Best Mechanics on the North Shore
We assessed 18 mechanics on the North Shore and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 3,990 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 28 September 2026. How we rank →
Before you hire
Whether it is a routine car service or a larger mechanical repair, a trustworthy mechanic explains what needs doing and why before starting work. Ask the workshop for a written quote before authorising repairs, and check whether they will show you the worn or damaged parts they replace. Membership of the Motor Industry Association (MIA) or a similar body is a useful signal.
Top 5 Mechanics on the North Shore
The top 5 mechanics on the North Shore are #1 Autoland, #2 Rolch Automotive, #3 Brake & Auto Services, #4 Anzac Automotive, and #5 Bud Automotive, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you book.
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1
Autoland North Shore Ltd
verifiedVerified★ 4.8 636 reviews +10 Top5 Score 1935★ 588 4★ 28 3★ 3 2★ 3 1★ 14Autoland works across WOFs, servicing, hybrid and electric vehicles, and classic radiator work, making it a practical choice for owners of both modern and older cars. Staff like Brett and Nick call mid-job to explain findings and costs before proceeding, and the team has sourced hard-to-find parts and completed installs within 24 hours.
location_on 17 Parkway Drive, Rosedale, Auckland schedule Mon–Fri 7am–5pm · Sat–Sun Closed
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2
Rolch Automotive
★ 4.8 705 reviews Top5 Score 1935★ 638 4★ 30 3★ 5 2★ 3 1★ 29Rolch Automotive covers WOFs, brake work, oil changes, transmission fluid flushes, spark plugs, and cabin filter changes, with upfront quotes and no hidden costs reported across repeated visits by multi-car families. A mechanic named Blessing once completed a tricky DRL lamp replacement in ten minutes and charged only for the part, which is the kind of call that keeps customers coming back for fifteen years.
location_on 1/29 Ashfield Road, Wairau Valley, Auckland
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3
Brake & Auto Services WOF & Repairs
↓ 1★ 5.0 506 reviews +4 Top5 Score 188 -15★ 493 4★ 10 3★ 2 1★ 1Brake & Auto Services covers servicing, WOFs, brake work, and mechanical repairs, with staff who will tell you upfront if a job is unnecessary rather than book you in for the revenue. Mark, Jackie, and Craig take time to explain what is wrong and how they plan to fix it, and multiple customers have stayed loyal for a decade or more because of it.
location_on 1/23 Bute Road, Browns Bay, Auckland
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4
Bosch Car Service - Anzac Automotive
↓ 1★ 4.9 446 reviews +4 Top5 Score 185 -15★ 417 4★ 24 3★ 2 1★ 3Anzac Automotive keeps customers informed throughout the job, with Scott and Ash flagging additional issues found during servicing and repairs before proceeding. Final costs have come in below the original estimate, and multiple customers have brought their vehicles here for years without looking elsewhere.
location_on 60 Anzac Road, Browns Bay, North Shore City
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5
Bud Automotive & Auto Electrical Limited
★ 5.0 233 reviews +13 Top5 Score 1815★ 233Bud Automotive gets cars diagnosed and fixed across battery replacements, general servicing, oil changes, spark plugs, filters, and fault finding, with Bud often completing the full job within 24 hours of the first call. He sends photos of his findings, explains what needs attention now versus later, and keeps old parts so customers can see exactly why replacements were needed.
location_on 83 Albany Highway, Unsworth Heights, Auckland
Other suburbs
Before you book a mechanic on the North Shore
Drawn from 189 customer reviews collected for this page. The first answer is what it costs.
What do mechanics typically charge in New Zealand? expand_more
Labour rates at North Shore independent workshops run from $100 to $180 per hour including GST, with Auckland sitting toward the upper end of that range. A WOF inspection costs between $50 and $100 at most garages, and some service stations price it lower to draw in repair work.
