Dick is a wonderful person to work with! Its fantastic that we have Hollander Service in Burlingame.They are great to work with and they are so helpful. Judy read more

The mechanics did a solid job, and my car feels much better now. The service was friendly and professional. It just took more time than I expected. read more

Brought my 15 year old BMW 528i with nearly 245,000 miles on it to the shop. The trunk didn't open via remote, the well light on the driver's side didn't work and there were some other issues. I am not sure that many shops would so quickly identify and fix broken cables that ran to the trunk lock, found the problem with the well light, replace a leaking tank for the windshield wiper liquid, and did some other service chores, all in two days. Now the car is back home, runs well, and it didn't break the bank. Thanks. read more

Having relocated to the peninsula from the East Bay, I recently found myself in need of a new mechanic closer to home. I did a bit of research and came upon Holland Service in Burlingame. I recalled driving past the shop for decades and pleased to finally have an opportunity to turn my 22 yr old Acura over to Dick for an oil change and comprehensive inspection. His work was thorough, meticulous (and $100 less than estimated ;,) Dick is an accomplished technician - fair, friendly and professional with an obvious love and talent for automobiles, which is evident the moment you walk into his shop. I'm very pleased to have found a skilled mechanic I can trust and look forward to a lasting business relationship. read more

I took my car at this shop in July 2024 when the dealership was not able to take me in. This shop changed the crankshaft sensor but in the process of doing it, the mechanic damaged the crankshaft hub by not using the proper tool. The hub has excessive scratches and the area is marred. Also did not have the required sealant. Cost me $2k to get the hub replaced. Will not go to this shop ever again. read more

As a former interstate trucker of 27 years, I highly recommend Holland service as one of my favorite, reliable, and honest shops. They are also great people! read more

I called Holland Auto for a quote on a 60k service. Guy listens to me, then says "what are you looking for, price or quality?" You have got to be kidding me. Ridiculous and completely unacceptable. Avoid. read more

I do NOT recommend Holland Auto Service. For my routine visit, Jan asked for $150 more than quoted even though no unexpected materials or labor was needed. He didn't perform all requested tasks (there were no time constraints or missing materials needed to finish). When I arrived home I saw they had scraped off two sizable areas of paint on the hood area of my car - no dent, just paint missing (Jan didn't respond to an email with photos about this). I found my car parked in front of the shop in a Red Zone in front of a fire hydrant. Dick called my wife while they had the car saying they were going to charge more than the quote for the routine services: Bate and switch. read more

What a great repair shop. We take all of our cars here, both old and new. Dick provides fast and convenient service for our Fiat, Volkswagen, Acura, and even my 60 year old Renault. We are so lucky to have such a great repair shop in our neighborhood. read more

Holland Service - Dick tunes up my 1960 Renault Caravelle and fixed my faulty carburetor. - Auto Repair Near Me - Burlingame, California

I have known the van arkle family for over 45 years so... difficult to write this review. In summary, Dick had my car for 10 WEEKS to put new carbs on, new exhaust and fix the steering. After 10 WEEKS the car ran worse, the exhaust (all new) leaked more and the steering was literally 180 degrees set wrong. Going through the work myself I discovered: 2 exhaust gaskets at 1 riser and none on another. The new carbs were never cleaned of manufacturing sharf before being installed. The carbs were never jetted correctly and had the wrong emulsion tubes in them. EVERY NUT AND BOLT associated with the steering box (and others) had not been tightened. In short after 10 WEEKS and over $5,000 the car ran worse and was actually more dangerous than when I brought it in. Pretty obvious Dick would rather talk to people (what he was doing every time I dropped by to check status) than perform quality work... or any work for that matter. There were countless excuses for delays, terrible communication and a complete lack of taking responsibility. Given I was undergoing radiation/chemo therapy during the time Dick had the car... there was little I could do but trust. Turns out trust in fellow man isn t a thing at Holland. I urge all... go anywhere else. $5,000+ is one thing. Wasting 10 WEEKS when you aren t sure you have it... that s another. I got better. I installed the proper gaskets, jets and emulsion tubes and I fixed the steering. Positives? His brother is a good guy. read more

