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March 2024 by Zoe Kessler
I’ve been lucky enough to call Josh my mechanic for over a decade now. He is kind, thorough, and honest. I trust his recommendations completely— he’s never tried to upsell or over charge, always clearly explaining the pros and cons of any services that could be deemed optional.
It’s such a relief to be able to trust a mechanic fully. My car (and yours!) are in great hands here.
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March 2024 by Auric Kantz
Great friendly service and honest communication. Had a 2011 Subaru burning oil, and a new engine was built in a cost effective way replacing components that were to far gone on a 200,000 mile car. I couldn’t be happier!
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November 2023 by Kieran Culligan
I brought my cars here for many years, but no more. Prices have risen to dealership levels for many services ($50+ for a tire rotation) and the customer service has declined noticeably. I heard there was a change in ownership.
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November 2023 by Janine
Imho, still the best/only option for one to take a Japanese car in the North Bay. Ray, Dario, Josh and others who work here are communicative and professional.
If you're looking to support a small, local-owned business where people have integrity and care for the quality of work-this is the place to go.
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November 2023 by Clodagh Hamilton
Japan Auto has been a wonderful experience having our truck fixed. Josh and his crew did incredible work and very efficient. They clearly are knowledgeable and get the job done. Thank youService: Auto windshield repair
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November 2023 by Jessica Olivera
My car was ready faster than expected. I paid much less than the dealer told me it would cost to repair my vehicle. Excellent customer service!Services: Electrical repair
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November 2023 by Sarah Duvon
I took my car into Japan Auto Repair and I have finally found a great Mom and Pop shop that is worth going to! The people there were professional yet friendly and communicated very well. When I asked about the repairs that my car needed they where honest and explained everything. I have been looking for a long time to find a small shop I can rely on to fix my car. I hate going to dealerships for repairs...no one seems to care and I always feel like I am getting ripped off. These guys took the time with me and genuinely showed they care about the quality of their work. Thanks! I will be back!Services: Tires
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October 2023 by Gustav Bergman
I used to be a satisfied customer of Japan Auto Repair when Kenzo managed the shop, delivering high-quality work at reasonable prices. However, my recent experience has left me disappointed. I brought my car in because of a squeaky brake issue, and after paying $175, they informed me that I needed to replace all my brake pads and rotors due to the brake pads being at 3mm and the rotors being rusted.The problem is that I had my rotors and brake pads checked at another shop, and they assured me that they were in good condition with more than 5mm of life left. Additionally, I had a recall for my Impreza's lights, and the Marin Subaru Dealership performed a free checkup, valuing at $155, and also confirmed that my brake pads were fine at 5mm.Japan Auto Repair insisted I should replace my rotors and brake pads immediately at a cost exceeding $1200. I'm grateful I sought a second opinion, or I would have replaced parts that didn't require replacement. I have pictures documenting both service evaluations. Japan Auto Repair has not taken any responsibility for the inaccurate safety inspection. David, when contacted, shifted the blame onto me, despite having documented proof that they claimed my brake pads were at 3mm, while the other two places found them to be at 5mm and my rotors in good condition.Service: General repairs & maintenance
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October 2023 by Gustav B.
POOR QUALITY WORK AND LIARS. I was a customer of Japan Auto Repair when Kenzo used to run the shop and did high-quality work at affordable prices. Brought my car in recently to get a squeaky brake looked at and $175 dollar later they tell me I need to replace all my brake pads and rotors because braked pads are at 3mm & rotors were rusted. The issue here though is I brought it in to get my rotors and brake pads checked at another shop and they said they looked fine 5mm+ and plenty of life left. Additionally, had a recall for my imprezas lights and the Marin Subaru Dealership did a free check up normally $155 and also confirmed brake pads were fine 5mm. Japan Auto Repair tried to tell me to get my rotors and break pads replaced there on the spot which would have cost $1200+ and so glad I got quoted at another place or I would have replaced stuff that didn't need to get done.
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September 2023 by Aiko M.
