Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers from the Hillside front desk, grouped the way you plan a visit.
Planning your visit
Booking, hours, and getting to and from the shop.
Book online for tomorrow or later. Lydia, Aatif, or Alex will call or text during shop hours to confirm your time. Your appointment is not confirmed until you hear from us.
You don’t need to know what’s wrong with your car. That’s our job.
Need help today? Call us, and we’ll let you know whether we have an opening. Online requests are for tomorrow or later.
The shop is closed right now. Request an appointment for tomorrow or later. We’ll confirm your time during shop hours.
Yes. We’re open Saturdays from 9 AM to 3 PM. Monday through Friday, we’re open from 7 AM to 6 PM. We’re closed on Sundays.
On weekdays, we start answering calls at 6:30 AM.
We do. Ask about our free shuttle - we'll take you wherever you need to go within about 5 miles of the shop, with reasonable accommodations. We'll pick you up again when your car's ready. (We don't have tow trucks, though, so we can't tow vehicles in.)
How your visit works
Inspection photos, written quotes, and what a diagnosis is for.
It’s the inspection included with every service visit at Hillside. We send a link to your phone with photos of your car, color-coded findings, and notes explaining what we found. No app or account needed.
Have questions about the report? Give us a call. We’re happy to walk through it with you.
The inspection shows your vehicle’s condition. Finding the cause of a specific problem is a separate diagnostic service.
Yes. We explain the work and give you a written quote before you decide. If we find anything else that needs repair, we’ll give you a new quote and ask for your OK first.
Our diagnostic is $199, and we apply it to your repair when you move forward with us. We take the time to find out what’s actually wrong with your car, instead of guessing and replacing parts it doesn’t need. That’s how we can stand behind our general repairs with a 2-year / 24,000-mile warranty.
A code scan reads a signal; it doesn't tell you which part has failed or why. We had a customer told by another shop that his Cadillac needed a coolant temperature sensor. It actually needed cam sensors and a thermostat. A proper diagnosis is what lets us fix the right thing and warranty the work.
Vehicles and services
The cars, trucks, and jobs we take on, and the few we don't.
Nearly all of them. We work on American, Asian and European cars, including hybrids.
Our technicians are hybrid-certified and experienced with European luxury cars.
Yes. Everything the road touches: tires, wheel alignment, suspension and brakes. We also service gearbox fluid and the cooling system for the battery.
Repairs to the main electric drive system stay with the manufacturer. We’ll explain what we can help with before any work.
Yes. We handle routine service and repairs on Kia and Hyundai hybrids.
Hybrid-system repairs go to the dealer because Kia and Hyundai use special software we don’t have. Other hybrid makes are fully welcome. Hybrids are our specialty.
Yes. Our used-car pre-purchase inspection costs a flat $199. Bring the car to our Torrance shop. We check it on a lift and send you a photo report of what we find.
Yes. Fill out our tire quote form and Lydia, Alex or Aatif will reach out during shop hours.
Yes. We work on brakes, suspension, engines, transmissions and the vehicle’s air conditioning at our Torrance shop. We also service RV generators.
For roofs, refrigerators, plumbing and other living-area repairs, you’ll need an RV specialist. We don’t offer mobile repairs.
We focus on repair and maintenance. We do not perform smog checks, brake lamp inspections, transmission rebuilds, or body and glass work, though we're glad to point you to a trusted shop for those.
Costs, offers and coverage
Paying, warranties, extended warranties, and coupons.
All major credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay. We don’t take checks, except business checks on commercial accounts.
Yes. General repairs have a 2-year / 24,000-mile warranty, whichever comes first.
Engine and transmission rebuilds or replacements have their own terms. We explain the coverage before you approve the work.
Customer-supplied parts are not covered by our warranty.
Repairs based on a diagnosis supplied by the customer are not covered.
Yes, all of them, dealer-affiliated or third-party. We handle the authorization and payment over the phone with your provider so you don't have to.
Tell us which offer you’d like when you book or drop off your car. One offer per visit. Offers can’t be combined.
Commercial & Fleet
One work truck or a whole fleet? Here’s how Hillside can help your business.
Yes, even if your business has just one work vehicle. There’s no minimum number of vehicles, no contract and no fee to open an account.
Commercial accounts include:
- Priority in the repair queue, with photo updates if a job is delayed.
- A commercial labor rate lower than our regular rate, with the same rate each visit.
- Parts at wholesale prices, without a retail markup.
- Free local vehicle pickup and return. Ask us about a shuttle ride for your driver, too.
- A 3-year / 36,000-mile parts and labor warranty.
- Inspection photos and a written quote sent to the person who approves the work. You can also set a spending limit for routine work in advance.
- A maintenance schedule and service history for each vehicle.
- Pay per visit, or arrange yearly or monthly maintenance payments or bundled work across your vehicles.
- A key-drop box before we open and after we close. After-hours collection can be arranged when you book.
We accept WEX and Voyager fleet cards, business checks on account, and major credit cards, including American Express.
We service cars, work vans, pickups, duallys, F-350s, Sprinters and box trucks, up to medium duty, gas or hybrid. You can bring different makes to the same shop and keep them on one account.
Yes. Commercial accounts receive a lower labor rate and parts at wholesale prices, without a retail markup. We’ll discuss the rates with you when we set up the account.
Yes. Commercial accounts include free local vehicle pickup and return. Once your commercial account is set up, you can arrange pickup and drop-off with the front desk.
Yes. We can book service ahead of time based on each vehicle’s mileage and how you use it. We keep a separate service history for every vehicle, so you can see its repairs and maintenance.
Commercial accounts receive a 3-year / 36,000-mile parts and labor warranty. Customer-supplied parts are not covered by our warranty.
Yes. Commercial accounts can pay with WEX or Voyager fleet cards, business checks on account, and major credit cards, including American Express.
Let’s talk about your work vehicles.
Tell us what you run and what you need. The front desk will call during shop hours.