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Trustlane Automotive
- Snacks
- Upsell
- Brakes
“They stayed late so I could pick up my car and went above and beyond throughout the repair communicating with me about timelines, cost, and extent of repair.”
Best Engine Repair & Rebuild in Salinas, CA
24 technicians listed · 5 in Salinas · 1 open 24/7 · 8 open weekends · 23 rated 4.5+
Data verified October 16, 2026
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Valley Center Car Care
- Job
- Smog
- Prices
“After returning from a long trip, I discovered I neglected to renew my vehicle registration (a couple of weeks late), which required that my vehicle be smogged.”
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Lopez Automotive
- Price
“My partner and I went to get our car smog (Volvo 1983) and everywhere else we reached out to were either to expensive or wouldn't/couldn't work on her because of how old she is.”
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Central Coast Fleet Services LLC
“Adam and crew are reliable and honest.”
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Non-Stop Automotive Repair
- Town
“Unfortunately, I broke down during Memorial Day Weekend, but fortunately Jose was exceptionally accommodating and worked after hours and then again on Memorial Day itself, cancelling a trip out of town with his wife.”
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Pacific Motor Service
- Inspection
- Quality Service
- Trip
“I really appreciate their informative style, letting me know what is needing to be repaired--or what may need repaired soon--so that I can keep safe on the road and drive with confidence.”
Listed for drivers in and around Salinas, CA, these 24 shops repair, rebuild and replace engines. What each one says about machine work, warranty terms and the engines it supplies comes from its own website; ratings and quotes come from public reviews.
Area overview: Salinas, CA
5 of the 24 technicians we list are based in Salinas; the other 19 serve Salinas from towns including Monterey (14 mi), Santa Cruz (30 mi) and Prunedale (6 mi). The technicians on this page are rated from 4.4 to 5.0 across 2,424 reviews; 8 have 50 or more reviews and 23 are rated 4.5 or higher. When customers rate these technicians on specific qualities, they most often praise professionalism (93%), quality (81%) and punctuality (70%). The topics that come up most in reviews of the technicians on this page are "price", "honest" and "communication". 1 is open around the clock; 8 are open on Saturdays and 2 on Sundays. 1 shows a license on its website; 7 list staff certifications (ASE) and 4 have a BBB rating of A or A+. 17 have ten or more years of experience, the longest 42 years. 1 offers emergency or roadside call-outs; 4 offer financing; 2 give free estimates; 3 are family- or locally-owned and 7 list coupons or special offers. 1 has Spanish-speaking staff. We count these figures across the technicians on this page; distances are straight-line, and hours and prices change, so confirm the details with the technician before you visit.
Do engine shops listed for Salinas let me spread the cost?
4 of the 24 shops on this page state that they offer financing. An engine is the repair people borrow for, so compare what the credit costs against what a different car would cost you, and get the repair quote in writing first.
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Green Machine Automotive
“Ernesto is very nice and willing to explain everything that is going on and will immediately let you know if anything else arises that needs attention.”
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Mobile Auto Repair LLC
- Diagnosed
- Price
- Job
“It's not often that I seek out Mechanic work so I was very nervous about getting ripped off - I knew after my first encounter that I was in good hands.”
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Susi Auto Repair
- Inspection
- Honest
- Prices
“This is my first personal experience with an auto shop and it really sucks to spend money but they are giving me back an awesome product and doing extra things on my car to maintain their good reputation which I'm totally fine with.”
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Osuna Auto Ag Electric Parts & Repair
- Electrical
- Price
“I've had them fix mystery problems in my vehicle that the mechanic couldn't, repair and tune up my mower, and test parts to see if they're working properly”
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Rigos Automotive LLC
- Vehicle
- Smog
- Price
“He was able to fix an issue that 3 other technicians could not fix.”
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Coppa Bella Motors
“Best exotic shop in 4000 miles”
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Porsche Monterey Service
“Nick at Porsche Monterey went above and beyond to get my 2005 turbo s back to me in peak condition, while allowing me to use their beautiful Porsche cayenne as a loaner!”
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Forza Motors Inc
“Has some wonderful eye candy in there too!”
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Auto Tech Mobile Mechanic
“Great mechanic, performed the services we requested.”
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MY Auto Repair
- Fair
- Inspection
- Price
“He cleared it and said I had a problem in the turbo that couldn't be fixed or that wasn't worth fixing and to just drive it like it was, when the car finally broke down, I took it to my Auto and then I found out I needed a new engine and I came to un...”
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Castroville Performance Fabrication
“Good service and reliability.”
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CMC Garage
- Installation Process
“I recently had the pleasure of working with Carlos at CMC for the installation of a new engine in my 2014 Hyundai Sonata, and I can confidently say that it was a great experience.”
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Water Star Motors
- Job
- Check Engine Light
- Towed
“I was impressed by the team's professionalism, the communication regarding my car's status, and the way the company embraces technology to make everything run smoothly.”
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Santa Cruz Motorsports
- Team
- Mechanic
- Communication
“The staff is very friendly and has excellent communication skills; they do a great job staying in touch throughout the process of a repair, from diagnostic to resolution.”
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Santa Cruz Tire and Auto Care
“He went to Costco first thinking he could get a deal but they didn't have the tires he needed in stock and were going to make him park his car at Costco from 9am-8:30pm.”
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AE Motorsports
- Diagnostic
- Costs
- Mechanic
“My boyfriend took the car to drop it off, and they said "we're just going to try to replace this fuse since sometimes with this model of jetta, they overheat and the fuse blows and this can happen" and they replaced it in all of 2 minutes of work and...”
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Service By Circle Star Motors
- Honest
- Mercedes
“They even fixed my bumper moldings and rear sway bar links just as a courtesy since they noticed how clean my car was and how obsessed I was about maintaining it.”
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Santa Cruz Motors
“Been taking multiple cars (F250 diesel, previa, civic) to SCAT for about 10 years now - they always do a good job that stands up to use, and they get the car back to us when they say they will.”
Engine Repair Services in Salinas, CA Cost Estimates
Minimum cost
$723
Maximum cost
$5421
National Average
$2169
Avg Per Hour Rates
$106
$1867
$3012
Typical price range is based on 294 cost profiles
Why these companies made our list
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