This one man shop is amazing, especially if you have a classic Datsun or Nissan truck, or even if you have a run-of-the-mill Japanese car like my 2006 Toyota Prius. Julian is the best. When I first brought my car to him for new rear brakes, he saved me money by refurbishing my old brakes, which he said were still good under a coating of rust. It's always a positive sign when an auto shop decreases their bill with honesty. He was also able to diagnose the whine coming from the driver's side front end of the car, which turned out to be a front wheel bearing that had gone bad. As soon as he replaced it, the whine was gone. When I brought my car in to change the headlights, he also noticed that the running lights were out and changed those as well. He suggested that we buff out my headlight lenses to get the most benefit out of the new LED headlights. I now feel much safer driving at night because I can see a lot farther. Lastly, Julian was able to tell me that my horn was so quiet and high-pitched because one of the two horns had gone bad. We ordered an aftermarket 2-part horn together that is much louder and more effective. If you want honest, creative, personalized work on your car, definitely hit up Al-Con Automotive. read more

They charge a percentage for using your debit card. With a bill over $1200, do you really think I'm going to have that amount of cash on hand? This is ridiculous especially in this day and age when nearly everything is paid for card. Something like 3.5%, not cool man. read more

I have been bringing my Honda to Al-con for years. They have done an excellent job taking care of my car, my family's cars, and friend's cars. I highly recommend Alex and Julian. Thank you Alex and Julian for years of excellent service! read more

High-quality car care professionals! The two-man team are The BEST to ever do it! My forever go to mechanics.

My Mom and Dad, my brothers, and I have trusted Alex to work on our vehicles. Is hard to find honest trustful mechanics this day, if you want to have your car service for any car to repairs, this is the place. Highly recommended. read more

Reasonable prices! Finally! So I got this quote from my Toyota dealer that seemed very high. Of course. It's a dealer. Okay, anyhow, I called my best buddy who knows a lot about cars to verify my suspicion that the Toyota dealer was way off on price for switching out transmission and brake fluid. My friend concurred. So I called around. I don't know what I'd do w/out Yelp! I hate to think. So I came across Al-Con, called them, and they quoted me the most reasonable price. I saved OVER TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS by shopping around. Five stars for the service, and fair dealings. read more

We have taken several of our vehicles to Alex since 2006 and always know we will get an honest estimate for only required repairs. His prices have always been fair and his work has always been excellent. We brought him an exotic fuel gage problem one time with our 100,000 mile Honda CR-V that we believe the dealer caused and then couldn't find nor correct the problem. Alex and Rafael, Alex's head technician, found the issue quickly and replaced the defective part. That repair along with an overall replacement of rubber parts, a few mechanical issues and a new battery and the CR-V has been running like a top ever since. Alex and Rafael have always done a great job at a fair price. You don't stay in business for over twenty years without knowing your trade, treating your customer's right and being an honest business person. Al-Con fits these requirements nicely indeed. read more

I took my son's 2004 Toyota Tundra to get the a/c recharged. I wanted to wait for it, but they said it would take two hours and he had cars ahead of me. So, I walked home. They called a few hours later and I got a ride back. I paid $179. I pick up the truck and I notice the a/c seems the same. So, I ran a couple errands and thought my mind was playing tricks on me. That evening I had my Novio drive it. He said send it back! I took it back the next morning, amazing they got me right in and they evacuated and recharged it again and then they checked it and noticed it didn't change (which should have been checked before I picked it up the first day). And another surprise - it only took an hour (not the 1 1/2 hours they said they charge labor for). Well, they suggested I get the filter changed. $40 for the part and $190 for the labor. Come on this is ridiculous. I just paid $179 for nothing done, now they want more money. NO WAY! I took it out of there. Watch out girls this is a shop that takes advantage of trusting women... read more

My '03 Miata had a really bad vibration in the front end, which I suspected might be poorly worn tires from badly aligned suspension. I called Al-Con to see how soon they could get me in and they said I could come in the next morning. I dropped my car off around 9:30 and by 10:30 they called me back with an estimate and diagnosis! The passenger front wheel hub and bearing assembly needed to be replaced. I authorized the work and Alex said they could have it ready by 12:30 the same afternoon! Just out of curiosity I called the Mazda dealer to get a quote for the same service work. Their labor rate was about double, and the part cost was about 2.5 times more! Mazda also said they would need to special order the part and it would take a while to get in, and their service department was booked for over two weeks solid. I came back at 12:15 and Alex informed me my car was ready to go. I saved quite a bit of money and time. Thanks for the great service and fast accurate diagnosis! My car drives so much more smoothly now and handles better than before! read more

