Secor's Automotive

Oct 18, 2024

Quick and professional smog check at a fair price. Quite happy with the smog check at this place.

Aug 18, 2024

I have brought my used 2012 BMW here multiple times. I find Joe (who runs it) to be honest, straightforward, and concise. He has deep experience doing this, and I appreciate it. I highly recommend Secors!

May 18, 2024

Joe and his team are real pro’s.

Mar 18, 2024

They get it done! (Smog check that is)

Feb 18, 2024

This review has come a little late but I’ve come a several times with my Honda Fit with regular maintenance and smog check. He is very honest, polite and provided great service. I would say most places have a hard time being truthful with issues and try to oversell you on things you don’t need but not this place. I always have any concern resolved and always have had great service. It’s also close enough walk to a small plaza with nice bites. I would definitely recommend coming here.

Jan 18, 2024

They have appointments for smog and do great work. Bagel shop within walking distance from coffee and noshing.

Dec 18, 2023

Great staff, knowledgeable

Nov 18, 2023

BLUF: Disappointed I made an appt to get the smog check done. At arrival, all I heard from the owner was "I cannot see your car. DMV was down." Follow up question I asked about when the smog check can be completed came with an answer "I will see your car one hour later." I think the owner could have reacted better about the situation: at least notify about the delay prior to the appt time, offer to re-schedule if I cannot wait, or give an estimated completion time with an apologetic tone, rather than the tone full of frustration towards the customer. If owner seemed to care about the situation, I would have stayed for service. But his careless attitude towards the customer, I felt that he would not take much care about my car either.

Nov 18, 2023

Joe pays attention. I think you get good service trustworthy service for a moderate price he’s worked on my 2012, Mercedes E350 and I am satisfied with his work.

Nov 18, 2023

Not a great experience Looking for a new repair shop closer to home so I figured I would give them a try with a Smog and an Oil Change. I have four cars so I wanted a place to build a relationship with. Work was fine and prices were fair, but I did not feel welcomed at the shop. I made an appointment on their site, but really you are requesting the day and time and they get back to you. Josef replied very quickly, and we worked out a time and that I would leave the car since an Oil Change takes longer. I arrived and he seemed frustrated, with me or other things I was not sure. He stated they could not do an oil change because I wanted to wait for the car. I reminded him that I agreed to leave it. He huffed and processed the paperwork. Maybe they are not for me. I just did not feel welcomed as a client. You never know when a simple Smog and Oil Change will turned into a client. 12/7 And the sarcastc response from the owner simply reinforces my point. I was looking for courtesy not food.

Nov 18, 2023

WOMEN This is review is for all the women out there come here for honesty. This is my experience . My husband passed away four years ago and he’s the one that handled most of the car stuff. And I actually let my husbands car sit pretty much for four years without tending to it it was just too painful. I finally decided I needed to get it looked at . I had brought my car all the way from Virginia so I really didn’t know what the mechanic I’ve done to it. So when I came home. I had to find someone new to work on my car I found Secors Automotive and they were working on my Honda fit for awhile now changing the oil and such so I decided to finally bring in my late husbands car. I jumpstarted it the day before and I thought I would be just fine and the following day my late husbands car wouldn’t start. So I had to let the owner of Secors know I would probably not make the appointment so I went and got a battery but the car was still rattling when I turned it on ..so I decided to take it straight to the mechanic at Secors and if they can get me some time throughout the week, that would be great I had humble expectations due to the fact that I no longer have an appointment and I was coming randomly. I hoped they would take the car . Not only did they receive me without Appointment he Was so kind about it. The owner looked at it the same day. some thing I really wasn’t expecting, considering I had no appointment, but he did .And when I came to pay, he said no The owner said I’m not going to charge you the guy that put the battery on didn’t put the battery on right. On top of that he checked my oil and said it was fine. some thing about oil not expiring. I tried to pay him for his time he declined again. He just said come back after you have driven it 100 miles He told me because I changed the battery I would have to come back once I have driven it 100 miles to check it properly. The point is he could have charged me. But he didn’t he is a honorable honest and kind man he didn’t need to take my car but he did. She could have charged me or overcharge me like other mechanics have in the past, but he didn’t he is a honest man and very kind to women a real gentleman. Ladies if you’re single or alone come here he will be fair and kind and not judge you for your lack of knowledge when it comes to cars. Women approved!!! 🙏🏼❤️

Nov 18, 2022

Check engine came on. Paid $1500. 2 days later, came back on. Went back, Wanted another 1k to fix. I said you never fixed the problem. They told me to try putting premium or buy some additive at auto zone. They then told me to take to dealership to double check everything they did. Told him I’m sad this happened, his response was “I’m happy!” Asked why, he said “more work for me” implying more money for him. Left without them doing anything except giving me excuses and attitude. Anybody have any similar experiences at this place? If so please share so others can be aware and not victimized.

Nov 18, 2022

Fantastic service! I needed emergency service on my 1994 BMW the day I was supposed to drive 9+ hours home for Thanksgiving. Within a few hours the problem was fixed and I was on my way. They also went ahead and changed my oil without me having to mention it. Staff is so friendly and knowledgeable and took great care of me as they knew I was in a rush to get on the road. I highly recommend Secor's for fast and reliable service and will definitely be going back for any other issues in the future.

