Amazing to work with they're very straightforward. Don't try to overcharge. You did great work on my air-conditioning.

I keep my old 2008 Honda CRV in California so I have a car to use whenever I'm here. I've always taken very good care of my little car with regular oil changes windshield wiper replacement tires battery washing and waxing. On this trip, I noticed my air conditioning was not working very well. I was pretty anxious about finding a place to do the repairs since I'm not familiar with repair shops in this area. Thank goodness for Yelp. Thank you fellow yelpers for posting your reviews as it help me find Howard's. I went in there on Monday and they spent about an hour diagnosing and making one small repair. They also pointed out another problem that I had, and we scheduled an appointment to return on Wednesday. Today's Wednesday, took my car in, voila, it's done. Nice family owned business. The gentleman at the counter is named Bill, the father. Bill is a true gentleman. Henry and Calvin ate the mechanics. They have many commercial customers so that tells me that they do good work. I highly recommend if you have any auto mechanic needs to check out Howard Avenue Radiator.... They do more than radiators. read more

Howard Ave Radiator & Auto Air Conditioning - Auto Repair Near Me - San Carlos, California

I brought in my 1990 Ford Econoline to get a general safety inspection (recently purchased on marketplace) and Calvin was an amazing help. He was very friendly, professional, and clearly very knowledgeable about old cars. He gave a detailed inspection, honest advice and charged a very reasonable rate. If you need to get your car looked at, Howard Auto is the place to go, and Calvin is a great guy to work with. read more

I brought my motorcycle gas tank in for repair as it was leaking fuel out the bottom. The tank was from a 1960 motorcycle and was not sure if it could be repaired. They told me to take the tank off the motorcycle and bring it in. I was impressed as they really tried to fix the leak and also preserve the paint on the tank which I know was not an easy task. I'm very happy with the craftsmanship and quality of their work and I highly recommend this shop. read more

Howard Ave Radiator & Auto Air Conditioning - Fuel Tank Repaired! - Auto Repair Near Me - San Carlos, California

Really great team here. They fixed my Radiator for my 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe for 500+ less than the Oil change guy quoted. They gave me a drop off date (I like the after hours drop off system). Team (Father Son) did great job on communication with me. I plan to bring my other older cars to these guys in the future since other posters have said they do much more than just Radiators. read more

The owner, Bill and his sons are true artisans. In addition to their extensive experience, their intuition to solve issues is impressive. I drive from their lot with the utmost confidence. read more

We got a recommendation from a coworker to call Bill at Howard. From my initial phone call to all my follow up talks with he and his son Calvin, these guys were nothing but professional. They were upfront and honest about the issues, cost, and time it would take to replace. I couldn't recommend these guys anymore than I am right now! I know for a fact, I will be calling Bill and Calvin for all of my car repair needs. read more

Been using the shop for years to clean out and reseal BMW motorcycle gas tanks. Great work and they're rescued some very rusty tanks for restorations read more

My mechanic sent me to them. Said they do great work. He estimated I would need new lines. I arrived, they checked. Called the next day, said I just need to change a seal as it had died from old age. My car is a 1984 LC. I had it replaced and next day I picked it up. Now my AC blows like the Tundra and my car is freezing in 2 minutes. Great service. read more

Brought our 2004 Honda Pilot to Howard Ave Radiator since the AC hasn't been working for at least 3-4 years. We were expecting the worse that it might need a lot of repairs for the AC to work again. Howard checked for leaks and confirmed we only need to get the AC charged up! What a honest shop that will not overcharge their customers with work that is not needed. You gained a new loyal customer. read more

I have taken various cars to this shop, and they have always done a great job. The shop is run by a father and his two sons. If your car isn't running right, they will diagnose the issue and repair it. Just recently, I was having an emissions issue on one of my vehicles as it was running rough. They found the issue and it's now running great! Thanks guys. read more

Another honest business in San Carlos area. Recommended by Bob from Bob and Kevin's automotive for AC problems. I have had hot air blown since Covid. I thought it would be thousands to fix. Turned out it wasn't severe and it only cost $250. Thank you Calvin!!!! read more

I needed an AC recharge on my car and brought it here. Price was reasonable and they got it done very quickly. Would definitely recommend!

