RAE An Automotive Service Co. Inc. in Ramona

Always the greatest.

Very kind and knowledgeable staff at RAE. They are very professional in their approach to automotive repair.

Awesome work and fast!

Bad experience! Do not go here these people took advantage of my parents damaged their vehicle and refused to fix it. Avoid the headache go anywhere else

They were very courteous, kept me informed and did a great Job! Thanks!

Randy the owner and Adam the service advisor were professional, patient and had absolute integrity helping my seasoned citizen mom with her 2018 Honda Accord. I m thankful there are people like the team at RAE who actually care about their customers.

Randy and Bill were very helpful and friendly. Also very knowledgeable of the service I needed. Also, on time!! The office is very clean and comfortable.

Randy called me to confirm the total of $2800 but then ended up charging another $300 in labor without my authorization. I called him when I received the bill and he said I knew this was going to happen so Ive documented everything. Thats funny because this is the first time weve ever done business so how would he know that this was going to happen. Sounds to me like he does this often. Beware of this crook and his shady business practices.

Always a great experience going to RAE. They are very professional and provide excellent service.

Our vehicle is riding very smooth. They provided great service in a timely manner. Pricing seemed fair. Having a ride to and from their facility was an important extra for us. We didnt have the extra pressure of finding a ride from friends.

We had RAE do a use car pre-purchase inspection. They were very helpful and had fast service. Thank you for your help RAE!

Randy and the crew at RAE are the best. Have used them many times. So honest and trustworthy. Wouldnt dream of taking my vehicles anywhere else.

RAE is always very responsive to our needs for our fleet of vehicles. We have tight parameters for the timing of drop off & pick up. They work with our needs and have excellent communication about required services. Our go to automotive place

First time for us. Wish Id known about them some years back. Professional serve. Thorough and informative about possible future issues but not pushy. They are honest; an important aspect in auto repair.

I always receive excellent service at RAE! So thankful for the expertise and friendly service.

I recently moved to Ramona and I m thrilled to have a mechanic that I can rely on. They got me in quickly and we re very thorough and informative.

Stay away from RAE Tommy and Vicky at RAE are not mechanics, just sales people. The first thing they want to do is hook your car up to a diagnostic machine even if it has nothing to do with the service you are inquiring about ($250.00 test BTW). I miss-diagnosed the problem I was having with my car and when I took it in they told me it was my transmission (at no charge) that needed to be flushed. Tommy scheduled me in for the following week. I told Tommy to send me a quote for the transmission flush. I drove up the street to the JiffyLube and was quoted $289.00 for a transmission flush. I didn t get it done because I wanted to wait and see what RAE would quote me. I received a quote from RAE later that day at $389.00. One hundred dollar difference. Why? Are your technicians that much better than JiffyLube where they specialize in draining and filling fluid reservoirs? I did more research when I got home and found out that my wheel bearings were the problem, not my transmission like Tommy and his mechanic had told me. So I texted back to Tommy and asked for a quote, 2004 Honda Element (FWD), for front wheel bearings replaced on both sides. I received a text quoting me $1,247.05 for parts/labor fully installed. I called AutoZone (up the street from RAE) to find out how much wheel bearings cost for my make and model. The price was $43.00 a piece, a grand total of $86.00 minus tax. I know auto repair shops get their parts at wholesale which is less than $43.00 a piece. I don t understand this type of mark-up on parts and labor. Are you telling me that labor costs $1,161.05, that is if I paid for the parts myself (minus $86.00)? This has to be the most egregious quote I think I have ever gotten for work on any of my cars. Needless to say, I canceled my appointment for the transmission flush and will never set foot inside of that shop again. What they are not realizing is that in this day and age of the internet and technology, it only takes minutes to confirm their prices for parts. RAE is going to run out of customers to scam in this small town. We are on to you. I found a mechanic that quoted me $655.00 for parts/labor to replace my wheel bearings. My advice, take the time to do your research because it can save you a lot of money.

What an amazing team of kind, courteous, talented professionals! They were so thorough, explained everything I needed, got it all fixed promptly, and were wonderful to deal with. They have earned my business forever and I will recommend them to everyone I know. I love this team!

RAE was able to take in my vehicle immediately. Staff and mechanics are friendly and informative. I had lots of questions and called often. They were always available with answers.

Had a Transmission flush done today. The staff are amazing at RAE Ramona.

