Sorrento Valley Automotive

I have been taking my vehicles to SVA for many years and I refer anyone who asks to Nancy and David. They are trustworthy, honest, fairly priced, and quick to communicate and answer questions. I like that they respond via text. I can’t imagine any of these bad reviews being legitimate. I have honestly never had a bad experience with this facility and will continue to refer business and take my vehicles to SVA.

We have been coming here for years. They are honest and very helpful always .
Definitely trust them !

These guys are fabulous! I’ve been taking my VW GTI to them for two years for the normal yearly check. Back in January I wrapped my white car around a yellow parking pole, leaving gunky yellow on the body and a seriously scraped handle. When I took it in to be serviced, they cleaned the yellow gunk off (no charge) and gave me a referral to get the handle fixed. This week I took it in because the tire pressure sensor wouldn’t turn off. The problem was with the tire in the *trunk*. They fixed everything up … no charge. These folks are the best!

BEWARE! BEWARE! BEWARE! Took my car in a few weeks ago. First of all, they will only communicate VIA TEXT MESSAGE which is ridiculous in its own right. They have one person in the office and one mechanic which means they told me they couldn’t fix it for weeks AFTER I took it in for eval-​never mentioned the backlog until it was too late. I had to pull teeth to get them to communicate. My guess is they rely on a few neighborhood regulars that they prioritize and keep them afloat.
They told me they would call me the next day to schedule the work and THEY NEVER CALLED. So they take your eval money and run.
Also, I then took my car to the dealer, they quoted me HALF the price and gave me a free rental.
You’ve been warned!

I’ve had the most horrible experience here. Don’t bring your car here! You’ll feel swindled. My Mazda MPV wouldn’t start. A day after dropping off, I got a series of texts. First, my radiator needs to be replaced and it will cost $ 850. But, that’s NOT the engine problem. They don’t know what the engine problem is. Waiting two more days, they texted me back and said it will cost $ 200-​$ 300 to diagnose the engine problem. That’s just to diagnose, not fix. At other auto repair shops, that estimate fee can be used towards the fix. But not with SVA. I tried calling them, but they never returned my call and only texted. So, $ 300 + $ 850 out and I still haven’t fixed the engine problem. Who knows how much that will be!
So I called around and some mechanics were a little shocked by just the radiator estimate. I eventually towed my car to somewhere else to get fixed, but I had to pay $ 100 for the radiator estimate by SVA. So, nothing done to the car and I’m out $ 100, and 10 days. Yep, they were your worst nightmare for an auto shop. I found another auto repair shop who quoted half the price for the radiator, called me to explain all the problems within a day and are quick and honest!

We have been using Sorrento Valley Auto for over 10 years.
My daughters car broke down yesterday and had it towed to them, today they fixed it without any hassle.
Great Service and prices, we appreciated them looking Alice so quickly as she needed her car to get to work. Its difficult to find a garage that is trustworthy, I would recommend them anytime :)
thank you

I was recommended to this take my car. So, I took my car for a full check-​up, and they finished the job earlier than the expected time.
It was impossible to talk to them via phone, but they were very good about texting me back. I was able to make an appointment easily and take it there as soon as I got off from work. When I brought my car home and had some questions around 6 p.m. (they were closed), they kindly responded to my text very fast. My questions were answered, and I was a satisfied customer.
This place is always booked. This tells me that they have many returning customers, and that alone says a lot. Make sure to make an appointment via text. I would definitely return to this place. It was my first visit yet I can already trust them with my car.

Very unfriendly to new customers. I just asked for a quote on a simple job and the response I got back was how busy they were. I would give half a star just for answering the phone. A whole star is just pushing it.

I was referred to Sorrento Valley Automotive by a friend. The A/​C stopped working in my vehicle and was in need of repair. I called ahead and Nancy told me to bring in the vehicle the next morning. Easy to find location and CLEAN which is refreshing. Within a few hours Nancy called with the diagnosis and the repairs needed. I arrived just before 6pm (their closing time) and Nancy was waiting for me. Nancy showed me the valve that needed to be replaced and explained the repairs completed. She’s so knowledgeable you would think she’s the technician that worked on the vehicle. Even the cost of the repair was reasonable. So nice to see a thriving family owned business in Sorrento Valley. I will be back the next time I need repairs on my vehicle.

