Pretty sad that I had oil leaks all over after I took my car there for a simple oil change. Took it to another mechanic and cost $4000 to fix everything. Simple fix turn into a big problem if he would e told me all the leaks in the early stage. Especially after the oil change and Andrew can't spot the oil filter housing was leaking? Or he knows but he didn't care to tell me? Turbo cooling line was leaking as well and none of this problem that I was informed until I took my car to the dealership checked out. This is my daily and I drive it to snowboard and camping with my family. How about some decency as a human to tell me all these issues. If you can't see them you are a bad mechanic. If you know but you didn't tell me. You are a bad human. read more

Helped with alignment at a reasonably rate. Andrew takes the time to explain potential upgrades needed for optimal performance. An honest shop and will bring for future upgrades! read more

I unfortunately had a flat tire due to a gash that went across the tread meaning a simple patch wasn't possible. Andrew was gracious enough to let me come in minutes before closing and took his time to ensure that the tire was properly repaired. For a last second, urgent repair, the price was more than fair and I was on my way in less than an hour. I highly recommend you trust Andrew with your car in any circumstance. Thanks again! read more

Found Andrew and California Auto Center on Yelp, and recently took in our 15+ year old Infiniti G35. Originally this was to do an oil change, replace the battery, and clean out the roof drainage pipes. He was able to provide an estimate over the phone and stuck to it. While the car was there, he also identified some additional work (tire rotation, replacing rear brakes) and walked me through both the reasons and estimates on the phone. He was flexible on both drop off and pickup, and was a pleasure to interact with. The pricing seemed very fair. Will definitely be taking my car there for future car maintenance needs, and highly recommend Andrew and California Auto Center! read more

Andrew is the man, or more like God. I took my car for an oil change, he did the inspection, explain to me what the condition is, advised what needs to done and some minor things cam wait. Unlike some of my passed experience, those shady shops would scare you to do the work with them and say they will give you a discount since your car is getting work done there anyway. He is a honest person. I would recommend California Auto Center to everyone. Wish there are more honest people out there like him. read more

Andrew is amazing! Very honest, helpful, efficient and reasonable. I got his info thru my uncle who raves about him. My hybrid suv battery kept needing to be jumped, when I called he figured I probably need a new battery. I stopped by, he tested the battery and sure enough he was 100% correct. He said I can either go to the Lexus dealer to get the battery for him to replace the same day or wait till he orders it for the next day. I chose the former. Brought him the battery and less than an hour later my car was as good as new. On top of squeezing me in, he was extremely reasonable for what he wanted to charge me. So glad to have found a trustworthy, caring mechanic!!! Thank you Andrew! read more

Love their attention to detail and explanation of service. The honesty in the service they provide and the products they carry vs. other competitors is a plus. Pricing is reasonable & I Definitely found my go to place for car maintenance service. Thanks guys! read more

California Auto Center - Auto Repair Near Me - Burlingame, California

See all

Took my car in for service. 2nd time here and still wonderful service and great mechanic. I highly recommend this place

Wow so glad I found this place, wish I had found them sooner! My mom has a 2002 Ford Thunderbird that wasn't blowing COLD A/C, only warm. So she took it to Serramonte Ford Dealer for a quote because my entire family services their vehicles at Ford. Anyway, I don't know what it was but they quoted her a few thousand dollars to fix this A/C problem stating that it may be more as they work on the vehicle. She was upset at the quote and asked me to find someone else. So I turned to CAC from Yelp. I brought in the vehicle and only stated that the A/C wasn't blowing cold air. He took the vehicle and told me he would thoroughly inspect the car to see what's going on. If anything major needed to be done, he would called for permission to proceed. The next day Andrew called and said that the vehicle was ready for pickup. They managed to fix the problem by adding refridgerant to the car. There was no leaks that they could see so he said for me to bring it in if there were any problem as the warranty is for a year. The total cost was $208 for the entire inspection and refrigerant. Wow! So glad to find honest mechanics that's not trying to take advantage of older female customers such as my mom. 5 STARS! read more

California Auto Center - Shop Front - Auto Repair Near Me - Burlingame, California

