Oil change service near Panorama City, CA

We went through 3 different mechanics including the Mercedes Service Department before going to Gold Star. Mike diagnosed the problem with no charge, and his findings were very accurate. We had spend close to $2000 fixing what wasn't even the issue, even Mercedes charging us 280 for diagnosis still couldn't fix the issue. I am so happy and grateful to Mike, he was so generous, professional, experienced, and courteous, we've finally found an honest and extremely experienced mechanic. I will recommend Gold Star to all my friends and family. I rate Gold Star a 10!!!!!!!

I am new to the area so I relied on Yelp and Google ratings to help me find Hank's Tire. It's an "old school" place - been in business since the 50's and it is second generation family owned - a gem of a find. They educated me, didn't pressure me and made me and my car much happier. Thank you guys!

You should know a few things about Pep Boys right off the bat. First, they charge about the same as many dealer mechanics. So, you should basically just take the car to the dealer or an upmarket independent who has more reason to care about your car. In addition, you will wait an awful lot for service with such a markup. Again, if one pays a premium, one expects a certain amount of service. The last thing you should know is that they seem to lack an enforced policy with regard to their work. If you walk in, you are just dealing with Mike, and if Mike does not feel like giving you a refund, that is that. My story is that I took my Buick in to have it checked out since I was going to drive it across country. They charged me $485 for a belt and two radiator hoses. This is somewhat of a premium price and I will discuss that is just a minute. I got my car and drove it for a few days (it was repaired on 6/5/2014). The radiator then blew out in Jackson Hole Wyoming (on 6/13/2014). This is pretty far from where I live and it really created a lot of problems for me. The fluid it leaked was green. It turns out that they put regular pro-line coolant and not Dex-Cool as the manufacturer recommends. This is documented in the receipt and I saw it with my own eyes. Did this cause my blow out? It’s hard to say, but if a surgeon leaves a surgical sponge in the patient and they get sepsis, it’s likely they will blame the surgeon. When I brought my receipts and material to Mike Zdralek the service manager, his opinion was that I needed to prove it was their fault. The funny thing was I was extremely polite and was trying not to point any fingers. Even a simple apology would have been nice. Now I’m out $485 for the repairs which had absolutely no effect in preventing what they were intended to do. I brought the car in to prevent a radiator blow out, and they did the job wrong and it blew out … in the middle of nowhere. The extra repair cost me $471 (plus $200 to have the part driven in from Idaho Falls). So I’m out over a thousand dollars now with nothing to show for it. The interesting thing to note is that a whole new radiator at a standard mechanic costs the same as two hoses and a belt from Pep Boys. This gives you an idea of the markup they charge on work. In the future, I will not bring any business to Pep Boys. I hope that the %20 margin they made was worth it. That’s the last they will see of me and the last dollar I will spend with their store.

I thank my lucky stars for this place!! For as long as I've been taking my car to the team here, which is about 6 years now (this was previously a Nappa, with the same team), I have always been listened to genuinely and given considered, expert recommendations for my old car. It's thanks to them that it keeps on going!! Managers Albert, Mitch and the mechanics are top notch, friendly and so helpful! They take the time to listen and explain. At first, having just moved to LA, I used to cross-check their recommendations with a friend who owns a repair shop back where I used to live. Every time, he agreed with the basis for their assessment, plan of action, and price. As an example of their honesty, there was one type of repair that, for the type of car I have, is apparently best done by the dealership, and they told me that up front, rather than just doing the repair themselves without telling me and leaving me with the chance that the car may not work as it should. They have never been pushy and they help me prioritize what needs to be done and what can wait. They have sometimes gone out of their way to help me. The friendliness and reliability with which I'm treated here makes this Napa shop a valuable part of my sense of community here in Hollywood. I'm so grateful to have them and couldn't recommend them more highly! Janet Caper

Great service! I was given a detailed understanding of the issue my vehicle was experiencing. With my small budget incapable of undergoing all needed repairs, they made it work. Even better - under what I could spend :) This is a quick, clean, professional, and understanding location of which I highly recommend. Chris Curtis

You can buy a toaster at Target or Walmart or Kmart. At either place you will walk away with a toaster that does the job. And it's mostly about getting a better price. Other things in life, like having a dentist, plumber, doctor ... or mechanic ... are about relationships and value (quality versus cost). Many people know that referrals are the best way to find these connections. And once we've found one of these connections, we're very likely to keep it for the long-term. I found my mechanic ... it's Bruce's Automotive.

Serge's Automotive has been proudly serving the La Crescenta community since 1987. Our full-service automotive repair center is your one-stop shop for oil changes, brake jobs, tire changes, transmission repair, tune-ups, engine overhauls, and more.