A banner image with a Honda on a lift being repaired.

Berkeley’s Honda repair shop since 1980 – Art’s Automotive

Art’s Automotive is a Honda auto repair shop with a long history in Berkeley. Art moved his business from his back yard to our San Pablo location in 1983 and we’ve been here ever since. Many of us still remember repairing Honda Civics and Accords with carburetors and distributors, back when “tune-ups” were a real thing.

However, time stands still for no auto shop; Honda vehicles have changed, and so have we. Honda now has a plethora of new models. The all-electric Prologue, hybrids like the Civic, Accord, and CR-V, mid-sized SUVs like the HR-V and CR-V, full-size SUVs like the Pilot, Ridgeline, Odyssey, and Passport, and of course the smaller models Honda became famous for.

Honda also has some hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but we don’t repair those here. We’re experts in hybrid and electric vehicles, but fuel cell vehicles are out of our area of expertise. We may train and tool up for hydrogen if it becomes a more popular option, but so far it hasn’t been worth it, and with modern Honda vehicles, it’s very important to choose a competent repair shop.

Why should you choose Art’s as your Honda repair shop?

Honda tools

First, we specialize in Honda repair. While most auto shops have generic or universal enhanced scan tools, we have the same tool as Honda dealerships – the Honda HDS scan tool.

This means we’ll be able to reset your Maintenance Minder properly, which means letting the computer know what was actually done to the car and no just turning the indicator off. This means the Maintenance Minder will alert you to service needs based on accurate data.

The HDS also give us a huge advantage when diagnosing problems with your Honda, which means that we’ll be able to diagnose your car correctly the first time with no guessing.

Finally, the HDS allows us to follow the repair procedures outlined in the service manual. Many repair procedures require active control of vehicle systems during the course of the work.

Honda information

We also subscribe to Honda SIS (service information system). Most auto shops will subscribe to a generic information service like Alldata or Motologic. While these services do have value (we actually subscribe to both of them as well), the best information always comes directly from the manufacturer.

Honda parts

Everyone likes value, and by “value” I mean a good price for a good quality part. Sometimes people use the word value to substitute for cheap, and they’re not the same thing.

Buying and installing a less expensive part can lead to a much higher price in the long run. Penny wise pound foolish. We buy most of our Honda parts directly from Berkeley Honda. Buying genuine Honda parts is always a safe bet.

However, we also buy OE (original equipment) parts. These are parts made by the manufacturer that originally made the part for Honda. When available, we can save you some money on repairs and make a better profit ourselves. It’s a win-win.

Advanced capablities

We won’t need to send you off to a Honda dealership because we don’t have the equipment or knowledge to work with modern high-tech Honda systems. We are a full-service Honda auto repair shop.

Whatever service or repair your Honda needs, you’ll be covered. You won’t need to wonder if you’ll end up needing to take your car somewhere else for certain types of repairs. We can do it all.

What types of Honda repair do we do ?

Our Berkeley location offers the following repair services for Honda: