here!!! They are like others say dishonest. Did not do the work they said they Were «waiting for a part and we’ll call you». (Seat belt latch). Never called back. Did not do recall on air bag work but charged corporate officeX2 for the work. When I complained they said have corporate call us and hung up on me. Worst experience ever!

I honestly don’t have the time for negative reviews, but I appreciate Unilocal reviews and hope to at least caution other consumers so they avoid what I experienced. A few months ago, I was looking for a Honda Odyssey and was asked by the internet salesman to come in to the dealership
He seemed nice and caring at first, but was pushy and distant later on. At first I refused to go into the dealership until he found out for if the van he was giving me a quote for had an RES, I explained that I had requested a quote online because I have children and was trying to save time and avoid stereotypical car dealer games. He made an amazing offer for a 2016 van that he claimed at first had only 200, miles. By the next phone call the miles had increased, by the time I made the dealership the miles were closer to 1,000 and the trim did not have the RES system– So, basically I was given a quote for a trim that I did not want. I was ready to purchase the vehicle and literally had the downpayment ready, but there were too many red flags, «paper work coming out too soon, demanding a signature to purchase» unfulfilled promises, stories that changed regarding the car itself etc, he even called another salesman who had been very honest and gave me a great quote (as if he doubted what I said) — I’ll make the story short and just end with this: I was dealing with a dishonest and condescending salesman and I regret having taken my son out in the rain to only leave feeling like someone was trying to take advantage of my trust. Fortunately, before making the purchase I called my husband and he caught on to the game and gimmicks and I left.

I’ve purchased 2 Ridgeline’s over the years and had nothing but great service! Most of the paperwork was done when I arrived so all I had to do is sign a few forms. The buying experience was like no other dealership I’ve been to in the past. I can’t wait to go back and buy the new 2016 Ridgeline when it comes out this year!

This was the best car buying experience I’ve ever had. I had a lot of fun! If you’re looking to buy a Honda or a used car, go to Berkeley Honda and ask for Jesse Gilbert. He cares about your needs and concerns, I never felt any pressure to buy. I even went to lunch! It was a good experience from start to finish. I highly recommend him and Berkeley Honda!

Do not go here. These people are not honest. I bought a 2012 used Honda Civic here, and because of trusting Honda as a brand, thought that the vehicle would have been inspected properly before being sold to a new buyer. First off, the car had no gas in it. The gas light was on when I took it for a test drive, which should have been the first warning sign. We thought we liked the car so we went with it, but the dealer wouldn’t even reduce the price given the fact that we had to immediately get gas right after the purchase. Ridiculous. They could have at least offered to fill it up or take at least $ 40 off for the trouble. Really poor customer service.
Not only that, but I took it to another shop to get the car inspected, and they showed me how the passenger side of my car does not have the standard factory paint. There are paint streaks lining the door and it doesn’t have the paint finish that the Honda Civic should have. We also discovered that the passenger door has no Vin number on it, meaning it’s been replaced! The dealership did not alert me of this. When I took the car back and showed them what I had discovered, they were clearly embarrassed but rudely brushed me off. They claimed «that’s what you get when you buy a used car.» Really? Then no one should buy a used car from you guys. And don’t worry, I’ve been letting everyone know that. I expected more from Honda.
My boyfriend went in to demand that they repaint the passenger side free of charge, but of course they said «they’d get back to him» and have been avoiding his calls ever since.
Save yourself a lot of stress and anger and purchase a car at a dealership that respects its customers.

I don’t think these people are honest, and I would never buy a car from them or bring my car again for service.
I brought my relatively new car here for a simple oil change, and got a call from the manager. He was super nice, and explained that there was something wrong with my oil tank, and there was no way to change the oil without replacing the tank and that he would give me a good deal, but it would be about $ 800.
He seemed authentic, but I decided to be smart about it and get a second opinion. I went to another dealership without telling them what the manager had said about my car. They changed my oil in a few hours, and told me that my car was in great shape. I mentioned that I had been told there was something wrong with my oil tank, and the manager of the new dealership said that it was perfectly fine.

DO NOT GO!
The carelessness of the salespeople as well as their proneness to change prices left and right push me to never doing business with the Honda dealership at Berkeley.
I came in looking for a used vehicle and was prepared to purchase a vehicle. However, one way or another, they always find ways of changing the deal or making errors that make me question not only their sanity but also the quality of their vehicle.
Their staff and manager (Ken and Bob the owner), aside from lacking knowledge of the vehicles, are prone to price miscommunications.
On multiple occasions, the offer that they made was revoked and changed even after my acceptance to purchase their vehicle. They are the kind of individuals to tack on added fees after a deal is finalized.
I would highly recommend against visiting this dealership. They were a waste of my time and they certainly will do the same for you.

