T-T Auto Repair

I bought a 1997 Honda Civic that needed a lot of work. I have been to several other mechanics in the San Diego area and feel taken advantage of everytime. T-​T Honda is my forever mechanic. Richard and his wife are great. Richard truly has made my old little civic feel like an actual car again!

I bought a 95 Honda Accord on good faith off Craigslist that it was going to run good and last me for a while to come. It had a broken Odometer that stopped at 128,000 miles just 2 months before I bought it. Not knowing the actual mileage then finding out that it had oil in the spark plug wells and the parking brake didnt work, I feared the worst. I attempted to replace the seals under the valve cover myself, going off a utube video. After completing the job my car sounded horrible and I thought might have done serious damage. I had the car towed over to T-​T Honda. They explained to me that the vavles got out of alignment from getting to the seals, not to mention I tried to align them myself. They realigned my valves costing me only 145 $, fixed my parking brake for 30 $, and let me know that my engine really does only have around 130,000 miles on it. I picked my car up after work the next day and the owner himself walked me through the car. The car runs better than ever and my mind is at ease. Im going to keep coming back, Thanks.

I have an old honda accord that I need to last just a few months longer, flashing engine light came on, not good. Having moved here from the east coast I didn’t have a reliable mechanic yet. I looked at a few options, and decided to try this one, so glad I did as I was worried about getting someone who would try to talk me into fixing all the problems. But Richard, the owner, showed each issue with the car, and recommended what should be fixed to keep the car running good, and what could be done later if needed. So we agreed to just replace the spark plugs that definitely needed replacing, and did a few other services, all at a great price. I may just buy another Honda for my new car later this year so I can keep using him! Highly recommend this repair shop, Richard is a trustworthy, honest man who knows how to fix cars well.

I have used TT Honda service for 15+ years. Richard (owner) knows Japanese cars. He had fixed my Miata, MR2, Integra, Sienna, etc. Honest price and easy to work with.

Outstanding.
Richard used to care for a 2001 Suzuki Esteem wagon for me, and I can’t say enough good things about the service. It is very much top notch. I’m a previous owner of many high end luxury vehicles, and have been in many shops and dealerships around the country. TT is some of the finest service you will ever receive. Honest and completed with integrity. No waiting room and no frills (that you won’t be paying for) so bring along a friend to drive you home or grab something to eat while you wait, if you aren’t afraid of City Heights. I’m no longer living in San Diego but when I return, this will be one of my first stops.

I needed to pass a state smog test. but my engine warning light came on. Took it to T-​T and they replaced both fuel/​O2 sensors and changed the oil at my request. They gave the best quote and were 25% less than other shops for Honda/​Acura service. They also recommended cheap stuff, like buying a new gas cap and putting high end gas in my aging Acura to pass the test. T-​T got me over the finish line. Thanks !

Reliable and honest. I’ve been their customer over 20 years. And had referred friends and family.

Richard knows cars. Our family has taken our hondas, toyotas, fords, and chevys to him for over a decade. We don’t trust anyone else. The prices can seem a little more expensive than other places, but he diagnosis cars pretty accurately and fixes them in a timely manner.

I just learned about T-​T Auto from a friend who has been taking her car to them for 10 years now. I was looking for a place to have an oil change done where I could bring my own oil and just have them put it in. My friend told me they do this, and when I called and talked to Richard, he said no problem, it would cost $ 10.
I brought my car in first thing in the morning when they opened at 8, and they got me in and out in about 30 minutes. No hassle, $ 10 later, and I was on the way to work. 2 days later, I brought my wife’s car in for the same thing, and again, no hassle, no fuss, and I was outta there by 8:30, plenty of time to be at work by 9.
Richard is great, and he didn’t try to upsell anything. He did point out to me that my wife’s car’s transmission seal was leaking a bit, and I could see it plain as day when the car was on the rack. He said I didn’t need to worry about it now, but just to keep an eye on the transmission fluid (which I do anyway), and then when it’s time to change the transmission fluid out, then that would be the time to change the gasket, to save money. I liked the fact that he didn’t try to get me to do it right then.
These guys seem to run an honest shop. I’m in charge of maintaining 4 cars between my immediate and extended family — 2 Hondas, a Mazda, and a Nissan, and I will not hesitate to bring all 4 cars to T-​T Auto.