Super reliable place, professional and friendly service. Totally worth 5 stars!

Honest, reliable shop, great service they alway make sure to extend courtesy and care to meet customers needs Thank you RAE!

They are always friendly and professional at RAE. Sometimes its more than I want to pay, and sometimes I am surprised. This time, I was surprised and the total ended up being several hundred less than I expected. Never had an issue with their work.

My 03 VW van was looked at by the service representative and he performed visual checks and driving check to determine my complaint (gripe). Finding some loose screws and bolts the tech took care of the issue and briefed the customer rep and that was relayed back to me. Very professional I thought. Im very thankfull.

All the years that I have been bringing my truck to RAE, I have always had great, friendly, professional customer service. From the front desk to the garage and over the phone. They do a great job in a timely manner, keep me posted on what is happening with my truck. I have never felt taken advantage of or pushed into anything that I dont want or need and great prices for vehicle service. I highly recommend RAE for your auto.

They are always super friendly. I needed some routine maintenance done and they were able to get me in within a few days. Good work and got the job done on time.

I had them change my spark plug wires work was done timely and professionally with no upselling employees are friendly and professional

Excellent speedy service its the only shop that I use.

This was my first visit to RAE. I was impressed with the clean office area. Everything was handled in a professional way. From the cost estimate to the completion of the job.They told me exactly what they found and made recommendations. I was always treated with respect. The job cost less than the estimate. This is a honest company. I will return every time I need work on my car.

Got all the informations i need and the person at the desk was very nice.

Overall a positive experience. Replacing the 20 year old hose with a new $30 part should have been a no brainer and would have saved your labor and my time.

I can t say enough about these gentlemen for their hard work and exceptional service! Thank you Randy and Daniel Cesar, you are the BEST! My appreciation goes beyond words!

Atta Boy!!! Thanks to the office manager Cesar for never calling me back when he said he would!!! AttaBoy!!!!

Kind courteous professional top notch service provided fair prices best place in ramona for auto repair

Always great customer service good experience

Brought it in for an AC charge. Was told that a seal was leaking and they ordered the part said it would be in the next morning. Waited the next day until after noon and had not heard anything. Called to find out the status after a long time on hold, they said someone would call me back. That did not happen. I went there in person and was told that it was not a bad seal but that the evaporator was damaged and needed replacing. I ended up paying them $107 for the privilege of finding out that I needed another $1,000 dollars or more of repairs. So I took my car and left . Still no working AC and $100 dollars poorer for the experience. I understand that things break, but some timely communication would have been helpful.

Never go to this place if you are expecting to get fair work for your money. I spent 412.00 dollars for nothing. All they did was write down what I had already told them that was wrong. On top of that they drove my truck after an agreement with the owner himself agreed that I would drive for any testing, then they erased my trouble codes.

They know trucks

Brought my 29 Model A to RAE a few times now. Randy and his team are fantastic. Appreciate the honesty and friendliness everytime Im at your Shop. Superb work! Thank you

Fair prices, amazing staff, good with meeting all the services my car needs! Im a doordasher so I come here often and these guys always do everything right

Bill does great fabrication work too

My car is 23 years old and needed a radiator replaced. After the inspection Randy found some safety issues that needed addressed, all repairs he recommended were reasonable. I got the car back and it purred all the way home. I was very happy with the work they did.

Hostile and unprofessional customer service. The workmanship wasn t very good for the amount of money spent. It would be better if the customer service was understanding and helpful instead of defensive and rude. If I could give less then one star I would. Do some extensive checking around before settling on this shop.

RAE Charged $256.00 to do a visual exam on my 18y/o son s car. He can say whatever he wants to but checking he horn, seatbelt, windshield etc ~12 yes or no basic checkboxes and three he wrote on that there s a crack on windshield that does not justify his outrageous charge. Totally took advantage! must be nice for him to charge that much and not even have to do any mechanical repairs. Also, he states that our son agreed to the price and signed to the $256, but really this was after the check was done. My son dropped off his car at 9am and returned from work to pick it up at 11am to a shocking bill that he had to sign to. He also felt that he was unfairly taken advantage of!

