I trust this place to bring my lexus to all the time. Some hiccups but they were able to rectify and continue to offer excellent service for my gs 350. Highly recommended if you need reliable service for your car. Thank you! read more

We always got great service from Foreign affair but under the new management, it seems the new owner doesn't know what going on. Rates have increased by alot and Tim is not knowledgeable about the cars. Will have to take my cars elsewhere. read more

OMG!!!! I have been a customer of Foreign Affair since 1992, and have never taken any of my (EIGHT, in that time) cars any where else for service in the past 33 years. Kevin, Allan, and Augie were terrific, but the business was sold several years ago to TIM, and only Augie remains. It is safe to say that the quality of the front half of the business has suffered greatly since TIM bought it. I recently took my Honda Accord in for service, and had a horrific experience. My car had not been driven in 4 years, so took it in to see what needed to be done to make it road worthy again. My car was dropped off on a Sunday. I heard NOTHING until the following Wednesday, when Augie (who is and always has been WONDERFUL) called me to tell me that the car overall looked good. However, he needed to get it up on a lift to assess the condition of the under carriage, and run diagnostics on a "check engine" light. Again, I heard nothing for 10 days or so. Tim, the new owner, called me 2 weeks later (10 days ago) and gave me a list of things that needed to be done. The list was long, and the estimate was $2,300, and it included new tires. I told Tim that I could not spend $2,300 on the car right now, and asked Tim what things I could safely defer. We dropped the tires, and one other thing from the list, and he told me that it would be $1,200 ish. I agreed to that. I heard nothing again until Wednesday (another 10 days or so) of this week, when Tim called me and told me to pick up my car. I went the next day (Thursday). Imagine my surprise when I received an invoice for $1,700, when I had agreed to $1,200 ish dollars. I balked. TIM denied any recollection of the $1,200 ish discussion, and pretended that I was making this up. Tim then got very aggressive, and told me "Don't come back." NO DANGER OF THAT, GIRLFRIEND!!! (Yes, TIM, I am calling you out .) TIM, GREAT BUSINESS MODEL!!! Sheer genius!!! Alienate your loyal customers of 33 years who have spent at least $100,000 in your business, and also referred many other customers to your shop. BRILLIANT!! AUGIE is still wonderful, but Tim is running the business into the ground. It is truly unfortunate. It is obvious that the business is declining, based only on observing the level of activity in the shop. I would not recommend Foreign Affair any longer, as TIM is 1) incompetent 2) verbally abusive 3) has questionable ethics and 4) appears to be misogynistic. read more

Been going here for years and love it. Reasonable and customer service is great. So glad they were recommended to me.

I've been a loyal customer of these guys for 2 decades. Even after I moved away from Santa Clara, I kept driving well out of my way to have my car serviced here. All I can say is that since the ownership change, things aren't the same. I have my doubts, and am now going some place closer to home. read more

I want to rave about Foreign Affair Auto Repair in Santa Clara. We have a foreign car with complex features and, about 4 months ago, it became haunted. The electrical system went crazy with bizarre behaviors and then, one day, the car just stopped in the middle of a busy highway. We had it towed to the dealer and for 4 months, it sat there. They were unable to fix it. Finally someone referred us to Augie at Foreign Affair Auto Repair. Within one hour, he identified the problem and implemented the solution. He charged us for one hour of labor. Period. The car seems perfect now. And, he was able to explain to our satisfaction what the problem was and why we can have confidence in the repair. Great responsiveness, high integrity, professional, and quick turn-around. Most of all, very smart. read more

Excellent Customer Service! My highest recommendation. I will use them again. They found my issue super quickly and resolved it in no time. They were so awesome about it that they didn't even charge me for my full cost because it was a quick diagnosis. . Their shop is clean, the mechanics are easy to talk to, and they are very professional. read more

Foreign Affair Auto Repair - Auto Repair Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Fantastic shop! Tim and Oggie are the best. Excellent customer service. Prices are very reasonable. Car was serviced and ready in the time promised. They were recommended to me years ago by a friend and recently by another friend. Both are super satisfied. Great track record. read more

I took my beloved 2007 Subaru here after my handyman, a retired master mechanic, diagnosed a few problems. The labor rate is above standard and the customer service is shoddy, at best. Worst of all, after the expensive repairs  a major vacuum hose was left unplugged, a wire harness was not clipped to its support bracket and a wire was mis-routed a wire so that it was rubbing against a metal pipe. read more

