Culver Automotive Center

Pulled in on Christmas Eve with my car about to over heat and the nice men here, took my car in right away and put coolant in for me. I felt like a damsel in distress and they saved my day! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Today was a random drive by as they were the closest smog check to us. Meanwhile a friend was texting me frantically urging me to go to his mechanic on Lincoln and Fiji but I didn’t want to head all the way back over to the 90 freeway and at this point I was right in front of destination (unknown;) Ironically after meeting with real Fiji folks Kelly & Sharma I felt a sense of comfort that they were going to take care of me and they did! My car passed with ease and Sharma advised me to go just down the street to AAA to get registration. I give Kelly & Sharma 5 stars, the charming couple that gave us excellent service and very helpful advice– just ask and you shall receive :)

Took my Honda 1998 Civic for a smog test. This car is smoged yearly and always passes. «FAILED» was the word from Sharma the mechanic, but «I can fix it, trust me.» Not trusting him, I took the car to another smog station and it passed. You do the math. This place is a total scam. Will reprot to the sate of California.

I had a very positive experience here. I went in with a check engine light on a car that I had just bought. the owner took the time to speak with me, deduce the probable cause and then sent me on my way without a single fee. It was my 3^rd stop trying to get this light diagnosed and while he didn’t fix my problem immediately, it was the first place then didn’t try to tell me immediately how much money it was going to cost to fix. you can trust these guys.

Today I had the pleasure of doing business with culver city automotive (KELLY@SHAMMA) what a great pair of people. I’m very pleased with the service I received from the business. Great attitudes and great workman ship. I cannot complain. Had my smog done and other misc done they did what i wanted and what the car needed and I was on the road. Great job CULVER CITY AUTOMOTIVE. I recommend you to anyone.

Ok… I know… It doesn’t make sense! There are stuffed animals sitting on cars waiting to greet you. But… I’ve had my volvo for 15 years now. I couldn’t fathom staying with volvo after my extended warranty wore out. So I gave this place a try! And I’m so glad I did. Don’t go here if you want to be handled like a princess, but you do want your car treated like a baby! Bit by bit he has fixed my car to perfection! Give him a try if you have been searching for a good mechanic who is honest. I will only take my car here!!!

Like I read in «Mo T.‘s» post… the mechanic (I believe Sharma) also went off on his wife with me there! So disrespectful and it was unnecessary. He seems so nice, knowledgable and generous initially. I told him I was interested in coming the following day for a full synthetic oil change. I was well due for it and their price was reasonable. At that moment I was short on time, but was concerned if it’s safe to drive. I mentioned the «low coolant» sensor and he said I did need coolant. He QUICKLY poured some in for me and added air to a couple tires. I was thinking «this guy is definitely earning my business for sure». Then he told me how much I owe. I was thinking «huh»? «Owe»? He sent me to the office to make payment and his wife told me the charge. I told her that I didn’t ask him to pour the coolant. (She was very nice) He came in and overheard and told me the coolant brand is top quality and it’s a good price. I knew the price was high. I told him that I wasn’t told I was being charged for the coolant. I went further to state that a customer shouldn’t be charged when they didn’t ask for the service. Then he yelled at his wife because she mentioned giving me $ 5 off my oil change if I came tomorrow. He showed his true colors. I would never support a business like this. Cannot trust them.

Friendly place but just charge too much for a smog test.
Can easily find a station for less money and good service too.

In all honesty this has to be the worst customer service I have EVER encountered. This guy is also a freakin scam man seriously do not waste your time coming here! I came here like a week and a half ago to get my smog check you know gotta do it. At the end of my smog check it turns out my gas cap didn’t pass, ok no problem he then tells me I have to buy one from him or else he will fail my car. So ok I bought the damn thing cause I had no choice I had to pay 25 dollars for the damn thing when in reality they are 10 any other place but I had no choice!
So I know for a fact that the gas cap isn’t the correct one due to how it twists on. But I don’t acknowledge it and soon enough my check engine light turns on and I know for a fact that it is the damn gas cap. Just to reassure I go back to see if Sharma the owner and mechanic at Culver Automotive can check the codes for me. I show up and ask politely if they can possibly check the codes out because i believe they gave me the wrong gas cap and I guess that insulted him and his wife and he started yelling and said that my car is a piece of s*** and that the gas cap isn’t the reason the light went on and then said he stormed into his office yelling he’ll give me a new gas cap and that’ll solve the problem. I politely refused and asked to leave his lot and left as quick as possible.
I go to a buddy of mine to check the codes out and it turns out it is the gas cap I go to buy the correct gas cap and it is quite the difference. Then today I went back to Sharma to see if I can possibly get a refund for my money, and good lord you should how he insulted me and calling my car worthless and literally got up in my face just for asking that. So that being said I don’t know how he is still running this business and who knows how many people he has scammed and yelled at.
So please save your self the time and do not come here it’s horrible and they will try to take as much money as possible from you!

