Third Street Auto Repair

Brought in a used BMW from a car dealer near by for a pre purchase inspection, the employee that I spoke with was extremely helpful with working with me over the phone and also helped me avoid a lemon! Haha. Very honest shop and didn’t even charge me for the PPI because they noticed a terrible leak immediately at the beginning of the inspection. I was really surprised by this, so I felt they needed a review. If I’m ever in the area I would definitely service any vehicle here. Trustworthy mechanics. Go to them!

Can’t recommend this place enough. First contact was from a referral to get rear turning light replaced/​repaired. Pete checked it out for me and ran in and got the bulb I needed. Took light compartment apart and replaced bulb as soon as i drove in. He did this all for free! Just this week I had a «weird» noise coming from somewhere. I hate to be sexist, but what can I say except, as a woman, I had no clue of what noise was. I just knew it didn’t sound right. I dropped it off at 9 a.m. and by 11 a.m. the next morning he called to tell me it was all fixed. He had to tear into it, order parts from dealer, and put everything back together for me. He also did an oil change for me, that I had requested. I had to rent a car while I didn’t have my SUV so the fast service was really appreciated. I feel he charged me a fair price and service couldn’t have been better, or faster. It is a small place but please check it out when you need something fixed, they are the best! Thanks Pete!

AC stopped working. Called and explained issue and they patiently listened, offered a few possibilities and then had me do a test while they stayed on the phone… Drove the car over, they immediately stopped and took a look only to find a loose fuse which they promptly pushed in while telling me to have to have a nice day. Will be back.

I brought my vehicle in after having some problems with it. Pete ran diagnostics on it, did a road test and kept it overnight trying to find the source of the problem. After not finding any issues he removed and checked all the front spark plugs the next day just to see if they were cracked, which they weren’t. He said he could check the back spark plugs, but it would be labor intensive and cost a lot and may not even be the source of the problem. My SUV is 14 years old, so I declined as I don’t want to sink extra money into my old ride. Pete was in agreement and didn’t try to force any type of expense on me. I appreciated that. I went in yesterday with credit card in hand to pay for the diagnostics, road test time and checking of the spark plugs. Pete said there were no charges since he didn’t find anything wrong and saw no reason to charge me for that. I have never had anyone provide that degree of service and not charge for it. Also, Pete knows that I’m just visiting the area and that I’m not going to likely be a repeat customer because of that, so he was exceptionally kind to do this for free. It’s rare to find businesses that are not out to get money every chance they get. Thank you Pete for being an honest and kind businessman. I will not hesitate to recommend your auto repair shop to all my Napa friends and if my car acts up again I may just make the drive back to Napa for your exceptional service! This place is top shelf!!!

Our car unexpectedly developed mechanical issues near Oxbow Public Market in Napa. It was a Saturday morning around noontime. Trying to keep calm, called AAA, Third Street Auto Repair and Budget car rental. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with the car, but figured since it was a Saturday, I would need to leave the car at least until Monday. Pete was very busy with major repairs on an out of state vehicle, but said come over in about an hour and he would take a look. Firstly, it’s wonderful to get a mechanic who is open on the weekend and will look at the car without a prior appointment! As it turns out, a bolt was stuck in the serpentine belt of the car (that explained the horrendous noise on start-​up), The tow truck driver discovered the problem and removed the bolt. I still felt unsafe knowing a bolt (from somewhere) was missing. I proceeded to drive (rather than be towed) to Third Street Auto Repair, which happened to be less than five minutes away. Pete finished the other car and promptly looked at ours. After a few minutes, he said the bolt had come loose from the power steering pump, and he replaced it with a new one. He said everything else looked OK and the car would be safe to drive. Pete did NOT want any money for the repair. WOW! I can’t speak highly enough about Pete based on this experience. Pete, if you read this, thanks for saving our weekend.