I've been taking my 2013 Honda Civic here for minor and major services for almost a decade now. I am always impressed with their customer service and the work that they do on my car. They are very transparent with their work and recommendations, which lets me know my car is in capable hands. Their quality of work truly helps me get the most value out of my vehicle and keeps it reliable for years to come. read more

I brought my car in short notice on a Friday They replaced my front and back breaks and had me back on the road in 2hrs. Thanks Team. Great service read more

Foreign Affair Auto Repair - Auto Repair Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I went in due to having bad alignment for my truck (2002 Tundra). However, at first I wasn't completely sure what my problem was. I went to these guys for an inspection and before they told me they charge for inspections which I think is fair. After they realized all I needed was an alignment, they told me they couldn't do the job due my truck being too big and it couldn't fit in their machine. So they referred me to someone who could and didn't charge me for the inspection due to them not being able to help me. I saw that as a honest practice. I haven't actually done anything else with them however. read more

This review is just going to be the facts of what happened, no opinions, no bias. 1. Went here for a diagnostic and oil change at 9am. ($130) 2. Got a phone call around 12pm saying diagnostic was done. 3. Went to pick up my car at 4pm. 4. Waited 2 hours before given my car back because they said they didn't put the parts back in my car. 5. Another customer was frustrated with their service and the employees admitted to forgetting something important about the customers car and blamed miscommunication. 6. Next week, I get a phone call saying they forgot to put my engine cover back in my car. All from a single diagnostic. Unprofessional, untimely, and blames the customer for their screw ups. I don't know how this place has such high reviews based on other people's posts, but be cautious and be prepared to wait hours. read more

These guys are the best!! I drive from Monterey to have them work on my car. They have been in the business for a long time. Referred by a automotive enthusiast friend who is very particular, as am I. It's hard to find good shops, this is one of the best!! Highly recommend!!! read more

Went for tire repair and the service was quick. The people on counter are friendly and answer all questions were patiently. Would definitely recommend read more

Not sure about this shop. Did a brake job for me a while ago. Good work at a fair price. Had them quote me for some other work recently. They told me that another part would be inspected at the time the car was to be worked on. "If" it was bad, it would cost me about $1000. Quoted me over $650 labor for a 15 minute job. I looked it up on YouTube. Easy job. They told me it was a "delicate job". Wrong. Why would you try to scam me? Lost my future business. read more

Been a customer of Foreign Affair for decades with multiple cars, loved Kevin and Allan and their crew. Referred dozens of friends and coworkers over the years due to their outstanding customer service, and attention to detail in their repairs. Just had our Honda in for some work recently, and our first interaction with the new owners. The communication between the customer and business, and within the business is poor, and not all the work was not completed. The interactions with the staff left my wife literally in tears. We won't be using Foreign Affair again, or referring new customers, and will be warning our past referrals to avoid this shop. Sorry, Kevin. read more

There's a new owner--Tim--and Alan and Kevin have retired. I was a little concerned that the place would go downhill like Rick Marchetti Auto did after Rick Marchetti sold it (see my review of Art Stange Auto Repair). But all evidence is that Foreign Affair remains as great as ever. Augie has stepped up to take Kevin and Alan's place and seems every bit as good. He just finished removing and reinstalling my NSX's entire dashboard (to replace a leaking AC condenser) and literally didn't leave a scratch or scuff anywhere--looks brand new. Amazing. Still A++ for these guys. read more

I had been a long-time customer of FA, back when Kevin and Allan ran the front desk. Recently I managed to get too close to the edge of my garage backing in and snapped off the right-side mirror housing/shell (but not the mirror) of my RX 450H Turned out that the only piece that needed to be replaced was the chrome trim in the middle of the mirror. FA was able to re-use the shell and with a little MacGyver rigging were able to secure the rest of the shell+housing though at least one tab of the (re-used) housing was broken. The mirror "assembly" as it is called is a $2K part on that car, but all I ended up needing was the chrome trim ($80) and .5 hour of labor, for a grand total of $134. Thanks FA! And thanks Augie! read more

