Playa West Automotive

Oh my gosh, I love Playa West Automotive! The best service, anywhere. Always nice, always quick, simply amazing! Today, I needed windshield wipers replaced — so I parked and walked in – to inquire. I met w/​the ALWAYS amazing RJ — to see if the wipers were in stock. They were. I waited a few seconds (while he got the info for my receipt), paid, and then asked if I could sit in my car while he was replacing the wipers. He had already replaced them both. My jaw dropped! Total time at Playa West Auto? Less than 5 minutes!!! They do this all the time. I wish everyone was this efficient!!!

Thes guys are awesome. Took me in as an emergency repair so I could make all my appointments for the day. Great attitudes and professionalism, reasonable price and fast service. The houses I got to work at today all appreciate your help in getting them services too. Highly recommended. Will come back for sure

I’ve gone or attempted to go there a few times and every time they’ve been pretty rude to me :/​. Just demeaning and no customer respect.

I have gone there 3 times… They were either to busy to do a job or to expensive! I would not go there

Andy, Steve Wliilie and rest of the Hard working Crew are the best they are like they used to say West of Mississippi, lol i do trust these people with my 97 Toyota Camry as well as my parents 2000 Toyota Camry better than those crooked Toyota Dealership. thanks guys you’re the Best. pj

Toyota tried to sell us on a tire for 185, and these guys repaired both tires for 40. Super nice, incredibly helpful.

I love these guys. They are reliable, honest, and empathetic at the same time. Excellent customer service and quality work. This is my go-​to place for my car.

Sadly, I’m giving up on this place. A super bummer because I live in walking distance and their mechanics seem to do good work.
To frame things, I have every receipt for all the work that has been done on my car since it was a new Mercedes in 1996.
There seems to be no benefit to being a loyal customer, as after adding up how many times I have had my car at Playa West over the past 3 years, it is 7 times. Each time I am very friendly, and mention that I walked there (neighbor), to try and jog their memory thinking it may trigger some kind of customer recognition… No luck. Each time I go in or call it is as if I am a total stranger. I find it insulting considering I have spent almost 4k at Playa West.
The lack of loyalty continues, as they consistently have charged for a ‘consultation’ every time I have taken my car even though, I chose to have it serviced there every time.
I worked in hospitality and sales for over 20 years, so I am especially polite when it comes to exchanges with customer service attendants. It is baffling that it is not reciprocated.
I have also compared the prices they charge for parts with other automotive garages that SPECIALIZE with Mercedes, and Playa West charges at least 10% more. I know there is a margin for what they get at cost versus retail, but they charge way above a reasonable retail price. Again, no loyalty to return customers.
I guess the real question is why am I the fool who took my car there 7x!!!

Needed to get my tire patched and went here after calling around and getting a good time estimate. Once I arrived, I realized this is the kind of place I want to come everytime I need my car serviced. The office is lined with hand-​written thank you notes from customers. And I would have to agree with the notes — the service is great, I had confidence in the people (normal guys that I feel like I’d be friends with outside of work) and they did the work within the estimated time. Very genuine and authentic people, and you can’t ask for better in the car repair industry.

If you like getting swindled you have come to the right place! I called and got an estimate which was then promptly increased $ 42 after I dropped off my car because they «had looked at the wrong part». I had to go talk to the guy in the office and showed him the prices I saw online and what I recieved from other estimates and he dropped it only $ 15, «their cost». I was getting over a $ 400 repair done I’m sure someone could’ve ate this cost…
They give you a suggested list of maintenance/​repairs when you pick up your car. One of which was «Brake System Flush». This was fishy because I had gone here the year before to get my brakes replaced and asked and was charged for this service. So either they didn’t do this service the last time or they are BSing me? IDK
I am giving you 2 stars because your mechanics do a great job you just need to hire a new front office… Two strikes and you are out!

I came here for a simple diagnosis on a Saturday and they said they would get back to me at the end of the day. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen and I had to wait until Monday before the shop reopened. I was never contacted about my car that Monday. I didn’t want to be pushy, and I assumed they worked on my car that day and would get back to me the following day, but I was again not contacted that Tuesday. I finally called on Wednesday and they told me they have not looked at my car but would do so by the end of the day. I called on Thursday morning and they said they still haven’t looked at it and would do it by 3 PM. I called at 4 PM and they said they would do it by Friday morning. I took my car out.

Andy is honest, kind, and knowledgeable. What more can you ask from a mechanic?

Finding a mechanic is tough enough as it is — when you’re new to the area and don’t know anyone, you just have to trust Unilocal reviews to steer you in the right direction.
I was in desperate need of an oil change and after cruising Unilocal,I found Playa West was less than a mile from home. Perfect! After calling them, I learned that they only take appointments — and by appointments you pick a day to drop off your car and pick it up later. They were able to take my car the next day.
I arrived as soon as they opened and was greeted by the team. Willie checked me in and explained Playa West’s process — during the oil change they’ll also do a courtesy check to ensure your car is in great condition. They’ll provide recommended service, if applicable.
The «shuttle» was a little odd. Basically you drive your car wherever you need to get with an employee in the passenger seat. You drop yourself off, and the employee drives it back to the auto shop. Thankfully RJ rode along and he was pleasant to talk to, and I’m appreciative that they were able to «drop me off» at all. I guess some places won’t care how you get to and from the mechanic.
A few hours later I get the call that the oil change went well and RJ explained what services I would need to take care of. I love that he was honest about what needed to be done immediately and what could wait til my next oil change. He also provided a quote that is good for 90 days.
Picking up my car and checking out was a breeze. As a woman, I felt comfortable bringing my car to Playa West and didn’t feel like I was being hustled into paying for extra services. Thank you to the team — you guys are great. And thanks for the thank you card!

