Sorrento Valley Automotive / Cardiff By The Sea, California

Rating: ★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Brake Repair

Address: 11526 Sorrento Valley Rd, Cardiff-By-The-Sea

Postal code: 92121

Phone: (858) 755-2735

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Categories:

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Brake Repair, Automobile Accessories

Neighborhoods:

Torrey Preserve, Northern San Diego

Open hours:

Mon - Fri 7:30 am - 6:00 pm

Brands:

AC Delco

Extra phones:

(858) 775-2735

Reviews:

Most Honest Place You Will Ever Deal With

I have been going to Nancy and David since I was pregnant with my daughter. She just turned 24 yrs old. Back in the day when they had the Mobil station in Del Mar. Thank God they are literally 2 miles away. I have a 12 yr old BMW that has over 188K miles on it. Yes, we`ve put money into it over the years, but always at the advice of David and knowing we didn`t want car payments again. He always looks at the probl... view moreem and then lets us know if it is worth it or not. Needless to say, because of the care and work done by SVA, our car has lasted well past my expectations. Nancy is fun and sweet and will tell you stories all day long! Their son Erik is working with them and I love that I`ve known him since he was a little boy running around. It`s good to know I can drop off my car and that it whatever the problem is, it is addressed and taken care of. Thanks SVA!! You know we love you! I hope I don`t see you for a long time!! LOL!

MaryCarmen / 4/5/2012

Triple A had SVA on file as a ...

Triple A had SVA on file as a accredited AAA shop after a AAA diagnosed that I had a starter problem which I already figured out myself AAA confirmed the most likely problem... Thank you AAA! Now, SVA proceded to check my car while informed its probably the starter from myself and AAA. They text me its going to cost over $350 to replace starter so I say do not work on car. I came and got car and a bill for $85... ... view moreFor what? I said! SVA said you have a starter problem and I signed a paper... I wasnt aware of the charge for looking at my car and confirming the same problem I already new (Duh)! It only takes a very short time to figure that out! SVA proceeded to say AAA Doesnt know what there doing and said that I dont know what I`m doing... Really! I have complaint to AAA about SVA on file now.. Don`t go to SVA ever! let alone sign anything !

muzyxman / 3/28/2012

HIGHLY RESPECTED AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE

We run a local business just a few blocks from SORRENTO VALLEY AUTOMOTIVE and I must say that it is a pleasure to have such a fantastic working relationship with Nancy and her team. Nancy has sent many of her loyal customers to our shop and the feedback they give to Sorrento Valley Automotive is always 100% positive. Because their reputation is so outstanding, we at Sorrento Valley Collision Center wanted to take a... view more moment to let them know how much we appreciate them as neighbors and to thank them for
all the support they give us as a fellow business. I highly recommend this shop.

Sorrento Valley Collision / 5/19/2011

Very Honest People, Fair Prices, Completely Trustworthy

I rarely take the time to complete a review of a business, however SVA is that rare family owned business that deserves to be recognized. We have been taking our cars there for 15+years and have had nothing but great experiences with them. Nancy is bubbly, honest and VERY knowledgeable. She has on many occasions told me not to do work that I wanted (or was recommended by a dealer) because it was not needed - HOW RE... view moreFRESHING. (The local VW dealer told me that I needed new rotors for $600 but SVA took a look and said my pads and rotors were fine and had another year on them!!!) This kind of honesty is rare today, and dare I say it, especially in the auto repair business. David knows cars! My husband just said that he is the best mechanic he has ever had work on his cars. Very rarely does he give such an endorsement - kind of hard to please guy! ;-) If you want a trustworthy mechanic that you can rely on for years to come, I recommend SVA. And, by the way, the best thing David has done is to have Nancy work the front office. She is a gem!

LuvmylifeinSD / 2/11/2011

trusted with my cars for 10 years

i have been taking all of my cars over the last 10 years to SVA. they have serviced my jeep, mustang and chrysler PT. i feel they are straight with me and tell me when i need a service and when certain items can wait. they accomodate me when i need an emergency or quick repair. nancy explains everything to me clearly. i have never had a problem with any of their services.

suzanneh / 12/14/2009

Positive experience with Sorrento Valley Automotive

I recently took my 1997 Dodge RAM 2500 to Sorrento Valley Automotive (SVA) for a repair to the fuel vapor recovery system, as indicated by an error code I identified. The vehicle could not be smogged without correcting the problem. Another well-rated mechanic had attempted a repair twice, but the error reoccurred each time. SVA fixed it correctly the first try. The mechanic showed me how a deteriorated carbon cannist... view moreer was leaking granules into the vapor tubing, causing the solenoid valve on top of the engine to malfunction. Being a bit of a mechanic myself, I investigated the procedure needed to diagnose this issue on AlldataDIY. Given the complexity and time required for the diagnosis, and the time for replacing the components, SVA`s charge was reasonable. The parts costs were on the order I expected for the OEM replacements they used. I`ll be taking the truck back to them with an unrelated issue in the next few days, and am comfortable in recommending them to others.