BEWARE RUDE SERVICE ADVISOR
My experience at this place was terrible and the Service Advisor was just plain rude and unprofessional. I am from Southern CA and was in Berkeley for one day on August 22 to move my son into his dorm at UC Berkeley.
My 2005 Honda Odyssey was smoking badly. It had just had service done at my own Honda dealer in Valencia CA last week, but something was leaking and burning.
I came to Berkeley Honda on Saturday morning at 8:30AM…there were ZERO CARS waiting in line to be seen, so it should have been no problem to be attended to.
A young man came out and filled out some paperwork and told me that a Service Advisor would see me in a minute.
I waited for 30 minutes, during which the lone Service Advisor sat and had a conversation with another customer about installing counter tops in the customer’s kitchen. I stood there for 30 minutes patiently while this went on and on and on.
The receptionist apologized to me numerous times and said that she was sure he’d be right with me.
Finally at 9AM, I politely interrupted and said, «excuse me… I’m SO sorry to interrupt… but I’m just here for the day to move my son into his dorm, and I just need to know if my car is safe to drive home… could someone please look at it and let me know?»…
Well…the service advisor looked me square in the face and said…“I’ll be with you when I’m finished with this customer…“
I replied…“Should I I simply go someplace else?”…to which he answered sarcastically…“Yes, you should”.
So I moved my son into the dorm, and then we drove into San Francisco and went to Honda of San Francisco, where they saw us immediately… put the car up on a rack in 5 minutes… talked on the phone with my Honda Dealership in Valencia CA… and then OKAYED us for the ride home.
They didn’t charge us a cent, and told us that MANY MANY east bay Honda owners come all the way into San Francisco to avoid going to Berkeley Honda.
Don’t bother with this place. They do not want or care about you or your business.
It’s now Monday, and I’m safely home… I just spoke with the owner… just to let him know what happened. He seemed genuinely surprised at my experience… and agreed that I should have been treated the same way at his dealership as I was in San Francisco.
Customer BEWARE.

Been looking for a new Fit, and went to these guys to ask some questions and test drive one. I show up with my girlfriend (who will also be driving it) and ask if they have any automatics in stock that I could drive. Guy says that they don’t, but they have a few manuals I could check out. I’m still on the fence about which trim to get, so short of a test drive, I ask if I could check out the cabins of each and the guy says that I only need to see one because they are the same. My mental alarms start ringing because what he told me isn’t true at all. There is different material on the seats, the EX has a larger computer screen, a moonroof, additional speakers in the cabin, and the height of the cabin is over an inch smaller.
So the rep leaves us alone in the EX for about 5 minutes to help another customer, which is great. We check out some of the features, and decide that the moonroof makes a significant difference and that we would likely be getting that trim. The guy comes back and his first words to us are: «You guys are just messing around right?»
Now I understand that I’m only 24 years old, and maybe don’t look like I am in the market for a new car, but this comment is absolutely F***ing ridiculous. We had been nothing less than respectful customers, who were very serious about test driving and purchasing a car, so this really caught me off-​guard. I plainly told him that we were not messing around and he seemed to change his tune, and offered to give us a call when an automatic came in so we could drive it. Okay, great, we got the info we needed and would return when he gave us a call.
A week later, and no call, we decide to ring them up and see if they had any automatics in by then. Guess what? They did!
I don’t know what exactly happened, was this just a curmudgeonly old man who didn’t think we were serious buyers and not worthy of his time? Was he just an incompetent salesman who didn’t know his products, and couldn’t manage to call someone back? In either case, these guys did not deserve our business, so we took it to the El Cerrito dealership and were treated much better.

I worked with Rezaul from their internet sales team. He made me feel comfortable during the process and I never felt like he was trying to ‘sell’ me the car. In fact, it felt like I was talking with a friend about a car that happened to be for sale. He picked me up from Bart twice and came in to work on his day off so I could get the car on the only day that would work for my family. Most dealerships will try to sell you on a bunch of extra crap during the process but I didn’t get any of that from Berkeley Honda. I never once heard them say «we can get you home TODAY in this car» I got a great car at an awesome price and an experience that didn’t feel pushy at all. I will definitely look to deal with Rezaul again in the future.
Also, Jorge in the finance office was easy to talk to as well.
Thanks, I love my car and can sleep at night knowing it doesn’t smell like a bowling alley.
Brett

Rory, the service advisor is a total JERK!!! He quoted me $ 30 more than what’s quoted on their web. When I showed him the price on their web, he began to become rude. When I asked him whether tire rotation is necessary since I had my car for less than one year, he refused to explain. And when I questioned him about the difference between minor and intermediate maintenance, he turned into a total asshole and said «you can get whatever you want». Then he asked me to sign, and refused to explain what I’m getting.“
Horrible experience. I don’t think it is possible to get worse service anywhere else than Berkeley Honda Auto Center!

