San Carlos Auto Repair

Great friendly service with a convenient inclusive shuttle service (Uber) to and from the shop while you wait on your car.

So I am a researcher-I analyze data and like to get as much information as possible. I also drive my car like crazy-my Tennessee 2010 Toyota Camry has in 5 years gone from Louisville to Atlanta to San Francisco to LA to Redding. I driven it through (bad) dirt roads in the Sierras and through the snows of Kentucky. I short, I need to keep it up to shape, lest I find myself trapped in some forsaken landscape arguing with some heavily armed hillbilly (as had happened once btw...) Anyways I knew my car was starting to act up after not having it really checked out for something around 28000 miles. I found A+ after arbitrarily skimming the Yelp pages for a nearby auto repair shop and decided to drop in and check it out. A+ is located in San Carlos but is reasonably close to my work in Redwood City. The location is a semi-busy street filled with auto repair shops. Considering I simply walked in unannounced, the staff was friendly and accommodating. Rob went through a quick on the spot review of my car's condition, showing me issues with the ventilation and suspension and break fluid before telling me that basically problems from a previous car check were pointless and a waste of money and that I was basically good to go. He did however find my oil was low so I decided to get my car's general maintenance done. Rob quickly squeezed my car into the schedule and offered to get me an Uber ride (free service) when I elected to walk, he immediately offered some nice spots to visit/hang out. There is a small sandwich shop immediately next door and a few strip malls a few blocks away. Sure enough at almost exactly within the range of the schedule I received a call, message and email about the completion of the results. The email contained a detailed inspection report, complete with photos, running commentary, and a three way scale (I accidentally clicked "Approve Now" which evidently gives authorization to commit to the repairs). Returning to A+ I got into contact with Rob, who went through the inspection again (mentioned that I should not have approved the statement but that they wouldn't work on the car), and for $80 I was good to go. Slight issue in that when I got home I found that one of my hubcaps had dropped off, but I don't know if/how that was related to the service.I approve of the organization of A+. Rob was friendly, prompt and enthusiastic and prone to talking about driving. The inspections and reviews seemed thorough and perhaps most importantly they seem good at getting you updated. Prices are pretty good too, especially considering I am cheap. Would definitely go back.

Great customer service, Justin talked in a way that was easy to understand, constant updates on what was happening was great, they also provided me with transportation when leaving my car there and retrieving it. All-around amazing service thanks Justin

