I just had the most pleasant experience with the team at Japan Auto. I brought my truck in to see if they could diagnose a problem that I couldn't figure out on my own. They asked a lot of good questions and listened. They took it for a drive and threw it on the rack. They actually spent a good deal of time on it. They solved part of the problem on the spot and are working up an estimate for a fix that needs to happen eventually. Super honest and knowledgable with no pressure. I like these guys! read more

Japan auto was great. They had clear communication, delivered as promised, and were friendly to work with.

Take your Prius to Japan Auto Repair at corner of FRONT St. & HOAG Str. off East Francisco Blvd. in San Rafael one block from Medway. They are BEST IN MARIN -- They have been in business since the late 1980s and have multi-generational customer base now as grandkids are now their repeat customers. I have been their customer since 1989. There is no better more experienced professional and capable place to go to with your Prius. (415) 258-9376 read more

When your car needs help, just call my "Car Doctor" at Japan Auto who have always helped my classic GEO Tracker to full recovery. They are the best! Thanks from John Benus. read more

Exceptional service!!! Dario is the Man!! David runs a tight ship here. Honesty and Transparency is #1 I Highly recommend I paid around $200 for a Pre-Purchase Inspection here. It was very hands on, I rode along while Dario showed me some things to look for when testing a vehicle. When he brought the car back to the shop he raised it up in the air to check underneath it. In the shop I felt free to go wherever I want as long as I am respectful and cautious. I probably could have stood next to Dario the whole time. If I wanted but I decided to give him space and let him work. about a month later when Toyota Marin told me they were too busy to install a seatbelt retractor on the car that they sold me! I took the car here instead and Dario fixed it real quick, within 30 minutes!! Good thing he was there that day. Everything ended up working out smoothly thanks to Japan Auto Repair! read more

I have been taking my Rav4 to Japan Auto Repair for over 10 years. Their service is high quality and professional. Their mechanics are friendly and knowledgeable. Dario is the best! Keep up the great service! read more

I had an older car, a 2000 Volvo S70 that needed some major engine repairs. We have dealt with Japan Auto in the past with other vehicles we have owned and contacted Josh since Kenzo has retired. They advised they could look at the car and would provide us an estimate on the work needed. We had to have the car towed, because it was inoperable, nice thing about Japan Auto is they do have their own storage lot for this very such case. They took no time in getting the car evaluated and was very detailed about what the problem was and what it was going to take to fix it and why certain things had to be replaced because of how the engine is made. They provided us with an estimate and answered all of our questions to our satisfaction. We gave them the green light and in about 2 days they had all the work done, thank goodness we had a customer appreciation coupon for 15% off. The car is now running great and I would definitely recommend Josh and the team over at Japan Auto, a very professional and honest business! read more

Japan Auto Repair - Auto Repair Near Me - San Rafael, California

My wife's Prius had a short in her lights so we brought it into Japan Auto Repair late in the day. David was super friendly and got us right in the queue to start the work first thing in the morning. By 1pm the next day the work was complete along with an oil change. We now have our new go-to shop. I highly recommend David and his team. read more

Imho, still the best/only option for one to take a Japanese car in the North Bay. Ray, Dario, Josh and others who work here are communicative and professional. If you're looking to support a small, local-owned business where people have integrity and care for the quality of work-this is the place to go. read more

I've been a loyal customer of Japan Auto Repair since 2010. They've helped keep my cars running and running and running. Now my wife and son are devoted customers and fans too. David is always a pleasure and so is everyone else. Quality prompt work at fair prices. They keep it simple like that. read more

Jason and the guys are awesome! We've been coming for over a decade back when it had been owned by Kenzo. The guys are ethical, reasonably priced, and good at explaining issues proactively. I trust them completely!! In fact, I actually consider what brand of car to buy based on if they can service it or not! I have recommended Japan Auto to all my friends and will continue to be their customer!!! read more

