Automotive in Sacramento

The techs behind Scrub Boys Car Wash polish cars of all shapes and sizes—as well as boats and RVs—with a combination of automated machinery and elbow grease. Their car-wash packages render interiors squeaky clean and lavish shells with clear coat protectant and Rain-X. They take the purification process a step further with detailing services, which include clay-bar treatments to remove tiny contaminants and high-speed buffing to diminish oxidation and scratches. When techs aren't lathering jalopies, they’re restoring plastic headlights, which tend to oxidize over time, helping remove the discoloration that makes it difficult to drive at night or through a nature preserve littered with black panthers. Frequent visitors can join Scrub Boys’ Scrub Club, which equips members with gift cards and free washes on their birthday.

In Polar Bear Auto Care's warehouse-size shop, ASE-certified techs slip under hoods to fix or install air-conditioning and heating systems. Those systems are nearly identical to the factory units, as many of the systems they install are made by the same manufacturers. On their walls hang hundreds of parts, with more stored onsite, including new heater cores as well as compressor mounts for car models from the years 1965 to 1999. This lets them work on all kinds of vehicles, from brand-new cars and tractors to RVs and vintage UFOs. They back up their services with a two-year or 24,000-mile warranty, which extends to electrical repairs as well as the maintenance of steering, exhaust, and brake systems.

The expert mechanics at Prestige Auto Works back up their work with heavy credentials. They're ASE certified, licensed by the state of California, and accredited by the Better Business Bureau. Further, all parts and labor are covered by warranty. Preventative maintenance is this full-service auto shop's philosophy, but the technicians' skills run the gamut from routine oil changes and tune-ups to complete engine replacements. To make maintenance as easy as possible, they also email or text reminders, recommendations, and recipes for making healthy dishes for your car at home.

Since 1993, the ASE-certified technicians at Smog Mart Plus have kept vehicles operating smoothly with a full-service repair shop and California-licensed smog testing services. They’re dedicated to quality service, enough so that the owners back up their brake and engine repair services with extended warranties for parts and labor.

While technicians conduct auto repairs in the garage, feel free to kick back in the waiting area and take advantage of the free WiFi, or sit in front of the flat-screen TV as a mechanic gives behind-the-scenes commentary on Herbie: Fully Loaded .

Sam Meineke opened his three-bay muffler shop in 1972 with a single product line, and through time, he and his successors have expanded the business into a complete automotive car-care center. Today, nearly 900 franchise owners operate their locations around the globe, still standing on the firm foundation of Sam's ideal of nursing vehicles back to health at fair prices. Meineke Car Care Centers’ mechanics perform an array of services, keeping rides running in showroom condition with tune-ups, 23-point inspections, tire rotations, and deep-tissue windshield massages.

At Pavilion Car Care, technicians keep vehicles running smoothly and looking good with an onsite car wash, detail center, and quick-lube service. Quick trips to the car wash remove caked-on debris from tires and exteriors, and detailing packages provide carpet shampooing, paint-sealant application, and clay-bar treatments that get vehicles ready for car prom. À la carte cleaning services target water spots or dusty floor mats. Techs can also perform engine maintenance, keeping pistons, serpentine belts, and gearboxes humming with Chevron-brand lubricants.