Sorrento Valley Automotive has repaired and serviced 5 vehicles over 14 years. Each vehicle’s life was extended because Of SVA’s knowledgable and professional staff.
Over the years I have recommended SVA to friends and each thanked me for introducing them to Nancy and David at SVA. Their work is excellent, prices are fair, and they are nice people to do business with.
John Turk

Good auto service places are hard to find, at least for me. Over a year ago, my radiator overheated on my way to work, this place is the closest to my office so I took my car there. Apparently my radiator had cracked and had to be replaced. My car is 15 years old and has over 200,000 miles. They had the car fixed and returned to me that day!
Jump ahead 14 months, my car overheated again last Friday afternoon. Filled it up with water and took it back to SVA to have it checked before fighting an hour of traffic home. I was devastated to be told the car was un-​drivable and radiator was cracked. I was stressing just thinking of the possible cost. Then the lady said she would call the manufacturer and see if they would stand behind their product. Monday was MLK day and she said they were booked up but would try to get to my car. I was very grateful to get a text Monday that my car would be ready by 5pm
Apparently the manufacturer came on Monday to inspect and agreed the product failed. I was so relieved and grateful when it turned out I didn’t owe anything. I have no idea if there was a warranty as she didn’t say anything but I am used to 1 year warranties and at 14 months we were past that.
I will come back here anytime I need work (though I hope its not for a while! :))

our car broke down on the freeway and was led here by AAA towing truck. It was our first blessing. This place is serious about car repair and they took care of us from the moment we got there.
Very good service all around, and oh, it’s very clean. :)
I highly recommend SVA.

Excellent service, honest, and a good value. I have been using SVA for ten years on my Volvo, BMW and Audi. The repairs are well done and completed on schedule. Nancy is always available by telephone or in person to explain things and give objective advice on cars in general. I can highly recommend the SVA Team.

We are 9 months new to the area and took our cars here a few times. You can not get anyone on the phone 90 percent of the time… they only text message… IF they get back to you… It’s aggravating at the least to NEVER get someone on the phone. Especially when they have your car hostage and it is being worked on and you need it!
It was proved to me this week of their less than honest practice, after buying my son a used car an hour north of here. We took it to be checked out at Sorrento and were told it needed several huge repairs totaling $ 1200. Axels, motor mounts, etc… We took it back to where we bought it and were quoted $ 560 for the same work at Sorrento. We let the orig. guy do the work and brought it back to Sorrento to make sure it was done properly and now we’re told by Nanci the timing belt HAS to be replaced immediately… it is a safety issue!
The transmission mount is bad and much more! Well, WHY didn’t you say that last week when we brought it.
The car is barely worth the $ 3000 bill of the work quoted– their labor is 100 an hour BTW. My son said, «well there is a new squeak, are you sure everything you took apart is properly replaced and tightened?» (probably nothing but a belt that needs tightening or to be greased)
Nanci said, We did not take anything apart… the mechanic just drove it down the street. hmmmm… How can you know all that without fiddling under the hood.
too fishy for me!
We will never return here and will be taking our cars (we have 4) to Bill Smith auto now in Solana. They have much better reviews.

This place is awesome. I truly believe they are honest and will do the best work on your car.
Located down the street from my office, I tried to get in right away… gave a brief description and had to wait several days. Though it really seemed that if it was an emergency, she would have tried to slip me in.
They performed a GREAT job on my car, showed me the crapped out pieces afterwards and gave me a long explanation as to what they did and how they did it. At one point, she mentioned that my brakes were wearing as well on the back (I had front breaks and other items done). So I thought, well, tell me how much for rear, thinking to myself I might as well take it all. She then texted back, I have at least 10k more miles on those brakes, it’s not necessary to change them out now. What car repair place does that? Usually they try to pile on the repairs… I appreciated their honesty.
The place is kinda OFF the main street, hidden behind another building. And they still have a waiting list to get in. That should say something. Also, it seems they may be a bit pricey but you know what, you get what you pay for. I’m sold on them and will continue to take my car for any future repairs. Hopefully, I never have to see them again, but if I do, they can count on my business.