I had my Dads truck towed there on June 2 and told them he had replaced the brain and it ran and started good. Then the next day it wouldnt start again and left it randy called Friday said he reprogrammed the key and it was running fine but needed 2 tires which we authorize then he calls to say steering is off 180 degrees and tie rod ends were bad.I told no because they had recently been replaced. Monday I took my dad to get the truck and randy said it wouldnt start again. Dad said lets try starting it he said no it wont start so we left it after being told Friday it done.Next he called and said it needed a new fuel pump we said no it had just been replaced. The next call was to say it needs an injector one is bad but should replace them all which would cost over 5 thousand dollars I told him no because when it started it ran. We had the truck towed home June 10 and the only thing that has been replaced is the battery. It starts and runs great every time. We took it to your shop and it would have been 5 stars when he reprogrammed the key but he just kept telling us it needs all these expensive repairs when it didnt I believe that is a crime.

I definitely do not recommend they will do work without permission and when you ask for price of work they are recommending they tell you your being pushy do not go here

They charged me a bunch of $$ for what they call diagnostic after I told them what the problem was. I had a blown out spark plug that I told them I had. Check brakes and suspension. They put in heli coil two new ignition coil and 8 plugs. So after diagnostic.........$2200. I expected $12-1500. They only looked at suspension and brakes. After a quote of $1000+ for 2 rotors 1 caliper and pads for the front. I went and bought those items that night. $235. So youre telling me that $700+ for labor is right? Ill do it myself. Dont get me wrong, I get how miserable doing the plug work is. But this is what they do. I just dont think $600+ for diagnostic is fair after giving them the engine work and telling them what the problem was. Very unhappy... Well I wrote this review before driving my truck. After managing a ride to pick my truck, I only made it 1/4 mile before it died. I finally got it restarted service engine light came on and I sputtered back to return to their parking lot. I guess my time isnt as valuable as theirs. Extremely unhappy

Had to have the 100k maintenance to my little 2011 Ranger, and I took it into RAE Automotive service. This is my second time with my ranger in this shop, Ive taken it for years to the ford dealer, and I gotta tell you that I wish Id found RAE sooner. If youve ever taken your vehicle into a dealership then maybe you know what I mean. impersonal is putting it lightly. Not so at RAE! It is hard to find a shop to have your vehicle serviced that you can trust, I think I found it here. And I guess this sounds like it is a paid AD.... it isnt, Im a local in Ramona, and will shop local when Im able and will speak up about a great place, simple as that.

Great service, got in and out. Love these guys (and girl).

I had a loud sqeeking noise coming from my engine bay I took it it the did a diagnostic on it and pin pointed the issue it was my started not releasing fully and making contact with the fly wheel the replaced the starter the same day and ceaser was very professional and had excellent customer service I would recommend my friends and family to this repair center

Sequia runs great! Thank you.

Randy and his team come through again. This time they took my sons SAAB and got it back up and running. As always I put my trust in the RAE team and they came through, even on a difficult model like the SAAB.

I needes a transmission flush on my BMW I was told that they work on them I left the light on inside the car so the battery had died overnight .they charged me $150 to start my vehicle they told me that it took the mechanic 1 hour to find my battery I said you work on BMWs and it took your guy an hour to find the battery. I bought the oil and I bought the new plug for it they told me to plug didnt fit and the transmission fluid was wrong so I told them you could please just put the new filter in there and put the oil that I bought in the car they charged me $500 to change the transmission fluid that I bought.$150 to jump start my vehicle. I will never take my car there again they rip you off with a smile everything that they want to put in your vehicle cost triple I would find a new mechanic right away and if your car is there I would ask them to park it in the street where you can pick it up.

This is a rather different review altogether because I ve actually never received any services from Rae s Automotive. I was recommended to him by family members as I was looking to have my AC system in my 1988 Chevy Silverado updated so it could take the R134 refrigerant. When I met Randy he was explaining to me that there could be other issues with the system that may be unknown. Even though I was perplexed at first since this pick up only has 20,000 documented miles, he was very adamant that there could be several more issues wrong with the system such as leaks, a bad condenser, bad compressor, etc. which would definitely cost much more than what I thought would be a simple fix. Needless to say, I was still assuming that it was just a simple fix and asked him if he could then recommend somebody else that I could take it to. He recommended a place called Eskimo AC and Radiator in El Cajon. Well, this was one of the best turn of events I could ve possibly had hoped for. Although the worst case scenario was realized when I took it to Eskimo, the entire system was contaminated and therefore everything needed to be replaced. Although the cost was substantial, it was still a very excellent price and the quality of parts that Eskimo used were top notch. Randy could ve easily had taken on the job but instead chose to give me the advice to take it to Eskimo. I am forever grateful to Randy and would not hesitate to have him perform any service on my pick up if I was ever in the area again. Thank you so much Randy! Your honesty and integrity is a great asset to your business!