My family and I have been going to Alex for several years now and completely trust him to do an amazing job every time! He's taken my car in on short notice and fixed everything within a day's time. I also love being able to drop my car off overnight so I don't have to come and sit there while it gets repaired. Definitely recommend. read more

I like to take care of my stuff and my brand new, long-term lexus purchase was no exception. I'm not a car expert, but i've always done plenty of research on the car maintenance requirements, browsed the forums for whats required and what isn't, done a few small maintenance myself, and called multiple auto shops for quotes and services. I came across Al-Con b/c my mom had been coming here for years with great service. Knowing my mom's car knowledge was limited, I was skeptical of her praise. I was looking to get a 60k major maintenance done so I had to do my research. From Lexus forums, getting spark plugs changed at 60k seemed to be the main questionable item. It was a manufacturers recommendation on some places (I could not find it on my maintenance schedule provided by lexus), and totally not required until 100k according to others. Also, a spark plug change on the lexus was a labor intensive and thus $$$ service. I was a bit torn, so called up multiple shops to see what they thought.. After quoting around, almost all shops said, 'well, 60k, spark plug change time'. Only Alex and maybe one other actually took the time to say, well, you don't actually need spark plug change since you have iridium plugs and those last till 100k. Not only was he upfront about service needs, he had also quoted the lowest price amongst all shops. Amongst the shops, service was quoted $400-$800 depending on spark plug change or not. Based on my research and Alex's friendly, and honest disposition, i went with Al-Con. When i went to pick up the car, he even showed me the old differential and transmission fluid showing I really did need to get it changed. Turns out, I also had a nail in my tire (I knew tire pressure was low from TPMS triggering but on inspection didn't see the nail) and he got it patched up next door for $20 and i didn't have to worry about it. So far, my car is running great and i'll definitely be back. The shop is a small operation. Call 1 day ahead to schedule an appt a few days later. read more

Our family was on a road trip passing through Silicon Valley when a jerk swerved over into our lane causing my wife to sideswipe the center divide on the freeway. The damage was mostly cosmetic but it was clear the rear wheel took the brunt of the impact. The car started making a weird sound so we searched for the nearest auto repair place to see if the car was still safe to drive home. It was already near 5pm on Friday evening when I stopped here. The shop was small but very clean and the gentleman who helped us was very nice. He took a test drive and then lifted the vehicle to inspect. While he couldn't detect any broken parts visually he offered some suggestions for what noises to look for to determine if it was bearings or a damaged differential upon returning home. He also didn't charge us at all for the inspection, which was an extremely sincere gesture given what we had just experienced on the road. Not surprised to see all the 5 star ratings. Highly recommend! read more

Great and honest mechanic! I have been bringing my autos to Alex for more than 15 years. Alex is always polite, explains repairs well and provides you the old worn out parts that have been replaced. He works with you to keep your costs down and has even talked me out of making unnecessary repairs - when do you find that service anywhere? I recommend Al-Con to all my friends and they always thank me afterward. If you have a minor or major repair, you owe it to yourself to bring your car to Al-Con. read more

Ive been coming here since Alex moved here from Evelyn , 30 years?, and I have nothing but praise btw I am very critical of the way dealers run their shops ($$$$) and Alex is the perfect answer to Where can I find an absolutely honest competent And agreeable mechanic . read more

I've been here 2 times for oil changes and the owner is a great guy! He could have charged me 20$ more for full synthetic oil but he informed me that there was no real need. I thought that was very honest and most places just want your money. Definitely only coming here from now on! read more

Alex is the most honest dedicated and reliable mechanic. He is a genius mechanic! He finds the problem and makes sure to fix it with as little monetary expense as possible. Everyone should know about him and his shop. He is the best kept secret in sunnyvale. read more

The most honest and trustworthy auto repair shop you could possibly find. Alex and his crew have been working on my family's Toyotas for decades and never once have we been any less than ultimately satisfied by their fair dealings. read more

Alex is honest and trustworthy. I have been bringing my cars to him for 20 years. He is always pleasant and never tries to get you to do service you don't need. MY car had a bad ignition and would have costed over $600 to replace the ignition switch because the dealer would have to be involved in unlocking the new switch. Also I would have had a different key for the door versus the ignition. Rather than just proceeding Alex and charging me, Alex referred me to a car locksmith. The locksmith repaired the ignition using the same key so I don't have to have 2 different keys. It saved me over $450 for the repair. I would highly recommend Alex and Alcon to anyone who wants a trustworthy and reliable partner in keeping your cars in top condition. He is just excellent! read more