When it comes to auto airconditioning, this shop and its staff are the experts. I have a 1993 Toyota Previa LE with 275K miles on it. This vehicle, despite its age, still runs well and is relatively clean. The only problem, the A/C system was no longer providing cold air. I've gone around Toyota dealerships and aircon shops in the area, but no one could repair this old system that uses the old type of refrigerant. I was then referred to this shop by a mechanic friend. After their work, I was happy with the result. My vehicle's aircon now blows cool air even during hot days. The owner of this shop with his two sons has been in the air-con and radiator business for decades and it shows in their expertise in this trade and the kind of work they do. I would highly recommend this shop for your auto air-con needs. I think that you will be happy with the results. read more

Good honest guys who treat you right. They dont talk down to you or dismiss your questions. I had some A/C lines done here and they took the time to do it right and charged a very reasonable price. Calvin is a great guy to work with and I would not hesitate to bring my car here again or recommend friends. read more

This place is great to get Air conditioning and heating done and they are very respectful of us ladies as well! I would totally say go see them if you have any issues! read more

My 2016 Nissan Leaf A/C was blowing warm air. They diagnosed the issue and replaced one of the A/C lines that had cracked. The dealership wanted to replace all my A/C lines at four times the price quoted by Howard ave. Should have came here first. Great service, honest work and reasonable prices. If I ever have A/C issues again my cars are coming here. read more

I'm about to take a very long road trip and I called Howard Ave Radiator to get a quote on a radiator flush. I was told to wait until I get to my destination to ensure that the actual flush doesn't cause stress to the system right before a long drive. I appreciate their honestly and will definitely trust them with any radiator / AC upkeep / maintenance issues going forward. read more

I had a battery change out by them, but before I did this I specifically asked to have the computer voltage applied by external battery before they disconnected the battery. Well I have all the alarms now because they did not, for some reason do this. Now I have to drive the car many miles to correct this and also if anyone has tried to follow the procedure for doing this, they will find out that they are breaking some laws like going too slow on the freeway. (You must slow down to almost a crawl and then speed up again to the posted speed) You do this a couple of times. oh well. read more

Five stars this small family owned shop is friendly helpful and honest. I had an AC issue on my jeep took it in there to have them look at it. They called me an hour or so later said it was some thing that the dealership had to deal with and fix. Even though they had spent an hour or so going through it they didn't charge me they told me what was wrong and what to look for at the dealership. Thank you for being great neighbors! read more

Great shop and one of the last radiator repair places in the Bay. Calvin was awesome! Highly recommended.

Wouldn't even give them 1 star... my dad took his truck here and paid them over $5000 to fix his truck and they didn't even fix it and made him pay the money to get his trick back... they literally stole over $5000 from someone can't even afford that they should be completely ashamed!!!!!! They completely took advantage of my dad read more

I have a 1995 Nissan 200SX SE-R. My air-conditioning wasn't working and I didn't know if it was worth fixing. I happened to visit Rack N Road for a new roof rack, which is on El Camino round the corner. They recommended Howard Avenue Radiator. I checked out the website, checked reviews and called and they said come in the next day as early as possible, i.e. 7:00 am. I did. As soon as I arrived the mechanic asked me to lift the hood, run the air-conditioning and he checked the vents and fan were working. The pressure was checked, the refrigerant refilled and the car was ready by 8:00am. There's a little coffee shop next door for refreshments while you wait. Prompt service and I paid about the same as I had 10 years earlier for an air-conditioning recharge at at Nissan dealer. Good work. read more

Howard Ave. Radiator ROCKS! Rick knows his stuff... that's for sure!! My car was making a rattling noise when the engine was on. First I took it to Alex at California Auto Works in RWC (who has worked on my car before) to get a quote and Alex told me I had a handful of problems with my car. He "Guaranteed me" all these things were the cause of the noise...with repairs costing over $700! I don't know a lot about cars but I knew his diagnosis didn't sound right! I took my car to Rick at Howard Ave. Radiator and Rick showed me in about 2 minutes what the problem was and fixed it for $139! Noise is gone and I will never go anywhere else now!!!!! THANK YOU RICK FOR YOUR HONESTY, PROFESSIONAL WORK AND NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS...like so many other auto repair shops do. I'll be back and tell all my friends along the way. read more

I got the best deal at this place compared to many other places. They did an amazing job! Highly recommend this place!

The summer is coming and the A/C on my 94 Honda del sol is not working. Did some research and found this shop specialized in A/C. Clavin recommended I brought in the car in the morning and dropped it there. After about three hours, I received a phone call from him explained to me what was wrong. There were three issues in the 27-year young car: leaking schrader valve, overcharged freon and blocked heater control valve. Wow! That's very impressive. I know how challenging it is to identify one issue in a system but three at the same time? This is the A/C expert I can recommend. The price is very reasonable and the service is great. Calvin is a very nice guy and he's enthusiastic about cars. I will definitely come to this shop if any service required. In the mean time, I'm enjoying ice cold A/C in the fun little car. read more

Love these guys. They have old school experience and fear nothing. They identified my 1970 Datsun radiator and heater core seconds after I pulled them out of my truck bed and re-cored them beautifully. read more

I'm finally getting around to speak my mind. I took my Cadillac in because the a/c wasn't working. Charged me over 700 for a new compressor, two bays later is stoped working, took it back and they said I needed this and that including a new compressor? I said I thought you just replaced that? Oh no we didn't they said! Ok, 1100.00 later I drive off thinking it's got to be good now. Two days later it stops working... due to my work schedule it was months later I was able to take it back. By then I decided I wanted nothing to do with them. I found both the receipts and was charged twice for the same part. Should have acted sooner I know, so that's on me. But, If I were you I would avoid Howard radiator at all cost! read more

