Griffin's Auto Repair

Dr.John Meisner

★★★★★

a year ago

Mario and the team have treated me like royalty at this shop. They are honest, precise, and thorough. They catch issues that can turn wrong later so you don't end up paying for expensive problems later. They are truly leading the automotive industry in San Diego. their prices are great, and they work with imports which Is why I bring my 2002 xkr jaguar to them. I recommend you keep your car in routine care with them, but also trust them to get you on the road with solid repair work.

Roddy V

★★★★★

6 months ago

I recently moved to Downtown San Diego, bought a used car and needed a local repair facility to inspect the car before purchasing it. Mario did a great job outlining inspection options and at the end of the day, I made an informed decision to buy the car. He was patient, helpful and super friendly. He definitely made the process of purchasing a used car less stressful and gave me peace of mind since I know have a shop to help me in the future with maintenance service. I highly recommend Griffin’s Auto Repair!

Jessica Saucedo

★★★★★

8 months ago

Exceptional service for my BEE 🐝 💨 I brought in my Bee for urgent repair and I couldn’t be more impressed. I talked to Carlos and Mario and what really stood out was their honesty, they explained everything clearly, didn’t push and treated me with respect. It is very rare to find a shop that combines speed, skill, and top-tier customer service! I will definitely be coming back.

Wesley Strawther

★★★★★

5 months ago

Fast reliable service on my 1990 VW Vanagon. Plus they're just a fun group of guys.

Sam Samano

★★★★★

2 months ago

Dwayn and Salas saved me from a bad vacation. Car battery started acting up during my road trip and I brought it in and they solved my issue with precision and in a timely manner. This is def a place I’d bring my car if I lived here.

Susan Hones

★★★★★

3 weeks ago

I’m planning on a road trip in the near future and they did a very nice job on getting my 91 VW ready. I asked what I needed to look out for as I am on the road they were Very pleasant and accommodating.

Natalie Paige

★★★★★

4 months ago

I had great experience at this shop! Mario was super helpful and kept me updated every step of the way, and Nick did an amazing job fixing my car quickly and thoroughly. Everyone was professional, honest, and esay to work with, highly recommend!

Brandon Spann

★★★★★

6 months ago

Great Service, Great Communication! Just had them work on my 1966 21 window VW bus. Super stoked it is running perfectly after sitting for several years. Thank you guys for the great work!!

jessica b

★★★★★

4 months ago

The staff is professional, polite and patient. They took the time to explain their plan, called with updates when they had more information, helped me prioritize the necessary repairs and fixed my car within 24 hours. Another company completed some subpar work on my car, leaving my oil pan damaged and covered in silicone unbeknownst to me. After my car leaked oil and shut off, I brought it into Griffin’s Auto Repair for work. I already felt pretty confident knowing AAA partners with them, but once I got there my worries were completely put at ease. The staff explained everything without talking down to me. They helped replace my oil pan and did a preventative maintenance check so I could make sure the rest of my car wasn’t being held together with silicone, silly putty and scotch tape. They didn’t push unnecessary work onto me, and I’m pretty sure they also fixed my parking light wiring so that it actually stayed on. The little things made me feel like they actually thoroughly looked at my car, and cared. Overall, 10/10 experience. They gained a long term customer and I’ll be recommending Griffin’s Auto Repair to anyone I know.

R.C. Aikin

★★★★★

5 months ago

My smart car experience Griffin stepped up to the plate. They were 25% cheaper than my local mechanic to correct the problem that I was experiencing which resulted in an inability to pass my smog test thank you Govenor Newsome. So they were able to bring it in do the work I had it back. It was done within 24 hours. I was quite impressed. The staff was courteous, professional, and I believe Detail oriented so I’m great. I’m quite happy with the results.

Mary Elliott

★★★★★

2 months ago

I've gotten consistently great service at Griffin's Auto over the past 10+ years. Mario was my service rep for my 75k service last week and did a great job communicating with me. I always feel like I can trust the service reps and Mario was no exception. Thanks for another great customer experience!

Annie Korn

★★★★★

3 weeks ago

Year after year, Mario, Dwain and the team at Griffin’s are top notch. They take great care of my Volkswagens. I have great respect and trust in this team. Thanks guys!

