523Rods

Felipe is a lifesaver! I was visiting my son in Berkeley when my '86 Vanagon Weekender's transmission started failing. I just had the transmission rebuilt in San Diego before my trip to Berkeley. My shop warranty was in San Diego, but the van was stuck in Berkeley. Felipe knew my mechanic in San Diego (small world) and they worked out a plan to send a newly rebuilt transmission from San Diego to Felipe. Felipe and his team did an awesome job installing the new transmission and repairing some other issues that I was having with the van. The van now drives better than ever. Felipe squeezed me into his schedule and I was able to pick up the van just minutes before closing on a Friday afternoon. My drive back home was happily uneventful. I found a new friend and reliable mechanic in the Bay Area. 523Rods really came through for me.

Fantastic craftsmanship, excellent people and service, and reasonable pricing. This must be on your list, if you need to talk to any body shop or repair shop. Close to BART, so even if you're in the city, do consider this place and filter out the overpriced workshops in SF.

I had my 1983 Vanagon towed to Felipe's shop, suspecting an issue with the starter. 523Rods knew I was traveling full-time in the van, and was able to 1) diagnose the problem in under an hour, 2) get me back on the road with a new starter + ignition switch within 24 hours. I felt like the crew truly understands Vanagons, and was very impressed with their ability to fix it quickly. Felipe also has a long history with vans himself, and you can tell the shop deeply cares about what they do. Will definitely be bringing my Vanagon back to 523Rods if in need of repairs while in the Bay.