This is a review that sucks to write, because our family has been taking our cars to Japan Auto for decades, since Kenzo owned it. Prices were reasonable and they did good work.Over the last couple years, under the new ownership, the quality of the work has gone down and the prices have gone up like crazy.The events that prompted this review are as follows: my 2004 Toyota Highlander was taken into the shop for some service on June 26th, 2023. It needed the door seals redone, and the A/C was having issues as well. The A/C actuator was also replaced at this time, which cost a total of $1,804 in labor and another $690 in parts. This ultimately did not fix the issue with the A/C. (see photo 1)The June 26th visit created a bunch of new issues with the car. Somehow, as the repair to the door seals was being performed, the tech managed to forget to replace the hinge that holds the passenger side front door open. The door would freely swing without resistance.The A/C would work intermittently, and then randomly start blowing hot air. In addition, the emergency light button on the dash would not turn the blinkers on, although the turn signals still worked as normal. The clock also did not work. The car was brought in to have these issues addressed on July 10th, 2023.The tech's notes from this visit claim that the front right door had a "broken bolt" but neglects to mention that it was missing a part (that he forgot to reinstall during the previous visit.) This time, his inspection of the A/C claims that the HVAC circuit board needed to be replaced, and that the real issue was unrelated to the previous work they had done. The price quoted to repair the circuit board was $939. After this visit, the clock and hazard lights only worked intermittently. The A/C would only blow hot air. (see photo 2)At this point, I elected to seek out other options and opinions. I returned to Japan Auto on July 17th to get the clock and hazard lights repaired, and leave the A/C as it was. $175 of labor later, the hazard lights and clock were fixed, although the clock stopped working once again a couple days later.Yesterday, September 11th, 2023, I brought the car to Beckstrom Automotive to get the A/C serviced. Recall from above that Japan Auto had claimed that the HVAC circuit board was defective and needed to be replaced. The tech at Beckstrom opened the unit up, and noted that someone had been inside the unit previously and that there were screws missing, screws not fully tightened, a plastic tab was broken, and wires were not soldered back together. After this work was performed, both the A/C and clock are back in working order. This cost $400 in labor, with no additional parts needed. (see photo 4)I went back to Japan Auto today to notify them of what happened and to give them a chance to right their wrongs. They declined to do anything of the sort, so here we are. According to the invoices we were provided by Japan Auto, all the work was performed by "RJ" so hopefully this is an isolated issue with a particularly bad tech. Regardless, my family and I will not be returning to this shop and caution others against the same.
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August 2023 by Josephine Schov
Catalytic Converter replacement + protective shield and alarm installed
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August 2023 by Sherry Jacobs
I have been a customer of Japan Auto Repair for 5+ years because they are experts at auto repair, they always provide knowledgeable advice and go above and beyond for their customers. For example, the tire pressure light came on in my Toyota Prius, on a Friday afternoon. I called David at Japan Auto and he said to bring the car in and they would check it that afternoon, and they did, right away! Their prices are very reasonable, too. I highly recommend Japan Auto Repair for any auto repair needs.
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August 2023 by John Visconti
They charge me $980 for an alternator and then charge another $980 to install it which only has 3 bolts. Complete rip off... Shame on them! They change the old gasket that didn't need to be changed , driv in the total cost up.$2174... He told me on the telephone that the whole thing would be 2100 including a change of the spark plugs I told them no on the spark plug trying to get the price down around 1500 instead he came in at the same price.... with out the plugs.. They have you sign a blank workorder so they can basically charge whatever.
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August 2023 by Doris Liu
Amazing crew at Japan Auto Repair. They really look out for their customers.I did a pre-purchase inspection at Japan Auto Repair. They did a thorough job with the inspection, and found a few problems including a screw in the tire! They showed me all the issues one by one and suggested that I take pictures to make a compelling case for my negotiation with the seller. As a result, I was able to get new tires from the seller on top of an already pretty sweet deal. If it weren't for their great work, I would've driven home with a leaky tire and pay to get it patched, and I'd pay $$$ shortly after that to get the other nearly worn tires replaced. Thank you!
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August 2023 by jonathan gray
Anyone can make a mistake once in awhile, so after 15 years of excellent service I wasn't too upset when they screwed up once. Or should I say, they forgot to put one screw in. New suspension rattled and clunked on uneven road surface. I brought it back to the shop and the next morning by 10 am my truck was dropped off at my house driving perfectly again with a big apology. Truly an outstanding shop! Thanks Josh, David and Ray!Service: Steering & suspension repair
