| Location |
| 2613 2nd Street (east of Sudwerk) |
| Hours |
| Mon-Fri 7:30AM-6:00PM |
| Sat & Sun Closed |
| Phone |
| (530)753-7202 |
| Established |
| 1979 |
Hoffmann Automotive is a local automobile repair shop in business since 1979. Owned by the Hoffmann family, they have a good reputation for customer service. Service is a high priority at Hoffmann Automotive.
Hoffmann isn't one of those cheap-o budget places, but you definitely get what you pay for. The service is fantastic and they stand behind their work. The parts they set you up with generally come with long warranties and easy replacement (on the off chance it's needed). It's a pretty popular place — call ahead to make an appointment, since they can get booked up several days in advance.
While they do have a waiting area in the shop, they offer you a ride home when you drop off your vehicle, and pick you up when the service is done. Customers who need a ride to or from home/work will be accommodated by most any available technician, or by Jeff Hoffmann himself. It's worth taking them up on the offer—it typically takes a few hours for, e.g., oil change + headlight replacement. Hoffman Automotive also has loaner cruiser bikes for use while they service your vehicle.
History
They used to be operated out of the Hoffmann 76 gas station. Both facilities were owned by the Hoffmann family and garnered a good reputation for customer service. Hoffmann family owned Davis Muffler & Hitch Center, which now shares (shared?) the Second Street location.
Not to be confused with the former Hoffman's Garage.
- Having car problems? There are many automotive repair services in town!
Also see Hoffmann additional comments
2010-02-16 18:27:59 I'm taking my vehicle in tomorrow, which will be the first time I have used Hoffmann for service. I have a failed window regulator, with my window stuck in the down position. They were polite on the phone, and asked me if my car is garaged, which it is. I am assuming they were going to let me bring it in tonight instead of tomorrow morning so it would be garaged. Anyway, I looked up the entry in the wiki to get the phone number, and I read through all of the comments. I have two interesting observations (make your own inferences):
1) Every single negative comment on this page (except Truman) was made by a person that created an account, left a negative comment, and then disappeared from the Wiki.
2) Truman's contribution to the wiki comprises two comments on this page, and one edit to correct the pricing of a competitor... —DavidGrundler
- Just picked up my car. Diagnosis was proper, and fix was fast and well within the expected price range. They were polite and knowledgeable. I will definitely use them again. They also conducted a complimentary 30-point inspection. —DavidGrundler
2010-03-09 13:26:41 I used to work across the street from Rick and Jeff when they owned the G & 5th street property and can tell you that they were never underhanded or shady, as some of the "ghost" posters here have claimed. I have seen these people work their hindquarters off trying to help even the most rude of people and have always seen them to be friendly, honest, fair and professional in every way. They have been here for over 30 years and do very little, if any, advertising which means they have been doing word of mouth business for over 30 years. You tel me what kind of business can do that if they are "shady" "cheating" or any of the other slanderous statements I have seen here.
I recommend this business and these people VERY HIGHLY.
Don't be fooled by the "ghost poster" that will pop n here, make a derogatory statement and never be seen or heard from again or post directly on a competitive businesses site. —WesOne
2010-04-12 15:13:30 I went in to Hoffman Automotive today for the first time. Needed new tires, and one of my headlights went out last week, so that was on the list. And it was just about time for an oil change, so... hey, why not. When I called this morning to check on availability and prices of tires, I spoke with Jeff Hoffman, the owner. He got my info and said he'd do a little research and call me back shortly. It took less than 10 minutes, and I made an appointment for shortly thereafter. Went on in and Jeff was super friendly. Got me set up with an estimate (which was about $10 off and didn't include tax... close enough, although certainly not exact), and then drove me home personally. A few hours later I got a call from Jason there, who came on out to get me. If you have a chance, ask Jason about New Orleans right after Katrina—he's got crazy stories!
