Have you ever had a mechanic that is the reason you can still drive your car?... Gary is that guy.I sware he can fix anything! We have 5 cars, only 1 of them is new, the rest are well loved ancient members of our car family.2012 Hyundai Hybrid - 1999 Chevy Tahoe - (he totally saved the transmissiion) 1987 - Jeep CJ-7 - which he keeps ruunning very well and passed smog!!! -1995 Saturn- 1985 Ford f-250- still hauling stuff at the farm!!Gary is a Gem, not over priced, and we do not spend $$$$ on things that are unnecessary, Gary keeps all my vehicles in top working order. He will not scam you ladies, he is a gentleman. here is our Beep Beep Jeep. Happy Driving

I couldnt be happier with Garys work. His labor costs were commensurate with the quality of his work. Excellence.

Ive gone to Garys for 5 years now with any and all car problems. His response has always been immediate and hes always willing to help with any situation. Recently Ive had my brakes completely replaced (pads, drums, rotors) and more recently spark plugs. All fixed within 2 hours of dropping the car off. Would recommend!

Gary is a great, honest, hardworking, talented guy and an amazing mechanic.Wouldnt think of taking our cars anywhere else. 100% trust worthy.

I took my car to Gary’s shop to change the spark plugs. Gary quoted me $200. I agreed and his mechanic started to work on my car. After he was done Gary asked me to pay $350. After I argued with him that his quote was $200 what is $350? He brought down to $300. That was a true ripping off the customer. He also told me to take my car to replace the transmission fluid for $200. I am glad that I didn’t fall for his bait again. I took my car to the dealer and paid $139 for changing transmission fluid. This was my first and last time going to Gary’s Automotive in Costa Mesa. This is a classic way of bait and switch.

Gary is an great person and an even better mechanic! Self made man with great karma because he believes in helping others, but you better come correct because he doesnt mess around.He is honest and professional and you wont find a better mechanic. Glad were in business Gary.Thanks,Arik #customerforlife #westsidecostamesa #nokooks allowed

Rest in peace Gary...youll be greatly missed

Gary is a master of his craft, and a very honest businessman. I needed a new catalytic converter to get up to California smog regulations. To make a long story short, Gary used his experience in welding, machining, and automotive repair to save me substantial time and money. He installed the converter using that very knowledge and got my car up to California regulations when other auto stores wouldve just shrugged their shoulders and ordered more and more parts. I recently moved to California and have found my go-to mechanic with exceptional talent and integrity.

I would recommend this place to anybody that wants honest work. The shop owner is very knowledgeable and more than happy to fix any problem. If you dont know much about cars, fear not, because you get high quality work without the fear the shop is just trying to run your wallet dry. Thanks for all the work youve done for me so far. Well see what kind of issues pop-up in the future.

Was on vacation with my rental when I put the wrong fuel in the car. Not knowing the area at all and looking for somewhere close by to have the car towed. I got it towed in front of the shop at like 1 am. It was the day before our six flags trip. So we got up super early ubered back to the shop the next morning where I was introduced to Gary and he took care of us and emptied the fuel and replaced it. We made it to Six Flags and the rest of the trip was great. Highly recommend this shop in case of small minor emergencies. Thanks Gary for the love!

Had my rear brakes done there and Gary and his team are some of the greatest guys Ive ever met. Customer for life now

I took my 2001 Ford Expedition in for what I thought was a tranny or u-joint problem. Within 10 minutes Gary zeroed in on the problem. Bad spark plugs. Seemed like a simple fix. It took what seemed like a long time. Cost me plenty. What I didnt find out until AFTER the repair (and was checking his price for the work) was that replacing spark plugs on Ford Expedition or F150 can be very expensive. Some dealers charges start out at $936 and go up to $1,398 ESTIMATE for this work. Problem is the spark plugs freeze up into the engine and break off in the engine when you try to remove them. It costs extra money to get them out. (In some cases $100 to $150 EACH!) The spark plugs are located in very unreachable places. Garys mechanic got ALL of them out without breaking off one! I got out of there spending about half of the dealers estimates including tax, Gary cleaned and recharged my K & N filter, and Gary put in high end plugs that are good for well over 150,000 miles....more like 200,000 miles. So I wont have to do it again for a long, long time. Thanks Gary!