Once again I can’t say enough about the service dedication here. They spent one half hour on there backs trying to figure out how to fix our 2006 Volvo’s fog light trouble. It was just one side and we decided together not to repair it at this time yet I found the dedication to the possible fix remarkable !!! Granted I was in for a lube, oil and filter but this is not the first time they have ALL shined.
Thanks,
–DTz

My car had timing belt job at this place 4 years ago ($ 800). My car is due for timing belt and water pump replacement every 90,000 miles. After little over 40k miles, I had to replace water pump again (water pump bearing failure) because they used cheap aftermarket water pump. It wasn’t the only problem. Some of the bolts were not tighten properly and made my engine rattle. I was told they use only oem parts but found out it wasn’t. I found old invoice and found out that the labor charge was $ 460 and $ 265 for parts.
Here are the list of parts they charged and actual cost if you buy your own,
1.Gates V-​belt (p/​s) $ 19.85 $ 7.71
Gates V-​belt (AC/​Alt) $ 19.00 $ 5.17
Gates Timing belt $ 48.75 $ 15.52
Airtex water pump $ 97.07 $ 35.79
Beck arnley crank seal $ 17.38 $ 3.21
(2) Beck arnley cam seal $ 24.12 $ 6.90
(2) coolant $ 38.00 $ 24.00
Total parts charged $ 264.17 VS $ 98.30
None of the above parts are OEM for my car (Aisin is OEM parts for my car).
Bottom line, Double check if they use OEM parts. If they say they use OEM parts and you found out it wasn’t, get yourself a good lawyer.
Other tip: Buy your own OEM parts online (still cheaper than what they charge with cheap aftermarket brand), shop around for place where they would charge you labor only. I spent $ 150 for OEM parts from online and paid $ 350 for labor somewhere else. I would not go back to this place nor recommend.

After perusing the reviews here, I called Playa West for an appointment for my truck. I experienced exceptional, friendly, professional service, and I wanted to pass this information along because everyone needs a great mechanic in their arsenal. My 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 wouldn’t shift into park after our move from the Bay Area to L.A. Since she isn’t a spring chicken anymore, I was really worried about it possibly being the transmission. She looks and runs great for her age, save a hiccup or two here and there. Thankfully, this was a hiccup!
I called Playa West on Thursday afternoon and they were actually apologetic that they did not have an appointment available until Monday morning. I thought that was a very nice gesture! The only place I have ever gotten immediate service is through a dealership, and that always ended up being a financial rabbit-​hole (I don’t make that mistake anymore). Anyway, I actually take it as a good sign when an automotive shop is busy. The gentleman told me to drop it between 7am and 9am, but to be there before 9am. No problem.
I drop it off on Monday morning and Willie helps me out. I tell him about the issue: she won’t go into park, I have to start her in neutral, she shifts into all other gears just fine. He gets all of my info and I agree to a diagnostics fee of $ 98.50. I asked if it would go toward whatever repair was needed, but Willie said that was only in cases where they could visually identify the problem quickly. I know folks often expect free estimates, but I’m paying for the mechanic’s expertise and time. My husband used to restore Volkswagens as a hobby, so I have a decent understanding of the time and effort it takes to source vehicle problems (and the amount of cursing it takes, too). No problem with the estimate fee.
A few hours later, RJ gives me a call to let me know that they have found the problem. The shift control linkage was out of adjustment, and a readjustment would only cost a grand total of $ 118.20. The grand total would be $ 118.20, INCLUDING the estimate fee. Skilled mechanic, Daniel, found the problem quickly, so they did not charge me the estimate fee! Now that’s service!
So, I dropped my truck off at a little before 9am this morning, and I’m writing this review at 1pm, with my truck parked cozily in her spot downstairs. They have a customer for life! Thank you for your hard work and hospitality, Willie, RJ, and Daniel!

I stopped by this week suddenly with a leaky tire, and had such a great experience. I was worked on as soon as I got there, and had my tire inspected and fixed in a matter of 10 minutes! I would definitely recommend this place!

Playawest automotive has the best customer service ever! Andy and his crew are amazing. I highly recommend going there especially if you are a female and you want someone honest!

I called them to ask them a question about my brakes because I took my car to Firestone to get a balance and alignment check and asked them to check my squeaky brakes as well. Firestone told me the cost to fix everything would be about $ 525 and told me exactly what needed to be fixed.
After I spoke with Firestone I called here to see if that amount sounded correct or if I should bring my car into them to fix it for a cheaper price. This place is my neighborhood car shop but I work down the street from Firestone.
The man I spoke to on the phone was extremely helpful and honest. He told me what it should cost and said their quote was pretty dead on. I appreciate his honesty and knowing that there’s a car place in LA that isn’t out just to make a buck. Great customer service!

No headaches. No hassles. Nothing, but straight-​forward service, car repairs, and smog checks.
Playa West Automotive is an extremely busy and popular auto repair shop in Playa del Rey a few blocks east of Pershing Drive. Locals know it and apparently everyone knows it very well because more than one PDR resident and veteran recommended Playa West Automotive when I need some simple repairs and a smog check ($ 59.25).
The place was packed with a line of cars for service, so, it really must be a local favorite for fixing cars. I agreed to leave my car there and come back. Best of all, the service was completed on time as promised and at the exact rate quoted. I never felt once that I was getting the run around at all.
There’s no reason to necessarily drive out of your way for Playa West Automotive, but if you live in Playa del Rey, Marina del Rey, Westchester, and North El Segundo, I recommend Playa West Automotive. What else do you want besides a fair price, done on time without any headaches or hassles?