San Carlos Auto Repair

Holy crap, let me tell you about these guys. I found them two weeks ago here and decided to give them a shot. I was having a problem with a wheel bearing and it was becoming unbearable. Even though I worked nights they were willing and able to get me in, transport me home, let me sleep as long as possible and then pick me up and get me in my car quickly. It still cost $800 after service, parts, and diagnostics, but because they were upfront and honest I felt much better about it. Besides I needed transportation to work again! Fast forward two weeks and I'm once again dealing with a check engine light and high temperature alarms on my car. I was forced to drive on the freeway at 45mph just to keep the alarms off, which I can say was not a bit of fun. I called them first thing in the morning. At first they had a full plate and asked me to bring it in the next day but when I told them the severity of the issue (45mph in a 80+mph zone?!?) they told me to bring it in right away. I dropped the car off and was out of there in 10 minutes and home 10 minutes after that. These guys stayed past their normal working hours to get my car back together and had me home with my working vehicle at 6:15pm (mind you they close at 5:30). Their estimates were fair and when I went to pay them it turned out to be less than we originally thought. These guys are worth every bit of what I have to say or any of the other positive reviews say. Rob was always honest, friendly, and direct when it came to my vehicle and its issues. They have won a loyal customer and I'll be recommending them to everyone I know.

Holy crap, let me tell you about these guys. I found them two weeks ago here and decided to give them a shot. I was having a problem with a wheel bearing and it was becoming unbearable. Even though I worked nights they were willing and able to get me in, transport me home, let me sleep as long as possible and then pick me up and get me in my car quickly. It still cost $800 after service, parts, and diagnostics, but because they were upfront and honest I felt much better about it. Besides I needed transportation to work again! Fast forward two weeks and I'm once again dealing with a check engine light and high temperature alarms on my car. I was forced to drive on the freeway at 45mph just to keep the alarms off, which I can say was not a bit of fun. I called them first thing in the morning. At first they had a full plate and asked me to bring it in the next day but when I told them the severity of the issue (45mph in a 80+mph zone?!?) they told me to bring it in right away. I dropped the car off and was out of there in 10 minutes and home 10 minutes after that. These guys stayed past their normal working hours to get my car back together and had me home with my working vehicle at 6:15pm (mind you they close at 5:30). Their estimates were fair and when I went to pay them it turned out to be less than we originally thought. These guys are worth every bit of what I have to say or any of the other positive reviews say. Rob was always honest, friendly, and direct when it came to my vehicle and its issues. They have won a loyal customer and I'll be recommending them to everyone I know.

It's hard finding an honest mechanic that does good work. This place is both. I have taken last 3 cars here and always been please with the service and quality. I gave 4 out of 5 stars because they can be a little spendy. All in all a great place to take your car.

Based on the great reviews here and at the Car Talk (NPR show) forum recommendations for A Plus Japanese Auto, I took my Tacoma in for it's 150k mile service. I appreciate that they suggested starting with the basics - oil change and a full inspection (est. $100) before just going through with a plan that my truck may not have needed. For comparison - Toyota101 wanted $300 just to start doing the 150k service. Besides this price difference, their quoted service prices were less than what I have been quoted at Toyota101. Not shockingly less, but hey, every penny counts. Added plus - for the past few months, my truck has been making a funny ticking noise when driving. Toyota101 was neither able to diagnose or repair the problem. I mentioned it to Rob when dropping the truck off. They didn't go searching for it, general vehicle maintenance took care of the problem. Which makes me wonder what Toyota101 has been doing with my truck for all these tune ups and inspections. I made the appointment a week in advance of bringing the truck in. The shop was busy, and I got my truck back the next morning. If there is anything negative to say about this facility is that they take a bit more time. A high class problem, really. (not much of a problem at all!) This shop is family owned and operated, it's nice to keep money in the community. They also go to lengths to recycle and run a green business, a huge plus. The service techs took digital pictures of anything of concern for my vehicle. I LOVED this. Rather than just being told "you need a transmission flush" I was shown *why* I need a transmission flush. This gives great piece of mind - no one wants to wonder if they are being had! When I picked my truck up the front desk men took the time to explain what had been found, and what had been done. The service is professional and beyond courteous - they are kind. I will definitely be returning to A Plus.

