Thao Auto Repair Auto repair & auto body · San Diego
Service desk(619) 640-4606 Book a slot
Bring this in Oil change $45 · full synthetic $60

Bring this in

Oil change

Conventional$45up to 5 qt
Full synthetic$60up to 5 qt

Plus sales tax and any disposal fee, itemized on your invoice. Not an out-the-door price.

  • New filter, every time
  • Multi-point inspection on the lift
  • Tire pressures set, tread measured
  • Fluids topped to the correct spec
Expires 12.31.26 Thao’s Auto Repair
(619) 640-4606 Call

Expires December 31, 2026. One vehicle per visit. Most cars and light trucks.

Quarts beyond five, diesel engines, and European engines that require a specific manufacturer approval are priced separately — the extra cost may be substantial. We tell you before we start, never after. Some engines must have full synthetic; if yours is one we will say so rather than put the wrong oil in it.

You get a written estimate and you authorize it before any work is done. If the job changes, you get a revised figure to approve.

Home / Services / Scheduled maintenance

Scheduled maintenance

There is a maintenance schedule in your glovebox written by the people who built the car. We follow that one.

A gloved hand drawing the oil dipstick from an engine
The oil is the visit; the inspection is the reason

What is actually due

Services get sold in packages because packages are easy to price. We look up what your vehicle and mileage actually call for, do that, and tell you what we left off and why.

Intervals30 / 60 / 90k and beyond
Oil gradePer manufacturer
Inspection reportIncluded
Scheduled maintenance
Intervals30 / 60 / 90k and beyond
Oil gradePer manufacturer
Inspection reportIncluded

Fluids by specification

Engine oil by grade and standard, not just weight. Coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid and differential oil to the specification in the manufacturer's schedule.

The inspection is the point

A service is a chance to see the car on a lift. Anything found gets written down with a measurement and a recommendation — now, soon, or watch it — and you decide.

The manufacturer schedule, not a padded one

Service intervals come from what your manufacturer actually calls for at 30, 60 and 90 thousand miles, not from a menu designed to sell the most items. If something on the list does not apply to your car we take it off rather than charge for it.

Thao Auto Repair is on El Cajon Blvd in North Park, San Diego, and has been family run for over forty years — started by Le’s father and run by Le ever since. Most of the cars that come through are from the neighborhoods around the shop: North Park, University Heights, Normal Heights, South Park, Hillcrest and City Heights. All makes, domestic, Asian and European. Repair, auto body and a full machine shop are on the one site, which is why a job needing two of the three never leaves the building.

Book a slot

Tell us the symptom. We will tell you the next opening.

The chat narrows the symptom down with you so the call is short and the desk knows what to pull before you arrive. It will not diagnose your car in a chat window, and it does not book for you — the last step is a phone call, to a person.

Call (619) 640-4606

Where we are

3400 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104

Mon–Fri · 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM

Get directions

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Other services

Everything else we do.