Very professional and helpful.

I appreciate the excellent care and attention to detail, Ill be back.

Great staff, quick and efficient smog service was provided. Great coffee and fun reads! #attaboy

U were so nice and we will beback

Randy and his team did a fantastic job rebuilding our 1959 Ford Thunderbird engine. It is running fantastic now.

Great service. Price was fair. Everyone from the receptionist to the mechanic were friendly. Highly recommend.

What a great experience! Marcella you are the best. My first visit and I felt like I mattered as a customer. The price for all four brakes on my Tundra was great. My friends who live down the hill were jealous. Fast service, clean, friendly, and reasonably priced. Thanks RAE! You will be seeing me again with my other cars.

I will always go to them. It was difficult for me to come up with enough money for front brakes and rotors. Marcella and Randy worked with me above and beyond the expectations. They are the best.

Awesome service!! Great customer service!! This place is the best!! Loved everything they did to my car!! Thank you RAE Automotive!!

Brought in a Toyota RAV 4 for valve gasket, valve adjustment and oil pan gasket. They did a great job and got it it done quickly! Very happy. Also everyone was very nice and professional Thank you guys.

Very friendly reception and great service on my Jeep, thanks Marcelle!

Very friendly and professional have 2 cars that go in for service. I left a shop in Poway to come to RAEi

Owner selling items on Facebook market place. Changes price up $10 then sells it to someone else while I am on my way. Justifies it that it has happened to him before. If he runs his business this way don t trust him!!

Busy shop and now we know why!

Weve been going here for the last couple of years and had 3 vehicles worked on. First, we like to support small businesses. Second, they are efficient, effective and most important, they are fair and honest. There have been times they could have easily done more work, yet they were honest. They communicate with you to ensure everyone is on the same page and never do any work without your approval first. We trust them 100%. We highly recommend you have any work done on your vehicle here.

Great, helpful service. Saved my freedom in a hurry. Old lady with dead battery!

A friend of my husband recommended RAE to him about 5 years ago. We have been going there for our automotive needs since then. RAE offers great service in a timely manner and at reasonable prices. Those are three major things that make a place like RAE invaluable! They not only do our tune-ups and repairs, but check with us to be sure everything is going well with the vehicles. We had an emergency visit a little over a year ago. We were expecting to have to leave the vehicle for a few days and opted to rent a vehicle in the meantime, as we live about 22 miles away and would have to return to pick it up. Seriously, by the time the paperwork for the rental vehicle was finished and we were driving off the lot, Randy at RAE called to let us know the vehicle was ready to go. Their mechanic found the problem immediately and had the part delivered and installed before we could finish the car rental process. THAT is true service! If there were 10 stars to give for performance, value and service instead of 5, it still wouldnt be enough!

Went to these people for a smog check and they charged me $50 to tell me that it couldn t be checked. Thanks for the waste of time and money!

In and out in less than hour.

This shop is great. They have worked on my Mercedes and my Jeep. Both times were a really great experience. Will use again for sure

RAE is one of the few shops I have had trust in to do the right thing over my 70 years of owning cars. They correct what s wrong and don t ding you for what s not needed. RAE is a shop with integrity.

The fact that they were taking care of a somewhat neglected 30 year old pickup never made a difference to how they took care of my vehicle. They checked it all over, made a couple recommendations of additional services needed, which I could fully understand, and got me back out on road promptly. Very pleased.

The service was excellent. The employees are very friendly and helpful.

In one word:AWESOME! Very professional and friendly. Straight up and honest. Would highly recommend RAE for all your auto needs.

Always friendly and professional.

Super techs! Great work.

After some initial diagnosis, they got to the problem and fixed it with continued communication in a reasonable amount of time.

I had to be towed into RAE due to my car breaking down while camping. Randy was honest and super courteous throughout the whole process. I didnt end up getting the work with them because the car was no longer worth fixing to me but they were super helpful in letting me leave the car in their a shop a few extra days while i sorted out my situation.

