Rene’s Automotive Service

I am disappointed with my last repair at Rene’s. I took my car to Ferdinand in Nov 2015 and explained the problem I was having and the potential reason. He said that it was not what I thought and that he could fix it. Fix #1 didn’t work. He tried something else and that didn’t work. He then came to the conclusion that what I told him initially was correct. After spending over $ 430 already and still having the same problem, Rene told me that it would cost me another $ 1100 to fix the car. I spoke to him today and argued that he had wasted my time and money. He didn’t care. I will never go back again! Terrible experience…

I’ve been going here for years. I trust Fernand completely!

I took my other car (an old Corvette) and Fermand proved almost magically efficient. My car had stalled and would not start. He started it, for free. Foolishly, I drove it away, where it stopped, again.
He did diagnose the problem and fixed it for a reasonable price.
Fernand is a «car whisperer.»

I always walk away from any work I need done on my car with greater knowledge and understanding of how exactly it functions thanks to Fernand and the guys here at Rene’s. I have been a loyal customer for over 8 years and would never take my cars anywhere else for service. These guys are the real deal… honest, friendly, completely knowledgable on all vehicles, and more reasonable than any other service station I have ever gone to. I’m only sorry I haven’t posted a perfect rating for them on Unilocal sooner. Thanks for everything Fernand.

Renee’s Automotive was referred to me by a colleague after I told him I was dissatisfied with my current mechanic. Have been nothing but pleased with my service thus far over the past year and am grateful that I have found these guys. They are polite, don’t try to sell you on stuff you don’t need and are more than helpful. Very pleased.

I went to this place due to an internal leakage I’ve been struggling with. Fernand called me after a couple of hours and explained every single detail about my problem. It was like a complete lecture! It was amazing how he took the time to make me aware of the problem, how he fixed a part instead of changing it and charging me way more than I have paid. He also provided me with detailed information on what to do if the problem occurs again. He definitely saved me a lot of money. I will definitely recommend this place to my friends and family. Fernand is honest, friendly, and he is very knowledgable in what he does.

I was simply blown away how amazing this mechanic and owner Rene was!
Not only was he super friendly and beyond belief nice. But he walked me thru mechanical problems of my car like a surgeon showing his interns how to do an operation.
He was precise, amazingly informative and obviously was not just a master mechanic but a wonderful teacher .
I brought car back for another problem and he was equally amazing and took 30 mins out of his busy day to explain what was the matter
Charge $ 0…
His staff were equally nice and easy to work with and knowledgeable as well.
He is NOW my go to mechanic and I trust he will help maintain my car for as long as he is in biz.
Prices were reasonably. No rip off here !
I recommend him 10 000%

The staff at Rene’s are superbly helpful and proactive. The prices are reasonable and everyone, especially Fernand, does an outstanding job of not just fixing, but explaining and educating. I am a better driver and car owner for having gone here.

I really DON’T want to give Fernand a five star review, because it will mean more people will know about him. I want to warn you to stay away from this totally honest, hard-​working awesome car mechanic. That way it will make it easier for me to get an appointment with him. And considering Fernand is the ONLY person I will trust with my car, I really need all of you Unilocal readers to not believe all the hype about how good this guy is… even though it’s true.

There’s no one I trust with my car except Fernand.
Fernand is the owner. His name is NOT Rene. There is no more Rene, Fernand bought the place years ago.
Fernand is like the Car Whisperer. He’s the Rain Man of automotive knowledge.
He literally stuns me with his encyclopedic knowledge of the intricate details of my car, your car, every car made in the last 40 years.
It’s this kind of detailed minutia, as well as his strong moral compass, that winds up saving you money.
He won’t replace something that can be fixed. He wouldn’t DREAM of trying to swindle you or up-​sell you. In fact, he’s gone out of his way to help me time and time again. I can’t even count up all the money I’ve saved since 2009 since I found Rene’s.
I used to live across the street from the shop, which was nice, since my truck is old and always needs something. But even though I moved five miles away and live 2 blocks from another repair shop, I wouldn’t dare go anywhere else.
Plus, he hires great mechanics, is a hands on supervisor who insists on a standard of excellence, and he has a trusted network of specialists for certain things he can’t do at his shop, like rebuild your engine or transmission.
In a world filled with greedy scammers and half assed service, Fernand, and Rene’s Automative is not just a good place to bring your car, it’s a relief.
believe dat!