During my oil and minor service, David and Hannah were very friendly and helpful. I needed a new battery, and David ordered a better-quality one than I would have picked if I were stuck on the road with a dead battery. Hannah took the time to check the last time I had a major service and gave me a guideline for a future date. Appreciate it! read more

There are by the book mechanics, who learn their trade from trainings or manuals, and are competent. Then, at the highest level, there's a master mechanic like Dario from Japan Auto who has the ability to find a working solution to a recurring car problem which cannot be found in the trainings or the manuals. See, what caused our car problem is one or two members of the multitude of field rats we have in our otherwise fine hillside wooded neighborhood ventured into our Honda Accord, where we usually had kept an energy bar or such in reserve for road trip emergencies. ANd so at least one very large rat got into our Honda and did plenty of chewing damage this winter to get the interior of the car to those that energy bars. And they also leaved natural droppings by which it was easy to tell it was a very big rat doing a lot of damage. ANd by the time we I noticed a hole in the front center console area, rats (or large rat singular) had also chewed their way through our trunk lining to access some other temporarily stored food in the trunk. So I asked an old independent mechanic friend of mine who doesn't work on Japanese model cars who to go to, and he recommended Japan Auto, which I did, and met Dario the mechanic there for an inspection of the rat-damaged parts. However,between the time Dario inspected the damage, ordered the replacement parts, and the parts came in, the rats apparently returned and did more damage to the vent system wires, even though there was no more food in the car. And then our ventilation/air conditioning system stopped functioning completely.. So upon further inspection of the new damage, Dario got creative and figured out where the rats were ingressing the car. It was through a section of the engine compartment that leads to the back of our glove compartment, which also gave them access to the vent system wires. So he ordered parts for a truly industrial-quality metal blocking grill to fit that roughly 8 inch by 4 inch easy-rat access hole to the interior area. And a week later he installed the grill, and made it fit right , so it looks just like an standard OEM part. And then he also expertely soldered and custom-reworked the damaged wires with new shrink wrap, so that we didn't have replace the entire vent system wiring harness module, which would have been much higher cost. Five weeks later, the rats appear gone for good, thanks to to custom grill blocking rat ingress. There's no way a basic mechanic was going to diagnose and solve an unusual problem like this so effectively, painlessly. Painlessly, because the cost was quite reasonable, and, surprise, there were zero extra non-estimated in advance charges, even though I expect his work in sourcing the custom grill materials, and the shrink wrap for wires took some extra time for him.. But Dario did all that. Also, Kudos also to David the office manager for making the paperwork and appointment arrangements easy. So you bet I'm coming back to Japan Auto Center for my next maintenance or repair requirements. read more

Japan Auto Repair - Customized anti-rat/animal ingress grill. - Auto Repair Near Me - San Rafael, California

I have gone here decades with Hondas. I moved away for 11 years and now back with a Fiat. I went into Japan motors today and on there staff is Dario--a trained Fiat mechanic who not only drives a Fiat he restores them. I can't say enough good things about them. They still tell you if you don't really need work and give the lowest prices and never gouge you. That is why they were voted best in Marin for 2024 in the Pacific Sun read more

I also wanted to add Don't let the "Japan Auto" deter you that they only work on Japanese vehicles, the also service my Volkswagon Bug! they are great! read more

David and Hannah are courteous and friendly people who make the necessity of car repairs a pleasant experience. Dario repaired the window on my mother's car. It's an old car, and he made a priority list of things that needed to be done, so that I could schedule repairs in order of importance. He gave me meticulous details about the car in terms that I could easily understand. read more

