Sam and Chris are Great. I have taken multiple cars there to repair and diagnostics and they have been honest and transparent with their recommendations. Even the people they recommended us to was honest and transparent with their recommendations. I fully trust them to care for our Honda's and Nissan's. read more

This is a wonderful small shop. Sam and his crew have always been honest with us and taken excellent care of both of our cars. As we have moved away, I will have to look hard for a new shop that will be up to their standards, I highly recommend them read more

I needed a Prius repaired quick and they delivered with fair price and a fast turnaround.

Why isn't this place 5 star from everybody? Awesome service. Fast turnaround. Nice people that like what they do. Honest pricing.

We have been taking our cars to Japanese auto for several years and I must say that I have always been pleased with the work that they have done. read more

I take both my car and my wife's car for service here. They never do anything that our vehicles don't absolutely need. Their service is excellent never have to wait long. I wouldn't take our cars anywhere else. read more

great job performance as well as customer service on an oil change job. Was in and out of the store in half hour. They also did a general inspection. thanks. read more

Looks like some love it and others hate. Husband said we must give a full 5 stars. We have a 2002 Toyota Tundra. Starter was bad. Husband tried to do it himself, but gave up since we didn't have the right tools. Had out truck towed the 2 miles to here the next day. Japanese Autocare was straight forward with us since they typically don't replace parts that are not from them. But gave us a fair quote for the labor and it was completed very timely as promised with the same day. The team was very nice. Unlike the 1 stars, nothing was removed/tampered with/broken...truck came back to us better than what it was before. Starts and drives like a dream now. read more

Had a brake problem come up a couple days ago. Called in the early morning to check on availability. They fit me in later that morning for a free estimate. They diagnosed the problem and it was worse than I had thought. Not to worry, though; they quickly got the parts on order, had a fair estimate for the parts and labor, and had the car ready and repaired even earlier than expected later that afternoon. Great service throughout from Patty who handled the intake and ordering and Mario who handled the repair. They guarantee their work for a year. Thank you, Japanese Autocare! You got us back up and running in less than half a day! read more

Got me in and out quickly for oil change at a great price. I will be back with my other car.

Good service and value. They are very straightforward in what we need for our Lexus. Good value and way more better than dealers.

Very busy spot so need appointment for service; they will provide estimate for any additional services

was able to get in fast, communication on statues and problem was great. Was given a quote for $3400 by another station, called John just to see his price. John said bring the car in and we will do our own diagnostic. I asked John to check ailment (because of all the pothole while the car was there) John called back and said $400 for the service, you will be needing maintenance done soon and you don't need an ailment at this time. WOW honest, polite, comfortable. will definitely go back for any other services and recommend to friends. read more

Jimmy the main man happens to be a veteran and a wonderful human being. And I can say the same thing about John except that to my knowledge, he is not a veteran (not that there is anything wrong with that). I would say that my situation is a little bit more special than most; however, I will be a paying customer of their for the rest of my life. The expertise of the shop and it's sister shop. European autocare are amazing and their rates are very reasonable. Jimmy and John.... I am forever in your debt!! Gabe read more

The story continued, one of my calipers did not close and I asked these guys to take a look. They looked, tightened the connection with a zipper. This is normal. My air conditioning turned off for some reason and partially the power steering off. Owner of shop said that there was a coolant leak, they replaced the gasket, I paid $226 , however, the air conditioner did not turn on. I left the car for another day. They said that the air conditioner motor did not work, they can do it for $1100 .I take back my $226. At home check coolant liquid pressure,shocked,it is near 100.The mechanic filled it in the wrong pipe. I released the pressure, prey, the car did not explode.Bless God. I took my wife to see the children in Ramona today,thought about my cars, replaced two fuses, filled the air conditioner cooler.All working.It is cost me $17 for box of fuses and $19 for R123,buy at local Autozone. I told the shop owners when lived my cars,please check fuses,I think problem is there.No,we check all,need motor a/c replacement! I do not question ask you where from this mechanics,why my back panel still open and all my fuses open in trunk? However I increase my review to two stars for my brake connection tightened with zip. read more

