This review is long overdue, like 25 years. John, the owner of the Shop, is a gift from heaven. He is full of decency, honesty and integrity. I'd even say he's one of the last of the Mohicans, the last honest Auto Shop. He's been my mechanic through 4 vehicles, and I simply cannot say enough about him, and Josh too. They are experts at what they do and John is willing to do all he can to help the customer. And Leilani, yes, she is smart, bright, warm, helpful and efficient. If I could give Almaden Automotive 100 stars, it still wouldn't be enough! They are the most professional, most reliable, most dedicated, and most honest Auto Shops ever!! I love Almaden Automotive and John is THE BEST! Forget the rest! read more

I needed to get a new battery installed on my Subaru Legacy ASAP, and Almaden Automotive quickly responded and said that I could come in right away. John greeted me, and he started working on the battery. I also had an oil light on despite having an oil change recently. There was no leak, so John filled up my oil. He noticed the A/C fluid caps were missing, and he put new ones on free of charge. John is friendly, and his prices are great. I'll go back whenever I need any other work done on my cars. read more

Went in for a transmission fluid exchange. Very good pricing, wonderful staff from front to back, and very thorough. The mechanic walked me through the findings after the service as well. Booked my appointment through Yelp and my car was in and out after dropping off at the reserved time. Highly recommend! read more

I had the hood supports replaced on my Toyota Camry today, and I couldn't be happier with the service! From start to finish, everything was smooth and professional. Leilani at the front desk was warm, helpful, and efficient, and the mechanic did a fantastic job--my car was ready in less than 30 minutes. To top it off, the final price was lower than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. Great service, quick turnaround, and fair pricing--what more can you ask for? I highly recommend Almaden Automotive and will definitely return for future maintenance needs. read more

Ford Fiesta AC clicking noise. Suspected Blend Door Actuator. Friday went to office to set up appointment. Based on possible issue quoted possible 7 hr repair. Wed 8:00 am dropped off -- 11:30 am called to say car was done and the $ amount much less than thought. Great job, very friendly and will use again and recommend. Ed Sloane read more

The long piece that runs the whole side of my wife's car fell off. Worked with John and Josh. They were awesome! Explained everything in a manner in which we could understand, proposed options and gave their advice. We were amazed how quickly they were able to fix the car, and it looks just like new! Would definitely recommend and have them take care of any of our future car needs. Truly the best! read more

John, Josh, Lilani and team really have the pro experience you expect from your auto mechanics! Great service always! Total value for your car! read more

My car is now 14 years old. But thanks to Almaden automotive, it still feels new. I take my car for all of its services and they really take care of me there. Josh knows my car so well and they treat me like family. I recommend everyone take their car there if they plan to keep it for a long time. Great service for very reasonable prices. read more

I brought in my truck because the air conditioning stopped working. They (Josh and Leilani) not only were able to quickly diagnose the problem, but they were able to get the replacement part in quickly and get me back on the road again! They took the time to show me what was wrong and also went above and beyond and fixed an annoying issue with my remote door locks that was driving my family crazy. Friendly, Knowledgeable, Honest, Fast, and Efficient people. I will definitely be coming back to them in the future! read more

We've been taking multiple vehicles to Almaden Automotive for many years, we have always been happy with their service, professionalism, and we can always depend on them to do a great job! Highly recommend. read more

Really grateful to have found a friendly and honest auto place!! Lalani was super sweet and so down to earth. I'd go back just because of her!!! Anyways, my broken car is now fixed! Efficient process and I didn't feel like I was being ripped off. That was a pleasant surprise!!! I have finally found a decent repair shop for my Jeep. From now on, this is where I'll be taking my car. For everything!!! Thank you for being one of the good guys. I look forward to continued business. I will tell everyone about you! read more

Luis is the best mechanic I bring everyone of my cars here and he's always honest and reliable . Doesn't over charge doesn't bs gets straight to the point . If I can give 100 stars I would best mechanic ! read more

This is, by far, the best automotive shop in San Jose. I have been to several mechanics, none have come close to the level of honesty, going the extra mile, and quality of service that Almaden Automotive has provided for me over the years. They are the only mechanic that I will go to. Awesome service! Can't thank you guys enough! read more

I stopped by without an appointment this morning to see if I could get my turning signal light bulb replaced. John fixed it in less than 15 minutes! The price was also very reasonable and the service was friendly. I originally stopped by another mechanic next door after trading messages on yelp, but that shop didn't open on time. Almaden Automotive would be my first choice next time! Highly recommend for quick and friendly service. read more