Very honest and prices are normal . The south coast Toyota dealership recommended him for a problem that they could not figure out on a 05 sequoia 4x4 .. they couldnt figure out why it was shifting erratic.. they had it for 2 days and it didnt even shift at all . Gary hooked it up !!

What impressed us most was not just his honesty and friendliness, when Porsche didnt have my part Gary MADE it on his lathe! Old world craftsmanship and hands on experience about how things work! As I picked up the Porsche a new customer frustrated with his old mechanic was their. Gary said Look (the poor guys ENTIRE wiring harness was spliced in with wire nuts and butt connectors). Thats the problem nowadays in America, most are parts swappers and dont know how to turn a spark plug. I agree and were glad we found Gary. He maintains my Bentley and the 5 cars our kids thrash!Bernard needs father therapy.

Rest In Peace Gary!!! You will be missed!!!😢

Gary is a miracle worker! I brought him my Jaguar after almost 2 years, and great expense, because no one, including Jaguar Land Rover Newport could figure out why my car would stop or fail to start and then restart again minutes, hours or days later for no apparent reason.The ABS, and engine lights would go on and off at will. The battery light would go on intermittently but each time AAA came, the battery was charging at 100% and was not the problem. In addition, the fuel gauge would fluctuate from full, partially full and to empty even after I had just filled the tank. After several visits for the dash lights and the start/stop problem, Jaguar finally told me that I would need to replace the computer unit in the dash to get the fuel gauge and lights to function properly. The issue with the gremlins in the ignition was never resolved!Then I found Gary- not only is he a sweet heart who even had his son deliver the car to my work place, but in less than 24 hours he diagnosed the stop/start problem, and in 2 days he had ordered the parts and replaced them at a fraction of the cost I would have paid Jaguar or any anyone else because his rates are so reasonable and he knows how to find parts without paying dealer prices.The car starts smoothly every time, all the lights on the dash are off and the fuel gauge works perfectly. In fact, the car is more responsive, handles like it used to before these problems and I am getting much better gas mileage when I fill up.Gary is my mechanic for life because he knows what he is doing, his prices are fair and reasonable and he is a caring and terrific person. He even called me days later to make sure my car was running OK.He is my first and only choice and I have and will continue to recommend him to everyone I know.Thanks Gary- I finally have stopped bleeding money and my car runs like new.Miriam

Honest guy knew his stuff took a car there for a inspection before I bought it, solid work

I had a Tune Up, Oil Change and Front Brake Pads installed.It was done for much less than the dealer charged and the work was good. Ill be back.Ricky M

Garys automotive gets to be my first review as it has inspired me to spread the word about this amazing shop and amazing mechanic. Gary is extremely friendly and honest and will help inform you of what is wrong with your car and how he will fix it.After having my catalytic converter and O2 sensor cut off and stolen from my car, I got quotes of 2700 dollars from the dealership and other shops telling me the cat alone was 1000 dollars. I called up Gary, told him my issue, and he gave me a price on the spot much more reasonable - 600 total for the cat, sensor, and labor. Said I needed to get it taken care of to get a smog check and renew my tabs. His reply: No problem, bring it in and Ill take care of it.Seemed too good to be true, but I took it in and he showed me the specific part, even gave me the model number of the part he was putting on. I pulled the car up for him and he drove it right onto the lift while I was still there. We got under the car and he showed me where the sensor had been cut and where it was located relative to the cat and what he had to do to fix it.Took him only a couple hours to get it done and the car almost sounds and runs better now than with the original cat. When I went to pick it up, we got to talking and I asked a few more questions, talked about his son who gives him a hand in his shop when he needs some help. Hes a great and friendly guy, an honest mechanic and person.Gary answers the phone and does the work on your car. He knows what hes talking about and knows what hes doing. Most mechanics use software to tell them how much to bill for the parts and labor and if they get it done sooner and cheaper than the computer tells them, its profit in their pocket. Gary knows the part, will show itto you and its cost, and knows how long it will take him to complete the job. Thats how you get billed.I will without doubt be taking my cars to him for any type of work I need done in the future. I hope this review helps anyone looking for a mechanic, because its hard and stressful trying to find a trustworthy place to take your car. He deserves all 5 stars.

Gary charges a very fair rate for his work and always does a great job. I will continue to come back whenever I need my truck looked at.

1st class mechanic

Very helpful always there for you, very trustworthy