Long and short. I had been going here for years, moved, came back. I am looking at getting my brakes fixed. Go to Midas. They have suddenly told me it will be about $1000, and they are total morons about it. Rude, cocky, holier than thou bastards. I also don't know much about cars. I do know they are upselling me out of the ballpark. So I go back to Dick. And have my normal conversations about cars, existentialism, politics, the meaning of self, and half of sartre's back catalogue of ideas and preconceptions of life. This guy is a class act... interesting, honest... and a real humanist. Like... really. So, I am feeling at ease... at peace... waiting to hear how much those Midas guys were going to rip me off for.... and Dick says, Nope.... they were right. About $1000. And when it was all said and done, I ended up paying a couple extra bucks than the Midas quote... because I felt at east.... at peace... I didn't have to second guess or wonder what was real or not. these guys are the classiest, most trustworthy, and friendliest bunch I have ever seen across about 14 different states. I would gladly spend more to have my car serviced by them, rather than go elsewhere and not be sure. I rather be sure. HUZZAH HOLLAND! keep it up. Thanks! read more

I've been going to Holland auto for about five years now. I had a 98 BMW roadster that Dick and his brother kept in great condition all those years! I always recommend them to my lady friends that are worried about being taken advantage of from car repair shops. Dick always gives you a fair price and is very honest. They even change my oil for me when I come by whenever I need it, having an older BMW I need oil quite often and they're always happy to do that I really enjoy going to their shop it's always a pleasant experience! read more

I brought a car I was considering purchasing to Holland Auto Service and could not have been more pleased with Dick and his staff. The first thing Dick did was to jump in the car with me and take it for a test drive. He wanted to be sure it was worth me even spending the money on a pre-purchase inspection. Dick determined that the car seemed reasonable for the price and his tech began the inspection. Halfway through, the tech discovered a serious oil leak and told me I should probably keep looking. I agreed and they stopped the inspection, charging me less than the agreed price since it wasn't completed. Dick then offered me excellent advice on which cars I should be focusing on for my needs, and when I called after buying a car a few days later to thank him, he offered more advice on things to watch for in my new car. I highly recommend Holland Auto Service. read more

Holland Auto Service is a class act. You can tell immediately when you first walk in -- every time I've visited, the shop is immaculate. Dick runs a tight ship there and yes, as noted in previous posts, he's an intelligent, honest, thoughtful guy who's happy to explain things as it is. He was conscious of cost too. For instance, I had a major problem with my Subaru car engine and essentially had to get the engine replaced. He tracked down a used engine for me and helped to get that replaced. Over a year later the car is still humming along nicely with no problems. Sometimes car repair can be quite complicated, with many different options with many different prices. He provides great, smart advice on what to do. I've heard time and time again that it's really hard to find a good mechanic. In my experiences with Holland Auto, I've felt that they have a lot of integrity and skill. read more

Power window motor and regular on my '07 Civic replaced the next day for under $400 out the door. Be sure to use the yelp App, as they have a couple discount codes available if you check in! Dick is a total straight shooter who is easy to deal with, and even offered to give me a lift home when I dropped my car off! read more

Five Stars (Woohoo! As good as it gets!) and with Dick van Arkel at Holland Auto Service, 5-stars is just not enough. I've been a Holland Auto Service customer for many years and I'm totally satisfied, not only for the quality work he and the staff do, but also the way he treats his customers. For example, recently I had a problem with a "check engine" light on my dashboard and needed the onboard computer codes reset. I drove up 3 or 4 times "unannounced" and Dick stopped what he was doing and reset the codes on my onboard computer. Bottom line, not only does he and his staff do excellent work, they also treat you like family. Keep up the good work... read more

think about this I've been driving cars for 33 years...this is the only auto shop I've ever actually enjoyed going to A small home town shop with great people that can work on vintage classics to modern roadsters. read more

