Berkeley Minicar

Berkeley Minicar did an oil change and tire rotation on our old Toyota Echo. They recommended replacing the ignition coils which we needed to save up for. A few months later we had it towed into Berkeley Minicar because the battery was dead. I requested a new battery and the previously recommended ignition coils work be done. I was told they had to diagnose the car to see what needed doing. I said that was fine but I knew it needed a battery and the previously recommended work but do what needs doing. They called the next day and said it needed a battery and the ignition coils replaced. Yep, knew that already, please proceed. They called the second day and said it didn't need the coils and was ready to be picked up. We assumed they were correct as they said they had driven it. Drove out and the car stalled and died 10 minutes from the shop. My 16 year old daughter had to help push it out of traffic on College Ave, a lesson that was avoidable as we had just left the shop. We had it immediately towed somewhere else and they confirmed it did in fact need the ignition coils replaced. They did the work and now it runs perfect. I’m confused how they could get it so wrong when they originally recommended the work it needed. In the end, I’m just grateful we were lucky enough that we didn't crash and injure ourselves or anyone else.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Berkeley Minicar provided outstanding customer service from beginning to end. Had a really great experience here from start to finish! What I appreciated most was the communication—they kept me updated every day on what was being done and how much everything would cost, which made the whole process way less stressful. My car had been sitting untouched at another shop for three weeks, so I was relieved to finally get it back running better than it has in a long time. They replaced the mass airflow sensor, worked on the serpentine belt and pulley system, changed the oil, serviced the transmission fluid, rotated the tires, topped off all the fluids, and even charged the battery. Everyone was super friendly, honest, and easy to work with throughout the entire process. My car honestly feels brand new again. Definitely a 10/10 experience, and I’d totally recommend them to anyone looking for a trustworthy mechanic.

the guys are professional but I'm sad that they charged me $185 without fixing any engine light problem at all, should have gone to the Toyota dealdership at the first place Edit (May 23rd 2025): The owner called me back and refunded me in full and promised me to double check with the mechanics in charge of my car. Thank you! I think they are pretty sincere. I changed my score from 1 to 4.

I didn't forget about yall. I brought my car to Berkeley Mini Car because the AC was not blowing cold and the compressor was rapidly short-cycling. My experience proved that this shop is defrauding consumer rebate programs by charging maximum diagnostic fees while performing zero actual diagnostics and giving out dangerous advice.During my first visit, they kept my car for 3 hours and charged nearly $500 to my consumer repair program. They claimed they couldn't find a leak, injected dye, and told me to run the AC for two weeks. When I left, the compressor was still violently short-cycling. Knowing this could destroy the system, I turned it off and confronted the service manager, Diem. After keeping my car a second time for 5 hours without even touching it, Diem tried to excuse their failure by claiming that under the program’s rebate rule, they were "only responsible for finding a leak or why the air wasn't blowing cold," rather than performing a complete AC diagnostic.This is blatant program fraud. They charged $500 for a leak and temperature diagnostic that they completely failed to perform. Diem tried to cover it up with impossible technical data, claiming my pressures with the AC off were 150 high / 20 low (which is physically impossible as static systems equalize).The true level of their incompetence and fraud was exposed when I took my car to a different authorized shop. Using the exact same dye, the new mechanic found a clear condenser leak within 5 minutes. Furthermore, the new shop discovered that my system was actually severely overcharged with too much refrigerant, which is exactly what was causing the high-pressure short-cycling. Berkeley Mini Car completely missed this critical detail during their "diagnostic."Berkeley Mini Car took $500 from a consumer program to completely misdiagnose a basic issue, fail a 5-minute visual inspection, and give me negligent advice that could have caused thousands of dollars in catastrophic engine damage. I am reporting them directly to the program administration. Avoid this shop at all costs. And please before you respond, know if have the paperwork to prove everything I stated in this review.

I have been a customer of Berkeley Minicar for decades. It is with sadness, and some shock, that I report my recent experience there. At the last service, I was told that only 3 mm was left on both the front and rear brake pads, so I needed to replace both. My antenna were tingling, due to there being a new service manager, new front office staff, and a “help wanted” sign on the sidewalk. I checked and found that brake wear at 3 mm didn’t look consistent with past service records at Berkeley Minicar. So I took the car to another mechanic. I learned my brakes are still good for 10,000 miles. The new group at Berkeley Minicar reported wear is at 3 mm; the truth is that wear is at 5 mm on rear brakes and 4 on the front. To add insult to injury, Berkeley Minicar’s price for the brake job is $250 higher than that of the other mechanic. Berkeley Minicar was good for decades. Not any more.