San Carlos Auto Repair

How to Keep Your Subaru Around for the Long Haul: 5 Tips from the Subaru Pros Subaru is a reliable car brand known for producing high-quality vehicles suited for everything from city commutes to outdoor excursions. To ensure that your Subaru stands the test of time, proper care and maintenance are essential. Here are five tips from our pros to help you maintain your Subaru and keep it in top condition. Regular Maintenance If servicing Subarus for all these years has taught us anything, it's that one of the most important things you can do to keep your Subaru in top condition is keep up with regular maintenance. This includes oil changes, tire rotations, and brake inspections. Routine maintenance can help you catch problems before they become major issues and save you money in the long run. Check Your Fluids Another important aspect of maintaining your Subaru is checking your fluids.   You'll want to consider your: Engine oil Transmission fluid Brake fluid Power ... read more

By Stockbakers The Importance of Choosing the Right Technician for your Toyota Vehicle  The engine is the heart of your car and choosing the right technician is key to having it running smoothly and efficiently. Like a doctor trains for years to master the complex network of anatomy in your body, trained automotive technicians do too.   Toyota vehicles have unique maintenance needs that require specific knowledge and training. That's why it's important to research technicians who are experienced in working on Toyotas and understand how they function. Moreover, selecting a trained and certified technician will guarantee that they know what they're doing when it comes to servicing or repairing your vehicle.  What are ASE-Certifications? ASE Certifications are a valuable way to recognize individuals for expertise in the automotive service industry. ASE stands for Automotive Service Excellence, and individuals must pass rigorous tests to earn each of the si ... read more

By KM. Photo Common Toyota Problems You Need To Look Out For Toyota vehicles are known for their reliability and durability. However, even the most reliable cars need regular maintenance to keep them running smoothly. Ignoring routine maintenance can lead to more serious issues down the road and, ultimately, more money spent on costly repairs.   Let's discuss some of the most common vehicle problems with Toyota vehicles and how you can avoid them with proper preventative maintenance and a knowledgeable auto repair shop you can rely on.  Engine Oil Leaks  One of Toyota's most common service issues is engine oil leaks. Components become brittle or crack over time due to regular exposure to heat and pressure, causing oil leaks. To catch or prevent this issue from occurring, it's important that you have your vehicle inspected during the engine oil change (roughly every 5 thousand miles). Let’s make sure your vehicle’s seals remain properly lubric ... read more

Photo by Joshua Naidoo on Unsplash   Cracking the Code: Toyota's Codes Have you received diagnostic readers as gifts recently?    These tiny devices attach to your vehicle’s diagnostic system, allowing you to get the service codes behind warning lights on your dashboard. While they don’t have the range and depth of the sophisticated diagnostics we use at A+ Japanese Auto Repair, they can give a clue about what’s going wrong in your vehicle and where to proceed.    Understanding the problem is the beginning of finding an answer   It’s not enough to have the code. You will also need to understand what parts the code corresponds to and how the different codes in play wo ... read more

  Bay Area Living is Busy! Book your next auto repair appointment and use our free vehicle pick-up & delivery service. Our free vehicle pick-up & delivery service works from your home or work (within 7 miles of our store). We typically pick up vehicles between 9-11am and often return the vehicle the next day during the same time. If that time frame doesn't work, please ask our staff we can make an accommodation. Office - 650-946-1856 Lastly, if you need a car to use while we are servicing yours, we have that too. Our goal is to allow you the freedom to get through your day without the hassle of car repair ... read more

  Do you own a Lexus? If so, what are you doing to maintain it? Do you pay attention to the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance schedule, or do you wait for your Lexus to tell you it’s in trouble?   Some cars and vehicles are so reliable and smooth that we forget they are a complex system of moving parts capable of breaking down at the slightest provocation. Sooner or later, your Lexus will give you the dreaded dashboard signal, to let you know that the time has come to get it serviced.    A yellow light on the dash doesn’t need to be a scary thing. While an urgent blinking light does indicate a desperate problem, your Lexus also knows to flag you down for repair at specific intervals with a gentle light. This is not meant to drive you into a dealership… the light is just a reminder that you need to schedule different services to safely maintain your Lexus.   When you bring your vehicle to A+ Japanese Auto Repair, a prepared Se ... read more

Photo by Steady Hand Co. on Unsplash Lexus is one of our specialties! At A+ Japanese Auto Repair, we specialize in Lexus maintenance. We have specialized trained technicians who can see to your car and help you keep it in the pink. That’s for all the Lexus models we see: Sedans, SUV’s, and even Hybrids. And when we perform repairs on your Lexus, we use Lexus parts to make the work seamless and brilliant. An Ounce of Prevention Part of upkeep is knowing how to look after the product. Many customers ask us: what can I do to better maintain my Lexus? The answers range from the obvious to the obscure. Let’s go through them together. Follow your Lexus Service Maintenance Schedule.  Don’t miss out on time or mile ... read more

We’re closing our doors for Labor Day!  This Monday, September 5th, we will be closed all day. Labor Day is a day to celebrate the achievements of American workers. For A+ Japanese Auto Repair, it's a time to reflect on all the hard work our team has put in over the past year. We’re closed this Monday to honor the hard work our team puts into every car we service.   We're grateful for our clients' support, and we're proud of the work we've done to make A+ Japanese Auto Repair the best auto repair shop on the peninsula. We know from your feedback and your continued trust that our customers are grateful for it, too. Some Well-Deserved Recognition Our team is truly exceptional. One office team member, Justin M., our Senior Service Consultant, has been with us since 2010. He's an expert on Japanese automotive makes and models, and he's known and liked throughout the community. He's a wonderful part of our team.   Paul T. is ... read more

Photo by Steven Binotto on Unsplash   If you own a Lexus, then you know that it is important to keep up with the required maintenance. Not only will this help your car run smoothly, but it will also help maintain its value. When your Lexus presents a check engine light, the team at A+ Japanese Auto Repair is here to investigate your service codes and maintain and repair your Lexus.    Nowadays, many car enthusiasts purchase diagnostic tools for their home garage, as a means of understanding where their car is in crisis. As diagnostic tools become cheaper, we are beginning to encounter more Lexus owners who have already performed the computer diagnostic, but have the instincts to still bring their Lexus in to A+ Japanese f ... read more

Photo by Thom Holmes on Unsplash The Most Exciting Road Trips For Car Enthusiasts This Summer The summer is heating up, and many travel and car enthusiasts eagerly await their summer road trip. What if you don't have a road trip planned but want to join in on the fun? We have you covered on the hottest stops that people love to travel to during the summer!   Road trips are so much fun. We love building the perfect playlist, planning all our stops (and choosing to go somewhere else if the mood strikes us), getting meals and snacks packed, and stopping to see all of the wonderful bits of Americana we ignore when we drive by at 75 miles an hour. Our Recommendations For The Best Road Trip Ever! The continental U.S. has endless charms for those who love a good road trip. Here are some dream destinations, if you have the time this summer (and the wanderlust):   Californi ... read more