Randy Garrett

★★★★★

4 months ago

I went to Griffin’s Auto Repair for a minor issue. I needed a new bolt for the skid plate. Although they were extremely busy, they worked me in and took care of my problem. They were positive, friendly, very customer oriented and provided exceptional service. I was impressed with every person who helped me that day. I especially want to compliment Dwayne. His approach was amazing and very much appreciated! Thank you Griffin’s Auto Repair for the outstanding service you provided.

Jacobo Castellet

★★★★★

a month ago

I took my BMW here for the first time and not only they were very good people but also where very honest with price and very good with labor. They where also fast even though it was raining alot. I even told him I wanted to see his car and he started it up for me to hear and ran me through the work he has done on it.

Shawn T.

★★★★★

a month ago

I had a great experience at Griffin’s Auto Repair and want to give a big thank you to Dwayne, the service manager, and Nicholas, the master mechanic. From start to finish, they were professional, patient, and genuinely willing to work with me. Dwayne runs a tight ship up front — he communicated clearly, took the time to explain everything, and made sure I felt comfortable with the process. Nicholas did excellent work on the car and was more than willing to track down and fix a stubborn noise coming from my front right side post maintenance. They didn’t brush it off or rush me — they actually listened and made it right. What really stood out was their customer service. They were transparent, provided photos and explanations, and didn’t hesitate to recheck things until the issue was fully resolved. The car now drives great, and the peace of mind alone was worth it. It’s hard to find a shop that’s both skilled and honest, but Griffin’s definitely earned my trust. I’ll be coming back here for future work and would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking for quality repairs and great service.

LOVE BUG

★★★★★

6 months ago

🙌AMAZING 🤩 First Class service! ♥️ We Highly recommend this Auto Shop! Absolutely 💯 certified AAA recommended! These guys are the real deal they treat you right:)A million times thank you so very grateful to the owner & his professional crew! You’re our favorite! 🤩know it!

Aaron N

★☆☆☆☆

3 months ago

I came here today to get a coolant flush for my BMW E93. I had been experiencing overheating issues and had gotten a few fault codes on my OBD2 scanner relating to a possible blockage within the coolant system and possible pump failure. I asked them to do the flush. I received a phone call less than hour after leaving the shop. They told me that the engine cooling fans had switched on as soon as the engine was started, and that this was a really bad sign. They didn't give me any actual technical details but simply said that this was bad(which it is). I was already aware of this problem, as my OBD2 scanner had indicated that the coolant pump was being shutoff due to a blockage, which resulted in the car trying to cool itself as much as possible by running the fans at their full rpm. ​They didn't mention anything regarding the pump error codes at this point. Instead, they recommended a pressure test on my coolant system. I agreed knowing that it's a relatively simple and USUALLY inexpensive($80-100) procedure involving connecting a pump to the coolant reservoir and pumping the pressure up to the car's functioning coolant system PSI amount. This allows them to check for any leaks within the whole system. There weren't any. That cost me $193.33 for the pressure test alone. That's literally double what they charge at another shop down the street from them! I get a 2nd call an hour or so after the 1st with no mention of how the pressure test went. It's at this point they mention the fault codes showing up on their diagnostics equipment and make the recommendation that I replace the pump and thermostat(which is the most likely fix for this issue given my cars age, mileage, and the history of pump failures on all E90 series). It's at this point I realize that they hadn't even bothered to run a quick diagnostic on my car's system before recommending and completing a $193.33 pressure test. Knowing this, I declined their recommendation, and asked that they just perform the coolant flush with the hope that it might get rid of the blockage which would allow the pump to run again. I never assumed that this was guaranteed to solve the issue as I had mentioned to them that I may just need to replace the pump when I first got there. I knew this was a common issue with E90s. They told me it was unlikely to work(which it didn't) and that I would eventually just need to do the replacement(which I am). After picking up the car and arriving home, I plugged in my OBD2 scanner again just to recheck what error/fault codes were showing up. While doing this, my car notified me of my battery charge being at a low level. This had never occured before but was also indicative of a common problem that occurs when you bleed the coolant system and run the venting process. When doing this, it's recommended to connect the car to a battery charger because during the venting process, the electric water pump pulls a lot of power from the battery. During this process the engine isn't running. I called the shop to ask if their technician had connected my car to a battery charger during this process. They said that he did. When I told them that my battery was drained they took absolutely no responsibility and instead told me that they would go "check" to make sure that the 2 battery chargers they had were functioning properly and that my battery would eventually recharge itself when it's running...I will never go back here again and don't recommend anyone else does either.