TAMARINDO CAR CENTER

First let’s start with the backstory. We picked up a nail in a new tire, but wanted to get it patched vs plugged. Plugged is a common repair in CR and while okay I wanted to be sure my vehicle was safe for my family and our long journeys in CR so I opted for a patch. I called the agency (dealership) where we bought our new truck from and asked if they offer patches. I was told absolutely we do. Drove close to 2 hours there and waited close to 4 hours to have the technician tell us he cannot patch it as it won’t hold. And he can only plug it. Disappointed and left with no options I said okay. However I would add I never had a tire that couldn’t be patched unless it was a sidewall or near one. I actually work in the automotive industry. Fast forward a few moments. I get home and check the quality of work after a long day in my opinion wasted to find the valve stem was not reinstalled and the valve pin was reinstalled too deep not allow me to check tire pressure easily. Once I was able to check the pressure it was 39psi vs the 29 it should be for the tire. I visually check their plug to see it exposed past the threads of the tire. Not a good thing. So I decide to find another shop locally vs the agency and find Tamarindo Car Center. I was able to chat with the owner directly and he said bring it in we will see what we can do. So I do so to see how this job at the agency was done internally as I did not trust their work after my experience. They pull the tire off the rim to find that the agency tried to use a bicycle patch to start. Secondly even though they said they couldn’t get it to seal they left it in the tire with a mess inside and plugged over it. A huge safety issue as Google it yourself. Lastly once this so said patch was removed we come to find the tire was damaged inside from the agency attempting to install the patch. When doing a patch you must smooth the rubber inside the tire. However they removed too much rubber to smooth it exposing the threads of the tire. Once this happens the tire is unsafe and will slowly leak no matter what. Michael’s team did their best attempt to patch it with an actual patch made for tires but unfortunately the damage was done.

So long story short don’t always trust the agency you bought your vehicle from. While I work in automotive and would trust my Toyota team back in the states I cannot say the same for the agencies here. I also discover they didn’t do proper maintenance over the last 9 months on my truck. Find yourself a place like Tamarindo Car Center. They were honest up front and easy to work with plus their prices are better than the agency itself. Michael felt so bad for me he didn’t even charge me to repair the tire again with a new plug that was done better. But as I said that tire is not as safe as it should be so it’s a 2nd spare now. If I would of brought it to him the first time this story would just be an awesome service 5 star review but I felt I had to inform people on why you need to find a trusted place like this one. I would have saved myself a few. Hundred but now I find myself buying a tire that could have been done right the first time but wasn’t. Either way Michael and his team did good by me and I appreciate them. Some photos of the dealers jobs vs what it should have looked like.

Boom!! These folks are great!! In this part of the world it’s difficult to find even just basic ethical or reliable service - never mind really great, enthusiastic service. This place has a happy hard-working team who will go out of their way for the customers. 100%. I showed up half an hour after closing time with a problem - and they actually took the time to rearrange the overnight car area to get me into a loaner vehicle and back on the road.

Amazing service, went there needing a quick fix with my headlights, got service with a great attitude and had me on my way fast, they even stayed open a little late for me. Would highly recommend. Thank you guys

Under new management and had a really great experience. Had an ongoing problem with my car they were finally able to diagnose and repair. Honest and up front l.

We experienced a flat tire while driving in the Tamarindo area. Unfortunately the tire on our rental car was in poor condition when we drove it off the lot, so the tire was bound to go at some point on our trip. Fortunately, the team at Tamarindo Car Center was super helpful and it didn’t cost us an arm or a leg to replace the tire with one of their used tires. We also had them check all the tires and brakes for peace of mind, and they did it for us at little to no charge. We are very grateful for their help and they had us in and out in no time at all! We highly recommend this location should you experience any auto issues or just need general maintenance while in the Tamarindo area.

Great to be able to talk to a friendly owner and staff who do know what they are doing. Clear information and job completed efficiently and in the estimated time. Finally!!

These guys are awesome! The owner Michael is extremely nice and service oriented. They communicated with me the entire time my car was in their shop and took great care of beat up little car. Fair prices, good service and friendly honest people. I would highly recommend them and if I ever need help with my car in Tamarindo again I will be using Tamarindo Car Center. Thanks for the help guys!

From my short experience.. I entered on a lamp.. It turned out that the contact was loose.. He was decent.. and didn't even want to take money..

The service is amazing and their staff are very helpful and accommodating. Definitely our go to shop in Tamarindo.

Unable to start car with push button start. Car/battery was totally dead. Jumped car with help of stranger and we drove it to Tamarindo Car Center 15 minutes away. Within one hour they had diagnosed the problem and charged me a very reasonable rate to check everything out. (I had accidentally left the car in accessory mode and left everything running for 4 hours, including the A/C)
Thank you Tamarindo Car Center. I hope to never make this simple mistake again!

Super-friendly, super-efficient, super-helpful. They were even nice to my kids who were in the car with me. Highly recommend.

Very professional and though shop. I have used them many times before and have always been satisfied with the results. I dropped my car off yesterday for a tuneup. Probably get it back today if there's no other problems.

Excellent place, nice attention, high quality.

Great place. Went in for an oil change was less then they quoted and they didn't try to upsell me. Expat friendly, there is a woman on the desk who speaks English. Quick, affordable and very pleasant staff. Thanks guys

Excellent work every time. Only place I will bring my 2006 Land Rover Defender to for work. Just had major transmission work (new flywheel) and a head gasket. Truck runs like new. Plus they sourced the flywheel for a quarter of what the dealership wanted.

Fixed my daughter's car really quickly and helped take it through Riteve. Great service. Highly Recommend

Had to have my car boosted several times in the last few days. I was worried about my battery and wanted to check it. I just popped in they checked the battery and alternator at no cost. I will definitely go back whenever I have an issue.

Excellent attention to detail and safety 👍 They are the first shop in Costa Rica to properly tighten my wheels to 75ft lbs and not more than my body weight.

They get the job done. English spoken, knowledgeable staff. They can do most repairs. They'll even take your car for RTV inspections, so you don't have to. Seems locals and visitors take their car here when in Tamarindo.

Working with Rod and the team was a breath of fresh air after leaving my SUV with another popular local mechanic, where it sat for six months before speaking to Rod. He and his team figured out that our electrical system had been shorted at the mother board, which was causing a landslide of other problems. Fixing that, brought our old SUV back online like a champ.