Stress-Free Auto Care / Emerald Auto
Verified License
Yelp confirmed a business or employee license.Highlights from the Business
Certified professionals
Parts & labor commitment
Workmanship commitment
Committed to repairs
Eco-friendly
Walk-ins welcome
Photos & videos
Services Offered
Verified by Business
Review Highlights
“When I brought my car to Jim he called me 3 hours later to tell me that there was nothing wrong with my car.” in 184 reviews
“I brought it into Emerald Auto Repair, and they took a look at my car and said it didn't need anything!!” in 23 reviews
“They did a fast, good job on the things I did approve, and were super efficient and just good to work with.” in 5 reviews
About the Business
Stress Free Auto Care was established to take the stress out of auto care with easy appointments, regular text updates, and extensive pictures and live video feed of your service. All invoices and inspections are emailed to you as well as and stored in the cloud for your records. Most importantly, our team is experienced, knowledgeable, and will always put the customer first. Our Auto Service offerings include Brake Repair, Brake Pads and Rotors replacement, Brake Caliper replacement, Car Maintenance, Brake flush, Wheel Alignment, Air Conditioning repair, Engine Diagnostic, Check engine light diagnosis, Car Starter System Repair, Belts & Hose Replacement, Transmission repair, Transmission flush, Shocks & Struts, Battery Replacement, Tire Rotation, Wheel Balance, Oil Change, Tire Repair, Tire Installation. We also offer a large variety of tires that fit everyone's needs and budget, including Cooper Tires, Michelin Tires, BFGoodrich Tires, Yokohama Tires, Uniroyal Tires, Goodyear Tires, Bridgestone Tires, Continental Tires, Falken Tires, Firestone Tires, Hankook Tires, and Kumho Tires
Location & Hours
Amenities and More
Ask the Community
Q:
Do you offer any warranty or guarantee on your repair services?
A:
Yes, 24 months and / or 24,000 miles. Whichever comes first.
Larry A., Business Owner1 year ago
People also searched for
Recommended Reviews
Overall rating
480 reviews
5 stars
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1 star
- CM P.Sunnyvale, CA112636Feb 29, 2012
Found this place based in yelp reviews (Thanks yelpers!) for an oil change. Place is consistently busy, so it does get really good business. Jim, I'm guessing the owner, runs the front desk and he seemed to be familiar with a lot of the customers. He told me it would take 45 minutes to do the oil change but I came when a lot of others came in too for their oil change. Ended up taking nearly hour and a half, but he was kind enough to give me my tire rotation for free b/c I had waited. He even told me that my tires were overinflated and that I should keep them lower. Great tip, and great service! I'll be back!
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Johnathan D.San Francisco, CA1581Jul 20, 2024
My car broke down Friday late afternoon, so I was dreading having to wait for Monday to schedule repairs since not a lot of places are open on the weekend. It was great to find one open on weekends and relatively close by.
I called Saturday morning to make the inquiry, they ordered the part that needed replacing, and I was able to get my car in the shop for service the same day because the part came earlier than expected!
The service took about as long as they estimated, an hour/hour and a half. All in all, happy to report that this shop lives up to its name!Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Danielle H.
Jul 30, 2024
We're so glad we could help you out over the weekend and get your car back on the road quickly! It's great to hear that everything went smoothly and that we lived up to our name. Thanks for sharing your experience. Thank you and have a wonderful Stress-Free day!
- Neftali Y.San Francisco, CA01Jun 26, 2024
"The service regarding the car is good, but at the reception, I think they should already have an assistant so that customers don't have to wait long to be attended to when they arrive and when they have to pay to leave."
ThanksHelpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Loren W.
Jul 1, 2024
Sorry about the wait times and thank you for your patience as we work on our staffing levels
- Damian G.San Francisco, CA01Jun 27, 2024
While ultimately Stress-Free Auto wasn't able to help with my car situation, Lorne and his staff made their best efforts to help me fix my car. After several unsuccessful attempts to gain the parts I needed (through not fault of their own), they reached out to other auto centers to make that happen, even at their own expense. Though they were unable to help me this time, they have gained my trust and I will come back to them when I have other maintenance requirements. If you are looking for a company that will go out of their way to take care of you and your car, this is the place.
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Loren W.
Jul 1, 2024
Thanks for the great review ,Damian taking care of our customers needs is our main concern. Glad we could find a solution for you
- Marie P.Goleta, CA01111Jul 1, 2024
Loren Winfrey is an excellent values-driven leader. I followed him from his last auto shop, and he's done nothing but blow my mind with his outstanding customer service and quality over the years.
Loren just got off the phone with me when I was assessing some trouble with my car before a big trip. He said he would take a look at it first thing in the morning and personally give me the green light if it was OK to drive. "I don't want you to be stranded on the side of the road," he said, even though their team is slammed with some staff out-of-town for the Fourth of July holiday.
This man is integrous, honest, and teaches his team to be the same. He leads by example. I've often called Loren "The Car Doctor" because he treats my 4Runner with the same level of care and respect as a doctor would his patients. He offers a fair price -- and isn't trying to nickel-and-dime you for every which thing. Loren is humorous and kind, and always looking out for his clients' best.