Thunderbunny / 11/2/2009

Best in San Diego

I stumbled on this site while looking up Sorrento Valley Automotive`s address to pass onto a friend. I was surprised at some of the reviews. I have been taking my car to Sorrento Valley Auto since they opened and even before - a total of 20+ years. I have always found them to be straight-forwarded, knowledgeable and clear about the work my car needed and why. Unfortunately, I think some people think that having the... view moreir car fixed should be cheap. A lot of experience and ability goes into what a good mechanic does. Sorrento Valley is great at what they do. They wouldn`t have the amount of longterm customers that they do, if they weren`t good. I myself have had 3 cars, with over 150,000 miles each, maintained by them. You don`t get that kind of longevity without good care. I think, "Cheap comes expensive." I bet the negative reviewers listed here are constantly in search of a cheap deal, always think they are being `ripped off` and never stay with any business, much less a mechanic, for longer than 2 years.

SadAboutCountry / 9/8/2009

Once Trusted

I took my car to Sorrento Valley Automotive for many years, old VW. I kept have starters going out after putting in 4 new starts the dim light went on in the mechanics head and he blamed the problem on a guild bushing that the starter road in. Well I let him replace the starter again and it went out. He finely figured out that my ignition switch was bad. I never had a bad starter in the first place. So I ended up pay... view moreing about $1850.00 for about a $150.00 job. Dave the owner is a great guy so it was very hard to be upset with him. The service manager position was taken over by Dave?ˆ™s wife Nancy who is a (rhymes with itch), and was giving me ridiculous quotes and would l felt she was lying to me about things. The best thing Dave could do is separate the wife from the business.

JackSmith / 8/21/2009

Been in business for 30 years for a reason......

I have been a customer for quite a long time, and have always been satisfied. I have brought 6 different cars to them for over ten years. There have been a few small snags here and there, but it was always worked out for the best possible outcome. I found this website while searching for the SVA website. I have always referred and will continue to do so. I find it deplorable that someone would write a bad review with... view moreout even being a customer! You can`t compare a service business to one from a different geographic area. You also cannot price shop aftermarket junk parts versus factory replacments. I have total faith in the quality of repairs made, and will not risk the reliability of my vehicle to strand my family. I wouldn`t choose the cheapest dentist or attorney, nor would I compromise my car`s function. Take it to the best!

MrTough / 2/17/2009

Dishonest mechanic

Sorrento Valley Automotive was recommended to me by a friend. The owner (Nancy) is a parishioner at our church. So I called Nancy to get a quote to replace my rak-n-pinion. (this website keeps telling me that the word ""rac_"" is inappropriate... so I am spelling it ""rak"")

Nancy quoted me $270 for the part and $570 (6 hrs at $95) for the labor. She tried to get me to swallow it by informing me that I was... view more getting a great deal on the part because a GM part would cost me $370. She also discussed the difficulties in replacing this part on my car.

I called a trusted mechanic back in Texas to ask him how much this job should cost. He told me that he is able to get the part for $130. He told me to call Napa, Carquest, and a few other places to get a quote. Napa offered the 3 core for $99 + a core charge. Carquest offered it for $88.97 + $13.57 core charge. Both are roughly the $130 my friend suggested it would cost. Sorrento Valley doubled it.

The labor for a replacement in my car is listed in the Mitchell Manual (which has the most up-to-date data for cars) as a 3.5 hour job. Nancy again quoted me 6 hours which is not quite 2x the labor required for the job.

Based on this, I don`t believe Nancy is ethical. I will never use her as a mechanic.

I made several calls and I found a mechanic closer to El Cajon who quoted me a fair price for the part and 3 hours of labor. I took my car to them and had it repaired and it is running great. I will never use Sorrento Valley Automotive.

shawshank234 / 4/7/2008