Dealership quoted me 1,900 for brakes and a couple of sensors on a car that is worth maybe five grand. I said I would think about it and left. I know somebody here has that one shop they have used for ten years and would not go anywhere else. Where is yours and what did they do that earned it?
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Kondo Motors on 11th just off Pico, been my place forever. Family run, they show you the old part and they will tell you straight when something can wait another year.
Santa Monica prices, so not the cheapest, but I have never once felt handled or upsold. ^^
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Hana Auto in Koreatown for me. Heedo has been running it forever and he is the only mechanic who has ever talked me out of a repair. Text him a photo of the dealer estimate and he will tell you what on it is real.
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The Tesla spoiled me because there is almost nothing to service, but before that I used Culver Motor Clinic and I would send my mother there. Two things earned it. They gave me a written estimate before touching anything, and when a repair came in under quote they charged me the lower number without me asking. That is the whole test, honestly.
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WM Auto Service, ask for Wally!!
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Rod's Auto, Atwater. Twelve years, zero games.
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The thing that finally worked for me was to stop looking for a cheap shop and start looking for one that will say no to work. Any place that finds two extra things every single visit is telling you what it is.
What I do now is get the dealer estimate, then take it to an independent and ask them to price only the items that fail an actual test, not the ones that are just old. Piechowski Auto in West LA did that for me on a brake job the dealer wanted 1,600 for and it came in around half.
Two more things. Ask if they are AAA approved or ASE certified, it is not a guarantee but the bad ones usually are not either. And go once for something small, an oil change or an alignment, before you hand them anything expensive. You learn a lot from how they handle a 90 dollar job.
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My best friend is a mechanic. I pay him for the parts, like the breaks you mentioned. It’s never more than 300 to 400 dollars.
What can I do? I am just a girl…
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That’s how it should be. Have some vitamin B guys.
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This is literally how L.A. works.
You know a guy who knows a guy.. or you have some skills that are valuable to them.
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You got it girl. It doesn’t even matter how much money you make. You know your people. I never went to a mechanic so far.
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Works the same for the guys? 
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Trust me, it doesn’t even matter.
“Vitamine B” goes a long way in L.A..
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Go to North Hollywood Auto Repair, 5451 Tujunga Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91601.
Dan and his mechanics are honest and offer transparency. They are cheaper than most other stores. Repairs don’t take weeks, most of the time it’s same day or next day pickup.
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My trusted shop is Larsen Automotive in Culver City. They don’t try to scam you. I have been taking my vehicle to Larsen Automotive for many years now.
Just leave your car with them. They will call you to discuss the specifics and the costs, then give you a price. I’ve never experienced more professional mechanics and prices are reasonable low for 2026.
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