AMAZING! I'm in Almaden on business and my warning lights came on my dashboard. I was afraid to drive the 350 miles back home. I knew I needed a diagnostic check but I only had one day before I was supposed to hit the road. I called and talked to Adriana who told me to come right on over. Mitch came out to my car and plugged into the computer on my car and diagnosed it immediately. All it needed was a reset which he did in two minutes. He told me to drive the car the rest of the day but the problem should be cured. Super fast, friendly and honest. Thank you so much! I feel safe driving back home tomorrow! - Raquel read more

Very friendly staff. Got my old '91 truck in and out and fixed my problem (for now) with my A/C unit. It's an old truck and they gave me fair warning that the AC is on its way out. I appreciated their upfront, honest way of doing business. I can see why they have been there and in business for so long. They didn't try to force me into buying the brand new parts or make me feel pressured. Do good work and treat your customers with honesty and a friendly manner and you'll get return business. They do complete auto repair and would recommend them to friends and family. read more

Seriously the most honest and best shop i've ever had the pleasure of dealing with. We had some problems with a broken spark plug in our lincoln navigator and they were really helpful in repairing the car as well as doing some other maintenance. Will continue to take our other cars here and can't recommend them highly enough. read more

AMAZING!!!! Our daughter goes to school at SJSU and her Dodge was having issues. We live in SoCal and I called every Dodge dealer in SJ for repair service and the first appt was March for all of them. Found Almaden Automotive and associate Luis was so helpful. Got her car in the next day and it was fixed and returned by the end of the day. They treated her with respect and explained the work. Very thankful for their professional integrity. read more

I am so glad to have found this place. Notice there are only great reviews here. Now I know why! Theresa is incredibly nice, and a very helpful employee. She helped me solve the problem with my car rather than taking it to a dealership that would likely nickel and dime me like they have in the past. Everyone who works is very knowledgeable and honest. Anytime my friends in the bay need a recommendation for a mechanic, I will be sending them here. read more

What can I say your typical mechanic, untrustworthy manipulating & conniving. Went in to get my car fixed won't name the make they'll probably hide my review. The problem is there is no integrity. Don't tell me my car needs something when it doesn't! Told me I needed to replace my whole back end after fixing my front end almost entirely while telling me they heard "noises" coming from one of the wheels. I told them leave it alone knowing there was nothing wrong. Paid to get it out the shop. Drove it around noticed my oil drip pan was hanging and rubbing against my tire. New oil drip pan no noise no issue. I will continue to give low reviews until I find an HONEST mechanic. read more

As a small business owner with one truck, I have to be on the road to make money. On Wednesday morning my truck had electrical troubles and I was able to limp it in to Almaden Auto. I explained my situation and even though they had a full schedule, they repaired my truck and I had it back in under two hours. Thanks for the great service and caring about an existing client. I highly recommend Almaden Auto. read more

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!!! This place is a joke. We made an appt two weeks out, told them what we thought was wrong, dropped off the truck at 8:30am and saw that we were the first name on the book, great. By 12:30pm they hadn't looked at it (btw, my husband took the day off because this is his work vehicle) said they were 'a little backed up' - um, we were there before anyone else...Called again at 4:30, still no one had even looked at it. Went to pick it up and the receptionist said they had looked at it. Then proceeded to tell us exactly what we told them was wrong in the first place and told us they would have to 'shop it out' because they couldn't fix it!!!??? Why didn't they just say they couldn't fix the problem in the first place??? What a bunch of amateurs, meanwhile my husband lost a day's pay and still has to go somewhere else. Unprofessional doesn't even come close to describing this place. Sure wish profanity was allowed on Yelp, I would have some VERY choice words for them! read more

I love this place! If you are looking for an honest mechanic this is the place to come. John is awesome! He is very busy! He works on the old cars as well as the new cars. I love it when he can listen to the car and tells me what it probably wrong with my car. I recommend this place to my friends! Thanks John ! read more

These guys are great mechanics and also very honest! I had an electrical board go out on my 2001 Dodge Dakota. Part was no longer made and therefore very expensive. These guys searched and found an old original board and used it. Saved me lots of money. Another time I thought one of my electronic fuel injectors was bad. They checked it out and found it was only a crack in the spark plug. Saved me lots of money again. I have worked with Teresa (outstanding!!) and John (outstanding!!). I'm sure the rest of the crew is also. My first call is to Almaden Automotive! read more