As always, very professional service, and this time the flexibility to graciously accommodate my having to change the timing for vehicle pickup to the next day.

I got my camper shell wired for power (interior dome lights) It took a little bit longer than anticipated but that was because of insufficient taillight wiring on my 2018 Ram truck. Everything works great and within the parameters of the original estimate.

Great service and awesome people . I showed up right when they were closing for a smog and they fit me in.

Took my truck in to find a transmission leak. Was told that my radiator had a crack in it and it had to ne replaced. Cost $58 to tell me that. Reality was that the radiator was new and the leak was an Oring on the line to the radiator. Took it down the street and had it fixed for $60. Tried to get my money back for a bad diagnosis but to no avail. Customer service? Hell no.

Randy and his crew always do a stellar job! Top notch folks and service!

Smog check on new vehicle. The only issue is the mileage listed on the account is about 100,000 over the actual mileage on the vehicle.

Really great and consistent service from RAE. I appreciate that they remember who you are and value you as a customer. Always feel like a priority at RAE.

RAE always does a good job!

Always polite, thorough, and knowledgeable about any issues. Repairs are quick, and complete. Thanks for taking care of my vehicles!

We were really pleased with the service we received at RAE. The service advisor lyn Wilson kept us informed of everything going on. The mechanic did an excellent job. We were really happy with the turn around time and would recommend RAE AAA approved automotive service for your repair work.

I had a bad tps on my 95 Toyota truck. They diagnosed, repaired and got my truck going quickly.

Unbelievable

Precise exact service for what I came in for. Restored to factory specs. Great service and friendly.

Great company always take my vehicles there. AAA approved

Sadly I have to update and change my review. I scheduled my vehicle to be worked on a week in advance. AFTER getting it towed to RAE I was told that they could not accept my car. I had loved the service at RAE. We need our well running vehicles here in the backcountry. This is not going to happen sadly with RAE and I any longer.

Lets face it, nobody wants to have problems with their vehicle. I want to thank RAE for always taking care of me. I have been very happy with their service and the prices!!! You want to be able to trust who you take your vehicles to. The shop is always clean the staff is awesome. They have shuttle service, which is very nice if you work. I know I read reviews and I hope this helps someone to feel confident in choosing RAEs for their automotive needs.

Always friendly, helpful and fair! Best place in town.

Awesome

Great custome service!

Only one thats AAA approved repair shop, And great service.

I took my 2004 f-150 in for an engine noise that had recently developed. The mechanic found a bad rocker arm and lifter. Had this not been repaired it would have led to catastrophic failure. The repairs, disgnosis and service writers are top notch. It s nice to not have to go down the hill. Thanks RAE!

RAE is the greatest. They worked me in last minute in a car emergency. Completed the work that day and picked me up at my home so i could get my car backl. Vicki and Jim are the greatest. The whole staff is absolutely magnificent. Super thankful that this place is in Ramona.

I have had multiple vehicles worked on at RAE. The staff is very friendly and very up front and honest. I highly recommend RAE to all my friends and family.

I recently had one of our family vehicles in at RAE and I have to say the customer service is absolutely superb! Travis and Vicki were both very helpful. The service I received from RAE was excellent and I will definitely be returning! I highly recommend this bushiness for anyone looking for automotive work!

We have been going to R.A.E for service for a while now and I noticed that they replaced a missing windshield washer reservoir cap at the last oil change without charging or anything! I did not even mention it to them, and yet they saw that it needed attention and took care of it. They are good folks there and we have never had an issue with anything that has ever been done. I can recommend Randy and his crew without any hesitation, because of the quality of their service and their reliability. Thank you all at R.A.E Automotive! Fred R. Ramona resident.

First time customer and I could not have had a better experience. We has a failure that required a radiator replacement. With no appointment and needing this repaired immediately they took our Jeep in and had it repaired and running in 24 hrs! They were even able to provide a home pick-up when it was ready to go. Very much appreciated on a job well done. Office staff is outstanding!

Randy and his crew are probably the most through when repairing or inspecting your car.

Excellent pure professional

I would like to thank Randy and Steve for the Outstanding service I have received over the past Six months. They have rebuilt an engine, and now have done Two complete Rear End assemblies for me. Both Cars are running great!! Having a Mechanic you can trust is very important.....This is the Place!!!