I got an appointment to take my 2013 hybrid Prius in for a diagnosis. It displayed symptoms that made me feel sure the hybrid battery was failing, and it being 10 years old, that didn't surprise me. I was fretting that I would have to come up with the big bucks to replace the hybrid battery. Everything I looked at on the internet told me that it would cost around $5000. I agreed to pay the small fee for the diagnostic test that would pinpoint the problem. Fifteen minutes later, I got the news that it wasn't my car's hybrid battery at all, but the regular battery! Yes! A huge sigh of relief. It would cost a fraction of a fraction of what a hybrid battery would cost! They went ahead and replaced the battery and gave me a bill for the cost of the battery, taking off the initial diagnostic fee. Plus tax. That's it! Thank you guys! I will be returning whenever I need car care and I will recommend your business to my friends and whoever reads this. As an almost-70 yr old woman, alone, I appreciate your kindness, professionalism, promptness and generosity. Merry Christmas to you too! read more

This is my favorite auto repair shop in San Jose. I have taken my Lexus and Toyota vehicles there and have always received excellent service. read more

4.5 Stars! If I could make it 4 Stars, it would be because they didn't always proffer after-hours car keys pickup service. No? We'll leave it at 4.5/5 Stars for now, I guess... tl;dr ====================================== Service for Hondas, Acuras, Toyotas, Lexuses, Subarus Localized one-way shuttle service [YMMV] as far north as Google® in Mountain View Shuttle pick-up service from the San Jose Component Light Rail Station and the Santa Clara Cal-Train™ Station Pay via credit card over the phone and pickup your keys from their afterhours dropbox Allegedly, they can fix "electrical gremlins" and "funny noises" Early-Bird car key drop-off service and After-Hours car key pick-up service available No "50 Shades of Grey" aftermarket parts Sorry, they don't offer balloons or popcorn or cotton candy either... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ====================================== Historically, they've done Honda™'s and Acura™'s and my '94 Honda™ Civic® and I were great fans. Inevitably, they branched out to Toyota™'s and Lexus™'es of which my '10 Toyota™ Corolla® and I were great fans. Now, they service Subaru™'s too. W00t...? I have a lot of trust issues with people but I've entrusted these guys with three different automobiles over a decade without problems. As far as honesty goes, well, I think I'm more dishonest than they are. As far as price reasonableness goes, they honestly admit they cannot always compete with Costco™ on tires or even America's Tires® for that matter (and you are encouraged to shop around). I needed a ride out to Sunnyvale and I thought it was outside their shuttle coverage area. Alasably, I found out the hard way that they've been offering shuttle service out past Sunnyvale to Apple™ in Cupertino and also Google® in Mountain View. I have no idea what their shuttle service coverage map looks like but I wouldn't fault them if it's an oblique exercise in gerrymandering... Otherwise, I don't mind paying a little more for peace of mind, a refreshing air of openness, and a willingness to listen me prattle on, albeit briefly... [Free WiFi included at no add'l charge.] Why do I still come here? Well, what I tell people is that one of my friend's friends was a mechanic and that mechanic friend recommended this place. Therefore, if a trusted friend's trusted mechanic recommends another mechanic... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ read more

Thank you Yelpers for your reviews! I really had a great experience with their car services. I was really skeptical at first, and have been mistrusting a lot of car shops because of a lack of transparency and their scam. I e-mailed their business to ask for a quote for major maintenance to my 2015 Honda Civic LX, and was helped by Augie throughout the e-mail. I dropped my car off to their place and did my major maintenance, and it was also him who worked on my car (and probably others), too. I was really satisfied that they provided me their notes and services that were done. Overall, I believe the prices are fair, their service is really smooth, fast and they're also friendly lol. That said, my Honda Civic runs hella smooth now. Thank you, Augie & your team! Will be coming back again soon to do more services. I highly suggest to e-mail them and make an appointment ahead of time. read more