Very reliable service, great value compared with many other auto services I've been to. Super friendly and responsive, I'd love to recommend to anyone who suffers finding trustworthy auto repair read more

Fantastic people and really helpful. We great to work with and helped us out. Will be using them in the future

John was super nice and explained everything happening to my car and how he was going to fix it. He's been the first to figure out the problem with my VW. The pricing was also great especially for the service! Would recommend! read more

There's a reason Japanese Autocare is listed as #1 on Yelp... They're hones... have integrity... and stand by their workmanship! My 82 year old aunt had an issue with her 2012 Toyota Prius. She doesn't know what the Check Engine light or other light mean when they come on, other than to take the car to be checked. She's taken her car to Toyota of Poway ever since she purchased it 12 years ago. Every checkup needed went through them. This time, it was her temperature gauge that lit showing that the car was overheating. Long story short she was told by Toyota of Poway that they would need to replace her engine the head gasket had blown and coolant had gone into the cylinders, therefore needing a new engine. They then quoted her the price of $10,000.00 for the repair. She was shocked, took a loaner home and reached out to me for help. I'm the first one to admit I'm not a mechanic, but $10K seems like a very inflated price to replace the engine. Tbe following day, we met with the Service Manager of Toyota of Poway. He showed no empathy whatsoever towards my aunt. What really shocked me is that she has been so loyal to Toyota of Poway over the years yet they displayed ZERO loyalty to her. In fact the Service Manager made a comment that the mechanic makes his money diagnosing extra work for a car. He realized he shouldn't have made that statement then went in a different direction. That tells me that Toyota of Poway service department cares less about it's customers and is only interested in money! I called around and found Japanese Autocare in Rancho Bernardo. I spoke with Nick who displayed all the qualities I used when I started this review. He suggested we have the vehicle towed to their shop and they would diagnose it for free. After a few hiccoughs, we had the care towed and they did the diagnosis for free as they quoted. Initially, they thought they could repair the issue for a fraction of the cost quoted by Toyota of Poway but after getting into it, they discovered the smartest thing to do would be to replace the engine, when they did in a matter of days. Bottom line, Nick was incredible to work with. He kept us informed every step of the way. The price was half what Toyota of Poway quoted. The empathy he showed to my aunt was above and beyond anything I've experienced in the past. They did everything they could do to keep the costs to a minimum. Sure, they're in the business to make money, but not by gouging their customers. They in the business to create relationships with their customers and gain the customers trust. That's how you get referral and return business. (A lesson Toyota of Poway could use!) I highly recommend Japanese Autocare to anyone needing work on their car... even if it's basic maintenance! We'll be back! Thanks for all your help, Nick! read more

Overall service was great working with Nick. The resulting work was completed at a cost much less than what Lexus quoted and they made sure they did a great job repairing my 2015 Lexus GX's valley plate leak (a common issue for Toyota and Lexus). It came back in the quoted time and cost and their also repaired O rings (parts cost only) that they noticed were also in need of repair. Will be taking my vehicle here go forward versus Lexus. read more

Hired the wrong manager. Ripped me off for $1700. Now Andrew, their only honest mechanic has left. Tried to put it right and offered me $100 credit!! No thank you. Best now to go somewhere els. read more

They talk and act nice, as if they know what they are talking about and they have been a long time friend. At the end of the day the work they do is garbage and they make you feel like you need more work than what you need. All they want is money! There are other more knowledgeable and reliable mechanic's out there. Do yourself a favor and don't go here!!! read more