We leased a Honda Civic two years ago for my in-​laws 50^th wedding anniversary present and that initial transaction was excellent. However, a few days ago we received an email offer from Rezuel the Internet Sales Manager offering a new lease on a 2015 Honda Civic for only $ 3 more a month than we pay now and no money down. Sounded like a great offer, so my spouse made an appointment, cancelled a business meeting, and my father-​in-​law drove an hour down from Rio Vista with the car. What happens when they get there? Yes, you guessed it. Berkeley Honda couldn’t possibly do the deal for the price quoted! And oh, they didn’t have any 2015 Honda Civics in stock.
Really??? This is how you are doing business now? Sorry to inform you that this is called a «bait and switch» routine. Not only have you just lost previously happy, loyal customers, you’ve now got another bad Unilocal review. We will not do business with Berkeley Honda again and will most definitely use a different dealership when our lease term is up next year. Absolutely infuriating.

This is a review for my experience with the dealership. Very tempted to give one star — but I DID like the location (easy access & street parking) & didn’t feel pressured as I was looking at vehicles on the lot. Two pluses, in my book! Plus– I think the initial salesman was easy to talk to & did his best to answer my questions.
I found a car I was extremely interested in & made an initial offer which was immediately (and expectedly) countered. I put forth my next offer (which truly WAS the highest I would go) & the salesman went off to check with the manager. After a few minutes — out he came with a smile and the good news, «We can do that!»
Excited & a little nervous — I head to the office where we proceed to fill out ALL the paperwork for a credit check. Off he goes with the completed & signed papers… only to come back with «good news & bed news». The bad news was that the «owner» wanted the FULL asking price — but the good news was that I might still be able to get it the next morning for my offer… they would have to discuss it & see.
I head home & get a voicemail the next morning saying — «we can do it» — promptly followed by another call from the manager saying «let’s see if we can make a deal». I clearly stated that I made my offer & that was as high as I could go. The manager said he would call me back… he never did.
That evening I called the salesman, inquiring the status of my offer. He said he would call me back… and never did. I tried calling one more time, but hung up when I connected to voice mail.
The car stayed on the lot & they eventually list it on craigslist where it obviously sold. I’m sure they were holding out to try to get more money for it… which I understand. It IS a business. But for crying out loud — don’t jerk your customers around like that. If the offer is too low — just say it. I would have even appreciated a statement like, «Look — we’re going to try to sell it this week at the full price, if it doesn’t sell… can we call you to see if you’re still interested?»
I feel it’s rude to tell me I had it, shake my hand, have me fill out & sign all that paperwork… then tell me in so many words, «whoooooopsy! Nevermind!» Plus it was super unprofessional NOT to call back, either (especially of the manager!).
All & all — pretty disappointed in the experience. Too bad! I guess that’s why I generally buy cars from private sellers, anyway!

Meh.
I left a voicemail on Sunday noon explaining the problems I had with my car. They promptly returned my call on Monday morning. So communication-​wise it was fine.
The «meh» part was when I drove there, they really couldn’t tell me much about what they can do about the problem. To be specific, a piece of plastic fell off while I was refueling my tank. Didn’t make much of it until I realized my gas tank wouldn’t open anymore because it was part of an apparatus that pushed an actuator. How silly is that? At least I could still open the gas tank if I press the button while someone pries open the door. But that’s no fun.
I’ve read online that you can just stick any solid thing that will stay in there, and it will help push the actuator no problem. I figured it should be an easy /​cheap fix so I brought it into the service center because why not.
They couldn’t tell me anything other than that someone will look at it the morning after. And would still charge me $ 150 base fee plus anything that I may have to purchase for the car.
I’m an engineer. Even if I weren’t an engineer, it doesn’t take a genius to find a 1/​8″ rod and stick it in the actuator-​cavity. I politely declined the service.
This isn’t a 4 – 5 star service because that kind of business would be way more attentive to my needs and would give a more comprehensive summary of the kind of work they may do to my car. I’ve worked on cars before so I know that things may become more complicated than appears, but they can do more than telling me someone will take a look tomorrow morning while slapping on a $ 150 fee.
It’s not a 1-​star service because I think they did what they’re supposed to do. But that’s still sub-​par my expectations. I would not return here – I’d rather drive 60 miles to my trusted body shop in Sunnyvale.
(So missing B2 Perfection Auto Body in Sunnyvale! Hit me up if you know good auto body shops in this area…)