I was referred to this place by Jason G. Let me just say that the turn around time on my car was super fast (2 days). I was suppose to have my clutch replaced but instead got the whole works (clutch, resurfacing of the flywheel, and replacing of the transmission oil). All this at a very very good price. Of course Richard (the specialist) lets you know beforehand what needs to be done before he works on it. I can tell this guy wants to make sure that the customer feels comfortable and satisfied. Also, I had my brother take our old beat-​up Nissan van to this place. Richard doing his magic, restored our van. And now, our van is fast as hell and smooth.
Thanks Richard
Edwin

Been coming to this place since 2002. Richard is a very trustworthy guy. Since I don’t care to learn a single thing about cars, I rely on him totally on what I need to get done. Over the years, I moved around a lot and realized how much I miss having him taking care of the car — needless to say, I got ripped off when I went to other garages in other cities. My car got stolen once, I had the tow truck towed the car to this garage and asked him to take care of it, I took care of everything by phone, and just picked it up/​paid when the car was done. It was a huge relieve to have somebody you can trust. This morning, I went in again because the maintenance light came off, squeaking break and electric window not working properly, he checked and told me that I needed to change only the transmission fluid. He then fixed the window with WD40 (something got dried and prevented the window from working properly). He checked the breaks and said everything was ok. So he looked around for where the noise came from, he found some rust and proceeded to clean it and now there’s no more squeaking noise! The window and the break thing was of no charge and I only had to pay for the transmission fluid. I love the fact that he actually tried to find the root cause of the problem and not just change things the way most mechanics do. If I ever leave San Diego again, this will be one of the places I miss the most.

On a Saturday I called before I left to see how much their oil change was. The man I spoke to said it was $ 20 plus tax. Not too shabby. I asked how late they were open until and I had a few hours before they closed so I decided to go. When I got there the guy said, «Oh oil change on a Saturday? It’s going to be a couple hours wait». Well thanks for telling me that over the phone! I’m Unilocaling this! And I did. So here you go Unilocalers.

My wife and I have been going to Richard and his wife’s place for over a decade with our Hondas. I’ve meant to write a review about them for a long time but have only now taken the time to do this. Bottom line, this is the best «overall» place to have your Honda/​Acura/​Toyota/​Lexus fixed/​serviced in all of San Diego (that I’m aware of anyway). The price is always very competitive and their honesty/​integrity is top notch. The cherry on top is how quickly they get the job done. At one point RIchard had to take our Accord’s whole engine out to replace a main seal and I was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable that was to do (he did give us a break due to our long time tenure). The only caveat is that the shop’s location isn’t the greatest. I won’t fault them for it though. Thank you Richard for all that you do.

T-​T Honda Specialist, A++ service and turn around time. Honda Civic 03 Ex, Repair: Head Gasket, water pump, timing belt, oil change and transmission flush. Very impressed with T-​T Honda Specialist. My car runs great! Very professional and happy to come back. He only uses the best, OEM parts.
Thanks Richard.
Jason

My passenger side remote lock mechanism went kaput so I am going back to get it worked on. I called in morning and Richard called back saying that he ordered the part and it’ll be in tomorrow morning. I went back and he fixed it in about an hour while I waited. The total was $ 89 including parts and labor. When I went to Advantec for the work initially, they told me it’ll be up to $ 300 depending on what the problem might be, and so on. Richard was very quick to diagnose the issue and fixed it cheaply. He’s become my go to guy for most basic car maintenance issues for my Acura.

