J & B Imports

I have always like Saa’s but was afraid to own one as I had heard many stories about them being difficult and expensive to maintain. Last year I decided to bite the bullet while there were still some on the road. I looked at a number of cars and actually brought an ’06 9 – 3 in to Bud and Ron to check out. After getting the lowdown from them on the ’06, I decided not to buy it. When I found an ’07 that I liked I again took it in, and bought it after they gave it a clean bill of health. Knock on wood, to date, the car has been great. I did have a problem with the check engine light and was worried a costly repair was on the horizon. I brought it in, had Ron look at it and run diagnosis, and determined that my gas pedal may have gotten stuck one time, reset the light, and sent me on my way. Anytime that I need to take my Saab in to J & B, I have 100% confidence that I am going to get an honest and accurate evaluation. Do yourself a favor, if you have a Saab, take it to Bud & Ron at J & B.

My short review: Go to J&B imports if you own a Saab, they will diagnose and fix any Saab issues in an honest and timely manner. Don’t waste your time with other auto repair shops.
My long review:
Saab is a Swedish car and you can’t take it anywhere to get it fix. Other european car shops would be useless unless they have a Saab trained mechanic.
All the staff from J&B are authentic Saab mechanics. Bud the owner has a collection of limited edition retro Saabs. He used to race and truly knows the car inside out.
J&B diagnose the real problem immediately every time I visit, straight forward no fuss style. Bud is a grandpa who holds great standards in values and morals from the old days. They will make it right and make sure any concerns you bring up are taken care of. His motto is to treat a good customer right and fairly.
I asked many questions and they never dodge my questions or concerns, always a straightforward answer. They would tell you if you need to fix something right there right now or you’ll be in trouble (either it’d be dangerous to be on the road or you’d be facing more fatal damages in other parts). They would also let you know if you could wait on fixing something, and give you suggestions on how to deal with it at the mean time (I’m fresh out of college and broke). I was able to prioritized and focused on parts needed to be replaced first, so I could fix my car but not spending every penny I own at once.
My parents (live in Taiwan) both own Saabs, hence every jobs done at J&B for my car were «double checked» by my mom through Taiwan’s Saab dealership/​mechanics. And the recommendations/​repair works done by J&B were the same as what my parent’s Saab mechanics would’ve done for my car. (My parents always ask for photos so they could ask their mechanics what needs to be done). To satisfy and get my parents’ approval to fix my car is not an easy task. They want to make sure I wouldn’t be taken advantage of so it’s a repeating process of asking J&B a series of questions and taking photos.
–Why I said don’t waste you time with other repair shop–
I lived in Utah and Michigan previously. By the time I moved to CA my car had quite some issues from all the salt used in those snowy states. When I found out my car was leaking oil I visited two auto repair shops based on Unilocal reviews. One of them, an european auto repair shop gave me a list, told me they would need to replace parts from number one to six (step by step) until whichever step fix the oil leakage. It was a red flag for me, it meant they didn’t know what the real issue was, so I came to J&B and they told me what the real issue was right away.
After that I always go to J&B when my car is acting weird.

Absolutely first class, phoned 3 other people prior to calling them, including so called specialists !!! 2 shops said if you want something like that done go to JB… so I called, spoke to Andy, had time to listen to my problems and daid it was one of 3 things.
One was a new DIC expensive ! and 2 other possibles.
So I left it Thursday night outside «Buds shop» He was still there at 7:30pm.
Called me today, fixed by 11:00 am. very happy, priced under $ 200 out the door. Including diagnostics and parts, labor.
Yep they know SAAB’S, thats all they do.

Hands down the best find of the decade. Bud and his staff are amazing, they know Saabs better than Sweden… ya bad analogy but you see where I’m coming from.
They keep my ⁹⁄₃ Aero 2.8T in flawless mechanical shape and they never miss an opportunity to razz me for incessantly forgetting to take steep driveways at an angle therefore the front lip spoiler looks like shredded beef… or shredded swedish meatball… get it? (Swedish reference #2…it only gets worse…)
So ya… they rule. If you have a Saab, go here. Not that other dude in Irvine. HA.

Bar none the best mechanics around. They keep my Saab running like a clock with no BS honest to goodness great service. They are mechanical geniuses, and have the skills and common sense and just deep knowledge to make your visit a great experience. No hassle to have your car cared for by the best here.

A-​1 super great — treated my Saab like it should be treated. Explained everything and prices were fair. You can tell they have the same love for Saab’s that I do :)
Highly Recommend.

I simply had to get on Unilocal after bringing my car to J&B Imports today because this has got to be the most honest mechanic shop I’ve ever been to. First off, if you drive a Saab then you can’t go anywhere else to have the car serviced. I couldn’t believe how honest they were and fair with their pricing. I overheard Bud talking on the phone with a customer that clearly wasn’t happy about something and he told the guy, «Hey, you’ve spent a lot of money in my shop and I’ll make it right.» Its comforting to know there are businesses that still think like this.

I’ve owned Saabs for over 20 years, both new and old. The only place I’d let touch my Saabs is Bud and Ron at J&B Imports. I’ve been coming here since I moved back to OC in ’98 and they’ve worked on all of my swedish beauties from an ’88 900 spg to my 2004 9³ convertible.
Bud and team are honest, fair priced and probably the best Saab guys around. If Syou’re in Orange County and own a Saab these are the guys to go see.