My car broke down a couple of days before we were supposed to move across the State. Not only did Pete get us in within an hour, he was able to fix the problem in less than two hours. He was honest, upfront, and unbelievably helpful. I couldn’t of imagined a better scenario. I am so appreciative. He is a true professional. 100% recommend

My transmission needed to be replaced and Pete was very patient with me while I mulled over getting it replaced or getting a new car. I decided to get it replaced and he was honest and fair with his prices. My car actually runs better than it did before the transmission went out. Service was fast and he took great care of my car. Can’t say enough good things about him and this place. I will definitely come back here if I need repairs to my car!

I couldn’t have had a better experience. Called to have my car checked out and Pete fit me in right away and was honest and extremely knowledgeable about the whole checkup. He even made an effort to keep in contact. Excellent service, definitely recommended.

We needed a little touch up on our car and I wasn’t sure how much work would need to be done or how much the price would be, but the owner (pete, I believe) came right out and fixed us up in a few minutes and wouldn’t even accept the tip we were offering him! Can’t find better service or a nicer guy than that!

I have a Jeep grand cherokee 2000, and the other day my air conditioner just stopped working.
I took my Jeep to Pete because he has worked on my car before. I needed a new radiator, Pete and his co-​workers did a great job, they have a passion for working on cars and getting the job done plus making sure you are happy with the job they have done. As for my air conditioner it is now better then it was when I first puechased my jeep. Just to let you know if you have a Jeep 2000 and the air goes out go to Pete he is the one to fix it. This was such a cluster you know what. Some of the parts where discontionued. The kit to fix the air was so new that some other places in town did’nt even know how to install it, or how to use it, but Pete was all about taking the time to figuer it out and make it work. And he did. LOVE MY CAR THE ONLY ONE I HAVE, THAKN YOU PETE AND CO-​WORKERS… Suzanne

I brought my ’02 Mitsubishi Montero Sport in for valve cover gasket replacement (both sides), cam cover O-​ring, spark plug & wire replacement, which is a real pain in the… maintenance that requires removing the intake manifold.
All repairs were done on time and at the agreed price. Pete also straightened out a slightly warped valve cover and took extra care in making sure the cover seated correctly against the head.
The repairs were done almost two months ago and to date, no problems.
Great work, honest, and fair price.

Summary: Pete is very friendly and knowledgeable. He is also very fair and helpful. My wife and I had a problem with her car when we happened to be visiting Napa for a weekend, and had it towed to him because he was one of the only mechanics open on a Saturday. He told us his rate and said he’d be about an hour to do some analysis, then we were dropped off at the Oxbow market. Later he called us back and said that the car was actually working fine but he had diagnosed what the problem source likely was. I went to pick up the car and expected a charge, but he said that he didn’t feel comfortable billing me when he hadn’t been able to actually perform any repairs.
I know he would have gotten the car fixed fine, and we probably would have saved money with him instead of the dealership, but he helped us get up and running to enjoy the rest of our weekend, wrote down the problems we had, and didn’t charge us. I’d call that the signs of a great mechanic and business man.

I’ve come to Pete a few times with my old 94 volvo, each time with different issues. he’s always been straight forward and explains to you what’s wrong and what needs to be done in a manner you can understand. his prices are really good and he doesn’t try to up sell you things unless its truly an issue. I highly recommend this place for all repairs.

I was in town for a wedding and had a recently installed alternator on my subaru WRX that was bad. I was supposed to head home on Sunday. Pete fixed it on a Saturday, worked out the hourly fee and return of the previous alternator with the other shop, and didn’t charge me.
Above and beyond doesn’t quite capture it, if I could give him six stars I would.

After driving my car across the country at about 100,000 miles, it began making funny noises like it was going to just fall apart while I was driving. I took it to Pete. He’s local, and I can walk to work/​home from his place which is key for leaving my car there.
Although I had gotten my car checked out before I drove cross-​country, they only replaced the brakes and spark plugs. Luckily, I made it all the way to California without any problems. It turns out my suspension was shot, which was causing the struts to wear out my tires. Also, my bearings were in terrible shape.
All of this work added up to be a lot of money, but Pete was very understanding of how I had just moved and was still trying to get on my feet with my new job.
In summary, Pete knows his stuff, will be totally honest with you, and helps out as much as he can. They even worked on my car with the power out for a day! I definitely trust my car in their hands, and you can’t beat their work ethic and straight up-​front attitude.