Holland is simply the best. I recently bought a Q5, and since I live in the area decided to look for a shop that could service it - I found Holland and immediately was introduced to Dick - he serviced my car, and said I could pick it up at a certain time. I came to pick it up and he said it was all done, but there he wanted to replace the rear wiper blade and that part hadn't come in yet. So he gave me the keys and said he'll call me. I had racked up a good sized bill and yet Dick was cool with me just driving away and coming back! His attention to detail (you can immediately tell this when you go into his shop), his personable nature, his love for cars, and his fairness in estimates and turnaround times are all reasons to take your car here. Plus my son loves to check out his showroom with miniature cars! I don't even ask anymore what the price is before they make any repairs or replace my tires. I know it's going to be always be fair and the best parts will be used. Go see Dick, he's the best! -Dan read more

Wonderful service during this Covid-19! My older car was in need of several repairs from intricate engine work to a small issue with the wiper system and it was fixed in no time! Dick and his fellow service team, are professional and no matter if my card was a domestic, I received "White Collar" treatment! Wonderful and happy!! read more

I took my Porsche to this shop and a job that should have cost $900 came out to $1100 I found out after the additional amount was added on that I really over paid, anyway the issue was resolved but at a high charge, I will not go back don't go here. read more

The Gentleman Dick is very professional, informative and polite. I highly recommend this company; I will definitely use their service again in the future =). -mjb read more

They do good work and have a dedicated receptionist, so your calls will always be answered. The downside is that they are on the pricey side. read more

Called to find out pricing for a part and I get that I should just go to the dealership. "The dealership is like shopping at Nordstrom's instead of Macy's. It's just better quality and they'll do it right the first time." I don't understand how this place has business by talking down to women who call to inquire. read more

Husband took our old car there because of good yelp ratings. We paid an exorbitant amount and a couple months later we had more problems with the car. Hard to tell if it was the same thing or related but was made to think all issues were resolved. What I didn't like is he started working on the car without giving us a quote or estimate. One redeeming quality it was repaired quickly but maybe that was a negative. We will never know :-( I just hope we don't have to go back there again. read more

Quality of work seemed OK. I feel that they churned for unnecessary repairs in order to increase the bill. They were also resistant to explaining charges when asked, and BS'd in response to specific questions. I have taken my business elsewhere. read more

Very happy that I found Holland Auto. Excellent service, friendly staff and fair pricing. I'm a customer for life.

Ok, so I bought a classic VW on Ebay and it was transported from LA area to me in Burlingame. The truck driver really got my car jacked up on the ramps of the trailer while unloading. It happened to be close to Holland Auto Service and I walked in without knowing anything about this place. Dick came out to look at the incident with me and quickly jumped in and spent about half and hour jacking, propping and working to get my car properly off the ramp. I could not thank this man enough!! He just did it as a neighborly nice guy favor. Of course, this is going to be where I take my car for everything!! read more

Whenever my car has a problem the only place I trust is here. When you go in the shop, you'll notice a wide variety of vehicles being serviced ranging from, Porsche, to BMW, to classics like older air-cooled VWs and 70's 911s. This shop has been around for quite a while, and they take a real pride in what they do. Dick and Carl are always patient and happy to talk to you in as much detail as you'd like about what work needs to be done. So when I pick my car up, I always drive off with a little more knowledge on whats happening when I start the motor, and press down on the throttle. Another thing worth noting is how clean the entire shop is. You can really tell that organization and cleanliness is a priority. Bottom line, Holland Auto Service is professional, passionate, and ALWAYS fair. If you love your car, BRING IT HERE!!! read more

They're friendly and go over the work in great detail. The work they do is quality. But, the costs seem very inflated when compared to other Saab garages where I've had work done. I just received a $370 bill for an oil change and for putting on a new antennae. They do tack on additional costs for parts labor, but even so, that cost doesn't justify it. I would still have given them 4 stars, but I specifically said: don't fix the antennae until you give me an estimate first. If it would cost too much, I'd just leave it. They went ahead and fixed it with no phone call whatsoever. That's why I deducted the additional star. read more

Ran over a screw in my driveway and came over to get it patched. I was all set and on my way in minutes. Thank you!