See all

My car has failed to start and could only start with jump starter. I took it to this service center and had a pleasant experience. They checked the car battery and mentioned that the battery has died beyond a point of recovery. They suggested to replace the battery since its under warranty. I brought a new battery and they only charged me 15$ for the service. They also replace parts at a very reasonable cost. This is one of the best auto service center I have come across. Highly recommended. read more

My Son's car has Engine Knocking Sound and I brought it here @ Ca Auto Center (Burlingame). Met with Andrew "The Mechanic " and he put on his Stethoscope, check the Engine Knocking Sound and check it with his Diagnostic Pad. He told me that Engine knocking is due to the hydraulic lifters and damage rocker arm. He said he needs to open up the Engine Cover to confirm the problem. And sure enough, what he diagnosed before opening the valve cover was the Problem. I can't say enough Nice things about Andrew...... EXCELLENT. Keep up the great Job. I will definitely come back if one of our Car has problem And Refer this Shop to my Friends and Family. read more

Andrew is the best. I come here all the time. California auto center is knowledgeable and friendly service. The price is very reasonable, service is quick. Highly recommended this place read more

Very competent and trustworthy service at a reasonable price. I bring both our vehicles there for all routine maintenance, and repair needs (a BMW and a Jeep Cherokee). read more

Honest, efficient and friendly service. This place was a preferred installer of tires I purchased online, and Andrew(?) even took me two days earlier when I asked for a more convenient date/time. He's a car nut, like me, and I intend to bring my cars to him for any future needs. read more

Andrew is exceptional. When you're looking for a mechanic, you want someone who sees it as their profession and not a job making a quick buck capitalizing on what clients don't know. Andrew is that professional: he clearly loves cars, loves fixing them as a way of helping others, and loves teaching you how to take care of things. He's told me that he really just wants to be a neighborhood mechanic you know and can trust. The relationship matters more for him than anything else. I'm happy and proud to support him as a local business and as someone who is honestly trying to build a community through a much needed service. You won't be disappointed! read more

My car wouldn't start this morning. I remember my neighbor referred me to them & I called them immediately. They suggested to get a jump start or tow my car to their shop. My neighbor jump started my car & I was able to drive it there. Turns out my battery was old. They replaced my battery & I was in & out in 15 min. My car is now running & I was able to get around now within 1 hour of my car not starting. Great & quick service! read more

My engine light came on and my car started acting up on the highway. I needed to get my car to a mechanic asap and I had called a couple of other places who weren't able to accommodate at such short notice. I eventually called CAC and Andrew was able to help me out. Andrew took such great care of my Honda and explained everything so well to me where I felt I was in good care. Price was very reasonable too! read more

My husband and I have been coming to Andrew and his employees for years, even before with the previous owners. (14yrs total) He has always been straight to the point, honest and affordable. We can always count on California Auto body for our cars needs. We had an emergency one time and Andrew let us borrow one of his cars. Very Nice of him! We don't take our cars to anyone else but Andrew and his team! read more

We returned to SFO from vacation to find that our car had a flat tire from a nail puncture. The spare tire is a small "donut" tire which would not serve us well on a 150 mile trip home. Called several tire shops in the area and no one was willing to give us a quick assessment and repair. Then we called California Auto Center and the owner said he would get right on it. He evaluated the tire, repaired the puncture site, changed the tire and reset the air pressure system- all in less than 30 minutes, and he charged us a very fair price. Totally satisfied with our experience and so thankful for his help! read more

Trustworthy and Honest. Very fair prices. Always reliable and relatively quick considering all the cars they are working on! All that you could want in a car guy. My husband started coming here for Andrew almost 20 years ago and we will continue to now that we are back in the bay! read more

The guys that works here are fantastic. The owner is very knowledgeable and provides great recommendations on keeping my vehicle in good working condition. While I currently drive an electric vehicle (EV), I kept my gas car for long distance travel. I've had my oil change done here several times now and each time I come back, they have been consistent with their excellent service. They even shared that because I bought a stock Lexus battery, it will last for a long time and does not need to be replaced. They also recommended that since I needed new tires, I should go buy it at Costco because of their competitive pricing and longer warranty than most other tire center out there. They really are passionate with helping each of their customer not only save money, but they also assist to educate them about upkeep preventive maintenance. These guys are just awesome! Excellent service. Cheers! read more

A true honest shop that's focused on helping the community by doing what's right for each individual car situation. Recently got into a situation I thought I couldn't get out of. Even my insurance roadside assistance failed me twice in a row, all I had to do was call California Auto Center from the start. What I thought will cost tons of money ended up being the least. Thanks to California Auto Center. read more

Great honest shop, Andrew and his staff are top notch and will get you in and out quickly and at a very fair price.

