What clients say about Oliveras Auto Repair and Tire in Buellton (CA)
Emmit is a terrific guy, always great to work with, so fair, honest, and helpful. He has managed some difficult repairs for me and always did a great job at very reasonable cost!
I have been using Oliveras services for years. They are always pleasant and helpful. They have a whole new tire service center. They have great knowledge.
I cannot say enough positive things about this establishment and their staff. What a class act group of people, truly. My story is long and rather unfortunate, but the team at Olivera’s helped make a bad situation a little more tolerable. Let me explain.
I was on a joy ride from San Diego, where I live, all the way up to San Francisco to visit a buddy of mine who I never got to see. I own a 2014 Mini Cooper S Convertible, and it was a beautiful day for a long drive up the coast with the top down. But while passing through the cute little city of Buellton, my car suffered a catastrophic engine failure. I initially thought the alternator died, but that wasn’t the case. After inspection at Olivera’s, it turned out to be much worse. They (correctly) determined the coolant was somehow pouring directly into the engine and mixing with the oil. The dipstick looked like it had been dipped into a milkshake. Not good.
But the car is secondary to the *actual* service I received from the staff at Olivera’s. Cars can be fixed. This review is about hospitality. That said, I would fully trust these guys with my car. They’ve been doing this for many years and clearly know what they’re talking about. All car owners worry about being lied to by their mechanic. At Olivera’s, I do not see that ever being the case. These are genuinely nice people, and trust goes a long way here.
I arrived just shy of closing time on a Friday evening, around 4:40 p.m. Seeing me come off of a tow truck, they immediately broke the tension with, “So, how’s YOUR day going?” It put a little smile on my face. I explained the situation and that I would likely be stuck in Buellton for the weekend while the car was repaired. They immediately offered suggestions on where to stay and where to eat. No pressure, no rushing since it was closing time, no macho car talk. They simply heard my story and felt my pain.
Bob, one of their mechanics, even offered me a ride to the Motel 6 down the road. That was Green Flag #1. I chose it based on their recommendation. Yes, it’s a simple motel, but for my needs it was spot-on. They placed me in the least expensive and most centrally located place in town, with restaurants, parks, and a grocery store nearby, and still only about half a mile from the shop. That ended up being a huge deal because I would ultimately be stuck in Buellton for an entire week.
On Monday when they inspected the car, Emmet, the owner, invited me down to see the diagnosis in person. I could immediately see the concern in his eyes and from the mechanic working on the car. They knew the news was bad and delivered it with genuine empathy. They were incredibly gentle with me, which meant a lot.
Over the following days I had several phone calls with them and made a few visits to the shop. Each time felt more like visiting family than dealing with a repair shop. Mark, who has been there for years, was always great to chat with. Matt, the future owner, was a really good guy. Chu (I believe that’s his name) was always supportive. None of them felt like “staff.” This clearly felt like a family operation.
Emmet has been an unbelievable support through the entire experience. Even as we shook hands goodbye, he offered to keep my car safely parked in his lot while I figured out transportation back to San Diego. I am writing this review from San Diego while my car still sits in his lot in Buellton. It's unsettling being five hours away from a dead car, but I feel completely safe knowing that it's in their hands.
Let this review serve as a huge thank you to Olivera’s, Emmet, and the entire staff. Everyone there was exceptional. And from watching other customers come in, it is clear that this is how they treat all people. They treat people like people, not numbers. It truly feels like a family.
If you are anywhere near Buellton, I would not take my car anywhere else.
EASY 5 stars from me. Not even a question.
I wasn’t clear that I wanted synthetic oil put in so regular oil was used. After seeing that on the receipt I mentioned that synthetic would be better. They changed it out right away for me no questions…thank you Mark for being understanding and helping out. Great service!
Had 3 tires replaced. Two weeks later and my lug nut has come off. (Edit: It wasn’t “several weeks” as the shop tries to say in their reply. And I’ve had the car for years without a lug nut falling off, so I’m ? certain it was due to their negligence.) In summary, they didn’t properly tighten lug nuts (major safety concern).
Oh my oh my! Have I been living under a rock? I wish I'd came sooner. From start to finish, nothing but superb, excelente, manifico, friendly, outstanding service! Not going anywhere else! Check out their new office/ lounge! They have comfortable chairs to relax in and a counter top area if you need to still take care of business (computer work).
We blew a tire on our rental car last weekend while visiting a winery in the area. Showed up to Oliveras with a spare. They had our tire patched & back on the car within 30 minutes from pulling in the lot. They also took the time to clean the spare tire and put all the pieces (tire/jack/lugnuts) back appropriately. Very nice/attentive staff!
Hands down the best shop in the Santa Ynez Valley! John and the rest of the crew are professional, kind, and welcoming. They take great care of my car every time, and are very reasonably priced.
My car completely stopped. Every light on the dash went on!! The tow driver assessed the car and miraculously got it going. Best auto repair in the area! We made it home thanks to him!!!