A standard service covering oil, filter, and basic checks on a typical passenger car runs roughly $150 to $350, depending on the vehicle and oil specification required. Parts are charged on top of labour, marked up from the trade price the workshop paid, so the total invoice is always higher than the labour cost alone.
Is there a conflict of interest when the same mechanic does your WOF and recommends repairs? expand_more
The conflict is structural: the business that inspects your vehicle under a Vehicle Inspection Organisation (VIO) appointment issued by the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is often the same business that profits from fixing any failures it finds. Inspectors are required to follow a standardised checklist and base decisions only on minimum safety standards, but there is no legal requirement for the inspecting garage and the repairing garage to be separate entities.
Several North Shore reviewers specifically praised mechanics who checked a failed item and told them no repair was actually needed, which suggests that kind of honesty is notable enough to mention and worth looking for. You can request a re-inspection at a different VIO if a failure seems questionable, and any complaint about inspection conduct can be lodged with the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
How much parts markup is normal, and how do I spot overcharging? expand_more
A markup of 20 to 50 percent above trade cost is standard practice at New Zealand workshops, and markups reaching 100 percent are not unusual for specialist or difficult-to-source parts. Checking the part number against retail prices from local auto parts suppliers or the manufacturer gives you a useful reference point before you approve the work.
Reviewers who felt well-treated mentioned mechanics who kept old parts for inspection or explained exactly what was replaced and why, which is a practical signal that a workshop is comfortable with transparency. Under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and Fair Trading Act 1986, you are entitled to an itemised invoice separating parts from labour, and a reputable workshop should provide this without being asked.
What are the warning signs of a mechanic you shouldn't trust with your car? expand_more
- –Returning your car with new noises or problems that were not present at drop-off, and then being slow or defensive when you raise it
- –Proceeding with work before calling you to confirm scope and cost, especially when additional issues are found
- –Being unable or unwilling to explain what was actually done in plain language
- –Failing to resolve the same fault across multiple visits, suggesting the root cause was never properly diagnosed
- –Quoting a repair time or cost that is significantly higher than a second opinion from another workshop
- –Dismissing a concern you raise by suggesting you look at the problem yourself rather than taking responsibility for the work
What should you ask before leaving your car with a mechanic? expand_more
- –Ask whether the quote covers both parts and labour in full, or whether additional costs may be added
- –Confirm they will call you for approval before doing any work beyond what was originally agreed
- –Ask what happens if they find an unrelated fault during the job, and whether you can choose to defer non-urgent work
- –Clarify whether they use genuine manufacturer parts, aftermarket parts, or reconditioned parts, as this affects both cost and warranty
- –Request a written quote before work begins, not just a verbal estimate
- –Ask whether they can provide an itemised invoice at collection showing parts and labour as separate line items
Also recommended mechanics on the North Shore
Ranked 6 to 10 on the same public review record.
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6
Mowbray Automotive - Automotive repair workshop
↓ 2★ 4.9 392 reviews Top5 Score 178 -35★ 371 4★ 14 2★ 1 1★ 6Mowbray Automotive turns around same-day bookings for urgent jobs like brake failures and battery faults, and has resolved WOF issues that previous mechanics dismissed. They flag parts nearing the end of their life before they fail, so customers can plan costs in advance rather than face surprise bills.
location_on 6A Vega Place, Mairangi Bay, Rosedale
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7
North Shore Autocentre
↓ 1★ 4.9 300 reviews +4 Top5 Score 177 +15★ 291 4★ 6 3★ 1 1★ 2North Shore Autocentre gets cars through WOFs, oil changes, brake work, spark plug replacements, oil leak repairs, and servicing, with Kevin known for quoting a job honestly before touching it and often completing work faster than competing estimates. He will tell customers whether an issue needs fixing now or can wait, even when that advice costs him the job.