This is a review that sucks to write, because our family has been taking our cars to Japan Auto for decades, since Kenzo owned it. Prices were reasonable and they did good work. Over the last couple years, under the new ownership, the quality of the work has gone down and the prices have gone up like crazy. The events that prompted this review are as follows: my 2004 Toyota Highlander was taken into the shop for some service on June 26th, 2023. It needed the door seals redone, and the A/C was having issues as well. The A/C actuator was also replaced at this time, which cost a total of $1,804 in labor and another $690 in parts. This ultimately did not fix the issue with the A/C. (see photo 1) The June 26th visit created a bunch of new issues with the car. Somehow, as the repair to the door seals was being performed, the tech managed to forget to replace the hinge that holds the passenger side front door open. The door would freely swing without resistance. The A/C would work intermittently, and then randomly start blowing hot air. In addition, the emergency light button on the dash would not turn the blinkers on, although the turn signals still worked as normal. The clock also did not work. The car was brought in to have these issues addressed on July 10th, 2023. The tech's notes from this visit claim that the front right door had a "broken bolt" but neglects to mention that it was missing a part (that he forgot to reinstall during the previous visit.) This time, his inspection of the A/C claims that the HVAC circuit board needed to be replaced, and that the real issue was unrelated to the previous work they had done. The price quoted to repair the circuit board was $939. After this visit, the clock and hazard lights only worked intermittently. The A/C would only blow hot air. (see photo 2) At this point, I elected to seek out other options and opinions. I returned to Japan Auto on July 17th to get the clock and hazard lights repaired, and leave the A/C as it was. $175 of labor later, the hazard lights and clock were fixed, although the clock stopped working once again a couple days later. Yesterday, September 11th, 2023, I brought the car to Beckstrom Automotive to get the A/C serviced. Recall from above that Japan Auto had claimed that the HVAC circuit board was defective and needed to be replaced. The tech at Beckstrom opened the unit up, and noted that someone had been inside the unit previously and that there were screws missing, screws not fully tightened, a plastic tab was broken, and wires were not soldered back together. After this work was performed, both the A/C and clock are back in working order. This cost $400 in labor, with no additional parts needed. (see photo 4) I went back to Japan Auto today to notify them of what happened and to give them a chance to right their wrongs. They declined to do anything of the sort, so here we are. According to the invoices we were provided by Japan Auto, all the work was performed by "RJ" so hopefully this is an isolated issue with a particularly bad tech. Regardless, my family and I will not be returning to this shop and caution others against the same. read more

See all

We've taken our newer and older 4Runner and Pilot's here for their routine service and have been very happy. They have many long time and loyal customers. Japan Auto Repair earn that with great service, honesty and value. read more

An Honest Auto Repair Shop? You read that correctly! Japan Auto Repair has been servicing my cars for close to 20 years. We keep going back because they are honest and charge fair prices. Their team is friendly and takes great care of you and your car. In 2020, it is a great feeling to know I can count on these guys to keep all of our cars running smoothly and safely! read more

I've taken my car here a few times over the years. The work has always been good but the customer service experience has slid downhill. Theres some communication problems between the office and shop Recently I brought my car in to have brakes and other maintenance done. Then, for some reason, the mechanic called me to ask if I wanted my brakes done. I didn't receive his message for a couple of hours. When we talked it was late afternoon and I told him I needed my car the next day and he said he could still get the job done. At 5:00 he calls that it's ready. When I showed up to get my car at 5:15, the young guy who sits in the office tells me he was supposed to be out of there at 5:00 and throws the mechanic under the bus for not sticking around to walk me through all the work that was done. First of all, I'm not interested in hearing about this guy's frustration getting off work late. Second, if he's the manager now (?) it's not the mechanic's fault that he's not clear on the work my car was there for. I also needed to have a lock replaced on my door which I had to bring my car back for. They performed an inspection at $80 on the previous visit, I gave the ok to order the lock cylinder and the $450 labor. I get a call from the mechanic again after leaving my car. He says the lock cylinder he ordered doesn't match my key and wants to know if I'm ok with having 2 keys for my car. I'm not - that was never discussed. Nobody ever mentioned there could/would be a $150 re-key fee on top of the rest. It feels like nickel and dime tactics. Maybe it is maybe it isn't, that's how it comes across though. Again, the young guy in the office blames the mechanic for not writing a clear estimate and says the mechanic made a mistake. He also said the lock should have matched the key since it was ordered by the VIN of my car. Somehow all of this is my problem to solve by throwing more money at it. I don't like wrenching on things any more so I pay people to do it. I used to run a field welding crew. A couple lessons I learned are: Don't make your problems your customer's and nobody respects a leader who points the finger every time something comes up. read more

