Fix Auto Costa Mesa

«Same Staff and Local Ownership?» this is according to the sign they have on bldg. I have been a loyal customer of Specialty Bodyworks for a long time. I referred a friend to take her car in for an estimate and was shocked to hear that the staff retired. So the sign is misleading. I spoke to someone who knows a previous employee of Specialty Body Works and it seems they all left because they did not believe in the work ethics of Fix Auto. I think this sums it up. It’s a shame my friend was not able to experience the same friendliness that myself and my family have experienced. This loyal customer will not be using Fix Auto or referring any new customers. I miss the old crew.

Passing the buck.

My car was hit, and I was given a list of body shops from AAA to get the work done. I chose this place as it was the closest, but I shouldn’t have assumed that just because they are AAA approved that I would be pleased with the work or their customer service.
Javier threatened to hold my car hostage unless I paid for the work that was supposed to be paid by the other person’s insurance company. When I complained to the owner, he told me that I should have had my insurance pay for it. He did not change his mind until I threatened to report this to AAA.
The new pinstriping was uneven with the existing pinstriping. I took it back, and they told me that they outsource their pinstriping work to someone who is not AAA approved, and I would have to make an appointment with that person to get it fixed. This would have been a huge inconvenience, so it never got fixed. I also found out that they outsource their alignment work to another shop that is not AAA approved, and I would have to go there for any issues.
They removed the interior door panel, and, while doing so, they lost a screw cap/​cover and had to order it from the dealer. I had to go back to show them, and then pick up the part days later.
There is paint overspray and painted fingerprints on the rubber window trim near where the work was done. This also did not get fixed as I was already disgusted with them, and feared what may happen if I left the car with them again.

One star for being an old-​time shop who couldn’t figure out my (new) car’s specific part which needed to be ordered, so they ordered the wrong item and when it took extra time, they didn’t communicate with me to inform that I will have to pay more money for it. Nevermind that I had to pay more money for renting a car longer!
I’ll give this place the fair shake that they can do the job right for older cars that everyone knows how to work on. It’s like my old dentist who knows how to drill a tooth to fill a cavity, and nothing else, since he’s never learned anything else after graduating in 1968.
Newsflash for both: Technology moves quickly. The world has changed. Oh, and we have a black president now…
Zero star for asking me to give a positive review at the end of the transaction, because they said they needed the positive to outweigh the negative.
Then I found out they paid for their Unilocal to get higher placement.
Oh, that’s great… very trustworthy!

Javier should be given a medal for being so awesome!
I recently bought a 2003 Toyota Matrix XR from someone of Craigslist, and there ended up being some water randomly appearing in the front and back floor on the passenger side. I do not think the owner was aware (not driving it for a while) so I was not mad.
I was referred to Specialty Body Works by South Coast Auto and boy am I happy I went in.
Javier told me it would be $ 184 just for a teardown to figure out what was wrong (could have been the sunroof condensation hose, the AC condensation hose, or even the AC leaking coolant so there could have been a number of things that would’ve cause it).
They determined it was the AC condensation hose clogged and the floor boards misaligned (hose was leaking into the floor instead of onto the ground). Only charged me $ 184 still for the cleaning of the hose and resealing the floorboards with silicon. They even power washed the car to make sure nothing was leaking into the car or from the sunroof. Awesome
Fast forward a week… Front passenger floor is bone dry, but the back is still somewhat what… I call Specialty Body Works back up and Javier tells me to bring it in after a few days to make sure it wasn’t something from the car wash (recently had my car detailed). So, I bring the car in and they find out that the AC hose was also misaligned (they didn’t suspect it) and that it had actually been happening for a while. Water damage had taken place in the padding under the carpet and they were completely soaked and ruined. Javier said he would need to keep it overnight to let it dry, and find padding from an upholstery company.
I get a call the next morning and Javier tells me he found padding and that it’s installed and dried. I come in and he tells me no extra charge at all and that the padding was only $ 20. That was the least I could cover!
Seriously, I’ve had an awesome experience with Specialty Body Works and I will 100% continue to go there whenever I need repairs done that a mechanic can’t handle, i.e. bodywork!

I was referred to Specialty Body Works by a friend, who is a local to Costa Mesa. While at school in Irvine, my daughter’s car had been hit and needed repairs. Carla was very helpful in setting up the appt for repairs. And she was very good about communicating any answers to my questions, via email. She was very helpful in having the rental car waiting for my daughter when she dropped off the car! No need to finagle rides back and forth from Enterprise and SBW. It was all taken car of! The car was completed in the time estimated. When my daughter picked up her car, she was extremely happy with the results! ‘Sacha’ looked better than before! Then after 5pm we realized a friend may have left her wallet in the rental, Jim actually answered the phone and checked to see if the wallet was in the car. He called me back within 5 minutes to say, yes it was there. And it could be picked up in the morning. He didn’t have to answer the phone. He could have let the answering machine do it’s job… but chose rather, to put the customer first and pick up the phone! Should we need other work done or are ever asked for a referral, Specialty Body Works will be the place of choice!!! Thank you to all who helped with our car!!!

Had a repair from a rear end accident, bed side, tailgate etc… replaced went offroad, tailgate falls open, damaging lenses for tail lamps, No responsibility for damage. Not recommended.