I'd give them a negative rating if I could. I've been going to Foreign Affair for over 15 years and have never been treated with such disrespect. Tim is the new owner of Foreign Affair you should stay away. He lacks integrity, communication skills, customer service and owning his shop's mistakes. Tim's strengths are lying. screaming, sexist pig, verbal abuse, temper tantrums and hanging up the phone. If you want to spend your hard-earned money at a business who harasses you for their mistakes, then Foreign Affair is the place for you. If you'd like to read details of my experience, feel free to read on. I called weeks ahead to schedule a minor service and fix a broken key fob. I did this so they could get a new key fob ahead of time and have it on hand so all the work could be completed in one day. They told me it would take 2 hours to complete the work so I told them I would take my kids to a park close by and they could call me once the work was complete. Then they said the key fob would most likely take an additional day to get and program so offered me their loaner car overnight. I agreed and marked my calendar. The day of the service I dropped off my car and picked up the loaner car they offered. They gave me a Toyota Prius with no guidance on how to use an electric car (mine car is gasoline and I have no experience with electric cars). My kids informed me inside the car was dirty with French fries and garbage under the seat and it smelled bad. On the way home we stopped to watch some construction. We were stranded at the construction site as the loaner car wouldn't start. I called Foreign Affair but nobody answered the phone. It went to voicemail and said the mailbox was full and to call back later. Seriously?! I spent an hour reading the user manual, which was useless. I finally called someone I knew who owns a Prius to find out how to get the car into drive. Foreign Affair called me with the work that needed to be completed with the estimate and I gave them the approval to make the repairs. They called later and let me know the work was done and for me to come and pick up my car. My kids were fighting in the background so I just said sure and didn't think anything of it as I had the loaner until the next day. Tim called just before 5 yelling at me to pick up my car stating he called me hours ago and wanted to close his shop. When asked him why he was asking me to return the loaner car when the agreement was I would have it until tomorrow but he couldn't hear me as he was too busy yelling. Then he screamed he loaned it out tomorrow and I needed to return it. He continued yelling that he wasn't going to fix the key fob, he didn't need my business no matter how many years I was going there, made a sexist remark and he hung up. Now I have no idea if he was going to keep the shop open for me to return the loaner car and get my car or if I was waiting to the next day. I'm trying to get my kids into the car as I'm calling him back to get clarification as I don't want to drive there in traffic only to find he closed the shop. Tim answered the phone screaming and wouldn't allow me to ask questions to determine a course of action. I waited for his tantrum to end and asked if they were going to do the work that his shop promised to do. He informs me that he just returned from vacation and I talked to someone else at the shop. I said great so there should be notes in the system surrounding the appointment. He told me I should have told him earlier when I picked up the car. Why? I already had an agreement on the work needed and use of the loaner. I repeat the question if they are going to do the work they committed to, and, if I dropped off the rental car first thing in the morning that I could get my car and a working key fob. He informed me they didn't order the key fob ahead of time and had no idea of when it would arrive. So I asked him what I was supposed to do since the work wasn't actually completed. He yelled me to keep the loaner car, the shop would call me tomorrow once the key fob was ready but he would not be dealing with me, didn't want my business and hung up the phone again. I couldn't sleep that night. I asked my husband if I could leave the kids home while I picked up my car. I was afraid for my physical being and I didn't want to give Foreign Affair any more of our money. I drove a block from the shop and called the police for a civil standby because I wasn't going to be abused and harassed again. As Foreign Affair could no longer be trusted, I made them show me the work was actually completed before paying. Tim has disgraced Foreign Affair. Avoid this shop as the potential for this to happen to you is high as Tim shouldn't be dealing with people. read more

I had a service require showing up on my dash board and had no idea what my truck was asking for. I called this shop and Augie walked me thru step by step. No other shop will do that for someone in over the phone! Augie has won my respect and business today! I'm sending people I know that need work done on their cars to this shop. read more

I have been coming here for 16 years. This is an exceptional place, to the point that after I sold our infiniti I insisted on buying a brand they service. All you need in life is a good doctor and a good auto mechanic! read more

We've been bringing our cars here for around 15 years, since we got tired of feeling overcharged at a Honda dealership. Kevin and Alan are friendly, knowledgeable, honest and fair. This business is dependable. Bring your car here. You won't regret it. read more

Thank you fellow Yelpers for directing me to FA. Just took my Element in for service and I couldn't be more satisfied. Communications from start to finish were clear, friendly and professional. The timing and estimate were right on the nose; no uncertainties or obfuscation. I can't do this work myself and I don't have a in-law or buddy to do it for me. Knowing that I can take my well-loved Element to FA for service means NOT having to worry about such an important chore. I know they WILL take care of it and keep on top of things for me. If you're anywhere in the South Bay Area (or even the Bay Area), you will do well to give these folks a try for your auto service. I'm glad I did! read more

