Empire Auto and Tire

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Mike Fotheringham
4 months ago
On the way to Patagonia Lake to camp for a few days and stopped in Sonoita at the Post office where I smelled a burning plastic smell coming from the engine. Called up Empire and they squeezed me in. Steve diagnosed the problem but I had to return the next day when the part arrived. They had me on the road in 30 minutes...Awesome service and I would highly recommend them to anyone!!

  Matthew Horton
5 months ago
The owner Steve is very straightforward with the problems for your vehicle. Very decent price and a very hard worker. He used to run a shop and Sierra Vista but now has his own place out in Sonoita, I would still much rather drive it out to see him. He's a great mechanic and I would highly recommend his services to anyone needing his field of expertise.Services: Transmission, Exhaust, Tires, Auto battery replacement, Steering & suspension repair, Painting, Auto A/C recharge, Tire rotations, Engine repair, Transmission replacement, Brakes, Auto tire replacement, A/C installation & repair, Air conditioning, Auto maintenance, Battery, Oil change

  M H
a month ago
Absolute best ever. Best work. Best prices. Honest. Can't say enough about Steve and the work he does.

  Rolf Asphaug
a year ago
Steve and his team at Empire were amazingly helpful when my Subaru s AT Oil Temp light came on during my drive from Denver to Patagonia. My sister-in-law in Patagonia recommended Steve as the best mechanic ever, and she was right. Even though they were very busy they were able to check out my car and decided that it was best to drain rather than flush the AT fluid - to keep problems from getting worse. Steve said if it was him, he d try driving back home rather than the extremely expensive option of replacing the transmission. He was right and we made it safely home. He obviously believes in doing the right thing and helping people. Highest recommendation.

  Ali Knutson
a year ago
I was traveling from Tucson to Patagonia and started to have some issues with my vehicle stuttering (like a misfire) just past Greaterville and Gardner Canyon area. After stopping in Sonoita, the check engine light came on. I had just had service done to the vehicle, so this wasn't ideal. Steve at Empire Auto was highly recommended by one of the staff at the Sonoita Mercantile and Country store. Even though he was very busy at the shop, he took the time to check the diagnostic codes and let me know it was an ignition coil issue. He was so busy, I was ready to call for a tow, but he saved me from the cost which would be more expensive than the repair. Steve is very knowledgeable and his pricing quite reasonable; he took the time to provide details about what was needed, how I could save on the repair, and got me back on the road. He is a great resource in Sonoita and I highly recommend his service. Plus, I was able to get out on the ride I had intended while he did the repair.Services: Auto engine diagnostic, Auto maintenance, Oil change

  Scout Dunbar
2 years ago
I had SUCH a great experience working with Steve and highly recommend his services. He immediately helped us with a tire emergency after hours. He is super knowledgable and has years of experience. I will definitely be going back to him for all of my car repair needs.Service: TiresService: Tires

  Kim Barajas
a year ago
We live a few minutes shy of an hour away. There are mechanics closer to us. But we take all of our rigs here because the guys here are the best! I'll never go anywhere else! They've done work on our Chevy Tahoe and our Honda Civic for reference.

  Kahan James
2 years ago
No exaggeration, Steve is the best mechanic I've ever taken a car to. For context, I'm almost 50 years old and have lived and worked in several of the biggest cities in the US.I currently live in L.A. but took my car to Steve recently while visiting family who live near his shop. When I asked a relative if there was a good mechanic in the area, I was told, "Everybody loves this guy Steve."I was prepared to leave the car for a week so he could solve a problem that another mechanic in L.A. had created a year earlier and had been unable to resolve. When I got to Steve's shop, there were cars everywhere and he was the only person I saw working. I described the issue, gave him the keys, and left not expecting to hear from him for days. He called a few hours later: "Fixed it! I knew what it was when you told me. It's ready for you to pick up."He explained the repair clearly, used the best-quality parts, made reasonable and important recommendations (which I accepted), and charged a low labor cost. I had driven the car running poorly for a year out of frustration and lack of trust for mechanics. In half an afternoon, Steve not only fixed the problem but had it running better than it has ever run.By no fault of Steve's, an unrelated dash light came on as a result of the service something I'd experienced before. When the light wouldn't clear after a few drive cycles, I had to bring it back to see if he could figure it out. He did some research and ultimately had to perform a live calibration while driving with the computer connected in order to clear the light. Didn't charge me an extra penny.I have zero complaints. Fellow city slickers might observe that he can be gruff once or twice, for a moment. It's not personal. He's super busy and working his butt off. I doubt the locals even notice. On my couple of visits I watched multiple people come and go who clearly adore the guy. Steve's a local treasure.He cares about what he does. He's self-taught and loves working on cars. His shop is attractive and clean, despite the abundance of automobiles in his care. When he pulled off a tire to remedy a small separate issue that I mentioned, he invited me over to watch the process and explain how the machine that he was using works. He's the only mechanic I've met who is as enthusiastic about what he does as I am about what I do. He didn't ask me for a review. His work was so good that I insisted on writing one for him when I got home. Took me a few weeks, but I hope this helps. My wife and I still regularly comment on how nicely the car is running.When possible, I plan to reserve auto work for when I visit my family in Steve's area. Since I'm willing to drive from Los Angeles to have this man work on my car, I'd suggest that anyone in the southwestern U.S. make up a reason to visit Sonoita if you're frustrated with mechanics and want to find someone who will get the job done. Take your car to Steve, and then go hit the local wineries. Just wait until the next morning to pick it up sober, since he'll probably have it fixed the same day while you're out having fun.Thanks, Steve. I'm glad you're out there.Services: Tires, Engine repair