First major problem with my 2012 Acura MDX with a flashing engine light and my car started shaking. I pulled over and called AAA and the tow truck driver from RB Towing recommended Chris and Japanese Autocare since my usual mechanic was going to be an expensive tow ride outside of my coverage miles. I looked at the reviews prior to making a decision and agreed when I saw all of the positive reviews. Chris called me shortly after my car arrived and was very quick with running a diagnostic and giving me a quote of exactly what needed to be done. I had already ran the codes myself and was familiar with the price of parts I would need so I can confirm that their prices with parts and labor are very fair and honest. They communicated well and worked very quickly. I event got to the shop late to pick up my car and Chris was kind enough to come back so I could have my car. I will absolutely be coming back for my car maintenance needs. Thank you so much. read more

Responded quickly to my Yelp request. Easy drop-in service for small issue. Jimmy was super helpful and friendly.

Really professional service, truly appreciate these people. They obviously care about their customers. We had an incredibly wonderful encounter with one of their mechanics by name of Jimmy. I drove my mother's car to him to see if they could fix something on her gas cap door and Jimmy figured out how to fix it and he didn't even charge us! What incredible guy truly a blessing. I highly recommend Japanese auto care! I wouldn't trust my mother's car anywhere else. read more

The best! John was honest and communicative and showed me everything that was wrong. They were the most honest mechanics I have ever been too. How do I know this... they brought me to the back to show me exactly what they were seeing and I saw it too. I am a car person but the details in which they explained everything was great. Also everything was ordered and done within 6 hours of me dropping it off!!! Impressive service and the pricing was what I expected. I have found my new forever mechanic! read more

This place was awesome needed to get transmission Fluid changed and also got brake fluid flushed and was out of there in no time. Price and service was awesome. read more

Just had my 2017 Honda Ridgeline checked out for any maintenance issues by the guys at Japanese Autocare. No issues, no charge...going back in a few thousand for valve adjustmen't, oil change etc. My new go to garage read more

Very satisfied with result and time to complete repair. I'm super impressed with how fast they were able to diagnose and repair my Honda civic 2003. Great value for price read more

My Honda Accord (2012) had been making this whining noise since 2017. Took it to a shop and they replaced the alternator and power steering pump. Still was making whining noise. So finally took it to Japanese Autocare 3 days ago and BOOM they said it was the A/C compressor! They thoroughly inspected the car, shopped around for a Denso compressor and installed it in no time. Nick explained everything to me and to top everything else, I was totally happy with the price. Thank god after 40 years I finally found a honest, down-to-earth Mechanic in Nick. Thanks for the amazing experience! read more

i brought my truck in for oil leak showed them area of concern he said need to clean engine to find leak charged me 140.00 to find source of leak said driveshaft was loose after putting bolt in said it was not leaking . As soon as i left examined vehicle leaking in same spot. Will never go back read more

***Look No Further!!***There are so many other shops I could have taken my Infiniti. So glad I chose them. I spoke and dealt with Nick. Great guy all around. No one BS'd me at all. I was treated like a friend. I initially took my vehicle in to troubleshoot a noise and get an oil change. Nick got the advice from 3 other techs in order to ascertain the noise. Luckily it wasn't anything serious. Gave me the real deal. Didn't talk me up or try to convince me with any other work. I will continue to take my Infiniti there and I will be taking my Altima there as well. Actually any future vehicles I get. Thanks Guys read more

