Hamiltons Automotive Shop #2 - Novato (CA)

5 /5 Adam Klugman: A great team of people that really pulled through for me! My daughters van broke down with some mysterious problem a thousand miles away from home and I pulled them off the internet totally at random. I got very lucky! We were freaking out a bit but Leo stayed really calm and just got the job done. He reassured me that they have three shops that they can confer with and he just kept plugging away until he figured it out. He and Carlos were respectful and incredibly patient with my daughter and me and they came through like heroes. Thank you, guys! We will forever appreciate you for the way you went above and beyond that day. AND...they were really fair on the price. Just a 5 star experience from start to finish.

1 /5 LSTNLNE: 7 day install nightmare If you have a nice car, the last place you want to take it is here, or any of its afifliates for a IID. These amatuer non-ASE techs" break plastic bolts, rip the fire-wall, lose the battery clamp down device and hack into the electrial harness causing shorts, without any respect for car. They only care about profit and turn-over time. Intoxalock has no internship class, or prerequisite training courses to quilaify auto repair shops to become a "Certified" installation provider. My car has been at Hamilton auto shop 1032 First St. Novato, CA for a total of 7 days since 12/6/24 & still it needs a jump start when it sits overnight w a new NAPA Odessey AMG 600 CCA battery and Ford High Performance high output alternator. The first install had small gauge speaker wire for a ground and wires where connected by soldering them together and wrapping them with electrical tape drapped over the engine. I pointed it out to Leo, so the next time my car wouldnt start, Leo had their so-called "REAL" San Rafeal Intoxalock tech unistall the 1st install and replaced it w ALL heavy gauge electrical wires and proper electrical connections and 3/8" x 18" plastic shield wrap along the firewall that protected the enclosed group of heavy gauge wires w INTOXALOCK LOGOS ! Still my car constantly needs a jump start when it sits overnight. Finally a rep. called me when they read my 1 star reviews on Intoxalock webb-sites on social media. Their customer service is non-exsistant ! Brandon has called the shop for the last 4 days, sending out parts overnight and getting their tech to talk in Spanish, w the shops tech. Still Leo cant find the parasitic leak draining the battery overnight and claims they are losing money, so he wants to uninstall the IID and refund me my money. What about my time without a car. Carl from Napa auto parts checked out my battery and even went to Hamilton with my battery and one of his tester battery and they both failed to start my car up with the IID. Another Napa sales man used to install IID devices for 7 years and states they are basically simple devices to install. Intoxalock needs to find service centers with ASE technicians, that know auto electronics, how not to cause shorts & how to find a "parasitic leak" with a OHM METER. Hamilton should be held accountable for not providing a proper Intoxalock installation, especially will they advertised 3 hour install with certified Intoxalock technicians. Certified by WHO? Think about your time and getting the install right the first time- NOT 7 days and then hear "so sorry Iam losing money here is your refund. A dozen timesi a two week peroid, I could not start my car up to get to work, or after work to get you home? But profit is he main focus w IID installations bc you have to comply to drive. With my full refund my car spent another 5 days at One Stop w ASE techs, before they found the short causing all the electrical issues. I had to pay $261 on top of $400 for the installation. Leo charged me for $45 fee calibration - when it was ALREADY calitbradited on the install. One Stop was honest- and did not charge me.

2 /5 Max Reinhardt: I didnt have the most satisfying experience in my work with Hamiltons Automotive. I had to get an IID installed in my Tesla and theyre one of the only shops which can do it locally in the Bay Area. The cost of the install seemed to feel like they’re taking advantage of the customer and charging a rate for labor that’s otherwise at a premium. The cost of the removal seems to be the same. When I had issues arise, I not only had to bring it in, I was charged for a "calibration". When I described that I did follow the instructions to use it and it was giving me a "Violation" they seemed to think that there must be something wrong with how I was using the device since they did 4 other Teslas with this device and only one person else had an issue...That said, Ive got it installed elsewhere and have had ZERO issues since. So, perhaps instead it clearly was an issue with their install job OR the device but NOT me as their customer. They sadly seemed to lack this understanding and tact of treating customers with more understanding, so I notably wont be back and would encourage others to look elsewhere. Moral of the story; I don’t think that they’re complete crooks. Rather, opportunistically they as an install shop of these devices and the IID company have a convenient thing of each of them pointing the finger at the other and saying please deal with them/it’s their pricing, etc. At the end of the day I know this much, not once was I not charged for something though I clearly had stated that the device and technology in use of a Tesla wasn’t working properly. In a little over a month I paid Hamiltons about $900 for not that much time and labor and not a single piece of equipment (ie a part that ever stayed with my car such as a repair, etc). Relatively speaking, I think that the costs were unreasonable for the labor provided and because the IID is something where you’re required to get one they feel it appropriate to take greater advantage of these customers as compared to someone with greater choices as a consumer.

5 /5 prince edwards: This Place is the best because of Emerson who was very helpful and knowledgeable, A Daniel was very knowledgeable and very polite. I recommend this shop!!!!!!!!!