I found this place after getting screwed and disrespected by the local San Rafael Toyota Dealership. To the others that have complained here: Go to the dealership! I am sure you will be happy somewhere corporate that really could give a shizzm less about you or your car. When you complain there, they won't even respect your concerns with a response. They will also charge you 3-4 times as much. So quit complaining about cost. If cost is an issue, go to the Grocery Outlet parking lot and find a mechanic there. Quit complaining about stoopid stuff and be better support for local small businesses. I will forever be a customer here for all my service needs for my truck. They have gone above and beyond every expectation I would ever have about a shop of this caliber and have taken care of me and my truck when over a dozen there would not even attempt the work I needed done. Thank you for all the commitment and effort in your profession and thank you for the exceptional customer service experiences that I have had the opportunity to be on the receiving end of. I will forever be a customer service of establishments like this one. Thank you for being amazing! Cheers - read more

I have been a customer of Japan Auto for more than 20 years. It is a small group of factory trained mechanics that have moved from the service departments of Toyota, Honda and Acura to work in an independent 5-bay shop. Their work has been done right, is guaranteed and at a price that is far less than dealerships. read more

I've been taking my vehicles to be serviced at Japan Auto for years. They know what they're doing and do it well. Glad to have a shop I can trust. read more

I was having trouble with the locks on my car. The man who serviced my car was patient with me and explained how the different pieces worked. He worked with me regarding options for what actually needed to be changed and things that weren't a priority for me to change at the time. My repairs were quoted much higher at another repair shop. I trust Japan Auto Repair because they spent the time to work with me and my budget. Their honesty and customer service have made it clear that Japan Auto Repair is the only place I'll be taking my car for future repairs. read more

I dealt with Kenzo for many, many years--until he retired and Josh took over ownership of the business. I loved dealing with Kenzo. Now, I like dealing with Dario at Japan Auto. He is a Swiss mechanic, very thorough, very patient, and very nice. read more

Not what it used to be under Kenzo. We recently brought our Subaru here after our prepaid maintenance plan from the dealership ran out. Our Forester had been making a weird noise which I mentioned offhandedly as I was leaving (it was brought in for something else). They were not able to fix the original issue (needed software update from the dealer - not their fault or failure), but said that they could fix the noise. I was super pleased since the dealer had not been able to locate or fix the noise. I probably should have asked more questions, but I approved the work and paid $450 for it. Of course as soon as I was driving off their lot the car made the noise, so definitely not fixed. A few weeks later my husband went by with a recording of the noise and asked them to listen to it. They refused and said that it was a useless diagnostic to listen to the recording unless a mechanic was actually in the car when the noise was occuring. He asked them if they had actually heard the noise that they "repaired" and no one could answer that question. He then asked them if we had paid $450 for a "repair" that was unneccesary and they shrugged. They were not willing to accept that their initial diagnosis resulted in unnecessary work or any desire to try to make it right. Long story short, we have no idea what they think they fixed or why we were charged $450 for work that doesn't actually seem necessary when it seems pretty clear that they 1) didn't actually know what noise we were talking about and 2) had no interest in actually trying to figure it out. We feel like we were taken advantage of and do not feel like we were treated honestly. My husband had been going to Japan Auto for decades before the ownership changed hands and we were willing to try it out to see if it upheld the same standards but clearly it doesn't. An expensive and disappointing lesson. read more