Lol -- Typical auto shop that delivers exponentially bad news after the other with a price tag to match Got my car towed here after transmission failed on the freeway under the guise that I would pay between "$60-$70" for them to take a look at my car. Tony was assigned to my car, looked at it and said I needed to do a $110 diagnostic to see what was going on with the transmission. I asked a lot of questions and naturally was met with irritated mechanics, especially the owner Sam, at one point raised his voice to me (more on that later). Did the "diagnostic test" and determined I needed a new transmission. I have warranties and wanted to pick my best options. I went back to my car to charge my phone to find that the key was set to the ON position (radio/dash were on, slowly killing the battery). I let someone work on my car the day before that ultimately ruined my transmission--which Tony advised would not be covered by warranty because of my negligence. Sam was getting my information and said all they could do was drain my transmission and refill it (13qt @ $23/qt) in an attempt to DECEIVE the dealership diagnostic test. To assume my transmission had fluid/was not tampered with so I could receive a new transmission under warranty at the low price of $385. Tony tried to haggle with me on the price but leave details out, like labor, tax. It was obvious they could price a lot of things however they wanted to. But they reassured me they weren't trying to take advantage, "we're trying to help YOU out," how nice! At one point Sam gets loud and argues, "you can't afford [this service] then you CAN'T afford a new transmission!!!!! Lol! I wasn't sure I wanted to take the gamble of voiding my warranty by trying to trick the dealership with this shop's offer and asked more questions after I left. Tony was able to guarantee in his 10-15 years of experience they would "stage" the transmission so that I could get me a new transmission at no additional cost to me. I called the next morning and the owner Sam said they wouldn't be able to work on my car that day. They were too busy. I called Tony to explain what happened. They had changed their mind. ~shocker~ "We can't work on your vehicle, it's better to just go back to the source of your issue," hahahahaha. YOU SCARED? My suspicions scared mechanics with 15-20 years of experience between them into not believing in themselves. The power of words. I came back to pick up my car without having anything they did to my car in writing (don't fully believe was much). Had the transmission shop across the plaza push it over and come to find my battery was DEAD. They charged me for nothing, however, allegedly ran "diagnostics" on my transmission, and killed my battery. Get everything in writing, this place is shady. read more

PRO: They fixed my car in a very timely manner, correctly diagnosed the issue, and staff was very friendly. They were honest about the time expectation and transparent about the costs and the job itself was well done in my opinion. CON: 1. They charge a diagnostic fee that felt ridiculous amount to me. A few days after the fix my engine light came on and worried me that it was due to some improper fix by them so I called in. They told me if it was their fault they would fix and not charge diagnostics, but if it wasn't their fault it would be diagnostic fee + repair.... If you have that low confidence in your clientele i think it's usually a sign. Went back to my regular trustworthy mechanic who lives a bit further who diagnosed and fixed for free (a minor gas evap issue fixed with a new fuel gas cap from amazon for $10) 2. They also told me to get something else minor fixed during this issue saying if I didn't they couldn't offer me the warranty for the new part, and it may impact the battery. Only on me probing questions did I find out how minor the impact was, how easy the fix, and the low priority given how old my car is. Their tactic would've worked great for someone less experience with mechanics and they would've made another $300 off of me right there. 3. This was at the peak of Covid and no one wore masks. They did have hand sanitizer and a useless pen cup to separate "used" pens. But they were quite matter-of-fact to the point you would've thought there was no pandemic. It was irresponsible in the small, closed office they have and while their health is to their discretion, if you're getting in my car, handling my keys, within 6 feet of me, you need to wear a mask during a pandemic. read more

Ask for Jimmy. I've serviced my vehicle multiple times here because I know that my car is in good hands. They look to save dollars for you whenever possible and the pricing is extremely accurate, if not less than what I've seen online. It came to my attention that the parts I had on my car were not optimal for my make and model and they recommended certain products. After researching deeper into the issue, their recommendations were accurate and I was able to get my car running more smoothly. read more

I have not yet used Japanese Autocare, but they responded quick to my phone call, were able to quickly give me a quote ($400 vs dealership quote of $780) and provided good recommendations. I will use them going forward due to initial strong customer service read more

There is a glitch in the website where I cannot make an online appointment. I had tried closing the browser, and reopening the website several times but everytime I click on the "Get a Free Estimate" button either at the very top banner of the site or the other button a few scrolls down (under "We've Got Your Back!" section) - it just keeps taking me to the top of the website. In addition I could not find any other link options for further assistance. I also tried calling in order to leave a message (after hours) to be reviewed early the next day, but they do not appear to have a voice mail system in place because the line just kept ringing. I was highly satisfied with my service I had last time which is why I am submitting a 3-star review. I am hoping this review will catch the attention of the management so that this minor glitch can be resolved in order to better assist any potential customers. read more