THE ONLY reason Rene’s isn’t getting 5 stars is because they are closed on the weekend. For some reason, every mechanic in my area is closed on the weekend! Who does this? I had to take the morning off at work so that I could drop my car off and then take the train! (horrifying scream and screeching violin music here) ha ha ha… however, my experience was great so here is the review: After trying to find a more reputable mechanic for my car than Pep Boys… I found Rene’s here on Unilocal.I always take negative reviews with a grain of salt, because there are certainly bad experiences in every business out there. We all know we have had them! However, the good reviews FAR outweighed the bad one’s here and I found out that Rene’s is literally a 5 minute walk from my apartment! BIG SCORE! The owner is extremely friendly which is also reflected in his employee’s personalities. I never felt like I was being taken advantage of and when I spoke with them about my car issues, they were great to point out some things to listen and watch for without making me feel like an idiot. They also didn’t act like I was just a silly girl when I started talking to them about specific car issues that I knew about. (I grew up fixing my car with my dad, so although I can’t fix my car, I can definitely talk about it with an educated brain)
Service was fast and friendly. They offered the different things that SHOULD be done to the car, but were quick to point out the things that HAD to be done if I couldn’t afford the whole package at that time.
I would definitely recommend Rene’s to anyone that asked. I just wish I could take my car over there on a weekend and not lose time at work!

I have been going to Renee’s for almost two years now. Ferdinand and his staff are some of the most caring people I have met. They will not lie or cheat you. They will give you an honest assessment of the repairs that need to be done to your car. As soon as I dropped my car off I knew it was in good hands.
The only downside is that they are always booked, because they are so popular. Sometimes I have to wait up to a week to bring my car in. But, they are definitely worth the wait. You know you’re at a good place when they’re booked the whole week.
I can’t recommend this place enough. They know it all, they do it all, and if they can’t they will recommend someone who can. Their recommendations to other places can always be trusted.
Best mechanic in the Valley. Possibly in all of Los Angeles.

This review is for service I received back in May 2013, about 7 months ago.
I was visiting family in Los Angeles on an extended road trip, about to embark on the 1000 mile trek back to my home in Portland, Oregon. It had been some time since my 2002 4runner got a good checkup and there was a strange noise coming from the engine, so I decided to take my car in to get it looked at before the drive.
I found Rene’s on here and decided to give it a shot. Dropped the car off the night before my service. The following day Fernand gave me a couple progress update calls throughout the day, letting me know what they found, asking if I wanted them to proceed with certain things that would cost more, etc. All good calls, I was very happy to have had the updates, because when I went in to pick it up I knew exactly what everything was going to cost, no surprises.
Turns out the strange noise was my water pump. A very expensive part to replace. But rather than try and get another $ 800 out of me for the service, Fernand explained to me what’s going on in there, told me that it’s not actually failing yet, and said to wait it out. He explained the warning signs, what’s going to happen when the problem gets worse, and told me that only then should I shell out all that money. Very honest, I truly appreciated that. He even knew that I wouldn’t be taking it back to him for that service (as I live 1000 miles away).
Lo and behold, here I am seven months later, water pump still works and I swear the noise has only gotten quieter!
A note: Be ready to wait. When I dropped my car off and picked it up, I definitely had to wait a good 30 minutes each time. Don’t let that dissuade you though, it’s really a very small price to pay for some really great service.

Brought the vehicle in Monday at 8am. It’s now Tuesday at 5 pm, haven’t gotten any call from them about what’s wrong with my vehicle. I called earlier and left message because Ferdnand wasn’t there. No return call. Trying to call now, 6 times, line is busy. Not the best way to treat a return customer.