Why this place doesn't have more reviews baffles me. But to summarize, the service is top notch and the prices as rock bottom as you'll get for automotive service. Here's my story on why I will only take my car to Al-Con... I took my car to the dealership to have a check engine light diagnosed. The dealer came back and told me that it was a misfire code. They tested my coils and no issues were found. They did a compression test and found a compression leak on the misfiring cylinder. They said the first step in diagnosing the issue was to try a valve adjustment which cost me $450. Not surprising they came back and said that didn't solve the problem. They performed a leak down test and found the misfiring cylinder couldn't hold pressure. They came back with a $6,000+ quote to remove the head and diagnose the leak. Not being a fool, I decided to get a 2nd opinion. I called Al-Con and spoke with Rafael. When I explained the situation his first response was that he should reperform the dealer's work to make sure that they correctly diagnosed the issue. Alex and Rafael reperformed the valve adjustment and documented that it was a shitty job (all valves loose). They checked the compression and everything came back fine. Total bill was only $150. I took their documentation on the bad valve job and 2nd compression check and used that to get a refund from the dealership. Alex and Rafael fixed my car and saved me $300 (possibly thousands if I had believed the dealer)!! A few weeks later my brakes started squealing indicating they need to be replaced. After Alex had diagnosed the issue he called me and explained my options, how much they would cost and the timeline for each option. He explained everything clearly, gave his recommendation and left the final decision to me. When I came to pick up the car he showed me exactly what we had discussed over the phone to make sure I understood his recommendation for rotor replacement. These guys run their shop like a business and you really can't ask for better service. read more

I tried a variety of independent auto repair shops and dealers over the years and have been disappointed in so many of them. Then I was advised to try Al-Con. Now it's the only place I will take my cars. I've been going to Alex for over 15 years now with all of the cars I've owned: Toyota, Honda, Subaru. He specializes in Japanese cars, but works on almost any make. He is knowledgeable, honest, and his rates are fair (and much less than a dealer!). Alex and his technician, Rafael, will explain what needs to be done and help you control the costs of repair. It's kind of amazing to find such good service these days. read more

Alex is a very knowledgeable and skilled Toyota mechanic. He has been maintaining my Toyota Land Cruiser for the last 8 years,. My father -in law is a mechanic in Southern California and has verified every opinion and repair Alcon has recommended and Alcon scores a 100%. Alex has literally told me not to replace my hoses since the factory ones are superior and he is right. My Land Cruiser has 250,000 miles and is still going strong. On the other hand he recommended some high-end brake pads that saved me $$ since they last sooo long. If you care about keeping your car for a very long time use Alcon. read more

Too bad this is limited to "only" Five Stars. I would give Al-Con a 10. I have been a Customer for over 30 years. Alex and Crew have kept my assorted Hondas, Toyotas and a Nissan in good nick throughout, some to 200K and counting! Alex is scrupulously honest, thoroughly reliable, extremely competent and thorough as if his own Family was driving the car. Prices typically HALF of what the Dealer quotes for any service. I cannot recommend Al-Con strongly enough for your "Japanese" cars (most of which have been "Made in the USA" for decades now). Alex won't up-sell you what you don't need now but he monitors future recommended services like Brake Pads, (80% Front, 90% Rear) Struts, CV Joints and other routine expendables so you can plan. I would only buy cars Alex will work on. Only dissappointment was Alex declined to work on Dad's JAGUAR, besides the very basics, as he was so impressed with Alex's work on his Maxima & Lexus. read more

Alex, wanted to thank you and Julian for fixing my Lexus again. Thanks to you its still going strong with out any problems for 150k miles. You changes struts, replace spark plugs, and my major service, now the car is as good as new!!! Thank you!!! read more

After years of searching for a good Toyota service place, i found this place through a friend of mine. Nice people and great service. Just the way they maintain their place tells how good they are. I dont have to spend too much at the dealer place anymore...:-). read more