I when to get a quote they said that I would have it at the end of the day. A day later I still don’t have it. Wouldn’t recommend them to anyone

I recently got into an accident in a parking lot. I waited for my insurance company to find the other guy at 100% fault before getting my car fixed. I had brought my vehicle here before. They always do a great job. Friendly staff. Makes a awful situation seem a little less pain. Would recommend to anyone

I was recently backed into and once again brought my car here. They did an amazing job with my front bumper, as I expected they would, and even sanded/​filled some scratches that were unrelated to my accident. I had a scratch on my passenger side door, which they buffed out for free as well. This shop goes above and beyond, and I am very pleased with the work that they have done. The owner Jim is also very nice and helpful. I would strongly recommend this place.

I just returned from picking up my car after Specialty repaired it. I’ve read through the reviews & am surprised to see that the one person was unhappy. I agree with everyone else. The repairs are top drawer, my 8 year old Lexus looks brand new!
The communication was great. Javier has the patience of a saint. He explained each detail as to how my car would be repaired & how the painting match would be achieved. (this was a concern for an 8 year old car) They coordinated with a local branch of the rental car company; the rep was there when I arrived to drop off my car & I was not inconvenienced. Kudos to Carla as well. She called to let me know when to come to pick up my car. All my paperwork was at her fingertips when I arrived. I picked up my car & dropped off the rental. Very convenient. I highly recommend this shop for your body work.

it’s so nice to see this business buy their way to the great reviews.
When was the last time anyone here went to a refresher course with the Mfg or dealers to update their knowledge?
They never even bothered checking for updated parts on a car, and correcting the problem only delayed the due date!
I gotta say, though: They’re nice when you first drive in because they want your business. Once they have your car: it’s downhill from there!

Over the past 10 years I and other member of our extended family have had several vehicles repaired by SBW. Every job, whether major or minor, has been done perfectly and at a fair price. The personnel are knowledgeable, professional and courteous. They go the extra mile to ensure that the customer experience is a smooth one, and the facility is convenient and spotless. It’s difficult to find a business in which you can have complete trust, especially auto repair. I wouldn’t think of going anywhere else for auto body repair. They are the best.

My neighbor recently backed into my car, so I brought my car back to SBW. They provided me with an initial estimate based on the assumption that only my rear bumper needed to be replaced. Upon removing the bumper, they found additional damage, which increased my repair bill by over $ 1,000.00. They always kept me apprised as to the progress that they’ve made in ordering the parts, in dealing with my insurance, and in making the repairs. They were also kind enough to make arrangements to provide me with a rental car while my car was in the shop.
Overall, it was a great experience.

I’ve taken two of my cars here and been happy with both experiences. Both were rear ended and repaired on time, better than previous repairs at other shops. Not only that, they worked directly with my insurance and the car rental place, to get me in and out quickly. Paperwork was in order and everything ready to go when I arrived, saving me time and hassle.
The repairs were done a few years back, so I can say they have stood the test of time and still look good today. The matched the paint better than another shop did as well. I also like bringing my car to an area that isn’t totally shady. I feel comfortable leaving my vehicle here for an extended period of time.
I got an estimate for some work to be done that wasn’t covered by my insurance. Their rates were middle of the road. I ended up going low-​end, because of the cost and the fact that it’s an older car and I don’t know how many more years I’ll squeeze out of it anyway.
I’d recommend this place for anyone needing auto body work done. And again, I had my work done years ago, and it still looks great.

i wish i could give specialty body works more than 5 stars — they are that good!
i came in looking to fix a dented front fender and a broken side mirror. javier helped me and was as nice as could be. i told him that cost was important and he worked with me to come up with a reasonable estimate, explaining everything in detail. he also explained to me the difference between using OEM parts and after-​market parts, which tend to be much less expensive and often as good or better quality than the original part. when i told him that i had found a cheaper side mirror online, he offered to install it and paint it, saving me $ 85 right there! in fact, the estimate i got here was less than half the cost other places gave me – incredible! on top of that, they had my car ready for me in only 3 days, compared to at least a 4-​day repair everywhere else!
i got my car back today, and it is nothing short of amazing. it looks like nothing ever happened! the front fender was replaced, and it looks absolutely perfect as does the paint job. SBW’s work is absolutely fantastic, and it seems that they take great pride in doing a excellent job.
i’m so happy i called my mechanic (south coast auto clinic) and asked for a recommendation. it goes to show you that good businesses tend to work together. if you need some work done, go to SBW — your wallet and ride will be happy!

I have been using Specialty Body Works for over 16 years. They have been giving me excellent customer service and repairs since day 1. I always refer my friends and they have always been very happy. They handle insurance claims and also do complete custom paint and body. I would refer Specialty Body Works to everyone needing any kind of autobody repair or even a hot rod or classic car needing some TLC.

It’s great to work with a place that is consistently good. From the moment you walk in, the communication/​customer service, to the attention to detail and the billing. It was not a pleasure needing work done on my car but Specialty definitely made the experience as pleasureable as possible. I’ve already told people I know to go there and I will continue! Thanks guys!!!

What a joke! I took my Tahoe for sand damage because I have been there before. What a couple of years can do to a business! After taking my car there, they fired the person in charge of my repair, so after 3 weeks I was upset since the rental car was no longer covered by my insurance company. After 39 days in the shop, they call me to come pick it up, I take a taxi that drops me off and I sign the paperwork and ask for a reason it takes so long. I actually gave them a check! They bring me the car, I walk around it, the grill is wrong, the bow tie is wrong and they quickly try to resolve it. I ask them to take it off so they can return it without damage and call me when it comes in. I then get into the car and the window is down, I try to put it up and it won’t go up, it isn’t even on the track!!! I get out and refuse the car. They agree to take me home, so they put me in my car, drive me 1 block and my car runs out of gas, someone has removed the gas from my tank! I walk to work since it is so close. My car was ready two days later but after that, they should close their doors and end their career in auto repairs.