3^rd Street Auto Repair was recommended by my neighbor whom has lived in Napa for the past 32 years. I have to say I was extremely happy, not only with the service and detailed explanation from Pete but also the cost was much more reasonable than other quotes I had received around town. Thanks again Pete!

Nothing bad to say about this place, been here probably 3 times over the last three years. Pete is always honest with you, shows you exactly what is going on and is straight up about what really needs to be repaired and what can wait if financially you aren’t ready. I always feel confident when I go in that I will get the job done right and quickly.
The service rate at $ 115 an hour is fairly average for the industry in this area but they don’t gouge you on parts or add extra time if a job takes a little longer. Great service.

I had an engine light issue that went on on my 4 runner. The code said that I needed to replace my oxygen sensors. My usual mechanic whom I will not mention, was having trouble with replacing these sensors and the light still would not go off. I had a fix it/​registration ticket that needed attention in a hurry or I would risk paying an extra $ 300.00 fine.
I read some reviews and felt Pete was my guy. He not only responded to the urgency of my problem but he solved this problem in short order. You know when you are dealing with an expert in their field. Pete is an expert no question. The going hourly rate is high all over the Valley, but Pete’s knowledge and wisdom means he doesn’t not waste time problem solving, he gets to the issue.
Pete had me out of there quickly and he had arranged for me to see his smog referral colleague at a discount. They were waiting for me and they had my vehicle tested and passed in short order… which allowed me to get to DMV with 2 minutes to spare, saving me the $ 300 fine.
I learned that Pete is also inventive, Angel Inventor hopes to collaborate with him in the future. Thanks Pete
I highly recommend Pete and 3^rd Street Auto.
~DJD

Amazing! My car broke down on highway 12 and I needed a tow to a mechanic. I was going to go to the dealership, but after calling them they said my car would take 3 days to fix. This was just through phone diagnosis, not even looking at the car. I began to search Unilocal and found 3^rd street auto. I called Pete — could tell just by talking to him that he knew his stuff, that he wouldn’t rip me off and he was great in squeezing me in since I was from out of town and basically stranded. Because my car overheated — I knew I was potentially looking at something expensive. I know very little about cars, so I always feel at the mercy of my mechanic. Pete ran tests and diagnosed my car — he made the necessary repairs to get me back home safely and advised me on things to inform my hometown mechanic. He did this all that day and for a «super» reasonable price!
I highly recommend Pete! If you are a Napa person, hopefully you already know Pete — if you are online looking for a good mechanic — take my review seriously, you won’t be sorry. If you are out of town and stranded like me, call Pete now!
When I was there on a Saturday, he was working solo — so if you call and there is no answer, call back or let it ring a few times… he’s there — he’s just busy in the garage…
If you need a rental car while your car is with Pete, there is a Hertz within walking distance…
In summary Pete is super professional, super fast, super nice, and didn’t try to sell me anything.
I’m a VERY happy customer!

My car had an intermittent problem. The kind that only occurs when I would hold up traffic. Pete told me to drop it by for an hour or so and he would take a look and try to recreate the problem. Sadly, the issue did not arise in an hour of him driving the car around. He told me that it could be a couple of things, but it would be better to wait until the car actually had the problem while he could look at it rather than fixing any number of things it could be. A couple of weeks later, the problem arose again and I dropped it off.
The issue was that the last person who did my tune-​up had left the wires too long and they had rubbed down to the wire and were shorting out. Pete replaced the problem wires and even offered to keep the car over night to make sure that it was truly fixed.
I have had no problems since and am thrilled to find an honest mechanic. As a women, it is great to know that I can trust Third Street Auto Repair.