Just wanted to share my experience with Al-Con. I found Al-Con through Yelp and choose his shop based on his excellent (but few) reviews as well as their expertise with Japanese-made cars. Alex, who I believe is the owner, is very friendly, knowledgeable and honest. I can attest to the fact that they are professional, thorough, and charge very fair prices for their superb quality of work. You will never get an assessment without a thorough examination and a complete walk-through of all the different options you may choose. One time he even offered to drive me back to work so that I won't have to waste time waiting/finding a cab while the car is being fixed. These qualities already make this shop a great place to take your car to. But the reason I'm writing this review is to share a very specific experience I had last month. During my regular drive on the highway I discovered that the engine was heating up and that the coolant liquid was leaking. Thinking it was a simple leakage problem I took it to Al-Con, only to discover that there was a crack in the engine block and that the fix could cost me thousands of dollars. Because the entire car cost me less than 10k, this was very considerable. I insisted to get a quote from Alex, but he refused and asked to take the time and figure out what our options were. After a couple of hours of research, he called me back and said that after looking through the Honda bulletins, he found out that this specific problem was covered by an extended Honda warranty (due to a manufacturing problem) and directed me to a Honda dealership so they could fix it for free. Yes, that's right. Free. He could have overlooked this bulletin and charge me thousands of dollars, but instead he took $50 for the inspection and saved me thousands of dollars. If this isn't awesome service, I don't know what is. As a side note, the dealership charged ~$4000 from Honda. I would recommend everyone to check out Al-Con's shop. They don't get any better than this. read more

I've been taking my car here since I was 18 years old and this is the only place where I will take my car. I have a 1991 Toyota Corolla DX and I have to say Its still kickin and running well. I appreciate Alex and Rafeal cause they actually take thier time to solve my car problems. Rafeal the mechanic tells me step by step what actually needs to be solved and when I had a power sterring wheel problem after a unfortunate car accident he fixed it right up. Very polite and efficient mechanics-- see for yourself and find out. read more

Indeed, opportunity comes when one is ready. Rafael is an experienced mechanic, he found the timing belt tensioner problem on my Toyota Avalon and fixed it while the other shop missed. I was having engine noise problem and at a point trying to trade in my car because it was wrongly diagnosed with defective parts inside camshaft assembly and I was advised to replace with a rebuilt engine by a place that did the timing job for me less than two year ago. I was glad that I went to Al Con for second opinion and Rafael was the man explained to me what actually went wrong over the phone and took care of the engine noise issue in the same morning. Garage at Al Con is not big but efficiently operated, scheduling is tight but I get focused attention that is worth the wait to have my car serviced properly there. I will tell more friends about this great place. read more

In the last six months, Alex has done both brakes and a headlight issue for our Honda Civic. They are professional, courteous, and takes the time to explain their analysis. An excellent shop, in our experience so far. read more

I have tried several shops before a good friend referred me to Alex. My friend used to be a mechanic and he said Alex will take very good care of you. Since that first time, I have not gone elsewhere for service on Lexus and Toyota. I just call ahead, drop off my car and pick up when it's ready. He will do the necessary. Pricing is very reasonable. read more

Al-Con is the best automotive repair center I ever found. Previously I used to go to so called franchises but never could get all the issues resolved with my cars. The team at Al-Con especially the owner is so knowledgeable and gets all the issues resolved as well direct to right places if it was not in his control (Ex. Transmission issue in Nissan Versa, he directed me to Nissan dealer and the dealer found the transmission has Warranty and got it replaced for free). He was able to resolve trunk issue in my corolla where as when I used to go franchises earlier they used to recommend to a costly body shop. I would always recommend Al-Con for best expertise and trustworthiness at a decent service charges. read more

Al-Con Automotive is the best auto repair and maintenance shop in the Bay. Honest good mechanics are hard to find. You get what you need, on-time, with no added extra up-selling. I highly recommend this shop and Alex personally. read more

Alex has been my mechanic for over 25 years. He is always spot on when it comes to diagnosing problems. A week ago, I had to take my Acura to the dealer for a recall. The dealer fixed my recall and told me that the SUV had 2 front motor mounts & a right motor mount that were broken and needed to get fixed right away. They also told me that the rear ventilation filter needed to be replaced as well. I took my car to Alex and he checked the report that Acura gave me and inspected the vehicle. Come to find out, only 2 out of 3 motor mounts were broken and the rear ventilation has no filter! He took the time to show me the specs on the rear ventilation system and in fact, there was no filter. Needless to say, don't believe what the dealer tells you. Get a second opinion and take your car to AL-CON. He is honest, courteous and an excellent mechanic!! read more

Alex and Rafael are the best. I have been taking my 3 cars to them for the past two decades. Lets just say I can sleep in peace knowing that my cars were serviced at Al-Con because the next morning when I wake up, I know the engine will turn. Best value for the money! read more

Honest and integrity best describe Al con automotive As a first time customer I would recommend this place to everyone

Alex runs an honest and reasonable shop ($100 hr.) great work on imports like toyota, mitsubishi and subaru. Competent and quick though no weekend hours. read more