Great experience with this auto shop. I took my 2000 Honda CRV in because coolant was spraying all over my engine and the thermostat was all over the map. Sure enough, I had to have the thermostat and radiator replaced. Everyone I talked to on the phone was very friendly and knew who I was and which car I had brought in. It was really nice to be able to drop the car off in the morning and pick it up at the end of the day as well. I got a great deal on the parts and labor and the mechanic, Richard, even poured in a quart of oil for me free of charge because I was low. The complimentary oil and proximity to my house definitely bump this place to 5 stars. I would definitely go back to this shop next time my car needed any work.

When I was in North Park, I used HonTech. I would hope that if they say they are Honda Specialists, they are– and, well, they are.
Had a squeaky brakey, so I searched around for a Honda fixer upper that wasn’t at a dealership and they were mentioned on a few websites as legit. I called ‘em up and they said bring her in!
I left the car there all day and they really did a number on her. When I picked it up, everything was better– but when I went on the freeway and I went over (ahem) 80 mph, the steering column rattled somethin fierce. I called Richard and he said bring her in, I’ll do your rotors for you. So I did, and he did at no charge, and we’re all good. Hondas are the best, and if you can get someone who knows how to fix them, keep them close and buy them thank you cards.

LEFT WITH QUESTIONS!
I brought my car in for the convenience that the shop is near the library where I can study until my car is ready for after a few hours, but I left with questions to why I had to pay for other parts replacements. There was not a single thing wrong with my car before visiting this mechanic. I’ll keep the receipt for the service really well to see if something will happen to my car.
My car was perfectly fine and was there for a regular maintenance. While my car was being fixed, I received a call and was told that he discovered something wrong with my car. When I got there, he told me another thing that was wrong in the nearby location. So, I ended up paying more than $ 200 for the labor and parts that was quoted for.
It can be a good intention from the mechanic, but why all of a sudden and why did he have one of the thing that I mention conveniently right there when I haven’t even agreed to replace the part since they usually don’t order special parts from the dealership until the customers request them.]
I left with a few questions mark. Had anyone else had a similar problem at this place? Could I have possibly been scammed? or Should I have been showing gratitude?

After getting a very, very high quote from Tipton Honda for a minor repair, I found this shop here on Unilocal.In short, Tipton was going to charge me $ 1,200 ($ 700 to replace an oxygen sensor, and $ 500 for my major service). The total for both services at T-​T was just under $ 400 ($ 300 for the sensor, $ 55 to change transmission fluid, and $ 20 for oil and filter change — and inspected everything else which is what the major service at Honda would have done. I also met and spoke with the owner, Richard, and he was very pleasant and seemed extremely knowledgeable and consciences. We’re going to take my wife’s 2007 Accord back to him for her 30K service (quoted $ 400 plus at Tipton) for which Richard quoted us a price of $ 175. If it goes as well as it did with my CRV, we have finally found ourselves a good non-​dealer mechanic. I’ll post back after my wife’s service. Cheers !

I am surprised I am the first to review this place, seeing as I have been coming here since I bought my car in 2001.
At that time, I needed an oil change and I checked out The Reader for a place close to my house, with a coupon offer (yes, internally, I am a 90 year old woman who longs for the day she can officially claim a Senior Discount). I happened to luck out BIG TIME since this place has nothing but honest people who know what they are doing.
In the course of 8 years, my car has been through various incidents, including an accident that required insurance companies to get involved. T-​T Honda has kept my Civic in great condition and other than fixing it from accidents, it has only needed routine maintenance. My daily work commute is from Banker’s Hill to Escondido, so I have definitely put my car to the test and I truly believe it has lasted because of T-T’s great care.
When I have told the mechanics that I have heard a noise, abnormal squeak, etc., they checked it out and let me know it was fine rather than taking advantage of my lack of auto knowledge.
If you own a Honda or Acura, TAKE YOUR CAR HERE! Sure, it is in the ghetto (and I do not mean that lightly… it really is in City Heights and just outside of Hooker-​ville), but it is an undiscovered gem that is worth talking about. Can’t blame them for wanting cheap rent!