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August 2023 by Dena Fradette
I made the big mistake of recommending Orinda Motors to my dad whose car overheated over the weekend. Of course, my dad said he just needed to add coolant, but I insisted he double check. Sure enough, Orinda Motors said my dad needed a new hose and wanted to charge $2300 for it when my dad’s mechanic would have charged $400 for the same job. My dad did the smart thing - he said no thank you and drove home. Not only that, but Orinda Motors diagnostics specifically called out that there were no leaks detected…so why did they tell my dad he needed a new hose? Furthermore, they did add in the coolant for him BUT they overfilled it! They didn’t use a cone, so my dad had puddles of coolant all over his engine, including running down the side of the car on the paint. Not to mention that any person who can read a label or has common sense knows not to overfill the coolant. Stay away from these guys! They are the perfect example of mechanics who overcharge for shoddy or unnecessary work. Scammers. And now I have to deal with my dad constantly pointed out how terrible Orinda Motors are.Services: Auto engine diagnostic
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August 2023 by kyle cushing
Couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I work in orinda and have had this nasty noise coming from my rear wheel. 2 mechanics before taking it here told me they were “unsure” what the noise was. Jaimie, an incredible service advisor got me in within an hour of talking to him. Come to find out I was basically driving around a death machine due to bad prior mechanic work. Pete was the tech that got me all fixed and back on the road in an hour ! Would 1000000% recommend if you are looking for a fair, competent shop to take care of your prize possession, or even just your daily driver. Great price too!
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August 2023 by Rob Scott
These guys are amazing! I called to see if they could squeeze me in before a long trip to take care of a turn signal issue and they did. Great to work with and excellent service!Service: Electrical repair
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June 2023 by Tyler Godfrey
I took my car in after having an overheating problem and they did the diagnostics and told me I had a blown head gasket and wanted me to pay over $2000 to get it fixed. I asked specifically if they did a combustion leak block test to confirm that the head gasket was blown and they told me over the phone that they did the test and it confirmed the head gasket was bad. I was suspicious of their diagnosis so afterwards I bought the test kit myself and tested it and it turned out the head gasket was fine. I put coolant in my car and it’s been running great ever since. At the very least they cut corners to try and charge me tons of money for something that wasn’t broken. At worst they were completely dishonest in the diagnosis of the problem and tried to take advantage of me. They were friendly and professional but completely dishonest. I never write reviews but this kind of service deserves 0/5 stars. Go to an honest repair shop instead.
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May 2023 by James Turner
Great crew and front office! One day in and out. Easy!Service: A/C installation & repair
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May 2023 by Jindy F.
I used Orinda Motors once in my life and it was the first and last time. They are just down the road from me but they charge exorbitant prices for simple and routine auto tasks. I've read some of the responses by the employees and it's worth a good chuckle. If you hate money or you are the type of person that can use $100 bills for toilet paper, give Orinda Motors a shot. At least they smile while they rip you off.
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April 2023 by John Fernandez
Took our 2010 Mercedes GLK here recently for the first time. Service was great and my service rep Tara was great as well! They recommended a bunch of maintenance items, given we hadn’t serviced the car for 2 years (barely driven), but it is an old car with high mileage so wasn’t surprised. I accepted some and deferred others, and liked how they didn’t pressure me to get things done. I also appreciated how complete they were in their diagnosis of maintenance issues to be aware of and the detail they provided. Overall great experience and would recommend them!Services: Air & cabin filter replacement
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April 2023 by Maria L. M.
BEWARE The people here were rude and money grabbers zero customer service or tact I should have read reviews before coming here. First off I had one initial appointment i had rescheduled on their online system and the guy tells me they had zero appointment for me that day and they can't look at my car UNTIL the next day for which I had no ride to come back and get my car. I later emailed him the confirmation from THEIR online system that I had an appointment. I tried calling ahead to get questions answered and no one answered the phone on several occasions. I was referred by carmax to take my car here. While checking my car in right off the bat Jamie the mechanic/manager lets me know to be prepared to pay for whatever the warranty doesn't cover because whatever they charge and the warranty coverage usually don't align. He immediately has me sign something agreeing to pay $250 for a diagnostic fee as I told him my issue. He's letting me know what he thinks could be the problem on my Acura RDX and an honest mechanic would have just referred me to the dealer off the bat knowing they don't do software updates there. It was shady that if he already had a feeling this would be the problem why did he agree to take in my car. It turned out to be exactly what he said to begin with so I got charged $250 for him to plug in and get a code which they would have done at dealer and given me a software update for as much as I paid today. I regretted leaving my car there. Today while at the front desk the woman at the front was stern and asked a question by my family member at pick up and she didn't look at him to address him very disrespectful. With how expensive this fee is I would expect a wash and vacuuming but nothing. Dishonest and shameful way to take someone's money telling them the problem is something that they know they can't fix there and having them agree to pay $250. I will warn everyone I know not to go here. I am beyond angry and hope this review avoids other people from wasting their time here.
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March 2023 by C R
I have been going to Orinda Motors for years. They are alway so nice, efficient and do excellent work. They’ve worked on two cars I’ve owned over the years, one a Nissan, and my current Toyota. I highly recommend them for your automotive care.Services: Auto maintenance
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February 2023 by Harriet Buckley
I sought out this business because they received great reviews and I noticed they have been Diamond certified which to me meant they must have honest business practices. I needed the heater fixed in my older model truck. Tara the wonderful receptiionist explained the whole process in detail and when they fixed the problem she had the part already on her computer to show exactly what got replaced. Great job! I’m so pleased with this business and I will be happy to recommend them.
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February 2023 by Scott Dickey
My mom hadn’t driven her Volvo for more than two years, and was concerned that it was not safe to drive. I took it into Orinda Motors, who did a thorough inspection, and identified a few minor problems. The work was done, fast, thoroughly, and it was reasonably priced.I have gone to Orinda Motors with my Jaguars and my wife’s Lexus, and recommend them highly.Service: Vehicle safety inspection
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January 2023 by Chris Bebek
courteous and pleasant as always. After assessment they acquired 4 new tires in one day and did an alignment. They also arranged and paid for a Lyft ride..Services: Wheel alignment
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January 2023 by Christie Meehan
My service was excellent. I dropped my car off at 8 AM and two hours later the service was done.Service: Oil change
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November 2022 by Cynthia Adams
Always friendly, helpful, knowledgeable staff. Have always backed up their work and they respect my car, keeping it clean and tidy.Services: Oil change
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August 2022 by Kathy K.
Just wanted to give a shout out to Jamie who went above and beyond to help a stranded lady. My car broke down and I happened to pull over across from Orinda Motors. I went into their shop and was told that unfortunately, they were booked three weeks out. Jamie was kind enough to run a diagnostic on my car to determine the possible issue. His compassion and generosity in an extremely stressful situation, was very much appreciated. Great customer service!!!
