About the shop · Marina District · Since 2013
Jack Chew, the crew, and 13 years on Lombard Street.
A small independent shop in the Marina District that fixes cars properly. We're not a chain. We don't have 50 bays. We have a paint booth, a frame bench, a crew that's been together for years, and a customer book that goes back to 2013.
Jack Chew, owner
Jack has been running Lombard Auto Body since 2013 and was in the trade for years before that. 50+ combined years across the crew. When you call the shop, you're talking to Jack or someone Jack trained — there's no call center, no service-writer queue, no manager who has to "check with the back."
His specialty is the insurance side. Most customers who walk in have never filed a body-shop claim before. Jack walks them through it — what to say to the adjuster, when to push back on aftermarket parts, what a supplement is, what a "total loss" valuation actually means. The plain-English version is on the insurance walkthrough page.
If you've been here before and you're back for a warranty touch-up, ask for him by name. He'll remember the car.
The crew.
It's not just Jack. The shop runs on a tight crew that's been together for years — body techs, paint techs, and the back-office folks who keep the insurance paperwork moving.
Same faces, year after year. When your car is in the booth, it's the same hands that have done this work on Lombard Street for years — not a rotating roster of contractors.
More than the body shop.
Two ways to read that. One: the shop does more than body work — auto glass, full collision, car alarms and stereo, window tinting, car wash and detail (it's all on the marquee outside). Two: Jack himself is more than a shop owner. JVS Bay Area featured him in 2016 for the workforce-training mentoring he does. He teaches jujitsu — much of it free for kids — and coaches a youth basketball team for next-to-nothing. The kind of coach who drives the team to tournaments and packs the snacks.
Profile from JVS Bay Area, 2016 — recognizing Lombard Auto Body in their Business Leadership Award program. JVS (Jewish Vocational Service) runs workforce-training programs across the Bay Area; Jack has worked with their auto-body trainees.
Jujitsu instructor
Teaches jujitsu to kids in his free time — many of them at no charge. The discipline tracks: body work is millimeter-precision craft, and martial arts is too.
Youth basketball coach
Coaches a youth basketball team for next-to-nothing. Drives the kids to tournaments. Brings the snacks. Ask any parent on the team — they'll tell you.
JVS Bay Area partner
Featured in JVS Bay Area's 2016 Business Leadership Award profile. JVS runs workforce-training programs that get people into trade careers — including auto-body work.
What we actually do
A short list, because honesty about scope matters more than a comprehensive-looking website.
Yes — this is most of our work
- Collision repair (single-panel to multi-panel)
- Paint & refinishing, including faded clearcoat
- Bumper repair, dent repair (paintless + traditional)
- Auto glass & windshield replacement
- Frame measurement & structural pull
- Insurance claim handling for every major carrier
- Auto detailing (included free on most repair jobs)
- European and Asian imports — BMW, MB, Audi, Porsche, VW, Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Nissan
No — we'll refer you out
- Newer Tesla aluminum-structure jobs (manufacturer-specific certification required)
- Rivian / Lucid structural collision (same)
- Heavy mechanical (transmission overhaul, engine rebuild)
- Wheel alignment (we don't have a rack — we'll point you to a nearby shop)
- Towing (we'll arrange a third party if your car isn't drivable)
- Mobile / on-site repair
Credentials & trust signals
Better Business Bureau · A+ Accredited
Accredited since February 8, 2019. View BBB profile →
Yelp · 200+ reviews · 50+ customer photos
The strongest social-proof signal we have. Read the reviews →
Industry training (ASE · I-CAR · AAA Approved)
Our crew is trained and tested through industry programs. We're putting the certificate numbers and tier (such as I-CAR class) on this page so you can verify them yourself — ask us at the shop in the meantime.
Warranty
Lifetime warranty on collision repair, auto body work, and paint. 1-year limited warranty on mechanical parts. Full terms on every invoice. Read the warranty →
Why we're not chasing OEM certifications (yet)
Some of our biggest local competitors have nine OEM certifications on their homepage — Tesla, Mercedes-Benz Star Repair, BMW, Porsche, Rivian. Those certs cost real money, real shop-floor build-outs, and they make sense for chains that do hundreds of jobs a month.
We're a small independent shop on Lombard Street. The math doesn't work for us to chase a Tesla aluminum-structure certification — and we'd rather tell you that up front than take a job we shouldn't. If your vehicle needs a manufacturer-specific structural repair, we'll name the shop in the area that has the cert and the right tools.
What we do well: most collision and body work on most cars on the road today. Done by the same crew, in the same shop, with the same warranty, year after year.
The code we've worked by since day one
These eight commitments have been on the shop's wall — and its website — for years. They're how a small shop keeps a customer book going back to 2013.
- 1. Perform high-quality repair service at a fair and just price.
- 2. Have a sense of personal obligation to each customer.
- 3. Recommend only the services, repairs and maintenance necessary to keep the vehicle in safe working order.
- 4. Use only products that are safe and equal or exceed the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations.
- 5. Service and repair vehicles in a timely manner and keep the customer informed of any changes, including completion times.
- 6. Give the best customer service possible and, in any dispute, provide a prompt and amicable resolution.
- 7. Ensure the entire staff conducts themselves professionally, to the high standards of the automotive industry.
- 8. Notify the customer if appointments or completion promises cannot be kept.
Come meet the shop.
Stop by 2340 Lombard — Mon–Fri 8 AM – 5 PM. No appointment needed for an estimate. Or call (415) 292-2962.