Nov 18, 2022

First and foremost the owner is honest and forthright. Can't really say that for some of the other shops in this general neighborhood. I found them very accommodating and helpful - they also went above and beyond to make each of my visits first-rate. Staff are well trained and I guess that is the difference between here and the chain/franchise quick service places - they genuinely care about maintaining your car(s) over the long run. To me it's worth it to have this kind of relationship with the place that repairs my vehicles. Bill

Nov 18, 2022

Go here! This place is family owned and run; doesn’t talk down to female presenting clients; super honest; respectful; and just all around nice people with an even nicer business ethic.

Nov 18, 2022

Joe is exceptionally knowledgeable in repairing BMW and Mercedes. Most car repair shops charge additional fees for international cars. Joe is honest and forthright, giving me the best possible price. I trust him and would travel 100 miles to visit his shop. There isn't a mechanic like him anywhere else.

Nov 18, 2022

Outstanding experience…every time. The keyword here is trust. Honesty and integrity shine through in every visit. It makes me feel better about owning cars passed their warranty expiration, knowing that Joe and his team will care for them like they do their own cars. Really appreciate Secor’s.

Nov 18, 2022

Smog test - quick and professional staff.

Nov 18, 2022

Went for a SMOG Check, was attended almost immediately and was out in about 40 mins. Perfect 5/7

Nov 18, 2022

Went to Secor's after Valvoline didn't install parts of my Audi Q8 correctly after an oil change. The owner found the problem immediately and fixed it within two hours. There were gaskets installed upside down, air filter housing and air filter not installed correctly and engine cover not bolted down. After doing my best "air intake problem" interpretation sound, he actually knew exactly what I was talking about. I've learned my lesson about Valvoline...even just an oil change. Will only go to Secor's now. Don't get me started about Audi of San Diego.......

Nov 18, 2021

Excellent device, friendly gentlemen, good prices, I have used them for years and will continue to do so!!

Nov 18, 2021

Good service.

Nov 18, 2021

Great service and decent pricing. Everyone was very friendly and professional.

Nov 18, 2021

I brought my BMW Active 3 Hybrid to Joe at Secor’s Automotive for a smog check. It failed the first time around but Joe gave me some simple tips and was super-patient, even staying late, and my car passed! Don’t take your car anywhere else!!

Nov 18, 2021

I called around looking for a place to smog my car that I'm in the process of selling. Joe quoted me a clear cost on the phone. I was not sure what to pay so I called around and found costs were similar, although others started higher then offered discounts or coupons. I called Joe back and he said he would smog it if I got there in 15 minutes. They took good care of me and finished up the smog, even though they were busy. I mentioned that I was selling the car, and I told Joe that it was in great condition except for some old paint that had spilled on the leather which I didn't think would ever come out. Joe went and got some special cleaning supplies and a brand new toothbrush and clean rag and went to work detailing the leather interior for a good 20 minutes. He personally removed every trace of paint on two leather seats and a door panel, then added a conditioner. When I offered to reimburse him he laughed politely and refused to take any form of payment or allow me to buy anything to compensate for his extra time and materials. During a busy afternoon, he did me a favor knowing that I was selling a fairly new Lexus and likely not going to need auto services anytime soon. Joe's mechanics were also cheerful, enjoying their day and talked with me about my car, creating a welcoming atmosphere. You can understand why Secor's has been in business since 1979 with this quality of service and trust worthiness.

Nov 18, 2021

I really trust Joe, He is honest and tells you the truth about your car. doesn't charge you if your car doesn't need anything to fix. I took my BMW 2005 to another shop and they changed some parts which were not related to my check engine light's on. I am happy to took my car to him and he and his employees know their job and very polite. Asghar

Nov 18, 2021

Rarely do I leave reviews. But I can't say enough about Joe and the mechanics at Secor's Auto. I bought an Audi with close to 40k miles on it. Over the course of 3-4 years of taking it to Audi San Diego Dealership....I was averaging $4-7k a year in repairs. When I brought it to Secor's those expensive repairs suddenly stopped. The amount of money he has saved me is impossible to overstate. As a business owner it means the world to me when someone runs an honest business and does things the right way. That is who Joe is and anyone that brings their car to him will be doing themselves and their pocketbook a favor. As far as mechanics go he is the gold standard.

Nov 18, 2021

The person who answered the phone in the morning should work on having better phone skills or pay someone else to handle the calls. He answered my question as though he was bothered that I was asking anything at all. I was quoted $168 for a diagnostic and when I asked if they apply that to the repairs he scoffed and says "No we don't work for free." I asked if he did Service A & B on my Mercedes and he says "you don't need to name all the services, I do them all". Really Dude? That's how you talk to your potential customers? I needed to bring my car in for 3 separate issues so I called is competitor who is less than a 100 feet from his shop and they quoted me 30 min free diagnostic and $100 if it goes longer than that. Why would I take my car to Secor's? This repair shop just lost about $1000 just because he doesn't know how to talk to customers.

Nov 18, 2021

Incredible service. Owner offered his car to drive when repairing mine would take a few hours. See cars is always honest and seeking the best solution (even considering warranty of parts) to any automobile problems.

Nov 18, 2020

Have worked with Joe on numerous occasions for my vehicles- I can tell you he is fair, honest and straight-forward. There's a reason you see so many repeat customers there all the time. Very pleasant man and demeanor. Go see Joe if you have any car issues or questions; you won't be disappointed.

Nov 18, 2020

They just refused to work on my car on the account that I had touched it. So arrogant. Japanese Autocare next door, did the job professionally.

Nov 18, 2020

Visiting from New York and had an issue with our vehicle. These gentleman took care of us beyond satisfaction and even sent us on our way with a free Bluetooth receiver and charger! Don’t waste your time elsewhere in San Diego!