I found this shop on Yelp shortly after I moved to the neighborhood. They did a 90K mile service on my Toyota Prius along with a few additional repairs. They are very professional, and it was a great experience. read more

My gf has been coming here for years and has nothing bad to say - if you knew my gf and how demanding she is - that'd be saying something...so that's why i started coming here when I got my own Honda... Now for my experience - needed a timing belt replacement (it was due/it was time etc...) - got quotes from all over the area - prices from here were right in line with other independents but still cheaper than the dealer...so I brought it in...I got a call a few hours later to get my email address so they could send me a photo of what my timing belt looked like - it was shaved off by 3/4 - meaning it was only 1/4 wide as it should have been...this was putting stress on tons of other parts etc...when was the last time your mechanic sent you a photo of what they found before they fixed it??? so they gave me a list of recommended replacement parts, an accurate estimate of what it would cost and how long it would take - they treated me with respect when telling me that the cost would exceed my original quote (due to the damage a tiny timing belt does - not to mention all the shavings they had to clean up...) all in all - i appreciate they way they treat their customers (with humor and respect) - their fair pricing and accurate estimation of both time and cost - and most importantly I TRUST the work they do... read more

Foreign Affair Auto Repair - The photo Alan sent me of my timing belt when they opened up my car... - Auto Repair Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Fair and dependable. I was given a quote, took my car in, and it's fixed by the next day with no hassle at all. I love that they do what they commit to and I don't feel I need to double check the pricing or their work. The owner looks like a great guy and the shop came highly recommended by a long-time customer of theirs. read more

It makes me sad to write this review because I've been a loyal customer for 15 years and have recommended Foreign Affair to numerous friends and co-workers, but this place is just not the same anymore. I just left after having been treated rudely by the guy behind the counter. I brought my car in for an oil change, and he generated an estimate from the computer that came out to $118. It didn't look right, so I asked if that was the correct price. He confirmed that it was a mistake, then crossed it out and wrote in $89 by hand. Keep in mind that my last oil change here cost around $60, but I was still willing to pay the higher price, so I said, "I think it's higher than before, but that's okay" and I signed the estimate. Then he suddenly became aggressive and replied in a very condescending tone, "Well $89 is the price! Do you think gas prices have stayed the same over the past year?!" I really have no idea what set him off, but I didn't appreciate it and I decided I didn't want them to do the oil change after all. Anyway, I just added up all my receipts from Foreign Affair since 2006 and found that I have spent over $17,000 at this shop over the years. I don't mind paying higher prices for good service, but Foreign Affair doesn't provide that anymore. I will not do business with a company that is rude to its customers. Needless to say, customer service has taken a huge turn for the worse since Kevin and Alan left. I will never go back again. read more

Okay, so now it's October 2017 and my 2000 Acura TL still drives like a new car. Yes it was a good year for that car, but great maintenance has been the key. By now my car and I have been with Foreign Affair for way over ten years, and I know that they're the key to why it runs so well. I just had a Major Service which included rear brakes, and it was not even expensive. Then right after that I drove my car from Palo Alto to Santa Barbara and back down 101. I do this a few times a year, and I hate the two steep downgrades at San Luis Obispo and also right after Buellton. But my car handled perfectly, no problems. And I don't drive slowly. I don't like selling people on things, but I do love recommending them to high quality service and products. Foreign Affair is of the highest quality in all ranks. It's not just how well my car comes back to me, it's the entire process. I just love talking to them on the phone. They're hilarious and friendly and clearly know exactly what they're talking about. And no bullshit! I will miss you guys when I get my new Tesla Model 3. read more

I have been coming here for years and years and every car we owned were service by this company. Competent and trustworthy...as a woman I don't have to fear of being taken advantage. read more