Dropped my car off here because I had a leaking radiator hose which desperately needed fixing. Ended up being a bigger service then expected, but office manager took care of them and some additional work that took place after as well. Thanks for the help and good customer service.

This place should be closed down. The owner is not honest at all. My aunt went here for her first smog check on her car and the car failed 3 smog checks in a row. My husband went down to see what was going on and it passes on the 4^th try? Kinda Fishy! STAY AWAY!

Sharma has sorted out both of my very old cars, on two different occasions, for a reasonable price and in a timely fashion.
Four months ago, my 92 Jeep Cherokee was leaking transmission fluid, and started to slip out of gear. I went by mid morning, and by mid afternoon he had me sorted out, including a few additional minor repairs, at cost, along the way. He showed me the parts he pulled out, showed me the receipts for the parts he purchased and installed, and I’ve been driving daily since with no issues. I experienced no surprises, or any bait and switch as some others have reviewed.
This past week I purchased an old 91 Toyota 4 Runner that I found on Craigslist for cheap. It needed a smog test, so I went by and not surprisingly, it failed. Since this was an old car whose history is a bit of a mystery, with a ton of miles on it, Sharma (the head mechanic) walked me through the laundry list of things that could potentially contribute to it not passing. I groaned, and explained that I was working on a budget. I’m sure everyone probably says that…
He said it was likely the Catalytic Converter, but there were less expensive fixes I could try first. First we tried better gas, with a healthy dose of fuel detergent (it had been sitting awhile before I purchased it). He said if I knew how to change the plugs, I could save some money by doing that myself. (I did, and it helped, but didn’t quite get us to passing smog).
Ultimately, I had to purchase a new O2 sensor, and a catalytic converter. I purchased the O2 sensor and install from him, but when he got backed up at the shop the next day when I went back, he recommended that I go see another exhaust expert down the street who could put it in faster and cheaper. I brought it back, and it passed smog.
On each visit, he took the time to explain to me what needed to be done. He didn’t get upset when I asked him questions and watched while he worked. He didn’t get upset when I asked what I could do on my own that might help. As he spotted other areas that needed some TLC, he pointed them out and told what to keep an eye on.
He’s earned my repeat business, and I’ll keep going back.

This is by far the WORST smog shop/​mechinic i’ve ever encountered and i’ve encountered quite a few.
First, I was charged $ 50 just to check my car, which is fine and then I get a call that quoted me $ 750 to fix my smog problem. I told them not to fix my car and i would take it somewhere else. When i’m about to leave then the mechanic says he will do it for $ 250. I thinking wth. I say ok and I would pick it up in a few days. The day I’m supposed to pick it up, the shop calls me and says its gonna be now $ 400. I was why and he couldn’t explain to me why it was more now. DON“T GO to this place. They do the bait and switch. Their customer service is terrible. I couldn’t even get some basic questions answered. When I left they basically said we don’t care about you, its your fault for coming to us if you needed it fixed by a certain timeframe. RIDICULOUS!

I decided to try out this business on a whim when my car needed a smog check. This company is owned by a local family who moved here over twenty years ago from Fiji. Their office is very clean and they offer little snacks during the wait.
Unfortunately, my car did not pass smog because the check engine light was on (I have taken it in to be repaired 6 times and the damn thing always comes back on after a few days. I had decided to ignore it as the car runs perfectly). They charged me the 60 dollars it cost to run the test and told me to bring it back the next day to be fixed. I did, though they would not quote me a price for repairs or listen to an explanation of the car’s history. They assured me that my car was in good hands and that I shouldn’t worry as they wouldn’t charge me an arm and a leg.
When I came to pick the car about a week later, the husband (the mechanic) had a meltdown at his wife for not filling out a piece of paperwork already. I said I didn’t mind waiting at all, but he ignored me and kept yelling at her, which was pretty awkward. I got the feeling that this family/​business environment doesn’t listen to or respect women from this and prior experience of being ignored/​brushed off. I paid just under 700 dollars for the work.
A few days later, my check engine light came on again. I (stupidly) brought it back. Was charged another 60 bucks for him to check it out again. I came and picked it up and he recommended I not drive on the freeway so much. I did as instructed and lo and behold my check engine light came on a few days later.
I want to like this family business. I really do, but I am out 800 bucks right before christmas. My check engine light is still on despite two attempts to fix it. Next time I take my car to be fixed, I am going to Ed Lyttle who is respectful, competent and less expensive.

This place opened recently right near my house and I went there for the first time to get an oil change. I had to run another quick errand and was in a hurry and the owner of the shop and his wife let me borrow the owner’s personal vehicle to go run my other errand while they changed my oil! They treated me like family even though I was a first time customer. I paid $ 30 total for an oil change and for a fix of a broken gasket in my engine. I will be going here for all my car needs.