I've been coming to Andrew for the past 4 years with all our family cars. Andrew always explains why a particular problem happened and whether it's worth dealing with it. For my old car, for example, he explained that it was not worth fixing leaking oil, because it would be too expensive. Another example, my Subaru battery wasn't good, and Andrew jump-started it for me for free on two separate occasions. read more

Bring my car for 4 wheel alignment.car was not bad before the alignment.After . the alignment the car was pulled more . bring it back guy start running his mouth instead fixing problem..he brings up more problems with the car like racks opinions leaking fluid that cause wheel full . don't they have to check what needs to do before do wheel alignment. I believe they just want to make more money than work It is a stupid . can't do the work read more

So I got an a/c service here with my Groupon. When I turn on my a/c the next day it hardly blew any a/c out. When I called I talked to the who did the service. I told him what happened. He was like it could be a leak or something. I was like you guys don't check if there's a leak when you do the service. He said no because you got it from Groupon. I was like wow really. SMH read more

They don't open at 9:00 I'm here now and there's no one here lol, they should change their hours online so as to not mislead people into thinking they have time to stop by before work when they actually don't read more

California Auto Center - I have to go to work and they're closed :/ - Auto Repair Near Me - Burlingame, California

Service was great. I was looking at buying a car and took it to Cal Auto Center for an inspection. Andrew thoroughly inspected all parts of the Vehicle and then took the time to explain every part to me. Great service! read more

This is my first review in the decade I've been using yelp. This is the best auto shop i have ever found. They can usually fit me in the same day for service and are quick, reliable, trustworthy and with very good prices. You never have to worry about scamming or overpricing. One especially awesome thing they did was when i woke up to discover a flat tire. I called them and someone drove to my house, put air in my tire, drove my car back to the shop, fixed it (nail), and then returned my car. In about a half hour. And to top it off, he wouldn't let me pay for it. Just said that hes trying to be a good neighbor and merry christmas. Amazing. read more

Have been here multiple times now. I always get good fast service, and never get overcharged. It's good having a place I can trust completely when I need something done on my car. read more

Great timely service and very responsibly priced! They even went above and beyond and looked into the some AC issues I was having and explained it in detail. I usually go to the dealership and was shocked that they didn't try to recommended services I didn't need. Best of all, my car is running great! Definitely going back for all my routine maintenance. read more

I love coming to this place. These guys are nice, friendly, knowledgeable and fun. Besides, their rates are very competitive and their work is clean. They know what they are doing and they will do their best to get your car fixed. read more

Andrew and gordon is great, very experience and reasonable , brought an used car for inspection. Andrew did a top to bottom inspection, even listed what it needs in the future and cost of repair. well worthy . i decided to bought this used car , now i am happy camper. because i know what to expect and knew it will run for a long time with no issue. Thanks California auto center Thanks Andrew and gordon will definitely come back ~~~ read more

We have been going to California Auto Center for over 10 years now and cannot imagine going anywhere else. Andrew, Jerry and their team are skilled, efficient and trustworthy. I never feel that they are upselling me to do any work that is unnecessary, and their pricing is very fair. The location is an easy walk to the library, shops and restaurants in downtown Burlingame. read more

Great service, fast turnaround, and honest assessments. Andrew and his team do a great job.