  Ron Couch
2 years ago
Steve has always been our go-to mechanic for all of our automotive repair needs. In this day and age, it s hard to find an honest, reliable, and truly knowledgeable automotive repair facility, but you get all of those with Steve at Empire Auto and Tire. We took all of our cars to Steve for years in Sierra Vista, and without hesitation followed him to Sonoita when he opened up shop there. We ll be moving to Illinois for a couple of years, so Steve services all of our vehicles to get them ready for the long drives, and made any applicable repairs on the spot! We re really gonna miss Steve and Terance at Empire Auto while we re out of state, but we ll definitely be back!Services: Tires, Steering & suspension repair, General repairs & maintenance, Auto engine diagnostic, Engine repair, Oil change

  jamie Myers
a year ago
Driving through Sonoita on the way to Nogales and got a flat tire. I was referred to Empire Auto and Tire. They were amazing. Had my tire fixed in less than 30 minutes and didn t charge me. Very Friendly and helpful staff.Service: TiresService: Tires

  Jim Trapnell
2 years ago
Long story short, after debris punctured a tire on I10 on our way to Sonoita, we were directed to Steve by the locals and they know... he pulled the tire off the rim and patched it the proper way... in less than an hour and for a price that was more than fair!!Service: TiresService: Tires

  Adrienne Halpert
a year ago
The entire crew was impressive!My car broke down yesterday and they have me back on the road the next day & all on a holiday weekend, no less!Service was fast, very affordable, staff was informative and the kids & kitten were a joy.Services: Auto engine diagnostic, Engine repair

  Shar Andersen
10 months ago
Kathy and Steve were great. Ordered a part I needed to get me back on the road. Thank you so much for your help. You are the best!!

  Michael Spears
2 years ago
We had an excellent experience at Empire Auto. The owner, Steve, is honest, dependable, hard working, and makes sure his work is affordable. We ll be back for sure.

  Cecilia Parrilla
2 years ago
We have used Steve for all.of our vehicle repairs and he has done a great job this is the best company in Sonoita and its also very affordable I would defenetly recommend this company.Service: General repairs & maintenanceService: General repairs & maintenance

  Mark Yoshimura
a year ago
My son and I had a dying battery and were impressed with the speed at which they got a replacement and their friendly professional service. I highly recommend them.Service: BatteryService: Battery

  Joy Gaines
a year ago
Steve does a great job! We are so glad he opened his shop here in Sonoita.

  Diane Olson
2 years ago
All around better than good experience for me. Honest in my dealings. I will return.

  sandra wolf
2 years ago
Steve was extremely personable....and did the required repairs in a timely manner.. definitely recommend

  Jaci Roth
2 years ago
Honest & trustworthy service in 1 day. Got us back on the road with safety as their concern!

  Fred Fellows
a year ago
THE VERY BEST PLACE TO TAKE A CAR OR TRUCK.....THE MOST IMPORTANT SERVICE IN THIS LITTLE COMMUNITY BAR NONE....FRED FELLOWSServices: Tires, Auto engine diagnostic, A/C installation & repairServices: Tires, Auto engine diagnostic, A/C installation & repair

  mqranch jB
2 years ago
Super helpful and wasn't even going to charge me for the part or his time!Service: General repairs & maintenanceService: General repairs & maintenance

  Roxann Valenzuela
5 days ago
Always great service and reliable

  K P
2 years ago
Best shop in the area, quality work and great prices.

  Micki280
11 months ago
It's a busy place. Excellent!

  Irving Ripoll Jr.
a year ago
Honest, no bull. Done right