Well, if it sounds like a cheap perfume it's probably not a good auto shop, but I went anyway because of the stellar reviews here. I called first and talked to Kevin, he had a horrible manner over the phone, very abrubt and would not quote anything at all over the phone. I asked how much a compressor would be and he declined to state insisting that he had to see the car first. "that kind of thing can be anywhere from $300 to $2000" he said. Since he insisted I visit the shop I asked if they charged a fee to check out the car and he said "well we dont have set fees but we like to have $200-$300 to begin with so we can get started and go from there." I thought that sounded really scammy of them. But honda's starting price was $250 and this place had great feedback on yelp so, against my intuition, I went ahead and took my car in for service. I walked in and talked to Kevin, who from the get-go was as unpersonable as he was on the phone. As we discussed the work that needed to be done and possible prices that still fluctuated by the hundreds/thousands, he repeatedly simply walked off, started doing random paperwork and answered the phone - without so much as a pause or "please hold on a moment I must ........." Still, against my better judgement I allowed Kevin to take my car back and have a look at it to see what he could do and give me a "better estimate of the cost." Two hours later he tells me that while looking at the car they managed to pop off the timing belt and that getting it back on was going to require more time than their work day allowed, so would I leave the car with them and get it the next morning. I really had no choice and had to leave my car. The next day my car wasn't ready until about 4pm, well after "morning." When I arrived to pick-up the car Kevin tallied up the bill and astonishingly the cost had somehow doubled from my quote the day before. Kevin attributed this to some extra parts that "really should be replaced anytime you go in because they aren't things you want to just go in a change on their own" and he added "the additional labor cost of the job overflowing into the next day." WTF?!?!?! So, they screw up and I have to pay for it, excellent service indeed. I will never be back and will never recommend anyone have their car serviced here. I'd go back to stevens creek honda before I'd step foot in foreign affair again. read more

Everybody loves these guys. Blah, blah, blah. First Impressions are EVERYTHING. Many moons ago, I was checking around locally for a reputable Honda/Acura exclusive shop. I stopped in and asked the guy behind the counter several questions. Not surprisingly, already mentioned here, the responses were sort of with "an attitude". So they've been pulling this act since long ago. Hey, the service may be great, but I never got that far and I wouldn't want to give my business to a shop that gave such a piss poor first impression. read more

Okay so it was time for me to do an oil change since these guys installed the quick valve that I supplied to them as well as the synthetic oil with my own oil filter that i supplied for them to do the job... As it turns out, I found a OEM replacement oil filter on my car today! I was furious! You guys dont even know how mad I was and still am. These guys are scammers! If you guys ever saw the news coverage about the undercover investigation on MIDAS or JIFFY lube, this is how I felt when I found out they didn't replaced parts with what I wanted on my car OK you guys may think big deal at least they used a new oil filter compared to not changing it at all like MIDAS ( busted by the owner marking the oil filter and was still there when the car was returned) If you look at the big picture, If they didnt use my oil filter ( higher quality, more expensive with the wrench attachment on the end so I can take it off with a wrench) and used a cheap OEM one...How can I know that they also used the Synthetic oil I provided?!!!! Synthetic lasts 6K miles where as regular oil lasts 3K. Meaning i was over by 3K miles before I was due!!! OK big deal...Then they have the nerve of tighten that damn oil filter to the max!! It would be nice to have the oil filter I gave them on there to use a wrench to get off. OK big deal use the cap attachment that you can buy at the store. I drained my oil before getting to the filter and was stranded! I gotta walk to the nearest part store to buy the damn tool in the rain. Conclusion : I feel scammed, and my trust was violated. I will pass this story on to all my honda friends and on the forums. This is unacceptable. Even if they did use my oil and had great service. Behind the counter in the shop they were trying to run one over me. And if you guys think ok whats the big deal, the tech didnt do it on purpose, just an accident...My oil and filter was in the trunk, the dude at the counter said no worries we will get it ourselves, how do you accidentally swap that one that you get from in my car and swap with a cheap one? OK another thing is they could have called me if they found my oil filter laying around and saying they did it on accident but nothing. You guys just lost business, beware people. read more

