Buck Family Automotive: Fixing Cars and Building Community in Carmichael

CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - Jeff and Rosie Buck opened Buck Family Automotive in February 2019 — when Jeff was just 25 years old. The repair shop has been a labor of love for the young couple, who are excited to be building their lives and raising their son in the community they love.                   

Jeff is a Carmichael native. He grew up here and graduated from Del Campo High School, where he began his career in the automotive Regional Occupational Program (ROP). He worked an internship in a repair shop in Roseville, where he learned how to work on cars while also learning how to run a business. From there, Jeff “moved from shop to shop to gain as much experience as possible.” He always knew owning his own business was the end goal: “I tailored my whole career towards the plan of opening up my own place.”

Rosie is extremely proud of her husband: “I love that he wanted to move back to Carmichael because he wanted to be near family, he had a strong community here, and he wanted to come back to his roots where he learned to work on cars. It’s been fun diving in with him.”

Jeff focuses on the automotive repairs, while Rosie handles all the administrative work and manages the business’s online presence. “I’m very lucky to have her as a part of this,” Jeff said. “It wouldn’t have happened as fast without her.”

Jeff specializes in Asian vehicles, but he also has experience with domestic models. Buck Family Automotive offers services such as oil changes, regular scheduled maintenance, brakes and suspension, engine and transmission repair, heating and cooling systems, and electrical work.

“My love is diagnostics … so when people have that weird, strange electrical issue, that’s what I strive for, I love that,” said Jeff. Instead of just plugging into a car’s computer, he goes a step further, conducting pin-point testing of individual wires. He uses a labscope to read the signals and “graph electrical currents and see in milliseconds what they’re doing” so he can figure out the specific problem.

The shop has an innovative repair order system that Rosie said is “a key component of our business and our communication with our clients.” The Bucks’ digital system sends a link to the client that they can access online. The page shows real-time photos and videos along with notes from the technician.

Rosie said, “We really wanted to have transparency … by basically allowing them to see what we see when we’re looking at the cars.” Clients can share the link with others for a second opinion, and they can also approve the order through the webpage.

The Buck family also has a passion for helping the community — frequently offering their services to those in need. Jeff explained that “Rosie is really integrated and involved in the online community chats for local Carmichael groups. Sometimes she’ll find people on there who are having an issue and it’s something that I either specialize in or can help them with. … Since it’s something that I can do easily, it’s something that I’d like to do to help.”

A single mother has been giving music lessons in a back room of the Buck Family Automotive office since July. Another single mother needed a new alternator in her Honda, so Jeff installed it free of charge.

And Jeff is storing the body of a drift racing car for a young man with a muscular dystrophy disease, which causes paralysis of the legs; Jeff will be helping him build a car that he can operate with hand controls instead of foot pedals. Jeff said, “Building something for someone else is just as fun and also more motivating.”

Buck Family Automotive also welcomes interns through the ROP at Del Campo, and Jeff is now serving on the committee that oversees the quality control of the ROP to ensure it’s up to today’s standards.

While most technicians are ASE certified, Jeff took additional automotive courses to gain a Master ASE-level certification through the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). Repairs at the Buck Family Automotive are also covered under a three-year/36,000-mile warranty supported by TechNet Professional Automotive Service, a nationwide network of repair shops. “You’re covered on most of our repairs even if you’re on a road trip,” said Jeff.

Buck Family Automotive has a spacious and comfortable waiting area, a kids’ room with toys to keep little ones occupied, and a selection of snacks and drinks. The shop is open seven days a week by appointment, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Saturday and noon to 4:00 PM on Sunday.

The Bucks are currently a drop-off donation station for the holiday food drive held by Carmichael Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART). You can drop off non-perishable food at Buck Family Automotive until the end of December and receive a coupon for $5 off a future repair.

Buck Family Automotive is located at 7637 Fair Oaks Boulevard Suite 1, Carmichael. To contact Buck Family Automotive, visit them on Facebook or at www.buckfamilyautomotive.com.