location_on 1/62 Barrys Point Road, Takapuna, Auckland
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8
Shore Automotive
★ 4.8 271 reviews Top5 Score 1715★ 243 4★ 16 3★ 4 2★ 1 1★ 7Shore Automotive takes in broken-down vehicles the same day they arrive, covering urgent diagnostics, servicing, WOFs, battery faults, and power steering repairs without requiring days of advance notice. Front-of-house staff like Carol brief customers on potential repairs before work begins, and the team has fitted in emergency jobs even while running at capacity during short-staffed periods.
location_on 34C Constellation Drive, Rosedale, Auckland
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9
Hillside Automotive Services Limited
↓ 2★ 4.8 236 reviews +2 Top5 Score 170 -15★ 216 4★ 8 3★ 3 2★ 1 1★ 8Hillside Automotive fits customers into the schedule fast, including walk-ins with urgent problems like snapped engine covers, flat batteries, and radiator failures, often resolving the job within minutes or hours. Paul and the team explain what work is needed before starting, so the final bill carries no surprises, and several customers have returned for seven or more years on that basis.
location_on 1/28 Hillside Road, Wairau Valley, Auckland
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10
Mairangi Automotive
↓ 1★ 4.7 265 reviews -1 Top5 Score 167 -15★ 235 4★ 14 3★ 3 1★ 13Mairangi Automotive builds long-term relationships across WOFs, oil services, brake work, and general repairs, with multiple customers bringing their cars here for five to ten or more years. Where another shop might charge for an unnecessary fix, they have taken vehicles to a separate brake specialist to confirm nothing was wrong and sent the customer away without a bill.
location_on 17A Vega Place, Rosedale, Auckland
About this ranking
What the 10 mechanics listed above hold, at the 28 September 2026 check.
We first assessed mechanics on the North Shore in March 2026 and have rechecked the ranking four times since. Two different businesses have held first place; Autoland has held it since June 2026. Autoland and Brake & Auto Services have been in the top 5 at every check. Across the 14 locations we assess mechanics in, the 140 businesses listed have a median rating of 4.8, and one-star reviews are 3.1% of their total.
What has changed since March 2026? expand_more
- Sep 2026
Scoring method updated. Rolch Automotive returned to the top 5 at #2. Mowbray Automotive left the top 5, down to #6.
- Aug 2026
Scoring method updated. Bud Automotive entered the top 5, up from #8. North Shore Autocentre left the top 5, down to #6.
- Jun 2026
Scoring method updated. New first place: Autoland. Anzac Automotive entered the top 5 at #4. North Shore Autocentre entered the top 5, up from #6. Bud Automotive and Mairangi Automotive entered the list, at #8 and #10.
- May 2026
- Mar 2026
First check. Brake & Auto Services #1.
How are the top mechanics on the North Shore chosen? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for mechanics on the North Shore. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record. Businesses outside the area, or whose reviews describe a different line of work, are left out, and a business whose main Google category is a different trade is held back until a person has checked what it does. A business whose website no longer resolves and that has had no Google review for six months is treated as dormant and left off the page until either changes. Every category and city is rechecked on a rolling cycle, about every two to three months. A location with a subscribing business is rechecked every month, and the whole page updates with it. See how we rank for the full method.
What does a business subscription offer? expand_more
No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Claiming and verifying a listing is free. It adds a phone number to the card and a small trust bonus (+3 points) to its score, for confirming a real operator stands behind the listing. The owner also gets a dashboard showing how their score is made up. A paid subscription provides an enhanced card with more ways to reach the business, including a website link and a detailed profile page. It also refreshes this page monthly and adds ranking history and competitor analysis to the owner's dashboard. The subscription adds nothing to the score. Claim your listing or see what a subscription includes.
Why isn't my business listed? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for mechanics on the North Shore. The usual reasons for missing out are a Google Business category that does not match, too few reviews to score near the top, or an address outside the area we cover. Sometimes we miss a business that should be here. Check where you rank first. If you are not there and think you should be, get in touch.