Art D. below said that "If you own a Honda or Acura and live in the South Bay, this is the place to go for maintenance!" I say that even if you live in Napa, this is the place to go. I'd give them 6 stars if I could. When I first moved down to the bay area I made the unfortunate mistake of taking my Honda to Stevens Creek Honda. BAD IDEA. After some unpleasant experiences I needed a change. My roommate was the one that told me about this place. I've been going there for 3-4 years now. I am 100% satisfied In fact, after I moved to San Francisco I still drive all the way down there to see them even for a simple oil change. Honest: Every time I've gone they gave me an honest assessment of what needs to be done and what is OK. One time when my check engine light came on, they figured out my catalytic converter was bad. They double checked my warranty and since my car was still 100 miles from going out of warranty, they told me to go back to the dealer and have the dealer do the replacement for free. A lot of other places would've just charged me a grand for the replacement. Customer service: Like a good shop, when you drop your car of, Alan or Kevin will explain, in detail, exactly what will be done to your car. When you pick up your car, they explain exactly what was done and will tell you if they noted anything else. You can feel that they honestly care about you and your car, that you are not just an entry in their customer database. I called them last week to make an appointment for an oil change. Since I live and work in SF I don't drive much and it was at least 9 months ago since i visited them. I called them and told them I needed to come on for an oil change. They asked me my name and when I told them, they said "Ben with the 98 Accord? I thought I recognized your voice." Seriously, is that not awesome or what? Then again, it could be that I have a funny voice and a fat head, but I doubt that very much. My head is not that big and my voice is normal (I think). Rambling aside, they are the best shop I've ever dealt with. I'm not much of a Japanese car fan (too boring), but I'm seriously thinking of getting another Honda as my next car simply because I know that I if I do, these guys will be here to take good care of it. read more

UPDATE: Just yesterday my wife had to call them to check the SRS (airbag) light on her Accord, which was intermittently going on and off. When she asked Alan (counter dude) if she should just take it to the dealer instead since it was still under warranty, he laughed in her face as if to say, "Sure, it's your funeral." I had to upgrade them to five stars just for having the balls to talk to their customers this way. What is wrong with me? Why am I allowing this type of treatment? Anyone else would be getting an ice cold glass of STFU already. ------------------- If it was based on the mechanic service alone, these guys would get five stars. They are damned good and very knowledgable. Unfortunately, they are pricier than almost any mechanic you can go to. At least for standard stuff like oil and maintenance, they are even more expensive than the dealership. They do put a little stamp on the maintenance checklist in your Honda manual, and my wife thinks that shit is cute, so that goes a long way, I guess. Still, I wouldn't even deduct a star for the cost because the mechanics are so good. Frankly, the reason I have to give them four stars is that they love my car more than I do. I take both my Civic and my wife's Accord in here, and somehow I always leave feeling a little...inadequate. Overdue for an oil change? Mean mug. New dent in the fender? "Tsk. Tsk." See, I'm not a car guy AT ALL. I will explain in an anecdote. When I was younger, my brother was building car amplifiers during the "boomin' in your jeep" hey day, so he decided to put 33 speakers in my car and make it a show car. I shit you not, there was a total of 33 speakers (why an odd #? I dunno) - big speakers, medium speakers, itty bitty wittle speakers INSIDE the vents, speakers on the kick panels, speakers taking up the whole trunk. The only problem was, I didn't want or need all these speakers. I would have traded all of them in if he could have just installed a punani magnet. Sadly, he didn't. My "concert-at-the-Shoreline-on-wheels" impressed lots of dudes, but the ladies? Not so much. Anyways, that was the beginning and end of my interest in cars. Nowadays a car is all about getting me from A-to-B. I think that's why my homies at Foreign Affair look askance at me. I don't share in the passionate "Affair" they have with "Hondas, Acuras and now Toyotas, too." When they drive my car to the back I picture them cooing into the side mirrors, "Aw, sweetheart, has he not been taking good care of you, baby? Daddy's gon' make everything all right." I still can't take my car elsewhere, though. They just do good work. Seriously, they actually call at regular intervals to remind me I should be due for service. Not in a "hey we want your business" kind of way, either. More like, "We know you know you need service." "We're WATCHING you." read more

I have a 1999 Lexus RX 300 that I love to drive. But with age come issues. The folks at Foreign Affairs have been working on this vehicle since a friend recommended them many years ago. During the last year, we have been watching an electric issue in the front door which was causing the battery not to work. Also, the center light no longer turns on when you get in the vehicle. The least expensive fix was to lock the vehicle when parked in the garage so the electric connection for the battery stays engaged. This solution stopped working a couple of weeks ago. The entire electrical part in the door is quite expensive! After checking it thoroughly, Kevin suspected a part of the door lock needed to be replaced, not the whole lock. So he went to pick and pull and found the piece needed. Installed and the problem has been solved! Not for $1,000 but for $325! I highly recommend these folks if you drive a vehicle they work on! They are fabulous! read more