Autometrics (Berkeley & El Cerrito, CA)
Archived Q&A and Reviews
April 2009
Re: Looking to buy a used car for my daughter
Try Autometrics in Berkeley. I think John Hafez is the owner. They have a repair service on San Pablo Ave. next to REI but also have a used car lot in El Cerrito. They are honest and will help you find a road-worthy vehicle for a fair price! You can check some of the inventory on line. Talk to John and he will help you out. satisfied customer
I recommend Autometrics on San Pablo in El Cerrito for a used car. I recently purchased a car through Paul, the owner. He was low key, low pressure and knowledgeable. The car checked out perfectly through an independent mechanic. I will definitely work with him again if and when the need arises. Satisfied New Used CRV Owner
March 2009
Re: Non Toyota Dealership Mechanic
I take my Toyota and Volvo to Autometrics in Berkeley. Victor and Alfredo are great and very honest. They are on San Pablo next to REI. I have been going there for years. Toyota owner
Nov 2008
Re: Where to buy a reliable used car?
We purchased a used car for our daughter about three years ago at Autometrics in El Cerrito. It's on San Pablo Avenue about 4-6 blocks north of Central Ave. We bought a used Honda Civic, about four years old at the time. It has been great! The price was reasonable (we checked Kelly Blue Book pricing) and have had no problems at all with the car. I highly recommend them as a place to purchase a used car. Judy
Dec 2006
Re: Reliable VW mechanic in Oakland/Berkeley
I've used Autometrics (in Berkeley on San Pablo next to REI) for a Jetta and Passat over the past 6 years and have been very happy with their service. There are several other good VW mechanics in Berkeley listed in the BPN archives Phil
Re: Looking for a used minivan (Dec 2002)
Check out Autometrics on San Pablo in El Cerrito. The owner Paul is incredibly easy to deal with -- no sales pitches -- and the car you buy comes thoroughly checked and serviced. I had a really nice experience with them in October this year buying a used vehicle. I know they are big on Subarus, Toyotas, Volvos and Saabs, but I don't know about vans or mini-vans specifically. Good Luck. Anna
Aug 2002
Re: Mechanic for Subaru Outback (Aug 2002)
We have had good luck with Autometrics, in Berkeley. While we have a Toyota, I know they also service Subarus. They're on San Pablo, next to REI (@ Gilman). Jenny
We bought a 1989 Volvo wagon from Autometrics in March of 1999. We've been very pleased with it, and feel like we got a good deal. No major repairs, and it's been driven pretty hard by my teenage stepchildren. Fran
My experience with Autometrics has been very negative. We had our Volvo serviced there at least 4 times, and each time it seemed our stationwagon would have a new and different problem when I brought the car home.
The worst experience was when we brought the car in to have the timing belts replaced.a Within 2 weeks of having the belts replaced, the car died on us on the way to the airport.a I missed my flight.a Turns out, the belts weren't even attached, and Autometrics gave me a lame story instead of taking responsibility for this situation.
We bought an 87 volvo wagon from Autometrics a few years ago. It was a good experience overall and the car is running fine. We took it to the Model Garage to get it checked out before we bought it and they said it was in good shape and gave a few things that should be fixed before we bought it. Autometrics did those things and I think we paid what they were asking. The price seemed somewhat higher than what you could find on a great day in the paper but it was much less hassle all around. Plus everything in the car worked and it was clean when we took it home (not always true in a used car). Leah
We bought our wagon from autometrics 2 years ago on the advice of a friend. We needed a car immediately - our other one just died on day. We had a limited budget, and very limited time. To make a rather long story short... to this day we are still thrilled with our volvo. We (quickly) went to 3 other dealers, and nobody had the selection they had. Ours is 10 years old, and it's still a champ. I think they buy their cars at auction ours seems to have come from North Carolina! We were going to them for mechanics as well, but they were inconvenient to get to. We now go to Ackerman's on San Pablo. Roberta