Turlock Auto Repair

This Summer, we’ve decided to do something different, but very special. We want to show our appreciation for our customers, our community, and our planet by writing a heartfelt tribute. Please enjoy. Dear Mother Nature, We, here in California’s Central Valley, feel compelled to write you a love letter. As a farming region, we owe our livelihoods to your generous abundance of sunshine, rich soil, and wide open spaces. We love living here on this planet we call home. We want to thank you for all that you provide, including health, food, water, shelter, and so much more. At Nona’s Auto Center in Turlock, we are doing our part to show how much we love and appreciate you for supporting us. You see, we service and repair automobiles. We like to do it in such a way that we preserve the planet through environmentally-friendly business practices, hybrid vehicle service, and recycling oil. We also like to do it by reducing our carbon footprint as much as one auto repair shop ... read more

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, a lot of teenagers and young adults are experiencing odd academic times. They had to shift to online learning, a lot of them missed their senior proms, and the entire Class of 2020 had virtual graduation ceremonies. To be fair, even though those who didn’t graduate need to continue their education, the future of exactly what their school year will look like in the Fall is unknown. These are uncertain times, indeed. Because the COVID-19 era has altered our society so drastically, we predict a few things: The family fleet of vehicles is going to get smaller. We believe that instead of one car per each driver in the household, there will be fewer cars that are shared among mom, dad, and the young drivers. After all, not many car owners are eager to have a car payment in a down economy. We have seen in recent years that Millenials and Gen Z kids are not excited about driving and owning vehicles. However, now that the family unit is together almost all of ... read more

Since 1978, our family has been servicing vehicles in Turlock, California. Back in those days, before fuel injection was the norm, we were turning wrenches and taking care of customer cars and have been a staple of the community for nearly four generations.  Now that cars have evolved, so has our tools, technology, and training. At Nona’s Auto Care, we strive to stay up to date on the latest in automotive technology. Our technicians are ASE certified and keep up with the latest training, tools, and technology out there to help diagnose and repair your car. Many of our clients are the sons and daughters and grandchildren of our original customers from back in the ’70s. This shows what excellent customer loyalty we have, and there is a good reason for it. Our ASE certified auto mechanics on staff strive to provide the best service possible and take the time to explain what is going on with your car and what is needed for repairs to keep your vehicle on the road and in ... read more

With many affordable Japanese import cars in circulation and on the streets, it is easy to assume that parts are more readily available and on the market for a quick repair turnaround. Head turners, such as a finely tuned German engineered vehicle, make such an impact partly because they are less common to see on the road. Yes, this means parts can be a bit more challenging to acquire. Does this mean a German engineered car is more expensive to service than a Japanese import? Not necessarily, there are many other variables to take into account.   Did you know that we, as consumers, are now keeping our cars for over a decade? Auto longevity has increased by 20% from 10 years ago. With this to factor in, it has become even more critical to have a well-built car that you want to drive, over choosing to purchase a disposable vehicle.   Historically, vehicles came into the shop for maintenance 3-4 times every year for oil changes. When a car comes into the shop, a standard vehicle ... read more

  A Love for Trucks   If you are looking for a truck for work or for recreation, we think light-duty trucks are on point. A ½ ton truck can readily handle a load of dirt or rock for your project or for play and is all you will really need for your go-anywhere, get-any-job-done attitude.   We love our trucks for their bed, cab, accessibility and towing capacity. Here are a few more reasons why each of these truck features is so great.   Truck beds are a brilliant design lending itself to haul or move serious equipment, motorcycles, trash, mulch, appliances, tools and equipment and more. Unlike an SUV, trucks are up to every task. The sizes of truck beds vary depending on your needs. If you want a 4-door truck, a full-size bed which is 8 feet reduces to 5 or 6 feet depending on the configuration.   Cab size options are plentiful. Regular cabs, which are harder to find these days are the least expensive. Extended cabs are very useful; however, the ... read more

To start out the new year, we like to get a fresh start on our lives. One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to curb heavy spending and start saving money, and investing in preventive maintenance over time can do just that! Keep reading for the top five reasons preventive maintenance benefits you and your vehicle all year-round.  Saving Money Spending money on your vehicle can be a pain, especially when you’re trying to save money coming into the the new year. But don’t let that keep you from investing in your vehicle’s preventive maintenance! It may not look like it, but over time the money you put toward your car’s performance and upkeep will be paid back to you in full. Your vehicle will last longer, and there will be less of a chance that more serious and costly repairs are necessary down the line. Less Wear and Tear on Your Vehicle We expect older vehicles to accumulate minor bumps and bruises over time, just like we would expect to oc ... read more

With how often we drive our vehicles, it’s easy to forget how prone they are to wear and tear, especially when the holidays approach. Regular maintenance is a key requirement in the upkeep of your car, and holiday road conditions and weather can do a number on even the most well-cared-for vehicle. To keep your family ready to take on that holiday traffic when the time comes, here are some easy maintenance tips from your friends at Nona’s Auto Center: Make sure your tires are in good shape: Tire care is integral to the safety of your vehicle, and with the constant stop-and-go of holiday traffic and harsh winter weather, road conditions are at their most dangerous. Make it a point to change out your tires if over 5 years old and give them a thorough once-over for damage and wear. Check tire pressure and tread as well – bald tires and traffic just don’t mix. Your tread shouldn’t reach below 2/32 of an inch; if it does, it’s time to get new ones. Chec ... read more

The next wave of automotive innovation undeniably rests on the shoulders of electrical and hybrid technology. Advances in battery technology design and manufacturing are leading to a world with more accessible, longer-lasting, and higher-powered batteries available for hybrid vehicles. For hybrid owners, these new designs will mean reduced charging times, fewer battery failures, and longer-lasting charges than have ever been previously achieved. Newly available battery materials also aim to make green vehicles even more eco-friendly with great advances in battery recycling to comply with upcoming battery material recycling regulations. As this new area of automotive technology grows, the number of hybrid vehicles on the road does too. While hybrids are becoming more and more popular, many mechanics shy away from working on them due to their specialized maintenance and repair needs. This is why car owners should be choosy when selecting an auto repair shop to work on their hybrids. Be ... read more

Did you know that Nona’s Auto Center in Turlock, California, is one of the very few certified hybrid service and repair centers in the Central Valley? It’s true! When we started our business in 1979, our family business had a dream. We love cars and we have made it our personal goal to always stay on top of the ever-evolving automotive technology. We remember when cars were much simpler machines and didn’t have computers running inside them. Today, our modern vehicles typically have more than 100 computers, and it operates like a computer network on four wheels! Over the past 41 years, we have certainly seen a big evolution of automotive technology. When hybrid vehicles were introduced to the marketplace, we jumped on the opportunity to learn everything we could about hybrid technology. We attended classes, sent our technicians through certification programs, studied how to recondition hybrid batteries, and so on. While most independent auto repair shops shy away fr ... read more