These gentlemen are very honest! AC was not blowing out cool air in my 2004 VW Passat, so I asked Bill to check whether the Freon was low. It turned out the Freon level was OK, but the electronic(s) needed attention from VW dealership. They only charged a extremely low price for their service. I am thankful. read more

Quick, honest service. Called at 11am to ask about a/c service (2010 van blowing cool air in cool weather, and hot air during hot weather), Calvin advised I come in before 1PM or plan to leave the vehicle so they can check first thing tomorrow morning. I arrived at noon and Rich kindly went over the process (I have not had to get a/c service before) and instructed me to come back in an hour. I returned promptly at the hour - and the van was done. They showed me the broken relay they replaced, and recharged low freon. Reasonable fees and prompt, courteous service. I am very glad to have found them. One of those things I hope not to have to frequent but if I must, I know where to go. read more

I took my Toyota 4-Runner in because my engine was beginning to overheat. After leaving it at Howard for a couple of hours, they diagnosed the problem as a bad radiator/fan clutch. They estimated the repair at $900! Knowing that a radiator costs about $150 and a fan clutch at $70, I knew they were ripping me off. I pulled the truck from their shop immediately. I then took my truck to another mechanic who diagnosed the problem (correctly this time) as a water pump. So, not only would I have been in the hole $900 for the radiator/fan clutch (which was not broken!), but I also would have had to get the water pump replaced. I am not sure they even looked under the hood before diagnosing it as a radiator problem. Find another place to go! read more

I had some overheating issues with my 70 Dodge Challenger and found the old timers at Howard radiator to be quite knowledgable about dealing with classic car and antique car cooling systems. They can rodout a radiator if necessary or they can just reverse flush a radiator which is safer and more economical. Also received a good tip on how to create an inexpensive mesh filter to trap crud in your upper hose before it gets lodged in your newly flashed out radiator. read more

We have 97 Toyota Tacoma pickup. The air conditioning didn't work. Toyota suggested replacing the whole system at a 4 figure cost. We took it to Howard Avenue. They charged a small fee for assessment, which they applied to our final bill since they did the work. They were great. They figured out which parts weren't working and fixed them. But we also had a hidden leak. We took it back. They put in a dye to figure out where the leak was. They found the leak and fixed it. Yes, it cost a few dollars more. But the whole thing was about 1/4 the cost that Toyota would have charged. Now we have ice cold air. Thanx. read more

Two experiences: my Honda Accord had a greasy film on the windshield, Honda did not find a problem, I took it to Howard Ave Radiator and they found a heater core pinhole leak and I was able to get Honda to replace it under warranty. Thanks Howard Ave! My motorcycle broke down on El Camino and I pushed to Howard Ave which was closed. They kept an eye on it while I took out and got the battery recharged and recommended I go to a local mechanic to have the alternator checked out. No charge for the parking and they gave me free, good advice. Thanks Howard Ave! read more

Great price,great service. I had an air-conditioner issue. Chevy dealership wanted $300 just to find out the problem and they said it would take 2 days. Howard fixed it within 3 hours for under $200. read more

These guys are the AC professionals. They quickly diagnosed a leak in my ac system at the expansion valve in my classic Mercedes and charged a reasonable amount for the diagnosis and the repair. This was about a year ago with a previous car of mine. I'm starting to have some AC issues with another car of mine. I'm taking it back to the professionals at Howard. read more

I would like to thank Howard Ave Radiator ( esp Henry ) for taking me by diagnosing and doing repairs on my car right on the spot. My car would not start, and I had it towed to Howards, whom my husband and I have used for years for repair on all our cars. I thought I needed a new starter, but Henry came out with a smile, checked my car over, and said all I needed was a new battery. The lights went on in the car which led me to believe it was not the battery, but it was so drained the car would not start. Anyway, they were able to obtain a new battery in 5 min. and my car was ready to go. They basically stopped what they were doing, and got me on my way in no time. It is rare you find old fashioned customer service ANYWHERE, esp in San Carlos, but Howards is the best. We take our cars nowhere but there. Thank you guys so much.. I really appreciate your time in taking care of me. I thought I was going to have long walk home! :-) read more

I had a problem crop up on the recent self-install of my new in-dash AC in my VW Camper and so brought it back to Howard Radiator (they had done the original charge & check-out). They quickly sorted out the minor leaking valve problem & returned it to working order & blowing cold once more. Quality work! read more

Radiator repair is something these guys do extremely well. If you have a radiator issue, bring it here first so you can find out if it's fixable. Great guys, great service, and a ton of air conditioning knowledge in that shop. read more

Calvin squeezed me in on a Friday afternoon and had my AC repaired and I was out the door in 40 minutes! Cannot say enough good things about them and my experience. read more