San Carlos Auto Repair

I was looking for a local garage for our 2012 Minicooper Countryman. Generally the car goes to a Mini dealer for regular service because we believe in regular maintenance, but based on the reviews, we thought we would give A+ a try. A+ is wonderful. Customer service is first rate - friendly, professional, and efficient. They did an outstanding job of providing information about the car - more than 75 evaluated items and a 30 page report on their findings. We have never know so much about the car. Minimal work was done besides the inspection - oil change and topping off the coolant. However, the car now runs better than it has in years! It runs better than when the car leaves dealership service. We don't know how they improved the car's operation so much with so little done to it. Cars must like them! We certainly do.

Summary: Well meaning but incompetent! Brought a Toyota Tacoma to "A+" for a simple u-joint replacement. After having the truck for most of the day, Robert informed me that the drive shaft was "aftermarket", and they weren't willing to replace the u joint (an $80 part) without replacing the drive shaft ($1,000+). Hearing that Toyota sold me a truck with an aftermarket drive shaft didn't make much sense, and was a bit stressful to say the least! It turns out the shaft IS original, not aftermarket. Another shop replaced the u-joint in an hour. "A+" didn't charge me anything, and wasn't pushing the $1,000 repair, so I don't think they were trying to rip me off. However, their incompetence cost them money, and both of us a lot of time. After the repair, I tried to contact Rob twice to provide the correct information. He simply failed to reply to the goodwill gesture. "A+" talks a good game about "transparency". However, all I saw was confusion!

These guys go above and beyond. Rob and the team took great care of me and my Acura. Highly recommended!

Thank goodness I found an honest and competent auto repair shop. I, unfortunately, trusted the Lexus dealer to do an expensive, major service that they did not fully complete, which affected my transmission (not to mention other signs of carelessness)! My car, for the first time ever, started driving poorly. A+ Japanese Auto Repair confirmed my suspicions and got my car back in proper shape. Albert is so knowledgeable and helpful. Truly appreciate the awesome service!

Real as it gets. These folks are honest mechanics, expert at what they do, charge a fair price, and are entertaining conversationalists to boot. I wish every business were run like this.

Came here to address a knocking noise coming out of the engine bay of my 2008 Honda Odyssey. Scheduling through the website was convenient. Got a call within 15 minutes to confirm my appointment and to let me know that they can send a tow truck should the van deemed un-drivable or potentially dangerous to operate. Good start. At the appointment Albert was assigned to me, walked me through the process, explained what they will do, how they will communicate with me, get approval and the cost at each step of the way. A technician went on a ride with me so I could point out the noise. Another came to verify and make sure we're aligned on the problem. 3 hours after drop-off I received a link to detailed documentation with images of the condition of the vehicle. They had inspected close to 70 items on the van and taken images, likely also video to point out any issues. Albert called to go through everything they found during the inspection which accumulated to a valve adjustment, brakes, bushings and control arms for a vehicle with 109K miles on it. All items and their condition were documented in detail and on image (broken bushings etc.) or reported down to the percentage of O2% in the brake fluid, it should be 0%. The total proposed repairs were $4200. He suggested to focus on the knocking noise and brakes for safety purpose and the rest when able to. Real world recommendation. I approved the work and they were going to start the next morning as the valves needed to be completely cold to be adjusted. The following morning Albert called at 8:30 to let me know that the mechanics went through the van before starting the work and identified that the root of the knocking could not be rectified with valve adjustments and that the valves were likely damaged which would possibly require a rebuild or engine replacement. Neither of which would have been reasonable considering the age and mileage of the vehicle. They put everything back, cleaned the engine bay and charged me $0 for the entire thing. Not even for the initial diagnostic. I can't speak to their mechanical abilities, yet, but if it is anywhere close to the care they've demonstrated (Elaine recommending a towing truck for safety, mechanics double checking before starting the work) the transparency of Albert's communication and integrity of doing what's best for the client is an indicator; then I anticipate exceptional mechanic work.

A+ Japanese Auto Repair has exceeded my expectations. I'm glad I found them after struggling to find a reliable shop. The shop is clean and organized, reflecting the high quality of their work. I worked with Justin, and he was incredibly helpful, especially in resolving an insurance issue I had. His patience, clear communication, and professionalism made a stressful situation much easier. I'll be requesting him for future visits whenever possible. If you're looking for a trustworthy and efficient repair shop, I highly recommend A+ Japanese Auto Repair, and I'll be returning for future work.

Staff is super informative and gives the best service!

Sometimes, your vehicle isn't about you, but about the people and pets you transport in your vehicle. In our case, our Nissan Rogue is our dog Mollie's vehicle; she has been traveling to the beach at least four times a week for almost 10 years. Mollie is old and very arthritic; she has hip dysplasia such that we must lift her into her car with a sling. Her Nissan also shows much wear and tear inside because of her years of trips to the beach. However, her Nissan is the only vehicle in which she will ride, therefore we knew we needed to get her Nissan repaired when it broke down. We initially had the vehicle towed to the dealership. After running diagnostics, they were not able to definitively confirm the problem. We therefore had Mollie's Nissan towed to A+ Japanese Auto Repair. Manager Justin and the entire team at A+ took the time to listen to our concerns. Justin, in fact, conducted research and determined what he believed the issue to be. He and his team ordered the part needed, did required programming, and repaired Mollie's Nissan. We are so happy! Mollie is ecstatic; she now has her vehicle back and is able to go to the beach again. Many thanks to Justin and the A+ Japanese Auto Repair team. Excellent job!

They are the best! Any time i have an automotive problem they are people i call, and they fix it every time. Affordable fast and professional