I was referred to "Almaden Automotive" by another shop in 2015 and have been a customer since then. I have two 1996 Buick Roadmasters that I think of as collectibles. They have done repairs to drive train, engine, transmission, suspension, brakes as well as regular lubrication. The owner John along with his employees Mitch and Teresa have been great to work with. I feel quite comfortable with the advice I've received as to repairs needed and am very satisfied with the quality and price of their work. I give them two thumbs up! read more

So I do know almost the entire staff personally, but the service is outstanding! there have been too many times I've had minor problems with my '03 tacoma and John personally fixed the minor problem without paying jack. (that was for minor minor problems) but the cost may be high the work will be done right. John knows his stuff. he's great. and the only time they have had my truck longer than a few hours was when the top half of my engine had to be rebuilt. which did take about a month to complete but there hasn't been a problem since, just keep up on your oil changes! read more

Terrific place to have your car worked on! Theresa is wonderful and always gives me a estimate and the option to move forward or make the decision to do chunks of work, or a plan to fit the budget! Thanks so much for taking great car of our cars! read more

They were friendly, courtesy, flexible, and fast. They are rated pretty high in the Bay Area rating service, "Checkbook". I have taken my car there several times. The car came back clean, in good order, and on-time. I haven't had any problems. When doing multiple tasks on your car, they don't charge for stuff they would have had to do in the process. They didn't charge me for doing some stuff since it was easy to do while doing the other tasks (ex. rotating tires when checking the brakes). They aren't out to sell you services that you don't need (they recommend I could delay some services until my next maintenance cycle). read more

I've been using Almaden Automotive since the mid 80's for all my car repairs and servicing. John is very knowledgable, but even more important, he is someone I trust. I know he will fix only what is needed. The whole team has done quality work on my cars and I highly recommend Almaden Automotive to anyone looking to find someone they can trust to fix their cars. read more

Have brought my jeep here several times in the past year and have always felt they've been completely honest with me and give me a very fair price. Also have always gotten my car back same-day without any issues. Will continue to bring my car back here in the future. read more

I've been taking my vehicles to John for over 25 years. Excellent mechanic.

Had a problem with one windshield wiper not moving correctly. Went to dealer, and they wanted $600 or so to replace wiper motors. Declined, and went to Almaden Automotive, where it was fixed in an hour for under $100. They are so honest. read more

Time has come and I have to change an oil in my car. So I called different companies and find Almaden Automotive. The owners name is John. They've been in business for more than 30 years. So I make an appointment and came a little bit early, but they take my car to work right away. And as I know, the filter on my car is harder to change than on most cars, they didn't charge me an extra for that. Thank you guys for giving me a good price, excellent service and warm welcome! I definitely will come back again. read more

If you like frustration and incompetence take your car to Almaden Automotive I made a reservation 3 days ahead to look at a problem with engine missing. Brought the car in at 8:30 receptionist said they would call me with an estimate Didn't hear from them so I called at 12:00 they said they didn't have time to look at it yet Called again at 3pm they said they were looking at it, I didn't like the status so I went by the shop At 3:30 I found my car parked where I left it 7 hours earlier! Went in, there was a some language by the mechanic to the receptionist that he didn't know about the car. I was shocked! I guess the receptionist forgot she told me "the mechanic was looking at it" 30 minutes earlier. Told them to give me the keys and I would take it elsewhere I will always wonder if they would have charged me for a diagnostic and done nothing. Wasted the day waiting for my car and checking on its status. I won't be going there again! read more

I've been taking my cars to Almaden Automotive for years, and it's about time I shared my opinion about their shop. Almaden Automotive is fantastic. The owner, John, and the gal who runs the place (all customer communications and so much more), Teresa, and the other mechanics are wonderful. Before I made Almaden Automotive my place to get cars fixed, I was using another shop along Blossom Hill Road, and no matter whichever visit it was, I would get quote, on top of new quote, etc, until the final bill never even resembled the original estimate. There has been an occasion or two when Almaden Automotive had to adjust their estimate, but it's never been a habit of theirs. On one of my earliest visits, I saw an older lady approach the owner, say something about her car, he investigated, made an adjustment, and that was that. She asked how much, reaching for her checkbook, and he said: "just go and enjoy your day." Wow. My most recent visit was a perfect example of Almaden Automotive's great service. I have an older car that has set in the driveway for awhile, with a check engine dash light showing whenever we started it up. We knew it wasn't a dire situation, so we just drove it for very short trips. But this year a Smog Check was required. So, I called and made an appointment, requesting they clear (fix) all the errors in hopes it would pass smog. They fixed everything, took the car next door to the Smog Check shop, the car passed, and they delivered it to us exactly as estimated. Wow! I give Almaden Automotive my highest recommendation. read more