Amazing!!! My girlfriend needed car help (check engine light) brought it in, told us what’s up. Great advice and service. I will not come anyplace else.
Happy happy happy

I went to Rene’s based on Unilocal reviews and co-​worker recommendation, but I must say I am pretty disappointed overall. I just spent 2,200 on an engine rebuild and while the engine looks and functions great it’s other things that aren’t.
I brought my car in without any previous repairs in the last year, the only people who opened it was in fact Rene’s Auto from when I took it in a month prior for an inspection. I was told then that they replaced my serpentine belt to stop the noise, but didn’t charge me for it. The receipt said it was adjusted so I have no way to prove that it was replaced or not. Based on the fact that I hadn’t taken it anywhere else for it I am going to say there is a good chance they put a smaller belt on my vehicle at some point (my boyfriend took a look at it and it’s the wrong belt size). I was told over the phone that my «Air Conditioner was bypassed» and it would cost me an estimated $ 500 to fix it. In reality, it needs a larger belt and some Freon which we will do ourselves. My AC was working 100% before I took it into Rene’s and now it doesn’t blow cold air at all.
On top of this some other small complaints I have are the fact that when they took my car apart they lost all but one plug for my front bumper. I realized my bumper was being held on with a tiny piece of plastic and zip tied it back on myself out of fear I would lose it driving. In addition to that I brought my car in with a cracked windshield which wasn’t terrible, but it needed to be replaced at some point. It went from a smallish crack to now being cracked completely across the top and down to the middle (large spiderweb versus a small one). Now it’s urgent that I get it replaced.
While I understand that things happen when you are getting your car repaired, little things like this shouldn’t have happened and I certainly shouldn’t have lost my AC overall. I won’t be coming back, which is a shame because Fernand was amazing.
Additional Info as of 8÷13÷13.
Don’t go to this business, we believe that they never even really fixed the problem with my car and charged me over 2K to repair a problem that wasn’t even fixed. We now understand why the AC was bypassed, that’s what was making the noise. It was simply bypassed so it didn’t have to be repaired. Now it’s going to cost around $ 500 to get it fixed and who knows what this place actually did to my car. I should have requested the old parts… because now we will never know. I am planning to file a report with the BBB.

Fernande is an amazing mechanic and the most honest of mechanics! I am a customer for life! Thanks for taking care of my car and my girls car. Way better deal than the dealer and customer service. He explained everything perfectly and put me at ease. Thanks again!

Great customer service. Honest. Fair.
Lucky that Fernand could fit me into his busy schedule before I drive my recently acquired used car to New Orleans (leaving tomorrow a.m.). I don’t think I would have the same peace of mind if I’d had to go to another shop.
Consider this part one of a two part review, but the key for now is peace of mind and not having to worry about breaking down in the middle of New Mexico en route to The Big Easy.

Over a year ago, I ran into some car trouble and had to find a mechanic who other people trusted, seeing as I hadn’t had car trouble since moving to California and therefore no need to find a reliable mechanic yet. I hopped on Unilocal and typed «mechanic» into my general area, and Rene’s popped up. The overwhelming amount of positive reviews convinced me to go see him.
Very long story short, Fernand is amazing. He is brutally honest, very sincere, and just a good human being. He will straight up tell you if you can get a better price elsewhere. I had a small slow leak in my tire and he gave me a list of places I should go, and referred me to which ones wanted my business and which ones wanted my money. I used to do a lot of research about prices before agreeing to repairs when getting my car checked, but since going to Rene’s, I haven’t had to do that. He’s just honest and good at what he does.
Lately, the shop has been way, way too busy to get into. While this may be frustrating for the customer, I’m really happy that Fernand is doing so well that he’s too busy to see me! This place is as mom-​and-​pop feeling as it gets and the mechanics are trained very, very well. If I have to wait a few extra days so he can see me, I’ll hold out.
I recommend this guy and his team above all others.

I also agree Fernand and his crew are great. He does not sugar coat anything. He’ll tell you what needs to be fixed now, and what can wait. He jokes he is «frugal» with his customer’s money, which is something you’ll NEVER hear from typical mechanics who want to wipe you clean of your bank accounts.
I do agree it’s a bit of a hassle for a working woman when weekends aren’t available, however, I have been at the shop when Fernand will answer the phone AFTER hours and STILL agree to check something out on a car when he should be going home.
He cares, don’t let anyone tell you differently. Coming from New York where I had an excellent and trustworthy mechanic, it was a blessing to find the same sincerity in the valley. I don’t have to worry about my car again.