Smart Tech Auto Service

Friend of mine referred Simon and I took a car to him for an inspection before I buy it, and paid for his inspection.
I relied on his inspection and bought the car. In first day of my new car, I had problems and took the car to his place. He looked at the car and told me that the car has many problems to get fixed asap. I was kind of shocked and unfortunately had to pay over $ 700 to fix the problems. It took forever to get back my car. He postponed the deadline couple of times. And I had to pay for a rental car since he didn‘t repair the car on time.
And the story did not end after I got back my car. The car was shaking, and he said that is OK!!! I had to drove the car until get it fixed at another shop.
Long story short, I never ever never go back there again. I gave 1 star because Unilocal does not allow less grading than this.

I found Simon (D&S) through Unilocal when I was out of town and our van broke down on the 60 fwy. He helped us find a tow company and fixed the van within an hour. Thanks for a great experience… when things could have gone worse!

I’ve been coming to Simon for the longest of time! He’s very helpful, knowledgable and honest. One of our family friend recommended us to him and I was a bit hesitant but he was very funny and has made me feel comfortable. Several years back, I bought an used car, 96′ Honda Accord, from Simon and I hardly have to take it in but it didn’t last me long due to my drifting but after the end of my first car, I got my cousin’s 00′ Volkswagen Passat Turbo, I went in for a check up and smog test. The prices here are affordable and he takes good care of my babies :) Whenever there’s a problem, I come to him to fix up my cars, anyways. in the end, I gave up on my white marshmallow (Passat) due to the transmission failure. Since then, I got my baby last year, 10′ Honda CV-​R. Obviously no problem with my import but you know who I’ll go to if there was, besides the dealership. it’ll be Simon.

I brought them a 97 Toyota Camry that a private seller was selling. I didn’t catch his name but the manager of the place personally inspected the car that I brought him since Upstar Auto Sales and Services said that they didn’t do «mechanical inspections» which is kind of strange considering that all the Unilocal reviewers say that they are such a great place to bring your car for maintenance and repair. You would think that they do mechanical inspections but I guess not. So… I had to find an alternative auto body shop and I saw D.S. International Auto Repair right across the street and I thought, why not? I called them up, told them if they do mechanical inspections and they said that they did, so I told them I’ll be there in like 5 seconds. Five seconds later, i was there.
I get there and told the first guy I saw if he was the owner. He corrected me and said he was the manager. Then I told him that I was the one who called like 5 seconds ago and, he was like, «Ok, so where’s the car?» He popped the hood, looked inside for a mere 2 – 3 seconds and told me that it has been in an accident – most likely a frontal one. He told me that the color of the hood and the inside brackets were different colors. The stickers that were missing indicated this to be the case. Ordinarily, he said, there would be these stickers that are inside a car that shows that it came from the original manufacturer. Those were missing and by California law, he said, they MUST be pasted on the car on the inside of the hood somewhere – unless you’re a private seller, in which case, you’re simply ignorant of the law.
Then he peered over the engine block and told me that there was a massive leak of oil on the surface (he points it out me and shows me the the leak and where it came from) and that means that there must be a massive leak underneath the engine block. Very bad, according to him. He said ordinarily, Camry’s RARELY leak oil, if ever, assuming you took care of it doing all the regular maintenance that it needs.
He then took it for a test drive and told me to come along. He told me during the drive that the shifting is hard and that most likely the transmission is not the original Toyota Camry transmission. Usually, the shifting is smooth and kicks up or down relatively fast between the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd gear.
Then he told me as he was braking that the rear two brake rotors are probably shot or warped because there was shaking when one presses on the brake. That’s not normal, according to his diagnosis. He told me that the transmission is not good, meaning within a month or so, it’ll most likely breakdown since it wasn’t made to fit and for use in a Camry. And then he was like, «it’ll probably cost you $ 1,400 to fix it.» I was like, «Good to know…» All throughout, he was very detailed in his explanation. He broke it all down in layman terms and in a way that I can understand him. At the same, he didn’t sound condescending at all. He spoke to me as if he knew a lot about Toyotas and it seemed like he knew a lot as well. Nothing in his expression or «aura» that he gave off seemed like he was lying to me. He got straight to the point with no bullshit. AND! He didn’t try to sell me anything that I didn’t need. I greatly appreciated all of that.
After the whole thing, he ONLY charged me a mere $ 25 for all that. Wow! What a bargain! Man, aside from Chia-​In Auto Repair on Garvey Ave who charged me $ 20 for the whole mechanical inspection on the lift, this is the next time cheapest auto repair shop I’ve ever been to and plus, he was just as honest as Chia-​In Auto Repair, if not more. I highly, HIGHLY, recommend this place if you’re looking for relatively cheap, honest, and quick service.

The owner of this shop is SIMON! He’s the most honest n trustworthy mechanic I’ve ever meet. He’s also funny along with GREAT customer service. I come here for everything! I have an 08 Infiniti G35 and he takes care of my car like if it’s hi very own! He also open late everyday including weekends. I stop going everywhere after I found this, not because he’s funny or because he opens late. But his price is also unbeatable!

So, my car wasn’t starting and I had it towed here because the driver of the tow truck recommended it. It also happens to be one of the very few auto repair shops open all day on Saturdays and Sundays. The owner «Simon» was absolutely amazing. He was funny and friendly and his customer service could not possibly be better. I ended up just needing a new battery and a couple belts, but he went above and beyond to make my car in tip top condition. He checked everything and made sure to show me what he was checking and finding out every step of the way. He also changed my air filter (it was ten years old), filled up my tires, tightened other belts, and put his all into my car. I didn’t know a mechanic could be so honest with such reasonable prices. I will definitely be sure to not only return here, but never go anywhere else. :-)

Simon is the owner of D&S Auto and my family and I have been going to him for years. He’s helped us with oil changes, tune-​ups, tires (he even does smog and body work). He’s helped maintain my mom’s Toyota Camry and my BMW 5 series. His prices are very fair and will often go above and beyond to assist you in any way possible. He’s very friendly and has a good sense of humor. At times he may have a lot of customers (usually on weekends), but he often wil take care of you. I would highly recommend you come see him.