Me at every mechanic: You gonna rip me off or nah? Every other mechanic: Shut up and give us all your money. A+ Japanese Auto Repair: Nah. I love coming here. Well, I love coming here as much as anyone can 'love' realizing their car is slowly dying and they may have to get a side job as a live cam girl to pay for it (just kidding, Dad, if you're reading this) (half kidding everyone else, who probably isn't reading this). When I lived in the midwest, I was lucky in that I never really had any car troubles and also that my Dad can pretty much fix anything under the sun if I make a hopeless looking face, which lucky for me, is just my regular face. But then I moved 1500+ miles away from my family with what I'm realizing is getting to be a pretty old car and sh*t started going downhill real fast, as they tend to do with old cars. I've visited A+ Japanese Auto Repair over a dozen times in the past year for regular maintenance, when the heart and soul of my car died, when my something or other was leaking, when my headlight gave up, when my tire pressure light wouldn't quit, and more, and while I'm never thrilled to be dealing with another automotive catastrophe, I know these guys are legit and do a truly exceptional job for as minimal a charge as you'll find from any mechanic. I'd been working with Rob Lucas, one of their front of the house employees, since day 1. He remembers me every time I come in and I like when he tells me all about his daughters and how proud he is of them, about his beautiful purple-haired wife, their Halloween traditions, and their family of classic cars on all my visits. He's trustworthy, reliable, and you don't have to think about a thing with Rob. He's basically a stand in dad to every one of his customers. He lays it all out for you, step by step, with no hidden costs, and gives you the real deal scoop on what you really should do and what can probably wait a bit for on your car. I thought he was the only person on the planet who could make you smile when your car is being a real Grade-A bung hole until Rob moved out of the Bay Area (sad face + i miss you) and I was re-assigned Justin Mills as my A+ ambassador. Justin is somehow also this incredible unicorn of a human and mechanic service agent. Full transparency, so caring, and 100% genuine. He'll stay late to make sure you leave with a safer car than you rolled in with and just like Rob, he'll lay out all the costs with tax and service (no hidden or surprise anything ever) and let you know what's urgent and what can probably wait. He's great conversation and a truly interesting person that I'm luckily to call my car guy. They're wonderful with scheduling and returning your calls, as well as keeping you informed along the way. I like that I can drop my car off early in the morning and they'll shuttle me to work or get me an Uber on their dime (there's a mileage limit but this is a great option if you work nearby, ahem, all Oracle employees) until my car is ready later in the day, when they'll have someone scoop me to go back to get my fixed up hooptie. On one of my recent visits, my car needed some considerable work done throughout. They sent an in-writing email with photos attached of their findings, itemization of what it would take to fix everything, and estimates for all. The price... it wasn't pretty, but I called my Dad and sent him the email and he agreed with everything they found, said, and quoted and noted that the prices were more than fair with what it probably would have cost him for parts and a small addition for labor, so I know these guys are legit and not what you'd (sadly) expect from a lot of other slim shady mechanics looking to make a quick, ruthless buck. This review is long overdue and I'm hoping that by spreading the good word on A+ Japanese Auto Repair that the car gods will take pity on my poor vehicle and stop breaking ish so I can live like a normal human who just goes in for oil changes several hundred to thousand miles after they're actually due. If you're looking to get your car serviced from minor maintenance to major motor overhauls, A+ if THE only place to go. Also, they pretty much always have a check-in offer, Yelp Deal, special, etc, so check in on your app to see what kind of discount they may be offering. I think I've purchased 5 of their $25 for $50 yelp deals to date. ** Side note, there's also a thick brown pipe that comes out of the brick wall in front of the shop that looks just like a dick. It's hilarious and I take pics of it every time I'm in. Worth it just to go for that. #BrickDick

Me at every mechanic: You gonna rip me off or nah?Every other mechanic: Shut up and give us all your money.A+ Japanese Auto Repair: Nah. I love coming here. Well, I love coming here as much as anyone can 'love' realizing their car is slowly dying and they may have to get a side job as a live cam girl to pay for it (just kidding, Dad, if you're reading this) (half kidding everyone else, who probably isn't reading this). When I lived in the midwest, I was lucky in that I never really had any car troubles and also that my Dad can pretty much fix anything under the sun if I make a hopeless looking face, which lucky for me, is just my regular face. But then I moved 1500+ miles away from my family with what I'm realizing is getting to be a pretty old car and sh*t started going downhill real fast, as they tend to do with old cars. I've visited A+ Japanese Auto Repair over a dozen times in the past year for regular maintenance, when the heart and soul of my car died, when my something or other was leaking, when my headlight gave up, when my tire pressure light wouldn't quit, and more, and while I'm never thrilled to be dealing with another automotive catastrophe, I know these guys are legit and do a truly exceptional job for as minimal a charge as you'll find from any mechanic. I've been working with Rob Lucas, one of their front of the hours employees, since day 1. I've never not worked with him and he remembers me every time I come in and I like when he tells me all about his daughters and how proud he is of them, about his beautiful purple haired wife, their Halloween traditions, and their family of classic cars on all my visits. He's trustworthy, reliable, and you don't have to think about a thing with Rob. He's basically a stand in dad to every one of his customers. He lays it all out for you, step by step, with no hidden costs, and gives you the real deal scoop on what you really should do and what can probably wait a bit for on your car. He's got to be the only person on the planet who can make you smile when your car is being a real Grade-A bung hole. They're wonderful with scheduling and returning your calls, as well as keeping you informed along the way. I like that I can drop my car off early in the morning and they'll shuttle me to work or get me an Uber on their dime (there's a mileage limit but this is a great option if you work nearby, ahem, all Oracle employees) until my car is ready later in the day, when they'll have someone scoop me to go back to get my fixed up hooptie. On one of my recent visits, my car needed some considerable work done throughout. They sent an in-writing email with photos attached of their findings, itemization of what it would take to fix everything, and estimates for all. The price... it wasn't pretty, but I called my Dad and sent him the email and he agreed with everything they found, said, and quoted and noted that the prices were more than fair with what it probably would have cost him for parts and a small addition for labor, so I know these guys are legit and not what you'd sadly expect from a lot of other slim shady mechanics looking to make a quick buck. This review is long overdue and I'm hoping that by spreading the good word on A+ Japanese Auto Repair that the car gods will take pity on my poor vehicle and stop breaking ish so I can live like a normal human who just goes in for oil changes several hundred to thousand miles after they're actually due. If you're looking to get your car serviced from minor maintenance to major motor overhauls, A+ if THE only place to go. Also, they pretty much always have a check-in offer, Yelp Deal, special, etc, so check in on your app to see what kind of discount they may be offering. ** Side note, there's also a thick brown pipe that comes out of the brick wall in front of the shop that looks just like a dick. It's hilarious and I take pics of it every time I'm in. Worth it just to go for that.