Great Service! I would recommend going to this Shop! They accommodated me even if they are busy and was able to help me fix my car that Day

Last night, cruising down 101 on the fast lane, my super reliable13-year old Accord decided to stop fueling the engine. The car started to decelerate and we barely made it to the right shoulder. We were lucky that AAA got someone by fairly quickly, and we left my car at my in-laws' house in Burlingame. Fast-forward to today. I called around in the morning to see where I should tow my car to for repairs. I called the Redwood City Honda, where I usually go, Burlingame Honda, and another shop On the Track that has high reviews on Yelp. All three told me that it'll cost anywhere from $100-135 just to diagnose (not fix!) the problem. Of the three, Burlingame Honda said part of the $130 diagnosis fee could go towards repairs if I give them green light to do repairs, and it was also the only shop that gave me a ballpark, which i appreciated. So I figure I'd get my car towed to Burlingame Honda. Tow truck showed up. The towing guy strongly recommended California Auto Center (I bet he gets commission or something!). Said "cheap cheap"...haha. I asked him for the phone number and talked to Andrew over at CAC. Andrew, the owner of CAC, told me that he charges $100 for diagnosis, but 1/2 of that can be applied towards repairs if I get the car repaired there. He also shared with me the worse-case scenario, a possible less expensive solution in that scenario, etc. Sounded like a reasonable guy. So I took a leap of faith (sans Yelp research first) and had my car towed over. In the end, thank god it wasn't the worst case scenario, and Andrew applied the full $100 diagnostic fee towards repairs. Car was fixed and I was on my merry way. Andrew even picked me up from in-laws' house back to the car shop. I also appreciated the timely communication from Gary. Some stuff I learned from Andrew - * Andrew recommended still getting oil change done at dealerships if it's around $30 a pop. He said $30 oil change at dealerships is really a steal; it's their way of sucking you in with an inexpensive oil change to up-sell more expensive services. But while you're there, you can take advantage of their checks, find out about recommended maintenance, and you can then consult with Andrew about what's really needed. * In general, Andrew recommends covering the checklist of items on major maintenance. He recommends playing with the intervals to get the best bang for you buck. Sometimes, you might want to space it out more (to save $$), but in another scenario, say if you know you're going to only keep your car 10 years, you might want to get certain one-time maintenance items (e.g. timing belt replacement) done earlier so you can benefit from the maintenance more. * A lot of technicians who work at dealerships also run a side-business. Many such technicians borrow space to service cars for customers at a highly discounted price when compared to dealerships. * Andrew has spent many years working at places like Melody Toyoto, Mike Harvey Honda and is certified by Toyota (maybe Honda too? Not sure...). He still has access to Toyota's systems and is notified on any recalls, news, etc. He had just taken over California Auto Center last year to start his own business. Overall, my experience with California Auto Center was positive and I will definitely use them again in the future. If you are looking for a honest, reliable shop, and save a few bucks, this is the place for you. It is a basic shop, so don't expect a luxurious waiting room with fancy coffee machines, tea, air conditioned room, wi-fi connections,... read more

I brought my Toyota for its 60,000 mile maintenance service at my dealership and they told me that I need to get my serpentine belt replaced, a brake fluid flush, and power steering flush. With the parts and labor, they quoted me about $650. I was like, "WHAT THE HELL??" I wanted to get a second opinion and found California Auto Center on Yelp. They told me that dealerships often overcharge and with the amount of mileage I have my car, these things weren't too critical. Andrew said to bring in the car to verify what I needed. He told me that the serpentine belt was indeed worn out, but could last another 60,000 miles, didn't really need a power steering flush, and my brake fluid was in the yellow, but in a month, it may be in the red. I decided to get all three items done for peace of mind. I left my car overnight and he took me back to my place. The next day he called me to say my car was ready for pick up in the morning and sent someone to pick me up at my apartment. It only took about an hour and half to finish the work and I was able to get to work by lunch time. I'm satisfied with California Auto Center for their work and I saved $450. WHOOO-HOOO!! Most likely I will continue going to the dealership for my maintenance checkups, but bringing my car here for my auto work. read more

after all that, my newly installed drive belt slipped. Andrew tightened it for me and gave me a lot of lip service about how there is so much rust he didn't make it "tight tight". While I sort of understand his point, I still find it frustrating that I spent 1k with them to be back in a month and then be forced to listen to why it isn't their fault.... read more

Andrew was great! Would highly recommend. He was much more affordable and knowledgeable than the dealership. Ended up saving me a bunch of money and time. Will be going back! read more