Best auto shop in Portland hands down. Always quick, easy and reasonably priced. I cant count how many times I've had to drop off my vehicle with no appointment in an emergency, and had it fixed day of. Johns the man. read more

Brought in my Acura for an oil change earlier this month. Reasonable pricing & fast turnaround ... This will be my new go-to for maintenance moving forward. Helpful staff! read more

after my mechanic sold his shop, i went looking for someone that could work on hondas reliably. these guys replaced my shocks with really cheap crap, that fell apart in a year. my front brakes were shimmying. they planed them down and that only lasted a year, and that was only a little over 12000 miles. then the guy phoned me to tell me i needed to replace my battery. that was about two years ago. i said no, because by then i felt they thought i'm a real sucker. the battery is still fine. last year, i went someplace else and got new discs for about the same price as the planing job. read more

What a find! If you ever need to get your car smogged, this place is great! I didn't need an appointment, and drove right up and it took him less than 10 minutes. He sent the forms required directly to the DMV. And if you are concerned about cost, he is very competitive. I checked around a bunch of places. Definitely all 5 stars are earned by this establishment. It couldn't have been easier. read more

I've been going here forever, and I've always gotten the BEST service. It's so comforting to have a car mechanic you can trust. My car was driving erratically, so Japan Auto squeezed me in, and inspected the car right away. I appreciate the peace of mind knowing that the car is safe. Thank you Japan Auto! read more

I've been taking mine and my kids Hondas here for the last eight years. Josh has continued the highest quality, lowest price and no nonsense tradition that Kenzo established. I am always confident that they will fix the car and give it everything it needs. They have been kind and friendly, even trying to help my friend with his weird Mitsubishi. I don't dread coming here - - a completely different experience than the dealership. read more

Josh (owner), Dario ( head techition) and David, ("meeter and greeter" and does everthing else!) are sooo respectful and appeared to be genuinely thrilled to have me as a customer! The garage itself is spotless..you could have lunch in it! They were attentive, gave fast feedback on the problem with my car, and clearly explained my options and cost. The car was ready when they said it would be and the price was fair! Love these guys!! read more

This was my first time using Japan auto repair and it was for a minor service. They were very efficient and promptly worked on my car. I had some questions that they took time to answer and give me explanations about which I appreciated. Looking forward to returning for future work. read more

The most honest guys you will ever meet! They truly care about the customer and recommending what's best. I was recommended this shop by a coworker who has multiple cars with 150k+ miles on them. He only brings the cars here for services and they keep his cars going strong! read more

I've had my Camry serviced at Japan Auto Repair for most of its life, and I've owned it for 22 years. It probably owes its long life to Japan Auto. My husband has also had his Camry serviced at Japan Auto Repair from the beginning. What I like best about Japan Auto Repair is that they always keep me informed about what is going on with my car, explain technical issues to me in English I understand, tell me what needs to be done and how much it's going to cost. They sometimes even suggest that a repair might be too expensive to be worth it under the circumstances. That said, they always leave the final decision up to me. In addition to being extremely good at what they do, they are very pleasant to work with. read more

My husband and I had the best experience with Japan Auto Repair. Josh and his team made us feel like family and took care of all our car needs. They were kind, generous, thoughtful and outgoing. We are grateful to have such a superb auto shop we can always rely on. read more

I've been taking my cars to Japan Auto Repair I think since Kenzo opened the place. Now I bring my 2018 Nissan Maxima there and find Josh and crew totally reliable, fair and competent as ever. Last trip in, my mechanic saved me $400 by letting me know I didn't need to replace a certain part. Will C read more

I have been taking my car to Japan Auto for many years. They have always gone above and beyond for any repair my Toyota has required. They are excellent auto mechanics, as well as good, trustworthy people, who treat their customers with kindness and do not charge exorbitant prices. Rare find. Highly recommend Japan Auto Repair! read more

These guys are top notch. Excellent service, quality work, responsive and courteous. I highly recommend Japan Auto Repair.