I dealt with these guys numerous times for numerous difficulties I have had with my 04′ 9 – 3. I’ve upgraded my turbo along with other things and have been able to rely on these guys for reasonable, reliable information.
Aside from that I recently needed a new chain on my car — these guys fixed the chain in about ¹⁄₃ the time they said it would be done, and saved me a SOLID amount of money from what I was initially quoted. All in all, these guys could have taken advantage of me numerous times (I really mean it) but have proven to be honest masters of their craft. As good as it gets!
Thanks Bud, Ron and Nikoli! Cool dudes

Are you a cool guy? You probably are if you’re needing a Saab service center. From key fobs to maintenance and no bs fixes, I got to say Bud and his team are worth every penny. Luckily you won’t need every penny. Prices are rational for what you learn there.
Locations kinda hard to find. Keep an eye out for a large drainage system that cuts under Batavia and you should see the alleyway they’re located right there. Looks like someone posted a pic of the sign at the entry so let that guide you, cool guy.

I joined Unilocal just so that I could write a review about J & B Imports. I was glad I decided to look on Unilocal for someone to fix our Saab. Both Bud and Ron are very friendly and knowledgeable. They diagnosed the problem quickly and fixed our car the same day. Their prices were reasonable as well. We will never take our Saab to anyone else.
So many times you leave a repair shop feeling that you were taken advantage of. This was the first time I left a shop feeling completely satisfied! I even enjoyed my time there! I would highly recommend them to anyone. Once you use this repair shop you will never go anywhere else!

Bud and Ron are fantastic! These guys know their Saab’s, both old and new. Both are Saab factory certified techs, with Ron being the former head of the Santa Ana Saab dealership before it closed. They can answer any question you have about Saabs.
Took my Saab there today for a check engine light and an oil change. Great service, friendly, and took the time to answer all my questions and even tell me more about the Saab I just purchased. I’ll be coming back to these guys for all my maintenance and repairs. You can’t go wrong with these guys.
The only con is their location. If you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for their shop is a little hard to find. They’re at the very back of a driveway with several other businesses on the same road. Call if you need them to give you directions.

Now that Saab has gone out of business, the only reason I could think of getting another one would be only to have my repairs done at J&B imports. I’ve been going to their shop for the past year and have always left satisfied with their work. They are quick to diagnose the problem and offer solutions that will not break your bank.
After taking my car to another local shop down in the Irvine area, I couldn’t help but feel I was taken advantage of. Luckily after some quick research, I stumbled upon Bud who was featured in Car and Driver with his impressive Saab (Sonnet) collection — he’s got some great looking cars at his shop. Ron joined Bud after Saab of O.C. closed last year — he is a true professional who knows everything about the newer Saab models.
Both are great professionals whose love of Saabs is reflected in their work. Plus, with all the cars that end up in their shop, you know they are very reliable for the OC Saab Community.

If you drive a SAAB and take your car anywhere else you’re making a big mistake.
These guys really are first rate. Had taken my car to Jiffy Lube for a quick Oil Change (big mistake) and when I got my car back, it wouldn’t start. They had broken a hose right next to the oil filter.
Found J&B doing a google search for SAAB repairs and was happy to see that they were pretty close to me.
Dropped my car off, they immediately diagnosed the problem and even noted in the receipt that Jiffy Lube had caused the damage, which should help me get Jiffy Lube to pay for the repairs.
Everything about the guys at J&B is top class. If I could give them 10 stars I would.

September must’ve been a tough month for Saab’s from 450 miles away. 5 Stars for J&B Imports! My car broke down on I-​5 and was towed to J&B at 530 pm. I wasn’t sure what I was getting having my car towed to a Saab repair shop I had never heard of a long way from home. Tow truck backs the car in and I see a sea of Saabs from vintage models to new models (relative term for Saab). When I hopped out of the tow truck they immediately made me feel comfortable, asked me what happened, diagnosed it and had my car ready for me late the next morning. J&B Imports is now where I get my car serviced and it is 450 miles away from home. Best Saab people I have ever met — caring and knowledgable.

I drove my Saab 450 miles to have Bud work on it, and it was worth it. He did a great job, took time and found lots of little things that had been done wrong by the previous owner… hoses routed wrong„ plugs in wrong place, valves adjusted wrong… lots of little things he sorted out and the car runs really well, fast and cool. He’s an honest guy, detail oriented, and has a very good shop rate. It’s not some BS fluffy Euro shop where you get a cappacino when you pay, but you get your Saab fixed by guys who know Saabs… Not BMW toadies doing side jobs. If you like Saabs, then you «get it» and these guys get it.

nothing but positive experiences with this shop. fair prices, good work, friendly atmosphere. bud’s great!

Bud is the go to man for your routine, and your not so routine repairs. My check engine light was on on my 9 – 3 Aero. Dealer (before expiry) told me it was maybe the fuel pump, but the car wasn’t galloping, stalling, etc. so I smelled a rat, and besides, they said they weren’t «sure». Bud figured out it was the smog valve, didn’t charge for the diagnosis and didn’t rip me off for parts I didn’t need. He’s a classic updated version of the shade tree mechanic, he’s got the tools and also the instinct, and brains, which parts hangers and computer screen starers lack. Honest as the day is long, not slick, cannot say enough good things about him. If you care about your Saab and your wallet, this is the place, and he is the guy. Bud rocks!

I’ve known Bud Clark since I bought my 2-​stroke Saab in 1975; He’s the Guru of Saab’s

If you have an old Saab, or a new Saab, this is a great place to go for service and repairs. Very reasonable prices, and the guys who work here really know what they’re doing. In fact, I started coming here because I used to take our Saabs to the dealer in Santa Ana, but when they shut down one of their best techs went over to J & B. So that’s where our Saabs go now too! Best place to go for Saab Service. They can work on anything from a Sonnet I to a 2011 9 – 5.