Based on the great reviews here and at the Car Talk (NPR show) forum recommendations for A Plus Japanese Auto, I took my Tacoma in for it's 150k mile service. I appreciate that they suggested starting with the basics - oil change and a full inspection (est. $100) before just going through with a plan that my truck may not have needed. For comparison - Toyota101 wanted $300 just to start doing the 150k service. Besides this price difference, their quoted service prices were less than what I have been quoted at Toyota101. Not shockingly less, but hey, every penny counts. Added plus - for the past few months, my truck has been making a funny ticking noise when driving. Toyota101 was neither able to diagnose or repair the problem. I mentioned it to Rob when dropping the truck off. They didn't go searching for it, general vehicle maintenance took care of the problem. Which makes me wonder what Toyota101 has been doing with my truck for all these tune ups and inspections. I made the appointment a week in advance of bringing the truck in. The shop was busy, and I got my truck back the next morning. If there is anything negative to say about this facility is that they take a bit more time. A high class problem, really. (not much of a problem at all!) This shop is family owned and operated, it's nice to keep money in the community. They also go to lengths to recycle and run a green business, a huge plus. The service techs took digital pictures of anything of concern for my vehicle. I LOVED this. Rather than just being told "you need a transmission flush" I was shown *why* I need a transmission flush. This gives great piece of mind - no one wants to wonder if they are being had! When I picked my truck up the front desk men took the time to explain what had been found, and what had been done. The service is professional and beyond courteous - they are kind. I will definitely be returning to A Plus.

Thanks Yelpers - I can't agree more with your high rating for A Plus Japanese Auto Repair! Jay and Rob are awesome. They call from time to time to let you know what they are doing with your car in an informative and non-overbearing manner. They are educators and will explain things to your satisfaction. They won't be offended (actually very understanding) if you get a second opinion (of which the other place told me was reasonable). They will help you save money. Rob kept calling my dealership and spent alot of time to try to figure out what is under my warranty. Ultimately, we determined that certain things are under warranty. they encouraged me to save me almost $200 by going to the dealership rather than to fix it themselves. When my final price was quoted, I was shocked but Rob helped me trim down the list of to-dos and explained what was absolutely necessary and what I can wait on for next time. Also, my tires are $200 each (expensive!) so Rob called around to find comparable quality tires at about $130 which saved me enough to rationalize a new pair of shoes. They also gave me a rental car for free. Maybe it's calculated in the cost of service, but the price seems reasonable and they are very trustworthy. Oh - and they even washed my car as a bonus. Given, it was only half my car, but that made me half happy which is a plus over my typical miserable state.

Thanks Yelpers - I can't agree more with your high rating for A Plus Japanese Auto Repair!Jay and Rob are awesome. They call from time to time to let you know what they are doing with your car in an informative and non-overbearing manner. They are educators and will explain things to your satisfaction. They won't be offended (actually very understanding) if you get a second opinion (of which the other place told me was reasonable).They will help you save money. Rob kept calling my dealership and spent alot of time to try to figure out what is under my warranty. Ultimately, we determined that certain things are under warranty. they encouraged me to save me almost $200 by going to the dealership rather than to fix it themselves. When my final price was quoted, I was shocked but Rob helped me trim down the list of to-dos and explained what was absolutely necessary and what I can wait on for next time. Also, my tires are $200 each (expensive!) so Rob called around to find comparable quality tires at about $130 which saved me enough to rationalize a new pair of shoes.They also gave me a rental car for free. Maybe it's calculated in the cost of service, but the price seems reasonable and they are very trustworthy.Oh - and they even washed my car as a bonus. Given, it was only half my car, but that made me half happy which is a plus over my typical miserable state.

Domo arigato Japanese Auto.........I drive a ten year old Ford Mustang.The engine light came on and while I was resigned to send my little pony off to the glue factory, I stumbled upon this gem.They were nice to me and they fixed her in a day. Hi-ho silver and away!

Super nice, friendly and honest place to take your car. A couple of times they had to keep my car overnight and both times they offered a rental car free of charge for my use for the evening. It's nice to finally have a mechanic that's knowledgeable, reliable and trustworthy. A+ indeed.

Super nice, friendly and honest place to take your car. A couple of times they had to keep my car overnight and both times they offered a rental car free of charge for my use for the evening. It's nice to finally have a mechanic that's knowledgeable, reliable and trustworthy. A+ indeed.