I've taken my car twice and I absolutely love this place. The first time Naeem assisted me with getting my car's 45K maintenance done. I was offered a free Uber ride to work after dropping my car and then an Uber ride back in the afternoon to pick up the vehicle which was great as I didn't have to figure out how to get to and from the repair shop. Once the service was completed Naeem emailed me a checklist with details about my car and what they recommend be done in addition to the 45K maintenance items. Overall I great experience and completely hassle free. Last week I took my car back in to get an alignment and Justin assisted me and once again I was offered a free Uber rider to and from work and Justin was just awesome to work with. I had scheduled my appointment online and had added a $25 off $100 or more but the wheel alignment came in just under that so I wasn't expecting to get the discount but Justin was nice enough to offer me $15 off anyways. I've recommended this place to several friends already and I will be making sure to come back for all my car service needs.

SERVICE: 5/5First time customer here. I've been bringing my car to the dealership for the past 7 years. After the manager of the dealership left, I was set to find another place to bring my car in for service. After reading reviews, I thought I'd give A+ Japanese Auto Repair a try. It was easy to make an appointment and they were very accommodating. They even offer Uber rides as their courtesy shuttle service.Naeem was the service manager that helped me. He seemed pretty honest and was very helpful with my car's inspection/services. I brought it in to check to see if my car was leaking oil. I've always been skeptical about private auto repair businesses, but I don't think you can go wrong bringing your car here. I'll definitely look at coming back here when I need a full car service and see how that goes. I would recommend Naeem.

I just moved to San Carlos and had not yet estabished a relationship with a local auto service center. My wife and I both drive Mercedes and have had these two cars serviced at the dealership for obvious reasons. We have four daughters, three of which are now driving (yikes). Out of the seven cars we have in the family, four are Japanese cars so when the need for service came about, I turned to Google to search for a local establishment. When I called A+ I was greeted with enthusiasm by an associate named Justin. Justin was so welcoming that after just a few minutes of discussing my needs, I knew I had found my local service center. When I dropped off my vehicle i was surprised to see that this business operated much like the dealership service center I had been used to - Justin was acctually a service adviser, similar to what you would find at a dealership - I had never seen this before at a local shop. The service was outstanding, the communication was stellar,and they sent me home in an Uber - highly recommend this place and Justin is awesome!!

Brought my 00 Solara in and I am so happy. Car runs perfect now! Many thanks to Justin for all his help, he explained everything to perfection! Highly recommend A+! I shall always bring my car here! Thank you!

These guys are awesome. Got a regular inspection done after my car overheated. They told me exactly what was wrong with it and how much it was going to cost me to get it back on the road. Felt the quotes were fair. Treated me well but decided to get the repairs done elsewhere. Rob and the gang seriously know the meaning of customer service.