Noticed a minor issue with my car. Called up this shop because it was close to my office. Went over on my lunch hour. Clean shop, polite staff, including the gentleman whom I would later learn was the owner of the shop. Dick asked me what the problem was, and tried to reproduce it, but was unable to do so. He was extremely personable and genuine. We spoke of our upcoming Thanksgiving holiday plans. He said that since I would be driving the next day for 5 hours, he would like to take quick look at the car. He added lubricant to a door hinge, checked my tire pressure and filled them, and topped me off with a quart of oil. He recommended new tires (I already knew I needed them) and two other services which were, as he said recommendations, not immediately necessary. He finished by saying that if I took his recommendation and just kept up on changing my fluids regularly that my 10 year old vehicle would easily last another ten years without incident. Further, he told me that in the event that i chose to use his shop for my services that I could drive to him, and he would drop me off at my office, and if need be come get me when the work was done. I finished up my quick visit by asking what I owed him for the oil and his time. He produced a print out with his recommended services, itemized for parts and labor, as well as a bill. The bill was only for the quart of oil. I spoke to my wife upon returning to my office, and we decided to book an appointment for the new tires. If all goes well, which I suspect it will, we may just have a new mechanic. Throw in the fact that neither my wife nor I have to take off from work in order to receive professional and polite service to maintain our car and you can see why this shop puts the service into Auto Service. read more

Dick and the mechanic was extremely helpful. They performed a PPI pre-purchase inspection on 1999 Porsche 911 and well worth the money. I spoke with both of them during inspection and they are real people who give you honest time for work performed. I recommend them based on my experience and seeing them help others while I waited in the shop...Thanks again guys. read more

I took my car for a brake job. Reasonable price so I took a chance. Pads changed and works well except electronic brake not working. He was honest and couldn't take it out of service mode. Took it to dealership and codes cleared for 195 extra dollars. He paid me back immediately. Inconvenient but honest. Nice guy but make sure with today's modern cars that person can figure out the multiple computers in cars nowadays. read more

I have been a faithful customer of Holland Auto Service for a long time. Excellent friendly service that is reliable and dependable. I have also referred my Sister because I feel that they will take good care of her too. I recently took my car in for service as I was experiencing an engine problem with my 1995 Honda Civic EX. Owner Dick Van Arkel took the time to explain what the problem was and gave me options. He also let me borrow his "loaner" car while the repairs were being done. The car purrs now. Unfortunately due to the economy I am experiencing financial difficulties. Dick was open to working with me regarding a repayment plan to pay for the bill. Not many people would be so understanding and supportive. Thank you very much and keep up the good work! I'll be back... By the way, for future customers, I definitely recommend that you bring your vehicle in for maintanence and let them work on your car. There's no doubt in my mind you will be satisfied. read more

When my high mileage MINI Cooper blew an exhaust valve, Dick & his team were able to rebuild the head and deliver the car to my driveway in less than 72 hrs, on Thanksgiving Week! His entire team was courteous, efficient, and understood my situation for quick turn around. 5 star service! read more