Good service, honest mechanics, provides driving you to your place. I've been coming back to this place every time my car has problems. Their location is very convenient too, a mile away. read more

My car's check engine light is on. I take it to Japanese Auto Care. I sit less than 20 minutes in the waiting area, Lo and behold Tony appears quick, pensive, takes me to the car bay and shows me in a dramatic fashion an old, rotten rusty spark plug with a missing tip. His co-worker Andrew with another unknown technician are present to bear witness in the unfolding of Tony's magic. Tony with all seriousness and hand gestures says, it is going to be a huge problem, short of catastrophic if he could not find the tip. It will cost me between $800 to $1200. Tony's discourse reminds me of a snake oil salesman from the old world. He asks if I could leave the car for him to "scrutinize." A few hours later Tony sends a text message with pictures (he has to have the photos to back up his claims and for dramatic effect). Eureka! He finds the sparkplug tip! But, can only fix the car 50% if I am unwilling to cop out $800 to $1200. His conniving boss Samir or Sam offers to buy the car too for $2500, even with its check engine light on. I want nothing done. Tony, out of the goodness of his heart, tells me he replaced the broken sparkplug with an old one lying around the shop. I asks him if the sparkplug gap is according to the manufacturers specification. He stares at me like a deer in a headlight. A few days later I replaced the sparkplugs at home. My hunches are confirmed. To make my narrative shorter-- I got defrauded. I put two and two together and find Tony's series of actions deceitful. read more

I've just experienced a 3 month nightmare at this place, that cost me an extra $857.00 in repairs (at the Acura dealer) that I didn't need before I took my car here. I have a Acura TL type S. Pretty great car. All I needed was my brakes (pads and rotors) done. Joe and Sam seemed pretty nice, as they assured me I would get a good deal on the Brembo brakes needed for the car. Which I think I did. Total service cost about $850. About 20 min after I picked my car up the brakes started squeaking so loudly, people on the street would turn around. After a week or so of squeaking, I took the car back and Tony told me to continue driving it to "burn" the brakes. That didn't make sense to me but I drove it for another 900 miles. The whole time, insanely loud and embarrassing squeaking. Finally I took the car back and Joe said he would replace the brakes. I get the car back from the shop and the brakes seemed better, no more squeaking. But as I'm driving away from the shop I notice my cup holder cover COMPLETELY ripped off (which didn't seem like an easy feat btw). So I turn around and take it back to Joe who apologizes and says he will order a new cup holder. He just needed me to leave the car for a few days once he receives the order. I leave my car and they notify me that the cup holder cover has been replaced, which it was. So I thank them and pick up my car. But once I drive off I notice SOMETHING ELSE this time. And it's worse. One of my cabinet doors was completely broken. And some of the interior lights no longer turn on. In addition, while reaching for some loose change, I burn my fingers on loose wires in the side compartment because they removed light cap (probably to replace the the cup holder) and never replaced it. The interior of my car now looks TERRIBLE. I told them about this and they told me I would have to wait a week before they could look at it. But before they could do any more damage I took my car to the dealer. The dealer said "there were several broken tabs in the interior and many missing screws. They're not sure what happened but either malice or extreme carelessness were to blame". The dealer ended up replacing the bulbs, the cabinet, the light cap, and they had to tape down some of the interior (to make it looked presentable) because the tabs were broken. All of this cost me and extra $857.00, not to mention the time and frustration going back and forth between the shop, work, and the dealer. This is my WORST experience at a mechanic and I've been driving Hondas and Acuras for 20 years now. I know these cars well. Oh yeah, the brakes still squeak when I reverse but with all I've been through, I can live with that. read more