The prices aren't cheap, but they also aren't outrageous. Extremely friendly, and as far as I can tell so far, the quality of the work is good. The headlight seems to be nicely aligned and all that. I'll definitely be coming back regularly. —TomGarberson
2010-04-12 21:50:11 As a UCD Student years ago, I used do my own car repair. For the past twenty-five years, I’ve relinquished auto maintenance to Rick and Jeff Hoffman, who’ve serviced many cars for me. They’re knowledgeable, professional, practical and run a first-class shop. —pschrupp
2010-07-07 10:23:13 I was working on my own brakes at 11:00 at night on June 30 and thought that I could change them out. My buddy omar and I had replaced front disk breaks many times before so we thought that the rears would be the same. Afer an hour into it and lots of reading repair sites on the interet we found that there were some special tools needed to push in the calipers. The bad thing was that We were leaving for camping the next morning for the fourth of July weekend. In the morning I took the car to Hoffmann Automotive and they expitided the repairs with in a few hours for me. We were able to leave by noon. I want to thank Jeff and Rick for making this happen. The service was excellent. The bill was hefty because I asked them to put in OEM parts. The labor charge was totally resonable. —Khanh
2010-08-02 16:10:54 Just went to Hoffman for a tire repair. Cheap, friendly, pretty quick (I didn't make an appointment). I'll be back! —DanLawyer
2010-11-17 09:05:05 Took my car here yesterday. It was great, timely, informative service. The quality of work and explanations made me very happy. I would recommend this place to anyone. Over all excellent —KatilinAdams
2011-05-11 11:27:09 I just had an very, very positive experience with Hoffman Automotive. A piece of my exhaust fell off my car on the freeway — that was exciting. They diagnosed my problem and did enough of a temporary fix that I can get home to the East Bay, where I'll do my own repairs at home. They saved me from a lot of trouble and expense — they didn't charge me at all! I hope I don't break down in Davis again, but if I do, I'll definitely take my car back to Hoffman. They were very polite, friendly, and kind. —KatieHarris
2011-06-13 15:28:00 I've now been here several times for various services. In addition to a full set of new tires, which I mentioned in an earlier review, they've done my 45,000 mile service which included flushing the power steering and transmission lines. I got a new battery, another new headlight (the other one... I'm not that hard on my headlights!) and some oil changes there. 100% of the service has been fantastic, and everyone I've talked to there has been extremely friendly. This last time my wife picked up the car for me while I was at work, and she was impressed with the folks she talked to. In the past, at other service shops/dealerships, she's felt like she was talked down to because she was a woman, but there was no sense of that here.
It looks like there were a few negative comments about this place years ago from single edit users accusing it of shady business practices. It's up to you to make your own judgment call, but personally, I suspect most of them are BS. Every business can make mistakes, so I won't go so far as to say they're all bogus, but Hoffmann's is an extremely high quality repair shop that, from my experience, is completely trustworthy. If you want high quality work, high quality parts, and friendly service, give them a visit. —TomGarberson
2011-08-08 13:48:10 Taking my car to Hoffmann Automotive was a relief. I'm a fairly new car owner as well as a young woman, and what I fear from unfamiliar repair shops is having my ignorance of fair cost and car mechanics exploited. I don't believe it was, here — the first visit they performed a thorough inspection of my car, blew the dust from my brake drums in an attempt to silence a disturbing scraping sound, kept me informed during the process, and finally assured me that the brakes were safe. Following the inspection the owner reviewed the results with me, informed me of upcoming maintenance checkpoints for my vehicle, and charged for the hour+ labor what I have gathered from my history with less reliable cars is reasonable for a AAA-backed auto shop.
On my second visit, just today, I brought to them an oil leak I thought was severe. Despite being busy they got my car up, examined, and out of there in about an hour, and, especially because I'm on crutches right now, I was thrilled with the effort made to square me away quickly. When explaining to me what was done (bolt-tightening, removal of the excess oil I added) and what I should do/expect, the owner has never insulted my intelligence, and I really value that. After all this, there was no charge for the hour they spent on my vehicle while I got to study and catch endearing little exchanges between the family members.
The business has shown great consideration to me during my tiny crises, and it has secured a return a customer. —Willikers
2011-08-10 12:09:36 BAD BAD BAD EXPERIENCE! AND VERY EXPENSIVE PLACE!!!!
1) Just to ckech why the engine light was on they charge me: 150$!!!! Just to check!!! All the other mechanics do it for free!!! (operation that takes less then 2 minutes!)
2) In order to fix the car they ask me 650$
3) I run away from this place and I went to another mechanic (he check the engine light for free) and he discover that was a very simple work, with a cost of 5$-20$ to fix it!!!
..............NO COMMENT...........
