Photos & videos
Services Offered
Verified by Business
Review Highlights
“Special thanks to Scott, who talked me through the issues I was having and listened intently to my description.” in 45 reviews
“. Tonya, his wife, keeps track of the office side and completed the sense of a well run shop” in 4 reviews
“Honest, competitive prices and outstanding customer service.” in 4 reviews
You Might Also Consider
in Rv Repair, Body Shops
in Auto Repair, Tires
in Tires, Auto Repair, Transmission Repair
About the Business
Having been in the auto repair business since 1983, Scott Kaplan has been a master certified technician recognized by the Automotive Service Excellence since 1984. The Novato Auto Service technicians are licenced, insured, and have over 65 years of experience among them.We service Residential, Commercial & Industrial clients in the Marin area and proudly stand by the quality of our work. Here is a partial list of services Oil & Lube Air Conditioning Alignments Electrical / Engine Diagnostic Suspension Factory Scheduled Maintenance
Location & Hours
Novato, CA 94945
Mon |
| |
|---|---|---|
Tue |
| |
Wed |
| |
Thu |
| Open now |
Fri |
| |
Sat |
| |
Sun |
|
Amenities and More
Ask the Community
Yelp users haven’t asked any questions yet about Novato Auto Service.
People also searched for
Recommended Reviews
Overall rating
69 reviews
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
- Michael L.Novato, CA01Jul 29, 2024
My 2000-year-old Buick wasn't running right. So, I called Scott, he said bring it in. A couple of hours later, Scott's calling me, to come and pick up your car
Found out a spark plug was bad. Scott, change all the plugs and wires, check everything out, tires, top off all my fluids. I was ready to go.
Now I bring in my son's truck for service.
What I like about Scott is, he fair and upfront with me on, my vehicles and good service.
Michael Lynch
Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0 
Robert E.San Francisco, CA19345May 20, 2024Updated reviewUPDATE: this shop is so bad they settled for the max amount I was able to sue them for in small claims court. I highly recommend going anywhere else. This man has been accused and has been cited before for bad business.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Jan 10, 2024Previous reviewThey blew my motor. Straight up, lied to me and did un authorized work which resulted in a blown motor. Scott the owner sent me to his instance as BAR found to be in my favor but he didn't have coverage at time of the incident.
Man caused over 25k dollars in damages and refused to admit his wrong doing,
For insights he said he got the truck running and redid the ignition and such but a cylinder never fired!!!May 31, 2023Previous reviewStay away! I want to start by expressing my sincere disappointment and frustration with my experience at this particular shop. As someone with over 20 years of experience building show and race cars, I deeply regret choosing this establishment.
I discovered this shop through Yelp and approached the owner, Scott, with my 1979 Bronco show truck, which had just been painted. Normally, I handle the work myself or entrust it to a reliable shop. However, due to a shoulder injury and a relatively short list of simple tasks, I decided to seek their assistance. Little did I know the grave mistake I was making. Everything on this truck was in new line condition prior to taking it to his shop.
To begin with, Scott failed to address even half of the items on the punch list I provided, some of which were crucial for safety and proper functioning of the vehicle. Additionally, he proceeded to install parts and make alterations without seeking my permission, both verbally or in writing. The situation became even worse when I discovered that the truck had been in his possession for almost four months, despite him claiming it was ready for pick-up on three separate occasions. To my dismay, the vehicle broke down within minutes of leaving the shop each time.
While I won't delve into the extensive details, there are three critical points I feel compelled to share:
1.) Multiple past incidents have been reported to the BAR (Bureau of Automotive Repair) regarding this shop. It is essential to take these warnings seriously and steer clear.
2.) Scott negligently taped off and failed to connect the breather, resulting in oil leakage from the engine. Although he acknowledged this mistake, his invoice indicated work on the carburetor and choke, both of which are located adjacent to the breather. This indicates a deliberate decision to leave the breather blocked, leading to a cascade of issues. He even had the audacity to blame the engine's oil leak on my choice of cork seals, only to replace them with the same type and encounter another leak. This can be directly attributed to his negligent taping of the breather.
3.) Shockingly, he caused damage to the truck's door, hood, fenders and powered coated steering system. Despite being responsible for this damage, he displayed a lack of accountability by only offering to repair the door. Furthermore, when I inquired about what happened, I received three contradictory explanations.
In all honesty, I strongly advise everyone to stay away from this shop. There are far better alternatives in Santa Rosa with reputable and competent professionals who can provide exceptional service.- Amber L.Novato, CA04Jul 12, 2024
Website says trailers/RVs are part of their service. I called and asked about my pop-up trailer and after asking who answered got told "I'm not sure" and got transferred to the owner. We set a time to bring it in and I was told my husband would get a text with the appointment info. He didn't receive the text so I called today to confirm the date and was told Scott would call back. He called my husband back and was EXTREMELY rude! Needless to say we will not be going here. We love to support local as my husband is also a local business owner but there is no reason for rudeness.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 
Tyler C.Novato, CA183Apr 16, 2024Went to these guys recently with an issue that a few (won't name names) other mechanics in the area couldn't figure out on my explorer. They got it knocked out in no-time and as far as i'm concerned they undercharged me. Super nice people and they know what they're doing. I'm not going anywhere else anymore.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0- Michael A.San Francisco, CA03Jun 20, 2024
I've used Scott for years, Camry, Tacoma, now my Lexus, Mercedes. I've never had a problem, friendly, do good work, cheaper than dealers whom I never trust. I prefer doing business with locals in the community.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Bailey W.CA, CA01Jun 28, 2023
This mechanic is horrible. Scott the owner was supposed to replace brakes. That was it but then did other unauthorized work that i didnt approve but had to pay for. Said my cv boot needed to be replaced which Honda did it under warranty two months prior. And if i knew honda would have coveted it.
Stay away. Read some of the other reviews to learn about the bait and switch.Helpful 1Thanks 1Love this 1Oh no 0 
Al C.Sonoma, CA113Apr 28, 2023So wonderful that I bring my van from Sonoma to have repairs done here. Scott has done over $6000 work for my in the past 3 years or so. That is a rebuilt tranny, new A/C, fuel pump replacement and servicing. Work is done on time at the price agreed to. You cannot go wrong when you have a shop that cares as much about your vehicle as you do. Thank you Scott.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0
Reiber M.Belmont, CA18Mar 29, 2023THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!!... After taking my truck to a different shop first I was given misleading and stressful information about what was going on with my truck. I was then referred to Novato Auto Service, I spoke to Kyle and Scott and they help me out so much!!! The news they gave me made my day .. the communication, honesty and return time on my vehicle was unbelievable... this place deserves more than 5 stars!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! Thank you SCOTT & KYLE !
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0- Jo B.Novato, CA1512Aug 2, 2022
I had great service from Scott and his son recently. My light came on, it turned out to be a defective water pump problem. It was diagnosed and fixed immediately. This is my new "go to" garage from now on !!!
Great service !Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0
You Might Also Consider
in Home & Rental Insurance, Auto Insurance, Registration Services
in Trailer Repair, Commercial Truck Repair