Wow--Yay, I'm thrilled to find a new auto technician! I have a 26 yr old BMW, my baby whom I love, a classic they don't make anymore, rock solid engine, but I'd been taking it to the dealership and had problems with them, e.g. didn't get my car back to me for weeks and stuck in the wrong size battery :-( We took my car in to Holland and the owner, Dick and his wife were immediately attentive and responsive, totally on the job. I called them twice that day and though they could've justifiably have felt I was being a pest, Dick was gracious and helpful, super down to earth, explaining in detail what and why my car needed. I had no clue what he was talking about, it was a completely foreign language, e.g. struts and shocks, muffler, pipes brackets and bushings, regulator . . . plus other stuff, it was a major deal. Dick was not at all patronizing, instead very respectful and honest, a ton of integrity and humility. He finished this massive job in 3 days! Kept me updated through the process, and when we went to pick it up, explained that he had accidentally over-estimated the initial cost due to charging twice for the regulator; he adjusted the price by $400. If he hadn't made this correction, frankly I would never have known about it, and paid the money anyway. He could've easily swindled and over-charged me. But he DIDN'T! While he was getting my paperwork ready, we chatted a bit and learned that he's been in business at this location for many decades . . . oh man, I was so bummed thinking I could've been taking my car to him all these years, instead of going to the rip off stupid dealership, who did my car all sorts of wrong. But also over the moon happy that I've finally found an auto guy who I can trust, who's honest, and gets the job done at warp speed! When I drove my car out of the shop, I felt in my bones that my little car had gotten lots of TLC--it drives like a dream, literally glides over the road, the stiff handling I expect from my beemer, it's hush quiet, none of the growling I'd normed to with my holey muffler; I drove on El Camino Real going over the potholes and bumps, which my car took like a champ, nice and easy, no slamming to the ground. But here's an update to my earlier experience, when I had to go back 4-5 months later: I went back for another issue with my door, and was disappointed that he didn't seem to want to repair the lock, and simply sprayed WD40 on it, which I guess might have solved it it required only that. But ultimately he ended up having to replace the entire lock, which was broken, and not surprising given the age of the car. But my disappointment had to do with that he wasn't proactive about looking into it, and I had to insist--I wished he'd been more keen to do the diagnostics, which is more than half the job, whether it's a car or a human. read more

I've been taking my cars to Holland for more than 15 years now. Dick has always been considerate, helpful honest, knowledgeable, and fair with his pricing and work. He is really easy to work with and doesn't try to sell you unnecessary services. Carl their mechanic is very knowledge with excellent workmanship who cares about your car. Not to mention that if I needed to use a car, Dick would offer his own car to drive. Now, that is a offer you don't get every day. I would highly recommend Holland for any type of service you might need on your BMW or any other car you may drive. I am sure they will take good care of your car and you will come back again. read more

I think Dick the owner of Holland Auto Service isn't honest at all. We took my wife's Porsche Cayenne for a full service and windshield fluid container replacement. I am sure we paid for the container replacement, but now that fluid is leaking again... Dick says we didn't pay for a replacement. We took the same vehicle to replace all four rims and tires later on. Holland held the vehicle for a whole month after Dick said it would be ready in two weeks. Six months after Holland replaced the rims and tires, the two rear tires blew up in the freeway. I had the vehicle towed to Ma's Auto Repair in San Mateo by AAA recommendation. Pao the person that helped me, said I was lucky the two front tires didn't blow instead. Pao was very helpful he told me the rims and tires were changed, but alignment was way off and not done properly. We called Dick to ask for an explanation, of what happened with the alignment? Dick responded Holland Auto doesn't do alignments they outsource them and Dick said he didn't take responsibility... Now although I live in Burlingame 2 minutes away from Holland Auto Service. I rather take our three vehicles to Ma's Auto Repair 20 minutes away in San Mateo... Since I value honesty, clear explanation, punctual delivery and GREAT SERVICE over convenience ANY TIME! read more

This is the sort of place you see expect to see on Twilight Zone episodes, you know, fifties flashback stuff, except that only good things happen here. Not only are they fair and fast (and for me, local), but when I had to deal with the evil gremlins at the BMW service center (see that review under Peter Pan BWM Service), Dick actually took the time to advise me on my dealings with them. Geez! If you are looking for mechanics who do their job well, who are honest and will go above and beyond, then look no more. read more

Great to work with, friendly, very good price. Super professional all way 'round and did a great job with my car. We will definitely go back if/when the need arises. read more