2012-02-19 12:56:52 I took my car in to get a new starter. The staff was friendly and professional (Jason in particular made me feel like a valued customer, even though it was my first visit), and they kept in touch with me throughout the replacement. Service was quick and competitively priced. If my car needs anything in the future, I'm definitely calling these guys back! —BombayCollins
2012-03-17: I have taken my car here three times in the past year, and I have always been very happy with the results. They are friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. The first time I went there I asked them to do an overall check of my car and they came back with a list of things that could be done, from an oil change to a new fan belt. I told them I only had a certain amount of money to spend and asked them to recommend what was most important. They did so without any hesitation and without trying to convince me to spend more. The next time I came in, I wanted to buy windshield wipers from them and install them myself, but when they heard that I was going to do it myself, the guy behind the counter ran out and did it for me, for free! They have proven to be honest and to stand behind their work, and I am very glad that I have found an auto repair company in town that I can trust.—Elizabeth C.
2012-03-18 19:26:49 I always have a great experience bringing my car here. They are very helpful and always answer my questions. I just took my car here last week to get if fixed after another automotive place was unable to fix a noise it was making. They fixed it, as well as fixed a few other things, all in one day. —KMcGuire
2012-10-16 17:11:52 I have been using Hoffmanns to service my cars for more than 20 years. They are trustworthy, funny, and will go out of their way to help someone in need. I would highly recommend taking your car to them if it needs service. —PeriSiepman
2012-11-21 18:11:03 It's Thanksgiving eve and I will be heading home tomorrow, thanks to Hoffmann Automotive. I am a first-time customer who was discouraged with the service and honesty of some other shops in Davis. After a free 30-point inspection, their estimate for work was lower and more thorough than anything I'd seen so far. Moreover, in addition to getting me back on the road before the holiday, when there was a mix up about when to do the additional services, they did not charge me for them at all. My previous experience led me to expect, when authorizing service over the phone, I would be forced to pay (my word against theirs). Instead, Hoffmann Automotive treated me with integrity and respect, even though it cost them money. I am thankful to have found an auto shop in Davis that I feel good recommending to my friends. —rlreeves
2012-12-27 16:21:29 I feel weird leaving a third review for this place, but I had yet another good experience. I recently took my car in for a substantial service and they accidentally double-booked the courtesy car they loan out. They apologized and immediately resolved the situation by giving me a ride over to Enterprise, where they covered a rental for me for the day. The inconvenience was minimal, and they gave me 10% off the labor as an apology.
Friendly, knowledgeable folks with a lot of integrity. Highly recommended. —TomGarberson
2013-01-25 18:14:49 The Hoffman brothers have always been kind and considerate as well as professional and very experienced. I've known them for over 30 years and have NEVER heard anyone who has had a bad experience there. I'm so glad they are here to care for our cars. —LoisRichter
2013-04-04 18:01:33 $191 to change ONE HID LIGHT BULB. ouch.
Dear college students, save yourself some money and stay away from these heartless people. Go somewhere else where they won't rip you off. My biggest mistake was trusting their 5 star reviews on yelp and not ask anyone else about the price I had to pay for beforehand. OH DID I FORGET TO MENTION HOW RUDE THEY WERE AFTER my friends busted them for charging $150 for a part that should cost less than half of that price?
Didn't they give you an estimate before the work was performed that showed you the proposed charge? they should have I believe and you could have certainly decided at that point to take your car elsewhere.
This sounds like BS. I've had two headlights replaced there. Both times were with other service - oil changes, one with a larger maintenance. Both times they charged for the bulb only ($10ish I think) and didn't charge a dime for the labor. —TomGarberson
The cost of just the HID bulb for my car runs $160.00-$220.00 at cheaper aftermarket places. Much higher through dealers. HID bulbs can be very expensive, especially the xenon variety. —DavidGrundler
2013-04-05 10:04:09 Honey Bun you are an idiot. Do you accuse 5 star restaurants of being a rip off for charging $50 for a plate of food that " should cost less than half of that price?" Everything you pay for is marked up from Advil at the hospital to the cherries the guy at the fruit stand sells. If you didn't like the cost of parts and labor that BY LAW they are required to provide you with BEFORE they do any work, you should have gone someplace else. —grumpyoldcodger
2014-12-18 09:04:00 I service my vehicles regularly at Hoffman, and today is no exception. When I walked in today I noticed that they have a couple of loaner cruiser bicycles at the door. Bravo! What a great idea! —DavidGrundler
2015-04-28 14:12:43 We take all of our family cars here; everyone is courteous, considerate, and their work is prompt and on target. Car repairs always cost more than I think, but at least we are confident it's being fixed correctly and will be guaranteed! —DrJoann
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