I wouldn't take my car anywhere else!Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Loren W.
Jul 3, 2024
Thank you for the glowing review ,Im humbled by your trust and kind words, thank you for trusting me and stress free for your automotive needs for all these years.
- Fran A.San Francisco, CA012Jun 20, 2024
Great service! Rebecca is great, she was our service advisor. We got super quick quality service with affordable rates.
Totally recommend itHelpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Danielle H.
Jul 30, 2024
We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with us and that Rebecca provided excellent service! It's wonderful to know that you found our service quick, high-quality, and affordable. Thank you for your kind words and recommendation. Thank you and have a wonderful Stress-Free day!
- May 29, 2024Updated review
I used to come here when it was Emerald as it was the closest place to me for anything including smog checks.
FORTUNATELY I called because reviews here say they do smog checks, BUT THEY DO NOT! I guess they are limiting what services they provide. Pretty sad.Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 0Business owner information
Loren W.
May 30, 2024
Sorry that we are unable to perform smog servicing on your vehicle. Certain repairs fall outside the scope of our licensing, and regrettably, these licenses are non-transferable from the previous company to ours. Should you require our assistance in the future, please feel free to reach out to me without hesitation.
Sep 2, 2015Previous reviewHad a simple headlight replacement on Herbie, but these days the way they make cars it isn't a simple DIY task. They manufacture cars now so that they need special tools and adjustments.
Add to the fact that going to the dealer can be a ripoff and the mark-up on the parts is ridiculous, there was no way that I was going to the dealership. They'd take my car all day and try to fit me in! Really. 20 years and they might fit me in in 3 days.
I used to always get my VW parts from the local garage that specialized in Euro cars, but they've all been closed in favor of million dollar condos, so I found Jim and his small garage in my neighborhood through a Yelp neighborhood search. I'd passed by his place a million times but had never been there.
I called and he said come by early the next morning. I pulled my car up and he smiled. Seems like he had seen Herbie a million times too. He told me to come back in an hour so I went down the street to have breakfast at Mel's and came back and he was done in 30 min! The price was insanely cheaper than my dealer would have charged which was good enough for me!
Thanks Jim! - Andrew L.CA, CA0864Aug 7, 2024
Stress-free was great to work with. We had the brakes done on our CX-5. When we had a follow on issue with the repair (parts issue not a workmanship issue) they fixed it quickly and under warranty. They stand behind their work and were so helpful and easy to work with. This will be my go to shop from now on!
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Danielle H.
Aug 8, 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're glad we could quickly resolve the issue with your CX-5 and that our team provided helpful and easy communication. We appreciate your trust and look forward to being your go-to shop. Have a wonderful Stress-Free day!
- Danny T.San Francisco, CA2152Aug 3, 2024
Took a hybrid into this shop to help resolve a check engine light error.
Customer Service: This was the highlight by far - everyone was super kind and friendly overall. They do represent great customer service for a mechanic shop.
Value: This is where the problem started - I was billed a diagnostic fee of $250 and the conclusion of the diagnostic was to take the car to the dealership instead because the problem was outside the scope of their ability. I FOLLOWED THEIR ADVICE and took the car to the dealership shop who charged $230 for their diagnostic and said that I was ripped off because the information that was provided from Stress-Free Auto Care was about 2 minutes of work.
It's just insane to me that you can get billed $250 for a diagnostic fee only to be told to go to a dealership that will charge you $230 and actually get you a resolution. Why wouldn't you just go to a dealership to begin with? You would skip the useless $250 first charge to begin with....
Really nice people, but terrible business practice.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - k g.San Francisco, CA5319Jul 31, 2024
Really lives up to the name. They are constantly communicating and setting expectations. Every time I had a question, they were happy to answer and help. They even covered a Lyft when I had to leave my car for a few days with flexible/easy pickup.
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Danielle H.
Aug 1, 2024
We're thrilled to hear that you had such a positive experience with us! Constant communication and setting clear expectations are key parts of our service, and it's great to know we met your needs. We're also happy to hear the Lyft service and flexible pickup made things easier for you. Thank you for your kind words and have a wonderful Stress-Free day!
- Emily S.San Francisco, CA15May 21, 2024
What a delightful experience! Who says that at your car shop, right? YOU WILL when you get your service done with the team at Stress-Free. Appointment was easy to schedule and fast, and their schedule is incredibly easy for working people who can't, let's say, take the day off to sit at their dealership. Communication was clear, easy, and not high-pressure in any way. Pricing was incredibly fair and laid-out for me to approve as fit into my life and budget.
I could not be happier to have found such an incredible resource in San Francisco, and will be making this my new home for service moving forward. Thank you!Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Stress Free
May 25, 2024
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you had such a delightful experience with our team at Stress-Free. We're glad our easy scheduling and clear communication made things convenient for you. It's fantastic to know that you found our pricing fair and suited to your needs. We're excited to be your go-to resource in San Francisco for all your service needs. Thank you and have a wonderful Stress-Free day!