I couldn’t say enough positive things about these guys, at this shop. I have been,(along with many people I recommend, and all my family), using this shop for many years. I have zero complaints. Nancy is very nice, always recommends top-​notch shops, for services they don’t provide. I have taken my car to one place they recommended, and will be taking it to another place they recommended, and was amazed by the service they provided.
I have tested this shop a couple times to make sure all work was being done honestly (writing on the oil filter before getting an oil change, writing on the tires and labeling them on a sheet of paper before getting a tire rotation, etc…) they never disappoint!
Take your car here. While you’re here, strike up a conversation with Nancy, at the front counter. Believe me, along with the other 5-​star reviews here, you will NOT be disappointed. I can’t tell you how many times I recommend this shop, and I hear, after asking how the service went, «It was amazing! I am taking my car back for it’s next service!» I work on cars myself, and the things I can’t do, I send them here. THE BEST SHOP, PERIOD!

SOOOO… it’s my 25^th anniversary with David and Nancy and I JUST remembered after leaving there today to get my BMW fixed. Happy Anniversary to us! It’s been a great 25 yrs and now little Eric is big Eric and taking care of my car. WOW time flies!
My BMW battery – dead as a door nail! Had AAA come out and take a look, asked them for the model number because BMW San Diego was going to see if I had bought it from them. AAA said it wasn’t them I remembered SVA had replaced it! I called Nancy just to see if she had the battery, not even KNOWING about a warranty.
She said «get your butt in here now! That battery is only months old! I’m giving you a new one. Just come right now.»
Sure enough, got the jump, ran down there and was out in 15 minutes.
She could have easily have not even mentioned the warranty but that isn’t how they operate! For 25 yrs, we have taken all our cars there. The BMW – it’s a 2001 with 185,000 miles on it. I ONLY have it serviced there. AND when it broke down in Palm Desert a few years back, we literally had it towed to SVA and paid $$$ because we did not trust anyone else to touch it.
The BEEMER LIVES ON!!!

SVA has always been the best auto repair I have ever encountered! I will never take my car anywhere else unless I move out of San Diego-​I have been a customer for about 5 years now.
They make appointments and hold to them and keep you informed while your car is in their posession! The customer service is top notch! It is no wonder they are busy and you need to schedule an appointment!
If an auto repair place is busy it is usually a good sign!

I have nothing but good things to say about this place. Nancy in front is great and David really knows his stuff. They are definitely not out to just take your money. They genuinely fix cars first, and make money doing it. We had heard that they were upstanding, good people, and they proved it to us.
Just as an example, we took our 06 Audi in to have it checked out prior to driving it across the country, 2700 miles to MD. During the trip/​safety check, which ran us about $ 100, they found what seemed to be a bad wheel bearing, which was going to take the bill up to about $ 400. They put on the new part, but it turned out not to make a difference and wasn’t the cause in the first place, so what did they do? They undid what they did and charged neither for labor or for the unnecessary part.
Take your car there, you’ll get an honest assessment and quality work.

Wednesday: I called early during business hours to get an estimate. I got their answering machine and left a message. By about midday, I hadn’t heard back, so I called to follow up. After talking to someone, I said I *may* bring my car in Friday, she said ‘ok’.
Friday: I call early again to see if they can fit be in, but no answer. Since SVA didn’t return my previous call, I decide to call back later. Later arrives and no answer still, so I drive over to speak with anyone and I am told that not only did SVA see me call both times, but they didn’t answer specifically because they, «Didn’t recognize my number». Additionally, they couldn’t help me because they only accept service via appointment.
So much for finding a good mechanic close to my office, form now on, I will stick with my normal shop, Suspension Plus on Midway Drive.