Their guy was friendly, helpful, and super quick with the AAA roadside assistance. These last couple of days have been the absolute worst of my life, and it was great to know that at least one place had my back while I was getting my car fixed and going through shit. I really appreciate it, Oliveras! :)
Good towing with fast arrival, quick turn around on repair, but I feel a bit overcharged for parts. My car broke down on the highway. I called Olivera's for a tow, they showed up quickly, and the fee seemed quite reasonable. They diagnosed a dead alternator and did the repair in one day. That stuff was all great. The thing that stings a bit is that they charged me $374 for the alternator. I searched the internet and found new alternators for my car ranging from $110 - $250. I couldn't find a single one for anywhere near $374. I'd have done the repair myself if it weren't for the fact it would've cost me a ton to get the car towed back to my house. Can't help but feel a little bit gouged.
Had an oil leak on the side of the highway. Turns out my oil filter was loose. They got me in and out fast thanks to Brian! Definitely would recommend.
They got me back on the road quickly. Nice guy, professional and friendly. If you ever get a flat or need a tow around Buellton CA, these are your guys! ?
Oliveras Auto / New Tire Shop, Mike and Luis took care of me right away. Didn't try to upsale me. They took care of 2 different vehicles in the same hour ! Wonderful Service with a Smile ! I am a resident of Santa Ynez Valley for 53 years ! Thanks Team ! ?
I broke down on the highway 2 miles from buellton going north bound at 11:00 pm. I walked to town got a hotel and the next day walked back with water and a new radiator hose . Installed it and tried starting my car. Wouldn’t start I spent hours trying to fix it. I just purchased this vehicle 2 days prior and it wasn’t in my name yet as in registration. Stumped on what was wrong with my car I walked back to town for it was late and had to stay another night at hotel walked back the next morning with a jumper box and more tools to start it and my vehicle was gone less than 72 hours that is the amount of time I can legally have my car there parked on a safe place off the road. I walked all the way back called towing companies and found out that oliveras towing towed my car to their lot. This 2 mile tow is priced at 492 dollars! Let me repeat this they are charging me 492 dollars for towing my vehicle that I never asked them to do 2 miles to their lot!!!!!! This is a car that I purchased for 200 dollars a couple days ago!!!!!! I’m not the kind of guy that has 500 dollars to throw out there for a criminal company to completely rip me off with the authority of some non American horrible corporation …… and every day I can’t pay for my car to get it out cost me 100 dollars more to store my 200 dollar car in there lot . I never asked or ordered them to tow my car. Oliveras told me I’d have to go to dmv or Chp and get all this paperwork and pretty much a big night mare full of items while I don’t have transportation to go do any of this or the funding………… I believe this is a clear situation where oliveras should give me back my car and apologize for the mistake of taking my vehicle illegally. I mean I was parked there for two days this is so wrong and kicking me when I’m down that I don’t want to pay for this service ………. I’m sure the public would to want to pay this until it happens to you or a friend you will see that towing a vehicle 2 miles should not cost 500 dollars especially when I never asked them to do so . Now they expect me to pay them for illegally moving and entrapping my vehicle . Alls I can say is karma goes around and I’m good you can keep my car I’ll still carry on and not lose sleep at night . And I feel for the countless people that have to have there card towed away from a public road that there car may have broke down on . 500 dollars for towing 2 miles is just down right criminal period
Armando, John, and everyone I worked with here are amazing. I was an anxious mess after my engine seized on a 2 lane highway quite a far way from home. They went above and beyond to help me and my car get out of that situation safely. They also were very efficient in diagnosing my car and responsive with all communication. I don't recommend breaking down in the middle of nowhere (don't be like me, have someone peek at your car before long trips in this hot weather). But if you do, I 10000% recommend working with them. Also, I learned that the pandemic really hit the towing industry hard, and these guys are working very long days to take care of us now that we are all back on the road. So even if there is a wait, they will be worth it!
I have spent years spending too much $ for car repair and am so grateful for finding John Oliveras ~ honest, upfront details regarding repairs and how to save money in the process. I felt considerably well cared for in their hands and recommend them for their skills and honest auto care!
Horrible, rude and inept service reps! Vehicle was located in the middle of nowhere (no exits near by or landmarks). After being put on long holds, on multiple occasions, they offered a 2+ hour ETA for a tow. Agreed only because of the limited options in the area. I offered them the exact location coordinates of vehicle as per google maps and they wouldn't accept them. They claimed their "policy didn't let them accept location coordinates", they would only take a landmark or an address. If that isn't the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard, I don't know what is. They really have a way of inconveniencing their potential customers and obviously have no clue what they are doing. Take your business elsewhere, I did!
Oliveras has helped me out in a time of need several times. They did excellent repair work for me and did it in a timely manner and for an excellent price. I am very happy with them and would recommend them to anyone. Thanks again Oliveras
The police unnecessary towed my vehicle and I was not going to make it to Oliveras Towing and Auto Repair to pick it up
before closing. I called and the wonderful lady at the desk was very understanding and said she would wait for me so I wouldn't have to pay another day storage or be without my car. This kind gesture and her selflessness is what Small Town Business is all about! Nicholas SYV
They were able to deal with my pick up in a very timely fashion(We broke down pulling an RV trailer.). They communicated well. They did good work. They charged a fair price. Thank you Tim and Team.
Absolutely fantastic service! Needed a jump on my battery. They had me sorted out within 10 mins of arrival. Super friendly and helpful. Cannot recommend highly enough!!
This shop replaced the radiator on my Nissan Maxima. They gave me a very good price for the work, almost half the price compared to another shop in town. I highly recommend the shop and thank Tim for his professionalism and service.
Website
